PROJECT Zimmerman Center for Heritage Waterside Pavilion and Accessibility Enhancements

LOCATION  Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, US

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE  6/3/2014

ARCHITECT Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects

ASSOCIATED ARCHITECT  

OWNER/CLIENT  Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area

CONTRACTOR / CONSTRUCTION MANAGER  Kinsley Construction, Inc.

PHOTOGRAPHER  John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN TEAM  Frank E. Dittenhafer II, FAIA, LEED AP, Todd R. Grove, AIA, Peter Schwab, AIA, LEED AP BD+C

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

The branding “tagline” utilized by the John & Katherine Zimmerman Center for Heritage is “Connecting People to the River and its History”. As part of a comprehensive facility improvement project involving their waterfront site along the Susquehanna River and historic eighteenth century headquarters building, the Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area commissioned the architectural design for the construction of a Waterside Pavilion and Accessibility Enhancements connecting all public recreation and heritage interpretation facilities on their property – and making them accessible to all users/visitors. Such “public access” projects rarely get the design attention and careful consideration they deserve. The Architect selected for the Zimmerman Center project was determined to design a series of enhancements that not only accomplished the specific accessibility objectives – but did so with a thoughtfully crafted design based in dignity, sensitivity and elegance. A primary component of the multi-phased enhancement project was a small pavilion at the water’s edge – a new “place” accessible to everyone – where gathering and heritage/environmental interpretation could occur. The first phase of the Accessibility Enhancements involved the design and construction of a pedestrian access pathway system from the ZCH building traversing steeply sloped terrain, a road crossing and “boardwalk” connections to the new Waterside Pavilion – and providing access to new floating docks, canoe/kayak landing areas, waterside nature plant gardens and historical interpretive displays. Utilizing existing low fieldstone walls and constructing new ones for retaining purposes in conjunction with 1:20 pathway grades, the design gracefully accomplishes the 18 foot elevation change without the need for pervasive railing systems and in a visually sensitive manner harmonizing with existing grades and contours of the lawn area north of the historic eighteenth century manor. The design intent for the new 600 square foot waterside pavilion, to be located along the edge of the Susquehanna River, was to provide shelter and interpretive learning opportunities. The siting is along the northern property boundary nestled among existing trees, adjacent wetlands, new rain gardens and linked to the new interpretive pathway system of the Zimmerman Center. The Architects’ consistent message concerning their pavilion design was “it’s about the river and the waterfront – not the architecture. Can we design an elegant pavilion - to withstand seasonal flooding and severe winter ice flows – and where the construction is almost visually non-existent?” To achieve these “minimalist” goals, the Architect developed many preliminary designs and examined the role of every structural component to arrive at the most “essential” design/construction approach. The pavilion’s gently folded zinc panel and wood plank roof/deck system is supported by a total of five timber beams and three wood columns located at strategic plan points that preserve panoramic vistas of the river “through the pavilion” from within - and at a distance. Two of the columns are partially encased with the same native fieldstone as the low pathway walls across the road and anchor built-in benches and interpretive educational panels. The pavilion is firmly anchored to subgrade via concrete caissons and plank systems supporting composite decking with minimal stainless steel and wood railing assemblies.

MEDIA FOR DOWNLOAD
Project PDF

IMAGE CAPTIONS & CREDITS

IMAGE 1  Image File Name: 01_Zimmerman Center_high res best Caption: Waterside Pavilion, Zimmerman Center for Heritage Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography

IMAGE 2  Image File Name: 02_Zimmerman Center_high res ext Caption: Waterside Pavilion, Zimmerman Center for Heritage Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography

IMAGE 3  Image File Name: 03_Zimmerman Center_high res int Caption: Waterside Pavilion Detail View Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography

IMAGE 4  Image File Name: 04_Pavilion with Boardwalk & Canoe Launch Caption: Boardwalk, Canoe-Kayak Launch, Floating Dock, and Waterside Paviliion Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography

IMAGE 5  Image File Name: 05_Zimmerman Center Accessibility Enhancements Caption: Accessibility Enhancements, Zimmerman Center for Heritage Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography

IMAGE 6  Image File Name: 06_Zimmerman Center for Heritage Caption: View of West Elevation, Zimmerman Center for Heritage Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography

IMAGE 7  Image File Name: 07_View of Heritage Center from Pavilion Caption: Waterside Pavilion Detail and View of Zimmerman Center for Heritage Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography

IMAGE 8  Image File Name: 08_Waterside Pavilion Caption: Waterside Pavilion at Dawn, Zimmerman Center for Heritage Photographer Credit: John Allen, J. David Allen and Son Photography