ALTUS REPORT City of Altus OU College of Architecture OU Institute for Quality Communities
OU College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities 830 Van Vleet Oval, Gould Hall Norman, Oklahoma 73019 iqc.ou.edu
Contents
Collaborators 2 Introduction 3 Project Site 4 Site Visit 6 Precedent Studies 8 Design Recommendations 16
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Collaborators University of Oklahoma, College of Architecture-CoA Environmental Design, Capstone Ron Frantz/IQC Hope Mander/IQC Students: Nolan Aparicio, Environmental Design Nicholas Autry, Environmental Design Julie Benyshek, Multidisciplinary Studies Ian Ruhnke, Environmental Design Community representatives: Johnny Barron Chris Riffle Chris Griffith Barbara Burleson
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City of Altus, City Engineer City of Altus, Council Member City of Altus, Director of Parks and Recreation City of Altus, City Planner (Retired)
Introduction The Altus Reservoir was first constructed in the late 1800s to early 1900s as the first water source for the new town of Altus. By the 1940’s, the reservoir’s primary function was to serve as water storage for the City’s drinking water supply. In the past several decades, there have been many incremental efforts to improve the land surrounding the Altus City Reservoir including strategies to activate it as a public space. Spring 2017 Environmental Design Capstone class students were tasked with providing design recommendations for City of Altus to implement as part of their preliminary improvement plans.
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Project Site
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The group made two field trips to the site for documenting, photographing, and researching the project. This included interviewing city representatives.
BLUE SKY SHOOTING WAVES WISHFUL WALKERS BY WATERS SCRUFFY PLANTS MOUNTAIN VIEW RON FRANTZ
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Site Visit Walking tour observations. Peace Gray Brown Water Sky Trees Wind Ducks Dirt Road Lost Confused Silent Unfriendly Solitude Pebbles Granite Red banks Separated Lonely Littering Water quality Maintenance Benches Lighting Access Need better signage Historical significance Hours of Operation Uses / Activities Access point for cars and pedestrians
Programming
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Opportunities • • • • • • •
Aesthetics and access points Engagement with the water front Increase seating and provide shade Walking Paths Lack of lighting No restrooms or other facilities It is not visible from the road
Strategies, Short term • • • • • • • • •
Provide loading, unloading docks for boats Clear the tall plantings to open up the view Replace the benches Add signage Add an observation tower Create a scenic turnaround New trash cans Outdoor activities Better lighting
Long Term Strategies • • • • • • • • • •
Repair road add new sidewalks Add docks Add new buildings Create a beach Get local artists involved in space Bathrooms Add playground Sculptural canopy Boating , water activities Improve streetscape, landscape
City Parks Precedent Studies To gain an understanding of the scope of the project, each student conducted research on 3 successful parks from around the state to use as precedents (total of 12 parks) with a site visit to a 13th park. These are city parks and most have some form of water feature (lake, creek, river). Most are similar in size, construction date, or location when compared to the Altus Reservoir in Altus, Oklahoma.
Projects to Research: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
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Ada, Oklahoma: Wintersmith Park Alva, Oklahoma: Hatfield Park Anadarko, Oklahoma: Randlett Park Chickasha, Oklahoma: Shannon Springs, Park Clinton, Oklahoma: McLain Rogers Park Duncan, Oklahoma: Fuqua Park Enid, Oklahoma: Government Springs, Park Enid, Oklahoma: Meadowlake Park Guymon, Oklahoma: Thompson Park Medicine Park, Oklahoma: Medicine Creek and Bath Lake Muskogee, Oklahoma: Honor Heights Park Pawnee, Oklahoma: Pawnee City Lake and Park (and historic Pawnee Bathhouse) Perry, Oklahoma: CCC Lake (Perry Lake) Ponca City, Oklahoma: Ponca Lake and Lou Wentz Camp Woodward, Oklahoma: Crystal Beach Park
Amenity list from the precedent studies. Guyman
Woodward
Clinton
Enid
Muskogee
Pawnee
Anadarko
Perry
Ponca City
Chickasha
Duncan Enid
Thompson Park Crystal Beach McClain Rogers P. Government Springs Honor's Park Bath House Randlett Park CCC Lake Lou Wentz Camp Shannon Springs Fugua Basketball
yes
Disc Golf
yes
Walking Trail
yes
Lake/Water feature
yes
Trees/plantings
yes
yes yes
yes
yes
yes
yes yes
Aquatics/Amusement
yes
Fishing
yes
Ball Park
yes
Fairgrounds
yes
Theatre
yes
Boating
yes
yes yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes yes
Tennis
yes
Baseball
yes
Play Ground
yes
yes
yes
yes yes
yes
Shelters
yes
Waterfall
yes
Restrooms
yes
Pavillion
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes yes
Splash pad
yes
Festivals
yes
Activated for events
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
Sandy Beaches
yes
Water Slide
yes
Paddly Boats
yes
Entry Fee
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
