Desert Botanical Garden Butterfly Pavilion

A new 3,200 square foot open-air butterfly pavilion located in the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona. Construction of new one-story, unconditioned, screen-enclosed freestanding structure for housing butterflies in an open environment simulating their natural habitat and a one-story enclosed and conditioned building for receiving and caring for butterfly pupae until they reach maturity and are released inside the screened enclosure. The new habitat includes interpretive and interactive exhibits, activities and research. The exhibit features live butterflies, a caterpillar nursery and emergence chamber, and provides visitors up close interaction with the butterflies while learning about the characteristics of their lifecycles. MIAA provided the architectural design of the exhibit under Spurlock Landscape Architects.

City of Phoenix Neighborhood Resource Center & Police Substation

The City of Phoenix Neighborhood Resource Center includes a Police Station, Neighborhood Services Offices and public assembly space.  It is an important new beginning for the South Phoenix Neighborhood, which has historically been an area of little investment and high crime.  The challenge was to design and construct a public facility that is modest in scale, but creates a dramatic and ambitious presence at a major arterial intersection to set the standard for future development.  Key components for the building include offices for the City of Phoenix Police, secured parking and access for police vehicles.  The public areas are designed to provide an open, community-friendly atmosphere and are integrated with desert landscape and multi-use trail and an art installation, featuring neighborhood leaders and evens on bas-relief along the secure wall of the police yard.  The resulting building is both striking and welcoming, and is a powerful symbol of neighborhood change.

Photo Credit: Bill Timmerman