For our 3rd and final project of iar 301, we spent a week conceptually exploring yet another old building in downtown Durham, the old fire drill tower. Above is my final product, and below are some photos I took of the building from the site visit a few weeks ago. I chose to change the tower into a desert bar/lounge, as I was really intrigued with the idea of people (and buildings) constantly coming and going around Durham (which led to my concept: the relationship between solid and void) It was a really cool space, and a fun project!
These past few weeks, Sara and I have been working nonstop finishing up our final submission for the CBI project. We had our final critique, and then continued revising for our 3x4' poster and booklet, which will be on display tomorrow. We are still working on our final programming document, which will come later. Below is our final concept statement and our final images- perspectives, plans, sections, a few diagrams and extra conceptual images, as well as our 3D model walkthrough animation.
concept statement (edge : node : vista): The CBI Durham showroom is a space defined not only by the purpose of the company, but the surroundings of Durham as well. With wayfinding as the basis of the design, the space suggests good organization and circulation. Upon entering the space, it is soon apparent that the building is divided into sections with various purposes enclosed. Each section of the space, or node, is where the main activity takes place. These zones are further separated by the translucent edges- the edges define the boundaries of the nodes. These entities also connect the layers of the space, thus performing as a guide through the extents of the building. As the nodes and edges progress through CBI, the visual sense of a vista begins to form. As one enters the space, the branding of CBI serves as the iconic view, whereas upon exiting, the view of the Durham Post Office reigns superior. Each of the three components work together to create a sense of space that is engaging, not only with the products, but the company, as well as the surrounding downtown Durham.
edge: boundaries between two phases, line breaks in continuity. node: a center of activity; moments of shift from one element to another. vista: a distant view of prospect, especially one seen through an opening, as between rows of buildings or trees.
Today was our desk critique for the 3rd development stage of the project, and there is a week left until our final presentation. Here is a sneak peak of what's to come!
This past week was design development stage 2. Sara and I made some big conceptual and physical changes this time around. We found that our concept worked better with the addition of edge. EDGE : NODE : VISTA allowed us to better explain our decisions, as well as organize the circulation and installations within the space more logically.
According to Kevin Lynch, a city planner and author of The Image of the City, an edge is defined as a dividing line between districts, boundaries between two phases, and the linear breaks in continuity. Our large 3form features worked better as edges, allowing the actual spaces to become the nodes (strategic spots which an observer can enter, primary junctions) - together creating the vista notion. We also added 2 more colors to our scheme, a grey-purple and a yellow-orange, pulling from CBI's website navigation to help better direct traffic within our space, as well as warm it. Below are the images we created to help communicate where we are at this point in the design process.
first floor plan
second floor plan
perspective from conference space
perspective of chair display
perspective of reception with the Post Office vista
perspective of showroom from reception
perspective of kitchen/lounge
east long section
west long section
south cross section
north cross section
first floor ceiling plan
second floor ceiling plan
Our next step is further refinement and detail design for design development 3, to be completed by next friday!
This past week, Sara and I have been working on the latest stage of our CBI project, and yesterday, we had an interim presentation in front of a few professional guest critics and our peers. We received some really great feedback and are excited to move forward. In this stage we further developed our space, producing a more finalized spatial layout, perspectives, and construction drawings.
perspective of the front entry/showroom area
first floor plan
second floor plan
perspective view looking towards entry from the back of the building
cross section of back stair/elevator area
perspective of stairway
long section of entire building, entry on the left side
*This section is best for explaining the relationship of the "nodes" to the building- piercing each floor, dividing areas, and becoming skylights.
perspective of kitchen/lounge area, stairs on the right
perspective of conference area, above the entrance
2nd floor reflected ceiling/lighting plan
materials: As of right now, we have chosen to use 3form's Chroma product in "cranberry" for the main "node" feature and walls encasing the stairs, as well as a colorless Chroma product for the 2nd node. We are going with polished concrete on the main floor, and a light bamboo on the 2nd, as well as a light gray paint for the walls, as we cannot keep the existing brick exposed (which would be ideal) due to historic preservation issues.
We were also to create a 4x8.5 "precís" or "snapshot of our project" to pass out to our guest critics. We chose a view of our site, the vista, and the post office all in one.
2 more design development stages and the final to come! A few things I feel will be our next challenges: more concept development, moving towards "warmer" materials, kitchen/lounge development, and engagement with the exterior/street.
