Clear Creek Park
Studio
ARCH 401
Team Members
Nathan Bergrin & Olivia Malone
Tools
Rhino 3D, Adobe Illustrator
Duration
5 weeks
The project is a proposal for a park and resource center located in Houston, TX that fundamentally addresses the misconception of the bayou as a divider, rather than as a spine along which a unified watershed ecosystem is organized on both sides.
An urban logic
The trails can be divided into three types, along which the built elements of bridges and stoa are situated. The stitching path follows the course of Clear Creek but crosses it at regular intervals to unify the experience of the two banks. The outer loops form another trail type, expanding out from portions of the stitching path and surrounding central fields for outdoor activities. Connecting paths add redundancy and allow circulation between outer loops without returning to the bayou.
The bridge
Rather than seeing Clear Creek as a body of water that divides the two zip codes, the bridge integrates the North and South neighborhoods into one landmark. It allow visitors to choose their desired route based on activity, instead of having one trail that dictates all circulation around the park.
The stoa
The stoas are a multi-functional system, built along the trails, that act as an intermediary space between the beach condition on the side adjacent to the bayou and the courtyard condition on the opposite side. The flexibility and simplicity of the stoa-panel combination creates a space that is not dependent on a traditionally permanent built structure that would easily flood in this area.
