VRUSHALI LELE
ARCHITECTURE + URBAN DESIGN
BACHELOR IN ARCHITECTURE 2013
MASTERS IN URBAN DESIGN 2017
Crystal city is envisioned to have high density population area.To develop a compact urban form it is important to maintain job to housing ratio making crystal city walkable place to live work and relax.
23rd street is one of the major street connecting Aurora Highlands neighborhood on west to crystal city. Crystal city has no residential mix of use on south side and this node would cater the need of adding more residencial unit and creating a urban core.Intersection of crystal drive and 23rd street has many infill opportunities.The idea is to invite more people in this area making it active and vibrant place for everyday life. This node would provide engaging public amenities for crystal city.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
23rd street is 100feet wide with underutilized green areas in the middle of street and near office park. Office buildings on east side blocks the river view. This intersection is car oriented with a parking garage entrance in front of 23rd street.
RESIDENTIAL INFILL
The south end of crystal city can be activated by adding more residental blocks and scaling down these blocks to 3 stories making it a human scaled walkable node.
PUBLIC PLAZA
Ground floor retail will develop active street edges and create public plazas and destination places for surrounding neighborhood. To blur the public and private open areas near park boundires.
GREEN PLAZAS
Designing a public park on the east side and providing outdoor open space near the existing restaurants would create detination places for city and surrounding neighborhood.
VISTAS
Encapturing the views of national monument,flying airplanes and views of the Potomac river.
VINETTE KEYS
1.Climbing wall on residential tower
2.Viewing gallery on tower
3.Privates green terrances
4.Green belt (Vinette)
5.Sand puddle pool
6.Townhomes under the turf
7.Dense trees
8.Terrace gargen and flower valley
9.Raised green mount for viewing flaying planes from airport
“Life is a series of stage sets, we are all actors in a grand play-design that participate in this choreography.”
A green belt along existing restaurant fronts would add play and rest zones along the curb side.
Climbing wall and Urban community farming on ground oor
Viewing mount and ower valley collage
MASSING
VISION OVERVIEW
Envision a reconnected neighborhood, anchored by a green way that functions as a community amenity, cultural hub, and connective link to regional transit and recreation. The Market Lead Channel will become a focal point for the community and will function as a catalyst for future investment by creating opportunities for enhanced commercial and neighborhood service uses.
North Denver is an architecturally, culturally, and environmentally diverse area of the city. Bounded roughly by City Park to the south, Interstate 70 to the north, Colorado Boulevard to the east, and Broadway to the west, this area consists of various neighborhoods with unique identities, including the Five Points neighborhood famed for its rich jazz heritage.
The neighborhood developed during late 1800s. Since the 1970s the Latino population has grown significantly, most significantly the Mexican community. Also prevalent in the neighborhood are Anglo and African American residents, including some who are descendants of the original settlers. The customs, traditions, architecture and food of past generations has enriched the neighborhood and contributes to its unique identity.
These communities were largely isolated from the core of Denver, and by necessity were self-reliant communities with access to jobs, neighborhood services and rich culture.
Median Home Value:
Race/Ethnicity:
The focus area is predominantly Hispanic, encouraging a culturally sensitive design which takes into account the needs of the residents.
The median home value in vicinity is over $100,000 lower than the surrounding North Denver area. However, the homes well cared for, many being meticulously maintained.
Median Household Income:
The economic statistics reflect 25% lower median household income. Therefore, improving access to education, employment, and transportation opportunities are key factors to consider.
Level of Education Attained:
Over a third of the entire population is under the age of 18, and nearly half of the adult population did not complete high school. The workforce in this area is more heavily dependent on carpooling and public transit than the study area overall.
Edges:
Heavily trafficked vehicular arterials, rail yards, and large warehouses create a significant barrier from north to south across the study area.
LYNCH ANALYSIS
Paths:
Paths through the study area are primarily vehicular, and include Brighton Blvd., 40th Ave., York, and Steele. Commuter rail and the Platte River trail provide alternate modes of transportation.
Nodes:
Significant destinations in the neighborhood include commuter rail stops at 40th & Colorado and 38th & Blake, as well as schools and recreation centers.
Districts:
The study area is characterized by several major warehouse districts, surrounded by single family residential neighborhoods to the north and south.
When examining the significant edges, paths, nodes, districts, and landmarks within or near the study area, some clear trends begin to emerge. Primarily, significant destinations within the study area are inaccessible from the neighborhoods, due to strong edges created by the existing industrial districts and vehicular and rail corridors. These edges inhibit pedestrian access to the three schools within the study area, Harrington Elementary, Pioneer Charter, and Bruce Randolph School. Lack of pedestrian paths from east to west across the neighborhood also limits access to amenities such as the South Platte River trail, Schietler Recreation Center, and transit stops at 38th & Blake and 40th & Colorado.
