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Westerly/Pawcatuck YMCA

Located in a residential neighborhood adjacent to Wilcox Park and the central business district, the YMCA is an important part of life for many residents in the twin cities of Westerly, Rhode Island and Pawcatuck, Connecticut.

To contain the new program areas, KITE created residential scale additions that complement the existing 1960’s moderne building. A natatorium with a six-lane, 25-yard swimming pool and an accessible locker room anchor the north end of the site, while a thirty child nursery school is on the south.

Color and scale have been used to create child-friendly environments within the overall complex, while translucent, energy-efficient acrylic panels provide natural illumination and enhance the quality of the spaces in the new construction.

Great Island Residence

Set in the fragile environment of the Cape Cod coast, this vacation house for a busy executive couple with a large, multi-generational family presented an ambitious program. It had to provide comfortable living space for one, two, or many; to integrate interior and exterior spaces both physically and visually; and to emerge gently from the scrub-growth surrounded dunes.

KITE’s solution provided a group of familiar shingled, gable-roof pavilions informally arranged and linked by transparent flat-roof connectors that form a cohesive whole whether viewed from the land or the sea. Mahogany windows, doors, and trim are stained a transparent red to give an energizing splash of color against the time-honored silver-grey of the weathered cedar shingles. The organization of space allows both for an intimate experience for the couple in two adjacent pavilions and for large gatherings in the interior and exterior spaces that extend from them. Simple detailing inside and out reinforce the clarity of the program. While the compound evokes the ad-hoc qualities of rural houses in southern New England, the vigorous massing and crisp detail distinguish this as a strikingly modern yet timeless composition.

School of Architecture, Roger Williams College

Conceived to provide a new home and department identity for a rapidly growing part of the school’s curriculum, this design was the winning entry in a national design competition that attracted an impressive array of entrants.

The design concept developed around a long, skylit central spine flanked on one side by administrative spaces on one side and linked design studios, stepped to reflect the challenges and natural attrition in each year of the program, on the other. A common gathering space and the department library terminate the ends of this linear two-story gallery. The architectural response to the program produced spaces where interchange is abundant and frequent among the faculty, staff, and students; materials that are durable; and construction techniques and building systems that are exposed and instructive.

Residential Properties Headquarters

KITE’s design for Residential Properties, Ltd. headquarters is on the high-visibility corner lot of residential Benefit Street and commercial Wickenden Street.  It provides 2,800 square feet of corporate office space and 3,600 square feet of rental space.

The building forms a broad sweep as it wraps this prominent corner site. The Wickenden Street front has large areas of street level glazing that respond to the adjacent commercial storefronts, while the Benefit Street elevation responds to its context by employing residential scale windows, chimney, and dormers.

Corporate offices are located on the third floor and mezzanine, taking advantage of the high ceilings and river views. The first and second floors accommodate an art gallery and commercial tenant respectively.

The Sloop Great Republic

This proposal marked the first design competition entered and won by KITE, and was a turning point in the design history of the firm.

Captain Howard Blackburn made a historic solo voyage in the 25 foot Sloop Republic from Gloucester to Lisbon in a record 41 days in 1901. A non-profit group sponsored the competition to create a permanent exhibit displaying his restored craft on the waterfront in Gloucester.

KITE’s winning entry was designed to dramatize the seaside context of the boat display with a full sized mural depicting the harbor as it was in 1901. It would allow the full rigging of the boat to be extended indoors, and by opening up one side of the enclosure to the sea, reflections of the water, sounds, and the scent of the ocean became part of the visitor experience.

Roger Williams Park Zoo

Located in the heart of the historic Roger Williams Park, the early menagerie that opened in 1872 was the United States’ third official zoo. By 1978 the City of Providence and the RI Zoological Society decided to upgrade its facilities. They turned to KITE for the design of a series of new pavilions, walkways, and exhibits.

The new park designed by KITE embodies the interactive and educational spirit of the modern zoo. New walkways lead visitors through preserved natural wetlands area. Special exhibits for polar bears and sea lions incorporate underwater viewing windows. Exhibits include carefully designed habitats for North and South American animals that are seamless within the park’s topography and vegetation. The children’s learning center pavilion uses natural materials and ample daylight.

Wind in the Pines Girl Scout Camp

Located on 142 acres in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the Girl Scouts came to KITE with a request to develop a master plan for the Wind in the Pines Girl Scout Camp that met their needs for a year-round camping and conference center.

KITE responded with a plan that respected the natural features of the land and provided a role model through its use of sustainable design techniques. In addition to the master plan, KITE also designed many of the pavilions as part of a phased construction plan. The buildings make ample use of passive solar heating and cooling strategies, and provide a unique character that comfortably integrates its natural surroundings.

As a pioneer in what we think of as green design today, many of the innovative design strategies explored through the pavilion designs are now mainstream.

 

Lincoln Woods State Park

A popular destination for swimmers in the summer and skaters in the winter, the freshwater beach at Lincoln State Park is marked by facilities designed by KITE. The cluster of buildings that form the park’s center is carefully sited to blend with the landscape overlooking Olney Pond. The buildings house an interpretive center for the park’s nature program, a ranger station, toilet facilities, and a concession stand.

The incorporation of passive solar design and other sustainable design features testify to KITE’s long standing commitment to green architecture.

KITE prepares for Dean Avenue: An Activisual Experiment

Everyone at KITE Architects is excited about the 2015 Providence International Arts Festival, and especially the Dean Avenue Activisual Experiment. Along with other artists, we’ve been asked to create a usable chair/artwork for the lounge during the Festival (June 13 noon-9pm) at a special event location outside The Dean Hotel. We’ve taken the opportunty to create a collage reminiscent of fabric from all of the different details, renderings, and other drawings we made while working on The Dean. After the event all the chairs will be sold, so claim this unique piece while you can!

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Clifton Village: Mixed Use

This design study for a large mixed use development was intended to create a rich urban environment that accommodates major retail, residential, and medical office space. The massing is carefully proportioned to create pedestrian friendly streets compatible with the surrounding leafy neighborhood, and the amenities complement its neighborhood commercial area.