AldrichPears Associates
Encyclopedia
AldrichPears Associates is an interpretive planning
and exhibit design
firm based in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
. They specialize in developing immersive, interactive
and hands-on interpretive experiences for mission-driven museum
s, science center
s, interpretive centers
, zoo
s, aquarium
s, botanical garden
s, and children’s museums
around the world.
AldrichPears Associates is best known for designing the exhibits at the Desert Living Center at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve
, Nevada, a LEED
-certified project that explores sustainable living
in the desert and the Museo del Acero, a steel museum housed in a restored blast furnace, at Parque Fundidora
. This museum interprets the scientific and cultural history of steelmaking in Mexico
.
s and exhibit designers
. Isaac Marshall joined as a third principal of the firm in 2007. They are a full service firm that works with informal learning
institutions from the initial conceptual planning
phases of a project through design development and the final building contract and administration phases.
for their work and are gaining a strong foothold in the global market with projects in the Middle East
, Europe
and Asia
.
Interpretive planning
Interpretive planning is an initial step in the planning and design process for informal learning-based institutions like museums, zoos, science centers, nature centers, botanical gardens, heritage sites, parks and other cultural facilities where interpretation is used to communicate messages,...
and exhibit design
Exhibit design
Exhibit design is the process of developing an exhibit—from a concept through to a physical, three-dimensional exhibition...
firm based in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They specialize in developing immersive, interactive
Interactivity
In the fields of information science, communication, and industrial design, there is debate over the meaning of interactivity. In the "contingency view" of interactivity, there are three levels:...
and hands-on interpretive experiences for mission-driven museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s, science center
Science center
A science center or science centre is a science museum that emphasizes a hands-on approach, featuring interactive exhibits that encourage visitors to experiment and explore....
s, interpretive centers
Interpretation centre
An interpretation centre, or interpretive centre, is an institution for dissemination of knowledge of natural or cultural heritage. Interpretation centres are a kind of new-style museum, often associated with visitor centres or ecomuseums, and located in connection to cultural, historic or natural...
, zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
s, aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
s, botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
s, and children’s museums
Children's museum
Children's museums are institutions that provide exhibits and programs to stimulate informal learning experiences for children. In contrast with traditional museums that typically have a hands-off policy regarding exhibits, children's museums feature interactive exhibits that are designed to be...
around the world.
AldrichPears Associates is best known for designing the exhibits at the Desert Living Center at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve
Las Vegas Springs Preserve
Las Vegas Springs Preserve consists of dedicated to nature walks and displays and is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Valley Water District. The Preserve is located approximately three miles west of downtown Las Vegas, Nevada...
, Nevada, a LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
-certified project that explores sustainable living
Sustainable living
Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources and his/her own resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet...
in the desert and the Museo del Acero, a steel museum housed in a restored blast furnace, at Parque Fundidora
Fundidora Park
-History and location:This urban sustainable park is geolocated inside the former Monterrey Foundry Property with an area of . The Monterrey Foundry operated from 1900 until its bankruptcy in 1986...
. This museum interprets the scientific and cultural history of steelmaking in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Profile
Ron Pears and Phil Aldrich founded AldrichPears Associates in 1979. The company has grown steadily and now employs 30 content developers, graphic designerGraphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
s and exhibit designers
Exhibition designer
An Exhibition Designer is a professional who creates fixtures and display stands for events such as large public exhibitions, conferences, trade shows and temporary displays for business, museums, libraries and galleries.-Duties:...
. Isaac Marshall joined as a third principal of the firm in 2007. They are a full service firm that works with informal learning
Informal learning
Informal learning is one of three forms of learning defined by the OECD. The other two are formal and non-formal learning. Informal learning occurs in a variety of places, such as at home, work, and through daily interactions and shared relationships among members of society. For many learners this...
institutions from the initial conceptual planning
Interpretive planning
Interpretive planning is an initial step in the planning and design process for informal learning-based institutions like museums, zoos, science centers, nature centers, botanical gardens, heritage sites, parks and other cultural facilities where interpretation is used to communicate messages,...
phases of a project through design development and the final building contract and administration phases.
