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The Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center has been honored with an Honor Award for Landscape Architecture at the Fay Jones Alumni Design Awards, recognizing design excellence that is deeply connected to place, ecology, and experience.
Located within Pinnacle Mountain State Park, the project sits at a remarkable intersection between the urban fabric of Little Rock and the natural landscapes of Lake Maumelle and the Ouachita National Forest. Defined by rugged rock formations, wetlands, and dense forest, the park draws more than 600,000 visitors annually and serves as one of Arkansas’s most beloved outdoor destinations.
Conceived as a gateway rather than simply a structure, the Visitor Center integrates architecture and landscape to immerse visitors in the mountain environment from the moment of arrival. Native plant communities, stone elements, and boulder features anchor the building within its terrain. Sustainable stormwater strategies — including bioswales and expressive runoff features — transform rainfall into both functional infrastructure and educational experience.
The landscape shapes how visitors move through and engage with the site. Stone steps lead to an entry sequence encouraging guests to Enjoy. Protect. Explore., while trail connections, interpretive features, and outdoor learning spaces extend the visitor experience beyond the building itself.
A big congratulations to our Fay Jones Alumni on being recognized among this year’s alumni award recipients.
Tanner Weeks, B.L.A. ’98
Mary Nell Miskin, B.L.A. ’15
Their acknowledgment reflects not only individual achievement, but the enduring design influence of the Fay Jones School and its legacy within Arkansas’s built and natural environments.
Today, the Pinnacle Mountain Visitor Center stands as a model for park design in Arkansas, demonstrating how landscape-led, ecologically grounded design can enhance visitor experience while fostering long-term stewardship.
Pinnacle Mountain State Park is located west of Arkansas’s capital city, marking it as a unique urban connection between downtown Little Rock and the natural beauty of Lake Maumelle and the Ouachita National Forest.
Preliminary sketches and renderings exploring the entry sequence for the user, stormwater management strategies, and gathering areas for education and site tours.
Birdseye view of the project site with a closeup view of the entry. Boulders and native plants were used to mirror the experience of ascending Pinnacle Mountain as site users enter the Visitor Center.
View of bioswale median in the parking lot that filters stormwater through native plants before it enters the larger storm system.
View from the southeast corner of the building where visitors enter the site from the parking area – creating a unique experience from the moment visitors exit their car to the moment they enter the exterior spaces of the visitor’s center.
View from the southeast corner of the building where visitors can sit for site tours at an outdoor amphitheater and have access to new trails that connect to existing monument trails.
View of the southwest corner of the site from the Pinnacle Mountain Base Trail connection. This connection brings trail users directly to the Visitors Center, where they can experience interactive exhibits or take a break on the patio and enjoy a treat from local vendors.
At the conclusion of the project, the design team engaged with the Arkansas State Parks staff on how to maintain and care for this native landscape by facilitating a “weeding day.” The design team presented a landscape plan to the Parks staff on how best to maintain this beautiful landscape that welcomes visitors from across the state.
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