ENVIRONMENT

Project Overview

Christine Dietze | Fall 2021

Community Center

Indiana St, Lawrence, Kansas

6,000 sq ft

Description

This project required understanding of scale and relating spaces to each other and the journey through these spaces. By studying how people move through space and finding a hierarchy of spaces helped me understand what to highlight and how to show such hierarchy. This project also introduced the idea of materials and how to apply them to a structure. This program focused on the education of the natural vegetation of the area, so using wood and saplings of the Environments in the area, the project applied them to the structure of the center as well as the focus of why it was constructed. The project included the use of physical topography models and form models to explore space and form before transferring to the final digital model.

Key Learning Outcomes

Understanding how to identify hierarchy in separate spaces of a form, as well as understanding how people experience a space and find a journey through it.

At the beginning of the project, I wanted my structure to work with the topography of the site; where it rested along side it and the building flowed with the elevation. I made three different study models, not to scale, to start exploring how I wanted that relationship to go.

After doing research over the vegetation in the site, as well as in Burcham park, I wanted to take inspiration from the Black Walnut and CottonWood Environments in the area. I noticed that they had very long, skinny branches, so I made three more iterations to see which one I liked more and to start focusing on that for the rest of the project.

My third iteration was based off of my first study model in the 2nd iteration; However, I broke it up into three different masses. Mass one would be the main gallery closest to the northern part of the site. Mass two would be the public “branch” containing the two classrooms, and laboratory, which was closest to the east side. Mass three would be the private “branch” containing the office, storages spaces, and bathrooms. They would be connected in the center area, but I was unsure how to at this point. The outside are all three masses would enclose would be a seating area for people to go out and enjoy the arboretum.

A back exit with a set of stairs lead down to the back side of the structure. This can be used for emergencies or even to find a more secluded place to be in.

Ceiling louvers bring in direct sunlight from the filtered light roof to allow more overhead light to come in.

The overhang on the roof allows viewers to have a glarefree look at the Environment tops from inside the gallery space.

The balcony allows for impressive views of Environments, as well as provided a shaded area for people to be outside.

A glass wall shows off the laboratory on the floor below. This also allows light from the hallway to shine through and down.

5th Iteration Model

Scale: 1’16” - 1’0”

While this physical model is from the 5th iteration, it showcases the major points from the final iteration.

The three masses stayed the same, the only major change was the second mass extending the balcony and being the main entrance into the building.

Glass encompasses all of the second mass, even with a glass railing. Viewers on the balcony can view the environment around the structure, as well as peer into the gallery room to observe any activities.

The roofs are relatively flat to allow for as much shade from the harsh summer sun, as well as to not take away from the Environment tops.

The third mass has horizontal and vertical louvers to block out excess sunlight and keep the inside of the structure a comfortable temperature.