11
INCUBATION
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APARTMENT FOR 6
29
RISD MUSEUM ENTRANCE
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REINVENTING THE PROVIDENCE ARCADE
INCUBATION Front Page
11
incubation aÊ studioÊ space
INCUBATION Site Conditions
12
INCUBATION Topography
13 WestÊ ElevationÊ :Ê WhiteÊ Marble
OpenÊ SkylitÊ Area
LookingÊ outÊ ofÊ theÊ EastÊ WallÊ :Ê TowardsÊ theÊ alleyÊ stairs
SECTIONALÊ TOPOGRAPHYÊ :Ê TheÊ buildingÊ structureÊ isÊ accessedÊ throughÊ theÊ NorthÊ MainÊ StreetÊ atÊ 0Ê feet.Ê EmergingÊ throughÊ theÊ anteÊ foyerÊ ofÊ theÊ building,Ê aÊ changeÊ inÊ levelÊ takesÊ place.Ê The western side wall meets ground at +16ʼ. I wanted to mark the gradual elevation of the hill onÊ theÊ interiorÊ ofÊ theÊ builtÊ environmentÊ echoeingÊ theÊ movementÊ insideÊ withÊ theÊ upwardÊ thrust ofÊ geographyÊ inÊ andÊ aroundÊ theÊ BankÊ Building. INCUBATIONÊ isÊ aÊ stateÊ ofÊ latencyÊ movingÊ towardsÊ aÊ culminationÊ orÊ resolution. My design seeks to use this concept to make incubation pods using the buildingʼs inherent qualityÊ ofÊ naturalÊ light.Ê TheÊ podsÊ areÊ usedÊ asÊ workroomsÊ withÊ differentÊ functions.Ê AmbulatoryÊ spaceÊ aroundÊ theseÊ highlightÊ theÊ volumeÊ ofÊ spaceÊ soÊ theÊ peopleÊ canÊ inhaleÊ andÊ breatheÊ deeply. AÊ gravity-lessÊ atmosphereÊ isÊ achievedÊ byÊ notÊ buildingÊ wall-to-wall.Ê TheÊ beautifulÊ skylitÊ ceiling isÊ retainedÊ andÊ lightÊ channelsÊ areÊ builtÊ insideÊ itÊ whichÊ transportÊ naturalÊ lightÊ allÊ theÊ wayÊ toÊ the basement. I retained the important defining features of the Bank Building - the marble facade, a heavyÊ guageÊ ironÊ grill,Ê theÊ skylitÊ ceilingÊ andÊ twoÊ plasteredÊ corinthianÊ columns.Ê
BenefitÊ St.
NorthÊ MainÊ St.
PEOPLESÊ SAVINGSÊ BANKÊ BUILDING
BUILDINGÊ ANDÊ COLLEGEÊ HILLÊ SECTION 0 6 12 feet
INCUBATION Intervention Floor Plans
14 Old & the New
3 Elevator 4 Undivided Skylit studio
2
5 Brick Wall
3
6 Partition Wall 7 Column
4
Partition walls contain restrooms. Proceeding eastward, is an ante foyer that leads one to the exit.
On entering the building, a black box open studio is built through the metal grill. This doubles as a MultiMedia Lab.
2 Vestibule
1
The Older building faces the North Main Street. Upon entering it falls a vestibule that is separated from the main space (an open skylit studio) by a metal grill.
The open air landing (marked 12) is a vital feature of the building site since it serves as a courtyard between adjacent buildings.
1 North Main Street
Existing Floor Plan : Level 1
8 Hellical Stair 9 Ante foyer
5
10 Fire Stair 11 Fenestration
6
12 Open air landing
8
7 9 10 11 12
N
0 6 12 feet
PROPOSED FLOOR PLANS (red lines denote intervention)
The existing foundation and walls are retained. Simple cubes are erected floor to ceiling on each level but separated from the longitudinal and cross walls of the building. These freestanding cubes are the incubation pods or work-rooms. Around these is a gallery on each level connected to the main stair via a landing.
