Delivering a Signature Urban Space for Community Engagement

The City of Redmond, Washington, has transformed its downtown area over the past decade. In particular, the Downtown Redmond Park project turned an unruly confluence of busy roads and parking lots into a two-acre park packed with innovative features for the community. The Park provides flexible programming space for 365-day use. Amenities of the Park include a 10,000-sf lawn, which is elevated above the plaza, a splash pad with a recirculation system, ADA compliance, a “floating” pavilion with a water wall and mirrored ceiling, public restroom facilities with heated floors and translucent exterior wall panels. The site retains 100% of the runoff onsite with an underground infiltration system. Various native plantings, berms, and other softscape were designed to provide shade and reduce the urban heat island.

This seminar will focus on the unique challenges of the Downtown Redmond Park and how infrastructure shapes its opportunity and its design. Challenges included grading, utilities, lighting, and stakeholder coordination. The seminar will also highlight how this project relates to the other public works improvements that predate it.