Final Design and Critique

The final critique for this project revealed that Professor Sofranko's adage is true: "It's never done; it's only due."

The critics brought fresh eyes and fresh ideas to my project. Though we spent quite some time discussing solutions to the "access issue" for my studios (for which I had never found a satisfying answer), we also discussed a number of other important issues. Among those issues were the design of my entry ramps and their relationship with the outdoor patio space, the roof surface, and experiential sequence from the roof surface to the studios in general.

It became apparent that more attention should be paid to the roof surface (which was to also double as a communal outdoor space.) This space was far too large to function as an outdoor space and designing studio entries could help inform the use of this space as a communal area. We further wrestled with the idea of condensing my vertical composition and bringing my studios closer to the roof surface (perhaps even becoming part of the surface-- an idea I had scrapped early on, but might prove worth investigating.)

In all, the final critiques were an enjoyable learning experience for all of us. As I listened to the critics discuss our projects, it occurred to me that there were some common ideas that we were all struggling to understand and implement. Among them were: truthful vs. willful, good composition, the actual experience of the building, addressing the whole site, and creating place. I can't say that I have it all figured out- these are ideas I will continue to investigate as I grow as a designer.

The Drawing Board (and Why You Should Go Back to it)

The drawing board is both the location where documentation occurs and the actual document itself. On this board is all of the information pertaining to my understanding of the site and its condition. Included are: a sun path diagram, a wind rose, the shadows created at various times of the year, a map of the garage as it relates to Capitol Park, a map of the garage as it related to Third Street, photos and sketches from various viewpoints, a plan of the garage, elevations of the garage, a description of the garage as it is, and a list of my aspirations for what the garage can be.

All of this information has been used to inform my design thus far. In order to use the drawing board to its fullest potential, though, we must also allow our design to "inform" the board. There should be a two way dialogue between the board and the design; each should inform and build upon the other. Where there is clear communication between the documentation and the design, good architecture is sure to follow.

The drawing board as not just a beginning or an end, but an essential tool to follow you on your design journey. Going "back to the drawing board" doesn't have to mean starting over, it can be a continuous exercise in reminding yourself of the past and the future. My advice to you? Keep going back to the drawing board.

Mid-Project Design

The design for my rooftop studios has changed quite a bit over the last few weeks. The most noticeable change is that the studio "trees" have been aligned in two neat rows (like a grove) according to the parking garage structure rather than located with little relation to one another (like a forest). This arrangement has birthed numerous opportunities for creating relationships from studio to studio as well as from studio to program space.

The program space below is still intended to be the "under canopy" space, but the new arrangement allows for the program space to better relate to the parking structure on which it sits.

The studio design review suggested many new ways to make the composition stronger and more clear. Future revisions to the design may include the following:

• A less rectilinear roof structure that expresses more of a gestural, floating concept.
• A roof that occupies more area, clearly defining its relationship to the columns supporting the studios and creating a shaded outdoor space at ground level that could be used by gallery (like the rooftop terrace at the Shaw Center.)
  
• Studio spaces redesigned to be more expressive forms, possibly including the intersection of multiple planes through the current volume to further illustrate the "tree form" idea (further investigation is required).
• Studios located a varying heights to create a more interesting "canopy environment."
• A program space that more clearly creates relationships with the parking structure and the studio spaces above.

The studio design review also helped me make connections with other projects that my peers are working on. Both Ben and Marc are working on projects that deal with similar issues like tension between natural and synthetic, and using views to inform design.

I am very excited about making these revisions and hope that the next stage of the project brings about just as many moments of "aha!" as this last stage has.

Mid-Project Model

Featured in this design are a semi-translucent, undulating roof membrane; a series of hill-shaped light wells; elevated studio spaces oriented to various views; small trees growing within the composition; and program space beneath the "canopy" giving deference to the structure of the parking garage.

The Search for Suitable Materials

While experimenting with different materials for modeling the roof, I stumbled upon plaster cloth wrap. This material is useful in modeling because it can be shaped into any form you can mold, it dries in twenty minutes or fewer, and it can be cut after drying.

The most interesting quality of this material is its semi-translucency. The plaster dries on the cloth in a very random pattern, giving light pattern a very "tree canopy-like" quality. This effect is exactly what I am looking for in my design for the roof.

Over, Under, and Through

Along my daily route to and from class, I pass by Tiger Stadium and the three academic halls that line Fieldhouse Drive on the stadium side (Johnston, Hatcher, and Hodges). In between the halls are narrow stairways that provide access from the lower stadium area to the higher academic area. The experience is very much like rising from an underground subway station in New York and it is just the experience I want people to have in my building. I imagine the experience of ascending from beneath the forest canopy to within or above it is very similar.

