2. Architectural Solutions

2.1 The Site:

Augustówka, a neighborhood in the Mokotów district of Warsaw is the site for the thesis project. In the recent past there have been proposals in the bordering neighborhood, Siekierki, to add things such as a technology park. In 2005 said proposal was made and ultimately rejected by the planning committee for not following the municipality’s city

guidelines (Wojtczuk, 2009). This, however was not the first time that a park was proposed to be designed in the Siekierki neighborhood. In 1916 there was a plan to build the “Great National Park” which would eventually become an Olympic village. Figure 22 shows the location and proposal for the park which is directly west of the location of the site.

Figure 22: “Great National Park” proposal for urban development, Siekierki, Warsaw, 1916

In 1934 there was an attempt to make Siekierki into an Olympic village off of the initial proposal from the Green National Park project.

Currently, the site is used for recreational activities including sport shooting and BMX Bike jumping, both of which are minority sports within Poland according to GUS (GUS, 2019).

Augustówka is known for the Siekierki Power Station (Elektrociepłownia Siekierki) which was constructed in 1958 is a coal powered plant and a constant reminder of Poland’s

pollution problem. “According to a 2018 report from the World Health Organisation (WHO), 36 of Europe's most polluted cities are in Poland.”

How to tackle the problem with air pollution? Society must simply produce more efficient

Figure 23: Biking hill for BMX jumps near Fort X Figure 24: All power plants owned in Warsaw

ways to build its buildings since “39% of global energy-related carbon emissions are attributed to buildings” (World Green Building Council, n.d.). This means that standard construction methods will continue to add to the problem. The desire for this project to be sustainable is ever the more important since the power plant is in the same vicinity as this site and can be seen on the horizon.

FORT X:

The historic fort structure was made entirely from the earth because it is close to the river for construction of brick and wood. The biggest concerns for building on such a site is the water level underneath the ground. The field for the proposed site has nothing but ragweed and field grass. This site is far enough away from a large developed urban area that it will not hinder its surroundings but may in fact help strengthen those from other recreational sports.

Figure 25: Ragweed on the proposed site Figure 26: View of the field adjacent to Fort X with a view of the power plant in the background

2.2 Form Finding:

For the program to make sense it was rational to add a football pitch as the base for other sports since it can then be an adaptable base to play other sports and host events. The pitch’s symmetrical balance can work with the baseball field.

Figure 27: Process algorithm with genetic solutions in Galapagos

Steps taken to get to the final field outcome:

1. A Line is created from home plate (where all measurements for the back walls for a baseball field are) down to each of the foul poles which are placed in the corners of the length of this line becomes the variable that the genetic algorithm changes. 2. A surface for the outfield is created by the foul pole lines and an additional horizontal line in center field. These lines are all connected by two more lines which make a closed polygon See Figure 27 for reference. 3. The size of the American Football field (120 yds x 53 1/3 yds) (91.44m x 48.8m) is then placed on the previously made surface with the evaluate surface component.

In European football there is no standard size for a pitch nevertheless this size is not the standard for European football which has the same length, nevertheless the minimum length of the pitch must be 90 meters and a minimum length of 45 meters (Government of Western Australia, n.d.)This minimum The decision to

reduce the European pitch size was made in order to preserve a playable baseball field. With the additional 18 meters the grass part of the field would be too large and be rendered obsolete for baseball matches. Therefore, it is possible to play European football on the American football pitch, however the lines must be reconsidered.

4. The Galapagos component runs using the length of the longest distance from home plate to the edge of the outfield. Galapagos is a component inside vanilla

Rhino for Grasshopper. It is an evolutionary solver which searches for optimal solutions based on a given fitness function This number is used as the fitness function which searches for the minimum length for this number. Figure 27

demonstrates similar scripts that outline the longest line from home plate to the end of the outfield in green. The genomes that the evolutionary solver change are the foul pole lengths, the orientation of the football field on the surface via rotation and position.