Landmarks:
Nearby visual landmarks mainly lie north of the study area, and include the Purina Factory and the Coliseum. Within the study area, the PortaPower building provides a distinct roof line and the Denver Medical Depot structures are significant.
The proposed channel will serve as a connective link from the 40th & Colorado transit stop, through northeast Denver to the South Platte River. While the open channel will alleviate potential flooding, enhancements to the planting, treatment, and experience will allow the space to function as a cultural and social amenity.
The proposed channel will serve as a destination for existing residents, linking key neighborhood amenities including Bruce Randolph School, Harrington Elementary, Pioneer Charter School, the Saint Charles Recreation Center, and the existing transit stops. Shared streets along northern edge of channel making it accessible for vehicular traffic and pedestrians. Bridges over the channel connect neighborhoods.
THE PROPOSAL
Adaptive reuse of the existing warehouse structures will include community-serving commercial uses like post office and fresh produce stores allowing the area to become a cultural and social destination for existing residents.
New connections through the neighborhood will utilize sustainable storm water infrastructure. Streets will incorporate elements to improve water quality, slow runoff, and encourage groundwater recharge. Integrated storm water infrastructure will create an interesting pedestrian realm, and will include permeable paving materials, bioswales, street trees, and native vegetation.
[RE]medy Flooding
Instead of a simple open channel with a trail alongside it, we envision this drainage infrastructure as a multi functional space that will:
•Serve as an east-west link from the 40th & Colorado Station to the South Platte River.
•Reconnect the street grid from the north and south of the Market Lead.
•Accommodate storm water runoff.
It will be designed as a bicycle and pedestrian path, utilizing the existing right-of-way along East 39th Avenue. Stepped terraces allow people closer access to the channel while providing for greater water flows during major storm events. The channel itself will be planted with native plants and trees to mimic the biodiversity of a plains creek ecosystem.
Reconnecting the neighborhoods from east to west with the enhanced green way and from north to south with new street and pedestrian connections will allow opportunities to access existing social and cultural amenities and ensure safe routes between existing neighborhood schools.
Enhancing the green way, reconnecting portions of the street grid, and creating opportunities for redevelopment will create attractive, pedestrian scaled, public space throughout the corridor. Existing warehouse buildings will be reused for communityserving commercial uses and to create open links from the neighborhood to the south to the green way.
By reusing the existing historic landmark warehouses for community-serving commercial uses, we will create a walkable local destination within the neighborhood where people can take care of their daily needs. In addition, reintroducing the street grid where feasible in the area surrounding the channel will create opportunities for redevelopment. Our vision for redevelopment would be to create an appropriately scaled, mixed use destination with a variety of neighborhood services adjacent the channel. Services could include day care uses, grocery stores, shops, restaurants, and coffee shops. In the short term, vacant land and marginal uses around the channel could be temporarily re-purposed with parks and community gardens. Long term potential redevelopment is based on the River North plan projection that existing heavy rail may be relocated, as well as older industrial uses on large lots.
Reconnecting the neighborhoods from north to south with green streets will improve access to the 39th Avenue green way for both pedestrians and storm water. Incorporating storm water management infrastructure as an integrated street scape improvement where new connections are made can reduce the volume of runoff, lessening the burden for additional detention.
In addition, green streets will:
•Slow and reduce run off.
•Improve water quality.
•Enhance the pedestrian experience.
•Provide visually interesting, shady streets.
CHALLENGES
• Open spaces along the street edge creates an undesirable pedestrian experience
• Large block sizes create poor connections for pedestrians and bicyclists
• Major roads are wide and encourage high traffic speeds
• Grade separated infrastructure creates barriers that limit access in and around the station
OPPORTUNITIES
• Capitalize on the underutilized land within the station area (~ 105 acres)
• Create additional street connections and mix of Land uses to energize the urban center
VISION
The belleview station area will harness the development potential and broaden the capture area in order to energize and increase the TOD characteristics by recalibrating the street network and transitioning to a mixed-use neighborhood.
VALUE PROPOSITION
Additional connections to the south and east will allow for potential re-investment of under utilized land within the walk shed of belleview station.
FRAMEWORK
Maintain the ‘set building pieces’ and existing roads
CONNECT
Improve the street network toward Monaco street, across belleview avenue and across I-25
Stitch together the existing blocks and create opportunity for new development
INFILL
Infill the underutilized land and transition the lower density buildings to a higher density mixed-use neighborhood
DTC center has office building built in 20002007.
Maintain these building pieces and reconnecting the road around them would be a primary step.
