The concept certainly appealed: the Mill River Park Whittingham Discovery Center in Stamford, Connecticut, was recognized with the Award of Excellence in the “Unbuilt Category” among this year’s AIA Connecticut 2019 Design Awards. The Discovery Center concept, designed by Hartford, Connecticut-based JCJ Architecture, is a critical component in the Mill River Park Collaborative’s (MRPC) plans for the 28 acres of renewed public parkland and greenway in the heart of downtown.
“JCJ was delighted to be invited by the MRPC in 2017 to propose schemes for a Discovery Center that would enrich and energize this unique green space in downtown Stamford,” said Peter G. Bachmann, AIA of JCJ Architecture.
“While we were not selected for this important commission, our team is very proud to have been recognized by AIA Connecticut for the design of a facility that would function as both a sustainable and multi-faceted destination within the park and a structure that engaged the landscape.”
As part of the search for design teams, the Mill River Park Collaborative (MRPC) sought an interactive learning and development center to host educational programs and aspired to create an object of distinction in the landscape. Designed as an operational work of art, the scheme included facilities for interactive exhibits, functional classrooms and labs, support areas for an adjacent ice skating rink, a carry out café, and office and support spaces for employees.
