Cummins Falls State Park Visitor Center

Tinker Ma had the honor of designing a new visitor center for Cummins Falls State Park, which is located just north of Cookeville. The new state of the art facility draws heavily on the vernacular buildings found in the region. Modern technology such as insulating concrete forms and structural insulating panels are beautifully married to a natural and historic material palette of stone, timber, and Corten steel (steel which appears to have rusted, though it actually has not). The building houses interpretive exhibits, a retail space, staff dining, an event hall, offices, a first aid room, and ancillary spaces. The project also includes significant outdoor spaces which can be used for gatherings of large groups or for safety instruction and presentations by park rangers. The material palette, structural system, and architectural design allow for an exceptionally low maintenance building with an unusually long lifespan.

The dog-trot arrangement of the buildings is designed to funnel visitors directly by the rangers’ offices as they progress down the trail to the magnificent waterfall and swimming area below. Giving the rangers strong visual command of the trail head was a significant safety concern during the design phase. The building is also quite unique from a technical perspective in that it is the first building approved by the Tennessee State Fire Marshall for which fire service is provided by an on-site reservoir and a dry hydrant system. This system was designed based on criteria found in the Urban/Wildlands Interface Code as there is no adequate domestic water supply system in the area to serve a fire hydrant. The building and the new outdoor spaces meet or exceed ADA guidelines and even create an accessible outdoor gathering space which serves as an entryway to the trailhead to the falls (though the trail itself is not yet fully accessible).

Learn more about Cummins Falls State Park here.

*Photo Credit - Tim Hursley

Awards

American Institute of Architects Tennessee

2023 AIA TN Merit Award