Parks: Simple Is Smart

As a park-shelter design unfolds, it takes the shape of … triangles?By Jamin AAsumDesigns that appear simple and resolved are often the result of a painstakingly detailed process. While a park shelter at Luuwit View Park in Portland, Ore., appears to be a simple collection of triangular shapes, there is a complexity behind the presentation. The sculpture-like shelter is part of the new park created four years ago. The hourglass-shaped area is laid out along two datum lines that direct a user’s eye to Mt. Hood to the east and Mt. St. Helens across the nearby Columbia River to the northwest. 2.ink Studio landscape architects designed the 16-acre park, the result of an exhaustive public process that involved 26 interest groups from diverse surrounding neighborhoods. The park is inclusive, featuring a full-size soccer field, skatepark, nature trail, dog park, community gardens, playgrounds, and the shelter, which also serves as a stage for the amphitheater. The folded triangles of the shelter sit at the intersection of the two pathways. The structure was designed by Skylab Architecture in Portland, with Jamin Aasum, AIA, as project designer and Jeff Kovel, AIA, as the partner in charge.