SYMBIOTIC DUALITY
THE BOSTON ARCHITECTURAL COLLEGE
G R A D U A T I N G C L A S S O F S P R I N G 2 0 1 2
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE M A Y 10 T H 2 0 1 2
STUDENT, WHITNEY MAEHARA
ADVISOR, RUSSELL HIGGINS
DIRECTOR, KAREN NELSON
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
mom: thank you for teaching me how amazing the world can be when you’re slightly strange. you’ve set a path that i can only hope to follow in bits + pieces. dad: so much of who i was, who i am and who i hope to be traces back to you. thank you for the constant faith, support and love. baba: we made it! how incredibly lucky I am to have you here- feisty, courageous and loving as always. papa: forever here in spirit. i love you. uncle stan: words cannot describe how grateful i am to have someone like you in my life. you’ve been there since the beginning without question and it’s meant the world. auntie terri: thank you for turning the littlest of things into the most special + most considerate of things. koko: twin love. cindy: you’ve been the big sister i never had + always wanted. thank you for always being a confidante in times of need as well as a constant source of inspiration + admiration. max: even from across the world, you’ve been the greatest support a girl could ask for. family forever. let’s bake. + to my dream team: jim, gaby + sarah: what would i have done without the three of you? despite the ever familiar late nights, heavy sighs + battles with the impossible, your friendships have made it all worth the fight. love you guys.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
7 9 11 13 - 23 24 25 - 30 26-31
32 - 33 34 - 35 36 - 37 38 39 - 42 43 - 52 53 - 62 63 - 86 87 - 106 108
109
110 111
112-119
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
I N T R O D U C T I O N
THESIS STATEMENT
TC O NHN E CET I O NNO F O D E S NODES TO HUB
TP R EHC E DEE N THS T UUD I EBS AZUMA HOUSE | TADAO ANDO OPEN LIBRARY | SUPERPOOL HIGHLINE | DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO PROJECT ANTECEDENTS
SKETCH PROBLEM
SCHEMATIC REVIEW
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
STRUCTURAL REVIEW
F I N A L R E V I E W
A P P E N D I X
MEANS OF EGRESS
THE STACKS
SUSTAINABILITY SOILS + DRAINAGE
CODES REPORT
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RESUME
EDUCATION
BOSTON ARCHITECTURAL COLLEGE | SEPTEMBER 2006 - MAY 2012 Bachelor of Architecture UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | JUNE 2006 Semester at Sea: Summer Abroad in Asia BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY | SEPTEMBER 2004 - MAY 2006 Candidate for Premed & Studio Arts Degree
WORK + VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
CHARLES SPADA INTERIORS | SEPTEMBER 2010 - PRESENT Design Associate + Marketing Coordinator • Manage high-end residential interior design projects from concept to finish, establish and maintain project timeline and budget, prepare and process purchase orders, create furniture and lighting proposals, specify materials and finishes, design custom furniture, lighting and millwork • Plan, design and supervise major renovations, remodeling and additions • Collaborate with building contractors, electricians, painters and installers • Prepare contract agreements for design projects and showroom vendor representation, create presentation layouts and develop construction documents • Develop all graphic and visual marketing material: company website; design portfolio; print advertising in major magazines such as Veranda Magazine, Architectural Digest, New England Home, Dering Hall; social media platforms and email advertising • Conduct all accounting, commission and sales tax reports for business NAT’L ORG. OF MINORITY ARCHITECTS DESIGN COMPETITION | JANUARY 2009 - OCTOBER 2009 Project Manager + Designer • Facilitated collaboration among a mock firm of ten in designing a single-family residence • Worked on concept, design, green practice strategies, materials and interior design • Generated presentation graphics and layout • Developed project timeline and maintained task schedule DURALEE FABRICS + FURNITURE | MAY 2007 - AUGUST 2010 Design Assistant • Developed color schemes and furniture layouts for high-end residential interior design projects • Prepared for client meetings and helped present furniture, textiles, and design concepts to clients • Issued, tracked and updated invoices for fabric and furniture sales of showroom clients
DESIGN AND TECHNICAL SKILLS • • • • • • •
Proficient with Macintosh and Windows Platforms Fluent in Adobe Creative Suites, Wordpress, Revit, Microsoft Office, Sketchup, V-Ray Rendering Familiar with CSS and HTML Freehand Drawing and Concept Sketching Orthogonal Drawing: Plans, Sections, Elevations, Axonometrics Perspective Drawing: Freehand and Technical Model Making Experience
A W A R D S, H O N O R S + A F F I L I A T I O N S • • • • • •
Architecture Thesis Commendation BAC Alumni Mentor Honorable Mention in NOMA 2009 Student Design Competition Segment I Portfolio Award Nomination Segment II Portfolio Award Nomination National Organization of Minority Architects, Student Chapter Vice President 2008 - 2010
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INTRODUCTION
Libraries have long served as a connection between people + knowledge as well as with each other. They are a communal source of knowledge enabling access to information and technology that may be prohibitively expensive to individually own or acquire. With the advent of the internet; the brick-and-mortar library has in some ways become redundant + under-utilized. Libraries are a physical (tangible) repository and connection to an intangible thing that can occupy an entire city block; whereas the internet is a predominately intangible thing serving virtually the same connection to an object that can fit in the palm of your hand.
