Architecture 200 Project 2
Large-format hand drawings
Description
This continued project one with the same site and requirements, with some added direction. Originally the requirements called for bathrooms and a kitchenette in the larger building, but it was decided that all of the buildings should have bathrooms and kitchens. This made all of the buildings larger and was harder to keep the building's grid together.
For project 2 instead of building a model we had to do a series of drawings. These included a Plan (overhead), Section (cut-through) and an Axonametic (perspective, 3D) drawing. They were done on 24"x36" sheets of vellum (rag paper), and should have been a snap, but it was amazing just how long it takes to put little lines on paper. Even by staying up all night and starting plenty early I still didn't quite finish all of the requirements (shadows) but it looks way better without it.
Organization of Space
Drawing the details of the buildings forced me to work out how each piece of it would fit with the overall grid that I established. With the changes in the program (that is, the extra kitchens and bathrooms) made my square buildings into rectangles as I enlarged the grid to accommodate the additions. I also added vestibules (air locks) to make the building more realistic.
The following series of images is a graphical look at each part of my plan; the connecting paths, bathrooms, kitchens, main spaces, outdoor seating, water features and vestibules.
Paths
The main paths that connect my buildings and spaces are laid out with the main trellis-way going from top to bottom, with two branches shooting out from each side. With the smaller building the path makes a turn and enters the building, but with the medium building it intersects paths running from the intimate space to the vestibules of the medium building. The main trellis-way is partially covered, while the other paths are just land bridges over the water that surrounds the site.
Bathrooms
The bathrooms for each building are appropriately sized for the occupants of each. We were told that there needed to be one toilet for every 50 men and 30 women. Since the smaller space will hold at most 30 people, one toilet each would be sufficient so the bathrooms consist of a closet, while the medium building, which could hold more like 60, has actual bathrooms with two toilets each.
Kitchens
The program called for kitchenettes, the spaces are large enough to hold a full kitchen, including: stove, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher and sink. However, that is more than these buildings really need, so the extra space could hold a table or something else. The smaller building is designed to be the academic offices, so a break room would be a practical use for the kitchenette space.
Main Spaces
The main spaces are pretty straight forward, the smaller one is approximately 500 square feet and the larger one is approximately 900 square feet. Each wall above the bathroom is a blank, light-colored wall that a projector could be focused. Flooring would be high-traffic carpet with patterns that match the grid system. Seating would be flexible with tables and chairs rather than built-in desks. The large windows that would let in large amounts of natural light, especially reflecting off of the water outside, could be closed with blinds automatically.
Outdoor Seating
In spite of it being unusable 6 months out of the year, my project used a lot of outdoor seating. The highlighted areas along the main trellis-way are divided into sections of seats and desks. The desks would have outlets and internet connections for students who wanted to work outside. The trellis and plantings would provide shade. The intimate gathering space has seats that face each other under the trees and planters for conversation.
Water Features
Water surrounds the complex and comes right up next to the walls of the buildings making it appear as if the buildings are floating to observers outside, and will appear as if the water is tying to invade the buildings to the people on the inside. At night there are lights underneath the water that project onto the façade of the buildings. The water itself is only a few inches deep and will have to be circulated heavily to keep it fresh.
Vestibules
The vestibules, one on the smaller building and two on the larger, serve as the main entrances to each space. Each building also has another exit by the bathrooms that lead into the small gathering space to serve as a fire exit or just another way out for those exiting to campus to avoid having to walk around on the trellis-way.
Grid System
The building structure is divided into a very simple grid system that is varied. The layout is an A-B-A (wide) by A-B-A-B-A (long) pattern. A is denoted in blue and B is denoted in green. Each A section is 12 feet wide with 2 structural members on either side. Each B section is 4 feet wide with 2 structural members on either side. In between each A and B section there is a 1-foot spacer wall, this is also true on the ends where the wall wraps around. The grid system follows the main structural members of each A and B section (shown in red), and in the case of the A module is broken into 3 smaller sections (yellow) following another A-B-A relationship on a smaller scale, A being approximately 4 feet and B being approximately 2 feet. These mullions and modules combine to create a repeating façade that is better displayed in project 3.
