Harbor Aquatic Center - Restroom Facility

Nominated on 24/07/2012 • Category: Architecture • 4 Comments

Project Awarded

The Harbor Aquatic Center Restroom in Oceanside is “an instant classic,” with its simple, durable and effective design details that ensure this structure will be around for the public to utilize and admire for many years to come. The project exemplifies the idea that “these kinds of programs don’t have to be overloaded.” The restroom also sets the tone and bar rather high for future design at this site. The butterfly roof provides both light, ventilation and a sculptural aesthetic and the incorporation of wood gives the space a warm, organic juxtaposition to the raw lines of the exposed concrete. This is a wonderful example of a project that is striking yet beyond that, also serves a functional purpose and works well for its location. There is something to be said for understated elegance and in this case, the resulting diminutive structure is Orchid-worthy.

Orchid

Project Address: 300 N Coast Hwy Oceanside, CA
Project Owner/ Developer: City of Oceanside
Owner Contact Name/ Email: Nathan Mertz/ nmertz@ci.oceanside.ca.us
Project Architect/ Designer: Safdie Rabines

This 865 square foot public restroom building is the first completed component of a project that will also include a community aquatic center and storage facility. Located on a strip of sand with the harbor on one side and the ocean on the other, the project establishes an exterior architectural theme for future civic buildings at Oceanside Harbor. The restroom's butterfly roof provides indirect lighting and ventilation, while the use of wood beams and trellises contributes to the building's warm, inviting appearance.