What is the next evolution of the physical presence + function of a library? How can a physical thing justify its existence when a non-physical thing serves the same function?
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THESIS STATEMENT
The battle to stay relevant in an ever-changing digital world threatens the existence of the library as we know it today, prompting the library to change the method + form in which it provides its users information. Rather than give precedence to one system over another - analog versus digital - the 21st century library must redefine itself by bringing together the qualities inherent in each system to create a place that celebrates the symbiotic relationship between the two using an open central space that allows users to freely use and interpret the space to fit their needs accordingly.
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THE NODES 13
DEFINITION OF THE NODES
the nodes  [nohds] noun 1. an informational kiosks distributed throughout the city of Boston that act as an extension of the main library or what we will refer to as the HUB from here on.
In thinking about the future of the 21st century library, I thought about the dichotomy between an old (analog) and new (digital) in terms of the program of a library and what it would mean to do away with one entirely. Rather than give precedence to one system over another, my goal was to bring the two together to create a new kind of space, but keep them distinct enough that the qualities inherent in each would be clear to its users.
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NODE LOCATIONS
NORTH END PARK
AQUARIUM
THE ESPLANADE
BOSTON COMMONS
CHINATOWN GATE
THE GREENWAY
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
PRUDENTIAL
CRITERIA 8 KIOSK LOCATIONS
ACCESSIBLE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
LOCATED IN HIGH VOLUME AREAS
CONSTANT FOOT TRAFFIC
ATTRACTIVE TO RESIDENTS + TOURISTS THE SITE LOCATIONS FOSTER READING AS ACTIVITY
NEAR CITY LANDMARKS FOR WAYFINDING 15
NODE REVIEW
KIOSK 1: POINT PARK KIOSK 1: NORTH NORTH POINT KIOSK 1: NORTH POINTPARK PARK
MET CRITERIA:
NORTH STATION
CRITERIA: TMET ACCESSIBLE
NORTH STATION
T ACCESSIBLE BY HIGH VOLUME AREAS SURROUNDED SURROUNDED BY HIGH VOLUME AREAS CONSTANT FOOT TRAFFIC CONSTANT FOOT TRAFFIC TOURIST ATTRACTION TOURIST ATTRACTION
PROMOTES READING AS ACTIVITY PROMOTES READING AS ACTIVITY
COMMON CIRCULATION PATHS COMMON CIRCULATION PATHS
THE NORTH ENDEND THE NORTH
AREAS THAT FOSTER FOSTERACTIVITY; ACTIVITY; PARKS AREAS THAT PARKS LANDMARK AREAS LANDMARK AREAS
KIOSK 1 1 KIOSK
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
HAYMARKET HAYMARKET
USERS:
City Hall Plaza
USERS:
TOURISTS
City Hall Plaza
TOURISTS
RESIDENTS
RESIDENTS
COMMUTERS
COMMUTERS CHILDREN
CHILDREN
KIOSK 2: CHINATOWN GATE KIOSK 2: CHINATOWN KIOSK 2: CHINATOWNGATE GATE
CR
O CR SS O STR SS EE ST T RE MET CRITERIA: ET T ACCESSIBLE
MET CRITERIA:
DOWNTOWN CROSSING
CONSTANT FOOT TRAFFIC T ACCESSIBLE
DOWNTOWN CROSSING JO JO
HN
HN
CULTURAL CONSTANTLANDMARK FOOT TRAFFIC
FIT
ZG
FIT
ZG
ER
TOURIST ATTRACTION CULTURAL LANDMARK
