Round Two...

Portfolio: Las Vegas Convention Center

2007-11-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

Project: Addition and remodel of the Las Vegas Convention Center

Scope of work: South Hall (Hall A) addition

Roles: I am a team member of three firm group: Trialogue Design, SRA, TRP and EV&A. These three independent firms came together in a way where collaboration, growth and knowledge can foster. (This project is the one referenced in the Leadership post)

The below images illustrate areas of opportunity for our team to design and develop the intentions of the lead architect, HNTB. Personal and team roles have come in the way of developing the East portion of the South Hall (Hall A).

Existing conditions

Studies of traffic patterns and identifying possible issues

Massing model study - transition of a solid plane

Massing model study - wrapping the skin (roof and walls) around the void to retail similar language of the ribbon roof element along the front.

Massing model study - juxtaposition of large and small - solid and void

Massing model study - view from the roadway below Massing model study - view from the roadway below

The rest of the images are for context only. Images of the campus and campus wide scope.

Portfolio: Studio Introduction

2007-11-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

Facility to house the Distance M. Arch. program at the BAC

Introduction:
Our real world clients come to us usually with fairly general programs; a four bedroom house, 15,000 SF of office space, a community center. We take this little information and create a program. We envision the specific uses and assign areas. We study the interrelationship of the uses and describe adjacency requirements. We determine the “ideal” location for these uses on the site. Once program and a conceptual plan of the building solidifies we are adding necessary support spaces (circulation, storage, toilet rooms, mechanical, etc.) to the building program.
The client for the Semester 2 project is asking us to provide a facility that houses the intensive part of a distance learning program. It will be located in the vicinity of the Boston Architectural College to allow for easy access to support functions (Library, IT, etc.)
The facility will offer living quarters for 24 students, three class rooms for up to 14 students each and a dining/lounge/exhibit area.
The facility will be open to students 24 hours, scanning, printing and model making is possible on site. Desk work, lectures and critiques will happen in class rooms and the lounge area. The exhibit space shall be open at times to the larger community.
A break room will offer snacks and beverages, breakfast and sandwiches will be catered (other meals will have to take place off site).
It is desired to have a small outdoor space for recreational or contemplative use on the site.

Portfolio: Research and Exploration

2007-11-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Concept Statement

2007-11-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Process

2007-11-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

Site studies

Detail vignette

Elevation schemes

Scheme 2 - in a lesser fashion speaks to the massing size and proportions. With each scheme the floor plate remains thesame, there are two dramatically differentelevation ideas.

Gateway

The idea of engaging the public with a public space (gallery) in normal public (pedestrian) area intrigues me... I also have some reserve about wthat space will feel to be in... my thought process goes instinctual back to last semester to History/Theoty class and how social awareness in regards to our built environment is often thrown out the back window and "good" design often becomes architecture for architects... Who uses these spaces and how do these spaces get used and why are they being used?

American Hertiage Dictionary defines "Gateway" as such:
gate·way (gāt'wā') n.1. An opening or a structure framing an opening, such as an arch, that may be closed by a gate.2. Something that serves as an entrance or a means of access: a gateway to success; the gateway to the West.3. Software or hardware that enables communication between computer networks that use different communications protocols. Also called router2.

Section studies

Noon December 21

Natural daylight makes it to the studio space at the second level... but not so, at the first level.... the only part that is in shadow is the circulation area.

Noon June 21

Natural daylight comes in the second level studio space will be well shaded with the light shelves bringing in the light throughout the studio space.

Portfolio: Site and Roof Plan

2007-11-01T22:01:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Program

2007-11-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Sections

2007-11-01T21:56:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Plans

2007-11-01T21:45:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Elevations

2007-11-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Perspectives

2007-11-01T21:40:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Structure

2007-11-01T21:15:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Code Analysis

2007-11-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Building Services

2007-11-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Detailing and Materials

2007-11-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Recruitment

2007-10-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

The following is from a comment submitted to my first semester blog.

Post a Comment On: Ready to get started...
"Portfolio: Conept Statement/Studio Introduction"

Kevin Phillips said...
I just looked at your entire project and it tells a great story! I could easily follow your reason and your ideas came through very clear. Actually, I liked your written portion of the blog explaining the project the most. I could see that you put a lot of thought into your project.I just noticed this blog because it was linked to the Boston Architectural College's website. I am thinking about enrolling into the Dist. M. Arch. program next fall. Do you have advice or comments about the program?
October 11, 2007 6:49 PM

