Fun fact: the National Park Service has its own style of architecture, affectionately called “Parkitecture.” The unique design is also known as “National Park Service Rustic,” identifiable by its generous use of natural materials including logs and stones. Structures are meant to look as though they were built by hand and, in some cases, they were!
“Parkitecture defines the National Park Service experience in the collective memories of visitors just as much as our natural landscapes,” the NPS says. “In part, this is because the buildings were designed with the purpose of blending into landscapes instead of imposing upon them.”
Architect Herbert Maier is credited with developing the style back in the 1920s. He also helped to design the iconic NPS arrowhead logo.
