After focusing on many aspects of the design, here is what I have come up with so far. I am still missing most of the windows but I am getting there. Next post: Elevations, section and diagram of water feature.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Friday, January 25, 2008
Game Plan
Concept: Learning Components
The BAC provides a unique education that involves different components than your typical education. Combining studio and practice into one allows for us to learn and grow from each of the components. This translates into the studio, living spaces and practice spaces being uniquely defined. A scrim wall provides a visual cue linking these spaces together to form our education experience.
Time to explore:
Floor plans: open up the first floor. I am looking at the administration spaces being much more open on the ground floor, almost interactive with the public. Private offices still exist on the lower level for some form of privacy. I am looking at the diagonal taking some form on this level.
Waste Water/Storm Water: So much to explore, so little time. I am now looking at how this will relate to the interior spaces. I am using some quick site plans to further this study.
Scrim Wall: Lots more to develop. I have begun exploring different materials and the use of integrated PV. The residential spaces open up into a loggia. This part is also enhanced with shading devices. The entry is open and traversable at the pedestrian level with some minor exceptions. I see these being great opportunities for signage and neighborhood postings.
And with all that said, it's time to see some drawings...
The BAC provides a unique education that involves different components than your typical education. Combining studio and practice into one allows for us to learn and grow from each of the components. This translates into the studio, living spaces and practice spaces being uniquely defined. A scrim wall provides a visual cue linking these spaces together to form our education experience.
Time to explore:
Floor plans: open up the first floor. I am looking at the administration spaces being much more open on the ground floor, almost interactive with the public. Private offices still exist on the lower level for some form of privacy. I am looking at the diagonal taking some form on this level.
Waste Water/Storm Water: So much to explore, so little time. I am now looking at how this will relate to the interior spaces. I am using some quick site plans to further this study.
Scrim Wall: Lots more to develop. I have begun exploring different materials and the use of integrated PV. The residential spaces open up into a loggia. This part is also enhanced with shading devices. The entry is open and traversable at the pedestrian level with some minor exceptions. I see these being great opportunities for signage and neighborhood postings.
And with all that said, it's time to see some drawings...
Monday, January 21, 2008
Assignment 4- Intensive Wrap Up
My presentation was completed using pdf's so I am sorry, I have no idea how to attach it as a single file. If anyone can tell me, I will edit this post so it is in the correct format. Since I misplaced the notes Carlos took for me during my crit, here is the feedback I remember:
Develop water feature in the site plan and how it will relate to my building.
Explore if the water feature will be enough to hold the corner so I can bring the wall back.
Sustainable ideas need to be developed further.
Further develop the glass wall and how it engages the program. (Show loggia between it and residences).
Graphics read well for this part of the design process.
And that's about all I remember. Please fill in the rest if there were any other comments that anyone else remembers. I know we were all struggling to stay awake! One of the things I started looking at is the shape of the exhibition hall. I think it might be stronger if I allow it be the same shape as the classrooms above so when looking in plan view it becomes a fourth piece. Maybe the second floor can actually come out and use that space as an outdoor studio space? So for the next few days I plan to be working on:
Site design and purpose of glass wall. I also need to finish working on fenestration since it was more of an afterthought in the wee hours of the morning. I am anxious to try and keep the momentum going. I thought the entire week was very productive and hope to live up to the expectations! Hope everyone got some sleep after a safe trip home!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Friday, January 11, 2008
Bubble Diagrams
Here are some of my preliminary ideas. Size indicates importance of space and color helps you follow the path to those important spaces.
Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research
The Terrence Donnelly Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Research Building is located in Toronto, Canada, or more simply known as the TDCCBR building. Designed by architectsAlliance and Behnisch Architekten, it was completed in 2006 and has received numerous awards. When first looking at this building, I noticed many similarities with other projects on this assignment. It is in an urban setting. The urban settings tend to be historic. It serves as an educational/research facility. After these basic similarities, it becomes apparent how much thought and planning when into the design. 
Site:
Located in the middle of an already dense neighborhood, it fits snuggly between existing buildings. It was designed as a thoroughfare for the public to connect the city center to the south and the university campus to the north. It also connects to the neighboring buildings with walkways and glass bridges. The footprint isn’t very large. Most is a walkway and plantings. The TDCCBR is 12 stories tall, much taller than the closest surrounding buildings. Total square footage comes in around 250,000 sq. ft for a cost of $86 million.
Geometry:
The building is comprised of two vertically stacked volumes. The sixth level divides these. Mechanical systems are located on this level to allow for more open floor plans and a shallower floor plate. The upper level mechanical is located in a stainless-steel enclosure located on the roof. It’s shape is less rigid than the rest of the building.
Views:
Standing taller than the surrounding buildings, the upper levels offer amazing views of the city while the lower levels are surrounded by bamboo and plenty of natural light. The entire building is kept very minimal allowing the light, vegetation and materials to provide a soothing view from any where in the building. Transparency and connectivity were key for the interior. The façade is glass and provides views to all sides but it is so complex it requires it’s own section.
