When Matthew Jull and Leena Cho, of Charlottesville-based architecture firm KUTONOTUK, first heard of a competition hosted by Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, to design a major upgrade to its oceanside boardwalk, the architects were intrigued.
“Within a town with such a rich history, and in such a dynamic environment, how do we create new spaces for people to come together to strengthen community while simultaneously meeting the challenges of the future?” Jull, an associate professor of architecture at UVA, said in a press release. “The fact that this key question was being asked through a public process was a major inspiration.”
More than 50 architecture and landscape architecture firms across the world submitted designs for the competition, but KUTONOTUK—which formed in 2011 and has since earned national and international recognition in 17 other competitions—won out for its sea-centric design.
According to a press release, the firm’s design was in keeping with the results of a survey distributed to more than 1,000 Atlantic Beach residents. Said one respondent, “It keeps the beach the focus. Myrtle Beach and Virgina Beach are not what we want here.” The design will integrate ecology back into the boardwalk, while also adding new amenities such as a new pavilion for music festivals and movie nights.
Said Cho, “For us, the new boardwalk needed to act both as a central gathering space for the town and an extension to private patios and gardens of many adjacent homes and businesses.”
Once approved, the redesign will begin its first phase this winter.
