Juanita Beach Park Bathhouse Wins Project of the Year Award

Published on May 14, 2021

Juanita Beach Bathhouse

Media Contact:                
Joy Johnston
Interim Communications Program Manager
jjohnston@kirklandwa.gov
(425) 979-6562

KIRKLAND, Wash. – On May 13, 2021, Kirkland’s Juanita Beach Park Bathhouse received the 2021 Project of the Year Award for Structures Under $5 Million from the Washington Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). This award recognizes excellence in management and administration on successfully completed public works projects. This modern-day bathhouse includes summertime restrooms with space to dress, heated year-round restrooms, outdoor showers, lifeguarding space, and space for non-motorized boating concessions.

The bathhouse officially opened to the public on December 23, 2020. The 22-acre park also features 1,000 feet of shoreline, two new picnic pavilions, and a new historical public art installation coming in summer 2021. The playground’s synthetic turf and play elements are designed to be accessible to people of all abilities.

“We are honored to receive this award,” said Kirkland Mayor Penny Sweet. “We’re excited to have these extraordinary new structures at one of our most beloved parks. It’s an incredible achievement that our community will enjoy for generations to come.”

The bathhouse has a Northwest, natural aesthetic that was articulated in the 2006 master plan and inspired by the beach resort that the Forbes family operated at the location in the early 1900s. The project’s designers used sustainable and durable materials, such as cross-laminated timber. One of the project’s biggest challenges was to balance the duty of the City to develop and improve public recreation facilities and provide access to the shoreline to all segments of the population, while also protecting and preserving publicly owned natural resources. However, with careful planning and precision, this delicate balance was achieved.

“This project was successful because of the collaboration of many talented and dedicated people,” said Public Works Director Julie Underwood. “We’d like to thank and recognize all of our project partners who helped this vision come to fruition including Synergy Construction of Woodinville, Patano Studio Architecture, MIG Seattle, Rainbow Consulting; Coffman Engineers, Shannon & Wilson, Inc., Muckleshoot Tribe of Washington, Washington State Department of Ecology, Friends of Juanita Beach, Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission, Kirkland Park Board, the Kirkland City Council, and City of Kirkland staff.”

The American Public Works Association is nonprofit, professional association of public works agencies, private companies, and individuals dedicated to promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy, and the exchange of knowledge. For more information about the Juanita Beach Park Bathhouse Project, please visit www.kirklandwa.gov/JuanitaBeach.

Watch a video about the award-winning Juanita Beach Park Bathhouse Project here.

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