The site for this project—an area along the Mill River at the base of East Rock in New Haven, CT—held a lot of challenges, from the bridge cutting across the river to the steep topography of the land around it. However, the site was also a source of a lot of the inspiration I got for my boathouse, including the landscapes’ formation and the details of nature: the ripples on the water, tree branches poking out from the river and reflecting upon it, and the topography of the landscape itself. Thus, when beginning my project, I wanted to clearly highlight these natural features rather than make an aggressive intervention. When starting to think about the form of the boathouse, I focused on two main elements: a very long dock that extends access to the site, detached from the land and floating on the water; and using the topography lines to form my building outlines.

I took the concept of my buildings being part of the landscape even further by taking a few of the topography lines and pulling them out to create occupiable rooftops, which are then supported by the building columns and walls, which conform more closely to the topography. There are three distinct buildings that engage with the site in different ways: one for a workshop (which functions as a lab) and a mechanical room; one for offices, a classroom, and bathrooms; and one for boat storage and more bathrooms.

The extended dock creates another point of view and experience of the site, allowing the visitor to admire the elements of nature that surround the river. The paths that join the three buildings together and the buildings with the rest of the site increase this sense of access, with steps from the park above leading down and an inclined path coming from the bridge. All of these paths culminate at the central plaza, which is framed by the surrounding buildings.