ER
AL
AL
D
D
PROMOTES READING AS ACTIVITY TOURIST ATTRACTION
PA
PA
RKPROMOTES READING AS ACTIVITY WA Y
RK
WA
Y
COMMON CIRCULATION PATHS
BOYLSTON
COMMON PATHSPARKS AREAS THATCIRCULATION FOSTER ACTIVITY;
BOYLSTON
AREAS THAT FOSTER ACTIVITY; PARKS
LANDMARK AREAS LANDMARK AREAS
CHINATOWN
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
CHINATOWN
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
KIOSK 2 2 KIOSK
CHINATOWN CHINATOWN GATE GATE
SOUTH SOUTH STATION STATION
USERS: USERS:
TOURISTS TOURISTS RESIDENTS; IMMIGRANTS RESIDENTS; IMMIGRANTS COMMUTERS COMMUTERS
NE MEDICAL CENTER NE MEDICAL CENTER
ELDERLY ELDERLY CHILDREN CHILDREN
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NODE REVIEW
KIOSK 3: MUSEUM KIOSK 3: CHILDREN’S CHILDREN’S KIOSK 3: CHILDREN’SMUSEUM MUSEUM
MET CRITERIA: CRITERIA: TMET ACCESSIBLE T ACCESSIBLE CONSTANT FOOT TRAFFIC CONSTANTLANDMARK FOOT TRAFFIC CULTURAL CULTURAL LANDMARK TOURIST ATTRACTION
SOUTH SOUTH STATION
STATION
TOURIST ATTRACTION
PROMOTES READING AS ACTIVITY
WHARF
WHARF
ICA MUSEUM
KIOSK 3 3 KIOSK
CHILDREN’S CHILDREN’S MUSEUM MUSEUM
PROMOTES READING AS ACTIVITY
ICA MUSEUM
COURTHOUSE COURTHOUSE
COMMON CIRCULATION PATHS COMMON CIRCULATION PATHS
AREAS THAT FOSTER FOSTERACTIVITY; ACTIVITY; PARKS AREAS THAT PARKS LANDMARK AREAS LANDMARK AREAS
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
WORLD WORLD TRADE TRADE CENTER CENTER
USERS: USERS:
TOURISTS
TOURISTS
RESIDENTS
RESIDENTS
WORKING PROFESSIONALS
WORKING PROFESSIONALS COMMUTERS
COMMUTERS CHILDREN
CHILDREN
KIOSK 4: BOSTON COMMONS KIOSK 4: BOSTON COMMONS KIOSK 4: BOSTON COMMONS
MET CRITERIA: T ACCESSIBLE
MET CRITERIA:
GOVERNMENT CENTER GOVERNMENT CENTER
CONSTANT FOOT TRAFFIC T ACCESSIBLE
CULTURAL CONSTANTLANDMARK FOOT TRAFFIC TOURIST ATTRACTION CULTURAL LANDMARK
PROMOTES READING AS ACTIVITY TOURIST ATTRACTION PROMOTES READING AS ACTIVITY
HIGH VOLUME AREA HIGH VOLUME AREA COMMON CIRCULATION PATHS
COMMON PATHSPARKS AREAS THATCIRCULATION FOSTER ACTIVITY; AREAS THAT FOSTER ACTIVITY; PARKS
LANDMARK AREAS LANDMARK AREAS
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
KIOSK 4 4 KIOSK
PARK STREET PARK STREET
USERS: USERS:
TOURISTS TOURISTS
RESIDENTS RESIDENTS
BOSTON COMMONS BOSTON COMMONS PUBLIC PUBLIC GARDENS GARDENS
WORKING WORKING PROFESSIONALS PROFESSIONALS
DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN CROSSING CROSSING
COMMUTERS COMMUTERS CHILDREN CHILDREN PARK USERS USERS PARK
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NODE PROTOTYPE
CONCEPT DIAGRAM
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UNIT PROTOTYPE
NODE CONFIGURATIONS
Using the ground plane as a dividing element between the two systems for the nodes, allowed me to create a very clear dinstinction between user types and analog versus digital program. Each node would be specific to its location, providing history relating to that local context, thereby making each individual node valuable. By giving these nodes more than the function of a place to drop off books seems to be the way to make them a part of a larger and more wellconnected network.
