The Sunderland Riverside Park improvements were initiated by the director of the Sunderland Public Library who wanted to provide patrons with the ability to check out kayaks and enjoy access to the Connecticut River. Over time, the project evolved to include not only a place for the kayaks, but a storage area to replace the existing shed for the park landscaping and maintenance equipment, storage for Sunderland Youth Baseball, and a renovation of the existing restroom facilities.

 

Begun in 2019, the Kayak Storage project was initially assigned as a short studio exercise for senior undergrads. The student proposals were presented to the public at a library open house and the design team integrated community input at the start of design. The project ultimately combined the kayak storage program into a pavilion with a maintenance and storage shed at the rear and a roof canopy providing a shaded area for people to picnic or watch the baseball games. The three kayak storage boxes double as seating and picnic tables between the boxes provide a place for community gathering.