During my crit I felt all the comments were positive and constructive in their description. After reading Jaclyn’s recap, I’m not sure! Following are responses to what Jaclyn noted on my blog:
Kevin: I spoke to Kevin a few minutes prior to the crit and he said he could tell what I was wanting to do and it looked like I had ran out of time (true). I will be refining this more in the next week.
Kurt: Kurt noted that since I was using the post tension system and wanted to learn more about it, he wanted to make sure I would use the system to its full potential by spanning large distances.
Eric: I agree that the "elbow" could be opened up more. I noted during the crit that the gathering spaces for students were shown in the "neighborhood" areas, which reach out toward the city neighborhood.
Gerry: I will be sketching the environmental ideas, it was all about time, however I had them describe via text in the Vision.
Gerry: I specifically located the classrooms on the 4th floor, as that is where the distance student is most of the time. Very little time is spent in the dorm rooms and when you are there, it is dark outside anyway. If it isn’t dark and you’re in the room, you want it to be dark so you can catch a nap!
Thanks for the great crit comments!!!
My next focus will be per the following:
· Site plan – conceptually I know what I want to do and discussed this with Kevin prior to the crit, I need to think more about the experience from outside the space, going into the space and once you’re in it
· Massing – I think my massing works well, thinking about the details is the next step
· Plan – I need to reevaluate the locations of some of the spaces and the sizes compared to the program
· Elevations – Need to design the North side of the building and think about the “details” of the south face, especially around and above the exhibit windows
· Sections – my existing building sections will evolve as I study the elevations more
· Environmental sections – Need to show information per Gerry’s comments on the building sections
· Structure – I have been researching the Post Tension Institute’s web site, learning more about this structural system. I will start laying out structural system and will email it to Kurt for his review.
· Mechanical systems – I have already thought about the system and will be sketching it onto the plans and sections
· Code analysis – I will have this completed this weekend so any discoveries can be addressed early in lieu of latter!
· Materials – while looking at the elevations and details, the exterior materials will be determined
· Details – will come along between now and the next 4 ½ weeks.
3 comments:
David,
I think everybody (you included) had a positive review last Saturday.
Your assessment is right on: you have a very simple, convincing parti. The critics poked at your weaker points: make sure site is fully developed – triangular space at corner (what happens there?), entry plaza (add function = life), green space between Exhibit Space and existing building, back yard near car entry. How do you get from the public parking to Mass Ave? Make sure nobody will ever question the class rooms on the top floor (views, daylight, access to roof top garden. Develop roof top garden, maybe add pergola to finish the volume tying into the adjacent building. Back façade vs. front façade. Make sure your interior wall between your neighborhoods and the sleeping quarters is developed to allow for connection with the necessary ability of control. Inforce the light coming in from the south, venting only towards the north.
David (3d Guru),
There still smoke coming out of that gun! Great work man! :-)
Alright, on a more serious note, as Werner states the parti is clean and to the point, however I think there are hidden messages you started to create with your elevations and plans. If I may be honest, I found the elevations more developed than the plans. An example is how you tie into the existing building, it shows you were studying how to blend to the existing fabric. The scale of the volume adjacent to the existing building departs from the top of the parapet wall and then turns, it starts to create vertical volumes and then elongated surfaces that reveal punched balconies creating occupiable space. I also thought it was interesting how much importance you gave to the staircase in the east corner. My point about the stair is, why would a student or occupant want to take that stair in lieu of the elevator or the other stair? Why would the elevator be where it is in lieu of the center of the elongated volume?
The elongated facade as shown, is a glass box that encases circulation, I think that as Werner says this Back facade vs. the front facade needs something, perhaps the rooms should be reconsidered to face the street as oppose to the highway. You'll need to test, I try to imagine all the existing buildings in the surrounding area and I see most buildings have their occupied space facing the street, from the Ghery building to apartment buildings.
I think locating the classrooms at the upper level is brilliant and if you incorporate that roof garden with the pergola it could create a really nice space for the students to use when weather permits. There are a few buildings in Boston that have roof decks that are phenomenal in the summer. I could see students sketching, sunbathing and occupying this garden nicely. You mentioned post-tensioned construction, you'll find that this type of construction will give you much flexibility with column location and slab thicknesses and uninterrupted mechanical systems.
Last but not least, I wonder if you were to show your floor plans (sheet 3B) not in a 0 vs. 90 orientation that it would benefit the dynamics of your plans. In reality the square volume should be 0/90 and not the bar, with that said should the interior layout start to reflect the transitions you are making with your elevations. Meaning, should the interior partitions turn or unfold as they transition from the square to the elongated volume? I apologize for writing so much, but I think there are many possibilities for your project to test.
David,
Here are my thoughts on your project. I think it is a great Parti and I love its position on the site. The jury even mentioned in mine that I need to reconsider the positioning of my building and take advantage of the back of the site (which I am investigating in my project). I think in these areas you have hit the nail on the head.
I think that maybe you should look at your site elements. Like the jury stated you can tell you thought about them but they aren’t developed. Possibly studying them, and discovering/designing the flow through the site will help you develop a flow with your floor plans. The parti and the elevations are well developed but the plan is lacking in some areas. Perhaps your site flow can continue through your building up to the roof garden that you talk about. This may begin to organize some of the elements in your floor plan a little better. Another element that I feel you could work on that may influence your floor plan is the entrance (I need to look at it on mine too). It seems to be there but there is no emphasis on it. Looking at the elevations I think that is where I am supposed to enter but I am not 100% sure. Maybe your site elements lead to it and can dramatize it in some fashion. I hope there comments help. Let me know if you have any questions.
Post a Comment