ATHENS RAIN PARK

The concept behind the Athens Rain Park was to create a place to enjoy the rain rather than to avoid it. This specific site currently receives an enormous amount of water during a rain event and is already an exciting place to be during a storm for those interested in stormwater design. However, I wanted to expand the appeal to others that might not currently know the excitement of rainwater.

The first thing designed for the project was the access points. Out of this formed the shape of the pathways. The Firefly Bike Trail goes through the site, so the next decision was to have the main boardwalk contain no stairs and be a continuous undulated ramp. The main path is constructed out of wood and sits on stilts at points throughout the site to experience the water at a variety of heights. The Rain Center is also stilted and hangs over the main water pool with an indoor viewing area. The roof is a corrugated transparent material for an additional unique experience of the rain. The main pathway cuts through the building to encourage visitation. The entrances from the north and south of the site start with sunken pathways emphasizing a sense of flow into the site. The walls of the paths are sloped and mounted with the same wood as the boardwalk. Benches form along some of the edges, again continuing the same wood material to form one continuous circulation network throughout the site.

Throughout the site are yellow viewing umbrellas that sit on designated wood viewing platforms. There is extra-large surface signage on the boardwalk directing visitors to different areas of the site. The pools on the north and south end are permanent, and the other pools are temporary. All of the pools are circulated by a water wheel. For educational and aesthetic purposes an exposed curvilinear red pipe snakes through the site connecting and circulating water to all of the pools. All stormwater engineering features are red and celebrated rather than hidden. An accent material of black playground rubber is used to highlight and identify easy access points on and off the boardwalk. The largest portion of rubber is around the north pool where there is interactive water exercise equipment. The workout equipment is based on the concept of lifting the weight of the water with pulley systems, levers, squat balls, etc. The water exercise equipment was inspired by the need for people to safely interact with the water and not just see the effects of it. In addition to the workout equipment, there is a quarter mile running track that connects Hickory Street and the boardwalk.