Academic Portfolio 2015 by Savannah Greenlee

ACADEMIC PORTFOLIO Savannah Greenlee 2015

TRESEL

Tresel is a multi-purpose pavilion designed to enhance any backyard. The lightweight structure of the canopy creates the framework of a space that can be inhabited and used much like one would an arbor. The repetition and lightness of the Tresel structure makes it an economical way to connect people to the outdoors in a sheltered gathering space.

URBAN FOREST

For years Kansas City has been growing and becoming a more livable, walkable urban center. There are long term plans for

an updated form of public transportation, such as a light rail. Hyper density is needed to support an idea like this one. The many parking and empty lots in the downtown area need to be filled in with urban infrastructure.

GOULD EVANS

NEW CITIES

A change is coming in the world of senior housing. Driven by increased demand, skyrocketing healthcare costs, cuts in pensions and loss of savings and home values, a huge market for cost-effective housing and care for aging boomers is emerging. Providing for boomers cannot be accomplished by traditional development means, a new holistic approach is necessary.

HUD COMPETITION

Finished model

TRESEL: design/build studio

trestle (tre-sel) Noun 1. A framework consisting of a horizontal beam supported by two sloping legs, used in pairs to support a flat surface. -Google dictionary Tresel is a multi-purpose pavilion designed to enhance any backyard. The lightweight structure of the canopy creates the framework of a space that can be inhabited and used much like one would an arbor. The repetition and lightness of the Tresel structure makes it an economical way to connect people to the outdoors in a sheltered gathering space. The structure of the canopy is a geometric series of three-dimensional steel-tube trusses that form tetrahedron modules. The Pavilion is created by joining these pyramidal shapes along their geometric axes.

Neighborhood typographies

The first stages of design were symmetrical and more enclosed, but by opening the sides we increased accessibility and made the Pavilion more ethereal. The opposing slanted legs add stability and a dynamic quality to this stationary structure. The joint conditions were solved with the same simplicity as the structure as a whole. A single bolt acts as a pin at each joint and extends to accent the key points of stress in the canopy. Wooden planes at bar height add a human scale to the unfamiliar form.

The end design creates a space that can fit into a variety of contexts and serve multiple functions (the current test site is Meierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Smith House: both at Roof and Ground Level). What started off as an exploration in structural types and geometric patterns has led to a precisely engineered architectural form celebrating lightness and beauty gained from attention to structural details

Concept models

Buckminster Fuller (right) is the forefather of the space frame as an architectural form. Its truss-like, lightweight structure and geometric pattern was the base for our design of this backyard pavilion. Through geometric forms, countless hours of Sketch Up modeling a seemingly endless amount of paper folding we able to work through the many stages of conceptualizing our pavilion. Our biggest challenge was taking a large scale structure and using it for backyard purposes without taking over the existing space. To construct something to match our needs we stuck to basic forms and a roof with consistent structured â&#x20AC;&#x153;legsâ&#x20AC;? which served our purpose very well.

Joint Structure

Once we had a basic form, our challenge became how the pieces would fit together. We researched many space frame and geometric joints, but most were prefabricated and very expensive. Our goal was to find an efficient way, both timely and inexpensive to connect the members. Our first attempt was using PVC for both the members and the joint, but we found it to be very limited in workability. We finally came to the conclusion that simple conduit had the best potential. We developed a system of similar joints for the structure and then it was just a matter of manipulating the conduit. The whole system is based on a pattern of similar members. To form these members we used a bench vise to clamp the ends, then hammered them down, and drilled a hole. The members fit together so that a large screw and bolt could fit through the middle of each joint to hold it together, which met both our structural and aesthetic goals.

3’

6’

9’

9’ 1/2” Conduit 12’ 12’

120°

60°

120°

60°

6” Concrete Slab

17’

27’ 3’

A 1/4” Thick Corrugated Plastic

9’

3’

6” Concrete Slab 120°

60°

DESIGN This design build project was an amazing one to be a part of. It took a lot of planning and careful design to make sure it would all come together in the end. I learned a lot about teamwork and how important the details are. This hands on studio was a great experience out of the box from normal studio and encouraged me to be more interested in design build projects.

Screws

Horizontal wood decking

Vertical wood decking

Conduit

CONSTRUCTION To assemble the large structure it took an immense amount of planning to assure safety and precision. The roof and legs were assembled separately and then scaffolding and supports, that we built from excess lumber, were used to lift the roof ten feet. We then slid the legs underneath and attached them to the roof. Finally, the moment of truth came as we removed the scaffolding and the structure stood on its own.

