Jessica Hu - THE BOATHOUSE

The Boathouse

2021 Spring Design Studio IV

Located in Ithaca, New York, the project intends to design a community boathouse that hosts the Cornell University Rowing Program. The boathouse is located in Cass Park boarded by the Cayuga Lake, being surrounded by the Cass Park tennis court, soccer field, ice rink and other sports facilities, the site generates a lively and provocative atmosphere that invites visitors and athletes for various gathering and exercising events.

The formal language of the boathouse takes the shape of a gently sloped vault and is connected with the park as an physical extension of the landscape. The functionalities of the boathouse are located under the vault followed by a radial spatial arrangement centered by the boat storage space, the changing rooms, meeting area and the gym occupied the four corners of the boathouse, with a protruding volume where the coffee shop is located on the second floor. The vaulted roof of the boathouse, also functions as a viewing platform which welcomes people to walk on, to socialize, to rest, view the rowing games and other sports activities taking place in the park.

The design concept of the boathouse aims to echo with the bustling environment of the Cass Park, therefore it is integrated into the park landscape as a part of the park for visitors and athletes to engage within, around, and above the design from every direction. Given rowing is a interactive sport, the interior spatial arrangement is spaced closely with one another to generate an intimate feeling between rowers, visitors, the boathouse and the surrounding environment.