CONTENT ALEXANDRIA SUMMARY 1.1 Unsite Location 1.2 Stone Elevation 1.3 Good Yards History 1.4 Steel Frame Structure
ACCOMMODATION 2.1 Strategy Process 2.2 Context Research 2.3 Function Typology 2.4 Concept Analysis
UNSITE STRATEGY 3.1 Unsite Analysis 3.2 Unsite Strategy 3.3 City Skyline 3.4 Site Plan
FIRE REGULATION 4.1 Plan Drawing
TECTONIC DESIGN 5.1 Section Drawing 5.2 3D Modeling 5.3 Detail Drawing
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 6.1 Client Circulation 6.2 Usage Status Analysis
ELEVATION DEVELOPMENT 7.1 Material Strategy 7.2 Elevation Design Proposal 7.3 Rendering
CRITICAL REFLECTION 8.1 Critical Reflection
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Alexandria Summary|1.1 Unsite Location
1-50000 Region Plan
1-10000 City Plan
Location With Math Method Diagram In Axonometric
UNSITE LOCATION RELATES TO HISTORY The boundary markers of the original District of Columbia are the 40 milestones that marked the four lines forming the boundaries between the states of Maryland and Virginia and the square of 100 square miles (259 km2) of federal territory that became the District of Columbia in 1801. The land that used to be part of Columbia were back again to Alexandria. With the help of stone markers, a module of calculating distance and deciding on location is formed. Creating an axis of defining the unsites and following the blue one which leads to the Potomac Yard, the location of unsite one is determined.
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Alexandria Summary|1.2 Stone Elevation
LANGUAGE OF THE ELEVATION
Elevation Forming Process
The basic idea of language on elevation comes from two aspects. Combining the history with stone markers which are in the steel cages and almost been forgotton by the local people. The stone inside of the steel cage could be imagined as a tiny stone house that is trapped by steel frame. As a metaphor, to release the house and make stone as a knid of elavation just like saveing the stone marker out from the cage. In another view, from the local perspective, most famous building locate in the old town and have longest history in this area. The elevation of them are stones in different types. Therefore, collecting those two ideas, the strategy of using stone as onekind of material is proposed.
Old Town Building Collage
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Alexandria Summary|1.3 Good Yards History
7 PANELS OF POTOMAC YARD There are long history about the Potomac Yard. At past, it used to be a place that related to commerce, transportation and crowds of people. As each panel in the park tells one story, they all witness the most flourishing period of this Rail Yard. According to the history, Potomac Yard incorporated numerous technological advances over the years to improve efficiency. Classifying cars evolved from primarily manual labor to utilizing automated and digital systems. Computers, installed at the Yard in the 1960s and 1970s, replaced mechanical relay systems with state-of-the-art digital systems. In the mid-l970s, construction of the Metrorail and implementation of a flood control project at Four Mile Run forced track reconfigurations and service disruptions. After a 1986 labor strike at the Yard and 1987 train collision north of Washington D.C . disrupted service again, railroad companies increasingly diverted their traffic west of D.C. to avoid shipping difficulties.
Track Panels in Potomac Park
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Alexandria Summary|1.4 Steel Frame Structure
Good Yards Collage
STEEL FRAME STRATEGY The unsite with history of transforming could be regerded as Rail Yards, or Good Yards. When talking about rail and track, the steel material would be related to them. At that case, extracting it as the structure of architecture, the outlook tower would be a steel frame system. If come back and research on the city, the harbor would be picked to be an essential element. The lighthouse always has close relationship with the harbor, and the massing of the long shape is imagined to be part of the tower.