Basically the output length for the longest distance from home plate to the back wall is measured then divided by 0 or 1. In order to get the output 0 or 1 the component “Brep inside points” is used. This component checks whether or not a set of points in contained within a brep, the result being a boolean list.

Booleans are simply understood as a 0 or a 1; 0 being false and 1 being true. The desired outcome is to make all values “True” (1) because the component mass multiplication takes the list of Booleans as its input and gives a result of either 0 or 1. If there is even one false item in the list then the result will be 0. The length of the longest line from home plate to the back wall is then divided by the result of the mass multiplication. If the component is divided by 1 then it will be the same result as the length, however if divided by 0 the result will be a null item. With a null result the component “replace nulls” is then added, so if a result has even one false output from brep inside points then the output can be changed to whatever is desired. Since the desired result is to have the minimum length for the longest distance from home plate to the back wall the null item is replaced with a ridiculously large number like “999999”

which will never be shorter than the expected length outcomes. Galapagos searches for the minimum or maximum of the fitness function which in this algorithm is the length of the longest line from home plate. Using Galapagos’ genetic algorithm solver solutions can determine the shortest dimension of the longest line if it fits the conditions.

Figure 28: Final Field Form

Once this outcome has been established the entire field must be rotated 45˚ so that home

plate faces towards the Northeast, which is the optimal positioning for a baseball diamond.

Ladybug Tools in Grasshopper weather (epw) files can be imported from a project’s site

and used to analyze geometry with weather data such as solar radiation and amount of sunlight hours, shadow studies, and wind analysis. It is imperative to use these tools with a Rhinoceros and Grasshopper model that uses metric units, specifically in meters. Since this project was mostly constructed with imperial units, a handy User Object, which is basically a self-made component which acts as a plugin was created to get around this issue. Ladybug and Honeybee tools do not have a way to convert imperial distance measurements so it was essential to create said tool instead of researching what the unit

conversions are every time an analysis is performed.

The User Object is created by the component Value List. In Grasshopper this can be

Figure 28: Inches conversion component

located under Params, Input, Value List. Double-clicking on the Value List where the default input is located (directly to the left of the drop-down arrow) will open up the Value List Constants. Here is where the conversions can be added based on the units that are

being modeled in Rhino. Below is an image showing the conversions from inches.

Once the Value List is all set and created then the User Object can be created by first selecting the newly formed component and then navigating to file in the windows menu

Figure 29: Inches conversion component opened up

bar. The last step is to select Create User Object…and follow the steps in the pop up window. After adding this new user object in the Special Folders, User Objects folder then

the user object is now ready to be used by easily searching for it or clicking and dropping it down from Grasshopper.

If the model was designed using inches then the steps in the image below can be applied to prep the model for a unit conversion.

Once the model is prepped to be used for analysis (preferably in one welded mesh) then ladybug tools can be used. In particular, solar radiation was needed to be measured on the surface of the exterior panels.

Figure 30: Grasshopper script on what the conversion looks like

Ground Level:

The Ground level is mostly designed for the functionality of the stadium and for more intimate architectural moments. The public is granted access to this area however only in limited spacing. There is a lobby that the public can enjoy and a large educational center/room which is intended to help people learn about new sports, relax and watch sports, and to immerse themselves within Virtual Reality and Augmented reality sports experiences. The space is also used as a place for training referees/officials of sporting events and a place for foreigners to come and learn the Polish language helping them assimilate into Polish society through language learning and sports entertainment/learning.

Figure 31: Interior Rendering of Learning Area highlighting ground floor

First Floor:

The First floor is where the public can interact through the stadium by means of circulation around the concourse. The concourse was the primary design motive for the overall boundary of the design. This key architectural component is the element that gets people to come to the building as shown in Figure 33. Here is where the visitors can meander around, go shopping in markets, eat at a restaurant, and sit down to enjoy a cold beer.

