Lubber Run Community Center

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In Arlington, Virginia, this new\ncommunity center replaces an aged facility in Lubber Run Park, a natural\nresource that is precious to urban Arlington County. Connecting to nature and preserving\nthe open space were the project\u2019s drivers, shaping a 50,000-square-foot\nfacility that offers a wealth of programming for all ages. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The team\u2019s overarching design vision\nwas achieved through a sculptural landscape plinth that is draped over a series\nof interior spaces, fully integrating the building into the landscape. To that\nend, all of the center\u2019s parking and some of its interior programming were\nlocated underground to broaden the number of outdoor amenities at the ground\nlevel. Those include a playground, pickleball and basketball courts, and\nimprovements to circulation that support access to all modes of transportation.\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The center\u2019s primary architectural\nelements also take their cues from the surrounding environment, namely a robust\nconcrete base that bolsters the treehouse-like timber structure above. Inside,\nmultipurpose rooms, a fitness center, gymnasium, meeting rooms, a kitchen, and\noffices for the county\u2019s Parks and Recreation Department synthesize with the\noverall site strategy. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The team carefully coordinated the\nspatial organization to work in concert with the center\u2019s sloping recreation\nlandscape, through which it achieves dynamic connections to the outdoors.\nBeyond preserving the surrounding environment, the center helps increase access\nto nature within and around the site. Its main spaces offer views of Lubber Run\nPark\u2019s woodland and the site\u2019s constructed natural landscapes, such as a rain\ngarden courtyard to the west. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Together, the building and landscape\ncelebrate the movement of water across the site. The center\u2019s butterfly roof\nform channels rainwater to an underground cistern where it\u2019s used to irrigate\nthe sizable green roof that caps the underground parking area. A series of\nbio-filtration basins serve as features throughout the main outdoor public\nspaces, cleansing runoff from the center\u2019s paved and impervious surfaces before\nit enters Lubber Run."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"In support of Arlington\u2019s commitment to\nsustainability, the center was envisioned as a zero-energy facility. Its\nlayout, massing, and systems design were oriented around that goal, and the\nteam also minimized on-site solar array requirements by first optimizing the\nbuilding\u2019s energy performance. On-site renewable generation, including geothermal\nheat pump systems for heating and cooling and dedicated outdoor air systems\nwith heat recovery, supply 100% of the center\u2019s energy needs."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Completed on schedule despite\nthe emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lubber Run Community Center solves a\nuniquely urban problem: preserving access to open space in the wake of\nunceasing development. Fully integrated into the environment, the project is\nboth a building and a park, a work of architecture truly rooted in its sense of\nplace. "]]]]}