Plans and Sections

My building form serves as the arbiter of nature to the concrete jungle. As such, the experience should be one that accurately conveys the feeling of being both beneath and inside the canopy of a natural Louisiana forest without appearing to be contrived or disingenuous.

Placelessness in Place

Activity surrounds. Hubbub. Busyness. Loneliness in the crowd. You are definitely somewhere, but where? You're here, but where is that? Do you fit amongst the crowd of buildings that seem to rush, tower, and judge all at once?

You are a parking garage: the illegitimate brother of the LaSalle Building. Encircled by meaning and activity and place, your existence is only partially justified. You crave meaning, place, activity, and deliberate attention.

You shall receive.

What Is and What Can Be

Our site is:

• barren
• placeless
• desolate
• vast
• isolated
• disorienting
• windy
• horizontal
• uniform
• open
• bright

But with a little help it can be:

• inviting
• open
• connected
• enlivened
• integrated
• inspiring
• engaging
• warm
• rooted
• flowing
• natural
  

Placelessness: A Human Condition

Lonely, empty, homogeneous, generic, un-oriented: placeless.

A Sense of Place: CTK

In searching for a location that has a real sense of place, I wanted to avoid picking the obvious locations that make reference to history. The easiest way to endow a location with a sense of place is to somehow connect it with the historical use of the site or to orient it within a larger historical context. Finding a place that does not use history as a primary means of establishing itself as a “place” was difficult.

One particular type of location that I believe creates a strong sense of place without needing to use history is the basilican church. The Catholic church on campus, Christ the King, is a recently constructed axial church with a length shorter than it’s width. Though it is not a typical basilican plan, it does exhibit the same features such as an axial orientation toward the altar, a triumphal arch, repetitive columns, and flanking side aisles which create the three part interior (arcade, triforium, and clerestory.) These spatial features endow the church with a clear orientation toward the altar and a formal, regimented quality.

The entire church is oriented on a north-south axis, allowing maximum sunlight to enter the clerestory near dawn and dusk. On bright summer days, the entire sanctuary can be filled with a soft, golden light that gives it a cheerful and contemplative quality. This orientation connects the interior with the natural world beyond. Perhaps unintentional, but important to note is the character that the space takes when a storm is brewing outside. Not only does the interior space lose a great deal of natural light, but the materiality of the roof transfers a slightly muffled sound of falling rain that echoes throughout the sanctuary. The interior of the church has a completely different quality of place depending on what is occurring in the natural world.

Only once the church has created its own distinct interior qualities does it make reference to the older church structure that lies adjacent. One would not notice until exiting the church that the main aisle is lined up with a row of doors on the northern side of the old church. Though the new church could stand completely on its own as a church, this historical orientation lends it additional credibility and compositional strength.

Initial Site Impressions

My initial impression of the site is that it is completely void of any sense of place. The rooftop is not anchored to any of the surrounding urban fabric by orientation, shape, or similarity. This is not to say that there are no opportunities to have our design respond to the urban environment in a meaningful way and create a sense of place.

On one side of the site, there are a number of buildings in the skyline that could provide a meaningful orientation to our development including the state capitol and the hancock bank building. On the west side of the site, the river view provides an opportunity for a compelling natural orientation.

Incidentally, this parking structure plays a large role in Baton Rouge’s Downtown Master Plan. Planners have decided that they want an entertainment venue to anchor the north end of Third St. adjacent to the Hancock building across the street. Our parking structure will no doubt play a large role in accommodating the additional traffic generated by this entertainment venue.

Some challenges to the site are integrating our structure with the current parking structure, keeping our impact on the current use of the structure (for parking) minimal, providing adequate shading from the intense Baton Rouge heat, and creating a comfortable and natural outdoor environment.

My initial thoughts on developing this project are to orient it to Third St. to align it with the developing entertainment and arts district. This orientation also allows us to use landmarks in the urban skyline to inform our design. This north-south orientation will minimize direct exposure to sunlight from the south and help control solar heat gain. I’d like my design to be read as separate from the parking garage, but integrated with activities at ground level. The first objective can be achieved by simply stepping my structure back and not aligning it with any of the garage’s main volume. Connecting my building to activities on the ground may be a more challenging task that requires some experimentation.

Our Daily Space, Light, and Order

The title of this blog is part of a quote of Corbusier's about New York. His ideas for urban design often ended in disaster (especially American "Urban Renewal" of the 60s). His love for the automobile is probably the reason we are designing on top of a parking garage in the first place. I think this quote particularly demonstrates his mixed feelings on the urban condition:

“A hundred times have I thought New York is a catastrophe and 50 times: It is a beautiful catastrophe.”

In the blog I hope to gain greater understanding of what it means to be a part of creating these "beautiful catastrophes" we call cities and just how that understanding might affect my designs, starting with the studio development atop our beloved parking garage.

“Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep.”- Corbusier