Visitor Center - Valle de Oro

VISITOR CENTER Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge

Chaitanya Korra

M.Arch Fall 2017 The University of New Mexico

Visitor Center Valle de Oro Wildlife Refuge

Project Type: Cultural Studio 604: Professor Geoff Adams Location: Albuquerque, USA Tools: Autocad, Revit, Rhino, Illustrator, Vray Fall 2017: The University of New Mexico Project Brief The Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area of New Mexico managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Numerous tributary creeks to the Rio Grande flow through this unit, which abuts Rio Grande Valley State Park.The land that was operated for decades as a dairy farm. After the closure of this facility, it became a potential development site for suburban homes, but in 2011 the site was earmarked for federal improvements, and in 2012 it was transferred to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Site Plan - Valle de Oro

The proposed visitor center acts as a medium between visitor and natural habitat at the refuge. The prominence of the location along the Rio Grande corridor is providing the scope for Aquia to be a prominent feature with in and outside the building.

The site has a great views all around, the Sandia mountains to the east, the Rio Grande river to the west and agricultural fields all around providing the opportunity to create open spaces and views throughout the building.

Cylinder

Expansion

Ramp

Cylinder is chosen as the most logical shape considering the scenic views all around the site to provide 360 degree views for the visitors.

Expansion of Cylinder in order to provide bigger top platform and inner courtyards and to accommodate the programs based on climatic conditions.

A 1:20 continuous ramp with bicycle track provides accessibility to the roof to any visitor and cyclists.

Visitor Center

Acquia

360° Experience

The prominence of the location along the Rio Grande corridor is providing the scope for Aquia to be a prominent feature with in and outside the building.

The building with decks, ramps and bigger viewpoint platforms provides a whole new perspective to the visitor to experience the nature.

top Front view of the Project bottom Massing Diagrams

Visitors Center

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7

4 1

3 5

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1.Entry 2.Visitor Parking 3.Staff Parking 4.Visitor Parking 5.Waterbody 6.Green House 7.River 100’

Site Plan design

Deck

Observation Room

Courtyard

Ramp (1:20)

Pargola

Glass facade System

Waterbody

Aerial View

Visitors Center

LVL +1' LVL +0' RAMP UP (1:8)

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5

5 4

5

5

LVL +1'

3 6 LVL +1' WATERBODY LVL -1'6"

2

COURTYARD LVL -1"

1

7

RAMP UP (1:8) LVL +1'

LVL +1'

LVL +1'

LVL +0'

2 11

UP

DECK

2

LVL +6"

8

LOBBY LVL +1'

2

COURTYARD LVL +6"

RAMP UP (1:8)

LVL +0'

LVL +1'

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9 10

Second Floor

First Floor

20’

1.Lobby

6.Conference room

11.Visitor center Store

2.Administration Spaces

7.Exhibition Space

12.Deck

3.Restrooms

8.Auditorium

13.Cafetaria

4.Storage Room

9.Environmental Classroom

14.Observation Room

5.Officers Rooms

10.RM Youth Corps Office

15.Ramp (1:20)

50’

A

B

B

A

30’0” Second Floor LVL

13’0” First Floor LVL 1’0” Fin. Floor LVL 0’0” Ground LVL

Section AA

23’6” Living Ridge LVL 20’0” First Floor LVL

1’0” Fin. Floor LVL 0’0” Ground LVL

10’

25’

Section BB

Visitors Center

Visitors Center

View through the Deck

Visitors Center

Building

View from Ramp

Roof

Second Floor

Upon the initial thought of how to protect and preserve Wildlife Refuge and make it accessible to people at the same time, the building’s design sought inspiration from scenic views all around the site. The visitor experiences the 360 degree views all around the site through decks, ramps and bigger viewpoint platforms. The structure allows the bikers to bike to the top of roof throguh 1:20 slope ramps.

The materials used for the strutcure would primarily be concrete walls, glass curtain walls, white stucco finish coat for concrete walls, glass curtain walls and vertical aluminium louvres system for shading.

First Floor

Plaza

Visitors Center

East Elevation

West Elevation

North Elevation

right Elevations bottom Sectional Elevation opposite page Axonometric View South Elevation 10’

20’

Visitors Center

View from deck

Interior view

Visitors Center

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2

3

4

5

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6 15 9

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Wall Section

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1.EPDM Roof Membrane 2.Rigid Insulation

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3.Metal Deck 4.Water Proofing 5.False Ceiling 6.1” Gypsum Panel 7.Cement Slurry Finish

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8.Concrete Slab 9.Gravel 10.Water Proofing 11.Rigid Insulation 12.Vapor Barrier 13.3” dia Steel stud for vertical shading 14.Intermediate Channel slip Connection 15.Double Layer Glass wall system

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16.Rigid Insulation

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17.Drainage Mat

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18.Water Proofing

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Courtyard View

Conceptual Model

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