Assignment 4: Site Response

My artifact is a sectional study of the areas surrounding Gateway.  The I-84/I-205 interchange are highlighted in orange to create contrast with the rest of the surrounding.  This is a visual way of showing how this freeway leave the adjacent areas disjointed and separate from one another.  

Sectionally the artifact examines and identify zones as the urban fabric begins to emanate away from the concrete arteries that feed the city.  Grey scale begins to organize the density, both people and land usage, (black being very dense, light grey being sparse).  

Lastly I begin to identify areas that are undeveloped and open space.  This study shows them as remnant land that is left as a buffer between the freeways and the developed areas.  Other residual can be found trapped between the off ramps.

This study makes me to think, how our freeways are people movers and at certain times of the day they are more dense than the city itself. How can the site begin to play off of this energy and density and use it as a means to support its own buildings functions?  A free ways intent is to connect us to different parts of the city, yet in doing so it can divide other portions intentionally or unintentionally.  How can this building learn from this? 

Assignment 3. Program

Interviews
I am still working on my interviews.  I have already completed one with James McGrath of ZGF.  I will be meeting with Justin Douglas from the PDC this week and am still waiting to hear back from Dr. Ellen Bassette in the Urban planning dept. at PSU.


These interviews should be able to provide input from three different directions: 1 transit, 2 Program, and  3 Eco district structuring.


Visiting Similar Program
I still need to program that is in the same vain of my project.  I was planning on visiting Seattle Library for its nice mix of internal public spaces, resource management, meeting rooms etc....  I am planning on visiting Keller auditorium to get a feel for large auditorium spaces and the adjacent program that feeds them(back of house, reception, lobby, etc.  


Program

TEDx Portland: A Centre for the Fostering, Developing, and Spreading of Ideas.

What is TED?  It started out as an annual conference that brought together leaders from the technology, entertainment, and design industries.  Over the years its content has become more broader and now great thinkers, creators and visionaries from all areas of thought, work, and life are being asked to participate.  This is with the realization that all knowledge is connected in some way, you can get unexpected insight or inspiration when you listen to people who are outside your normal line of work. 

TEDx PORTLAND is a building program designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences, but at a local level.  Additional support spaces will allow for people to actively engage on any current or future issues that hold value to them.

 This is a place for community members of all ages, and to be utilized not only the adjacent neighborhoods but by all Portland. Situating this building at an intersection with several viable public transit options maximizes it connection with the city allowing for the exposure of new cutting edge ideas, issues, and the appropriate support facilities to make this a successful intellectual node.   

The addition of a Streetcar alignment will enhance this dissemination providing  easy access to the Centre for the community working as a co-catalyst.  Its documented abilities to move people and structure new development will provide the essential connectivity the gateway district currently lacks.  

List of possible Program and first attempt at uses and relations

Main Event spaces: (30,000)

This portion of the program will receive and be responsible for the largest volumes of visitors directly related to guest lectures/events.  This portion of the program is expected to receive the most “walk-in” use from people directly in the community or from people taking their time to transfer.

Large Lecture Hall/Main Event Room (8,500)

This will support the guest lectures primarily from Portland, but with the intent

that guest speakers nationally and internationally will find this as a useful venue.  The lecture hall should be able to support numbers anywhere from 350-500 seats, stage, and projection.

Small Lecture Hall (2,500)

This event space will be used for smaller presentation and for community meetings reliant on a lecture type setting.  Should be able to support 100-150 seats and a stage.

Exhibition space/ Galleries (10,000)

Exhibition space will be used to display works produced within the Centre and from the community.  The main purpose of the exhibition space is to become a visual aid used to support, stimulate and evoke conversation and questions in regards to up-coming, current, and future presentation. Works from the local community are strongly encouraged for displayed if not in these main areas then smaller galleries.

Reception (3,000)

This space’s main intent is to support the function of the event space by providing a place for people to continue to have discussions and add input based on the lectures topics.  This space should be able to contain flexible seating and catered services.  A prep room with a functioning kitchen adjacent to this space will be             necessary for food service to work from.

