Heritage Museums & Gardens Welcome Center

Sandwich, MA

Details
Visitor orientation, ticketing, gift shop
Board room, offices, support spaces
Outdoor courtyard with garden shop, overlooks, and seating
Sustainable design features
Owner
Heritage Museums & Gardens
Services
Programming, Site Analysis, Fundraising Materials, Cost Estimating, Full Design Services, Building Information Modeling

Heritage Museums & Gardens attracts over one hundred thousand visitors yearly to celebrate and explore the unique landscape and culture of Cape Cod. Replacing an aging, undersized, and confusing facility, a new welcome center will gracefully and intuitively transition visitors from the world outside to the beautiful and serene setting by previewing all Heritage has to offer.

With discovery as the central theme, the center is broken down into a collection of four small stone and wood structures, inspired by the existing Heritage campus architecture and respectful of the local historical vernacular, playfully arranged to encourage visitors to explore. Stone garden walls and low-sloped roofs blend the architecture and landscape together minimizing the visual impact from the road while providing a clear and intuitive destination. Entering a new arrival plaza, groups of all ages will have an opportunity to gather and decompress before entering the gardens. The Clarissa S. Nye Visitor Center pavilion will allow visitors to engage with Heritage staff, plan their visit, and learn about the history of Heritage through new interpretive exhibits. Stunning views of the site’s signature water flume and surrounding lush landscape from the central visitor center and thoughtfully placed overlooks will create a memorable first impression that beckons visitors to enter the grounds, where they will find new opportunities to learn, gather, and reflect.

Plaza
Plaza
Clarissa S. Nye Visitor Services Center
Clarissa S. Nye Visitor Services Center
Flume Fountain Seating
Flume Fountain Seating

Supporting Heritage’s mission to provide leadership in sustainable design, the buildings’ efficient envelope, all electric systems, solar panels, and permeable paving help meet the high-efficiency standards consistent with Massachusetts’ decarbonization goals.

View from the Arbor Bowl
View from the Arbor Bowl
View of the Flume Fountain from the Clarissa S. Nye Visitor Center
View of the Flume Fountain from the Clarissa S. Nye Visitor Center