The Barbadoes Island Boathouse is a sanctuary to the dragon boating enthusiasts in Philadelphia as well as the entire Norristown community. It is a shrine where people can come together for various occasions. The complex has the ability to be almost entirely rented out to generate revenue for the Dragon Boat Community of Philadelphia.
The building complex is centrally planned and consists of three main buildings – gymnasium, administration/café and the pool house. Programmatic spaces are connected to each other by vast terraces and ramps, creating a meandering circulation through the site while making the transition from the elevated building to the water’s edge cascade down the slope in a smooth and experiential journey.
L-shaped layout and materiality make it possible for the visitor to always has a visual connection to the pool house sanctuary, the surrounding forest, and the Schuylkill River from any location in the complex. There is a drastic contrast in materiality of exterior walls to interior courtyard walls. The green wall cladding on the exterior wall contrasts to the transparency of glass the interior side of the complex allow for the site to be internally focused, protecting the pool house shrine.
