Community Nexus

The intersection of Rainier Avenue South and Henderson Street is the physical and symbolic center of one of the most diverse and vibrant neighborhoods in the nation. The 48,000-square foot Rainier Beach Community Center and Pool anchors the intersection and, along with a public library, schools and park, is a place that all types of people from all types of backgrounds come to socialize, play and learn.
 

The center’s interesting design creates a beautiful edge to the street and adjacent plaza that is connected by a central organizing hallway.   A long spine along this hall provides natural daylighting and ventilation for the rooms and hallway. The daylighted gym has a upscale aesthetic that makes it equally good for sports and social events. With over 400,000 visitors a year, it is a well-used and well-loved community center and pools.
 

This diverse community needed additional efforts for community outreach in order to reach as many people as possible.  We faciliated 5 public meetings and 6 dedicated outreach meetings to community groups.  Seattle Parks distributed meeting announcements in local papers and flyers in 6 different languages.  The community input was important in the design of many parts of the building including design of the gym for large parties, proximity and size of the large teaching kitchen, location of the playground, and design of the computer lab.  ARC Architects values community input in all projects.