Linwood Avenue

URBAN FOREST: midtown market place

For years Kansas City has been growing and becoming a more livable, walkable urban center. There are long term plans for an updated form of public transportation, such as a light rail. Hyper density is needed to support an idea like this one. The many parking and empty lots in the downtown area need to be filled in with urban infrastructure. For this project, we were challenged to choose a neighborhood of Kansas City and propose a hyper dense master plan and development. We chose Midtown because it is a great connector between downtown and the historic plaza district. Then we zoomed in to scale of building design, where I chose to address the issue of Midtown being a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;food desertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and designed a fresh market, mix-use building with multi-family apartments above.

Walkability diagram

Midtown is very walkable as seen by the map above. The red circles represent a ten minute walk from the proposed light rail stops and the blue are a five minute walk from bus stops. But what keeps Kansas City from being a truly walkable city is the neglect of land use (above on right) in important areas. About every other lot is a parking lot or empty lot as you can see in the pictures on the right.

Neglect diagram

Proposed hyper density

PEDESTRIAN HIERARCHY In order for Midtown to become truly a walkable city, the streets need design modifications. The existing main streets are about six lanes wide. Many of our propositions took this condition down to four lanes with parking lanes on each side and the widening of sidewalks. We wanted to create a dialog between the automobile and the pedestrian not a hierarchy. We wanted to create a central plaza, where the focus was on the pedestrian. For our site, we chose to design in Linwood Hills proposed to hyper density. We developed a very large parking lot into a public plaza, with which our buildings are integrated. The existing Costco and Home Depot will conform to a smaller square footage to exist in the proposed urban fabric.

LINWOOD HILLS

ARMOR CROSSING

MID 39

Existing streetscape

Proposed streetscape

HYPER DENSITY Because Midtown is such a large area, we proposed three hubs that submerged from the light rail stops. Each have their own set of goals to reach the correct density to support the light rail. A gradient approach was taken from Mid 39 to Linwood Hills in order to respond to the existing urban fabric in Kansas City. Above are diagrams showing the existing density versus our proposed density with the building in fill shown above.

View from public plaza

Front entry perspective

Birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view

FRESH MARKET Midtown Kansas City is a food desert, lacking grocery stores and fresh food markets. Therefore, the program of this scheme was a mixed use building with a restaurant, fresh food market, and apartments above. The building sat on the corner of a transportation hub and would therefore be a busy spot for pedestrians and circulation into the plaza. SUSTAINABILITY One of my goals of the project was to maximize sustainability and use the wind and sun to my advantage. Northern and Southern winds are prevalent in the area and are best used for natural ventilation. The Southern side of the building gets the most sun and is where I placed the green house for the market and an open atrium to allow natural light to penetrate the public space.

Green house exterior

Interior perspective

From a large scale master plan to the tiny wall details, this project was a challenge in scale. To think through an idea in so many stages was definitely a feat, but I learned a lot about the many different aspects of architectural design. Some may think that the small details donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter as much, but I believe they can make all the difference. It is the small things that make the whole and can influence the design on a very large scale. It was also beneficial to put to practice some of the building technology techniques into a studio project and be able to design how everything fits together. It was a challenge to connect the elements of the master plan to how the floor meets the wall, but the main concept of linearity was carried all the way through.

TIE ANCHOR

WIND BLANKET

TURF PAVER

DETAIL SAVANNAH GREENLEE

GROWTH MEDIA

SEPARATION FABRIC CAPILLARY FABRIC ROOT BARRIER PRIMARY MEMBRANE RECOVERY BOARD

70FT ROOF SLAB

OUT SWING CASEMENT WINDOW W/ ROTO OPERATION

50 FT FIFTH FLOOR

ALUMINUM FLOOR CAP

40 FT FOURTH FLOOR DRAINAGE MEDIA

30 FT THIRD FLOOR

TONGUE AND GROOVE 8” CEDAR SIDING NAILS PENETRATE 1 1/2” AND ARE SPACED 3”

PARQUET RAISED WOOD FLOOR W/ SYSTEMS ACCESS 7-PLY CLT WALL *R1.2 / IN (R11) STRUCTURAL COMPOSITE LUMBER

METAL PLATE W/ ANCHOR BOLTS 20 FT SECOND FLOOR

MOISTURE BARRIER

8“ 2-WAY CONCRETE SLAB

DOUBLE INSULATING WINDOWS *R2

HORIZONTAL WOOD CENTER MULLION

HORIZONTAL WOOD EGDE MULLION W/ FLASHING

SILICONE SEALANT

4” EXTERIOR CONCRETE SLAB

WOOD BLOCKING

0 FT FIRST FLOOR

12” CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE RETAINING WALL -12 FT

