Case Study

Cradle of Forestry

Industry

Institutional, Parks

Project Location

Pisgah Forest, NC

Project Scope

15,464 SF Addition, 6,539 SF Renovation

Cooper Construction built the Forest Discovery Center at the Cradle of Forestry in America for the U.S. Forest Service, on the Pisgah Ranger District in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina.

Three bogs on the site are home to swamp pink, a federally listed threatened and endangered plant, and surface water from the construction area and the parking lot drains into them. Cooper held erosion control across the whole job and inspected every structure after each major storm rather than waiting to be asked.

The building also had to be ready for exhibits that did not exist yet. Cooper coordinated with the interpretive exhibit designers during construction so the audio and video wiring, the custom plumbing and the dedicated electrical circuits were in the walls before the walls closed.

The work was a full renovation of the existing 6,539 square foot visitor center plus 15,464 square feet of additions, including an exhibit hall and education center. The site is a National Historic Site.