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City Harbor
Lighthouse Image
Fig 1. The Potomac River
Fig 2. Cooper & Co Lighthouse Framed Canvas Black & White
Massing Diagram
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CONTENT ALEXANDRIA SUMMARY 1.1 Unsite Location 1.2 Stone Elevation 1.3 Good Yards History 1.4 Steel Frame Structure
ACCOMMODATION 2.1 Strategy Process 2.2 Context Research 2.3 Function Typology 2.4 Concept Analysis
UNSITE STRATEGY 3.1 Unsite Analysis 3.2 Unsite Strategy 3.3 City Skyline 3.4 Site Plan
FIRE REGULATION 4.1 Plan Drawing
TECTONIC DESIGN 5.1 Section Drawing 5.2 3D Modeling 5.3 Detail Drawing
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 6.1 Client Circulation 6.2 Usage Status Analysis
ELEVATION DEVELOPMENT 7.1 Material Strategy 7.2 Elevation Design Proposal 7.3 Rendering
CRITICAL REFLECTION 8.1 Critical Reflection
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Accommodation|2.1 Strategy Process
STRATEGY ON ACCOMMODATION The unsite is a mixed use area now. The surrounding house type is complex, and most of the buildings are villas for living. At the north living district, the race distribution is rich. There are Asia, White, Black and Hispanic living very close to each other. In that case, it is reasonable to hold community center as part of the tower for better communication between races. In order to remind the visitor of the history on Potomac Yard, one museum is indispensable and could be contained into the lighthouse shape massing from symbolic aspect.
Zoning Information
Race Distribution
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Primary Idea of Accommodation
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Accommodation|2.1 Strategy Process
Massing Process Diagram
Fig 3. Rolling Stock: 1943
PROCESS ON MASSING METHOD The outlook tower is supposed to be high and tall. However, when defining the Good Yards deeper, the idea should be changed into forming a long and short building. The train is built up by different sections that combine one after another. If simplify the pattern and relate to massing idea of architecture, the building could be understood as a horizontal thing that could multiply with one kind of module. According to Geddes, the layers of his tower have hierachy and order from bottom to the top. By contrast, the outlook tower of this design scheme would divide hierachy merely by relationship between functions.
Fig 4. From Vision to Knowledge: Patrick Geddes’ Outlook Tower (1892)
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Transformation on Outlook Tower 17
Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
MUSEUM
Museum Typology I TYPOLOGY OF MUSEUM Aiming for figuring out clear proposal on accommodation, research is carried out on building typology nearby. The first theme is museum. Normally, museum is historical and symbolical, therefore, the National Memorial is also included. Summarizing the characteristics of Fame Museum and the Memorial, the tall shape and idea of gradual change is selected, so does the materiel of frosted glass.
Museum Typology II 18
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
MUSEUM
Museum Typology III TYPOLOGY OF MUSEUM Museum could also be regional and classical. referring to museum in Lyceum and a church in the old town, the idea of making the supporting structure outstanding is formed.
Museum Typology IV 20
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
OFFICE
Office Typology I
Office Typology II
TYPOLOGY OF OFFICE Analyzing office building type, the feature of grids and blocks are obvious, which could be conclude as the method of constructing office part of the outlook tower.
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Office Typology III
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
FACTORY
Factory Typology I TYPOLOGY OF FACTORY The factory buildings are long and are big in areas. The language of elevation is typical. Vertical panels array one by one with regulation.
Factory Typology II 24
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
THEATER
Fig 5. Interior View of Concert
Theater Typology I TYPOLOGY OF THEATER The broad space with stair-stepping feature could define theater well.
Fig 6. Interior View of Theater
Theater Typology II 26
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
HOTEL + HALL
Hotel + Hall Typology I
TYPOLOGY OF HOTEL AND HALL Usually there would be a hall to welcome the visitors living in the hotel. Since there are requirments for holding more people, the hotel is standardized and there are also blocks and grids compiling layer by layer.
Hotel + Hall Typology II
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Hotel + Hall Typology III
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
LIBRARY
Library Typology I
Library Typology II
Library Typology III 30
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
LIBRARY
Library Typology IV TYPOLOGY OF LIBRARY The library at local is typical of having series components and continuous space type.
Library Typology V 32
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
COMMUNITY CENTER
TYPOLOGY OF COMMUNITY CENTER The community center in the local is small in scale, and have abundant massing components. The one with pitched roof is the most typical.
Community Center Typology I
Community Center Typology II
Community Center Typology III 34
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
COMMERCIAL
Commercial Area Typology I TYPOLOGY OF COMMERCIAL AREA Some of the commercial areas are in individual shops with flexible selling method.
Commercial Area Typology II 36
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Accommodation|2.2 Context Research
COMMERCIAL
Commercial Area Typology III TYPOLOGY OF COMMERCIAL AREA There are other types of commercial area that melt into big buildings. some of them could be called Mall. In the West End, there used to be a big mall that acted as a landmark, however, it was replaced by a hospital few years ago.
