Lake Merritt Municipal Boathouse
Oakland, CA

Client:  City of Oakland
Architect:  Wallace Roberts & Todd, Inc.
                    Murakami/Nelson Architectural Corporation

The Lake Merritt Master Plan, approved by voters in 2002, will return the long dormant historic Municipal Boathouse near to its original design. The Boathouse was built in 1909 and expanded in 1913 and resides on one of the largest urban lakes in the United States. It will undergo major structural, seismic, and historic renovation. On the upper levels of the renovated Boathouse, space will be provided for a restaurant, a cafe, and a meeting room. On the lower levels, boating facilities will be upgraded to meet current use requirements. Extensive site work will take place in the area around the Boathouse. The existing lawn will be removed and the area will be regraded for a parking lot for the restaurant, walkway paths, stairs, low retaining walls, and reconstruction of the lake edge wall to the north and south of the building.

This project is currently headed towards a LEED Silver certification. The LEED features of the building will include energy efficient light fixtures and equipment, low VOC content finish materials, the installation of Forrest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified mahogany for the exterior windows and doors, a recycled content of 5% on materials put into the project, and the recycling of 75% on all waste material taken from the site.