Random » Boathouse + Ice Cream Parlor

For the first semester of the 3rd year design studio, we had to design a boathouse for the Chicago Rowing Center, comprised of the Chicago Youth Rowing Club, Northwestern University Crew, St. Ignatius Chicago Crew and the University of Chicago Crew. Their site is located where Bubbly Creek meets the South Branch of the Chicago River, in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood. Bubbly Creek got its name from the days when meat packing plants lined the man-made estuary. The plants would dump animal byproducts into the river, and so much accumulated at the bottom, that to this day, bubbles of gas rise to the surface from the still-decaying sludge. Regardless, the rowing teams call this home, and their supplies are kept shipping containers, while the boats are left on trailers exposed to the elements. The current site is made up of vacant parking lots and an abandonded warehouse.

Our proposed boathouses had to contain the following amenities:

For my overall design, I re-graded the site, with a band of three terraces, stepping down 10 feet to the edge of the water. The boat storage area is the lowest floor of the building, being mostly underground except for where the doors open to the lowest level of the site. The site plan makes this easier to visualize. Then, above the boat storage is the ground floor of the boathouse, where the locker rooms and exercise area are. Above this is the mezzanine level, where the team meeting area, office and kitchenette are located. The structural system is composed of 22 wooden glulam masts, with a dramatic arching roof, echoing the graceful shape of the rowing skulls themselves. Glazing surrounds the building, except for the locker rooms, which require more privacy. Check out the floor plans, sections, and elevations for a better idea of how the building works.

Photos of the Existing Site: