When your client happens to be an entire community, a huge component of the design process is transparency. In the case of the Pines Pavilion, our client was a community of extremely close-knit homeowners, activists, and individuals personally invested in the project, the hub of the LGBTQ community.
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We worked with 340 members of the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association and thousands of community members to rethink the design of the then-burned-down structure. We wanted to capture the essence of the island while designing alongside the community, so we created a building that celebrates the local beach culture with an informal construction technique.
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Exposed studs and cedar cladding that matches the boardwalk welcome people from all walks, while a giant, open-air terraced facade allows the building to visually disappear as it fills with revelers, showcasing not just the architecture, but the people within, as ferries approach the harbor.
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