BASEMENT
1
2
3
4
INCUBATION Programmatic Arrangement of Space
15
REFLECTED CEILING PLAN Above: Here the existing ceiling pattern is visible. It is retained and retro-fitted with annealed glass to be used as the 4th level for dance studios. It is accessed by the main staircase of the building. Below: A typical plan of the building. The staircase moves upward while the balconies move outwards into the open air landing looking out at the alley stairs used by the students. A
3
B
1
7
5
2
B
8
6
4 TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN LEVEL 3
A
1 Open Space above Multi-Media lab & Black Box 2 Light channels running from skylight to basement 3 Gallery Space / Ambulatory
N
4 Staircase landing 5 Incubation pod 6 Column
7 Elevator 8 Flexible space
0
6
12
feet
INCUBATION Elevation
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BuildingÊ structureÊ seenÊ from behindÊ theÊ templeÊ facade WEST ELEVATION OVERLAY ON SECTION ʻA-Aʼ TheÊ EastÊ elevationÊ isÊ inÊ markedÊ contrastÊ toÊ theÊ West. LevelÊ 3Ê has operableÊ windowsÊ for aÊ controlledÊ environment andÊ aÊ greaterÊ flexibility toÊ achieveÊ anÊ interiorÊ exteriorÊ spatialÊ quality. OpenÊ windowsÊ and balconiesÊ canÊ beÊ seenÊ on levelÊ 4Ê andÊ 5.Ê TheseÊ openÊ intoÊ theÊ flatÊ courtyard-like groundÊ spaceÊ naturally carvedÊ byÊ theÊ surrounding buildings. TheseÊ featuresÊ alsoÊ offer moreÊ lightÊ andÊ ventilationÊ toÊ theÊ interiors. TheÊ glassÊ teepeeÊ housesÊ theÊ danceÊ studiosÊ atÊ levelÊ 4Ê whichÊ opensÊ into aÊ balconyÊ spaceÊ asÊ well.Ê EASTÊ ELEVATION
GLASS TEEPEE
INCUBATION Section/ Rendering
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N
SECTION ʻB-Bʼ
PERSPECTIVEÊ LOOKINGÊ EAST
0
6 12 feet
INCUBATION Physical Model
18
Left: ProcessÊ ModelÊ showing threeÊ incubationÊ podsÊ inÊ successionÊ withÊ circulation toÊ theÊ rightÊ side.
‘the wall’ APARTMENT FOR FAMILY OF 6 Front Page 21
‘the wall’ APARTMENT FOR FAMILY OF 6 books
bathroom
LIVE
WORK
elevator
laundry storage
stairs Location of built elements in order of occurence and direction. Not to scale.
NOMAD TO NESTER This was the central theme of this design studio. We made interventions for varied levels of inhabitation: from a short to a large amount of time. This culminated in this project where we were asked to design an apartment for a family of 6 people. The site is the top two levels (5 & 6) of an old bank building in the financial district of Providence. It has a historic facade. Diana and Peter are parents to four children aged 4, 6, 9 and 13. Diana is a painter who works from home while Peter is a psychologist currently studying the impact of Urbanism on the behavior of University students.
‘the wall’ APARTMENT FOR FAMILY OF 6 Site Conditions 22
SITE MAP - DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE
People’s Savings Bank Building O LT FU
SITE MARKED IN DOTTED BOX
FACADE
N . ST
IN
ET SS
TM
BO EY
ES W
W
Bank of America Building
ER
ST
.
ST
.
