More Midterms

To define my research of new technologies, I broke it down into three categories. The three categories were site adaptation, programmatic flexibility, and human interaction. Breaking them down this way allowed me to simplify my research while also segregating them into different ideas of designing the building.




Programmatic Flexibility- This category looks at larger systems that actually move parts of the building to conform to different programmatic responsibilities. Most of these technologies are found in current stadia. While I have done some in depth studies of different stadia, the following board shows the main programmatic responsibilities. It should be able to change into four main programs, from soccer stadium to concert venue to public park to various smaller stadium complexes with relative easy. Should it be read as a soccer stadium when, say, it is in concert set-up? Absolutely, but the transformative qualities of the space portrays a certain mystery to the people passing by. This is a very complex idea and allows one to view the building's life cycle in many different ways.





Site Adaptation- These are all technologies that allow the building to change instantaneously to different site conditions. Climate, time of day, time of year, event type, density, and shading all fall into this category. More specifically, I am looking at smart systems that don't rely on a users input every time a change is made. These systems allow the building to be viewed as it's own entity, almost giving it a certain artificial intelligence. I looked at smart shading systems such as Jean Nouvel's Arab Institute, as well as older technologies, like the track system of the Villa Girasole, which can rotate to the sun's exact location. I see these ideas being used more in the roofing system then any other.


Human Interaction- These are technologies that require a human being to interact with it, creating spaces that are abundance with life. Read at the human scale, these technologies use direct parameters from human beings to generate changes. I looked at Pulse Park, which runs a light show off of different user's heart rates, as well as the Bloom Wall, which has mechanical flowers that open or close due to human movement.





I hope that the simplification of technologies will allow me to designate which category fits into each space. These technologies will start to all integrate into each other, creating a transformative space.

Not So Fast My Friend....

After doing a big helping of research for midterms, I decided that my site at Poplar Point was not optimal for what I wanted to do. I needed a site that was located in a dense urban area to work with my ideas of a public park combining with the stadium. Luckily, I found a site that is perfect for what I am trying to accomplish. North of the Verizon Center, there is a large parking lot where various events take place. The space is always in transition, and is eventually planned for a large mixed-use complex. The space is on the intersection of H St. and 9th. St NW.




This site is optimal because it is surrounded by a dense urban fabric as well as a meeting place for many places of traffic. The opportunity for me with this site is to create a transformative space that deals with the dense traffic that will flow through the area. This will be my last site change, I promise.

Midterms

So I have been quite busy the last few weeks, as seen in my lack of postings. Midterms were last week, and I think I clarified my thesis for both myself and my committee.





Public vs. Private Revenue - Todays sports stadium are largely funded through private backers and public tax subsidies. A disturbing trend of overly expensive stadiums has emerged in the last few years, and the public has been carrying the burden. As gross stadium construction costs rise rapidly, so will gross taxpayer costs. For their new stadiums in their respective cities, New Yorkers had to pony up more than $200 million, San Diegans roughly $400 million, and D.C. residents pumped out about $611 million. With the public shouldering roughly half the cost, why don't these ballparks provide more public features? With most benefits being seen by private ventures through stadium revenue and rising ticket costs, the average man can barely afford to attend todays game. To require to have the public keep paying high percentages of each stadium is ludicrous unless there is a way to have the stadium benefit everyone, everyday.








Public Park- We need to change the way we think about stadiums. Stadiums have become too private in nature, becoming large social clubs for the considerable wealthy and homages too a nation of overexcess. We must look at the stadium as what it really is, a large plot of land that recreation takes place
and seating to view this recreation. By opening up the stadium to the public during off hours, we essentially create a public park for recreation and leisure. The stadium can then become more integrated within the urban fabric, as well as become a meaningful space for the residents of the city.






Technology- Today's technology can help us with this transformation from public to private functions with relative ease and lower cost then the past. RFK
Stadium, which was originally used for both baseball and football games, costs $40,000 to switch between the two configurations. The systems of the past, track seating and air cushion seating, are still used today. With the technology we have today, we can create better, cheaper alternatives that transform stadiums. The aim of this thesis will be to discover these technologies and implement them architecturally to make a building that can transform and respond to it's immediate environment.






Flexibility- With these technologies in place, the building will be able to host an array of different functions throughout the week, both public and private. This will generate the revenue needed for the advanced technologies implemented. It will also generate a dynamic quality socially, which will benefit the city. In theory, you could host a game one day, open the stadium to the public the next morning, and transform the stadium into a concert venue by the evening.

And the Winner Is........

Poplar Point in Anacostia!!! My site has been selected, although I need to choose the set-up. DC United had plans to build a new stadium in this area circa 2007, but it fell through.





However, just this last year, the planning committee for DC came up with three proposals for the area. These proposals, especially the last two, are perfect for my transformable stadium as the provide a variety of edge conditions that tie in with my research, both urban and rural.







Since the program of my stadium is flexible, I will really focus on transforming the building into an extension of the proposed park. I have a real interest in this site, although I still need to choose a set-up from options 2 and 3. Option 2 is based around a central core of commercial and residential development near the metro station, allowing the waterfront and park to remain very natural and organic. I would locate my building probably on the edge of this core, making it a nice transition from the romanticized edges of the park to the hard blacks of urban density.




Option 3 is based on more of a waterfront revitalization, with most development facing the river. I would locate my stadium towards the waterfront edge, providing an end destination from the metro to the river, while also continuing the waterfront parks system. Another option is near the edge of the river where plans for an outdoor amphitheater remain.




Both sites provide tremendous opportunities, and I need to choose one quick. AFter meeting with Susan todaym she said both were viable options, giving me no lean either way. Thoughts?

Back from Texas

Texas was a blast, and I found a lot of inspiration there. Kahn's Kimball Art Museum and REX's Wyly Theatre both had ideas of flexible and transformable architecture, which I really enjoyed.


Louis Kahn's Kimball Art Museum





REX's Wyly Theater






Ando's Museum of Modern Art

Off to Texas

My week has been cut short because of an impending trip to Texas. We will be visiting Kahn's Kimball Art Museum, among other things in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Region. I will be getting on a plane in about six hours and will be returning Saturday night. I will have plenty to post when I return, but until then, off to Texas.