Aloha Community Pavilion AWS
Aloha Community Pavilion
Lot size: 324 SF Building Size: 240 SF Location: Seattle, WA Project Type: Community Budget: $5,800 (materials) $11,000 (donated labor, equipment, insurance, & design services)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Aloha Community Pavilion was realized by a community design/build collective working in cooperation with Catholic Community Services, the Low Income Housing Institute and residents of the Aloha Inn. The goal of the project was to provide a rain-protected, safe and pleasant, community gathering space for both residents and visitors. The Aloha Inn provides residentmanaged housing for people transitioning from homelessness into permanent housing. The collective led a charrette with Aloha residents, program directors and community partners to determine goals for the project. Three designs emerged from the process and were put to a vote by residents. The collective donated labor and design services and coordinated resident volunteers to help with construction. Material expenses were covered through a City of Seattle “Small and Simple Project” grant through the Neighborhood Matching Fund. • Inspiration: Prior to the pavilion’s construction, the residents of the Aloha Inn and visiting members of the homeless community congregated at the main entry to the building, near a busy thoroughfare and in a space without much design consideration. The residents invited our team to create a more meaningful “place” for community gathering, as well as a space that was safer and quieter. We were inspired to build a place that was welcoming, visually stimulating, and easy to construct and maintain with resident help. Using simple wood-frame construction, plants, seating areas, and a dynamic roof form we strove to create a welcoming community center that could variously serve as a barbeque area during events, a meeting space, or simply a place to sit and visit with friends.
• Problem-Solving: Moving from initial design to final design/ build, the project team had to remain flexible with the conditions of the site, particularly with adapting to sight lines and views. The final positioning of the structure changed from the corner of the site to a more visible location across from the primary building’s main breezeway in order to maximize visual access and site prominence. Additionally, a primary organizing principle was to keep each bay structurally independent and adaptable to future relocation or demolition. As a result, the complete pavilion is really two side-by-side structures, which are set on posts that can be detached from the ground and relocated to new footings. • Environmental Sensitivity: Improving air quality at the Aloha Inn’s primary resident entry was one specific goal for building the pavilion. The new structure allows smokers to sit in a weather-protected and well-ventilated space away from the building’s entrance, which benefits everyone. From a resourceefficiency standpoint, the pavilion was designed to celebrate Seattle’s rain, with tilted roof forms that channel water to a large central gutter, rain chain, and rain barrel. The collected water can then be used to water the plants integrated into the back of the pavilion’s benches. No additional irrigation is needed. • Social Transformation: Improving the community in which it is situated is at the heart of the Aloha Community Pavilion. It provides a high-quality community space to a population that is often unwelcome in similar custom spaces. But, perhaps more importantly, the community-based process of planning and constructing the pavilion brought together members of the Aloha Inn community, and provided a source of pride in their work. Likewise, maintaining and managing the pavilion continues to be a community building exercise.
SITE LOCATION & CONTEXT The Aloha Community Pavilion is located in the parking lot behind the Aloha Inn, a transitional housing facility located on WA State Route 99. The speed limit along the property is 40 MPH. Immediately behind the parking lot the grade slopes steeply uphill and is heavily tree’d.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE & AFTER
Resident smoking area was in parking area near resident entry, with limited seating or beauty. New covered, community pavilion welcomes both smokers and non-smokers, and is removed from resident entry area.
ORIGINAL DESIGN The original design elements that continued through the designbuild process included dynamic roofs to create an interesting form and collect rainwater, seating with integrated planters, and two detached freestanding structures built on grade. The actual site shifted to the south as the client relocated the existing sheds, and permission was granted to replace two parking stalls.
DAYS 1 & 2 - WORK WITH RESIDENTS TO RELOCATE EXISTING SHED INTO NEW SHED TO CLEAR SITE; CHALK PLAN AND CUT OUT COLUMN FOOTING AREAS IN ASPHALT
DAYS 4 & 5 - POUR CONCRETE COLUMN FOOTINGS, SET WOOD COLUMNS AND MAKE TRUE
DAY 6 - WORK WITH RESIDENTS TO CUT AND SET PRIMARY BEAMS
DESIGN-BUILD PROGRESS
DAY 9 - RAFTERS UP AND BACK OF BENCH BRACING IN!
DAY 11 - BENCH BOARDS INSTALLED WITH PENCIL SPACERS; GORILLA-STRONG TENSION CROSS-BRACING IN
DAY 12 - BENCH PLANTER FLASHING INSTALLED; POLYCARBONATE ROOFING CUT AND INSTALLED
DESIGN-BUILD PROGRESS
DAY 14 - FINISH BENCHES AND ROOFING
DAY 16 - WORK WITH RESIDENTS TO INSTALL PLANTS IN PLANTER BOXES BEHIND BENCHES
DAY 17 - GUTTER, RAIN BARREL AND RAIN CHAIN IN -- WATER REUSE READY FOR WATERING PLANTS!