Recent Work
AldrichPears has been internationally recognized for its design work on many projects. They are well known in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
for their work and are gaining a strong foothold in the global market with projects in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
Interpretive Centers
- Denali Visitor CenterDenali National Park and PreserveDenali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Denali , the highest mountain in North America. The park and preserve together cover 9,492 mi² .The longest glacier is the Kalhiltna glacier....
, AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait... - Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor CenterAlaska Maritime National Wildlife RefugeThe Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge comprising 2,400 islands, headlands, rocks, islets, spires and reefs in Alaska, with a total area of , of which is wilderness)...
, Homer, AlaskaHomer, AlaskaHomer is a city located in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population was 5,364. One of Homer's nicknames is "the cosmic hamlet by the sea"; another is "the end of the road"... - Northwest Arctic Heritage Center, Kotzebue, AlaskaKotzebue, AlaskaAs of the census of 2000, there were 3,082 people, 889 households, and 656 families residing in the city. The population density was 114.1 people per square mile . There were 1,007 housing units at an average density of 37.3 per square mile...
- Kodiak Refuge Visitors CenterKodiak National Wildlife RefugeThe Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge in the Kodiak Archipelago in southwestern Alaska, United States....
, Kodiak, AlaskaKodiak, AlaskaKodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline... - Tillamook Forest CenterTillamook State ForestThe Tillamook State Forest is a publicly owned forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. Managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry, it is located west of Portland in the Northern Oregon Coast Range, and spans Washington, Tillamook, Yamhill, and Clatsop counties. The forest receives large amounts of...
, Tillamook, OregonTillamook, OregonThe city of Tillamook is the county seat of Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on the southeast end of Tillamook Bay on the Pacific Ocean. The population was 4,352 at the 2000 census... - Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, Al AinAl AinAl Ain |Spring]]), also known as the Garden City due to its greenery, is the second largest city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates. With a population of 374,000 , it is located approximately 160 km east of the capital Abu Dhabi and about...
, United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a... - Desert Living Center, Las Vegas Springs PreserveLas Vegas Springs PreserveLas Vegas Springs Preserve consists of dedicated to nature walks and displays and is owned and operated by the Las Vegas Valley Water District. The Preserve is located approximately three miles west of downtown Las Vegas, Nevada...
, NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its... - Chattahoochee Nature CenterChattahoochee Nature CenterThe Chattahoochee Nature Center is a private, non-profit environmental education facility in Roswell, Georgia. Located on adjacent to the Chattahoochee River, the nature center focuses on educational outreach through the use of live flora and fauna....
, Roswell, GeorgiaRoswell, GeorgiaRoswell is a city located in northern Fulton County; it is a suburb of northern Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The 2010 Census population was 88,346. It is the eighth largest city in Georgia... - Nature ExchangeNature ExchangeThe Nature Exchange is a specialized learning environment that encourages people to explore nature and actively observe, collect, study and share the world around them. It is a turn-key exhibit, now used in nature-based institutions around North America...
, Various locations - Turtle Bay MuseumTurtle Bay Exploration ParkTurtle Bay Exploration Park, located in Redding, California, is a museum complex that interprets the relationship between humans and nature. The attractions include a botanical garden, a natural history and science museum, a "camp" for nature, history and science education programs, and seasonal...
, Redding, CaliforniaRedding, CaliforniaRedding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census... - Yaquina Head Interpretive CenterYaquina HeadYaquina Head is a headland extending into the Pacific Ocean north of Newport, Oregon, United States. It is the site of the Yaquina Head Light, and is managed as Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area by the Bureau of Land Management....
, Newport, OregonNewport, OregonNewport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868...
Museums and Cultural Centers
- Museum of Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia
- Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre, Osoyoos, British ColumbiaOsoyoos, British ColumbiaOsoyoos is a town in the southern part of the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia near the border with Washington state. The town is also adjacent to the Indian Reserve of the Osoyoos Indian Band. The origin of the name Osoyoos was the word suius meaning "narrowing of the waters" in the local...
- Evergreen BrickworksDon Valley Brick WorksThe Don Valley Brick Works also known as Evergreen Brickworks is a former quarry and industrial site located in the Don River valley in Toronto, Ontario. Currently the buildings sit mostly unused while the quarry has been converted into a city park which includes a series of naturalized ponds...
