rand
arboretum
Remote Collaboration
We were first asked to assist with planning and design for Rand Nature Centre during 2020, when US-Bahamas travel wasn't an option.
Designing fully remotely required us to collaborate closely with local Bahamas National Trust staff through WhatsApp video tours and having deep conversations.
When we were finally able to travel to make a site visit in spring 2022, we were pleased to find that our collaboration had resulted in a workable strategy for the site.
Growing towards the future
When we were approached to help plan and design Rand Nature Centre, the site had been damaged due to storm surge from Hurricane Dorian in 2019.
The site already boasted a few popular annual events and many acres of Caribbean slash pine forest. Our task was to figure out potential ways to layer in additional functions for the site that would support ecological and social thriving. BNT staff have already installed a bush tea garden, where local experts have already started to educate the community about local herbal preparations and the plants that are used to make them.
Longer-term interventions include an event space and tram loop to make access to more of the site easier for guests.
Sourcing for Success
While our design investigations and planting strategy focused on Bahamas plants and locally available materials, limited nursery production on the Bahamas meant that some plants were better sourced from Florida (110 miles away).
A surprising finding was that – due to lack of availability of watering during customs – larger plants had a much higher success rate of surviving and thriving than smaller specimens.
Project Scope:
- Inventory & Analysis
- Design Process
- Concept Design
- Planting Design
- Design Visualization
- Interpretive Signage
+282
Total Design Hours
+24
CA Hours
100
Total Acres
gallery
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