CAPILLARY BREAK MOISTURE BARRIER

2” RIGID EXTRUDED POLYSTYRENE INSULATION PANELS *R-5 / IN

FOUNDATION FLASHING

CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE FOOTING 3/4 “ POUROUS GRAVEL

4” DRAIN PIPE

WEST WALL SECTION DETAIL

FIRST FLOOR - WEST WALL PLAN DETAIL

BASEMENT

Public plaza perspective

These diagrams demonstrate structure and egress. Both were aspects that brought realism into the design and helped for a better understanding of how such projects are built. Again, this was a great way to incorporate building technology into a theoretic project. The building serves as a compliment to the transportation hub to the west and a welcoming entry point for the public park to the south. The structure keeps with the linear concept running north to south so that the north and south facades can remain virtually transparent. The center atrium permeates through all three floors and highlights a central staircase giving public access from the restaurant, to the market, to the roof garden.

Context birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye

d an wship plinary from s led r and g the design built onsist ectural earch, keting. as to ology, office mined s the within, have work g that models past, in the ucted, r the w we work.’ define ults in utions needs roject.

GOULD EVANS: research fellowship

Gould Evans created an architectural research fellowship studio. We were a multidisciplinary team of six students led by architect Kelly Dreyer and we investigated the role of research in the design and construction of our built environment. We consisted of students of architectural design, architectural research, anthropology, and marketing. Our first project aim was to challenge an entire typology, focusing on the corporate office environment. We examined how workspace enables the processes taking place within, and how these processes have the potential to shape the work environment. Recognizing that most corporate office models resemble those of the past, despite dramatic changes in the ways business is conducted, we hoped to uncover the disconnect between ‘how we work’ and ‘where we work.’ The ultimate goal was to define a methodology that results in meaningful design solutions that address the unique needs and goals of the project.

CONCLUSION SOLUTION

ENDSOLUTION ?

Is there a role for research in architecture?

Is there a r in architec

Our studio began with two workspace benchmarking trips. The first was a visit to Steelcase headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI to observe small-scale theory and experimental office systems. The second, to locations in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, one of the world’s most forward-thinking and progressive centers for workplace design, to gain insight into large scale practices. o studio Inspired our Our began with by two workspace benchmarking first deeper was a visit to observations,trips. we The delved Steelcase headquarters in Grand Rapids to into individual research topics. observe small-scale theory and experimental This process culminated in a office systems. The second, to locations in San mid-semester presentation Francisco and Silicon Valley, one of the world’s to colleagues and professors. most forward thinkingwas and progressive Much insight gained centers for workplace design, to gain insight into large scale throughout the process, of which practices. is detailed in the pages of this book. Our findings are arranged observations, we delved deeper inInspired such byaourway to highlight into topics. This process the individual processresearch we followed and culminated in a mid-semester presentation to discoveries made along the way. colleagues and professors. Much insight was 5 gained throughout the process, of which is detailed in the pages of our publication. Our findings are arranged in such a way to highlight the process we followed and discoveries made along the way.

Our works The fir headq MI t theory office to loc and S world’ and workp insigh o obser into in This p mid-s to co Much throug is det book. in su the p discov

CONCLUSION

THE FEEL GOOD FACTOR On our benchmarking trips we observed many things that were not expected. Most importantly that having a modern open office plan did no necessarily determine if the space was going to be successful or not, or used in the way it was designed to be. Furthermore, programming variables typically associated with success were not necessarily important. It was clear that there were unknown factors influencing how people worked in the space. Some workspaces felt better than others. Why?

social

pixar

overview comparativevariable variable comparative

designed

correlatedvariables variables correlated

feels feels good good

community community

Pixar Pixar

IDEO (SF) (SF) IDEO

recreation recreation

fitness fitness

recreation food provided orderly

IDEO (PA) (PA) IDEO

Cisco Cisco

natural light

openness community feels good

Work Work Unit Unit Typologies Typologies

fitness the the decorated decorated shed shed

home home almosthome home almost

thedorm dormro r the

nature/views shedville/ shedville/ margharitaville margharitaville

families families

Santa'selves elves Santa's

dormwin win dorm

room oom

ngs ngs

SOLUTION

END ?

environmental non-correlatedvariables variables non-correlated

food food provided provided

nature/views nature/views

negatively-correlatedvariables variables negatively-correlated

naturallight light natural

openness openness

orderly orderly

topdown down top designed designed

more“designed” “designed”spaces spacesfeel feelless less IfIfmore authentic,then thenwhat whatis isthe therole roleof of authentic, architecture? architecture?

