community and connectivity
Blurring the lines between large corporations and an impoverished community in the city of Camden, New Jersey
kelly semple thesis advisor: tim kearney
THESIS
SITE LOCATION
The city of Camden
once flourished as one of few port cities in the country that built warships for the military. When its resources were no longer needed after World War II, the city’s economy collapsed and it has struggled with poverty and high crime rates. Initiatives to improve the city’s economy have brought larger corporations into Camden, but there is still a large disconnect between these campuses and the neighborhoods around them. The central downtown district is surrounded by large campuses like the Campbell’s Soup Company, Rutgers University, Cooper University Health, and a flourishing waterfront district with thriving attractions. Even with these large entities surrounding it, the highest crime rates occur just outside these campuses in Camden’s downtown district.
blur the lines between these institutions and the community and create a place that both the community and the This thesis will begin to find a way to
AREA OF STUDY
CAMDEN COUNTY, NJ
TRANSIT
DOWNTOWN CAMDEN
CAMDEN, NJ
GREEN SPACES KEY
Exis
influx of employees and visitors can enjoy. By blurring these lines, the city can begin to strengthen as a whole instead of separate pieces to a large puzzle. Studying the context of Camden’s downtown will help to identify the strongest solution to begin to blur these lines. By focusing on a site in the downtown area that will have the biggest impact on both the residential communities and the major employers within the city, this thesis has found a new way of thinking about what can bring a community together. Creating a transit hub that is interconnected
with a recreation and community center brings the residents and the
commuters into one space, sharing activities and creating a safer environment.
Exis
KEY
NJ Transit Buses NJ Transit River Line PATCO Line Proposed Glassboro- Camden Line Riverlink Ferry Line
Existing Existing BikeBike Lane
Lanes
Existing Green Existing Green Space Space
community and connectivity | camden, nj KELLY SEMPLE | THESIS 2017-18 | ADVISOR: TIM KEARNY
CONNECTIONS RUTGERS STUDENTS
STUDENTS
PUBLIC SPACE
TRANSIT
RESIDENTS
EMPLOYEES
RESIDENTS
WATERFRONT
EMPLOYEES
EXISTING INSTITUTIONS
DOWNTOWN
GATEWAY
COOPER HOSPITAL
REGIONAL CONNECTIONS Institutions and Major Employers 1- Campbell’s Soup Company 2- Cooper Medical School of Rowan University 3- Cooper University Health Care 4- L3 Technologies 5- Rutgers University 6- Camden County College 7- Rowan University 8- Industrial Warehouses Government and Civic Facilities 1- State of NJ Youth and Family Services 2- Camden City Hall 3- Camden County Administration Building 4- Hall of Justice 5- Camden County Police Department 6- U.S. Court House 7- U.S. Post Office 8- Camden County Jail
Cultural Attractions 1- Walt Whitman House 2- Campbell’s Field 3- BB&T Pavillion 4- Adventure Aquarium 5- Battleship New Jersey 6- Camden Children’s Garden 7- Wiggins Marina and Waterfront Park 8- Walt Whitman Arts Center/Johnson Park Schools 1- LEAP Academy Lower School 2- LEAP Academy Upper School 3- Lanning Square School
SITE ISSUES 1
2
4 TD BANK
5
RIVER LINE BROADWAY STATION
CVS PHARMACY
6
McDONALDS
WALTER RAND TRANSIT CENTER PARKING GARAGE
NJ YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES
HADDON AVE
RUTGERS RITE AID NURSING Page 2 includes the Program abstract, including planning issues, building PHARMACY AND HEALTH type, primary types of spaces, site amenities, key zoning and other code reSCIENCES DUNKIN BUILDING EMPTY LOT DONUTS OWNED BY THE CITY PARKING LOT BROADWAY
5TH ST
FEDERAL ST
WALTER RAND TRANS. CENTER
7
3
9 MARTIN LURTHER KING BLVD
8
JOINT RUTGERS/ROWAN HEALTH SCIENCES BUILDING (under construction)
1- Federal Street is a one-way road making it difficult for cars and buses to navigate around the site. 2- Surface parking lots waste valuable downtown land. 3- The bank and pharmacy are geared toward vehicular traffic vs. pedestrian traffic. 4- The River Line Station is disconnected from the transit center. The tracks also disect the block diagonally posing a challenge for site design. 5- Pedestrians constantly jaywalk across Broadway to make bus and River Line connections.