Fig 7. Landmark Mall in Alexandria
Commercial Area Typology IV 38
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Accommodation|2.3 Function Typology
TYPOLOGY EXTRACTION Summarizing the typology of function, 8 kinds of space diagrasm are extracted. The museum might be a tall space with gradual change in shape. The office and the hotel have grid and block to follow. The factory would be long and high in space, and the elevation of which might be covered by panels arranged in regulation. The theater could be combined with stepped space, and the library would be a long space that stretches continually. Many blocks would connect with each other to form the community center, and in the commercial space, there might be more eye contects by void of floor plate.
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Accommodation|2.3 Function Typology
680 ㎡
FUNCTION COMBINATION
300 ㎡
The detailed information about the accommodation is listed. When considering how to combine the function together, terms like circulation, management, noise and space requirement are considered. The library and two corridors are supposed to connect different sections of the tower, and 2-3 function are arranged into one structure module.
1600 ㎡ 1500 ㎡ 1350 ㎡ 450 ㎡ 1300 ㎡ 1150 ㎡ 2250 ㎡
Accommodation Strategy 42
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Accommodation|2.4 Concept Analysis
TOWER SYSTEM As a metaphor, the system of the Rail Yards could be taken apart into different layers and follow hierachy orders. The Rail Yards might be understood as a basic system that holds the train and goods. In the architecture, the structure would take that duty. The idea of Good Yards is based on Rail Yards, which can be transformed into modules idea of a building. The next step is to explain the goods. The section of a train might be same, however, the goods inside of it is always changing, sometimes it is even empty. Following this regulation, the goods might refer to different functions inside of a building.
Concept Diagram
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CONTENT ALEXANDRIA SUMMARY 1.1 Unsite Location 1.2 Stone Elevation 1.3 Good Yards History 1.4 Steel Frame Structure
ACCOMMODATION 2.1 Strategy Process 2.2 Context Research 2.3 Function Typology 2.4 Concept Analysis
UNSITE STRATEGY 3.1 Unsite Analysis 3.2 Unsite Strategy 3.3 City Skyline 3.4 Site Plan
FIRE REGULATION 4.1 Plan Drawing
TECTONIC DESIGN 5.1 Section Drawing 5.2 3D Modeling 5.3 Detail Drawing
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 6.1 Client Circulation 6.2 Usage Status Analysis
ELEVATION DEVELOPMENT 7.1 Material Strategy 7.2 Elevation Design Proposal 7.3 Rendering
CRITICAL REFLECTION 8.1 Critical Reflection
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Unsite Strategy|3.1 Unsite Analysis
ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS The tower is settled on a small land in Potomac Yard, to follow complementary idea. the diagram shows different views in the surrounding environment. The layers of the surrounding building doesn't exceed 6 floors. In that case, not to break the balance of the context but make the tower outstanding, the supposed height of the building would be about 10 storeys.
Unsite Environment
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Unsite Strategy|3.2 Unsite Strategy
Unsite Strategy STRATEGY IN TOP VIEW The tower locates in a small land that next to series of villas in the south. They might form a small square in orange. In broader context, together with the big building on the west, a red rectangle is formed. Concluding more buildings inthe west in, a bigger square is given birth to, which is annotated in blue.
Roof Plan
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Unsite Strategy|3.2 Unsite Strategy
STRATEGY IN 3D MODELING Following the concept analysis and complementary idea from the top view, the massing is generated and circulation system is arranged in. When considering design in vertical, the whole building is brought up and form a flexible ground floor area. One of the consideration is that, in the rainy season, the city is easily to be effected by the flooding. Another concern is that, there would be more opportunities for people pass through the building and activate this place.
Volume Generation I
Volume Generation IV
Volume Generation II
Volume Generation V
Volume Generation III
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City Flooding Zones
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Unsite Strategy|3.3 City Skyline
LANDMARKS IN BROADER CONTEXT Viewing from the section, the building is humble enough to melt into the context. More landmarks are annotated in a long section drawing.
City Skyline Annotation
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Unsite Strategy|3.4 Site Plan
Primary Site Plan
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Unsite Strategy|3.4 Site Plan
SITE PLAN SYSTEM There are two kinds of road system on the site plan. The straight one in blue and red are fast passage for people pass through the site efficiently, such as the stuff in the office. The orange one is a curve road locates across the site. This road is designed for people in leisure need, such as old people coming out from the community center. The grey triangle represents entrance for cars.
