General Design Category

Ella Bailey Park - MERIT AWARD
Site Workshop

Project Description:
The site for Ella Bailey Park was a derelict, 2.4-acre asphalt playfield attached to a vacant elementary school. Surrounded by another 1.4 acres of steep slopes overgrown with blackberry bramble, the site had one defining asset: a stunning panoramic view of the Cascade Mountains, downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier and Elliott Bay.

Originally the Parks Department planned to develop the park as an athletic facility, complete with ball fields, lighting and a parking lot. Early in the design process, a series of public meetings and focus groups reoriented the project and Site Workshop collaborated with the community, sports groups and Parks Department to create a family-oriented, neighborhood park that would capitalize on the spectacular view, while also accommodating youth sports activities.

The final design features a view promenade along the south and east edge; an acre of open space for passive play, strolling, youth soccer and baseball; a playground; community gardens; and improved access to the surrounding neighborhood. Attracting multigenerational users, Ella Bailey Park became Seattle's first park to integrate skateboard-friendly features into common site elements, such as the steel rails embedded into concrete seat walls.

Making the most of the allocated budget, the design was deliberately resource efficient. All existing materials were either kept on site or composted. The original asphalt playfield was ground up and recycled as base course for the new paths. Over 6,000 cubic yards of earth were moved on site to add usable space and to stabilize and reshape the slopes, creating viewpoints from picnic and play areas, sloping lawns, walking paths, seat walls and a planned pavilion. All stormwater is infiltrated on site with grass swales and amended soils.

Since opening in May 2007, Ella Bailey Park has become a dynamic addition to the neighborhood green space, as well as a special outdoor destination for people all over Seattle. The Seattle Design Commission honored Ella Bailey Park with their Design Excellence Award for 2007.

Jury Comments:
This is a good neighborhood park achieving in one move to put in evidence the "borrowed landscape" of Mount Rainier. Its largest central space—an oval—tilts towards Mount Rainier, pointing to its importance and the spectacular view across the Bay. This move is what the park is about, and it is more than enough. More projects should strive for such clear and simple moves. The plan, sections, perspective, and photos of the finished project are clear and explain the project at a glance. The project's presentation in itself deserves commendation as well.