Springfield Tutoring Center Matthias Lieb University of Massachusetts, Amherst Fall 2012
Content Chapter One Intro Chapter Two Parti Chapter Three Elevations and Plans Chapter Four Moving walls Chapter Five Elements Chapter Six Materials Chapter Seven Landscaping Chapter Eight Models
4 6 8 14 16 18 20 22
3
1 Intro
Springfield, Massachusetts. The X—a busy intersection of three main roads (Sumner Avenue, Belmont Avenue, and Dickinson Street.) The inner part is commercially used, but the greater area is highly residential. The X has a strong youth generation with a lot of schools only a few blocks from the intersection in every direction, but there seems to be only little interchange between the schools. The Springfield Tutoring Center is located close to the X, about the same distance from each school. It defines the corner and the new shape of the whole block. In order to emphasize the educational and cultural exchange, it also features a store that sells every day‘s objects from temporarily changing countries. By removing an abandoned building and rearranging the existing parking lot, it can still have the same amout of parking spaces.
4
2 Parti The site is very long and narrow. The adjacent buildings are commercially zoned and set back to provide parking in the front. 6
The program is inspired by 826 National which is a nationwide tutoring organization. Their tutoring centers have a store in the front, followed by the actual tutoring facilities, and the administration offices in the back.
In order to direct traffic in the adjacent parking lot and to create a space for an inviting streetscape, the original sequence is shifted around its center.
To garantee accessibility from all sides, the middle part is lifted. This creates a hierarchy of public and intimate spaces around and under the building. 7
3 Elevations 8
South elevation 1/16“ = 1‘
and Plans East elevation 1/16“ = 1‘
9
B
A
A
B
10
Lower level 1/32“ = 1‘
B
A
A
B
Upper level 1/32“ = 1‘
12
Section A-A 1/16“ = 1‘
Section B-B 1/16“ = 1‘
13
4 Moving w
A tutoring center requires different types and sizes of rooms, from a large group teaching class room to a small one-on-one tutoring room. Those rooms are never used at the same time because the amount of employees is limited, and teachers that teach a big group would tutor for a single student later on. So what if the teacher wouldn‘t have to walk to another room but the room around them could be modified? What if she or he could literally change the room? The learning space of the building is basically one big room with 16 movable walls that slide between two steel rail grids. These walls are made of plywood with an aluminum frame for a light weight and easy operability. They create an endless variety of combinations and possibilities. The top grid is hung from the ceiling with a distance of 1.5 feet to make sure that even very closed units are still adequately lit. This interspace is also used to mount artificial lighting.
14
alls 15
5 Elements
Some simple techniques, or elements, are used in the building to create its unique situations. The most obvious element is the tube. It is the main idea and the sculpting unit to the building, showing the shaping thought process and the three parts as being pieces of a unifying system. The grid that is used to organize the moving walls simplifies their arrangement. It is long and narrow and works with the proportions of the tubes. The long shape is emphasized by the spaced wooden panel wrapping. These panels follow the directions of the tubes and make the wide sides appear as a constant surface. The tubes end with big glassy openings on each side that act like display windows from the outside and allow panorama views from the inside.
16
17
6 Materials
There are only a few different materials used in the building. The basic structure, such as exterior and interior walls, slabs, and stairs, are made of concrete. Still, the material is hardly noticable from the outside since the facade is covered by the wooden panels. They give the building its warm and welcoming appearance. Most of the furniture is wooden, too. Besides wood, glass is also a very dominant material to give the tutoring center its look. The small windows on the long sides of the tubes are covered by the wooden strips and only slightly noticable, but the big openings on each tube ending are striking elements. They create directional and visual axes. All balustrates in the interior are made of glass, too. Details, such as window frames, the frames for the movable walls, the rail grid, or critical connections are finished in metal; aluminum and steel.
18
19
7 Landscap The modifiable tutoring room in the building a specialized learning environment, and there are also areas around the building. Two green oases provide space for outdoor classes. A triangular shaped space is located to the South of the building and has ample natural daylight, while another space to the West provides a shaded area for very sunny days. Right under the elevated tutoring part of the building is a more intimate learning area featuring benches in a two feet lowered level. On the east side of the site, an alley of four trees marks the edge of the block and focuses the view from the office tube. A reflection pool running parallell to the alley of trees also directs more natural light into the offices. A band of white gravel separates the reflection pool from the lower learning level.
20
ing Landscaping 1/16“ = 1‘
21
8 Models 22
23