RUTGERS/ROWAN BUILDING (planning phase)
6- The park is in a dark pocket surrounded by buildings with no connections to anything around it. 7- The transit center is dark and outdated. Seating is limited and the entrance is dark and uninvited. 8- MLK Boulevard has a high volume of traffic making it a tough intersection to cross. The River Line also crosses this intersection making it a congested area at times. 9-Bus traffic into the garage occurs mid-block and crosses over the River Line tracks.
PRECEDENT STUDIES building form and public space
Salesforce (Transbay) Transit Center, San Francisco, CA Architect: Pelli Clarke Pelli Project Size: 1.5 million sq. ft. Completion year: 2017
Program: Restaurants, retail, train station facilities, bus station facilities, public park
building form and public space
Georgia Multi-Modal Passenger Terminal Proposal, Atlanta, GA Architect: FXFOWLE Project Size: 119 Acres Completion year: Unknown
Program: Restaurants, retail, train station facilities, bus station facilities, public park
building program and organization
TREC Newark Housing Authority, Newark, NJ Architect: ikon.5 architects Project Size: 24,000 sq ft Completion year: 2016
Program: Job training, recreation, education center, community center
Terminal Planning Goals: •Enhancing and Promoting the Bus Experience •Creating Pedestrian-Oriented Streets •Connecting Centennial Park with the South CBD •Connecting Downtown with the Westside •Provide adequate parking to support existing and future needs •Clearly delineate pedestrian/bicycle circulation •Connect to existing and planned pedestrian-oriented streets, bicycle routes, and open space
PUBLIC SPACE BUSES MAIN CONCOURSE TRAINS
PUBLIC SPACE BUSES MAIN CONCOURSE TRAINS
GYM COMMUNITY TRAINING/STUDY EMPLOYEE
CORRIDORS
TRANSIT
SITE LAYOUT A
The bulk of the building sits in the current transit center’s footprint. Buses are on a second floor garage that spans over Broadway. Buses enter and exit the garage via ramps off Federal Street.
PROS
•Removes buses from intersection of Broadway and Martin Luther King Boulevard. •Broadway becomes the Eds and Meds Corridor. •Does not have an impact on buildings not directly associated with transit center. •Opening around Broadway can be viewed as a gateway into the Downtown district.
CONS
•A large portion of Broadway will be covered by building making the area darker. •Federal is a two-laned one-way road that would struggle to handle the bus traffic. •The bus parking garage is tight. It may be difficult to fit the required number of bays. •Not enough room to fit another ramp for cars without impeding on other properties. •Circulation through the building is difficult with the bus garage layout required to fit.
CORRIDORS
TRANSIT
SITE LAYOUT B
The bulk of the building sits in the current transit center’s footprint. Buses are on a second floor garage that spans over Broadway. Buses enter and exit the garage via ramps off Federal Street.
PROS
•Removes buses from intersection of Broadway and Martin Luther King Boulevard. •The Eds and Meds Corridor can intersect the building and link to the green space in fron of City Hall to the north of the site. •The new building would strengthen pedestrian access and the Downtown-Waterfront Corridor. •Opening around Broadway can be viewed as a gateway into the Downtown district.
CONS
•A portion of Broadway will be covered by building making the area darker. •Bus traffic will continue along MLK Blvd and will not ease pedestrian crossing. •Requires a large bus ramp and exit road to Federal Street. •Requires the demolition of retail spaces along MLK Blvd.
BAR MASSING The first massing created was a straigh bar along MLK Boulevard with retail and restaurants on the ground floor, the buses on the second floor and car parking above on the third floor. The garage ramping cut into the ground floor making this massing difficult to work with.
