Lucy Evans Baylands Interpretive Center
Palo Alto, California
The Lucy Evans Baylands Interpretive Center is an idiosyncratic wood building on piles in the southern Bay marshland. Originally built in 1970, this interpretive center is beloved by locals, but decades of exposure to marine influences and nesting swallows had deteriorated its wood decking, railings, siding, and structural system. FOG Studio led a public meeting which determined that the unique character of the building should be preserved, while renovating all exterior finishes, railings and deck.
FOG and Holmes Structures conducted extensive surveys of the under-deck systems as well as the roof and exterior boardwalk areas in order to determine the extent of repairs needed. In addition, the public restrooms were completely reconfigured within a challenging hexagonal framework to meet current code and accessibility standards. Due to its location, literally in the Bay wetlands, the project was subject to extensive environmental review by federal and state agencies and had to meet stringent construction procedures during the renovation.
The exterior building and deck were rebuilt “in-kind” entirely in new redwood, which was painted in accordance with Baylands design guidelines and to protect the wood for the next fifty years. New railings incorporate bird-safe glass vision panels for the benefit of the many young students visiting this preserve. The restrooms include linear trough sinks that can accommodate the washing of many muddy hands at once, over-looked by a beautiful marshland mosaic by tile artist Gina Dominguez.