Ken Ballard said...
Kevin, Thanks for the interest in the program and taking the time to review the entire blog. If you are interested in looking at the second semester of work that we have just completed go to this link/site www.kab-2.blogspot.com or http://distancemarch2.blogspot.com/index.html. This program is great for those of us that have been working in the profession for a while (I have 7 years of experience in an office) and can offer a lot for those just entering the profession and wanting to complete school with out taking the time for a traditional 6 month semester. The program, over the last two semesters, has really grown and continues to look towards the next few cohorts to really make a solid foundation in the architectural education realm. My advice to you regarding this program (and I think others would say the same) is… be ready for the long haul. The two weeks leading up to the 10 day intensive is partly an ice breaker for the instructor and other classmates, the 10 day intensive, is just that. These ten days, the instructors and even the admin challenged and engaged us with a clear direction, passion and knowledge. The six weeks after the intensive is where we as students get to really shine. We head back to our respective cities and produce! The blog tool is a great vehicle for the one on one “desk crit” time, except it does even more… the cohort that you will become part of is in many ways another family, and you will not only get great feedback from the instructor but valuable feedback from fellow classmates that are from a perspective that the instructor can not always provide.The classes themselves are set up in a fashion (at least from how I see it) to bring you back to the academic forum while craftily using the skills that you have developed in the office.The student population and experiences that show up at the door are vast! The accumulative brain power is remarkable and diverse. There is plenty to learn from the school and instructors, but there is another layer of education and friendship that is enormous… each other… my cohort, the first cohort, has two licensed architects and several LEED AP people all of which are just as thirsty for knowledge, the degree and architecture.The BAC’s approach to live, work, learn is refreshing…. They see a strong connection between education and work… BAC already has established a professional practice program/reporting system that all their students have to be part of… this program, the Distance M.Arch program takes that ideology to the next level. A program that was greatly needed and is supported by the community, BAC facility and the students… This is something great to be part of.On a different note… this program is intense… it is meant to be intense. Discuss with your family, wife, girlfriend, kids; boss etc anyone that you interact with… because it will affect them. The support and love from people back home will only make this easier and more enjoyable.To wrap this up… because I could go on a lot longer…. This program, for me, has been a top 5 decision! I am very excited about this school, how they teach, why they teach and there overall all commitment to architecture… we were told at the end of the first semester that the BAC is interested in graduating architects, not just students.
October 15, 2007 9:34 AM

Portfolio: Leadedrship

2007-10-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Peer Mentor Check-In Assignment – “Your Stories.” You can use the opportunity scenario you shared with all of us in addressing question 3. If you prefer to choose something else, please feel free to do that. Workbook Four is based on how you support yourself in leading on major decisions you make that can impact your organization. So, use this as a model of something you will do many, many times in your career. Use question 6 to begin to get into the pattern of creating your story. You don’t need to read much literature on the subject of leadership to find out that the ability to craft and communicate a story is a key attribute of leading others. So, practice on your peer and see if you can create a follower. Once you have completed your check in, I would like each of you to send me an email telling me how effective your fellow peer mentor’s story was in engaging you as a potential follower of them. What did you like about their story and what did you learn yourself about the power of the story in engaging others. Remember to follow the guidelines in your peer mentoring dialogues.

The following are emails to and from Bonnie Gorbaty regarding this assignment:

Bonnie,
It still amazes me how parallel Carli and I's office life/politics/journey ends up being. As I mentioned in Boston, I was going to be at my office less and less over the next year and I was wanting to hand over / give our interns more authority and ownership of projects that they are working on while Carli was wanting to assert herself in more of a leadership role. These two opportunity scenarios, although on the surface different are very much parallel. We both are stepping outside of a comfort zone in order to accomplish a goal: Develop a stronger, well rooted role of leadership within our office. I have stepped out of the active day to day project management role to provide an opportunity for an intern to raise up (hopefully in a manner similar to one that I have demonstrated) and Carli has had enough with the lazy approach her boss has had towards client/consultant relations and start making decisions that she knows to be right.
I have taken a large leap and am still in the air hoping to land on solid ground. A major reason for wanting to expand/grow our interns roles and ownership of projects was to enable them in my apparent absence as well as sink or swim. I grew in my firm by doing... I had to... there was work, only two of us... I had to develop and was given the opportunity at every level to do so. it was not always that way... in the beginning, a friend of mine was there to (at our office) and he was the alpha dog and didn't allow me to do stuff, after he left I was able to develop.
I found myself doing similar things with our interns now and identified several ways to get out of it... give them more opportunities, expect more from them with less input from me (but with practical guidance) and just let them learn. While this was starting to develop our office had an opportunity to be part of a major project in town (Las Vegas Convention Center addition and remodel) and I was extremely motivated to get this work. We ended up getting this work and I saw a way to easily hand over a lot of ownership.
This all falls into accord to what we are talking about now... How have I made a leading decision that can have a major impact on my office? this new job has great opportunities written all over it, from putting our office on the map, a great learning experience for myself to teaching others (our interns) to believe in their talents. I feel that by being the major go-getter for this LVCC job and along every step of the way telling my boss and co-workers that we/I can do this I have made a decision towards excellence and mentorship with this job.
Carli has also decided to buck the norm and do what she believes and knows is the right way to do things... She admitted to me that in order to better establish herself as an emerging leader in her office she may need to make some decisions that make others uneasy. She is actively making a conscious decision to handle client/consultant relations in a way that might be a bit strong, but I feel appropriate. This type of affirmative decision making can lead to great things fore her as well as have others take notice of her ability to make a change.
These types of actions that Carli is pursuing and some leaps of faith that I have undertaken will, I feel, empower others to act upon what they have witnessed... A strong and bold move in the path of uncertainty with all the confidence of success and growth.