Toilets

The number of toilets in the project was calculated by the number of maximum capacity attendees, 5000 people, dividing it up by gender (which happened to be 1 woman for every 1.75 men) and running it through a simple equation. The outcome of the ratio makes 2857 Male Attendees and 2143 Female Attendees. For every 60 female attendees there must be 1 Bathroom stall according to … Furthermore, for every 80 male attendees there must be 1 urinal and 1 stall for every 225 male attendees. The result yields:

• 36 Female Stalls

• 36 Urinals

• 13 Male Stalls

Taking into consideration that there might be more than the allocated 5000 persons in the stadium for other activities such as shopping in the markets and going to the restaurants the final count for toilets was as following:

• 50 Female Stalls

• 61 Urinals

• 30 Male Stalls

The design of the bathrooms was done in a fashion to reduce the need of opening doors as much as possible in order for there to be a larger flow of people while avoiding accidents such as hitting people with doors.

Figure 32: Shell Boundary form outline developed for concourse

Figure 33: Exploded Axonometric showcasing circulation

Photovoltaics

One of the main focuses for this project is solar radiation absorption on the exterior of the stadium. Too much direct solar radiation in the summer months while playing baseball is not only dreadful for athletes, but for spectators as well. Outdoor thermal comfort helps make the fan experience more enjoyable the form of the building acts as a shading device primarily for spectators. During the initial design phase of the baseball stadium the idea to shelter spectators from intense sun in the summer to comfort while not hindering the play experience on the field created an opportunity to design a shell-like design to block

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creating an enclosed structure that acts as a boundary between the recreational sports landscape area and the professional field of play.

A solution was construed using shading panels that block the sun from direct exposure to spectators. Not only does this solution help with glare in the field of play (which should not be significant in the first place since the field was placed in a northeastern orientation) but it can be used to collect solar energy through photovoltaic panels and harness it for use for the electricity within the field.

A sustainable design solution for the diploma was to harvest electricity from the sun through solar panels. Using ladybug tools within grasshopper this is possible.

Figure 34: Photovoltaic on CLT Panel example

“Finding order from chaos”

With the configuration of how the solar panels are made through surfaces in grasshopper, the next step is to determine how to place the panels onto the CLT shell which is done through creating a pattern on the existing surface. The method that was most appealing

was using Lunchbox’s Random Quad Panels which subdivides a surface into a given amount of divisions in the U and V coordinates. Taking the subdivided surfaces and culling 15% of them for windows the next step is to determine the amount of solar radiation that hits the subdivided surfaces. The total radiation, 74,656.43kw/h2 in this

particular circumstance is calculated using the radiation analysis tools in the ladybug plugin for grasshopper and then using Galapagos’ evolutionary solver the maximum radiation is calculated by changing the seeds of the “random” pattern.

Figure 35: Optimization for shell framework absorbing solar radiation

The following step is to pick and choose where to place the solar panels. Having the solar panels occupy every CLT frame piece Simply cull the lower half of the panels that do not receive optimal solar radiation. Figure 36 highlights what this process looks like with the solar panels occupying the red squares absorbing a higher amount of solar radiation than the result in blue.

Figure 36: Optimization for shell framework absorbing solar radiation

Timber Construction -

Wood was the primary material chosen for the project for its circular economy. It is a renewable material that can be grown and cultivated all within Poland, especially now since there is an annual growth in Poland’s forests. For a stadium project timber can be beneficial in multiple different ways. In the worst-case scenario, if the idea of a baseball stadium is not appealing to the community after it is built then it can be disassembled, and the material can be reclaimed for another project without causing too much of an ecological burden to the planet. Laminating the wood increases the material’ s strength With Poland’s afforestation rates increasing annually using timber might finally be a possible choice for building.

Figure 37: Poland afforestation diagram

Figure 38: Circular economy of wood

Structure:

Figure 39: Constructed axonometric diagram

The glulam timber columns were developed in Grasshopper after the “shell” frame form was established. The thicknesses of these columns vary based on how long they span. The rule of thumb that was used was to find the length of the column using grasshopper’ s length component then using this number the width and depth can be calculated. The formula for the width is � =�/15 and the formula for depth is � =�/96.

