This project is set within an urban park and greenway system, at Lake Johnson, located within the city limits of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Water Activities Center is the realization of a portion of an overall master plan comprising several hundred acres of trails, beaches, and picnic areas. This facility is intended to be the main public access to the park system and the control point for park administrators.

The new facility was conceived as a series of pavilions that provide office space, concession areas, public restrooms and classroom/instructional space. These pavilions are arranged in a way that provides limited views to the lake upon entering the facility that gradually expand to encompass the lake and opposite shoreline. This organization also frames desirable views to picnic areas and a pedestrian bridge that crosses the lake. The building is sited in order to take full advantage of the sun, breezes, and spectacular views across the lake. Its materials are intended to evoke the natural surroundings of the water, trees, and sky in an attempt to let the building fade into the backdrop of its surroundings.

Photography: James West

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