West of I-25
-low-density residential, office and emerging mixed use
East of I-25
-office, hotel and low-density residential
Introduce a fine grain street network.
Belleview station
GDP area multifamily structures north of belleview avenue
Bridge deck over I-25 to provide better connectivity and development potential
Established hospitality infrastructure east of I-25
Introduce mixed-use and residential both sides of I-25
Transform union avenue into a residential boulevard
Provide developed land on I-25 bridge deck
New neighborhood park/plaza at the station head.
PROPOSED LAND USE
INFRASTRUCTURE SHIFT
PROPOSED URBAN FORM
• Belle-view avenue as a mixed use, commercial dominance as it connects east-west neighborhoods cherry hills, Denver and greenwood village
• Union avenue predominantly a residential boulevard. Park aligned near station next to union avenue.
• Commercial mixed use decking over i-25
• Multifamily residential south of belleview
KEY MAP
• Re-configure curb lines to reduce median width and re-stripe lanes to 11’ wide
• Incorporate onstreet parking during non-peak hours
• Create a 12’ multi-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists
BELLEVIEW AVENUE
UNION AVENUE
• Re-configure curb lines to eliminate median and create a wider pedestrian zone
• Re-stripe lanes to include dedicated bike lane
• Incorporate onstreet parking
1.70 miles of road diet adjustments, street scape and bike lanes
11 Enhanced pedestrian crossings
Primary Stakeholders
Landowners
City and County of Denver
DTC
Colorado Department of Transportation
Secondary Stakeholders
Greenwood Village Cherry Hills Village Neighborhood Groups
Create a safer pedestrian experience and additional on-street parking
Increased mobility options for pedestrians and bicyclists
Create streets that attract high quality businesses and residents
Union Avenue Road Diet
$4,380,000
Curb line adjustments (9,000 LF x $100/LF) $
900,000
Street scape (162,000 SF x $20/SF)
$3,240,000
Bike lanes (9,000 LF x $10/LF)
$ 90,000
Enhanced pedestrian crossing (5 by $30K/ea)
$ 150,000
Belleview Avenue Road Diet
$3,648,000
Curb line adjustments (9,000 LF x $100/LF) $
680,000
Street scape (180,000 SF x $25/SF)
$2,720,000
Bike lanes (9,000 LF x $10/LF)
$ 68,000
Enhanced pedestrian crossing (4 by $30K/ea)
$ 180,000
4.30 miles of new streets
10 acres of develop-able land on deck over I-25
3 vehicular bridges over I-25 unlocks over 50 acres of under-utilized land
Primary Stakeholders
Landowners and Highly motivated developers
City and County of Denver
DTC
Colorado Department of Transportation
Secondary Stakeholders
Greenwood Village Cherry Hills Village Neighborhood Groups
Increased access to new development parcels
Formation of highly connected street system over I-25
Major infrastructure investment creates more development opportunities
Proposed streets
$15,820,000
New street/ utilities (22,600 LF x $300/LF) v 6,780,000
Street scape (361,600 SF x $25/SF
$ 9,040,000
Land Acquisition (41.5 AC x $300K/AC)
$12,450,000
I-25 deck (680,000 SF x $300/SF)
$204,000,000
Utilize URBAN CENTER zoning categories C-MX-8, -12, -16; and C-RX-5, -8 and -12 to support mixed use
Primary Stakeholders
Landowners and Highly motivated developers
City and County of Denver DTC
Secondary Stakeholders
Greenwood Village
Cherry Hills Village Neighborhood
Return On Investment A nnual Tax base
~ 5,000 new retail and commercial jobs
~ 24,000 new office jobs
~ 22,300 residential units
$8.7 mil.
$24.6 mil.
$26.9 mil.
West of I-25, North of Belleview Ave A nnual Tax
Retail/ Comm 8 00,000 SF $2.8 mil.
O ffice 5,000,000 SF $10.4 mil.
Residential 7,700 DU $9.2 mil.
West of I-25, South of Belleview Ave
Retail/ Comm 600,000 SF $2.1 mil.
O ffice 3,000,000 SF $6.0 mil.
Residential 2,100 DU $2.5 mil.
East of I-25
Retail/ Comm 900,000 SF $3.0 mil.
O ffice 3,000,000 SF $6.0 mil.
Residential 10,700 DU $13.0 mil.
Deck over I-25
Retail/ Comm 200,000 SF $800K
O ffice 1,000,000 SF $2.2 mil.
Residential 1,800 DU $2.2 mil.
This philosophy advocates clear, precise ordered forms that were expressed by machine age thought products like bottles, pipes and container.
Stairwell is a mimicry of guitar design.
