Bayshore Fitness Center
& Canoe Club

This project explores the relationship between site geometry, movement, and view through the design of a waterfront fitness center and canoe club in Bay Shore, New York. The central concept was driven by identifying both the natural and artificial axes of the site and using them to choreograph how visitors experience the building and its surroundings. These axes were used to channel views inward toward the architecture and then outward toward the adjacent water, reinforcing a continuous visual dialogue between land, building, and lake.

​

The building is organized to prioritize public experience and environmental engagement. Fitness and activity spaces are located along the southern façade, where a continuous window wall system provides panoramic views of the water and maximizes daylight. More private and service-oriented functions, including locker rooms, restrooms, showers, and staff spaces, are consolidated along the northern face of the building. This strategy allows the most desirable frontage and views to be reserved for active, public spaces while maintaining efficient back-of-house organization.

​

A second-story café is situated above the main fitness level and opens directly onto a walkable green roof that spans the entire first-floor footprint. This elevated landscape offers guests a place to relax, gather, and enjoy uninterrupted lake views, while also serving as a key sustainability feature by reducing heat gain, managing stormwater, and enhancing the building’s connection to its site.

​

Materiality was used to reinforce both sustainability goals and spatial hierarchy. The first floor is clad in Accoya wood, a rapidly renewable material with high moisture resistance, making it well suited for a waterfront environment. The second floor is wrapped in recycled aluminum panels, creating a clear visual distinction between levels and drawing visitors upward to explore the green roof and café. The building also incorporates low-E triple-glazed windows, which improve thermal performance, reduce heat loss and solar gain, enhance occupant comfort, minimize condensation, and lower overall energy demand.

​

Site design played an equally critical role in the project. The residential buffer zone, the 22-degree angle of the outdoor courts, and a third axis generated by the parking layout were used to organize circulation and landscape elements. At the center of the parking lot, a large rain garden collects runoff from surrounding surfaces and stores water for plant irrigation, with excess water directed to a nearby fountain feature. Semi-permeable pavers are used throughout the parking lot and pedestrian paths to reduce runoff and improve on-site drainage. A series of bridges constructed from recycled plastic further connect the site while reinforcing the project’s commitment to sustainable materials and environmental responsibility.

​

Together, the building and site form a cohesive system that integrates wellness, landscape, and sustainability, creating a fitness center that is both highly experiential and deeply rooted in its environmental context.