Elevation Studies: I have included a small variety of materials to create the fabric of my building. Using brick in the very solid and heavy portions of the structure gives these forms attention and mass, also relating to the surrounding neighborhood. I am using an insulated metal panel for a majority of the structure and especially along the North facade. This is an easy material to clean and maintain. Important for building maintenance due to the amount of dirt and material moved by the turnpike traffic. The other material on the North side is glass, also easy to clean.
My design has very specific transparencies and opaque portions of the facade. Allowing the public to see in different areas of the building from different angles. Most notably is studio space with full glazing on the South facade. Another point of interest is the window that shows inside the exhibit space from Massachusetts Avenue, also inviting the public to this space around the South curving wall. The open web trusses create a tie to the historic steel construction of Boston with a modern appeal. Being oversized gives scale to the entire height of the studio space. The windows along the residential section of my building are of a traditional double hung ratio but larger measuring 4'x8'. The bottom of these windows tilts inward to allow for air circulation into individual rooms. There are sweeping clerestory windows across this area above the dorm rooms bringing natural light to the North area of each floor.
6 comments:
Prolific matthew! I am combining comments for several postings. Nice earlier hand sketches to go with the slicker images.
Feb 3rd: see earlier comments. I have one more thought: there is a life safety issue with the open studios (which are otherwise appealing). If a styrofoam model combusts on the first floor the toxic fumes immediately fill the entire space? Fire Marshall will not allow unless we have a Genzeme system that isolates each floor (both fire rated structure and smoke isolation)?
Solution?:
Things to keep:
1. Continuous curve on the north.
2. Glass curtain wall for part of the north (all in plane to reinforce the curve).
Things to add?: firewall say 10 feet south of the north curtain wall; this can be a needed and effective sound barrier. The space created can also be used by ramps/circulation. Environmentally isolating this (tempered?) north space is energy efficient. And distracting circulation is also distant from the studios. Then we just have to worry about the studios and life safety. Two story spaces might be considered mezzanines and left open. Beyond that I am not sure – atrium code anyone? Operable openings can at least solve the smoke issues. Deluge sprinklers the fire ratings?
Feb 2: nice Safdie reference Matt & Eddie.
Jan 31 wind rotors – nice idea – the center of a flat roof will receive the least wind force – more at the eaves on the windward side – this might be solved by mounting the rotors on the top of a gable ridge (with a venturi roof cap over (similar to one of your images). Problem: prevailing wind is from the west but the building orientation is (appropriately) to the south.
Jan 29 Very effective recessed windows – they create a rhythm which leads one around to the south side – important if the entrance is south – these windows appear to link with the west façade – at least rhythmically –in the image from the Berkley School. And of course works for shading.
Last image: does this say John Biaz___? Elegant.
Jan 21: the transparency at this stage is very effective – it suggests the right amount of tentativeness and looks cool – I know it is just the studio space but it could work for many components and helps see elements that are layered or behind. Color also helpful. Shadows faint – try birdseye 3D plan with shadows on the terrain for a site shadow study. You create logical zoning within the curved “sound wall”. Ventilation to be effective should be through which is a challenge noise wise (vertical stacks?) Keep that north curve strong (as it shows in the last image) – it unifies on the big road side.
Jan 22: working in different scales is good modeling (the process is not linear). Nice shadow studies. Although the “Boston” windows may not need so much shading, the overhangs do provide some continuity between the studio and residence facades – that’s important to make your curve work I think (and for some sense of BAC unity). For the same reason you might consider slightly less “aggressive” studio roof trusses. The last image certainly emphasizes the contrast between new and old – is that what you want? You do give your neighbor the max. in views and light.
Jan 27: that east end is a real challenge. Your transparency helps as does the curve and the lower east end wall ht. 3D site (landscape) development is perhaps as important as the vertical walls. Your ground level view from the street is definitely the way to look at this challenge – I am a little tempted to enter your eastern slot – especially if the north curve forms a more protective space between it and the south curve? Alternately a southern “arcade” recessed into the streamlined form?
I look forward to the next chapters.
Gerry,
Dichrolam Glass by John Blazy
http://www.johnblazydesigns.com/default.asp?active_page_id=1
Matt,
You are still on the right track. A few elements still need some attention (they are actually the same I mentioned earlier), but in different form. You have many interesting elements in your design, but they are stealing each others power: the vertical circulation elements are very heavily contrasting the glass, metal panel and brise soleil elevations. The three different elements (exhibit, classrooms, dorm) are experienced as three different sectional idea pieces brought together to this site and separated by the vertical circulation towers. I think your elevations would greatly profit from integrating these elements into the body of the building. The stair to the west for example could move south and extend the wall surface on the last bedroom and take the expression of truncation away from the end of the dorm building. The clerestory windows could extend and become small windows at the intermediate landings. Similarly the two stair towers on the north façade could integrate more, either into the skin of one of the adjacent building elements or the roof over the classroom building. I still question the necessity of two elevators (especially with a your elaborate ramp system, there shouldn’t be a need for elevator redundancy) and the central stair. Moving the elevator to the location of the central stair would llow you to go back to your initial idea of the brise soleils to flow along the entire south façade (see 2nd perspective January 22). In the rear the elevator tower and the stair tower to the east could frame the ramp space and give reason for the beginning and the end of the large roof over the classroom building. I would also like to see some animation of the rear elevation. Maybe a few horizontal slot windows or a few picture frames dotting the elevation could allow some visual connection across the pike to the other side – to Newbury Street. I think you picked a winning scheme for the treatment of the exhibit space: the exposure of the glass wall at the corner looking across to the “best Buy” entrance and the continuous curve away from the bridge is a powerful gesture. I think you should consider taking that power of that curved brick wall slamming into the side of your class room building and establishing the entrance on the that side. The side with the brise soleils facing Boylston Street could remain a place where you can exit from the café and sit outside.
Don’t forget about the site and its contours. Your building currently doesn’t touch the site yet (in elevation). Maybe the brick you are introducing in the exhibit hall could become the base in the back for the entire building and enclose the parking? I could imagine brickwork that opens up creating a lace like wall letting the parking being naturally ventilated…
Matt, Gerry mentioned the atrium like space and the challenge of containing toxic fumes from spreading. I think you could propose deep smoke skirts at the edges of your class rooms to prevent smoke from one tray to fill the entire volume, combined with a smoke exhaust fan at the top. Speaking of, how do you propose to bring fresh air into this space? and heating and cooling?
Vader rocks! Training is continuing, however is more like Skywalker with the swords right now.....Great comments by the way.
Matt,
Your Revit rocks us all! I don’t know how you learn all these programs. I am going to be working on a project at work in Sketch up! Proud of me? So when I first looked at the elevations and the materials I was thrown by the vertical brick sections. I know what you are trying to do with them but something about them is a bit disturbing. I know that Werner talked about that in his post but I wanted to reiterate that I too wasn’t comfortable with them. Something interesting that keeps popping out at me on your drawings is the space above the gallery. What are your intentions for this roof? To me it is screaming gathering area. It is closer to the corner; I was thinking it could be a spot that the students could gather. I don’t believe you had any intention of using it but I thought I would throw it out there for you to ponder. The way that it sweeps down to the corner is intriguing.
Have you studied your entrance completely? It seems to be something that we are all struggling with. What is the approach to it? I see that where you have elevated the sunshade and I think that it is a good move to help characterize the entrance. I just didn’t know if you had thought about the approach anymore. Keep up the good work! Time is running out on us!
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