The Lodge at the Herzog Foundation is the second phase of a three-phase master plan for a 16-acre site that supports the programs and mission of the Stanley Herzog Foundation. Phase 1, completed in 2022, includes an 18,000-square-foot headquarters building and eight private guest cabins. The Prairie Lodge will complement the headquarters’ role as a training and conference center by providing overnight accommodations, dining and social spaces, and additional training rooms for up to 80 guests.

The site is bounded by a steep hill to the west and dense woodlands to the east. Its topography slopes downward toward the woodlands, where a small riparian stream cuts through the property. The building’s L-shaped plan creates a “prairie courtyard” that integrates with the natural form of the woodland canopy. A 400-foot-long limestone wall runs the length of the building, serving as an organizational element and a visual screen for an unsightly development uphill from the lodge.

Over 150 years ago, settlers from Kentucky and Tennessee homesteaded the northwest Missouri region near the lodge, bringing with them the knowledge and skills to grow tobacco. Once common across the rolling hills and prairies, the Appalachian tradition of tobacco-barn design and construction accompanied these early homesteaders. Today, a few tobacco barns remain, serving as reminders of the ingenuity and craft of their time. The lodge draws inspiration from the materials, proportions, and detailing of these structures to connect the building with the history and people of northwest Missouri.