Role: Designer

Status: Complete

About:

After a flood swept through the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, the city decided to take the setback as an opportunity to modernize and expand the building. The proximity of the river was a major design consideration; both in acknowledging the beauty of the setting and in building resilience against major weather events. The interior uses blues and greens in fluid lines and natural gradients to create a sense of connection to the water and the exterior patio extends that fluidity in plan. An array of shade sails cover the raised outdoor seating and are illuminated at dusk to bring to mind the image of sailboats at night. In the event of severe weather, the sails automatically retract and several new bio-swales give water a place to slow and percolate.