Gateway Center, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA

Gateway Center for Acadia National Park in Maine

Architecture: New Energy Works

Location: Maine, USA

Photos by Scott Hemenway Photography

New Energy Works has been selected as the 14th Annual Architizer A+Awards Popular Choice Winner in the Sustainable Infrastructure Project category for its contributions to Acadia National Park’s Gateway Center.

A stately entryway to the grandeur of Acadia National Park, this 11,000-square-foot legacy building is the central hub for national park travelers from all areas and walks of life.

The heavy timber project was funded by private and public support and features 460 individual Douglas fir timbers.

The 11,000-square-foot cathedral-style building welcomes park visitors with a custom-fabricated curved glulam eyebrow entryway leading to the massive span of the interior timber frame. New Energy Works Director of Heavy Timber Owen MacDonald says, “There’s a ton of complexity in the glulam curve area; it’s that focal point where you go, ‘Wow, look at that’.”

Using traditional wood-on-wood joinery and integrated steel, the gateway building features large trusses, custom curved glulams, and timber spans up to 42 feet long, creating a structure as unique as the park’s surroundings.

Bringing nature inside with the exposed wood structure and expansive windows, the project is a prime example of biophilic design, the deliberate incorporation of nature into the built environment.

Additionally, a timber-frame bus shelter and an information kiosk greet visitors before they enter the welcome center. In keeping with environmentally considerate construction, the center boasts several sustainable features, including a rooftop solar array and geothermal heating and cooling.

About New Energy Works
From design studios, production shops, and mills in New York and Oregon, New Energy Works designs, crafts, and builds sustainable timber-frame custom homes, commercial buildings, and high-performance enclosures throughout North America.

Design: New Energy Works – https://www.newenergyworks.com/