Road Axis
Site Plan
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Entrance Diagram
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CONTENT ALEXANDRIA SUMMARY 1.1 Unsite Location 1.2 Stone Elevation 1.3 Good Yards History 1.4 Steel Frame Structure
ACCOMMODATION 2.1 Strategy Process 2.2 Context Research 2.3 Function Typology 2.4 Concept Analysis
UNSITE STRATEGY 3.1 Unsite Analysis 3.2 Unsite Strategy 3.3 City Skyline 3.4 Site Plan
FIRE REGULATION 4.1 Plan Drawing
TECTONIC DESIGN 5.1 Section Drawing 5.2 3D Modeling 5.3 Detail Drawing
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 6.1 Client Circulation 6.2 Usage Status Analysis
ELEVATION DEVELOPMENT 7.1 Material Strategy 7.2 Elevation Design Proposal 7.3 Rendering
CRITICAL REFLECTION 8.1 Critical Reflection
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Fire Regulation|4.1 Plan Drawing
Core for Fire Regulation
PLAN DESIGN The ground floor plan is easier to figure out circulation and loading bearing system. In other layers, the distance between each two column is 5 meters, however, in the ground floor, the distance doubled and become 10 meters. The walls of core circulation are load bearing walls, which take place part of the steel structure frame.
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Fire Regulation|4.1 Plan Drawing
Core for Fire Regulation
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Fire Regulation|4.1 Plan Drawing
Core for Fire Regulation
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Fire Regulation|4.1 Plan Drawing
Core for Fire Regulation
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Fire Regulation|4.1 Plan Drawing
Core for Fire Regulation
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Fire Regulation|4.1 Plan Drawing
Core for Fire Regulation
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Fire Regulation|4.1 Plan Drawing
Core for Fire Regulation
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CONTENT ALEXANDRIA SUMMARY 1.1 Unsite Location 1.2 Stone Elevation 1.3 Good Yards History 1.4 Steel Frame Structure
ACCOMMODATION 2.1 Strategy Process 2.2 Context Research 2.3 Function Typology 2.4 Concept Analysis
UNSITE STRATEGY 3.1 Unsite Analysis 3.2 Unsite Strategy 3.3 City Skyline 3.4 Site Plan
FIRE REGULATION 4.1 Plan Drawing
TECTONIC DESIGN 5.1 Section Drawing 5.2 3D Modeling 5.3 Detail Drawing
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 6.1 Client Circulation 6.2 Usage Status Analysis
ELEVATION DEVELOPMENT 7.1 Material Strategy 7.2 Elevation Design Proposal 7.3 Rendering
CRITICAL REFLECTION 8.1 Critical Reflection
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Tectonic Design|5.1 Section Drawing
W-E Section Drawing
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Tectonic Design|5.1 Section Drawing
W-E Section Drawing
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Tectonic Design|5.2 3D Modeling
STRUCTURE SYSTEM There is contrast between light steel frame structure and heavy load bearing wall. The ground floor is supposed to be heigh that other layers, therefore, the beam to hold the building is deeper. Truss replace the universal beam and universal column in some areas, such as the museum, the theater and the factory. The roof of the theater is imagined to be curve and contain strcuvture or other equipment into the big space. In the factory, since there are requirement for machine opporation, truss is applied to allow a free space.
Structure Modeling
Structure of Museum and Theater
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Structure of Factory
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Tectonic Design|5.3 Detail Drawing
1-50 DETAIL DRAWING OF MUSEUM
Detail Annotation Drawing
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In the museum, the artificial light is hanging under the steel frame and could be directly seen by the visitors. The elevation would be frosted glass and allow some sunlight coming in. Poeple inside of the museum could see the scenery nearby roughly.
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Tectonic Design|5.3 Detail Drawing
1-20 DETAIL DRAWING OF THEATER In the theater, the roof is designed in more details. There are ventilation pipe hidden into the roof space, and there are two kinds of lightning system. One is in dim light for setting off the atmosphere, also hidden after the roof. Another one is hanging under the structure, passing through the roof. There are materials for sound insulation and acoustic effect of the curve roof.
