Since the 1920’s, the Wausau School District has had an incredibly unique asset in their School Forest Lodge. The remote school campus sitting on the banks of the Wisconsin River has been providing students a place to spark their curiosity about the environment. Every year students from all grade levels come to the School Forest Lodge to utilize their critical thinking skills, observe nature, and are given the tools to work together to learn about the environment. Wausau saw that the need to provide more educational opportunities to learn about environmental science was greater than ever, and with visiting groups ranging in size from 100 to 250 at a time, the need to expand and replace the existing facility was apparent.

The Wausau School District, the Wausau School Foundation, and Somerville began working on casting the vision to replace the aging facility in late 2018. In combination with a successful referendum campaign in 2022, and a capital campaign led by the School Foundation, the new School Forest Lodge will be complete in 2023.

The new School Forest Lodge will more than double the existing building with four large classrooms and a center museum/collections space. The mezzanine overlooks the museum space and will act as another learning and activity area. In the spacious lobby, a local artist will be sculpting a realistic tree to bring the natural aesthetic into the building. A health room, restrooms, an office and kitchenette for staff, and ample storage round out the main floor. The facility will also have a basement for added storage.

Other unique features of the facility include a fireplace in the museum, and wood glulam beams. This new facility will be used for generations to come, so it was important for our team to use timeless and durable materials in unique ways that would elevate the aesthetic. Burnished CMU block, other wood-look materials, and a standing seam metal roof will provide durability and protection from the heavily wooded site. Expansive north and east-facing windows offer amazing views of the Wisconsin River, and bring daylight deep into the facility. An outdoor amphitheater and learning space is planned for the next phase of the project to bring a dedicated learning space into the outdoors.