ST 0
BUILT CONDITIONS The site is a 6-storied building facing east-west with vast open land on the east. A narrow long 3 storied building leads to a smaller but similar tower on the west. The North and South walls are both solid flushed with adjacent buildings. The east facade is brick masonry, clad in granite. Windows run the entire length of the building floor to ceiling on each level. The west facade has a small opening for a window
50 100
feet
N
nal
Kennedy Plaza WBus Station
Ca
BULIDING ELEVATION FLOORS 5,6 MARKED IN DOTTED BOX
‘the wall’ APARTMENT FOR FAMILY OF 6 Curved Wall Visualization 23
Perspective showing section of curved wall and staircase
WHAT EMERGED I was interested in finding a pattern in the activities within the house. Next I wanted to enquire the suitable atmosphere for these activities to happen in. The living and work are distinct activities connected by those that are shared by both like the circulation, storage and washrooms. I got interested in this connection and wanted to explore the relationship between live and work through this design. EXPLORATION I started exploring elements of darkness & light, the dense & not so dense, what sinks and what floats through material, physical access and visibility. This design seeks to explore the experience of architecture through diverse bodily movements and actions within it.
‘the wall’ APARTMENT FOR FAMILY OF 6 Intervention Floor Plan 24
A
A
B
B
10
9
3
12
11
8
7 3
6
12
5
4
11
2
2 1
1
13
13
LEVEL 6
A
LEVEL 5 A Intervention
Existing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
5
4
Study/Work Separating Curved Wall Living Area Connector bridge Internal Stair Dining Area Kitchen Master Bed Children’s Bed Children’s Bed Elevator Bathroom Fire Stair 0
5
feet 10
N
‘the wall’ APARTMENT FOR FAMILY OF 6 Section ‘AA’, Section ‘BB’ 25
NATURE OF SPACE Clusters of work and living are separated and connected by the undulated surface of the wall that is the most important part of the house. The wall is made in brick and metal whereas the partition of living units is made in beech framed by powder-coated aluminium. The workspace faces west and the living space faces east. The interior of the Wall has in-built cabinetry for storage. The wall facing the study area has storage for Peter’s research and Diana’s art supplies.
The living units have partition walls with hinged doors that operate to enclose designated areas into the kitchen, bedroom and living. This division of space is inspired by Wesley Wei Architects’ project; “House with 6 Walls”, where open space is partitioned by a system of wood clad dry walls fitted with sliding doors.
LEVEL 6
LEVEL 5
SECTION ‘AA’ 0
5
SECTION ‘BB’
feet 10
Permeating the wall are circulation channels: elevator, staircase. The movement through it brings forth a discovery of action every time the inhabitants travel through the wall and emerge on the other side. A skylight east of the main brick wall works to bring in natural light. Next to the wall and below this skylight is seating space. The study area in the west has a skylight parallel to the window embedded in the wall. The wall is dense and in interaction with the lighter elements of the apartment behind the historic bank facade of the building that is left untouched.
‘the wall’ APARTMENT FOR FAMILY OF 6 Stair and Wall detail 26
Level 5 & 6 Stair and West wall
RISD MUSEUM ENTRANCE Front Page
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risd museum entrance
View of courtyard looking east towards the entrance
RISD MUSEUM ENTRANCE Site Plan
RISD MUSEUM site
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INTRODUCTORY SPACE : RISD Museum Benefit Street entrance The site is located on a busy road on College Hill, Providence. A canal runs through the town and separates the downtown from the hill. Benefit St. was built parallel to the Main Street literally for the ‘benefit’ of the people in late 1800’s when the canal waters would flood making the Main Streets inaccessible. The Rhode Island School of Design Museum bridges the two parallel streets ; North Main & Benefit. A steep uphill topogaphy is the pivotal aspect of the museum’s location and the arrangement of the displays within.
RISD MUSEUM’S EXISTING ENTRANCE 0 6 12 feet
N
North Main St.
Area shown in Intervention Floor Plan (Page 5)
Contemporary Art
Benefit St.
Pendelton House
EXISTING ENTRANCE
Carr Haus
Waterman St.
Waterman Bldg.