THE DOGRUN

The Seaholm Intake was once the pump house for the Seaholm Power Plant and now sits empty on the shores of Lady Bird Lake in Austin.  Our team's entry Connect/Reveal/Clean envisions The Intake as a culturally vibrant, multi-functional space that encourages visitors to slow down, engage with the natural systems that flourish in Austin and experience the blurring between land and water; urban and natural.  This vision 1. Connects Austinites both physically and experientially to Lady Bird Lake and the larger community at The Intake and beyond; 2. Reveals the original function of the building in a creative and thought provoking way that facilitates ongoing, engaging uses;   3. Cleans the lake through both passive and active means. The resulting design introduces a system of rentable, floating, mobile parklets that connect to a boardwalk that features a swimming pool, linking The Intake to both the lake on a larger scale and the current trail system. The building serves as a docking point and educational flex space/cafe. The space features iconic vertical gardens reaching through the building that serve as ‘living machines’ - systems that clean lake water and runoff - illustrating the importance of sustainability. A series of lookout points throughout the building help visitors experience both the activities happening outside and offering unique panoramic views of the lake. We had a great time collaborating with an all-star team for the entry comprised of: dwg. Holos Collaborative Big Red Dog Engineering Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.