Architecture studio BVH used materials such as charred wood and weathering steel to help a visitor centre in a wilderness preserve hold up against harsh weather conditions.

The Niobrara River Valley Preserve Visitors Center is located near Johnstown, a rural village in north-central Nebraska. The building serves as a gathering spot and educational hub for a vast, 56,000-acre (22,662-hectare) conservation area featuring six different ecological zones, from forests to grasslands.
The preserve, which is owned by The Nature Conservancy, serves a variety of functions.

"The preserve is a working ranch, an educational laboratory and training grounds for rangeland management and controlled firefighting," said Nebraska firm BVH in a project description. "Recreationally, the preserve offers hiking, river sports and other outdoor activities." The visitor centre contains offices, meeting rooms, restrooms and a servery. The building encompasses 3,250 square feet (1,315 square metres).

Perched on a small bluff, the building was designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, from icy winters to hot summers with threats of wildfire. In the summer of 2012, fires ravaged much of the area.
The team conceived an unassuming building that is rectangular in plan. Approached from the south, the structure is meant to have a low profile, so as not to compete with the natural landscape. The building's metal roof has deep overhangs that provide shade.

The main door is locate...