East Austin Sport Center:

Community Pool and Sports Park  

Open space has long been recognized as the safety valve that relives the pressures of urban living. As Austin grows more populous, cultivating a top notch system of public parks will  become ever more critical for maintaining the town’s trademark livability. For this project, the studio was tasked with developing a sports complex for an underutilized stretch of parkland along the cities riverfront.

This design proposal seeks to more closely integrate existing park facilities, better connect the Holly Neighborhood to waterfront views, and more intensively utilize the valuable lakefront location by layering multiple programs, and hybridizing built and landscape elements. The facility features twin swimming pools housed in cavernous, below grade chambers which protect bathers from blistering summer sun and allow an uninterrupted plinth of park space to become a waterside front yard for the neighborhood beyond.

An airy pavilion shaded by overhanging eaves encloses fitness facilities with expansive views of park and lake beyond.  Tree lined allees define spaces for athletic activities. Additionally, a boat launch, storage and training facilities accommodate rowing clubs who ply the lagoon.