Swaner Nature Preserve
Park City, Utah

Park City, Utah, was historically a cattle and mining town before its reinvention as a ski resort in the 1970s. Mountain snowmelt drains into the valley, creating a vital wetland. Thanks to the Swaner family's stewardship, this wetland was preserved. Muir was hired to master plan and design a visitor center for the preserve. While the design emphasizes educating the public about the synergistic relationship between the preserve and surrounding development, conservation of this sensitive ecosystem remained the driving force behind the Center and its surrounding trail system. Entry into the park is restricted to guided tours.

The Center is accessed from a typical shopping area surrounded by parking. The preserve collects runoff, restoring water quality through a series of filtration ponds. Visitors descend from the parking level, passing the ponds to enter beneath the building through a screen wall that masks surrounding commercial clutter—an approach that mirrors the park's own environmental function. Inside, visitors rise into the education center to discover the preserve. The facility includes exhibits, a bookstore, and community and administrative spaces. Guided tours begin at the marsh level, passing through a greenhouse where plants are germinated and injured animals are cared for; from there, guests access the path system and a pier extending into the preserve.

Design Principal: Prescott Muir and Lisa Arnett
Project Architect: Summer Swaner