Oxbow Park Nature Center Receives 2025 AIA Minneapolis Merit Award

The Oxbow Park Nature Center was honored with a 2025 AIA Minneapolis Merit Award. This award recognizes projects that tell a story of excellence beyond design, emphasizing public interest and embracing the varied forces that shape a building.

The new Oxbow Park Nature Center, completed in 2023, is a transformative project designed to enhance environmental education, wellness, and recreation in southeastern Minnesota. Replacing the original 1981 building, the new 13,100-square-foot facility offers modern, accessible spaces that expand capacity and programming for schools, community groups, and families throughout the region.

Located in the heart of Oxbow Park in Olmsted County, the center serves as a dynamic educational hub. Flexible classrooms, interactive exhibit areas, and live animal displays provide hands-on learning experiences that inspire curiosity and stewardship. Behind-the-scenes animal-care spaces support year-round programming, ensuring a sustainable and enriching environment for both wildlife and visitors.

The building’s design—featuring high ceilings, extensive glass, locally quarried limestone, and regionally harvested wood—invites the outside in, connecting visitors to the unique landscape of the Driftless Area. A new welcome plaza and drop-off zone enhance safety and accessibility, particularly for school buses and large groups.

Beyond education, the nature center supports community wellness initiatives such as the Mayo Clinic’s Parks Rx program by promoting time outdoors and physical activity. Rental spaces, modern AV equipment, and outdoor amenities like rain gardens and nature play areas make the center a destination for gatherings and events.

Environmentally conscious design elements, including rainwater management systems, energy-efficient infrastructure, and sustainable materials, reinforce the center’s role as a model of stewardship. Overall, the new Oxbow Park Nature Center strengthens community connections, fosters environmental awareness, and provides a versatile, welcoming space for all ages.

Alliiance collaborated closely on the design with HKGi, the project’s landscape architect, and Split Rock Studios, the exhibit designer, fabricator, and installer.

Learn more about this project here.