Design Process

Original Intentions

The project program started as a dance club onlywhich would incorporate a dance floor, bar, sitting area, lobby,restrooms and administration offices. The project occupieda small site that would accomodate such program and theintentions focused on the creation of a building that wouldemphasize the corner and, at the same time, give a doorwayto the university. Ideas of looking back, or returning throughits own steps, were considered as a response to these con-ditions. The decision to take over the whole block came asa respose to the site analysis and the realization of the op-portunities an entertainment center would have for the largercommunity.

Enlarging the project to occupy the whole blockcompliments further this idea of transition, not only with thepeoples point of view but the architectural scale as well.

Case studies of entertainment centers emphasizethe idea that time affects everything. Trends and fashionare not only conditions for clothing, but also for architec-

Original intentions of a corner and doorway to the university.

The structure as a shell leave a lot of opportunities to the functions inside.-5-

(a)

(b)

Orientation

Different orientations were explored to achieve thecondition of gateway to the university campus:

Initially a plaza was offered to expand Draper Road(a) as a posibility to expand toward College Avenue andinside the perimeters of the building in front of the site,Henderson Hall. The building created the barrier betweenthe university parking and these new open space. Thisorientation, would not offer the gateway condition desiredbetween town and university; it would actually aisolate moreboth locations.

Offering the plaza to the university parking lot (b)did not gave any different option as to the intentions of thebuilding, so considerations of focusing the structure per-pendicular toward the primary transited street was the next

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(c)

(d)

To focus the building to the back of the site (c) wasa solution that might be consider, but with the conditions ofthe site the building was separating two areas that togethercould offer a diffrence in the realization of the building.

To locate the building facing the street (d) it of-fered a linear character that is also present on the adjacentbuildings being the structure as a strong vertical line thatemphasizes the entrance to the university, and at the sametime offers a directional focus toward the street.

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Looking from Draper Road toward College Avenue

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Structural development.

Curve intention at site.

Flexibility

The type of structure had many options since thebeginning of the project. The initial intention of returningthrough their own path, as an end of the street, was impor-tant. But when the project became bigger, concerns of struc-tural support became priorities. The way they relate to eachother was a process of study, being at the beginnig my con-cern of the appearence of this building and, later on, thestructural factor of it. I looked at all of them together, Irealized that the structure had been changing from a shapeto a form. Shape “referes to the edge contour of a plane orthe silhouette of a volume”1 and form refers to a formal struc-ture of the work or subject.

Form consist of a various of properties such as,shape, size, color, texture, position, orientation and visualinertia, but all of these are “affected by the conditions inwhich we view them”2 according to angle of vision, dis-tance, lighting and visual field.

The curve has the intention of acting as a dynamicrepresentation of the functions of the building. To an enter-tainment center, it lends itself as a longspan structural sys-tem that achieves freedom and flexibility for the interior ofthe building. The curve also was intended to give the build-ing a unique self-identifying appearance that even though

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Exterior structure

Structurally the building consists of a series ofconcrete beams anchored to the floor and columns thatset the boundaries of the building as a shell that canaccommodate other entertainment functions in the fu-ture. This shell consist of a curved beam with a radiusof 118 feet, where the start point is located at 71 de-grees, and the end point at 129 degrees. The length ofthis beam is 120 feet, and its span goes to 100 feet.

Concrete as the anchor gave a strong effectof strength and its beam component, having an oppor-tunity to create a fusion between them. A secondaryfunction as a sitting area was incorporated as part ofthe solution as a response to the surrounding area, es-pecially with the location of the cafes and restaurants.

Light fixtures toward the interior and esteriorof the building will inhabit the concrete column sup-porting the beam. Thus creating a secondary functionthat will not only benefit the building, but the streetitself.

Anchor as a sitting place.

Column as a light fixture. -10-

Interior structure

To incorporate this idea on the second level,the second level support, consist of steel hangers thatwill be attached to the primary concrete beam. Thesuspended secondary steel beam will support the pre-cast floor of the second level.

Different types of connections to the beamwere suggested to create a better and different sup-port. Connections to the floors where also consideredsimultaneously with the concrete beam connection tooffer more stability to the upper rooms. Lateral forceshas to be consider to create this stability in the floors,the reponse to this situation was to conect structurallythe steel hangers creating a diagonal support betweenthem.

Conection options to beam and floor: (a) welded, (b) rod, (c) screwed, and (d) tension cable.

The screwed option was the more effective for the situation.

Other options.

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

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Looking from College Avenue toward the University

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The front and rear walls

The front wall toward the street is a glass wall lo-cated between the concrete columns. They have the abilityto move up to open the lower space making the building abig open area. For security reasons it is necessary to haveconventional side-hinged doors to access the exterior with-out any mechanical system, two lobbies/lounges are locatedbetween the last two columns at each end as a reult of thisnecesity.

The rear wall has the same intentions of openingup the first floor, but its material and mechanism are differ-ent. This wall is metal to give more privacy toward, thegarden-parking of the building. But it has the mechanism torise toward the roof to become part of it, which in turn opensthe space whenever necessary.

The support of this wall runs through the sides ofthe beams, leaving an open space underneith. A light was

The metal wall toward the parking raises up to open the space.

Rear wall intentions.

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Circulation

The enclosure walls were designed to open up to-ward the street and make the first floor of the building part ofthe street, thus generating a covered plaza.

This condition should be viable and adopted bythe town with good eyes, considering such activities as theInternational Fair, Steppin’Out Fair, and any similar activi-ties.

These space could be incorporated with the out-side for any event whenever necesarry allowing open circu-

Structure diagram

Circulation diagrams in plan and section.

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Bookend conditions in plan. Bookend conditions in elevation.

Ending a repetitive Strucutre

The tectonic resolution came as a repetitive struc-tural form which offers the advantage of construction. Theappropiate ending to a repetitive structure became the nextmajor design consideration. Thoughts of walls as a unify-ing element came to mind, but it was the idea of a bookendthat gave me a workable answer.

The program and location for these bookend ele-ments and how they interact with the structure became an-other consideration. Tension between these elements was afactor to consider as a unifying piece.

The solution came down to which one offered thebest response to this conditions. Its connection to the struc-ture in elevation was the key, giving the impression of pres-sure between elements.

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Looking toward the front elevation at College Avenue

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Garden Design (a) Parking- Garden (b)

Parking- Garden (c) Parking- Garden (d)

Parking area

The design of parking is something that manypeople ignore because this area is only needed for func-tional reasons and it is a place used only in specifictimes of the day, so afterwards this area is lost, sincethey don’t bring anything to the community. My inten-tion was to create a space that, during off hours can beused as a sculpture garden, integrated to the buildingand continuity.

The studies started with the thoughts of a gar-den design (a) that will connect the adjacent buildingsand emphasize the paths through the site.

To integrate the building as part of the park-ing-garden (b)lights were design as if the concretebeamswould open the earth and offer clarity to thearea with floor lights. But the materials desired werestill typical methods of paving.

The first floor paving was considered as partof the integration process, with a concrete tile of eightby eight feet, in two consecutive rows between thebeamsthat will continue through the parking-garden (c),giving the option of marking different areas for settingtables in the inside and outside of the building, if de-sired.

Parking (d) arangement was considered to of-fer a maximum capacity for the town and can also beused as open gallery space for the world of the stu-dents of the adjacent art school.

Perhaps the combination of cars and art wouldalso become another point of transition between the

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