Architect: Clark Nexsen
Project Location: Raleigh, NC
Project Completion Date: 2015

Short Description: Located on a former landfill site and beside an elementary school, Abbotts Creek Community Center transforms an abandoned piece of land into a thriving community park for healthy living and learning.   The center’s composition interlocks with the school and creates a series of indoor and outdoor gathering spaces that transform the forgotten site.       The center’s upper volume slides past the base providing a welcoming public entry as it connects visitors to the school and landscape.     A delicate screen encompasses the upper volume and creates a veil that illuminates the public spaces and defines the entrance to the new community campus.  

Architect’s Statement: Re-framing the Landscape    The center’s volumes interact with one another to reinforce and frame existing features of the site.    Originally used to supply soil for coverage of the adjacent landfill, the land was carved out to create a deep and wide depression beside the man-made hill.    To engage and highlight the landscape features, two major public paths were established:    one north south path running between the buildings which frames views to the landfill hill and another east west path which connects the community center and school with a new steel canopy.    Performance in Program and Construction The community center provides a variety of facilities open to public use including a gymnasium, fitness center, numerous classroom and multipurpose spaces both inside and outside.    To maximize the value of the facility for its long term operation, the design incorporates cost effective passive solar design strategies in its orientation, day lighting strategies, operable windows, and sun shading devices.    In addition, it uses high performance building materials for glazing and rainscreen cladding systems, active solar systems for hot water heating, as well as recycled content and regional materials.   Community Engagement Process When the landfill was set to close, local citizens formed a committee to determine the best use for the site.    Through a thoughtful approach to land utilization and a collaborative effort between citizens and public employees, the Abbotts Creek Park design process focused on creating a healthy environment for living and learning.    Now, situated in the middle of a growing community with many residential neighborhoods and schools, Abbotts Creek Park provides an epicenter for the community to promote healthy living and learning in close proximity to citizens of all ages.      

Type of Construction: Screening + Illuminating – Constructing the Idea The three volume composition together with the canopy slide and extend past one another.    The upper metal volume slides over the solid volume creating a transparent space beneath that houses a two story public entrance.    The lower portion is experienced as a void or transparent, thus demarcating the entrance.    At night, this negative transparent space helps illuminate the exterior public paths and gathering spaces.    The lower volume is an exposed cmu solid wall and is used to conceal mechanical and servant spaces and support the upper volume.    The upper volume contains more active recreation spaces and is housed with a corrugated metal cladding.       It takes advantage of the height to grab panoramic views of the landscape to the north.    The corrugated metal rainscreen transforms from solid metal wall to a perforated screening wall at both ends of the building.    On the west end it screens mechanical equipment and a public stair and at the east end, it acts as a sun screen surrounding the two story entrance lobby.    Supported by a steel tube frame structure, the sun screen filters direct sunlight during the day and creates an illuminated veil at night.

On June 4, 2019   /   Uncategorized