Oregon Sustainability Center Urban Planning and Building Studio This was a ten week studio in which each student was given five weeks to generate a new master plan of Montgomery street and running from the western hills to the Willamette river and then another five week to create a building based upon the Oregon Sustainability Center programming document located along this alignment.
Green Spaces
With this short time line in mind I began as soon as possible by drawing a rough map of the blocks and then going of a series of site visits to make observations about the existing conditions of this area and how it could be improved. I chose to study a large urban region in part because I wanted to see how this street connected to the greater Portland metro area and in part because I was new to Portland at the time of this project and I wanted to explore it. There were some very strong points of interest in the area including: A university campus, a park greenway designed in the original plat of the city by Frederick Law Olmsted, a pathway following the river, various landmarks, and a large variety of different types of mixed use development. I then generated digital maps based off of these observations making sure to separate all the information onto different layers so that each piece could be seen individually. I found that although the existing plan had many strengths, these elements were ultimately disconnected.
Infrastructure
Program
SITES
STREET CAR LANDMARK
MAX LINES
GATEWAY
PEDESTRIAN
EDUCATION
HOUSING
RELIGION
BUSINESS
RECREATION
CULTURE
HEALTH
PUBLIC SPACE
Urban Plan:
Existing Conditions
The main goal of my urban plan is to create a more coherent connection between the hills and Washington Park to the west and the Willamette River to the east. This is to be achieved through a systematic extension of existing features. The existing pedestrian routes are created though a system of landmarks, gateways, parks, plazas, and fountains. However these routes have become fractured due to poor planning decisions. 500’
The most significant existing pedestrian routes run along the river, along the green way park blocks, and through parts of the Portland State University campus. However they are three separate entities. The development areas seek to strengthen the connection between the river and the hills by creating more perpendicular pathways between the parallel connections. These pathways include: a cultural route connecting the Portland Art Museum and Oregon Symphony Hall to the Oregon Opera House, a more pedestrian oriented route connecting the hills to Portland State University to the River, and a highway cap which will act as a public park.
Development Areas
Key Concepts:
program unused space reprogram obstacles add and strengthen gateways to mark transition generate a sequence of landmarks enforce and expand the pedestrian grid diversify block typologies expand a river front walk increase open space cap highway bridge/broadwalk to river develop a green circuit
500’
Resulting Conditions Circulation LANDMARK GATEWAY
PEDESTRIAN
PROGRAM SITES
DEVELOPMENT ZONES
EDUCATION
HOUSING
RELIGION
BUSINESS
RECREATION
CULTURE
HEALTH
PUBLIC SPACE
500’
LEGEND Montgomery Street STREET CAR MAX LINES
0’
500’
NEW BUILDINGS BRIDGES SITE
KEY CONCEPTS
PROGRAM
Urban Axis: Pedestrian Plaza, Park, Fountain, Solar Urban Density Progression, Stepbacks Juxtapose Internal and External Urban Space
Retail Auditorium Conference Rooms Restaurant Classrooms Library Offices Lab Storage Computer Room
Various Facade Treatment: Green Roof Double Skin Green Screen Green Wall Wire Adaptability and Sustainability: Use Sustainable Elements in an Artistic Manner Skylight Photovoltaics Louver System Open and Close Living Machine Atrium Reflection Pool 90% office spaces within 30’ Average 25’ 3’ Module Accommodate Various Scales of Program
0’
300’
500’
Skylight Tenth - Eleventh Floors
Twelfth - Thirteenth Floors
Roof Plan
Public Plaza Ground Floor
Second - Fifth Floors
Fifth - Ninth Floors