For several years, RND has collaborated with the Durham Parks and Recreation (DPR) department to design strategic renovations which address the aesthetics, maintainability, accessibility, and function of their public park facilities. Though the priority has been to make the interior experience pleasant for the visitor and vandal-resistant for City maintenance, another important project component was transforming the building exteriors to appear more approachable.

Our team strategically designed improvements at five park locations, including the award-winning Wrightwood Park renovation. There, we enhanced the existing picnic structure by replacing the roof and improving its visibility by removing “hiding spaces”. In the kiosk-type structures, we removed warts such as rusty grills and doors, as well as mysterious and unused wall openings, to simplify and neutralize their forms. Following the removal and replacement of these building components, the City hired local artists to interpret each park’s activity in a unique way. The result is a vibrant transformation of standard building types into unique personas at each location.

The structures – now fun, safe and vibrant – represent a significant effort to provide visual relief, human comfort, and good public service for Durham Parks users.