Steelcase Steelcase

+∞

thecatalogue catalogue the

IA IA

Success Success Factors Factors

SAP SAP

Kaiser Kaiser

@@ @@

theoffice office the trike ++aatrike

hyptno-office hyptno-office

? ?

Autodesk Autodesk

theoffice office the colors ++colors

thechurch church the ofCAD CAD of

groups groups vs. vs. boss boss

shhhh.... shhhh....

theopen open the office office

+∞

“neighborhoods” “neighborhoods”

teams teams

zones zones

teams teams

ture Culture is a workplace buzzword that is usually referring to the overall environment or community behaviors and identity.

is the

culture

can be

conditioned

n, to

constantly evolving

individuals

people unique identity

making decisions

who live

traditional museums

improve theater

arts, beliefs, family, background, sex

differently

when no one is looking

their

classify & represent

creatively

experiences

socially collaboration INTRO

OBSERVATION

A recent study by NaranjoValencia et al. (2011) they discovered how certain organizational cultures affect a business’ innovation strategy. Four types of organizational structures were examined in the study: clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, and market cultures (See Diagram). They found that innovation has a positive correlation with the overall success of the business. They assumed that an adhocracy culture would foster innovation, while a hierarchy culture would foster imitation. Through survey they found that their hypothesis was true for most criteria, but there were a couple inconsistencies. In both adhocracy and hierarchy their management riskcultures, style correlated negatively with innovative success and neither encouraged teamwork and collaboration. The dominant characteristics of both cultures were linked with success, a blend of control, dynamism and risk taking. This means that one way is not necessarily better at producing these results, but there needs to be a balance between adhocracy and hierarchy culture features in order to achieve innovation.

adhocracy An artificial culture can be conceptualized as a traditional museum in which the environment creativity, entrepreneurship, and is very structured and organized, with limited taking interaction between the people and the space. On the other hand, a culture that is formed organically innovation is much like improve theater. Individuals engage external focus with others and the environment is constantly evolving. The culturesmarket we perceived as organic in our observations had the quality of authenticity productivity that seemed so critical toand the success of the competitiveness workspace.

stability and control

freedom

that is

employees

not ‘feeling good’ had a unnatural or top-down culture that was enforced by the executives and ﬂexibility and discretion spatial elements. We began identifying company cultures as being either artificial or organic.

ion

GROWN ORGANICALLY

much like

that

shaped & organized

izational culture can Beginning this project, we thought of workplace culture as something that grows naturally, with nnovation or imitation kind of a bottom-up development. We ended up tion observing of the firm both the opposite while in San Francisco. ely and Mostnegatively” of the workspaces that we perceived as

can be

distinct way

UNNATURALLY DETERMINED

much like

ng this project, we of workplace culture mething that grows with kind of a bottomlopment. We ended erving the opposite San Francisco. Most workspaces that we d as not ‘feeling good’ unnatural or top-down hat was enforced by cutives and spatial . We began identifying cultures as being rtificial or organic. tificial culture can ceptualized as a museum in which vironment is very d and organized, with teraction between the nd the space. On the nd, a culture that is rganically is much like theater. Individuals with others and the an environment that antly evolving. The we perceived as being in our observations he aforementioned of authenticity that so critical to the of the workspace.

(Naranjo-Valencia 2011)

privately CONCLUSION

hierarchy

adhocracy

INVESTIGATION

hierarchy

adhocracy

“organizational culture can dynamism and focus affect the on innovation or imitation risk taking control orientation of the firm both positively and negatively”

ﬂexibility and discretion

adhocracy dominant characteristics creativity,

clan teamwork, employee involvement, and corporate commitment to employees

entrepreneurship, and risk taking

innovation

internal focus

external focus imitation

hierarchy

market

efficiency, coordination, and close adherence to rules and regulation

productivity and competitiveness

stability and control

(Naranjo-Valencia 2011)

Whi wellbe what w is that heavil the w as geo the pr neglec aspec culture the sp had perso nonex visible create Kaiser

ypes of organizational res were examined in udy: clan, adhocracy, hy, and market cultures Diagram). They found novation has a positive tion with the overall s of the business. They ed that an adhocracy would foster innovation, a hierarchy culture would mitation. Through survey und that their hypothesis e for most criteria, but there a couple inconsistencies. h adhocracy and hierarchy s, their management orrelated negatively with ive success and neither aged teamwork and oration. The dominant teristics of both cultures inked with success, a of control, dynamism sk taking. This means e way is not necessarily at producing these but there needs to be nce between adhocracy erarchy culture features er to achieve innovation.

