TAHOE RING Facility for the Development of the person through Martial Arts practice Robert Avellino Advisor: Don Jones
RESEARCH – SITE SELECTION
RESEARCH – SITE SELECTION
Nevada state building codes apply to the Marlette creek site. The only limiting factor was the designated national park zone. The national park zone is depicted as a gradient of uses in the diagram to the left. The site of my senior project is located in a low density residential area. The building is legal to build here as long as it remains a certain distance from surrounding residential areas.
RESEARCH – PROGRAM
The program for this project is centered around martial arts training spaces. In addition, physical/mental wellness program was added to aid in achieving the overall goal of personal development.
RESEARCH – PROGRAM
This project proposes a building that is intended to be used in the practice of all martial arts. Some styles like karate and judo require specific dimensions for demonstration spaces. These diagrams were considered in the design of the large dojo space.
RESEARCH – PSYCHOLOGY
Above are excerpts from two psychological literature reviews. Both compile a series of in-depth studies on the benefits of martial arts training and its relationship to mental wellness. These documents served as emperical proof that the concepts are not only related but complimentary.
RESEARCH – MOVEMENT IN KATA (FORMS)
Dachi (stance)
Bunkai (application) Kata or 'forms' are movement patterns practiced in all traditional martial arts styles. Above are diagrams of two mid-level katas from Shotokan style Karate. These movement patterns were studied and synthesized into sketches that later informed the form of the buildings on the site.
RESEARCH – CASE STUDIES
Bamboo Branch Academy, China
This complex is located in Yibin, China. People attend this academy to learn how to cultivate rice crops. This project was considered for its roof form and continuous circulation through the landscape.
RESEARCH – CASE STUDIES
Okinawa Karate Kaikan, Japan
The Okinawa Karate Kaikan is a facility built not only to practice karate but to preserve the history of the style. It features an interactive archive space containing old uniforms, weapons and quotes from the founders of the native Okinawan Martial Art. Scrolls depicting kata (forms) and footage of old masters are kept in a protected archive. In addition to the training rooms, a special dojo was built off to the side. This dojo is closed off to all visitors except those who have reached a certain rank in any Karate style. Special permission from the Japanese government is required to practice there. This projects program scale and organization influenced the spaces in my senior project.
RESEARCH – CASE STUDIES
Fire Lit Place, China
This complex is located in Ruicheng, China. It is built on a special site where the earliest evidence of humans using fire was discovered. The building stands as an experiential memorial structure intended to evoke the feeling of cave dwellings. The experiential views of this project were studied and influenced some of the exterior spaces of my senior project.
DEVELOPMENT – CONCEPTUAL SKETCHES
DEVELOPMENT – CONCEPTUAL SKETCHES
DESIGN REVIEW
DESIGN REVIEW
This concept was taken well at the first review. The main concerns were the exterior paths, change in grade and ADA access. This was addressed in the subsequent technical review, then refined in the final review submission.
TECHNICAL REVIEW
TECHNICAL REVIEW
This iteration brought the building together into a continuous loop. The exterior paths were the main issue with this iteration. While they provide the journey experience, they were impractical. Visitors should be able to access each building through interior spaces. The exterior stair was also determined to be obsolete as most people would arrive from the top of the site. These issues were addressed in the final review iteration of the project.
FINAL REVIEW – AXON
FINAL REVIEW – SITE PLAN The final iteration of this project integrates a stormwater management system into the exterior circulation path. The monumental stair was also moved and reimagined into a ramp/stair blend to fulfill ADA requirements while providing the experience of the journey to all who visit the site. The dojo changed in form to depart from the otherwise elongated spaces in the building. The roofs maintain the same language throughout. One arrives at the site via the dropoff at the top right of this image. They then descend into the site via ramps or stairs. When they reach the entry level, they are greeted with a long view of the lake as well as a closeup view of the cladded roof. The visitor can continue down the stairs to the main dojo for an event or enter the stair tower and visit the clinic for treatment.
FINAL REVIEW – FLOORPLANS
LOWER LEVEL
COMMONS LEVEL
FINAL REVIEW – SITE SECTION
The building is constructed using concrete retaining walls with a glulam frame. The glulam allows for long uninterrupted spans while the retaining walls hold back the earth.
FINAL REVIEW – STORMWATER The project features rock gardens throughout the site. These rock gardens provide a permeable surface for rainwater collection. The water seeps through the graven and travels under the building where it is deposited into the bioswales. This helps manage the stormwater on the site while filtering the runoff before it returns to the lake.
FINAL REVIEW – WALL SECTION
The building is constructed using glulam for its main structure. The façade consists of a layer of shading members (facing west) to control the sunlight while still allowing for views. The roof is clad with photovoltaic panels that provide energy to the building while covering the unsightly roof membrane below.
FINAL REVIEW – DOJO The dojo is a central space in the project. It is intended to host large events and training sessions. It features 3 regulation Martial Arts courts where kata would be performed. The structure of the building is a glulam frame that allows for wide open space. Changing rooms, restrooms and mechanical spaces are located in the wings to the north/south of the building.
FINAL REVIEW – DOJO PERSPECTIVE
FINAL REVIEW – RENDERINGS
CLINIC WAITING ROOM
DOJO INTERIOR
APPROACH PATH
TRAINING ROOM
FINAL REVIEW – RENDER
FINAL REVIEW – RENDER
FINAL REVIEW – REFLECTIONS Positive Feedback: 1. The design works with the topography and the cut/fill is evened out.
2. The Dojo building looks 'eastern' but fits in with the surrounding context. 3. The view over the building and lake sold the project.
4. The design of the project as a whole is more sophisticated and rational in its final iteration, addressing most of the concerns brought up throughout the year.
Improvements: 1. The building lost its 'light tough' in the sense that the masses were floating above the ground.
RESPONSE: While I agree the floating masses were an attractive element, the topography itself is too extreme a slope to dig the buildings out entirely. I could not get away from the retaining walls so I decided to emphasize them. 2. The ascending stair from the water was nicer than the descending stair from the top. RESPONSE: The stair from the water was great but it would never be used unless someone was going down to the water. People arrive from the top of the site so moving the grand stair to a place where it will be experienced was the better solution. However, I would have liked to introduce a secondary stair down to the water if given another week. 3. The graphic representation of the renderings could have been more stylized.
RESPONSE: I added more dynamic entourage and edited the images to present them in a way that was abstract enough to evoke a feeling but not so much that it takes away from the material textures.