Lobby/Entry (1,500)

Used as the transitional space for people coming in from either a public transit or vehicular approach. Main circulation to all other parts of the building should be accessed through this space.

Mixed-Media Centre (89,000)

Main purpose is to provide the public with access to materials, instruction, and tools that will help them explore and generate new ideas.  Resources and courses are provided to get the community involved and educated on the current and future ways of exercising creativity.

Resource Library (15,000)

Resources in the form of books, periodicals, film, microfilm, can be accessed in

this space.  A large portion of the materials will be in the form of digital reproduction utilizing the space saving abilities technology provides us and recognizes that books are becoming more and more obsolete.

Class Rooms (8,000-16,000)

10-20 classrooms allow space for subject based classes and workshops (ranging from Arts to Science) to be taught.  Classes will range in variety, attempting to reach all age ranges.

Faculty offices(2,000)

1 per classroom, allow for prep space and storing of faculty’s materials used for their courses/ workshops.  These rooms will be generous enough to support use by multiple faculty.

Meeting Rooms (2,000)

Meeting rooms will be for the public use.  They will range in size from supporting the occupancy of 1-8 and 10-20.  These spaces will provide place for student, community, or other groups to productively work in larger groups without disturbing others in the main Mixed-Media Centre. 

Computer Pod (3,500)

There will be access to both public computers as well as computers in a separate  room for computer based classes.  These computers will provide software (post processing, drafting, film editing, 3-d modeling, music editing, performance modeling software, etc) that will provide the tools necessary for executing a variety of forms of media that supports the creativity of the community.

Commons (2,000)

An adjacent or contained space within the media centre will provide place for socialization and sharing of current work.  This space is flexible in use is a more laid back space used to get work done not necessary dependent upon the media centre i.e. reading, eating food, drawing, socializing, searching the internet from your own computer.

Support Spaces (23,000)

The laboratory aspect provides space for small scale experiments to take place that explore opportunities with sustainability in-mind.  This space will be used to monitor the performance of the building along with future edifices that get added to the eco-district master plan.  The majority of these spaces will be accessible by the public.

Output room (1,500)

Used to output any materials that may further increase the productivity of the work being done at the centre.  Posters needed for advertisement, base maps, flyers, exhibition materials, can all be taken care of within the Centre itself.

Fabrication, Testing, and Research Laboratories (20,000)

Very similar to the output room but used to provide the community access to tools/materials that they may not have access to otherwise.  Models, Materials testing, rapid prototyping and other forms of outputting arts and science will be taken care of from within the facilities. 

Materials storage (1,500)

Space for storing equipment, tools and materials used in both the Output room and Fabrications laboratory.

Lease-able Space:  (20,000-40,000)

Non-profit Offices located in this facility provides a great opportunity as acting like a venue to gain extra support from the issues they deal with day in and day out. Adding adjacent Profit business will add for an interesting dialogue between each other’s business models.  Both could share resource and learn to work together.  A percentage of this program will pay for the operational cost of the Centre.

Non-Profit/ For Profit business spaces

Flexible office space will be provided to house both profit and non-profit businesses.  These spaces should be an open floor plan allowing for the incoming and out going of business and keeps mindful of future growth.  These spaces should be easily accessible by the public.

           

Cafeteria/ Retail (3,000)

A dinning component will be used to provide sustenance options to both primary/repeat users of the Centre as well as those enroute from different parts of the city.  This should be located at grade, possibly adjacent to a public plaza and allow for both indoor and outdoor seating.

Public Amenities (104,000 exterior spaces)

Although the entire building in conception is an amenity to the public, spaces that promote the use of public transportation and active urban space, become public amenities when considering the future development of gateway as a whole.  These addition programmatic features will reinforce the success of this project.

Max, Bus, and Streetcar platform modification (16,500)

With the addition of an addition Streetcar alignment, the organization of multi modal transit option will be key, especially being adjacent to this structure.  The new centre will not only improve, but also provide a platform that makes transfers almost effortless.  Entry to both the building and into the neighborhood from these platforms must be clear and direct.  Public safety is a concern and platform must be large enough to handle peak loads of people waiting and transferring.  An unobstructed view to the platform from the building is also a strategy for increasing safety.