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1-20 DETAIL DRAWING OF CONNECTION In the upper part of the library, one detail is drawn to show the connection. The heat insulation system is continuous, and beams in two direction are bolted into another.
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Tectonic Design|5.3 Detail Drawing
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1-20 DETAIL DRAWING OF LIBRARY AND OFFICE
1-20 DETAIL DRAWING OF GROUND FLOOR
In the office, the elevation is supposed to be double skin, which allows better temperature environment of this building part. In different seasons, the air between two glass act as thermal insulation or ventilation role.
The junction of the column in the ground floor is hidden into the land. There is a basis and a panel is welded on it. The column is bolted into the panel.
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CONTENT ALEXANDRIA SUMMARY 1.1 Unsite Location 1.2 Stone Elevation 1.3 Good Yards History 1.4 Steel Frame Structure
ACCOMMODATION 2.1 Strategy Process 2.2 Context Research 2.3 Function Typology 2.4 Concept Analysis
UNSITE STRATEGY 3.1 Unsite Analysis 3.2 Unsite Strategy 3.3 City Skyline 3.4 Site Plan
FIRE REGULATION 4.1 Plan Drawing
TECTONIC DESIGN 5.1 Section Drawing 5.2 3D Modeling 5.3 Detail Drawing
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 6.1 Client Circulation 6.2 Usage Status Analysis
ELEVATION DEVELOPMENT 7.1 Material Strategy 7.2 Elevation Design Proposal 7.3 Rendering
CRITICAL REFLECTION 8.1 Critical Reflection
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Elevation Development|6.1 Client Circulation
Factory Circulation
Office Circulation
CIRCULATION SYSTEM In different part of the building, there are different principle on circulation. In the factory, there are 3 kinds of circulation, the grey one is for loading, and goods would be transformed through this elevaator. The one in deep blue is the routine for fire regulation. The light blue one is the circulation for people in daily need.
Museum Circulation
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Library Circulation
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Elevation Development|6.1 Client Circulation
Factory Circulation
Office Circulation
CIRCULATION SYSTEM As for the theater, there are two kinds of elevator for going up and down. one of the elevator also serves for library and hotel. And in the hotel, theare are circulation annotated in orange, they are stairs for people going between the hall and there living places. There are corridors between commercial area connecting with theater and the hotel respectively. The community center and flexible commercial area use the same circulation riutine.
Museum Circulation
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Library Circulation
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Elevation Development|6.2 Usage Status Analysis
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Morning
Afternoon
Night
USAGE STATUS The usage situation of the whole building is considered. The theater is at the top of the second section and the lower part is the hotel. Therefore, performance might be arranged on weekends, in the afternoon.
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CONTENT ALEXANDRIA SUMMARY 1.1 Unsite Location 1.2 Stone Elevation 1.3 Good Yards History 1.4 Steel Frame Structure
ACCOMMODATION 2.1 Strategy Process 2.2 Context Research 2.3 Function Typology 2.4 Concept Analysis
UNSITE STRATEGY 3.1 Unsite Analysis 3.2 Unsite Strategy 3.3 City Skyline 3.4 Site Plan
FIRE REGULATION 4.1 Plan Drawing
TECTONIC DESIGN 5.1 Section Drawing 5.2 3D Modeling 5.3 Detail Drawing
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 6.1 Client Circulation 6.2 Usage Status Analysis
ELEVATION DEVELOPMENT 7.1 Material Strategy 7.2 Elevation Design Proposal 7.3 Rendering
CRITICAL REFLECTION 8.1 Critical Reflection
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Elevation Development|7.1 Material Strategy
E-N Elevation ELEVATION MATERIAL Combining all the research result and the situation of the local building. Materials such as stone, glass, wooden and plaster are applied into the outlook tower.
South Elevation 100
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Elevation Development|7.2 Elevation Design Proposal
(Artificial Light) plaster
wooden
glass
PROGRAMME
stone
(Natural Light)
ELEVATION DESIGN PROPOSAL Elevation-Accommodation
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The elevation of each different building part is determined by how many artificial light and natural light deos the space need.