In between every 7 sets of columns is a cross bracing system made of metal to support the roof structure panels. The span between columns is 27’ or 8m.

Landscape Design:

Figure 40: Proposed Site Plan

The idea behind the site design was to make a green line through recreational sports to draw in the user to the site. Ideally, they would enter from the northwestern axis and make their way towards the stadium as the site opens up revealing the landscape and stadium. There are three distinct paths that one can go on to get to the stadium: one from the northwest going southeast, another from the existing pedestrian walkway along the northeastern boundary, and the last one from the existing park space from the west. Large 10m tall maple trees engulf the area to match the scale of the stadium. Water is used as a means to surround the site as well with a retention pond used for gray water systems is added in the southeastern part of the site.

Figure 41: Aerial Perspective of site

Urban Gardening

Urban Gardening is not only a great recreational activity that is ecologically friendly, but it can also help bring people together just like sports.

“In Africa it is the citizens who have gardens. The foreigners do not have gardens. Now I have a garden, I feel like a citizen.” said one refugee who was interviewed by the Sigma Iota Rho Journal of International Relations about his experience urban gardening with others in the United States (Sigma Iota Rho, 2016). Urban Gardening given the site conditions is a perfect fit for the program of the building and the concept behind bringing people together through recreational activities. There are three distinct places on the site where urban gardening has been utilized. In front of the main entrance of the stadium in

the large plaza, behind the stadium adjacent to the retention pond, and in the northeast corner next to the existing forest area.

Figure 41: Urban Gardening Render

2.3 Phasing

In order to capture the most important parts of the project, it is broken down into phasing. This is an experimental design so it is designed with the intention of possible failure. The project, however has an underlying goal and that is to get a baseball field for the Warsaw baseball clubs. Therefore, the phasing is used a way to make this goal a reality.

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Figure 42: Existing Conditions

Existing Conditions: In the image above the existing conditions are diagrammatically laid out. There is a large open field with trees surrounding it. The trees are unaltered throughout the following phases. See Figure () for additional site context.

Phase 1: This phase implements laying the foundation for the project which is the field itself. The ragweed plants that are in the way on the site are discarded and the field is flattened for a level playing surface. All maintenance at this stage will be worked on by the four respective Warsaw clubs.

Figure 43: Phase 1 Implementation of baseball field on site

Figure 44: Phase 2 adding additional sports program

Phase 2: This phase keeps the built baseball field from the previous phase and starts to build the urban fabric around it. New paths are built for encouraging visitors to walk around the complex and the existing park A new baseball field is designed here with the intended users as softball players and little league baseball players. Alongside the additional baseball field there is a football field and tennis courts to further expand the recreational sports connection. The size difference for baseball and softball fields are shown in Figure 45 below.

Figure 45: Difference between softball and baseball

Phase 3: Phase 3 is the final development phase and would occur some time after the success of Phase 2. The entire stadium will be constructed along with a new clubhouse for recreational sports and plazas for urban maneuverability.

Figure 46: Phase 3, final phase

2.4 Architectural Uses:

Necessary Baseball Architecture:

The process of designing the field is mentioned in the previous chapter, however there are a myriad of support architectural features that need to support the baseball field both directly on the field and off of it.

1. Dugouts:

The dugout is the space where the teams sit while not on the field. If the team is up to bat they will send one representative from their team to try and hit the ball and advance on the base path, however the remaining team mates need a space to occupy while not being on the field. This is where the dugout comes in. The space is called the “dugout” because it is slightly below the grade level so that it does not

obscure the vision of the spectators who are seated right behind it. The dugout is located on the edge of the field so that in between innings (there are nine in total) players can easily get on and off the field. There are two dugouts, one for each team and they are the barrier between the private areas such as the locker rooms

Figure 47: Dugout photo and diagram

2. Bull Pen

A bull pen is a space used for warming up the pitchers before they come into the came so their arms do not get significantly injured. It also is a space occupied by the majority of pitchers during the game. Since there is a forty-man roster in Major League Baseball many of the pitchers opt into hanging out in the bullpen during the game so that if they are called on during the game to get ready to pitch then they are ready for action. Bull pens are generally located along the far edges of the field near or on the outfield walls so that they do not interfere with play. There are two bull pens, one for each team.

