A GARDEN OF ACOUSTICS
christopher osterhoudt university at buffalo semester six
ARC 302 Design Studio Christopher Osterhoudt, CD Curt Gambetta Spring 2012 Portfolio University at Buffalo, State University of New York School of Architecture and Planning in conjunction with The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Buffalo, NY
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens
4
Development of a Concept 6
Expansion Proposal
8
THE
B UFFALO AND E RIE COUNTY B OTANICAL GARDENS
The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens (BECBG) was designed and built in the late 19th Century in part by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead and glass house architects Lord & Burnham. The original organization plan was to have vegetation from various climates around the world, based on the premise of Buffalo’s meridian. The world would be cut vertically at the longitude of Buffalo, and the circumference of the resulting section would be known as the Buffalo Meridian. It’s a simple and elegant organizational strategy, yet as the diagram to the right shows, the existing organization is arbitrary with regards to the Buffalo Meridian, more organized by climatic requirements of the vegetation.
OCEAN
ANTARCTICA
COLD/ARID
PANAMA RAINFOREST BUFFALO BOTANICAL GARDENS
SEMI TROPICAL DESERT
RAINFOREST
SEMITROPICAL
FLORIDA EVERGLADES
NOT REPRESENTED
REPRESENTED
EXOTIC TROPICAL
SEASONAL DISPLAY/ EVENTS
SEMITROPICAL
VICTORIAN FAVORITES
FLORIDA EVERGLADES
SEMI TROPICAL DESERT
FERN HOUSE
PANAMA RAINFOREST
RAINFOREST
AROUND THE WORLD
BUFFALO BOTANICAL GARDENS
PANAMA RAINFOREST
FLORIDA EVERGLADES
SEMI TROPICAL DESERT
RAINFOREST
SEMITROPICAL
OTHER
EXISTING PLAN - ORGANIZATION OF CLIMATE ZONES
AROUND THE WORLD
DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPT
Upon visiting the Botanical Gardens, the visitor should feel completely immersed in the environment being represented. Vegetation, whether temporary or not, should be planted in the ground, with integrated paths of circulation that weave throughout the exhibits, like a path winding through a forest. Information signs should be dispersed throughout the gardens, constantly keeping the visitor informed about and engaged with the exhibits. Visitors are able to walk right up to the vegetation, able to touch it if safe. There are no limitations to this sort of museum; no glass panes or walls separating exhibits; the new proposal for the BECBG should be a single enclosure that encompasses a forest of unlimited information.
INUKJUAK, CANADA S48 W-15 +82 SIBERIA, RUSSIA S58 W15 +(?) TSETSERLEG, MONGOLIA S55 W-5 +5577 BUFFALO, NEW YORK S70 W25 +612
YINCHUAN, CHINA S70 W17 +3641
MIAMI, FLORIDA S85 W68 +6 HAVANA, CUBA S81 W72 +40
LIMA, PERU S63 W74 ~500
BUFFALO MERIDIAN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA S52 W76 +69
CITY NAME, LOCATION (Summer temp) (Winter temp) (Elevation relative to sea level) *Summer and Winter seasons based on Northern Hemisphere
SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA S82 W79 +50
The Buffalo Botanical Gardens is a space that not only simulates natural environments, but is also built in the natural environment of a park. Between the thresholds of the park it is located and the environments being simulated inside, there should exist an obscure boundary that seamlessly blurs the natural environment inside with the natural environment outside. An uninterrupted and integrated path of circulation should flow throughout the interior of the gardens and connect to the park outside so as to make the observer feel harmonized with both the environment being simulated and the existing natural environment of Buffalo.
EXPANSION PROPOSAL
th nd pa
ct sou
indire
direct sound path speaker
reflec
ACOUSTIC BEHAVIOR
concave form reflects and echoes sound waves ideal for loud spaces such as rainforests
ted so
und p
ath
convex form absorbs and evenly distributes sound waves ideal for classrooms and quieter spaces
Developing an atmosphere that closely resembles the natural environment revolves around designing for more than just one or two senses. Sight and touch have already been addressed simply by the paths of circulation and integration of exhibits. Going one step further is the manipulation of sounds to mimick the environments being represented and further develop the placement of programs to make the experience more educational and visually striking. One very important aspect of the proposal is the integration of classrooms with the plant exhibitions. A hands on experience is often the most effective way of teaching; therefore a secluded classroom off to the side of the gardens is unrealistic for this proposal. Establishing a classroom (with desks, signs, etc) in the heart of the gardens is in itself easy, the problem comes when trying to control the louder noises of the gardens with the quiet required for a learning environment. A single wall separating the classroom from the gardens solves the noise issue, but also visually separates the two. The solution comes about by establishing one massive undulating enclosure for both the gardens and the classrooms that changes in its curves based on formal requirements. Sound waves behave in the very same way as light waves; when it hits a surface, it is reflected at the same angle it hits the surface. A concave form, such as a dome, causes sound waves to bounce back and forth multiple times before it reaches the listener. The difference between the direct sound wave reaching the listener and the indirect sound waves that bounce around before reaching the listener is known as an echo. Because of this bouncing around, concave forms are more appropriate for programs with generally loud noises. On the other hand, when a sound wave hits a convex form, it hits it only once, bouncing in many directions but never hitting the same surface twice. The sound dissipates in energy quickly and echoes never occur. The result is a space that is comparitively quieter, and is appropriate for those programs where loud noises are unacceptable, such as classrooms or a library.