I can go into this a bit more if you would like, cause I find this aspect of architecture and leadership quite fascinating and important in a individuals personality, career and unintentional mentorship development.

Ken Ballard

Wow, Ken. This is simply a breakthrough for both you and Carli. I look for the breakthroughs in this course where an individual is ready to take those daring steps you talk about below and do it with the resolve we talked about at our group intensive. You move forward despite doubts or fears. My hats off to both of you. I would like your permission to send this to Curt and Tom Parks at the BAC. Let me know if that is okay. This is the first email of this nature that I have received and I think it speaks directly to what we are trying to accomplish with this course.

Bonnie

Portfolio: Professional Practice - Sunrise Pediatrics

2007-10-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Professional Practice - Sunset Gardens Wedding Complex

2007-10-27T13:40:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Professional Practice - Walnut Creek

2007-10-27T13:39:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Professional Practice - Childrens Urgent Care

2007-10-27T13:38:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Professional Practice - City Tower

2007-10-27T13:37:00.002-07:00

Portfolio: Professional Practice - CMA Office Building

2007-10-27T13:37:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Professional Practice - Companion Animal Hospital

2007-10-27T13:36:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Professional Practice - Contessa Court

2007-10-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

Studio Final: Research and Exploration

2007-09-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

Studio Final: Concept Statement

2007-09-29T11:10:00.002-07:00

Studio Final: Site and Roof Plan

2007-09-29T11:10:00.001-07:00

Studio Final

2007-09-29T11:09:00.002-07:00

Studio Final: Plan

2007-09-29T11:09:00.001-07:00

Studio Final: Section

2007-09-29T11:08:00.002-07:00

Studio Final: Elevaions

2007-09-29T11:08:00.001-07:00

Studio Final: Model and Perspectives

2007-09-29T11:07:00.001-07:00

Studio Final: Structure

2007-09-29T11:06:00.004-07:00

Studio Final: Code Analysis

2007-09-29T11:06:00.003-07:00

Studio Final: Building Services

2007-09-29T11:06:00.001-07:00

Studio Final: Detailing

2007-09-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Shading study

2007-09-27T20:55:00.000-07:00

noon December 21 - Natural daylight makes it to the studio space at the second level... but not so, at the first level.... the only part that is in shadow is the circulation are

noon June 21 - Natural daylight comes full bore into the first level studio (Iwill need some sort of shading device there... and I am really excited that the second level studio space will be shaded well with the light shelves bringing in the light throughout the studio space.

noon March 21 - Natural daylight seem to make it into the studios in the upper level window area and diffused with the light shelf, while the bulk of the studio will be shaded by the sun shades .

Final Studio: Code Analysis - Prelim

2007-09-27T00:37:00.000-07:00

Did I get everything? I think I need to go back and do an area modification calc for having multipul buildings on one site per 704.3 and maybe a diagram of where the uses are in the building....

Moving things forward....

2007-09-26T12:25:00.001-07:00

I have done some research here about the materiality of the building.... with the structural system in place (and it mostly being a modular system) it makes sense to me that the a zinc panel rain screen system is a great choice. It also helps reinforce the lineal approach that i have taken. In this image the rectangles outlined in red are where the glazing is, in some areas, for example the glazing in the mechanical room will be blacked out while i still am able to maintain the horizontal feel of the building.

structural progress

2007-09-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

STRUCTURAL PROGRESS

2007-09-26T01:52:00.000-07:00

Here is an update for the structural system with some details that apply and work for the system.... i will clean these up for the final submission.

I have decided to us a HCS (Hollow Core Slab) system. I feel that this system is great for this project in that it has a thin section, I can still clear span. I feel that I have kept the intent of the lineral concept with this system. The studio/admin. building will utlize this floor system (apply the curtain wall connection detail) as well.

Some time for reflection before the final push...

