Lake Waconia Regional Park - Paradise Commons
Designing the Future of Recreation at Lake Waconia
HGA provided comprehensive planning to establish a vision and level of quality for structures throughout Lake Waconia Regional Park, responding to the first phase of the redevelopment of the park which added new parking, upgraded the beachfront, addressed stormwater management, and provided a new boat launch. The building pays homage to the history of the place as a lakefront resort, taking cues from the historic Coney Island resort structures as well as the surrounding landscape.
The new HGA-designed Paradise Commons provides a destination to anchor the park with services including boat and paddleboard rentals, changing rooms serving the nearby beach, an activity room for programming and rentals, sheltered seating areas, and a parks and rec office. These functions are configured into two buildings under one roof, whose undulating form evokes the waves of Lake Waconia as it opens up toward the lake to provide sheltered porches for gathering. The site includes additional infrastructure for the surrounding large events lawn, as well as a new dock for ferry service to historic Coney Island.
Paradise Commons met Minnesota B3 sustainability guidelines, through upgraded stormwater management and ecologically sensitive landscape design, careful material selections, and energy efficiency through daylighting and efficient building systems. The building features a highly efficient, state-of-the-art geothermal heat pump system with vertical convection-based heat exchangers that provides superior heat transfer to groundwater aquifers. The system includes two wells plus an extra test well to determine if additional energy efficiency can be achieved from underground heat stratification.
Acknowledging water as a precious resource, the building itself reduces potable water use by over 60%. Daylighting and access to views is prioritized, and bird safe glazing helps the building achieve a threat factor under 13. High performing envelope systems, geothermal mechanical systems, and enhanced lighting equate to a building energy reduction of 75%. Sufficient roof exposure with solar PV provides an additional 10% energy savings for a total EUI reduction of 85%.
Location
Waconia, MN
Building Type
Parks & Recreation
Size
4,500 SF