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Elevation Development|7.3 Rendering
Elevation Rendering I
Elevation Rendering II 104
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Elevation Development|7.3 Rendering
Ground Floor Rendering - Morning
Elevation Rendering III
Ground Floor Rendering - Noon
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CONTENT ALEXANDRIA SUMMARY 1.1 Unsite Location 1.2 Stone Elevation 1.3 Good Yards History 1.4 Steel Frame Structure
ACCOMMODATION 2.1 Strategy Process 2.2 Context Research 2.3 Function Typology 2.4 Concept Analysis
UNSITE STRATEGY 3.1 Unsite Analysis 3.2 Unsite Strategy 3.3 City Skyline 3.4 Site Plan
FIRE REGULATION 4.1 Plan Drawing
TECTONIC DESIGN 5.1 Section Drawing 5.2 3D Modeling 5.3 Detail Drawing
ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS DIAGRAM 6.1 Client Circulation 6.2 Usage Status Analysis
ELEVATION DEVELOPMENT 7.1 Material Strategy 7.2 Elevation Design Proposal 7.3 Rendering
CRITICAL REFLECTION 8.1 Critical Reflection
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Accommodation|8.1 Critical Reflection
"What’s brief about Alexandria?" As one of the four cities which has ‘twinning’ relationship with Dundee, Alexandria( Virginia, USA), is known by its’ old town, king street, civil war defense, stone marker, villa type house, harbour and mostly, the railway system. There is a long history with the city, alongside with the city railway. With the land expanding from east to the west between 1749 and 1952, Alexandria also got development on the railway, which could be divided into two parts. The first railway section was built in 1850, called the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, connected by the Alexandria, Loudoun & Hampshire Railroad that was constructed in 1853. Although the numbers of the track varied a lot in decades, the main location and axis of the railway system remained stable. At the North-eastern part of the city, the district which is named as Potomac yard used to be a ‘Rail Yard’, many railway tracks work together, making transformation an effective thing in this area, however, the flourish atmosphere didn’t remain very long time, there are fewer and fewer tracks after 1988.
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THE STONE MARKER During 1791 and 1846, part of the city land belonged to Columbia, and the stone markers were the indication of city boundary, the shape of which looks a square, containing strong political meaning. There are 40 of them in total, each one has a name and location. In the city Alexandria, there are 5 of the markers standing cross the line of king street, however, the markers seem to be ignored by the local, and several of them are still in the steel cage now.
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Accommodation|8.1 Critical Reflection
"How to understand the ‘Unsite’?" UNSITE DEFINITION
Supported by theories and research, three definitions of unsite are given. The first one is that, the unsite is opposite or parallel to site. Normally the site is famous, such as the historical or archaeological place. The site doesn’t lack of population, like school, living place and leisure green land. The second way to define the unsite is to use the geometry relationship, overlapping invisible grids. The grids might be the axis of city Nolli plan pattern, or enclosed area that is formed by connecting important transportation nodes. The last method is to find out transition space, which could be unimpressive place that approaching the site. People will pass by this place, but won’t know its’ past and will forget this place soon.
"What’s the context of the ‘Unsite’?" According to the research and conclusion of the unsite, the Potomac Yard is selected to be one of the unsites. It is a coordinated development district now, working as utility or transportation hub. Viewing the surrounding environment, most districts are for living, several commercial areas run through the residential districts. The buildings almost keep in low height, since the general building type is villa. Official space and industrial space distribute near the Potomac Yard, close to the railway. The type of green land is rich nearby, with the famous Potomac Park exhibiting series of old railway tracks for memorial concern.
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"What is an Outlook Tower?" The idea of Outlook Tower strive from the botanist-planner Patrick Geddes. It is a building locating in Edinburgh that operating as a museum. According to Geddes, an Outlook Tower should be built bases on the consideration of built environment, and the function is less important than the property of ‘social organization’, since what is inside of the tower is always changing according to requirement of the local.
"What’s the main design proposal?" The main aim of the design is about the renewal of history that is almost forgotten in this civilization. The unsite is highly related to the history of Rail Yard, in that case, considering how to convey the sense of Rail Yard among the outlook tower become the centre concern, alongside with the consideration on the stone markers, localization, and the broader society.