WAFFLE STRUCTURE
Strong (Loud)
Weak (Quiet) Sound Wave Strength (Dissipation of energy due to air and reverebration)
DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SECTION
glass dome
glass dome
new structure dug into further integrates the g
After determining the behavior of acoustics, a formal enclosure started to develop based on the consequences of reflecting sound waves. Louder programs were developed under concave portions of the enclosure, where sound waves would be able to reflect multiple times before reaching the visitor. This mimicks the echoes that can be associated with rainforests and other densely vegetated climates. Programs requiring a more quiet atmosphere are developed under convex portions, where the sound waves would hit the enclosure just once before bouncing away from the visitor.
speaker demonstration gardens outside
glass dome reflective material to sound waves
concave form reflects and echoes sound waves ideal for loud spaces such as rainforests
light well?
two aisles for circulation wood structure absorptive material to sound waves
glass dome orangery?
ew structure dug into the site rther integrates the gardens with the park
The ground plane is engaged in a way that best reflects the original intention of strongly integrating the botanical gardens with the park that is the site. Originally the form was located completely above grade, but with areas where the enclosure came down to be flush with the ground. The concept of integration was best exemplified, however, if the enclosure for the gardens was sunk half way below grade, so that the proposal engaged with the earth in an interlocking way. The demonstration garden would be established where the form dips below grade, where the park is sectionally embraced by the botanical gardens.
th nd pa
ct sou
indire
direct sound path speaker
reflec
ted so
und p
ath
pond?
flat Buenos Aires
convex form absorbs and evenly distributes sound waves ideal for classrooms and quieter spaces one winding path for circulation
temporary exhibits planted into ground with their pots backdrop of larger, permanent vegetation
SECTION 1
SECTION 2
PLAN - ORGANIZATION OF CLIMATES
INUKJUAK, CANADA BUFFALO, NEW YORK
SIBERIA, RUSSIA
YINCHUAN, CHINA
TSETSERLEG, MONGOLIA
BUFFALO MERIDIAN CLIMATE DIFFERENCES
SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA MIAMI, FLORIDA
Plants and exhibits are all located under one roof, ridding the design of visually obtrusive walls. Each climate is separated into zones made apparent by the undulating roof. Based on an analysis of various climates on the Buffalo Meridian and the average temperatures throughout a given year, vegetation and exhibits are organized by similar environmental requirements. The warmest biomes greet the visitor at the main entrance by the parking lot, and the colder and more barren biomes are located in the existing structure. The main dome and extension off of the dome are programmed with servant spaces, a gift shop, and cafe, so they would not be considered part of the colder biome representations.
HAVANA, CUBA
BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
LIMA, PERU
ORANGERY
FU_COLD FU_HOT FU_WASTE FU_TOTAL FIXT_CODE
CLASSROOMS SEED LIBRARY
GROW HOUSE
TICKET DESK
PLAN - PARKING LOT LEVEL
COAT ROOM
The majority of the proposed design is located below the existing main floor, taking up the area that is currently mechanical space in the basement. This allows for a direct entrance from the parking lot through the existing service tunnel to the north. The Growing House and Orangery are largely separated from the proposed addition by deep structure, yet paths of circulation connect all the spaces so that one does not have to go outside to travel from one space to another. Circulation between the proposed addition and the existing structure is established by a 20’ ramp sloping up from west to east, going over the main entrance. From there it is connected to the main floor of the northern most existing house.
5'
10' 15' 20' 25'
50'
100'
ORANGERY
HANDS ON LEARNING
OFFICES
GROWING HOUSE
DEMONSTRATION GARDENS
CAFE
PLAN - MAIN FLOOR
GIFT SHOP, COAT ROOM