HOOD RIVER WATERFRONT PARK

HOOD RIVER, OR - This community space, located on the banks of the Columbia River, is designed to provide a place for Hood River residents and visitors to the Gorge to enjoy the river. Located on the great lawn, protected by windward and leeward landscape wind breaks, are two picnic shelters. Designed to be nearly horizontally transparent, these stone and wood shelters consist of a horizontal roof plane supported on one side by a stone wall and on the other by wood columns and a lateral brace. The stone wall steps down to counter top height to provide food preparation and serving surfaces and then steps down again to provide seating. Creating solid walls around the picnic shelter to keep out the wind would create a dark, uninviting space. Utilizing the landscape wind breaks allowed Boxwood to keep the shelter open and bright. The restroom facility is designed using durable low maintenance materials, a simple shed roof for optimum solar panel orientations, natural ventilation and daylighting. To maintain a predetermined budget, the size is too small for a vestibule so screens were added outside to provide visual privacy.