The Powerhouse

The Powerhouse will complete the planning phase of their backyard redesign, transforming the museum’s 7,000-square-foot backyard into a safe, enclosed outdoor learning environment that nearly doubles their usable exhibit space. Expanding into the backyard provides the best opportunity to meet growing visitor demand while delivering high-quality, engaging, and enriching experiences. Its design also takes advantage of Southern Colorado’s mild climate, enabling hands-on outdoor learning nearly year-round. Project activities include hiring a qualified design firm through a competitive process, securing a civil engineer to conduct a topographic survey and develop a drainage plan, conducting community outreach and engagement sessions, and reviewing iterative design concepts. These steps will culminate in a comprehensive, community-informed backyard design that can guide future fundraising and development. The primary audience is children aged two to ten and their families, who will benefit directly from a developmentally appropriate, safe, and interactive outdoor learning space.