Le Corbusier’s famous Golden ratio façade design as south elevation and mullion design.
InsPIrAtIon : le CorbusIer’s PurIsm PAIntIng AnD form PhIlosoPhy.
Vertical section
1.There is a hierarchy in the arts: decorative art is at the base, the human figure at the summit.
2.Painting is as good as the intrinsic qualities of its plastic elements, not their representative or narrative possibilities.
3.Purism fears the bizarre and the original.
4.The method must be sure enough not to hinder the conception.
5.Purism does not believe that returning to nature signifies the copying of nature.
6.It admits all deformation is justified by the search for the invariant.
CROSS VENTILATION
2.INTERACTION AREA/CORRIDOORS OVERLOOKING THESE COURTS MAKES THE TRAVEL TIME PLEASENT
3.DIFFUSED NATURAL LIGHT PENETRATES INSIDE ALL FUNCTIONAL AREAS ESPECIALLY LABS AND OFFICE SPACES.
B.SERVICE CORRIDOORS AND RESEARCHCES CIRCULATION PATH IS SEGAREGATED OVER 22 M DISTANCE .
3M OVERHANG OF TERRANCE SLABACTS AS A SHADING DEVICE ON SOUTH SIDE.
4.VERTICAL SERVICE/CIRCULATION SHAFTS ARE MOVED TO PERIPHERY OF BUILDING MAKING THE CENTRAL SPACE RESERVED FOR TIGHT SECURITY FUCTIONS (RESEARCH OPERATIONS).
SERVICE STAFF CARRYING TROLLEYS OF SAMPLES /GLASSWARE /EQUIPMENTS IN CORRIDORS CREATES CHAOS AND NOISE.
RESEARCHERS CARRY INTENSE ENERGY, PRESSURE WHILE MOVING OUT AND INSIDE LAB AREAS. THUS, THIS USER PROFILE ZONES SHOULD BE SEGREGATED LIKE A BREAK OFF ZONE TO SET RESEARCHERS MIND INTO A VISUALLY SOOTING ENVIRONMENT.
Materiality – An enjoyed aesthetic based on local low embodied energy materials. BASALT STONE a local material used for external cladding.
Open space – As extensions of the built space –comfortable and habitable.
Natural elements – A ritual recognition and symbolic presence of Nature and Seasons.
Comfort – Accepting adjustment and variation within limits as an energizing principle.
Technologies – Supporting local enterprise and knowledge for social development.
WATER RECYCLE
Rain Water Harvesting
of roof =2697sq.m
of 150 th. concrete=.95
rain fall=2.5m
L water can be collected
Water Requirement
Electrical load calculation
Shading device
PASSIVE ENERGY SYSTEM
ROOF energy photovoltaic panels
NATURAL LIGHT reduces need for artificial day lighting requirements
Cross ventilation as required by hot and humid climate.
VERANDS /passages shade lab exterior walls which in direct exposure to sun. Gardens in courtyards brings in cooler air inside building.
PERMEABLE SURFACES on ground to avoid runoffs and reduce heat radiation from flooring material
LOW-E COATED GLASS reflect solar energy away from the glazing, often without requiring heat-treatment, and generally have lower visible light reflection Benefits of using double glazing glass
Energy Saving, decreasing air-conditioning cost
Interior Comfort
Sound Reduction
Extra security features
Draught-proof
Extremely low maintenance 60% better heat insulation compared to single pane windows 75% ambient noise reduction compared to single pane windows
MATERIALS
Basalt stone as external cladding material. Locally available reduces transportation an labor efforts/cost.
Samanea Saman Ebony Mahogany tree
PLANTATION
Dense evergreen plantaions on westen facade reducing direct exposure of sun.
Rain water can be reused for cleaning purpose, landscape watering.
AIR PURIFYING PAVING TILE
A decorative paving tile is equipped with functionality: with he help of sunlight and oxidative catalysis, it is able to convert environmental pollutants such as NO into inert nitric acid ions. In this way, large areas of the urban realm have the potential to be used to reduce pollution levels in inner cities. As such the paving tiles represent an exemplary combination of decoration and function.Pollutants and odors are broken down intotheir constituent parts. Does not replace ventilation, but improves air quality.Though not able to completely purify air, the use of nano materials makes it possible to improve the quality of air. It enables unpleasant odors and pollutants to be eradicated.
PLAN (RAINWATER HARVESTING)
PLAN WITH PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SOLAR PANNELS
The Conergy SolarLinea Single is one of the most cost-effective and quick-to-install mounting systems on the market. It requires no foundation, but instead stands securely on driven piles. The Conergy SolarLinea Single is able to compensate for a gradient of up to 10°, thanks to the flexibility of its base rails and connectors.
