Week 2: Schematic Development
This week was concentrated on lots of finalized decision making so that we could move forward in the design process. We had to look over everything from the previous week and take into consideration all the feedback from the review. Some issues we had to rethink were connecting the inside to the outside, how far a guest would have to walk to each destination, the fact that they shouldn’t have to walk outside to get to an activity, and how much space our courtyard was actually creating. We don’t want to exhaust anyone that is trying to use the space efficiently. We went through these issues, shared our opinions, and collaborated on what we thought was best. We closed in our separate buildings to create a smaller courtyard, focused on the distance between one place and another, and thought about how to connect all the activities with corridors so one doesn’t have to walk outside. We met our goals of developing a concrete footprint, reworked the spatial relationships of the programming needs, and began the massing of architectural elements with conceptual sketches. We also focused on solidifying a floor plan by working through several different ones and came up with a final solution.
This week was challenging in the finalization of the design. We had to work cohesively as a team to create a floor plan we could all agree on. Some of us wanted the building to be more spaced out, others wanted the building to form a shape around the courtyard, others wanted it to mimic the shape of the site, and others wanted the building to be turned upside down and reconfigured completely. Working with the different disciplines and the amount of people with different ideas was difficult. We managed to work through it all and come up with a floor plan we all could agree upon.
This coming week we plan on finalizing all the things we worked on this week after the review and feedback and then proceed forward by conquering the following goals:
1. Finalize the collaborative floor plan after feedback
2. Work on developing visual connections between spaces
3. Tackle collaboration of materials so that the exterior and interior work harmoniously
We plan to work together and accomplish these goals, so that we can proceed with the next phase of our design.
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Week 2: Monday Critique
We had alot of great feedback today from the guest critics. It became obvious that the focal point of our design is the courtyard since it is the main element which supports our concept of "reconnection". It also is the biggest hurdle we face when determining circulation, egress, and space planning. Up to this point, we've been neglecting the use and purpose of the courtyard, but we understand now that we should step back and develop the building from the outside in.
The most noteworthy suggestion we heard was to analyze the historical precedent of the courtyard in buildings in Mexico, Spain, and Persia since these were the cultures that developed and defined the use of courtyards in their structures. Researching this in buildings such as El Alhambra in Granada could be useful in developing a design solution that deals with issues such as ground cover and landscaping, layout, circulation, aesthetic, and also sustainable design solutions. Definately an interesting insight which will help further our schematic design.
Another topic we discussed was how to reintegrate our concept into the other design aspects. We used the courtyard as a means to visually connect patrons to the different facilities on the site, however it is time to think about "reconnect" in context to architectural details, interior/exterior association, materials, texture, pattern, etc. Thinking about these aspects at this phase is crucial in order to create a well-balanced, concept driven design.
Here are some other notes that we got today:
· Think about materials (plants) for courtyard, low maintenance
· Connect buildings on the 2nd floor, an arcade or circulation path
· Think about solar angles, planting the courtyard floor vs. paved
· Maybe do sun studies, think about plants that can handle shade
· Courtyard has lots of potential, use historical reference such as
· Work on the Interior/Exterior Material Connections
· Think about how to grow certain things in the courtyard
· Look for ways to get the Senior Citizens involved in the community such as a garden club
· Work on sketches that show reconnection and materials, how do materials show reconnection
· Fitness Center seems disconnected from all other parts, put everything around the courtyard
· Like the details of Entrance Ideas
· Connect the 2nd Floor to the courtyard, arcade
· Work on Wayfinding, Circulation, show walkways, and connection of buildings
· Create an Interior Walking Path
· How does the Courtyard effect the Senior Citizens?
· Figure out a Micro and Macro System of the courtyard
· Reconnect the Fitness area to the rest of the building
· Create a Hierarchy- what part so of the building are more important
· Use Form and Shape Grammar
· Look at what needs to be focused on and emphasized
· Create balance- through size, height, volume, openness, virtually
· Develop a second means to reconnect in the pool area
· use reconnect to guide patterns, textures, detailing
· consider emphasis, rhythm, balance, focus, and volume to further the space plan
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