POLARIS

Project Brief

DIRT WORKS STUDIO

Chad Kraus| Fall 2021

Picnic Pavilion

Wells Overlook Park, Lawrence, KS

DESCRIPTION

The Polaris Pavilion identifies and meets the need for equitable access to parks. Wells Overlook Park sits atop a hill just south of Lawrence, providing beautiful views of the city and the surrounding land. However, the existing infrastructure can only be reached by walking up a steep slope, inaccessible to those with mobility limitations. The Polaris Pavilion, the new picnic structure, is the sister project to the Passerine Pavilion, the overlook structure. Both projects are on grade with the road and can be utilized by all visitors. The engaging and thoughtful design makes them desirable to visit regardless of mobility needs, making the accessible structure appealing to all.

Learning Outcomes

The smallest details become the most important.

Note

This project was designed by the Fall 2020 Dirt Works Studio. The Fall 2020 studio created all the drawings and prefabricated the materials. Due to COVID-19 changing in-person scheduling, the studio was unable to complete construction. The Fall 2021 Dirt Works Studio took the design and completed the build.

All work credit Dirt Work Studio.

Project Manager

For construction, the studio split into groups to specialize on certain elements of the construction. Some students spent their days on the roof creating the NLT structure. Other students worked on the bench and screen system. My role was unique. Early in the process, I took the initiative to learn the previous studio’s construction documents. I quickly became the go-to person anytime someone had a question about the design, or what they should be doing, as well as manage the materials. This role allowed me the flexibility of switching tasks as needed, and to assist my professor when it came to solving larger issues on site.