, Toronto, Ontario - Archives of FalconryWorld Center for Birds of PreyThe World Center for Birds of Prey, is the headquarters for The Peregrine Fund, an international non-profit organization founded in 1970 that conserves endangered raptors around the world. Built in 1984, the World Center for Birds of Prey is located on on a hilltop overlooking Boise, Idaho...
, Boise, IdahoBoise, IdahoBoise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,... - Kidspace Children’s MuseumKidspace Children's MuseumKidspace Children's Museum is located next to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, housed in the former Fanny Morrison Horticultural Center....
, Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena, CaliforniaPasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet... - American Memorial ParkAmerican Memorial ParkAmerican Memorial Park on the island of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, was created as a living memorial honoring the sacrifices made during the Marianas Campaign of World War II...
, SaipanSaipanSaipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana IslandsNorthern Mariana IslandsThe Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , is a commonwealth in political union with the United States, occupying a strategic region of the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines... - World War II Valor in the Pacific National MonumentWorld War II Valor in the Pacific National MonumentThe World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument is a United States national monument honoring several aspects of American engagement in World War II. It encompasses 9 sites in 3 states totaling :* - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...
, Honolulu, HawaiiHonolulu, HawaiiHonolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and... - National Children's MuseumNational Children's MuseumThe National Children's Museum is a 150,000-sq.-foot interactive museum for children that is planned to open in 2013 in Prince George's County, Maryland, as part of National Harbor...
, Washington, DC - Transportation Hall, Heritage Park Historical VillageHeritage Park Historical VillageHeritage Park Historical Village is a historical park located in Calgary, Alberta. The park is located on of parkland on the banks of the Glenmore Reservoir, along the city's southwestern edge. As Canada's largest living history museum by number of exhibits, it is one of the city's most visited...
, Calgary, Alberta - National Maritime Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia
- Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum, Prince William Sound Community CollegePrince William Sound Community CollegeFounded in 1978, Prince William Sound Community College is a community college located in Valdez, a town in south central Alaska....
, Valdez, AlaskaValdez, AlaskaValdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska. The port of Valdez was named in 1790 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y...
Zoos and Aquariums
- Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science CentreVancouver AquariumThe Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre is a public aquarium located in Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In addition to being a major tourist attraction for Vancouver, the aquarium is a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.The Vancouver...
, Vancouver, British Columbia - Odense Zoo, Odense, Denmark
- Oltramare Marine Park, RiccioneRiccioneRiccione is a comune in the Province of Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. As of 2007 Riccione had an estimated population of 34,868.-History:...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... - Polar Extremes, Edmonton Valley Zoo, Edmonton, Alberta
- Zoomazium, Woodland Park ZooWoodland Park ZooWoodland Park Zoo is a zoological garden around the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Occupying the western half of Woodland Park, the zoo began as a small menagerie on the estate of Guy C. Phinney, a Canadian-born lumber mill owner and real estate developer...
, Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country... - Lacerte Children’s Zoo, Dallas ZooDallas ZooDallas Zoo is a zoo located south of downtown Dallas, Texas in Marsalis Park. Established in 1888, it is the oldest and largest zoological park in Texas and is managed by the non-profit Dallas Zoological Society. The zoo is home to 1,800 animals representing 406 species...
, Dallas, TexasDallas, TexasDallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States... - Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort, Al AinAl AinAl Ain |Spring]]), also known as the Garden City due to its greenery, is the second largest city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the fourth largest city in the United Arab Emirates. With a population of 374,000 , it is located approximately 160 km east of the capital Abu Dhabi and about...
, United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
Science Centers
- Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Science and Technology Center, KhobarKhobarKhobar is a large city located in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the Persian Gulf. It has a population of 360,000 and forms part of the greater Dammam metropolitan area along with Dhahran, which together have a combined population of over two million...
, Saudi ArabiaSaudi ArabiaThe Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World... - TELUS World of ScienceTELUS World of Science, EdmontonThe Telus World of Science - Edmonton is a broad-based science centre in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, operated by the Edmonton Space & Science Foundation...
, Edmonton, Alberta - Museo del Acero (Museum of Steel), Monterrey, Mexico
- Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii, Hilo, Hawaii