VARIABLE CONFIGURATIONS
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KIT-OF-PARTS
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PROGRAM
SECTION SCALE 1/8” = 1’0”
PLAN VIEW
SCALE 1/8” = 1’-0”
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KIOSK PERSPECTIVES
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REVIEW FEEDBACK The f e e d b a c k I got from the K I O S K R E V I E W was very helpful in terms of generating ideas and concepts for how I planned to treat the two library systems - A N A L O G V. D I G I T A L - in the design of the HUB. The critics liked the strong d i s t i n c t i o n between systems present in the NODES but urged me to think about how these systems would interact d i f f e r e n t l y when it came to the design of the HUB in Government Center. Another criticism was that design of the NODES resembled the concept diagram too much. Nevertheless, traveled for keeping two
the 4-week charrette helped sculpt the direction in which I the remainder of the year, letting me play with the idea of opposing entities separate all the while bringing them together.
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CONNECTION OF NODES TO HUB
the hub  [huhb] noun 1. a place or thing that forms the effective center of an activity, region, or network. 2. the main space for information/knowledge storage, retrieval, and sharing.
NODE
HUB NODE NODE NODE NODE
NODE
NODE
NODE NODE
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THE HUB
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GOALS FOR CITY HALL
FOSTER DIVERSITY PROVIDE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ALL
FOSTER EDUCATION + LIFELONG LEARNING PROMOTE + DEFEND INTELLCTUAL FREEDOM
ENABLE 21ST CENTURY LITERACY
MAINTAIN RELEVANCY IN A
DIGITAL WORLD
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EXISTING SITE CONDITIONS
VIEW FROM CONGRESS STREET
VIEW FROM GOVERNMENT CENTER TRAIN STATION
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FANEUIL HALL
BUSINESS END
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL
GOVERNMENT CENTER ‘T’
HAYMARKET
SITE ANALYSIS
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SUN STUDIES
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DECEMBER
9
MARCH
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JUNE
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12
3
12
3
12
3
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OPEN INTERPRETATION OF SPACE
Within such an open expanse of space in City Hall Plaza, one of the observations I made was how well the users adapted to the conditions of the site and made it into a space that fit their needs and activity and it was this same idea thatI hoped to relate to the more communal space in the design of my HUB.
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PRECEDENT
STUDIES
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PRECEDENT STUDY
AZUMA HOUSE BY TADAO ANDO LOCATION: SUMIYOSHI, TOKYO PROJECT YEAR: 1975-1976 SIZE: 65 SQ METERS
A modest, two-story, cast-in-place concrete house that though simple in form, shows elements indicative of his style and use of light. The house consists of three equally sized volumes, two enclosed volumes flanked on opposite ends, contrasted by an open courtyard that draws light into the connected spaces and makes the central space an integral part of the unit as a whole.
a clear
CONTRAST
CLEAR DIVISIONS
INTENTIONAL ADJACENCIES
TRIPARTITE
NATURAL DAYLIGHTING
RESPONDS TO SITE
COMFORT + REFUGE RESPONDS TO USER’S NEEDS
TRIPARTITE STRUCTURE
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SECOND FLOOR
FIRST FLOOR
a WELLCONNECTED space
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PRECEDENT STUDY
OPEN LIBRARY BY SUPERPOOL LOCATION: ISTANBUL, TURKEY PROJECT YEAR: 2008 SIZE: 260 SQ METERS
Designed like an auditorium, with seats on one side facing a ‘stage of books’, the Open Library was a temporary installation meant to test the power of a single element and its ability to create multiple options for public interaction, lectures, readings, screenings, presentations, and casual conversations.
GROWTH + change
CLEAR WAYFINDING
EASY ACCESS PROMOTES INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM
MAINTAINS RELEVANCY IN A DIGITAL WORLD EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ALL
COMFORT + REFUGE RESPONDS TO COMMUNITY’S NEEDS
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F L E X I B L E
P R O G R A M a space that provides
VARIED OPPORTUNITIES to share + process information in multiple mediums
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PRECEDENT STUDY
THE HIGHLINE
LOCATION: NEW YORK PROJECT YEAR: 2008 SIZE: 260 SQ METERS Formerly part of New York’s Central Railroad, the Highline has been redesigned into an aerial greenway that has spurred not only a general attraction to the site but also inspired other cities to think about the potential there may be in transforming existing structures within their own cities as a way to gentrify and redefine.
SYMBOL + CATALYST
for change
USE OF AN EXISTING STRUCTURE
SITE RE-STIMULATION
OPEN PROGRAM FRAMED VIEWS OF THE CITY EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ALL
COMFORT + REFUGE RESPONDS TO COMMUNITY’S NEEDS
MAP OF THE HIGHLINE
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a space that provides
UNEXPECTED
CITY VIEWS that brings back an enticement and vigor amongst its users
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ANTECEDENTS
REASONING BEHIND ANTECEDENTS The selection of these antecedents was meant to show a clear separation of parts that are distinct from the other but also connected just slightly in some capacity.