positively and negatively” ﬂexibility and discretion

clan

adhocracy

teamwork, employee involvement, and corporate commitment to employees

creativity, entrepreneurship, and risk taking

external focus imitation

hierarchy

market

efficiency, coordination, and close adherence to rules and regulation

productivity and competitiveness

CONCLUSION

hierarchy hierarchy focus on control

innovation

internal focus

stability and control adhocracy

SOLUTION

END ? (Naranjo-Valencia 2011)

adhocracy

dynamism and risk taking

innovation

While Steelcase has taken While Steelcase has taken wellbeing into wellbeing into consideration, consideration, what we observed in practice what we observed in practice is that they are still focusing too heavily on is that they are still focusing too dominant physical aspects of characteristics the work environment, such heavily on physical aspects of the work environment, such as geographical autonomy. In the process for as geographical autonomy. In the process of doing so, they doing so, they neglected other important aspects neglected other important like the individual culture of those inhabiting aspects like the individual the space. Because nobody had their own culture of those inhabiting workspace, personalization was nonexistent andthe space. Because nobody had their own workspace, the only visible culture was the one created for personalization was nonexistent and the only them by Steelcase. visible culture was the one created for them by Steelcase. furnitureKaiser and IDEO both used

Kaiser and IDEO both used Steelcase systems, but Kaiser’s space ‘felt bad.’ What we observed as the difference is that IDEO had a good balance between a controlled environment and a dynamic one, as described in this study. They used Steelcase systems in combination with other furniture and created their own unique space, one that was flexible and could evolve over time per necessity. This left us wondering what was missing in focusing too heavily on the physical environment alone.

Steelcase furniture systems in their workspaces, but Kaiser’s space ‘felt bad,’ while IDEO’s ‘felt good.’ What we observed as the difference is that IDEO had a good balance between a controlled environment and a dynamic one, as described in the study. They used Steelcase systems in combination with other furniture and created their own unique space, one that was flexible and could evolve over time per necessity. This left us wondering what was missing in focusing too heavily on the physical environment alone.

How can architects cultivate this balance to achieve innovative success? 83

INTRO

OBSERVATION

INVESTIGATION

participatory design Our research indicates that bringing workers into the design process in itself has a positive mental impact and aids in producing a successful work environment. Any method that brings users into design strengthens users’ perceptions of psychosocial control (a key element in successful workspaces; see collaboration) has a positive effect on peoples’ response to and feelings about their workspace (Lee and Brand 2005; Veitch et. al. 2000). Using ethnographic methods in architecture is essentially participatory design, but how do we do this? What tools (i.e. interviews, photo narratives, etc.) would be most effective?

“People who ... participate in decisions about their own space, are more likely to ... have feelings of belonging and ownership.” (Vischer, 2008)

Participant Observation Photography Voting Boards Public Discourse Spaces Interviews, Focus Groups Video Cameras Photo Narratives Shadowing

ONE TIME S “...it’s a good idea to maintain a relationship with your architect.” - AIA

production

process

design

This application would also open an opportunity for architects to improve their services to clients because rather than treating a building as a one-time design solution, architects could continually improve the workspace by adapting its form as company structures change. An architectural firm could sell this service to a client as either a full package service for new construction, an assessment service for existing structures, or a continued subscription service to assess how well the spaces are meeting user needs. With the data collected the architects could design workspaces that better fit user needs not only in the design of the building, but the application could be used to continually gather feedback on the functionality of the design as personal, project, and company needs changed over time. This would increase worker satisfaction and promote the authentic behaviors needed to meet business objectives by giving them an optimal work environment, supportive of their unique needs.

research/conceptual development

106

CONCLUSION

SOLUTION

new questions

What are the right questions to ask?

There are many ethnographic tools that we needed to consider to discover what would be most appropriate for architecture. But first, in the most basic sense, we considered how the nature of questions asked would change radically from the ones architects typically ask. This new way of

traditional spatial method

END ?

conceptualizing space needed new questions that could be used with various methods. As we have been proposing, in order to create successful workspaces, we need to consider the psychosocial dimensions of space, and design for this by discovering the variables most

new experiential method

critical and unique to the client. Therefore, it makes sense that we begin to ask questions related to people’s feelings and perceptions of their existing workspace. Instead of asking typical programmatic questions like ‘how many people?’ or ‘how much space?’ we would ask questions like ‘how does this room feel and why?’ or ‘where do you work best?’ The idea is to capture unique attitudes towards the workspace from those who know best that could in turn be translated into unique programmatic variables that wouldn’t have been known or considered formerly. By bringing many perspectives into the process, we develop a more accurate picture of what actually takes place in that space and what is needed, as opposed to what is assumed to be by architects or executives. How will these questions be asked though? What ethnographic tools should be used and how will they be implemented? How can we make ethnography more time and cost effective?