2007-09-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

This semester has been extremely intense... from the first week during the sketch problem (my first attempts were very hectic and busy) to the first day at the intensive where we meet up with the new 20-something students and a lecture to the last few weeks were detailing, clearer elevation/plans sections created new issues and solutions for me.

I look forward to the final reflection for this semester... I have learned a great deal.

Not everything I may want to be true is true, it is much harder to work backwards than forwards although sometimes backwards can further your progress, there is a lot outside my environment (Las Vegas, my firm, my consultants, jurisdictions, etc) that I am not familiar with and stepping into these areas can be frustrating as well as very rewarding both personally and demonstrated in design/thought process.

I feel that I spent 80% of my time doing 20% of the product.... This last week will offer, I hope; a lot of resolve to my design, motivation, thought process and knowledge base. To critically look at all the parts as a whole rather than small wholes that work individually has been the the most influential part of the semester to me. Looking back at the initial Parti (to be honest.. really the first time I started consciously and graphically to define a project from the start), I feel that I have still retained the individual parts... but may have missed on the whole and am eager to see how I these will start to have a better language and come together as a whole. I look forward to the thesis, professional work and other design problems knowing that I am armed with these new skills, thought process and critical review.

Studio Final: Site and Roof Plan - Prelim

2007-09-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

The Boylston Street facade is addressed with the residential portion of the program, following the spirit of the street (residential language) with a strong linear presence. The 'business' end of the program (studio/admin./gallery) starts to press through the residential near the corner of Mass ave., hopefully creating a strong gate way to the the business end of the campus. I know that Werner and I have had, at some length, a conversation about "fancy" words and how and if they are really accomplishing the intent. A feeling of 'Gateway' comes to mind as one starts to feet the strong presence of the linear residential bar and how the business end of of the program starts to engage the public area.

I had always had a strong urge to acquire the "rest" of the site (the inadequate parking lot parcel) and include it into the project. I propose that the difficult parking remain true to its use, however, the parking would be better accommodated below grade. The entrance for BAC faculty parking, service area and potential revenue generating parking spaces would enter from Ipswich St. Doing this would allow for a much larger green space, gaining over 6,000 s.f. of usable green space where less than 300 s.f. of green space would of been able to been retained; an increase of 1,800%! Initially I had explored only impacting the black top area of the original site's parking area (9,000 s.f.) leaving the remaining 10,400 s.f. alone, essentially allowing nature to reclaim that land. Further review of the existing conditions, that resolution felt somewhat ignorant to the cause. Accruing the adjacent lot was the best solution to addressing my initial desire... allow nature to reclaim land within an urban setting, while also providing ample parking, additional parking revenue (parking in that area can get $30 per space per Redsox home game, while normal everyday parking was about $8 a day). A response to those who would question this accusation, is that I feel strongly that one should be sensitive to issues that surround the entire project impact, this is one area that the revenue generated would justify the accusation, not to mention the other positives... service access, environmental gains and cleaning up the street facade presence.

some side notes...
these points will make themselves more clear, hopefully, with the model images for the final sheets.
The sidewalk edge transitions to sandstone plaza steps (3' landings) descending 30" to the main entrance to the studio, green plaza, residential building. The gallery space that engages the sidewalk (under the second level of the residential) smashes into the plaza steps providing a visual way finding device to the entrance to the campus. This 30" elevation change allows for less cut/fill (I want to have these final numbers for the final presentation) as most of the business end building bar is at that grade.
a goal of 100% of storm water collection seems obtainable... the natural slope and building locations allows for roof run off water to be directed to a holding area where the water can be treated and used for irrigation, distributed to the nearby Groundwater Conservation District and reintroduced back into the earth to replenish the water table.

Studio Final: Section - Prelim

2007-09-21T02:46:00.001-07:00

Chris,
I think i can get this intake/exhaust to work at the 2-4th floors but not to sure about the ground level floor... any ideas? I will have more details this weekend.

Final Studio: Structural - Prelim

2007-09-21T01:57:00.000-07:00

Clear span capablities...
As the plans started to take shape, simple/formal/clean lines emerged and the natural selection for the structural system seemed to be ICF, open web steel trusses and concrete over metal decking at both floor slab and roof deck.
The largest width being 25' at the circulation areas (9' and 16'-8" bays), the majority of the width being 18' at the living areas (three 24' bays) and a small section having a width of 21' at the lounge pod area (13'-8").

at the ground level, the roof deck will detail to the ICF as in Detail B

reposted...

Studio Final: Elevations - Prelim

2007-09-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

Elevations run the length of the Boylston relating (over emphasizing) to the linear floorplan of the dorm rooms and address the residential street presence that has been established from the residential building shown on the left. While the height address the neighborhood. I feel that that space between the first and third floors will allow for adaquate sun to reach the studio space will providing shadow at key times of the day.

