Sweetwater > Part of the new Domino Park that stretches along the waterfront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Sweetwater playground pays homage to the historic Domino Sugar Refinery, which shuttered operations in 2004 after producing sugar for nearly 150 years and is now being restored as part of a larger residential community from developer Two Trees. Designed by artist Mark Reigelman, the playground “reflects the chaotic structures of the early industrial buildings previously on the site,” he says. Sunshine yellow, turquoise, and mint green hues echo the factory’s original colors, while the façade of the elevated Sugarcane cabin is made of repurposed wood from the factory’s floors. Scattered throughout the cabin are red valve wheels that were molded and cast from ones salvaged from the factory.
The Climatorium > Lemvig, Denmark, which is at risk for flooding and rising sea levels, will be the new home of international climate center the Climatorium, part of the region’s six-year-long awareness initiative dubbed the Coast to Coast Climate Challenge that already counts 31 private and public partners. Copenhagen firm 3XN’s winning design is centered around a wave motif that takes cues from the area’s fishing boats for the minimalist interiors and marks the entrance in a curvy, inviting light wood. “We have tried to design a building that sparks curiosity and is open and welcoming to visitors and researchers,” says Jan Ammundsen, senior partner and head of design for 3XN. The resilient building’s wraparound glass façade guides the eye to the wood-clad top floor that appears to be floating, while the undulating landscape surrounding the building, known as the Climate Wedge, mirrors isobars (the lines of pressure on weather maps) and will comprise local plants that thrive in the coastal environment. When the $7.9 million site is completed in 2020, the hope is that it will create jobs and spur the economy.
Ward Village > The dynamic new waterfront development Ward Village from the Howard Hughes Corporation effortlessly marries urban and island living. With plans for a LEED Neighborhood Development Platinum certification, the village will be the only neighborhood in Hawaii and the largest in the country to receive that certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Nestled on 60 lush acres, the site will boast dedicated bike lanes, tree-lined sidewalks, 4,500 homes, and the Kō‘ula mixed-use tower, where its undulating exterior will link “with the natural beauty of the islands, drawing on history to design contemporary ways people and environments can connect,” says architect Jeanne Gang, founder of Chicago’s Studio Gang. This bond to nature translates to thoughtful interiors for the 565 residences and communal spaces by Toronto and New York firm Yabu Pushelberg. “When you enter the space, you get the sense that everything belongs there,” says cofounder Glenn Pushelberg. “It [will have] a quiet gravitas people can enjoy.”
North Beach Park > Located at the base of a bluff between the scenic Pacific Coast Highway and the beach, this one-acre seaside park in Santa Monica, California is inspired by the ocean and references the towering sand dunes that formerly occupied the site. A series of steel-framed shade structures cover the two distinct play zones that both offer barrier-free equipment for extra maneuvering space. Meanwhile, a sensory garden offers children an opportunity to interact with and learn from the landscape.
Renderings courtesy of 3XN; Photography by Daniel Levin, graphics and renderings courtesy of Sweetwater and the Howard Hughes Corporation
