The Lady Bird Loo are used by the people on in a stretch of hike-and-bike trails paralleling the river that bisects the city. The project is part sculpture and part functional restroom, without special maintenance or finishes, vandal-resistant. The design team wanted spirited shelters scaled to the well treed riverside park space, with each having its own personality. The interiors give a sense of momentary pause and respite; with great ventilation and given a sense of safety for the occupant. with great light and views of trees and sky.
The result: two striking buildings, tucked near a copse. Requiring no special finishes or maintenance, the project is built entirely of steel and concrete left raw and unfinished. Changing sunlight animates the whole experience; it amplifies details and narrow edges, reemphasizes the faceted forms, darts light-slivers through intentional gaps between material, and creates useful shade and fun shadow patterns.
Description of project by Mell Lawrence Architects
Located along the running trail of Lady Bird Lake, the new Heron Creek Restroom facility responds to the unique conditions of its environment. The site is both field and forest, shaded by dappled light in the summer and graced with urban views through bare branches in the winter. Scaled to the surrounding landscape, the two structures are pulled apart and oriented to the axis of the solstice and the last length of Barton Creek across the lake.
The buildings are a simple composition of raw steel and concrete that will patina over time. Subtle shifts in geometry differentiate the structures and give them a sense of personality. Large steel plates suspended on a light frame form the tent like building shell. The open air construction is durable while maintaining a sense of playfulness. The textured board-form concrete accentuates the passage of shadows across its surface, while the steel frame inside draws the eye up towards openings in the roof that allow for a view of the tree canopy and sky.