Response to the comments

2007-09-12T11:52:00.001-07:00

Thank you, thank you....
I agree that this type of conversation is extremely valuable and inportant.. and most times we use "fancy" words to express things that the architecture miss or fail at. I reall want this space to work (the "underneath") but feel that it will not really be the gateway it could be. As far as the structure goes... I will send it out to Kurt in pdf format... The framing plan really is for the 2-4 floors (they did not include the "breeze catcher") the exterior walls will be the ICF material and they will be constructed on the concrete over steel deck as this stacks up. The ground floor will be ICF on the grade slab. I will do a quick exploratio of a full section and structural system.

The use of collums I have been avoiding (to be honest) in hopes of keeping the linear/horizontal feel of the Boylston street scape. I will look at alternate options to achieve the root of linear.

There is so much to say and discuss... But at this stage is will be create,post,test,fail,rework and repeat...

This all said, I still need the deliverables... a functional building, a sense of space and an experiance that is natural to the site, BAC and profession.

As I continue to work through these things I am confident that all will work with solid backing without hiding behind fancy words...but supported by the root of the fancy words.

Posted via email from my cool Q.

Structral system - Studio/Admin

2007-09-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

The structural system for this building will be virturly the same as the dorm... the roof system will be different and i will look at how that all goes together this weekend.

Kurt... if there are any suggestions for the curved steel truss systems... that would be a great help. I do have a few resources here... and will call upon them.

Structural systems... Dorms

2007-09-12T02:48:00.001-07:00

at the ground level, the roof deck will detail to the ICF as in Detail B

reposted...

Comments to the forefront...

2007-09-11T22:18:00.001-07:00

This series of comments I felt may get lost in the shuffle and I wanted to address some of these comments in one location... these comments come from the 'Elevation schemes revises...'

3 comments:
werner said...
Ken,I see you are drawing 4 floors in your elevations.Yoyr (only) plan so far shows two. Are you proposing to revise th eplan any time soon?
September 10, 2007 5:27 AM
Ken Ballard said...
I will repost the plans (dorm) as they have changed a small bit... each dorm sleeps one and there is still a jack-n-jill bath between two rooms, with one small lounge-pod per level.In scheme one, the 2nd and 4th flor swings out towards Mass Ave and in scheme two all four levels stack with a breal inbetween the 2nd and 3rd levels. I will repost when I get home.
September 10, 2007 8:19 AM
werner said...
Ken, together with the plans I understand the "swinging-out-thing". I appreciate the framed entrance to the academic building, but the proportions are not comfortable at all. The opening is oppressively low and the span way too big. We do have a building here in Boston, where a dormitory wing spans a courtyard below. The span is about the same as yours, it is twice the widths, but the opening is at least four stories tall (see link: http://www.boston.com/news/galleries/magazine/2004/0222/harvard3.htm ). The space underneath is hardly ever used. Turning the idea into a gateway seems more promising. But I think you would have to reduce the span and turn out the third floor instead. I don’t understand the horizontal openings (on the left floor 2 and on the right floor 3); they seem useless for occupancy, difficult to build and rather unsightly, especially in the city context.In plan the stair wrapping the elevator does not meet code: Exit stair cannot contain any non-stair related element (incl. elevator)
September 11, 2007 8:51 AM

I agree that there is something interesting yet odd in the space that would be created under the second level. The difference here vs the MIT dorm is the space its self, at the MIT dorm is appears to want to be a sun bathing plaza or some sort of social gathering space whereas I feel that my 'under the dorm' area is the "gateway". The idea of engaging the public with a public space (gallery) in normal public (pedestrian) area intrigues me... I also have some reserve about hoe that space will feel to be in... my thought process goes instinctual back to last semester to Herb's class and how social awareness in regards to our built environment is often thrown out the back window and "good" design often becomes architecture for architects... Who uses these spaces and how do these spaces get used and why are they being used? I think the appropriate answers to these questions follow as such: students, faculty, guests, public will be engaging this 'underneath' space, the space, minimal in size (the area that would actually be used) is minimal (20-25 feet), and the primary use would to be to enter into the 'business' end of the campus... studio and admin areas.

American Hertiage Dictionary defines "Gateway" as such:

gate·way (gāt'wā') n.
1. An opening or a structure framing an opening, such as an arch, that may be closed by a gate.
2. Something that serves as an entrance or a means of access: a gateway to success; the gateway to the West.
3. Software or hardware that enables communication between computer networks that use different communications protocols. Also called router2.

