A landscape for healing and community: OSD unveils serene connection to nature for the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine
New York-based multidisciplinary studio OSD has been selected as the landscape architects for the new Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, Arkansas, together with Arkansas-based firm Polk Stanley Wilcox as the lead architects.
Founded in 2021 by philanthropist Alice Walton, the School of Medicine, (formerly named Whole Health School of Medicine and Health Sciences), will offer a four-year, medical degree-granting program that integrates conventional medicine with holistic principles and self-care practices. OSD and Polk Stanley Wilcox are brought on as the landscape architects and lead architects for the first-of-its-kind medical school designed to help students rise to the health challenges of the 21st century. Currently in the design development phase, construction of the 154,000 square-foot building will begin in Spring 2023, with the goal of completing and welcoming the first class in Fall 2025, pending accreditation.
Image by OSD and Polk Stanley Wilcox
“The School of Medicine is poised to be an inspiring learning environment that supports well-being, emphasizes innovation, and equips future physicians to be agents of change. We are excited to help pave the way for the next generation of holistic physicians and health professionals. This unique, site-responsive building will welcome students, staff, and visitors alike to explore this beautiful campus, serving a broader vision of enhancing quality of life in our region and beyond.” Alice Walton, Founder, School of Medicine.
Image by OSD and Polk Stanley Wilcox
The campus is designed to seamlessly connect with the surrounding woodlands and the Ozarks at-large. Through a network of hiking and biking trails, students can reach the School’s sister organization, Whole Health Institute, or the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, designed by Marlon Blackwell Architects and Safdie Architects, respectively.
“Designing the landscape for the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine truly requires an integrative approach that considers the experience, influence and impact of nature on the mind, body and spirit. The project offers an exciting new paradigm of healing and learning environments that holistically blends building and landscape to create a deeply rooted connection to the Bentonville community, the world-class arts environment of Crystal Bridges, and the wider ecosystem and magic of the Ozarks.” Simon David, Founding Principal and Creative Director, OSD.
Image by OSD and Polk Stanley Wilcox
“The design integrates the building into both the site and the community, engaging the land as an abstraction of Ozark geology that embraces the principles of integrated medicine, and the holistic link between mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.” Wesley Walls, AIA, Principal, Polk Stanley Wilcox.
OSD’s proposal for the outdoor features of the rooftop park and surrounding site focus on holistically integrating the building with the woodlands of Crystal Bridges.
Thoughtfully designed to support accessible pedestrian and bike networks, stewardship of regional ecology, and community connections, the site’s landscape features include a woodland meditation and foraging and healing gardens, wetland, outdoor classrooms, urban farming space, and a rooftop terrace that connects to balconies, a cafe, and an amphitheater.
Image by OSD and Polk Stanley Wilcox
The building’s front corner elevates above the ground-plane, creating a protective canopy that allows community access through and onto the building. Whether arriving by foot, bicycle, or vehicle, the campus invites students and visitors under the abstracted “bluff shelter” on the building’s public façade facing J Street.
Image by OSD and Polk Stanley Wilcox
Conceived as an extension of Crystal Bridges’ forest, the woodland trails seamlessly connect the School’s campus with the adjacent arts institutions, creating a link between art, nature and healing for a holistic learning environment.
Other than the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, OSD has previously designed the Shepherd Arts Campus for the Library Street Collective in Detroit, Michigan and a district-wide plan for walking and biking in Manhattan’s Flatiron and NoMad District.
For the latest industry news visit landscapingmatters.co.uk/news
Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.
You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Landscaping Matters.
