THE DOGRUN

Located on the site of the former Teas Nursery in Bellaire,Texas, an incorporated city within Houston, Evelyn’s Park aims to serve as “Bellair’s Front Yard;” to be a vibrant and vital amenity for the city. Situated near the edge of the city on Bellaire Blvd, the park is strategically located to help define the entrance and identity of Bellaire as a whole. Lake|Flato has been working closely with the Evelyn’s Park Conservancy and SWA Group, master plan Landscape Architects, to define this identity and create an engaging experience for all ages that strikes a balance between the prominent urban site and surrounding residential neighborhood.   To that end the architecture attempts to create a strong new identity for the park, while also respecting the history of the site and scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood. An old house once used as an office by Teas Nursery will be reused as a café/restaurant. Along with a mature grove of oak trees, the cafe will anchor the prominent southeast corner of the park. The new event building and office addition to the north defines the eastern edge of the park, will frame the adjacent event lawn, and provide a more intimate setting for gatherings and parties. To the north, the community building terminates the alley of trees and provides rental space for community events and gatherings. It is conceived of as an open air pavilion that can be closed for privacy and/or comfort on Houston’s humid summer days. The lake pavilion hovers over the water and provides a shaded spot to launch a boat or watch butterflies. Taking it’s cues from Houston’s great alleys of oaks, the Travillion is the park’s iconic entry and promenade. It forms the entrance into the great lawn, defines it’s southern edge, and provides the necessary buffer from Bellaire Blvd. Project team includes Andrew Herdeg, Graham Beach, Cotton Estes, Margaret Sledge, Erica Goranson, and Joesph Dugan. above: site plan above: cafe entry above: cafe entry above: event lawn above: event lawn above: community pavilion above: community pavilion above: lake pavilion above: lake pavilion above: trevillion axon above: perspective-from bellaire above:view along walk above: trevillion at night