The physical passage from the street scape to the campus naturally creates the gateway, the question is more of, will the passage be right? The clear height of the dormitory above is currently 11'-4". I would like to use roughly 40' bays with 4' W flange beams carring steel trusses... that would mean that the entire structure would have to grow an additional 8-10' to accommodate the section.

The horizontal openings, if one can recall the dorm section, is the area above the green roof and the summer breeze "wind catcher" (that will need some sort of mechanical fan to help draw the air into the rooms and then exhaust out). I agree that there is some sort of a difficult task of construction... but I don't feel that it is a reason to abandon it, just that it wil require some great engineering and detailing.

The space above the green roof and the floor above should be large enough to accomindate maintance, wich will also dictates a controlled sun pattern to fall into the larger green plaza. Another benifet to the horizontal opengings is the oppertunity for the controlled sunlight to make its way into the studio/admin. areas.

Dorm Room Plans

2007-09-11T02:35:00.001-07:00

Detail Vignette

2007-09-11T00:58:00.000-07:00

Site Study - explorations of entrances...

2007-09-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

okay... is it to late to have this up for debate? the second story of the dorms is at 11-12 feet above the side walk.... creating a covered area (where the blue lines are) a series of plaza of steps step down into the site 3-5 feet... during this transition the public space of the main building will start to engage the public realm as it climbs up the stairs under the dorms...

a clearer site plan and detailed (connections) sections to come.

Elevation schemes revised...

2007-09-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Scheme 1 - runs the length of the Boylstonrelating (over emphasizing) to the linear floorplan of the dorm rooms and address the residential street presence that has beenestablished from the residential building shownon the left, while scheme 2 in a lesser fashionspeaks to the massing size and proportions.With each scheme the floor plate remains thesame, there are two dramatically differentelevation ideas. Hopefully this study will help re- relate the dorm building to the site and startcreating a connection to the the studio/admin.building and site cirrculation.

Elevation schemes

2007-09-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Intensive - Mid Crit

2007-09-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

Some comments from the crit are listed below with some responses as to how these may need to be addressed:

comment - the current site plan feels a little under developed

response - revised site plan speaks more to a fully developed plan where the circulation and site movement patterns are more deliberate.

comment - the symmetry is hurting the resolution... how to get from one to another... studio to main entry from the site 'entry'?

response - the symmetry of the two buildings (dorm and admin/studio) are in response the the major axes (Boylston and the 'Pike'), there is a subtle axis created by the below grade parking in response to the Boylston Apartment Building adjacent to the site.

comment - must look at shading elements for the South facade...

response - the placement and sizing of the South facing glazing in addition to shading elements will play a part in the design and function of the dorm rooms. The dorm rooms are used sparingly and I believe that there is a way to allow morning sun in to aid the awaking of the students and also eliminate the heat gain from the sun during the day.

Vision Quest

2007-08-20T15:19:00.001-07:00

re-post

Parti Concept

2007-08-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Vision Quest

2007-08-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Program Sheet

2007-08-16T23:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a more completed program wit some insight to my thoughts.... I am sure that I continue to modify this program as next week unfolds and i get a bit more detailed in the 'back of house' areas (mechanical, fire riser room, storage, janitorial, etc.)

Environmental Program

2007-08-16T22:29:00.000-07:00

There are three major environmental goals that I feel that will greatly please the client, in regards to budjet savings, consideration for the building occupant's comfort and well being, along with an appreciation for environmental stewardship.

Major goals:

reduce the amount of water required cool/used in the building

heat loss - maintain/controll thermal gain/loss

daylighting - maximise the use of natural lighting and control secondary light usaage

Minor goals:

light control - maintain a low glow, if any glow at all

eco-friendly materials - materials that have a cradel2cradel approval

air quality - floor duct air system

bubble diagrams

2007-08-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

some diagrams showing relationships.... spreadsheet program to be posted tomorrow night.

Design Program

2007-08-15T00:10:00.000-07:00

facility that houses the intensive part of a distance learning program the client wants:
* It should be located in the vicinity of the Boston Architectural College to allow for easy access to support functions (Library, IT, etc.)
* The facility will offer living quarters for 24 students
* Three class rooms for up to 14 students each
* A dining area
* Lounge areas
* Exhibit area
* A break room
* Computer lab
* Outdoor space (recreational/contemplative)
*The facility will be open to students 24 hours, scanning, printing and model making is possible on site. Desk work, lectures and critiques will happen in class rooms and the lounge area. The exhibit space shall be open at times to the larger community.

here is a quick post for late night thought... more later:

Dorms: 5,400 s.f. - occupying portions of two floors
4 personal rooms - 200 s.f. each with personal bathroom
4 semi-personal rooms - 300 s.f. each with a shared Jack-n-Jill bathroom
8 double occupancy rooms - 425 s.f. each with one standard restroom to be shared

Dinning Area: 600 s.f.

