Public spaces connecting people to the waterfront.
For over 126 years, Owen Beach has provided access to Puget Sound for water-related activities, including swimming, beach combing, boating, and kayaking. In collaboration with Site Workshop, SHKS Architects designed building improvements that adapted an existing Civilian Conservation Corps-era comfort station into a kayak rental and storage facility, and added a new pavilion with restrooms and community gathering space which, in a subsequent phase, will become enclosed. When complete, the beach improvements will restore ecological functions, enhance access to water-related activities for users of all ages and abilities, and respond to programmatic needs of the region’s neighboring communities. The pavilion’s design provides access to the open space and active shoreline, complementing an existing recreational facility for the public.
