Solar Pixel Park is a solar PLUS public space project comprising a combination of different outdoor facilities in a single space, such as landscape features, playscape features for kids and leisure features for adults. The team chose to site this on a large greyfield located adjacent to Charlottesville High School, currently acting as
the only public high school in the City of Charlottesville, although there are three others in Albemarle County. The site is also adjacent to a large portion of the Riviana Trail, which is a frequently visited greenway system by residents and visitors alike. The long and narrow strip of parking at the north end of the site provides an opportunity to reimagine what a parking lot is, especially in relation to education and recreation. Our intervention seeks to allocate three zones across the length of the lot. The east most zone will be dedicated to solar parking installations, the middle is a sort of flex zone that can operate as parking or play, and the west most zone is dedicated to the modular play and leisure components that are of focus in this design. The modular system is based on the existing parking grid on site, with storage for the play pieces located in the existing parking spaces. The modules are intended to be set up in the open areas between parking, with the intention to be flexible, mobile, and temporary. There are nine different modules: three plays, three resting, and three learning. The play mods are designed for younger children to high school aged kids to enjoy. The resting modes are designed for all ages, providing a place for retreat and relaxation. And the learning modes are designed to serve as an extension of the education happening, as a potential outdoor classroom, group workspace, or informal meeting areas. All in all, we are seeking to create a multifunctional public space by the addition and combination of smaller independent functional pixels. While each of the pixels has its own function and characteristics and could be read as an independent entity, the combination of all of them results in a very eye-catching and playful general multifunctional public space.