Parklet Program

Bay Area, California

2020

To re-claim unused outdoor space and support our community, we worked with the city of Berkeley on a Parklet Template, a webinar, and pro- bono design services.

With the pandemic making outdoor space more valuable than ever, the abundant and unused outdoor space devoted to cars is counter to our values.  We believe that the public realm should contribute positively to our social, cultural, and economic experience.  Since restaurants have been so impacted by the pandemic induced shutdown, we used our design skills and construction connections to help them build outdoor seating.  As a low cost conversion of parking spaces into usable outdoor spaces, these Parklets are a positive response to the challenges of the Pandemic.

To activate the streetscape with these parklets, we had used two strategies.  For some, we’ve developed a super graphic that adds color to the neighborhood while giving the parklet a unique identity.  For others, we worked with local graphic designers are street artists to create distinctive art that creates a connection between the community, artists, and the restaurant.

Working for the City of Berkeley, Sidell Pakravan Architects created a Parklet Design Guide and Template to address restaurants’ needs for outdoor seating during the pandemic. Our template serves as a DIY reference guide that describes code criteria, permitting process, construction strategies, and how to build a structure in the public Right of Way. To complement the Design Guide, we also participated in a public webinar to assist business owners. Finally, we have directly worked with five local restaurants to adapt the guidelines to their specific needs and design vision.