Lounge pods: 360 s.f. - dispersed throughout the facility

Exhibit Space: 800 s.f. - street level for high exposure to public (the students future clients)

Outdoor area: 600 s.f. - located both in courtyards as well as roof areas

Classrooms: 5,000 s.f. - varring size of space depending on if studio space or traditional classroom

Model Shop: 500 s.f. - models preparation in studio space is more productive and educational

Scanning Room: 500 s.f. - allowance for increase depending on desire for separate computer stations from the home campus???

Offices: 360 s.f. - internal room for staff

Program Building square footage between three (2 and a possible split level): 15,120 s.f.

Back of house areas: 35-40% 5,000 s.f.

Total Building Square Footage: 20,120 s.f.

Carbon Footprint

2007-08-14T22:10:00.001-07:00

As a member of the USGBC - Nevada chapter, I find myself frequently surfing all over their site as well as the sponsors and affiliated sites. The new technologies that have provided advances for conservation across the realm is remarkable! A probable need is driving the construction and design world.

According to earthday.net, I have a Carbon Footprint that would require 6.2 planets per person if everyone in the would "lived like me" and I have a size 28 footprint.

This is very interesting... I don't have any clue as to what parameters are used to determine these results but I am told that if everyone in the world lived like me, we would need 6.2 planets... What are these 6.2 planets for?

Here are some great tips that everyone can do to reduce their carbon footprint:

1. Holidays - Don't go by air

2. Electricity - Sign up to renewable energy

3. Gas - Try using solar water heating - this can reduce your gas bill by up to 70% over a year.

4. Travelling around - Use public transport as much as possible. Find out about your local bus services and then use it.

5. Car Share - Sign up to a car share scheme to reduce your travel footprint

Many in this class, if not all, know that I question global warming... I, on the other hand, welcome most of the advances that have come along due to this phenomena, such as wind energy, tankless water heaters, waterless urinals, etc, etc, etc. I do question how buying trees to plant in some obscure part of the world (only way of getting there is by plane to plant the trees) will help offset my footprint. Based off the questions in this poll, I wounder what the answers would be to get down to one planet needed for everyone to live like me? Is this really obtainable?

I think that is would be great to have everyone living with a larger footprint than I to change their lifestyles and come to my level (no buying of offsets to help... just life style changes only). For instance say a 51-65 year-old female living in New York often eating animal based products and half of the food consumed is from far places. Owns a freestanding house with running water and is energy efficient that is larger than 2,500 s.f. with 2 persons living in it and only producing the same amount of trash as her neighbor. Her main mode of transportation is by car, usually traveling with a companion in a car that gets 15-25 miles to the gallon for up to 300-400 miles a week and seldom walks to get place to place, yet spends hundreds of hours flying here and there. Her Carbon footprint would be as follows:

That is... a footprint of 47 acres and would require 10.7 planets. In comparison to this person I look like a saint.

Climate Analysis - Boston, Ma

2007-08-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

Boston, Ma.
Longitude: -71.o7
Latitude: 42.35
Elevation: 6.0

Sunpath & Sun Chart Diagram:

Sunpath diagrams represent the typical range/path of the sun during the year and more specifically are used to determine the length of days as measured in the amount of light. The sun path diagram here indicates that the 'dog days of summer' provide for longer days where there will potentially be more outside activities, whereas in the winter, the shorter days often provide for time inside. Not surprisingly, the Sun Chart supports the idea that there is a much larger need for sun in the winter months as well as need for sun in summer months. Shading is quite easily achievable through out the year. The overwhelming theme from these two diagrams is the lack of quality sun for heating purposes and the endless opportunities for shadow; both play a role in defining spaces both interior and exterior.

Wind Rose Wheel:

The wind 'Rose' wheel contains the most interesting and valuable information when considering location of entrances/exists, material exposure to the elements and overall sun exposure. This wheel indicates that for the best wind protection that the main entrances/exits should be located South/Southeast, this exposure also lends itself for "lighter" exterior materials such as glazing and trellis effects, which naturally lends itself to the best gain of natural day lighting. The majority of the wind not only comes from the West Northwest, the wind is also more consistent from these directions, providing the majority of coldest weather.

Range of temperature and Relative Humidity:

Consistent patterns start to emerge from these diagrams as we start to dive deeper into the relationship correlations: problems = solutions. The average temperature and relative humidly seem to have a perfectly synchronized rhythm as they dance along these charts during the winter months and as we enter into the summer months there seems to be a more aggressive/radical shift in both the humidity and temperature. Oddly enough these radical shifts in humidity and temp. are in the summer months where there are plenty of opportunities, as we have seen demonstrated in the above diagrams, to resolve with site placement of entrances/exits use of day lighting and natural cooling methods by capturing cooler winds from the Easternly exposure.

