Lake Merritt Conservancy - Connect to Create - Oasis Architectural Design Contest
We had an amazing set of entries from Laney College Architecture Students for our first ever creative competition!
Everything you can imagine is real
- Pablo Picasso
In the midst of the current, severely compromised state of Lakeside Park today, it can be hard to imagine an idyllic version of Lake Merritt, a premier urban park, and home to our nation's oldest wildlife refuge.
And yet, that is what we asked the students of Laney College’s Architecture program to do for their final project of the spring semester.
More specifically, we asked them to imagine a Park Oasis, a small, multi-purpose rest area that could be built along the perimeter walk. We asked for a place that could serve as not only a place to grab a beverage or snack, or to enjoy a game of cards, but as a touchstone to the rich cultural heritage of the lake, as well as a prism into the environment and the natural beauty of the space. And as a point of departure, we asked them to review and include the input from our workshops and conversations throughout the community over the past year.
And they delivered…
The quality of their work made the judges’ decisions difficult.
Many of the students submitted both a physical model and an animated 3D walkthrough of their design. This in addition to a set of elevations. The complete set of entries can be found here.
The judges deliberated not only on the categories up for consideration, but the completeness of the idea, appropriateness to the Park itself, and the quality of presentation. In the end, they selected five entries for:
Ease of Operation & Maintenance
Originality
Artfulness
Environmental Friendliness
Best Overall
In addition, the Conservancy also acknowledged two additional entries we felt deserved an Honorable Mention. Each of the recognized entries received a certificate. In addition, the category winners received a cash prize of $100 each, and the overall winner took home $500.
We were fortunate to have the participation of a wonderful panel of judges, which included
James Vann, AIA - Architect and urban planner (ret’d), driving force on the Meas. DD Coalition Comm., also instrumental in designing the park amphitheater.
Maria Alderete - Co-founder and executive director of Community Kitchens, an Oakland-based food justice organization; Fmr Co-owner, Luka’s Tap Room.
Peter Birkholz, AIA, LEED AP, DBIA - Architect, President of Page & Turnbull, known for his work in adaptive reuse, historic preservation & climate change.
Together, they brought a wealth of experience and insight to the deliberation process.
We’d also like to extend a special thank you to our partner, Laney College, to all of the students who worked so hard to create so many amazing submissions, and especially to President Besikof and Dr. Becky Opsata, the Head of Instruction, as well as Professors Barry Yu and Courtney Miller, without whom this contest would not have happened.
Next Steps
The winning entries will be incorporated into the Conservancy’s “Vision of the Possible” and displayed on the Conservancy’s web site. We are also working to organize a showcase where the community can view the winning designs and provide input.
Ultimately, we hope to partner with community stakeholders to realize some combination of the ideas that were submitted, in concert with guidance and input from the community, the City and the Parks Department.
What You Can Do
In addition to those named above, the Conservancy relies on many hard working volunteers to make our events and programs happen. And we have even more ambitious projects planned for the not-too-distant future. If you’d like to be a part of this dynamic team, we want to hear from you!
In Community,
Jonathan, Erin, Bob & Jennie