My timeline over the next year will begin with research and selection of the programs, analysis of the site and ultimately choosing one, study of precedents, development of the program and collect existing site data. I will then construct a site model and existing conditions, perform an intensive design period to generate ideas, and distill the ideas into a couple workable schemes. After selecting one, I will move into developing the final design and producing the presentation.
Throughout the year I am keeping a design process weblog on my personal website. I will also use the site to promote the project in May and a portfolio after. The website is located at http://thesis.alexfortney.com/.
I am presently leaning towards the Solvay Coke site due to its interesting location, need for environmental rehab, existing structure and rich history. However, the other two sites have strong potential depending on what program I select. I do not have a preference with regard to program and I think they are all workable. Research will lead me to an answer as well as the tendency to move towards either: realism and actual need (the School of Freshwater Sciences), ingenuity and uniqueness (Environmental Rehabilitation Company) or strong potential and flexibility (Industrial Design School). Research of these three programs will point me in the right direction. I intend to interview a director of the WATER Institute to get a grasp of their needs, talk to one or more existing environmental rehabilitation companies, and sit down with the industrial design director at MIAD and perhaps other schools to understand special needs of that type of school. I intend to make a decision about the site first, probably within the first few weeks of the semester and the program by the middle of October. Once the program and site are established I will then move into examining precedents, and filling out the program and doing a detail analysis of the site. I intend to have all of the necessary research, analysis, data and precedents in place by Thanksgiving. I will then take the remaining weeks of the semester to produce the pre-thesis book, saving enough time to have the book printed.
The winter break will be dedicated to building a physical and digital existing conditions site model to be used to place the final model into later in the semester.
The spring semester will start with intensive design charette to get out a number of ideas quickly. I will start with the structure, site and parti, and later move into components, details and connections. All of these will present them to my committee and together will pare down to a final scheme. I intend to have the scheme selected by the end of February to prepare a solid product for the interim review in April. I will then use the remaining month to produce the final product. I anticipate my final presentation to consist of a visual presentation as well as a physical model and component details.