Parking structure (80,000)

A below grade parking structure (450 spots) will function to serve as a park and ride catalyst and become parking during larger events.  Parking fees will pay for a percentage of the Centre’s operational costs.

Adjacent public plaza (7,500)

Is an amenity to the community that can be used in a variety of ways.  It will

Function as the main pedestrian entry to the Centre.  It will also function to demonstrate the sustainable strategies and functions contained within the building.  Most likely the seating from the dinning component will use this space. 

Sustainability Program:

Due to this site being situated in a proposed eco-District and adjacent to several large public transportation arteries, it only fitting that this building strives to achieve either L.E.E.D certified (ideally platinum) or fulfill the Living Building Challenge. Centered around education and the spreading of ideas as this facility’s main focus, its appropriate that it would take on this responsibility/challenge as a way to demonstrate to the public what is possible when great ideas come together into one manifested design.  The Oregon Sustainability Center will provide precedent for approaching and achieving Living Building status.

Three major components to meet net-Zero

1. Reduce energy use by design
2. Reduce energy use through building conservation measures and tenant behaviors
3. Produce energy on site

Cisterns

Provides water storage necessary for storing rain water, treated water, and grey water.  This water will be used for potable water, flushing of toilets, and watering on site vegetation overflow water/storm water management will utilize a  retention pond for the safe return of water back to the water table.

Living Machine

Will support in the filtering process of black water.  Natural daylight is important to the success of its filtering processes. The location of this will need to be either south facing or in a place where it receives a lot of day light.

Connection and Creation of New Habitat

A retention pond will be used to deal with storm water management.  This will become a place that will potentially provide a home to new habitat.  This retention pond will be supplied by all of the building in the area. A central location to the overall master plan is key.  This building will explore bringing nature indoors, not only for its numerous environmental benefits, but to reinforce our strong connection with nature.

Bike Storage and Showers

Provide bicycle parking space (up to 100 spots) accessed either at grade or through parking structure.  Showers and lockers will be adjacent to this storage. 

End notes: A similar project of this program type used approximately 460,000 sqft.  With half of that square footage being allocated to a hotel.  To fit a program on this site (footprint approx: 100,000) it would generate a building about 5 stories.  This is in keeping with the new additions to gateway over the last 5 years.  Large portion of the area are residential and about 1-3 stories. Transitioning from a larger building height might be easily executed using a periphery of open and public spaces allowing for a gradual height change.

I am still working on updating my previous thesis statement and will have that posted as soon as I get a chance.  

Resources

Owen, David. Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are Keys to Sustainability. New York: Riverhead, 2009. Print.

Ingels, Bjarke. Yes Is More: an Archicomic on Architectural Evolution. Köln: Evergreen, 2010. Print.

Thesis Proposal Rough Draft

Introduction

The typical late nineteenth-century family moving into the suburbs sought space, sanitation, and security.  With the rise of automobile sales in the 1950’s, the car justified and made living outside of the city almost effortless.  The suburbs promised a higher quality of living that could not be found in most urban centers.  Although living in the suburbs today may be economical, they are seldom safer or more convenient than living in an urban core.

Urban sprawl has become detrimental to the urban fabric due to its inefficient uses of land resulting in poor density ratios, promotes extensive and unnecessary automobile use, and destroys remaining habitat and potential farmlands.  Despite these consequences of suburban dwelling today, there are several viable independent solutions that are not only alternatives, but begin to hint at a means for structuring future growth for urban areas that suffer from low densities.  How can we encourage people to move back into the city, and still provide the amenities that once made living in the suburbs an appealing thing?  How can we get people out of their cars?

What is being investigated?

In June of this year, the Gateway EcoDistrict Pilot Study was released, enumerating suggestive possibilities for structuring future growth of the gateway neighborhood. “Public engagement and outreach provided an understanding of community needs and desires. An assessment of current environmental, physical and infrastructure conditions in Gateway yielded a greater understanding of potential development options. Together, these factors informed recommendations for catalyst projects designed to generate further development around the EcoDistrict concept.”