Wind Speed and Direction:

The diagram to the right indicates that although that the average wind speed is relatively slow in the summer months it can and should be harnessed for natural cooling in the afternoon to late afternoon hours during the summer. While during the winter months the wind is similarly average but with potential to double its speed creating colder harsher conditions, even more so emphasizing the need to locate entrances/exits to the South as well as consider stronger more reliable materials along the Western facades as previously mentioned. The second diagram regarding wind speed indicates that during the year, Boston experiences constant wind (except a small amount of early mornings in late summer). This should prove handy if there are opportunities (need to keep in mind the surrounding buildings, but if near the water options are available) on site to generate and possibly subsidize wind energy, the best form of clean energy as of now.

Annual % of the rays (Sunshine):

With an average of 58% cloud cover throughout the year, sunshine is literally like small rays of gold, being that there is a high demand to attract as much of it as we can. whether it be to light the space, heat the space, or to store the power of the sun for energy conservation, the goals will rely on the other principles set forth earlier. I don't believe there to be much of an upside to conservation efforts (solar power, heating, solar gain) but I do believe with proper siting and planning that there is much to gain in lighting the studio spaces and crit areas, as well as provide a sun pool for outdoor reflection.

Bio-climatic/Psychometric diagram:

Finally, we come to a point where all info is jammed into one diagram that can be used to see how all of the data is related to one another and at what points do the "problems = solutions". Here in Boston the average temperature, outside the winter, is also the common "comfort zone" temperature (70 -75 degrees). This allows for the opportunity for natural ventilation cooling to become the main source for cooling and nature to combine within a space.

The main focus for this Boston site is not its cooling methods but the proper way to heat during the winter months as well as most of the year. The winter months will likely depend on conventional heating while the spring and fall months could possibly rely on thermal massing and internal heat gain for heating, thus reducing the burden and dependence of conventional heating.

For comparative purposes:

I was very interested on the default settings used to generate these diagrams and wanted to see what would happen if i were to increase the 'Comfort Zone' level. In Las Vegas, Nevada, we have a very different climate with a much higher "Comfort Level", so for fun I raised the level to 80-85 degrees. The diagram below shows the differences in 'Design Strategies'. I was actually surprised to see that there weren't many differences. The higher comfort zone required less natural ventilation cooling but provided less internal heat gain and while the Humidification hours were similar, the hours of wind protection increased (which makes no sense to me) and an increase in conventional heating. I guess i should have set the comfort level to 70-85 degrees; I bet the results would remain as the default but there would be less need for heating.

Product Sheets - Week 1

2007-08-13T10:01:00.000-07:00

I will and notes to this tonight.

Week-1 Less/simple is better

2007-08-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

After taking a few steps back and re-examining the plan and space that I created, I noticed the madness and hectic order of things. Typically those character traits are not dominate in me or my designs.... wanting a more friendly and calm space I went back to the beginning. With a clearer understanding of the transitions, spaces and movement within this program here is what I produce:

Week -1 Sketch-up model

2007-08-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the views from the sketch-up model.

I see the madness...I tend to go out there before I pull myself back in. I will update the plan and post tonight.

Thanks for the comments.

Week-1 - Solutions

2007-08-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

After some more investigation of the first sketches, here is a better defined plan with labels. The physical model didn't go so well.... Still, I want to get those pics up before the weekend.

Let me have it....

this image does not seem to be the best, i will check the settings tomorrow and have a better image.

Week-1 - Sketch problem/solutions

2007-08-08T17:35:00.000-07:00

This is a good first sketch problem... I would like to see/know what everyone else thought while starting these and if the idea (project type) changed. For me, without knowing the purpose for the parts but knowing what they are and what we trying to achieve while maneuvering around them started a train of thought.... A museum. Below are three quick sketches of the space and series of spaces. Tonight I will upload the sketch-up images.

Solutions:

Problem:

Adding to the model base create a composition of spaces that can be perceived as one object, where there is a clear “inside” and a clear “outside”. Create one main entrance into this object. Your “object trouvé” should mark a special place in your composition or be treated as a sculpture. Indicate the following spaces and transitions in your model(s), making sure that they are the strongest examples you created:

1: Large space with two distinct sub-spaces (zones: 1A and 1B)
2: At least one small space
3: A transitional space that is part of two others.

AT: Abrupt transition
LT: Lead transition
GT: Gradual transition

TEST-1

2007-08-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

This a test email to the blog...
If anyone is reading this on the blog... It works.

Ken Ballard