Visitors from across the planet travel to
this UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is home to half the world’s
remaining population of endangered mountain gorillas. The Bwindi Eco-Tourism Center
is planned as a gateway to the park and a bridge between the local community
and the thousands who visit each year. The community design and master planning
process was funded by USAID Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance and coordinated
by the US Forest Service and Solimar International with the Uganda Wildlife Authority,
involving many interviews, workshops, and meetings with stakeholders.Built on a former cleared site containing a
river and shared park boundary, the center will be a clear departure point for
many activities in and around the park. The buildings that make up the center
are light, open, simple structures made with local and regional materials. They
are clustered to form comfortable indoor and outdoor spaces which intertwine
with the landscape and facilitate the first and last stages of gorilla trekking.
The terraced raingardens and amphitheater cascade down the hill as an
expression of the cultivated landscape. Boardwalks traverse the site and reach
out over the forested ravine to provide a tree canopy walk. Designed primarily
with passive building strategies, the center buildings will provide natural
light, fresh air, and clean water. They will produce their own energy, manage
their own waste and water, and regenerate degraded habitat.
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