Figure 48: Bull pen diagram and photo

3. Batting Cages

A batting cage is a place where hitters can hone their skills and practice to make mechanical adjustments to their swings. It is often said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in all of sports with maybe the exception of trying to save a penalty kick. The reasoning behind this thinking is because a baseball player

needs to successfully hit a ball approaching him at 90+mph (145+kph) from 60’6”

(18.4m) away within three tries all while keeping the ball within the foul lines without having it be caught in the air by one of the nine fielders out in the field or beating him to the base before he can successfully run to it. Many balls can be hit but if they are weakly hit to a fielder who is near a base then there is hardly any chance for the batter to advance through the bases. The best players in all of baseball are only successful with this feat 3 out of 10 times. That is why it is vital for the hitters to practice their craft in order to be prepared for the game. A batting cage is an area dedicated for the hitter to do just that, so he can easily pick up the balls that he has hit and not break anything. A mesh netting material surrounds the area which helps stop the trajectory of the ball. Most batting cages are located on the exterior of a field away from the dugouts on a recreational size field, however in stadiums there is tunnel that leads players from their locker rooms to the dugout. In between this space is usually a hitting tunnel which is designed so a player can go retreat into the hitting tunnel whenever he feels the need to do so in order to get some more swings in before or even during the game.

Figure 49: Batting cage diagram and photo

4. Locker Rooms

Locker Rooms are another example of a necessary architectural element hidden from the public eye during a match. This is where the players change into their uniforms from their street clothes. It is important in a locker room to add areas such as showers, sofas, weight rooms, and saunas. This is the space where physical trainers can assess the athlete if they get injured during a game and where they can relax after their match. Locker Rooms are private spaces and need to be in an area that the public cannot access.

2.5 Additional Uses:

The stadium is multipurpose for the intention of not only just being used for baseball, but various other sports for all levels and entertainment. Events such as small concerts and outdoor expos might also be implemented when no events are going on. Some examples of sports that can be played in the stadium are American football, football, and hockey.

Seating Arrangements for various sports:

Figure 50: Different sports usage diagram

Figure 51: Rendering of outdoor hockey game played in the winter

Gate entrances:

The design of the three entrance gates into the stadium pay homage to three of the most famous Polish-American baseball players: Carl Yastrzemski, Stan “the Man” Musiał, and Ted Kluszewski. Since the site is located in Poland, it would be great for Polish people who come to the stadium thinking that baseball is “that American Game” and be shocked to find out that these incredible players have Polish ancestry. Carl Yastrzemski was the last winner of the highest batting title, the Triple Crown (being the league leader in hits, Runs Batted in, and Homeruns) in 1967. It took 45 years for this to feat to be replicated again by Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Yatrzemski was a no doubt hall of famer born in 1939, the son of Polish immigrants. His gate entrance is in the south and can be seen in Figure 52 and includes a statue of him to remember and commemorate his achievements.

Figure 52: Rendering of space after you enter the Yastrzemski gate

Stan “the Man” Musiał played for the St. Louis Cardinals for all 22 of his years in the MLB from the 1940s to the 1960s. He was an astounding player and has a baseball complex named after him in Kutno, Poland. He was the son of a Polish father so officially he was Stanisław at birth and his name changed when he went to school. He won the most valuable player title and was also a three-time World Series champion. (Broeg, 1964) Musiał has the honors of having the main entrance named after him. Ted Kluszewski was inducted into the Polish-American Hall of Fame in 1974. Like the other

two players who were previously mentioned he was also an incredibly skillful and talented baseball player who had his own creative flare when it came to playing the game which can be seen how he used to wear his uniform on the field, showing off his muscles like a bodybuilder. His gate entrance is located in the northeast corner of the stadium.