The South Florida Water Management District asked Michael Singer to propose a new innovative visitor and education center at the District's site, a pumping facility in Belle Glades, near Lake Okeechobee. The goal of "Fresh Waters Gateway" is to engage citizens and tourists with one of the most precious natural resources of Florida, fresh water. Through dynamic interaction with programs and design at the visitor center and site, the public will have an opportunity to understand the complex issues and systems of water management, the strategies and history of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, and the role of the District in their everyday lives. The site, with its convergent geography, offers a unique view of the connections between the diverse interests of agriculture, development, and the natural environment. The 60' towers relate to the elevation drop from Lake Okeechobee to the southern tip of the Everglades. Two program rooms in the towers' interior can accommodate forty people sitting around a large boardroom table, similar to the District's executive meeting room. A "Hydro-Lift" made of two counterweights fill and empty with water, allowing the room to rise in the tower and descend. All surfaces of the room are capable of receiving projections and sound from multi-media presentations that inform the visitors about history, conflicts, and resolution strategies. Exiting the towers, visitors emerge onto a boardwalk and bridge walking trail taking them into the landscape demonstrations of conservation strategies and models of the Restoration Project. The building visitor center site and buildings demonstrate sustainable practice in development, conservation and agriculture. The buildings are powered with photovoltaic cells. Storm water is treated at the site. The landscape is naturalized, demonstrating xeriscape principles.

Artist/Designer: Michael Singer
Design Team: Peter Nobile, architect (SBRA), Calen Colby and Mark J. Larochelle from Oest Associates Inc., Trevor Lee, designer, Richard Rabinowitz (American History Workshop), Ignacio Ramos, designer
South Florida Water Management District: Fred Davis, Marjorie Moore, Tony Waterhouse
Project Concept: Creative Thinking In the Public Realm Seminar, Florida Atlantic University: Michael Singer Eminent Scholar, Elizabeth Atterbury, Jane Day, Tobin Hindle, Marc Rhorer, Ilaria Serra, Malti Turnbull, Sandra White

Previous Project

Next Project