Studio Fall 2025
Mill River - Final
Professor Adam Hopfner
This boathouse serves as an educational hub along the Mill River, supporting
New Haven high school students through both play and preservation. The
building provides access to kayaking and river exploration while housing
boat building, maintenance, and wetland research. Together, these programs
frame the river as a shared resource and a site of ecological responsibility.
The project aims to democratize access to water and foster stewardship by
making learning visible, collective, and rooted in place.
The architecture follows the contours of the land and water, minimizing
disturbance to the site. Program spaces are embedded into the existing
topography. Skylights puncture the roof, bringing daylight into the interior while
playfully revealing the activities below. A gently sloped ramp cuts obliquely
through the building while preserving a pre-existing trail that connects the
park to the river. The boathouse mediates between landscape and structure,
education and recreation.
New Haven high school students through both play and preservation. The
building provides access to kayaking and river exploration while housing
boat building, maintenance, and wetland research. Together, these programs
frame the river as a shared resource and a site of ecological responsibility.
The project aims to democratize access to water and foster stewardship by
making learning visible, collective, and rooted in place.
The architecture follows the contours of the land and water, minimizing
disturbance to the site. Program spaces are embedded into the existing
topography. Skylights puncture the roof, bringing daylight into the interior while
playfully revealing the activities below. A gently sloped ramp cuts obliquely
through the building while preserving a pre-existing trail that connects the
park to the river. The boathouse mediates between landscape and structure,
education and recreation.