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SKETCH PROBLEM
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ONE-DAY CHARRETTE
In contrast to the design of the NODES, I wanted the HUB to still consist of two very different parts - analog versus digital - but also begin to blur the boundaries in the middle where these two systems would begin to overlap and a more communal and layered approach to learning could transpire. The Sketch Problem allowed me to quickly explore the idea of dividing City Hall into three parts, a central intervention flanked by these two contrasting forms, using material, light, circulation and enclosure to distinguish between spaces.
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USER NARRATIVES
A LOCAL WHO WORKS NEARBY
A FAMILY VISITING BOSTON
With an hour off for lunch, Chuck decides to head over to the HUB’s cafe along Congress Street for a quick bite. It’s a bit chilly out so Chuck thinks it would be nice to stay inside for his lunch. He brings his Kindle with him so that he can stop by the e-book section of the library and download a new read. He figures while he’s there he might as well also pick up a movie to rent for tonight.
A rainy day in Boston has caused a family visiting from Los Angeles to revise their plans for the day. They had planned to take a walking tour of the city, take the children to the park to play and maybe go see a later in the evening but the rain will not permit.
He may even run into some of his coworkers there since the cafe has become a convenient hotspot for workers in the area and the lounge and viewing platform upstairs makes it so that seating is never an issue and it never gets too crowded.
A local recommends that the family go to the HUB since it’s just down the street and has an array of activities for both adults and children. There’s supposed to be a puppet show within the hour in the children’s section and they can pass through Haymarket and the Holocaust Memorial on their way over to the HUB.
ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS WORKING ON A SITE MODEL Tasked with making a group site model, the HUB provides a collaborative space for a group of students to meet. Conveniently located near many modes of public transportation, the HUB acts as an equally accessible location for the students to meet, especially since each of them live in different parts of the city. The students will have access to computers, maps of the site, written documentation and images that will help them better understand the site. Since each individual in the group has their own preference in how they gather information, the HUB is the perfect place as if caters to a variety of needs and mediums by which to access information.
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CONCEPTUAL TRIPTYCH
During the Sketch Problem, I gathered together a set of images that conveyed what my main goal for the HUB was: to identify two distinct parts and begin to bring them together just slightly at the center to allow for a layering or intersection of interests, users, methods and so on.
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SCHEMATIC
DESIGN
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PROGRAMMATIC LAYOUT
Government Center lends itself to the idea of two distinct parts coming together. The plaza above consists primarily of the local commuters and businessmen whereas on the lower half of the site near Congress Street, are tourists frequenting hotspots like Faneuil Hall and Haymarket.
EXISTING CIRCULATION CONDITIONS
PROGRAM BLOCKING
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I thus related the locals end to the faster-paced digital end and the analog system to the tourists who come to Boston for its vast history.
HUB GOALS
BLEND OLD WITH NEW MAKE MORE ACCESSIBLE
OPEN UP ENTRIES
GIVE VIEWS INTO BUILDING CREATE PLACE THAT CATERS
TO MULTIPLE INTERESTS
AND USER TYPES
VIEW FROM CONGRESS STREET
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BUILDING LAYOUT
4 3 2 1 48
8 7 6 5 49
BRINGING THE SYSTEMS TOGETHER
SKETCH MODEL OF PROGRAMMATIC DISTINCTIONS
LONGITUDINAL SECTION
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WHEN OLD MEETS NEW
WEAVING OLD AND NEW
VIEW FROM GOVERNMENT CENTER
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AERIAL VIEW OF ANALOG END FROM JFK BUILDING
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AERIAL VIEW FROM CONGRESS STREET
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REVIEW FEEDBACK
While the reviewers felt that the overall concept of my project was strong and the move to cut through the middle of CITY HALL was smart, the underlying criticism was that the D I V I S I O N B E T W E E N S Y S T E M S really only existed programmatically. In turn, the reviewers strongly urged me to F U R T H E R D E F I N E this D I F F E R E N T I A T I O N B E T W E E N P A R T S beyond program, suggesting that I clarify with a more well-thought out building F O R M. Another piece of commentary was that my building lacked a strong connection from one end of the site to another, more specifically - C A M B R I D G E S T R E E T T O C O N G R E S S S T R E E T. Since my building design had been so deeply informed by the two user types - LOCALS VERSUS TOURISTS - then I needed to figure out a way to bring the two user types together and resolve that major issue prevalent in both the existing CITY HALL as well as my design intervention.
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