PLOT III

SOFIA D’ARIENZO & SIDNY HESSEM

The gateway to the new up-andcoming Joe Louis Green way starts on Grand River Ave. The symbolic and literal division creates a strong transverse axis through the site. To allow for a comparative feeling on both east and west sides of Grand River, the architecture is built upwards to bring a sense of boundedness from the site to the incoming user. A parallel axis is proposed, spanning from the opposing side of Jefferies Highway to the west end of Beechdale Ave. Creating a special sort of entrance from the easternmost side of the site. A bridge, that doubles as a park and entryway is created for the most welcoming first experience and impression of the site. These two axis points become the boundaries of the plot, defining the line between the functions of the plots both north and south. The attributes of these plots to the north and south are very opposing in their urban features. To create a dense urban storefront downtown feel on one end yet an entrance to a more leisurely campuslike feel, just a couple hundred feet away. This space in between has a duty to uphold a walkable park network. This was made possible through the act of “puzzle piecing” new buildings into the current ones to create a level and unified place for the public to use. As local community member roams into these spaces they are greeted with an overwhelming sense of pride and establishment for their community that shall inspire them to form an alliance amongst their neighbors. Allowing them to create their identity, rather than feeling as though they were forced into a gentrification project. This topography also allows for a gentle yet quite literal slope away from the site’s hotspot, Grand River. The idea is that the back side of these buildings is either covered with hills or used as elevated patio spaces to allow the user not to feel excluded from either side, yet quite the opposite. They are granted the experience of both qualities of urban and more rural. This key transverse axis has been made to allow circulation between its connecting communities as connections to local living and business accommodations. The newly zoned SD2 district has been expanded on to ensure that the members of the community have access to the most basic and convenient amenities, such as a barber shop, pet store, or optometrist. The plaza that is happening directly west of this zone is abundant in local cafes and seating to allow one to build a sense of home or identity there. The history of the site accommodates the circulation that the plot naturally creates. site axon: plot showing proposed buildings as well as public and green spaces

As the middle plot in a 5 plot site, we took very much consideration the context of our surrounding plots. With one side desperately needed an urban uplift, the other side introduces a much more vast and rural type campus park. On the east and west ends the plot is surrounded by neighborhoods. Between the linear park and a major transverse axis that runs parallel to our site, we have made it very easy and possible to access anything you may need as a resident and/or visitor. With figurative gateways on either end, there is definitely a sense of welcome as you approach the site. The circulation on Grand River has been revamped to include a two way tram system, which limits each side of traffic to one lane plus a widened sidewalk and bike path.

The section cut though the plaza helps show the bridge park and its relationship to the highway directly below it. A pavilion that circulates the park allows for a universal and directional experience as you exit a tram from Grand River and find your way deeper into the site though to the plaza. The plaza is being represented as a very open area that has boundaries that are beyond the human eye. The user is allowed to pass through under a building without having to cross a physical boundary that is happening above their head. .

There is also a shading device that spans the plaza to draw into further into the site This space acts as a gateway to the entire site as it definitive boundary is a major highway. This bridge questions the identity of boundary and figuratively and literally crosses the line to welcome neighboring communities. The plaza area also starts to taper upwards as you enter form the bridge to create a more figurative gateway implicates less of the boundary and more of a directional experience.

Proposed Building

LEVELING PROPOSED TO EXISTING

EXISTING WITH ADDED GREEN ROOF

GRADUAL SLOP FROM URBAN TO LEISURE PARK design process diagram: puzzle piece perspective diagram showing how rainwater is retained by bio-swales and outsourced to the community oakman road section: in relation to affordable housing and leisure park

A perspective section of the newly designed Oakman Blvd. shows how the site can be more integrated within each other and allow for easy access to all areas of the site. This new design includes two way street parking as well as expanding the width of the pedestrian traffic as the green way now runs down Oakman on this path. A new bus stop has been located in this area and a new road is also being proposed entering the SD2 site as a bus only road. This new road would be brick paved and used as pedestrian traffic when the bus is not running through it. design process diagram: second level addition zoning: sd2 b3/ pr b3/ pr figure ground: highlighting zoning

KEY tram stops bus stops transportation diagram: bus and tram route

This plot consists of 4 main sections that are all very different yet compliment each other. As the plot widens so does the use and density. However, this diffusion allows for a gentle bleed to adjacent neighborhoods. Although this plots portion of the green way appears to be smaller compared to its neighboring sites, the idea is influence people to stop and take a break here. As this is the center of the site, the raised topography allows for the best views of the surrounding context.