Lake cabins
yes
Ducks
yes
Museum
yes
yes
Pool
Community Center
yes
yes
Picnic Areas
Defined Gateway
Meadowlake
yes
yes yes
Biking Trail
yes
Dog Park
yes
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Pawnee Bathhouse “Mature trees line the walk way and offer comfortable shaded niches where they grow into each other to form a canopy both here and throughout the park”. Alex Autry
“Beyond the arches, Randlett Park entices its visitors to enjoy a leisurely walk or run along its pedestrian trail. The paved path echoes with the sound of footsteps and merriment as it goes by a colorful playground, picnic pavilions, and over the rushing waters of the Washita River.” Julie Bennyshek
“Mature tree lined walkways and appropriate park infrastructure aid in the park’s curb appeal and provide patrons with a reason to stay”. Nolan Aparicio
“Beyond the arches, Randlett Park entic“Water is the basis of sustaining life.walk or es its visitors to enjoy a leisurely Everything, from the smallest of grass run along its pedestrian trail.blade The paved to theechoes largest herd animals on of thefootsteps Great path with the sound Plains, depends on out. Thirst and merriment as it it and goesseek by ait colorful motivates ourpicnic survival” playground, pavilions, and over the rushing waters of the Washita River.” Ian Ruhnke Julie Bennyshek
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Current view (Looking east)
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Sample Drawings
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Day View (Looking east)
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Night View (Looking west)
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Recommendations After visiting the reservoir and researching similar parks, students began to address the needs that they felt would benefit the reservoir and surrounding areas. The team decided to focus on a couple of main concerns and make those the focal point of the project.
-Community Center -Signage & Lighting -Walkout Pavilions/Bathrooms
After looking at the RFP’s from different engineering firms, the team wanted to provide a more design/graphically oriented response to the RFP that Altus could use in portraying the plans in less technical terms. The team wanted to contribute to Altus’s goal of attracting people from around Oklahoma & Texas.
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Community Center (South elevation on Falcon Road)
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Rehabilitated community center with new overhead doors (North elevation)
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Rehabilitated community center with new lighting and landscaping (South elevation as seen from Falcon Road)
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Signage
The goal for the Altus Reservoir project is to eventually draw people from other states and regions, a large sign by the entrance road into Altus Reservoir would be beneficial. A large, beautiful, welcoming sign visible from the road could be the perfect marker.
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Night View
Another way to draw people to use the Altus Reservoir is through clear and visible signage. After visiting the site twice our group still struggled to remember how Altus Reservoir is laid out. It is important to have clear wayfinding signs on the property to show people what features are there and where they are located.
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The brown markers in the rendering depict wayfinding signs placed at key points along Altus Reservoir.
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People are attracted to places where they feel safe, even at night. Currently Altus Reservoir only has a handful of street lights illuminating parts of the road, so the area is pretty dark at nighttime. One easy way to improve the lighting quality for citizens at night is adding lighting in the ground along the road. The rendering gives an example of what the Altus Reservoir would look like after installing new wireless lighting according to the advice from the lighting company Solarite. Adding those lights helps increase the amount of illumination for a safer, more friendly level that pedestrians would enjoy.
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Restrooms and Pavillion
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Drawing inspiration from the region’s vernacular architecture, the dugout structures tie the site to its past while addressing current and future ecological concerns. Additionally, the earth covered structures act as an artificial terrain on the otherwise flat site and afford new opportunities for gathering as well as viewing the mountains and the reservoir.
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The pavilion serves three primary functions. It is a place for shade and refuge. It is a community garden, and it gives back the structure’s footprint to serve as and usable piece of terrain.
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OU College of Architecture Institute for Quality Communities 830 Van Vleet Oval, Gould Hall Room 165 Norman, Oklahoma 73019-6141
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