Jimmy Xu + Firdavs Yuldashev

We work at the intersection of "earth" and architecture. Aiming to build as an extension of the landscape—materially, gesturally, and experientially.

Our project is an observation trail located in the prairie land of South Dakota, next to the town of De Smet. Amidst the natural beauty, our project creates a trail where travelers can explore our carefully designed landscape and deepen their connection with the land around them, using direct sensory contact and background land as art. 

In place of the existing landscape, artificial terrain is created through image manipulation. blending the natural terrain with performance and exhibition programming that uses a blend of architectural and landscaping textures.

As you enter the site from the main freeway, you are met with a road that guides you to the parking. Before you come out to the pathway that will lead you to hike up top, you will go through the exhibition. The trail then leads you to the peak in a spiral way, unveiling different little programs and spaces like gazebos and picnic areas along the way. 

As you finish your hike up to the 60-foot peak, you will have a panoramic view of the surrounding prairie and be faced with a view of every program they explored. Before you make your way back to the parking area, you can visit the shop and the performance space for any activities that might take place. There are also complementary programs like the fishing deck by the lake, a diner, and parks scattered throughout the site to enhance the experience of the visitors and enrich the project with different activities.

The trail is designed to be seamless with the landscape so that the traveler can also interpret the choreographed programs to wander and establish a more personal connection with the surroundings. 

The inspiration for this project originated with the study of land art and pre-Columbian mound builders. Specifically, we looked at the inter-relational aspects between natural landscapes and artificial interventions, which caused us to question the archaic symbolic weight of the earth and brought to light the transformative and thought-provoking potential of the earth as an architectural medium.