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Accommodation|8.1 Critical Reflection
"How to choose material and structure?" In the old town, there are buildings that have been standing for a long time, the elevation of which is about stone. Back to the stone markers, which are locked by the steel, the idea of releasing them is very strong. As a result, stone is selected to be the most important materials. After analyzing other building types, timber, plaster and glass are also selected to be part of the elevation material. Referring to Rail Yard, the steel track is easy to be supposed as one of the typical features. From another perspective, as a metaphor, in order to release the stone markers, imagining each marker as a tiny stone house, which is inside of the steel cage, the method is to transform the steel as a kind of inner structure, therefore, the stone house would be hanged as an outside decoration. When considering fire regulation, several cores are added into the tower, which also act as load bearing structures.
"What’s the accommodation?" When considering the accommodation, museum and community center are necessary functions. The reason of containing museum is that, the visitors could directly see the exhibited objects about the railway and know the history of the Potomac Yard better. The hidden history could be shown to the public as a reminder. As for the community center, the requirement of it is instant. According to the survey, the identity of the residents living in the surrounding is extraordinarily complex, especially in the north part of the Unsite. The Asian, Hispanic, Black, White citizens form a mixed habitation. In that case, for better communication between these dwellers, an community center is strongly expected. Interpreting the Rail Yard in a deeper degree, besides rail tracks, the most general scenery about the railway is transforming goods by trains. In another word, the ‘Rail Yards’ could also be understood as ‘Good Yards’. The carriages in series looks as if infinite and would multiply, horizontally and continually, so does the outlook tower. The tower wouldn’t be a tall and vertical one, but a short and horizontal one. Normally, the carriages looks like similar and follow a kind of module, but each carriage would carry different goods or even people. The inside is complex and rich. Similarly, the structure of the outlook tower might also follow a kind of construction mode, but the space and accommodation would be abundant. Researching for the building typologies of Alexandria, several basic functions and features are extracted. Office, factory, theater, hotel, library and commerce are added into the accommodation.
Fig 8. Approach to Newcastle Station
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Accommodation|8.1 Critical Reflection
"How to respond to the site?" The orientation and location of the tower are decided by the surroundings. It occupies a small vacant land and form squares or rectangles with the nearby buildings. The tower is raised up from the ground for two reasons. The main concern is that, in the raining season, the city is easy to be influenced by the flooding. Another concern is the convenience of the public. It is free and open on the ground, people could pass by the building easily and gain better horizon around this area.
"Which part of the building is chosen to develop the technical detail?" The middle part of the building is selected to cast further development. In the museum, the detail design focuses on the lightning. The material of elevation is frosted glass, people inside or outside of the building could see blurry shape and scenery. The structure is exposed directly to the visitors, and they could see artificial lights hanging under the roof. Acoustic design is applied on the theater, the roof of which is thick enough to hide structure, ventilation pipe and another lightning system. One layer of the roof material is polyporous, absorb sound and create better acoustic environment. The elevation of the library is double skin glass, allowing controllable ventilation and heat preservation system.
"How to relate the DRU project with the Outlook Tower?" The main idea of the DRU thinking machine is ‘Proportion’, it is not only an aesthetic discipline that an architect needs to consider in the design, but also an extensive stereotype that exist in nearly everywhere. When talking about Pantheon, the beautiful proportion that relates to golden ratio would be a great breakthrough point. The golden ration is selected to be the specific object to carry out research. The module idea is applied to the DRU project in the next stage, the inspiration of which comes from the concept of Good Yard. The Outlook Tower is designed based on module of units and structure. Blocks with function combine together and melt into three module units. To develop the proportion idea, 3D modeling with a set of modules become the solution. Then the module groups are broken up and re-combined together to imitate proportion of objects and follow the new regulations in the thinking machine.
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DRU Model Rendering
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Accommodation|8.1 Critical Reflection
Construction case study-Pompidou Art Center The style of Pompidou Art Center could be recognized as High-tech. Although being controversial at the early stage, it is undeniable that the building is a masterpiece which communicates its concept fairly well to the clients. The building illustrates itself by getting rid of any unnecessary decorations and showing structure with pipes directly to the visitors. There are pipes in different colors. Yellow ones represent electrical pipelines. Those in blue are air conditioning equipment. The green pipes work as water supply and drainage system. Red ones represent moving lines. In order to respond to the Good Yards, the expression of showing function by color label is borrowed and transferred into a similar solution. Each of the function type in the accommodation are given specific and unique shape to make it recognizable. Then the function blocks combine with the basic structure module and could still be identified through elevation.