Façade:
Each side of the building was treated differently. The main façade of the building faces south. It is double glazed to create acoustic and solar control while providing a textured transparency. The east façade is clad in color-laminated glass. The west façade is glazed with patterned ceramic-fritted glass. This glazing provides additional privacy and shading to meet the needs of the program. The east and west facades also engage the neighboring buildings into their design with glass reaching over to enclose the space.
Materials and Color:
To differentiate the various levels, each lab has it’s own color and millwork. Various multi-story gardens add a splash of green to the various work stations. Yellow, blue, orange and red add color to both the east and west facades. The interior is laid out to remain informal and allow for collaboration amongst colleagues. Different colors and lighting further differentiate these spaces. Exposed concrete, white ceilings and colorful partitions work together to create a beautiful work environment.
Circulation:
A large concourse brings you into the building through gardens and neighboring buildings. The granite paving starts in the exterior and continues inside. The atrium is five stories high, incorporating the next door Rosebrugh building. 45 foot tall bamboo line the bath. Since it was designed as a thoroughfare, the main circulation path runs north-south through out the entire building. A connection of the ground floor connects to the Medical Science Building while a glass bridge connects the sixth floor to it. Another connection links it to the Rosebrugh building.
Sustainability:
With little time to continue research, the TDCCBR building has figured everything out. The entire building is divided into different energy zones. Separating the labs from the common areas allowed a decrease in energy while increasing the ventilation. The south façade is made up of an exterior single-glazed skin, 2 ½’ of air space and than a double-glazed interior skin. Retractable louvers work to also control heat gain. Operable windows and sun blinds can be controlled by individuals or by computerized building system. Natural ventilation takes care of the corridors and gardens. The gardens throughout provide additional oxygen and moisture into the air.
At that’s just the beginning. I have never been to Toronto and would be interested in looking at more of the surrounding site and how it really fits in. The research I’ve looked at mentions the mix of modern and historic to the Toronto skyline.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Building and Streetscape
In studying the buildings and streets surrounding our sites, I began to see it as the corner for which Fenway, Kenmore Square, Back Bay and the transition to the Southend all meet together. It is a diverse area with the Freeway and Mass Ave cutting through to segregate our site into its own neighborhood. The once rectilinear blocks take this shape as the various grids come together. 
The footprint of the neighborhoods varies as well. Back Bay is close to the street with open space in the back. As we transition to the Southend, the buildings become larger and more dense. Our site sits along the edge of the freeway and close to a large open space. The density of this area is not as high as some of the surrounding blocks.
There is a large amount of green space nearby that will lead you to the Charles River or to the Boston Public Garden.
As the various neighborhoods begin to morph into the next, the center of it all becomes undefined. It becomes it own neighborhood. Neither building type, size of lot, or material differentiates it from another. The small long parcels of Back Bay become large long parcels. The large square lots of the Southend become rectangular.
With a city as old as Boston, a mix of materials is bound to exist. For the most part, the site is still filled with the traditional brick rowhouses, which seem to all have a commercial awning at the ground level. The large neighborhood church is made up of larger stones. In the back ground, the Prudential Tower and Hancock Tower provide more modern materials.
When looking at some of the more historic maps, I found one with our site developed. It consisted of typical apartment rowhouses with the train tracks still cutting off the site from the other side of the city.
I took some images of the site and started looking at where the buildings meet the sky. For the most part, there is still a consistency with regard to height and material. Most buildings are 4-5 stories made of brick. The St.Clements Church is the most notable building on the street. Looking across the freeway, there is a view of many of Boston's tallest buildings. The Berklee College of Music is located on the next block. The freeway provides an opportunity for views that normally wouldn't exist in such a dense urban setting.
The footprint of the neighborhoods varies as well. Back Bay is close to the street with open space in the back. As we transition to the Southend, the buildings become larger and more dense. Our site sits along the edge of the freeway and close to a large open space. The density of this area is not as high as some of the surrounding blocks.
There is a large amount of green space nearby that will lead you to the Charles River or to the Boston Public Garden.
As the various neighborhoods begin to morph into the next, the center of it all becomes undefined. It becomes it own neighborhood. Neither building type, size of lot, or material differentiates it from another. The small long parcels of Back Bay become large long parcels. The large square lots of the Southend become rectangular.
With a city as old as Boston, a mix of materials is bound to exist. For the most part, the site is still filled with the traditional brick rowhouses, which seem to all have a commercial awning at the ground level. The large neighborhood church is made up of larger stones. In the back ground, the Prudential Tower and Hancock Tower provide more modern materials. 
When looking at some of the more historic maps, I found one with our site developed. It consisted of typical apartment rowhouses with the train tracks still cutting off the site from the other side of the city.
I took some images of the site and started looking at where the buildings meet the sky. For the most part, there is still a consistency with regard to height and material. Most buildings are 4-5 stories made of brick. The St.Clements Church is the most notable building on the street. Looking across the freeway, there is a view of many of Boston's tallest buildings. The Berklee College of Music is located on the next block. The freeway provides an opportunity for views that normally wouldn't exist in such a dense urban setting.
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