CULINARY INSTITUTE OF APALACHICOLA
FLORIDA
By: Dario Mcphee STEEL VERTICAL MEMBER AS SHIP MAST
From Shipyard to Kitchen Apalachicola, Florida serves as the perfect destination for the design of a culinary institute. Once considered the third largest shipping port in the Gulf, the city is well known for its seafood and saturated with restaurants and cafes. The site is located along the coastline at the mouth of Apalachicola, within Battery Park. Panoramic views surround the site, overlooking the Gulf.
Shipyard The idea of the shipyard was pivotal in the organization of the Culinary Institute's structure and organization. The design emphasizes the building's long span cantilevers which propel over land and river, creating the feeling of floating architecture. These cantilevers are supported by rigid space framing members which are fixed on one end by the building, and supported on the cantilever side by tension steel rods. These rods span from a vertical steel support member emerging from the atrium space and towering over the building. The inspiration for this derived from the mast of a sail boat.
VIEW OF ENTRANCE TO CULINARY INSTITUTE
RECYCLED STEEL SHIPPING CONTAINERS
SPACE FRAME AS STRUCTURE
Additionally, many of the program spaces were conceived as shipping container units. These containers are assembled in groups adjacent to each other with slight modifications, to allow for functional work, study, and leisure spaces. Modifications include the removal of some walls to provide for larger spaces, and also the addition of construction building elements which improve the thermal performance of the units. These containers add structural diversity as they support the roof of The Institute and also act as self structural members.
Biomimicry Apalachicola's vast variety of sea creatures afforded the opportunity to incorporate biomimicry in the design. The local creature chosen as inspiration- the Apalachicola cave crayfish- was critically examined in an attempt to create a design of both aesthetically pleasing elements and structural integrity. Moreover, the building to site relationship mimics that the natural habitat of the crayfish- as parts of the building are submerged by the landscape. The hovering landscapes blankets the kitchen spaces on the ground floor of the Institute, assisting in keeping those spaces cool during the harsh summer heat. A series of parti sketches were conducted, highlighting the different parts of the crayfish. From the parti diagrams it was determined that the tail of the crayfish would be most appropriate for further exploration. Each individual segment of the tail is conceptualized as a different program space on the ground floor. They are oriented towards the Apalachicola River providing views from the kitchen spaces. The glazing on these spaces is conceived as the skin of the sea creature, which is symbolic of a translucent thin membrane. In general, the design is a simple, yet accurate reflection of Apalachicola. It utilizes ideas from the shipyard typology in addition with the Apalachicola cave crayfish to create a functional, structural, and expressive Culinary Institute design.
INTRODUCTION EASTERN VIEW FROM THE GULF
01
SHIPPING CONTAINER ARCHITECTURE
0.01: DRAINAGE ISSUES
SITE DEVELOPMENT
0.02: SITE ELEVATION & CONTOURING
WHOLE 20 FT. CONTAINER
CONTAINER FLOOR ASSEMBLY CERAMIC TILE ON THINSET
0.03: BUILDING AS CRAYFISH
CONTAINER WALL ASSEMBLY WEATHER BARRIER STUDS RIGID INSULATION DRYWALL
0.04: BUILDING (CRAYFISH) NESTLED UNDER LANDSCAPE (CAVE)
CONTAINER FRAME
0.05: BUILDING CANTILEVERS OVER OCEAN
SITE & PARTI
02
SHIPPING CONTAINERS 12” CONCRETE FLOOR SLAB STEEL REINFORCEMENT BARS METAL CORRUGATED FORM 2” RIGID INSULATION VAPOUR BARRIER
12” CONCRETE FLOOR SLAB STEEL REINFORCEMENT BARS METAL CORRUGATED FORM STAINLESS STEEL SPACE FRAME
STAINLESS STEEL TREE COLUMN
CURVED SPACE FRAME TREE COLUMN CONNECTIONS STRUCTURAL EXPRESSION
03
S
8
7
14
UP DN
9 6
1
3
UP
DN
16
UP
5
15
5
1
UP
12
10
4
2
11
13
17
DN
18
18 19 20
5 DN
5
5
N UP
CRAYFISH ANATOMY HEAD BODY TAIL
VIEW OF ATRIUM 3
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
ATRIUM DEMONSTREATION KITCHEN PASTRY KITCHEN TEACHING KITCHEN TEACHING KITCHEN LECTURE HALL MECHANICAL SPACE RECEIVING
ADMINISTRATION ATRIUM 2 ENTRANCE BAKERY WINE STORE RESTAURANT KITCHEN EXTERIOR COURTYARD LIBRARY ATRIUM 3 ENTRANCE CLASSROOM STUDENT LOUNGE EXTERIOR BALCONY
VIEW OF BOARDWALK
ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION
04