SOLUTION? how many people? how much space?

1% observed

when do you feel best at work? where do you work best?

99% observed

107

publication/presentation

product

NEW CITIES INITIATIVE: campus village

The New Cities Initiative at the University of Kansas investigates aging and architecture through interdisciplinary research and teaching, and in cooperation with public and private entities, facilitates the design of intergenerational, technologically advanced communities to accommodate members of the Baby Boomer generation, generations Y and X, as well as members of all subsequent generations. Created by Dennis Domer, this initiative taps into the knowledge of professionals and businesses which are developing products and services at an astounding rate in response to the growing market driven by the needs and expectations of the Baby Boomer generation. They work closely with both the City of Lawrence and Douglas County towards the creation of “Campus Village”, a new intergenerational community that will not only meet Boomers’ retirement needs, but attract individuals of all ages.

Dennis Domer sees Lawrence as the ideal site for his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Campus Village.â&#x20AC;? Within Lawrence, there are two sites that he is specifically considering. These two sites are almost polar opposites, so examining both will reveal the ways in which form and function of intergenerational neighborhoods are informed by site. The first site exists on the edge of suburbia in West Lawrence. Its closest neighbor is the newly-constructed Rock Chalk Park, host of many athletic events for the several schools around the area, including the University of Kansas. Although this park has a massive parking lot, the crowds it draws regularly spill over into the streets in and around the site which drives the need for more event parking. While Rock Chalk Park dominates the area northwest of our site, single family neighborhood and multifamily housing developments expand to the east, causing a rift between building and zoning typologies on either side of the West Lawrence site.

Adding to this rift even more is a new commercial development being proposed just to the west of our site which will be explained in the following pages as a typology of its own kind. The other site we are working with is in North Lawrence just across the bridges over the Kansas River and sits between a low-density strip of commercial buildings to the east, and a levy for the river to the west. The levy wraps around the south tip of our site following the river to provide a boundary from downtown Lawrence, while a railroad berm pinches the site to a conclusion to the north. The topography of this area, with the exception of the levy, is almost constant across the site. The major benefits of this site are its proximity to downtown Lawrence as well as the Lawrence Union Pacific Depot which is a railway which may hold greater value in the future if Kansas City were to ever incorporate a light-rail for public transportation services.

GEORGE WILLIAMS WAY

Diving the community are two pedestrian malls. One, running north-south, provides a more pedestrian friendly version of Mass Street. Instead of a busy road and crowded parking between the buildings is a wide pedestrian thoroughfare. This is composed of cafe seating, green space, landscaping, and benches. The second is much like the first, but runs east-west, and is sheltered by glass. Two towers define the extents of the first mall and act as way finding devices for the rest of the community.

OVERLAND DRIVE

GENERAL WALKING Walking PathsPATHS Change in pavement type to create subtle barrier

GEORGE WILLIAMS WAY

HEADWATERS DRIVE

Icon Key

Large Trees for shading in warm months

OVERLAND DRIVE

Benches should be placed every 1/3 of a mile or roughly six minutes of walking

At the very heart lies a park, descending from Overland Drive to the pond at the northern end of the site. The park contains exercise structures, a walking track, and a skate park. Since healthy integrated seniors are a goal for the project, this park is vital to the success of the community. Although not part of the site, the wooded area to the north could be used at some point to provide another level of connection to Rock Chalk Park. Trails could join both parks and create a new setting for activities in the future. One issue for would-be residents of this area is the nearby border for the Lawrence School District. Development has been stunted to a certain degree for this reason. This has been remedied by the addition of a school at the southern end of the site. This will allow the school district to extend, and while the imminent suburban sprawl might be undesirable in most cases, here it will have the benefit of being influenced by this responsibly created community.

This development and the school that it brings will act as a seed to bring about a new form of growth once people are made aware that this sort of deliberate community is possible. The on-site school with also be able to spawn symbiotic relationships between children and seniors. The presence of the Living Lab may even be able to quantify the benefits of this degree of community interaction and experiment with different forms and new ideas. The research will turn the community into a beacon that could effect change on a larger scale by creating a model for burgeoning communities to follow.

The North Lawrence site is considerably more exciting than the West Lawrence Site mostly due to its proximity to the Kansas River. The idea of the views taken in from riverfront property combined with the quick access to downtown is enough to excite any prospective resident or tenant. This is why we have placed most of the residential units along the river on the west side of the site and staggered the structure of the building like saw teeth, so more residential units will get the pleasant views of downtown over the river.

