Park Entrance Portal:
Water Dog Lake Park
Belmont, CA
Re-design of the entrance to “Water Dog Lake Park and Open Space” in Belmont, CA with the goal of more accurately representing the City of Belmont’s values as defined in their official vision statement. Parks are an important part of a city’s image, and represent the shared values of its residents. Through extensive research it was determined that a new park entrance portal would best utilize resources to emphasize the city’s intended brand identity and serve as a welcoming park attribute.
A semi-permanent structure was designed to hide the port-a-potty & trash cans while displaying park information. The gate was furnished with a mural mount featuring rotating local art in collaboration with the City Arts Program. Values represented here include: connecting with nature, support of the arts, and actively making improvements for future generations.
Current Park Entrance
As visitors they step through the gate, they are greeted by a toilet and a trash can. The scale and placement of signs is inconsistent and non-intuitive. The hierarchy of information doesn’t make sense, the most important sign, the map, is too small for some people to read and is badly weather damaged.
Proposed Entrance Station
The new structure is a clear focal point, attracting visitors and the first information they encounter is the large trail map. The small signs have been moved to the wall facing the entrance, allowing the gate to be used for local art programming. The confusing sporadic elements have been presented in a cohesive manner.
Functional Design
The park entrance station is a semi-permanent structure that hides the port-a-potty. The trail map is mounted on the wall under the awning which protects it from weather. The trash can has been incorporated into the theme and a recycling bin added.
How it Works
The back of the structure has doors that open, allowing the toilet to be moved in and out and accessed for bi-weekly pumping. This toilet at the entrance is considered permanent, however it must be pumped/ serviced every two weeks and also needs to be movable.
“Belmont Arts” Mural Gate
The entrance gate will be transformed into a display mount which will feature rotating art displayed in conjunction with the Belmont Public Art Master Plan. Relocating the current assortment of informational signs will allow space to showcase local artists while giving park visitors a warm and fun welcome.
Branding Belmont
The structure and gate mural create a clear entrance portal and eliminate the confusion of extraneous elements. Belmont’s brand, which is clearly defined in their vision statement, includes the concepts of connecting with nature, support of the arts, and actively making improvements for the future.
Before
After
Civil Engineering
& Build Plans
Measurements were taken at the park entrance to
ensure that the final project could be built in place.
Actual dimensions are labeled on the drawings.
This design was part of a 56 page research project available here