DESIGN-BUILD PROGRESS
BENCH PLANTER DETAIL
BENCH PLANTER DETAIL
RAINWATER CONVEYANCE
RIBBON CUTTING
RIBBON CUTTING
Lot size: 324 SF Building Size: 240 SF Location: Seattle, WA Project Type: Community Budget: $5,800 (materials) $11,000 (donated labor, equipment, insurance, & design services)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Aloha Community Pavilion was realized by a community design/build collective working in cooperation with Catholic Community Services, the Low Income Housing Institute and residents of the Aloha Inn. The goal of the project was to provide a rain-protected, safe and pleasant, community gathering space for both residents and visitors. The Aloha Inn provides residentmanaged housing for people transitioning from homelessness into permanent housing. The collective led a charrette with Aloha residents, program directors and community partners to determine goals for the project. Three designs emerged from the process and were put to a vote by residents. The collective donated labor and design services and coordinated resident volunteers to help with construction. Material expenses were covered through a City of Seattle “Small and Simple Project” grant through the Neighborhood Matching Fund. • Inspiration: Prior to the pavilion’s construction, the residents of the Aloha Inn and visiting members of the homeless community congregated at the main entry to the building, near a busy thoroughfare and in a space without much design consideration. The residents invited our team to create a more meaningful “place” for community gathering, as well as a space that was safer and quieter. We were inspired to build a place that was welcoming, visually stimulating, and easy to construct and maintain with resident help. Using simple wood-frame construction, plants, seating areas, and a dynamic roof form we strove to create a welcoming community center that could variously serve as a barbeque area during events, a meeting space, or simply a place to sit and visit with friends.
• Problem-Solving: Moving from initial design to final design/ build, the project team had to remain flexible with the conditions of the site, particularly with adapting to sight lines and views. The final positioning of the structure changed from the corner of the site to a more visible location across from the primary building’s main breezeway in order to maximize visual access and site prominence. Additionally, a primary organizing principle was to keep each bay structurally independent and adaptable to future relocation or demolition. As a result, the complete pavilion is really two side-by-side structures, which are set on posts that can be detached from the ground and relocated to new footings. • Environmental Sensitivity: Improving air quality at the Aloha Inn’s primary resident entry was one specific goal for building the pavilion. The new structure allows smokers to sit in a weather-protected and well-ventilated space away from the building’s entrance, which benefits everyone. From a resourceefficiency standpoint, the pavilion was designed to celebrate Seattle’s rain, with tilted roof forms that channel water to a large central gutter, rain chain, and rain barrel. The collected water can then be used to water the plants integrated into the back of the pavilion’s benches. No additional irrigation is needed. • Social Transformation: Improving the community in which it is situated is at the heart of the Aloha Community Pavilion. It provides a high-quality community space to a population that is often unwelcome in similar custom spaces. But, perhaps more importantly, the community-based process of planning and constructing the pavilion brought together members of the Aloha Inn community, and provided a source of pride in their work. Likewise, maintaining and managing the pavilion continues to be a community building exercise.
SITE LOCATION & CONTEXT The Aloha Community Pavilion is located in the parking lot behind the Aloha Inn, a transitional housing facility located on WA State Route 99. The speed limit along the property is 40 MPH. Immediately behind the parking lot the grade slopes steeply uphill and is heavily tree’d.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE & AFTER
Resident smoking area was in parking area near resident entry, with limited seating or beauty. New covered, community pavilion welcomes both smokers and non-smokers, and is removed from resident entry area.
ORIGINAL DESIGN The original design elements that continued through the designbuild process included dynamic roofs to create an interesting form and collect rainwater, seating with integrated planters, and two detached freestanding structures built on grade. The actual site shifted to the south as the client relocated the existing sheds, and permission was granted to replace two parking stalls.
DAYS 1 & 2 - WORK WITH RESIDENTS TO RELOCATE EXISTING SHED INTO NEW SHED TO CLEAR SITE; CHALK PLAN AND CUT OUT COLUMN FOOTING AREAS IN ASPHALT
DAYS 4 & 5 - POUR CONCRETE COLUMN FOOTINGS, SET WOOD COLUMNS AND MAKE TRUE
DAY 6 - WORK WITH RESIDENTS TO CUT AND SET PRIMARY BEAMS
DESIGN-BUILD PROGRESS
DAY 9 - RAFTERS UP AND BACK OF BENCH BRACING IN!
DAY 11 - BENCH BOARDS INSTALLED WITH PENCIL SPACERS; GORILLA-STRONG TENSION CROSS-BRACING IN
DAY 12 - BENCH PLANTER FLASHING INSTALLED; POLYCARBONATE ROOFING CUT AND INSTALLED
DESIGN-BUILD PROGRESS
DAY 14 - FINISH BENCHES AND ROOFING
DAY 16 - WORK WITH RESIDENTS TO INSTALL PLANTS IN PLANTER BOXES BEHIND BENCHES
DAY 17 - GUTTER, RAIN BARREL AND RAIN CHAIN IN -- WATER REUSE READY FOR WATERING PLANTS!
DESIGN-BUILD PROGRESS
BENCH PLANTER DETAIL
BENCH PLANTER DETAIL
RAINWATER CONVEYANCE
RIBBON CUTTING
RIBBON CUTTING
