This is an image showing the overall site plan design. I will be posting some images of the type of landscaping, benches, and building services that will occur on site. Also, there is information being incorporated in regards to lighting and materials.
4 comments:
Eddie,
The site plan is quite tight – matching your overall performance.
I hope in working re-working your project from the intensive you don’t loose the essence of your idea: the removal of the building mass from the ground to keep as much surface for landscaping as possible. But to me it seems that you are building up the entire site. I’m questioning the need for the retaining wall along the back edge as well as the large service area – I could see the garage simply being cut into the existing slope and letting it flow around it. Minimizing the driveway with a single lane and shoulders for the exceptional crossing of cars or the wider truck… the site seems crowded despite having all the program suspended above or stacked in the tower. I still wonder if the tower wouldn’t be better closer to the corner with less of a front door plaza, maybe even right up to the tracks (no green strip to the north), and give more space to the reflecting pond and exhibition space. The placement of the exit stair in front of the windows of the existing building is awkward and ruins the great potential for being a really good neighbor – instead of improving the view out of the existing window down into a pleasant green space, the stair and also the garage are encroaching on the building in a negative way.
I urge you to very carefully double check the basic site layout, a mentioned earlier.
Werner,
Touchez! you are a man of great wisdom. As I was working on my site plan I asked myself, how am I really saving on footprint? and then I introduced the lawn inside the area surrounded by the pond in an attempt to gain green space. The retaining wall around the service area I thought was required since I attempt to level the site as much as possible.
The driveway is the minimal distance for a two way circulation on the straight stacking area, I'll double check the width of the turning area to see if I could reduce it more.
I set the tower where it is to respect some setbacks, but the zoning council could assist in overruling that, and granting the variance. I will try shifting the tower, however I would rather hold the size of the pond and gallery space to the size it is now or totally incorporating the gallery space inside the tower and adding another level instead. This would benefit the pervious area! I intend to skin the exit stair with glass and moving it to the east should help. In this case, reality sinks in and I need the stair for egress and structural loads. So my only option is to seek for precedents in urban settings where stairs become sculptural and something technologically beautiful to look at. Hmmm....now you got me thinkging about Renzo Piano's work, or even better, Coop Himmelb(l)au. Thanks for the comments, I look forward to your next comments.
Eddie,
The Variance Board didn't see a particualr reason why to uphole th esetbacks on this site - however the board would like to see the proposed development before making a ruling... boloni, you will get my comments. I'm looking forward to your play. I think moving the exhibit space inside is a great idea. The tower could use some more height, even the suspended living quarters could be up heiher.
I wonder if you would also benefit from a single loaded parking structure; one or two cars longer and stacked higher (5x2x4=10, 7x1x6=42)? The glass tower shouldn't be a problem either, you could have a cast-in place core around which you wrap the stair, enclosed in a curtain wall...
Werner,
I was going to hold responding, but I could not resist! It never fails, I continue to work and BAM! there is a comment :-) Anyway, to your liking, I hope, I relocated the stair as I decided to be a friendly neighbor, the Gallery space went inside the tower, but I also created an outdoor Gallery lawn (you'll see). I moved the tower as much as I thought prudent, I want to have a bit of corner plaza, so if I bring the tower too close to the edge then occupants will feel like a "flower vase on a table"?! My goal for the corner is for students and pedestrians to occupy it and therefore slow down the pedestrians going back and forth. I now have a lot more green area and I also adjusted the grading. I promise to post by tomorrow. Thanks again for your continuous help...
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