Rosewood Park Beach Restoration

Highland Park, Illinois

We integrated four buildings into Rosewood Park's splendid beachfront by blending them into a canonical waterside element—a 1,500ft-long boardwalk that hugs the bottom of the bluff, connecting access points at each end and opening to Lake Michigan along its east side.  Program elements are housed in simple, small-scale, low-profile units strung out along the boardwalk like kiosks or pavilions.  Building elements are long, low and thin, largely transparent in the north-south direction, and topped with boardwalk planks so that all views up and down the beach and from the park above are fully preserved.  At the north, the environmental education pavilion is a large, open space, backed up by a thin service bar containing restrooms and storage.  The pavilion's north and south walls are sliding glass doors which open to decks outside, fully connecting it to the boardwalk and allowing views right through the pavilion.  Its east wall is mullionless glass, giving an unimpeded view of the lake.  Walking south, park users pass tree-shaded benches to reach the welcome pavilion (and life guard office), then move on to an outdoor dining area with seating and tables defined by the refreshment pavilion and the beach restroom pavilion.  Materials are natural, simple, durable, easily maintainable, “beachy”:  ipe decking, cedar siding, rough field stone, glass.

Recognition

2018 AIA Small Projects Award

2016 AIA Chicago Distinguished Building Award

2016 Illinois Park and Recreation Association's Outstanding Facility Award

2016 Best Restored Beaches - American Shore & Beach Preservation Association

2016 Chicago Building Congress Merit Award - Construction Under $15 Million

Project Data

Area/Budget: 5,000sf / $4,500,000

Scope: competition-winning design for new beach facilities (environmental education center, beach office, rest rooms, concessions) and beach boardwalk along Lake Michigan in Rosewood Park

Project Team: David Woodhouse, Andy Tinucci (project architect), Ed Blumer, Nathan Bowman, Brian Foote, Sam Spencer

WMA Consulting Engineers (mep); Enspect Engineering (structural); Lux Populi (lighting); Terra Engineering (civil); US Army Corps of Engineers (coastal engineer); WB Olson (general contractor);

Photographer: Bill Timmerman; Park District of Highland Park; Natalie Regan