Fig 9. Pipes of Pompidou Art Center
Detail case study-Ronchamp Chapel As one of the famous building designed by Le Cobusier, this building doesn’t look like a church at the first sight. It is said that the inspiration of the roof comes from the crab’s carapace. When entering into the building, the dim and soft light would make the visitors feel as if they are being in a cave. The most attracting part of the building must be the bulging structure on the top. The longest span is about 30 meters. The whole roof is hollow, and the height of the inner space is so deep that it could even allow people walking around randomly. To create beautiful effect on acoustic, a red hole is dug to connect the altar that holding the mass. Even being Inside of the roof, the sound from the chapel could be heard very clearly. The theory of the roof space is similar with that of a guitar, acting as sound hole. The detail of the theater in the outlook tower project refers to this chapel, and also creates a big hollow roof to bring about better acoustic effect. Besides the sound environment design, ventilation and lightning design also relate to the roof and become important considerations.
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Fig 10. Ronchamp Section Drawing
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Images Cited Fig 1. Wikipedia, "The Potomac River", (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potomac_River) Fig 2. Spotlight, "Cooper & Co Lighthouse Framed Canvas Black & White", (https://www. spotlightstores.com/nz/home/wall-art/framed-prints/cooper-co-lighthouse-framed-canvas/ BP80501256-black-white) Fig 3. Bensenville, Illinois, "Rolling Stock: 1943", (https://www.shorpy.com/node/6969) Fig 4. "From Vision to Knowledge: Patrick Geddes’ Outlook Tower " (1892) Fig 5. "Interior View of Concert", (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rachel+M.+Schlesin ger+Concert+Hall+and+Arts+Center/@38.8398597,-77.112077,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3 m6!1sAF1QipND1lcgy7vOhagEYyx1NOIyHTvKu5JLSErwWlfk!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2F lh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipND1lcgy7vOhagEYyx1NOIyHTvKu5JLSErwWl fk%3Dw152-h86-k-no!7i2560!8i1440!4m9!1m2!2m1!1zdGhlYXRlciwgQWxleGFuZHJpYSwg VkEsIOe-juWbvQ!3m5!1s0x89b7b3e5a986dff1:0xeedcc9d1ea1ea6c!8m2!3d38.8400156!4d77.1117999!15sCh90aGVhdGVyLCBBbGV4YW5kcmlhLCBWQSwg576O5Zu9Wh4iHHRoZ WF0ZXIgYWxleGFuZHJpYSB2YSDnvo7lm72SAQxjb25jZXJ0X2hhbGyaASNDaFpEU1VoTk 1HOW5TMFZKUTBGblNVTnpjUzFYUkZoQkVBRQ) Fig 6. "Interior View of Theater", (https://www.google.com/maps/place/Little+Theatre+of+Ale xandria/@38.8012491,-77.0465901,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipNLF2DCcjN9 xOmTDPoldLk65pS1YZejrM4wWYqF!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.co m%2Fp%2FAF1QipNLF2DCcjN9xOmTDPoldLk65pS1YZejrM4wWYqF%3Dw114-h86-k-no! 7i4032!8i3024!4m9!1m2!2m1!1zdGhlYXRlciwgQWxleGFuZHJpYSwgVkEsIOe-juWbvQ!3m5!1s0x89b7b05711079b33:0x462875fde1192a50!8m2!3d38.80131!4d-77.046876!15sCh90aG VhdGVyLCBBbGV4YW5kcmlhLCBWQSwg576O5Zu9kgEXcGVyZm9ybWluZ19hcnRzX3Ro ZWF0ZXI) Fig 7. "Alexandria And Inova Announce Plans For New Hospital Campus To Replace Landmark Mall", (https://dcist.com/story/20/12/22/va-alexandria-landmark-mall-inovahospital-campus/) F i g 8 . " A p p r o a c h t o N e w c a s t l e S t a t i o n " , ( h t t p s : / / t w i t t e r. c o m / H u y J e a n / status/614579204496101376) Fig 9. "Nike’s history with the Pompidou Centre", (https://crepcultureblog.com/2018/11/06/ nikes-history-with-the-pompidou-centre/) Fig 10. Manual of Section: Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, and David J. Lewis, "Ronchamp Section Drawing" 122
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