Imagining a future recreation hub connected by vibrant walking trails.

Cover was engaged by the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) to create a feasibility study which explored the revitalization of an 8.6-acre park site in South Slocan, BC. Our prompt was to design for both indoor and outdoor recreation programming, taking a holistic approach that considered how these two types of programming could function cohesively on the site. The program included in the feasibility study was gathered during comprehensive community engagement sessions, with the aim of bridging the gaps in existing community and regional recreational infrastructure.

Our initial feasibility design options looked at both an “indoor focused” scheme and an “outdoor focused” scheme. The indoor focused scheme explored a larger facility that could house most of the programming within the building. The outdoor focused scheme shifted towards creating a vibrant outdoor public space in which the programming was spread out across the site and connected by a winding walking path. Both schemes considered how the site could be used year-round, for both summer and winter activities. After rounds of community presentations, engagement sessions, and public surveys, we landed on a concept that did not include an indoor recreational space. This final iteration blends together a bike pump track, skatepark, splash pad, basketball court, track and field track, soccer field, tennis courts and open park space.