Heron Creek Restroom

Nice restrooms are the highest priority need for Trail users. TTF has listened to Trail users with our Miro Rivera restroom, the recently completed Johnson Creek restroom, and now a planned restroom here. Mell Lawrence Architects was selected for the Heron Creek restroom design because of their deep sense of place. They design a space for the rituals and the physicality of each structure’s use. The firm has a passion for merging the realities of everyday life with the architectural principles of light, art, and sustainability. For them, nature’s organized spontaneity is a valuable inspiration.

The architects have used the inspiration TTF elicited with the on-site Trail Memories input installation in February 2013.The subsequent Trail Survey showed fairly uniform consensus about the features desired for future restrooms.

TTF undertook a one-week on-site installation to raise awareness and garner Trail user input and enthusiasm for this restroom and other TTF projects. The Trail Memory Board responses were phenomenal! In less than a week, over 1700 comments were gathered.

Previous ‘Leaner’ Restroom

Responses ranged from the whimsical to the sacred. Through Trail users’ answers, it became overwhelmingly clear how deeply the Trail affects people’s lives and how much the people of Austin identify with the Trail and feel it is their home.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Trail Memories installation and the Trail Survey; Your input helped us better design the space to meet your needs.

The project team included: architect, Mell Lawrence Architects; general contractor, Balfour Beatty; structural and architectural steel fabricator: Sarabi Studio, civil engineers: Big Red Dog; project manager: Ross Anders.

Awards:

2016 AIA Austin – Design Award

‘First Flush’ and ribbon-cutting occurred on Saturday, February 21st.