With each year that passes, more and more groups are coming to Valley View. One of the
biggest roadblocks to expanding our outdoor education programs and activities has been that we
do not have any type of shelter to serve as a gathering space that meets the logistical and safety
needs of visitors.  After years of dreaming and discussing, we partnered with the Cincinnati
Living Building Challenge Collaborative and RWA Architects to create a design that is
ambitious, environmentally progressive and will compliment Valley View’s character and
natural setting. We received a Capital Improvement grant from the Ohio Department of Natural
Resources that has made it possible to construct the shelter, the first phase of this project.

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• An outdoor classroom for hands-on, experiential learning

• A gathering space for school groups, visitors of all ages and outdoor events

• Connect people to nature and the ecology of our space

• Protection from inclement weather

• Encourage fee unstructured exploration, play and exercise

• Minimize site impact

• Simple and elegant non-intrusive design

• A landscape and building that will tell the stories and history of the property

• A model for sustainable and environmentally responsible practices that everyone can incorporate

• Treat on-site sunlight, water, open space, and vegetation as precious resources

• Collect energy on site

• Embrace the intermittent flooding of the site

• Make our natural space available to all through handicap accessibility

 

 

If you would like to learn more about this project, please contact us to discuss further details.