Located on the downtown fringe of Holland, MI, this project seeks to provide a place that encourages people from the downtown and the residential neighborhoods to meet and mingle. It recognizes and supports the adjacent farmers' market as a major source of weekend activity and part of the westward extension of the downtown, but focuses on providing spaces for everyday recreational activity that welcome pedestrians who live in the adjacent residential neighborhoods. The two blocks of housing follow the Dutch tradition of the "woonerf," a living street that accommodates automobile access but provides space for community activity.

The civic center is oriented to the north and the south, to the market area and to the residential area. A broad interior street connects the two and provides spaces for casual meeting and recreation. All areas of the building are accessible from this street--the large assembly spaces to the east and the smaller more private areas to the west and above.

Following Dutch precedents, the architecture is intended to be a stage for activity, not entertainment in and of itself. The courtyard and the interior street provide semi-public space for interaction, softening the threshold between public and private and inside and outside. The spaces are easily adaptable to changing needs, allowing the center to transform from an athletic/ recreational facility to a small exhibition center as needed.