GRAND CONCOURSE MASSING The grand concourse was meant to serve as an “indoor park� for the residents and commuters to enjoy with retail and restaurants within the space. Although this massing was a much better layout, the building was still lacking a strong connection to those living in Camden.
BASKE TBAL COURT L S
ESCALA TORS TO BUSES
BUS GA TE COR
RIDOR
RIVERL INE PEDEST AND RIAN C ORRID
BROAD OR
WAY
MASSING DIAGRAM The final massing has elements of the grand concourse massing, but the concourse shifted into a recreation and community center. This program will bring the residents of Camden into the building. The building massing helps emphasize movement in and around the building. The visual of the movement of people at all times of the day will evoke a sense of safety around the building.
second floor
first floor
TECHNICAL REVIEW STRUCTURAL DIAGRAM The building structure is rolled steel joists. The cantilever on the second floor over the River Line tracks consists of vierendeel trusses. The building has rigid connections to help with lateral forces.
WALL SECTION COMPONENTS •Green roof •Rolled steel girders and beams •Steel and concrete decking •Fiberglass reinforced facade panels •Glass curtainwall •Solid and mesh Corten panels
key
TECHNICAL REVIEW WALL SECTION
BIOSWALES • collects runoff water from sidewalks and roads
GREEN ROOF SYSTEM • collects and retains rain water • provides insulation to building
SOLAR PANELS • can be used to heat water for showers and sinks • can be used to heat indoor pools
BIOSWALE MEDIAN
t i d e GREEN ROOF
GREEN ROOF
GREEN ROOF
SOLAR PANELS
GRAYWATER COLLECTION AND FILTRATION
RAINWATER CISTERN RAIN GARDEN FOR RUNOFF WATER
community and connectivity | camden, nj
RAIN GARDEN FOR RUNOFF COLLECTION
systems
KELLY SEMPLE | THESIS 2017-18 | ADVISOR: TIM KEARNY SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS The building’s large green roof allows for the collection of rainwater. Space for large tanks is available under the bus ramp, which would otherwise be unused. The roof on the community center has space for solar panels which will help cut the longterm building costs. Bioswales have also been proposed for the center island of MLK Boulevard which is currently just trees.
mark et st
federal st
s5 th s t
future development
dr martin lu ther king blv d
broadway
e
s. 5th st
av
west st
on
SITE PLAN
dd
ha
stevens st
WALL SECTION DETAIL This wall section is located along MLK Boulevard. The existing Riverline tracks run along the sidewalk. To keep the building continuously running along the road, I chose to cantilever the second floor over the tracks. To accomplish this while maintaining an open corridor for the buses, vierendeel trusses would be used with rigid connections.
BUILDING SECTION
MAIN BASKETBALL COURT
INDOOR POOLS
FRONT ELEVATION AND BUILDING SECTION
BUS CORRIDOR
MLK BLVD AT RIVER LINE
SUSTAINABILITY
water collecting roof sun shading
public park community garden
solar energy basketball courts
GREEN SPACE RECREATION
green roof community room
nj transit bus station
egress
patco station (below grade)
kids zone
water sisterns convenience store transit escalators
locker rooms
taxi stand transit escalators coffee shop river line station
vertical circulation pool transit escalators
information/security
TRANSIT
CIRCULATION
conference/classrooms
i
PROGRAM DIAGRAM
gymnasium
CONCLUSION The thesis journey this year was a long one, but my advisor, Tim Kearney, was an amazing help keeping me on track with my project. I really love the solution that was developed with his guidance and also the guidance of our jurors. The first crit helped me realize that the focus of my building was not just to create a transit hub that could be used by everyone with retail and restaurants, but to figure out what the community of Camden could really benefit from. By creating a building that has both transit and a recreation center, I have found a way to both connect the people all over Camden and create a safer environment for those commuting to Camden by keeping the building active throughout the day. Thank you to everyone in the Drexel Architecture Department for helping me get to this point. Drexel’s parttime program has allowed me to intern in an architecture firm, get married and have a baby while keeping on pace with my architecture career goals. I will forever appreciate that to the fullest.