Here are the comments from the last community workshop. When you total these plus the comments from the blog, the Wedge scheme has a slight edge in popularity, with Big Roof and Pair following closely behind together.
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Here are the three ideas that emerged from the community design process. Each scheme seeks to balance solar power generation with community park space and does so in distinct ways. The results are three very different feeling parks, and we want to hear from you 1) which can you see yourself using the most, 2) how you would use it and 3) which is your favorite.
Please leave your comments here, or under each scheme’s entry (click on the title to get more perspectives and information).
A couple of general comments to preface the three designs: Read the rest of this entry »
BIG ROOF aerial view
BIG ROOF-plan
The ‘Big Roof’ scheme spreads rows of solar panels (131 total) across the site, spaced so each row doesn’t shade the previous row, with the gaps between letting in diffuse north light. The structure is 15’ above the current concrete slab grade so that the space underneath can be used for public gathering.
BIG ROOF-view from 65th street entry
We would use the existing slab and landscape the east and west edges of the site under the canopy with shade tolerant plants, similar to the verdant understory of a forest. Rainwater would be harvested off the panels, stored onsite, and used to irrigate the plantings and feed a water feature running through the garden.
BIG ROOF-view under the canopy
Trellises along the east and west edges of the property, planted as a vegetated, vertical screen, would help define the entry, and hide the back edge of the neighboring restaurant.
Small pavilions are located at either end, one for emergency relief/info/storage and another for community activities or art.
The initial total project cost, including landscape, garden, pavilions, soft costs (design, engineering, fundraising, administration) and the solar power array (including the structure) would be approximately $771,000. Of that cost the solar power array is roughly $443,000 or 57% of the total project cost.
PAIR aerial view
PAIR-plan
The ‘Pair’ scheme consolidates the rows of panels into two larger arrays (160 panels total), creating a sunny courtyard space in the center. Under each array, we have a small structure, one for emergency relief/info/storage and another for community activities or art.
PAIR-view from 65th entry
We envision a path winding through the center of the site, from an entry gate at 65th to the alley at the SE corner.
PAIR-view from within courtyard
The planting along the west side of the path and structures would be more naturalistic with native, hardy species and lots of year round color. On the east side, the space would be geared to informal use and play, with tables, perhaps play equipment.
The initial total project cost, including landscape, garden, pavilions, soft costs (design, engineering, fundraising, administration) and the solar power array (including the structure) would be about $658,000. Of that cost the solar power array is approximately $387,000 or 58% of the total project cost. Because the structure is concentrated, the costs to support the solar array is less, and the overall cost is lower.
WEDGE aerial view
WEDGE plan
The ‘Wedge’ scheme consolidates all the panels into a single structure (114 panels total). The array has a community room for meetings, art, gathering, which becomes the anchor for the array. It would open up to the north, to the space under the array, acting as a backdrop for activities in the plaza, such as small concerts, or outdoor movies.
WEDGE from 65th
In order to achieve better efficiency for the panels the array slopes up to the north at 20 degrees, reaching a height of 28’ setting up a dramatic presence when seen from 65th Street.
wedge plaza
The roof of the community room would be a stepped green roof, where visitors could soak up the afternoon sun, see over the restaurant to the southeast and downtown.
WEDGE-path from alley, green roof on community space
The grade would slope up gently with an ADA compliant path to the alley and connect to the roof deck. Along the winding path, we would have a series of small gathering spaces set into the landscape.
Rather than the single, centrally located public space envisioned in the Big Roof and Pair schemes, the Wedge has a mix of spaces–the large outdoor gathering space under the array, the secure, enclosed community room, the winding path with seating along the edge, and the sunny roof garden above the community room.
The initial total project cost, including landscape, garden, community room, soft costs (design, engineering, fundraising, administration) and the solar power array (including the structure) would be about $729,000. Of that cost the solar power array is roughly $285,000 or 39% of the total project cost. The community room with a walkable green roof is more expensive than the structures in the other schemes, and therefore is a larger percentage of the overall project cost.
First off, I would like to thank all that contributed their time on a gorgeous summer-like evening to participate!
I will be posting, in the next day or two, the three schemes that we presented as well as all of the comments from the feedback sheets that people filled out. I’ll also try to get a digital survey posted online so those that couldn’t make the meeting can help shape the park’s progress. In the meantime, free to use the comment thread to post your thoughts, if you attended but didn’t fill out a feedback sheet.
Here is a link to a article in the Ballard News Tribune about the meeting: LINK
The next meeting is tentatively scheduled for the Tuesday the 20th of April.
