Brief & Specification

Final Model

Brief:

For this project my chosen brief is to design a library/study area inside the middle of a roundabout. The reason for this is due to the lack of libraries as well as study areas in the surrounding area. Beforehand, the space included an underground passage that passed below the roundabout. This was to help pedestrians travel across the road without the need for zebra crossings that would otherwise cause traffic. I have decided to develop this space further so that the inside of the roundabout is instead a study centre with a small library for people to access. There will be a building exposed as well as an underground area. Multiple entrances such as the pre-existing tunnels will be improved and there is potential for bridges that go above the road, connecting the pavement or other buildings in the area to the study centre.

The building I chose to design, as mentioned before will be placed in the middle of the roundabout containing 3 different floors. Each floor has a different purpose with the upper 2 floors being exposed to the outside and therefore have windows whereas the bottom floor will be left underground. On the bottom floor will be a large study space with numerous seating areas that can occupy varying sized groups. It will mainly be used as a studying area but is also the main entrance as there will be many tunnels connected to this floor from the outside pavement. On the second and top floor will be a library accommodating a plethora of books people can buy/borrow like Waterstones. The roof of the entire design will contain a tree garden people can walk around. In the centre of the entire building will be a spiralling staircase that connects all floors as well as the entrance to the roof. There will also be bridges that connect to the top floor.

- garden on top

- library in upper 2 floors

- study space in first floor

- walk in garden on roof

- spiralling staircase in middle of building

These spaces are the pre-existing entrances that go underneath the road.

The chosen site is unique due to the fact it is surrounded by road (since it is a roundabout). I must work around this factor and ensure that the building I create does not in any way create traffic or disrupt the busy roundabout. There are also numerous different shops that are walking distance from the site making it a somewhat popular area. The Brewery (shopping mall) is located extremely close to the area which further emphasises this idea of the site being popular. I also like the fact there is a large amount of space to use underground if needed since there are already entrances in place that go underneath the road.

Due to the Site's circular shape, I will have a circle geometric theme for the building.

The birds eye view perspectives showcased on this slide give insight on how large of a variety there is in the buildings surrounding my site. I feel that my building will cover the majority of the site and most likely contain some sort of circular base that will work well with the fact the site is a roundabout. The building must also be somewhat tall in height so it is noticeable when people drive around it, this will keep people intrigued and potentially gather interest towards the site.