Architecture, Design & Materials Studio Coordinator: Kai Gutschow Spring 2007, CMU, Arch #48-205, M/W/F 1:30-4:20 Email: [email protected] Class Website: www.andrew.cmu.edu/course/48-205 Off. Hr: M/W 12:30-1:30pm & by appt. in MM307 (2/23/07)PHASE II: NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY & GYMMINDSET: This project should continue your research and creative process fromPhase I, the “Temporary Library.” We shall deepen our investigations onthe role that diverse materials and innovative assembly methods can playin creating a small piece of architecture, with a more complex program. We will maintain the focus on the scale of the human body encounteringthe physical presence of building, and continually explore how we canelevate ordinary construction to poetic expression, how real materials,structure, enclosure, joinery, building and craft techniques can lead to thecreation of significant architectural experiences. As a capstone to the 2ndyear studio, we will extend the length of this project in order to allow for amore thoroughly detailed exploration of your design, both in how thematerials are used, and the power of the final presentation. PROJECT: Based on the success of your “Temporary Library” on the South Side, theCarnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) has commissioned you to design acombination neighborhood library and gym, on a nearby site. Yourdesign should integrate 1) a small, fully-functioning, modern library thatinspires the discovery of knowledge for all residents of the South Side,with 2) a covered ½ basketball court that will supplement the neighboringpublic park. The project is meant to build on, and update, the CLP’s longtradition of combining important social and cultural functions to serve andappeal to a broad section of the community (including a library, gym andtheater in the first CLP). An important part of your charge is to establishhow and why two disparate functions can strengthen and reinforce eachother through a careful and thoughtful use of materials, assembly andarchitecture. How body and mind can both be exercised to achieve awhole greater than the sum of its parts. PROGRAM: Primary Functions:Library (2500 sq.ft max):Circulation DeskComputer TerminalsStacks/Special CollectionsReading Areas1/2 -Court Gym: Court to be 47'x50'Easy access to parkSupport Spaces: Men’s toilets (1 handicap accessible stall, 1 urinal)Women’s toilets (1 reg. & 1 handicap accessible)Staff space (a common workspace)Small storage space for gym equipment. Circulation space, including handicap accessibilityto all spaces, 2 means of egress from allfloors, and “controlled” entry and exit points. Parking will occur on the street. SITEThe site is parcel #15 on the corner of Carson & 12 Street. The buildingthmust fit entirely on the site. Students should establish a firm positionregarding the building and its relationship to the sidewalk, the park, andthe larger urban context. How is the context for this site different than theone a block away for the temporary library? How does your buildingengage the particular context? Why?PROCESS / REQUIREMENTSIn order to promote a synthetic and integrated design process thatconstantly works at multiple scales (from the site plan to the constructiondetail), as well as in multiple modes of representation (model, plan,section, perspective), and strives to integrate conceptual ideas withphysical construction, students will be asked to come to an earlyresolution about their basic library-gym concept, building parti, anddetailed materials selection. Throughout the design process, the buildingmust be designed alongside its presentation to the public! DESIGN SUMMARY: All students must prepare and submit a “Design Summary” of theirdesigns as part of the first mid-review on Mar. 26 & 28. The 2pp.“Design Summary” should be submitted as a printout and a pdf tocoordinator & instructor. It should indicate the design of the building, andbegin to indicate the most clear and effective means of presenting theidea and details. It must include at least: a) a site plan; b) a 3Dmassing drawing; c) plan and sections; d) a 3D construction drawing;and e) a 100 word statement about the central concept for the library,especially the use and meaning of the materials and assembly. CARTOON: The rest of the semester will be spent flushing out, intensifying, detailingand communicating designs with ever greater clarity, depth and creativity. Substantial deviations from the first “Design Summary” will impact thedepth to which you can carry out your design intentions. Since thisproject represents the culmination of the 2 year studio experience, youndwill be expected to consider more independently than before whatdrawings and models will best represent your idea at all phases of theproject. In discussions with your instructor and the coordinator, youshould work to determine your own “Final Requirements.” Work to createa memorable presentation with respect to effort, composition, knowledgeabout M&A, creativity, and inspiration of your work. For the 2 mid-ndreview, on Mon. Apr. 9, every student will be required to submit adetailed “Cartoon” of their final presentation. It must contain miniaturizedversions of the actual drawings (NOT just a rectangle indicating drawingsize), showing relationship between drawings, and indicate what theparticular contribution is of each drawing. In parallel with this project, all students enrolled in Prof. Steve Lee’s“M&A” class will be required to consult Steve in order to strengthen theirunderstanding of structure and the construction process of their particulardesign, and to communicate these through large-scale details, mock-ups,and assembly drawings. In addition, all students will be expected tosubmit a thorough “Project Documentation” for use on the class websiteand School Archives. Louis Kahn:"A man with a book goes to the light. A library begins that way""Architecture is the threshold where silence and light meet, Silencewith its desire to Be, and light the giver of all presences.""A great building must, in my opinion, begin with the unmeasurableand go through the measurable in the process of design, but in theend be