Icon Key

Site Views

59 20ft 60ft 100ft

The area between the buildings and the river will be utilized as green space for walking and biking trails with second floor entries to retail and restaurants on both sides of the building and connected via grand stair cases which perforate the long building form for convenient access. The rest of the residential units take many forms such as town homes and single-family residences to the north and studio apartments and lofts on the east side. The main entrance to the community is the existing intersection on Locust Street but is not enough to support the large flow of traffic through the site. To support the excess traffic, a secondary main entrance is proposed to the north of the existing train bridge that would have to be built with the same condition under the train tracks. For good measure, a tertiary entrance comes over the train tracks in the very north point of the site. Parking for most of the buildings is at the core of the structure.

Retail and commercial wrap the first and second stories, behind which are stacked several layers of parking. Residential units sit atop the plinth of parking and commercial, and rise a few stories more. Some of the buildings also lay a green roof over the plinth, giving residents of each building their own private lawn. The Living Lab provides a southern conclusion to the site. It faces the main entrance at Locust Street and is deliberately highlighted to resist the isolation that often accompanies this sort of facility. It is also right next to the green space which will act as a natural magnet for people to explore and learn about what the living lab has to offer. Integrated into the building are some assisted living units. These can be used for studies conducted in the Living Lab or for seniors whose needs prohibit them from living in some of the other configurations around the site.

Public entry perspective

HUD COMPETITION: bayou gardens + living lab

From the research and development of the New Cities project, we entered our ideas into a National HUD Competition. Our team consisted of architecture, urban planning, and MBA students and was selected as one of the final four teams after the first phase of design. We applied our research and design elements to the competition program, a 250 unit senior living complex complete with a Living Lab on the first and second floor. We were able to put together an innovative financing plan to apply our ideas to this affordable housing project. HUD took us to Houma, Louisiana where the program site and existing structure abide. We learned much from being on site and in the culture of the community. We then presented our final design in Washington D.C. Here is our design:

The design removes the Bayou Towers and replaces them with a perimeter block-housing scheme that holds the neighborhood setbacks suggested by zoning and the adjacent context. The mass of the building is stepped vertically in order to allow sunlight to penetrate the interior court. Horizontally, stepped massing and the articulation of the building through stoops, entries, and materials provide a pedestrian scale appropriate to the neighborhood. Large roof overhangs shade the building and outdoor space while providing space for photo voltaic panels. In addition to the living units, amenities include a resident lobby/lounge, large and small community rooms, informal gathering spaces, integrated and landscaped courtyard, exercise room, pet grooming station, connection to the neighboring open space/park, storage rooms, and the primary support space: a 22,000 sf Living Lab. We envision this lab as a revolutionary Patient-Centered Wellness Facility.

one bedroom living unit remote health monitoring

SMART mirror

automated medication dispenser eye-tracking suite

THE LIVING LAB The highlight of our project is the Living Lab. This patient-centered health and wellness facility will be occupied by researchers, faculty, and health internists from a local University. We have mapped four regional institutions with medical, allied health, and/or gerontology programs that would benefit from an on-site laboratory that serves an aging population. This medical satellite facility will provide staff that monitor sensors in resident units and dispatch any necessary services. The lab will contain physical therapy and various exam rooms.

SMART toilet

Some of the envisioned tele-health and remote sensor technology could include the monitoring of vital signs, activity, sleep, mood/depression, mobile per/gps, medication adherence systems, medication dispensers, smart toilets (Toto smart toilet), Subjective Health Risk Assessment (HRA), fall detection, and also social environments (communication, gaming, Wii, cognitive training social networking).

cognition suite & exercise science lab

driving simulator

exercise physical

The Living Lab will provide residents access to the most advanced and integrated health and wellness research available today. The high tech medical office facility described here would need to be built in partnership with the resources of a major medical research institution or

science + therapy

university that needs access to aging residents of various levels of independence in order to conduct grant-funded research and pilot studies on the sensing devices and resulting care administered.

universities

medical

VERNACULAR

BAYOU COMMONS: title

2. Individualized Porches and Balconies

SUSTAINABLE

SECURITY

1. Existing Front Porch and Stoops Culture of Houma Neighborhood

4. Raised Garden Beds provide a buffer between public and semipublic zones

3. Individualized Garden Bed

5. Stoops provide security and gated barrier for residents

5. Stoops portray Houma residential culture

6. Raised crosswalk for pedestrian security

10. Elevated shared balcony mimics the Louisiana urban social culture

7. Well lit 8’ sidewalks

9. Bioswales with native plants creating a buffer between traffic and sidewalk 12. Solar reduction window screens 13. Green roof helps reduce heat island effect and stormwater run-off while providing residents with more opportunities for active aging

