Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
Exhibit and Interpretive Design
Experiential Branding
How does a stewardship organization like Middle Trinity Groundwater Conservation District clarify their mission and purpose? They commission a best-in-class design team to transform a vacant parcel into an outdoor learning environment. Owing its name to a citywide drainage depression that bisects the property, The Ditch supports and promotes the health of the Trinity Aquifer for a 4-county, 5,000-square-mile area.
The program of interpretive elements comprises discrete interpretive signage, punctuated by art installations that help convey the geography and mechanics of the aquifer, as well as vital facts about native plant species and their critical role in habitat preservation and water quality.
“Our project faced many challenges and unexpected delays, but fd2s stuck with us all the way. We now have unique interpretive signage that will help us achieve our educational goals for years to come.”
— Stephanie Keith, Education & Public Relations Coordinator, Project Manager
A rammed earth wall artfully communicates general patterns of groundwater in the Trinity Aquifer, moving deeper below ground as the geography changes from west to east across the aquifer.
The Slice, Compacted earth and stainless steel
Bridge Projects
Each stainless steel tube in this mixed-media installation represents approximately 50 active wells. Above-ground lakes and waterways are drawn on the wall in grey while the recharge area, or outcrop, of the Trinity Aquifer is stained in darker grey to depict the layers of the aquifer that are exposed at the surface. Diagonal lines represent the aquifer subgroup that spans the southernmost counties within the water conservation district.
The Wells, Stainless steel, stain, and acrylic
Bridge Projects
The roots of certain plant species are essential elements in prairie ecosystems. Compared to the visible part of the plant, root systems can be surprisingly large, with extensive networks burrowing as deep as 15 feet below the surface. These cut steel root silhouettes demonstrate plants’ remarkable adaptations to limited water, scarce nutrient resources, and harsh weather conditions.
The Roots, Steel and concrete
Bridge Projects
