SEAHOLM INTAKE DESIGN COMPETITION

Our competition entry, entitled "INTAKES>OUTFALLS: Treating Urban Runoff through Prototypical Green Infrastructures along Lady Bird Lake" was selected as a Top 10 Finalist out of 76 entries from all over the world, and was the only Landscape Architecture lead team to be selected as a finalist.

Along its riparian edge, Lady Bird Lake receives unfiltered, untreated stormwater run off from both urban and natural sources. Our multidisciplinary team, composed of Surroundings and Biohabitats, looked at Seaholm and other perimeter lake sites, and asked the question, “What if Seaholm became an exemplary and engaging, prototypical demonstration park for treating urban run-off?” Our design proposal, therefore, is a replicable, prototypical strategy that can be utilized at multiple areas of concern along Lady Bird Lake to slow, absorb, aerate, and clean stormwater from surrounding developments and city infrastructure.

What makes our design at the Seaholm site unique to the prototype, however, is how we weave the programming of iconic, 20th century architecture with 21st century biofiltration. Through our collaborative team of architects, landscape architects, and ecological engineers, we developed a design proposal that synthesizes sustainability, art/culture, people, and feasibility into a cohesive, and innovative vision for the City of Austin and its citizens.

LOCATION:
Austin, TX

CLIENT:
City of Austin

DESIGN TEAM: 
Kenneth Francis, Principal
Will Iadevaia
Elizabeth Hwangbo

Erin English + Nicole Stern, Biohabitats

SERVICES PROVIDED:
Master Planning

AWARD: 
Top 10 Finalist
NMASLA Honor Award