Tommorow night we will be presenting three alternatives for the Sunset Substation park, based on the sketches generated by last meeting’s workgroups. The presentation will be short, about 30 minutes, and then we’ll open it up for comments and questions. We hope to see you there for a lively discussion of the future of this park because your feedback will be instrumental in shaping the design.
We’ll also review the results from the solar survey conducted a couple of weeks ago.
See you tomorrow!
Wednesday afternoon Jeremy Smithson of Puget Sound Solar and Mike Nelson of WSU conducted a survey of the solar resource available at our site. Preliminary results are excellent! We’ll release the data when we have it (Monday?) but we’re looking at up to 98% solar availability!
Thank you SO MUCH to Tim Waterman of Northern Arboriculture (A Ballard Business) for providing the bucket lift!
Tags: Solar
First off, I’d like to thank the all the community members that came to share their energy and ideas on Tuesday night. As part of the design brainstorming session, we broke everyone into groups between 6 and 8 people and spend about 45 minutes generating different concepts. I’ve scanned the site plans that each group presented, for the neighbors who couldn’t attend. This participation is vital in developing a vision for the Sunset Substation and we will be taking these ideas and collaborating with the steering committee, our landscape architect, structural engineer and solar consultant to synthesize multiple options to present at the next workshop, Wednesday, March 24th at 6:30 pm.
Group 1:
The plan features a grape arbor running along the west edge over seating and game tables, gateways at either end, an artist’s cottage with kiln, rainwater cistern, a trade/share area for garden compost, a playground with a possible connection to the outdoor patio next door, connected together with a sinuous path. The park would also be a wifi hotspot.
The solar installation would occupy the roof of the cottage.
Group 2:
This group focused on having a canopy superstructure that each panel would plug into with the idea that each module could be donated and as the canopy fills out they would form a large protected outdoor gathering and play space. The result would allow sunlight to filter through the panels. They could even extend over the top of the neighboring restaurant to maximize the capacity but also then give curious pedestrians on 32nd an idea of the public space off the street (granted, this would require an agreement, cooperation and participation of the owner of the building on the corner).
A small two story structure would house a community studio and an artist/caretaker unit above. At the high SW corner, the scheme has a tower with a view to the southeast.
Group 3:
This scheme has a perimeter of planting with with a seating area set into the hillside, around a playful water element. The existing concrete slab would be integrated into a more organic pathway. Perhaps a series of large stones could double as seating, or be hewn with honed, level tops to act as game tables. At the southern edge of the site, a solar canopy would provide some weather protection and act as a dramatic gateway to the park off the alley (visible from the street).
Group 4:
Group 4 used the existing slab as the central community gathering space with outdoor fireplace, sheltered by the photovoltaic panels above. On the west, there is a lane for bocce or horseshoes. On the east, a pathway winds through planting, with an artist designed play area. One additional interesting aspect is that the storage building doubles as a emergency disaster center (using solar power to charge cell phones, etc) which would become a natural gathering point for the neighborhood in time of need.
As you can see, we covered a lot of ground in the workshop and if I missed any aspects to your groups design, or you just want to comment, post your thoughts! Keep in mind, this is the very first visualization of the park, so it will change quite a bit as the design is refined and developed.
What is a Vision Statement and Why do We Need One?
Community projects such as the Sunset Substation can take a long time to bring to fruition. In that time, many things can change: the economic climate, the community members who are involved, potential sources of funding or the local political situation.
A Vision Statement is a concise statement of the project goals that is not tied to any specific design solution. Ideally, the result is a useful tool in the face of shifting circumstances. The advantages potentially offered by some new proposal can be evaluated against these baseline values.
For example, the idea of renewable power generation has been part of this project from the earliest days. While this initially appears to have grown from an attempt to get Seattle City Light interested in participating, it has gained a momentum of its own. But is this a fundamental value of the project? Suppose a large source of funding came available to develop the open space, but was incompatible with power generation?
At the other end of the “certainty spectrum,” there seems to be consensus that any use that puts the property into private ownership would be incompatible with the community vision for the site. But if you don’t agree, we’d like to hear from you!
Draft Vision Statements
With that introduction, here are the draft vision statements that were presented at the meeting. (We have already heard some comments, but we’ll just put them up in the original form to keep from creating confusion)
- Public land should remain in public hands; vacant surplus City properties should become open space.
- Incorporate renewable energy technologies that allow power generation and public use to coexist, leveraging the site’s existing relationship with Seattle City Light.
- Space should be actively managed and maintained by the community that uses it.
- The project should contribute to meeting civic and regional goals for carbon emissions reduction.
We’d really like to hear from you. Is there a major value that isn’t covered by one of these? Could one or all be re-phrased in a more concise way or to better capture the flavor of community feeling? See you in the comments section.
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