Dexter Reservoir Boat House - Second Year Studio

Abstract:
The University of Oregon Rowing Crew owns a small boat house adjacent to Dexter Reservoir where they train and compete in a regatta every year. The current boat house is no more than a large sized garage in the middle of a grass lot, with a run down dock. We were given a choice to build anywhere along the shoreline, including the current site and the adjacent park.

Schematic design and site planning:
I opted for an adaptive reuse of the current boathouse and turned it into a gathering room for the rowers and visitors. Due to the nature of this project, attention to outdoor paces was particularly emphasized. Two major outdoor spaces were created and separated for its uses. The creation of the public outdoor space relied heavily on the context of the site, including the division from the highway and its visible access to the lake. The private outdoor space is on the opposite side with easy access between the docks and the boathouse. The fluid pedestrian dynamic demanded way finding tactics to naturally and subtlety guide visitors from one part of the site to another. To aide visitors towards the viewing platforms, I employed some curved elements that direct the eye towards the destination.

Aerial view. The adaptive reuse of the old boathouse is toward the right. The radial element is the new building to store the boats. It adds storage space for more boats and opens into a focal point where they can have team meetings.