In 2009, STUDIOS was selected by renowned landscape architecture firm The Olin Studio and the Canal Park Development Association to design a café/pavilion and associated structures for Canal Park, the first new urban park in Washington in over 20 years and situated within blocks of DC’s vibrant Anacostia Waterfront. Initially engineered in 1810 by Benjamin Latrobe, the original Canal linked Tiber Creek with the historic Washington Navy Yard. The design team transformed an area of vacant lots and abandoned buildings into a sustainable, urban oasis for a new generation of Washingtonians.

Canal Park is intended to be a model of sustainability, exploring the creative, cutting edge of energy efficiency with the intent of being a “zero energy park.” The pavilion structures support this effort and are forward-thinking in their design, and as much a draw as the park itself. These small structures are “jewels in the crown” of the park, with features such as stormwater rain gardens, geothermal systems, green roof and operable screen panels for ventilation. The program for the café includes a kitchen, restrooms, dining area indoors (with outdoor dining in the warmer months), and discrete storage.