11. Extended/Overhanging roof provides adequate shading and replicates the Acadian Cabin indigenous to this region

8. Permeable Pavers for parking and sidewalks

12 7 8

4’ Shared Corridor 3’ Private Garden 3’ Raised Planters Bed

8’ Sidewalk HUD Innovation in Affordable Housing

student design and planning competition 2015

9 #59

3’ Bioswale

22’ Street Width

8’ Permeable Pavers Parking

5’ Sidewalk

10’ Front Lawn

5’ Front Porch

1.5’ Raised Platform

3’ Raised Platform

3’ Bioswale

Scott Street section

FRONT PORCH Also vital to the region and to the South generally is the celebrated front porch that serves not only as a breezy and shaded respite from the warm interior but also provides a hub of activity and place of gathering. The front porch is not only a place from which to watch the world but also serves as an important social connector. Too often age-qualified affordable housing projects facilitate isolation and separation. Traditional stoops and connected front porches ring the residential portion of the project connecting to the front porches across the street as well as provide social interaction at units ringing the interior courtyard. Upper-level units have shared balconies or terraces while roof-level apartments are clustered into four units that share rooftop decks and gardens.

SUSTAINABILITY Both passive and active sustainability features determined the form and configuration of the project. Solar orientation, overhangs, screens, and high-performance wall/roof assemblies will be optimized through computer performance simulations. All tree lawns will contain bioswale water quality systems and open space (courtyards and parking) will contain geothermal loops.

Bayou Gardens Financial Summary Total Development Cost Leverage Ratio (non-HUD/HUD funding) Net Zero Energy Total Hard Cost Estimated Simple Payback Period

$69,761,904 8.3 : 1 $204/sf 3.1 years

PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS

OUTDOOR GREEN SPACE

LIVING LAB

ER GREYWAT

BIOSWALE

Y GY RG ER NE EN ALL E MA RM ER HE OTTH EO GE G

W BIOSWALE

Residential Assistance Demonstration Section 8 Project Based Rental Assistance

Funding Gap: $26/sf

Net Zero $200/sf *RAD Financing Limit: $174/sf

LEED Platinum $159/sf

9% LIHTC Pricing 0.92 Contract Rent (PUPM) $589 Operating Expenses (PUPA) $3,600 Net Operating Income $707,910 Cash Flow $92,336 Hard Construction Cost Per Unit $95,030

Baseline $118/sf

assumptions 179D tax credit

replacement housing factor funds national housing trust fund 2% 1% low income housing tax credits

HOME

30%

15%

LHC tax credit assistance program

solar investment tax credit (ITC) new first mortgage loan 24%

deferred developer fee

seller take-back financing 3% 19%

SOURCES +

$44.2 million

USES 19%

relocation costs acquisition: building 2% construction interest + fees

1% 60% construction costs

financing fees

tax credit fees 2%

reserves

soft costs 11% developer fee

Arial perspective

VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE We did much research on the rich history of Houma and the Terrebonne Parish. The project is greatly influenced by the vernacular architecture of the native people that once occupied the region as well as the European immigrants that latter settled in the area. The Houma people were known for tribal huts and other structures that respond to the hot humid climate. Acadian homes were characterized by their simple sloped roof forms and raised floors. The Creole Cottage prototype largely influenced by the French featured a gabled roof often fitted with dormers presented to the street.

Central courtyard perspective

The Living Lab is an opportunity for researchers and health professionals to deliver the very latest advances to residents. While the benefits to residents in affordable agequalified housing are obvious, affording such a facility is not viable within the constraints of a traditional LIHTC project. It would be difficult to fill 22,000 sf of commercial space in this somewhat distressed neighborhood. It certainly will not command the rental/purchase price needed to support the sustainability and health and wellness strategies incorporated into this solution. We envision the demand to occupy such a facility to be significant and would recommend the Housing Authority issue a Request for Proposals to identify those research centers and universities willing to rent/or buy ground floor commercial space at market-rate or even above market rates. The funding acquired from the rent/buyout of the commercial space would be funneled back into the aging-in-place components within the living units.

I ALSO LIKE PHOTOGRAPHY + STUFF

ISSUU w w w . i s s u u . c o m / s a v a n n a h g r e e n l e e

LinkedIn s a v a n n a h g r e e n l e e

Thank you.