Gateway Community priorities were as follows:

1. Connectivity – Both physical and social connections between different areas in Gateway are lacking.

2.  Identity – There is a strong desire to brand the district and enhance its overall identity to stimulate greater investment.

3.  Security and Appearance – Aesthetically improving the district and reducing crime is a primary goal.

An ecological business park would be more than a catalyst in attempt to achieve this neighborhood’s goals (identity, security and appearance) as well begins to tackle some larger issue of district energy, returning new habitat, and becoming a node that is supportive of public functions.  This new development adjacent to the existing Transit Center would engage those utilizing mass transit and become a place destined by many. The addition of a streetcar alignment would extend out to the neighboring communities providing access to the eco-park and other available transit options.

Some Solutions

The City of Portland was once developed around a vast streetcar network, which began in 1872 with a horse drawn line on 1st Avenue. The early streetcar lines served both as a mode of transportation and as an organizing tool for new development. They were constructed with the intent of drawing people to live in new, outlying neighborhoods. Before any new development began, developers would first extend a streetcar line into the area. Street railway companies would then add these new streetcar lines to their systems.  Between 1890 and 1925, streetcar lines opened up at least 14 of Portland’s historic neighborhoods for development. Over time, streetcar commercial districts evolved as the activity centers and main streets that still exist in Portland’s close-in neighborhoods. These early transit investments allowed people to commute greater distances from new residential developments to the industrial and employment areas in Central Portland.

Although, none of the original streetcar lines from the 1920’s remain, Portland still strives to regain the vast network of public transportation it once had. Today this includes 156 bus routes, 4 Light rail transit alignments, 1 street streetcar alignment, 2 additional light rail alignments slated to be complete by 2015, among other regional transportation options.  Over the last 20 years districts adjacent and near these vital arteries have proven to be prosperous, showing signs of healthy development and boasting rider-ship numbers of over 100,000 riders a day.   Light Rail Transit is a proven catalyst noted for rejuvenating urban neighborhoods, and providing quick, accessible transport to the resources and amenities that attract people to those districts, but they cannot do it alone. Other urban improvements need to take place if a system equivalent to a Streetcar system is going to be successful. An alignment is capable of bringing in density and a district has to be ready to make the necessary changes to deal with this influx.

Other inventive solutions that have begun to surface in the Pacific NW over the last decade are eco-districts and transit-oriented developments (TODs).  According to Portland Sustainability Institute (PoSI), the organization charged with leading the effort, an EcoDistrict is a neighborhood or district with a broad commitment to accelerate neighborhood-scale sustainability. In order to gauge performance, the initiative utilizes the following seven categories: community vitality, air quality and carbon, energy, access and mobility, water, habitat and ecosystem function, and materials management. These innovative programmatic solutions begin to tackle our dependency on non-renewable energies at a scale much larger than the single edifice. The twenty-minute neighborhood that Portland boasts is also another worthy option to look into.

Why is this important?

Currently, automobiles and light trucks in the United States are responsible for one-half of all greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles globally, and the U.S. only possesses 30% of the 700 million vehicles in the world.  Carbon dioxide from personal vehicles in the United States emitted 314 million metric tons in 2004. That much carbon could fill a coal train 55,000 miles long, which is long enough to circle the earth twice.  The U.S. accounts for a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gas emissions because vehicles are driven farther, have lower fuel economy standards, and burn fuel with higher levels of carbon than many of the cars in other countries.  U.S. automobiles had an average fuel economy of 19.6 miles per gallon in 2004, for an average annual consumption of just over 600 gallons of gasoline. United States gasoline contains 5.3 pounds of carbon per gallon. This carbon ends up in the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide, resulting in more than 1.5 tons of carbon emissions produced by U.S. automobiles yearly.

For some of us, the media and up-bringing has taught us that our life is not complete until we marry, have 2.5 kids, own a home that has a two car garage, white picket fence, and have a huge backyard that we throw barbeques in every weekend.  This conditioning has caused millions of people to seek out this [American] dream, and they are reaching towards the suburbs to reward their hard work.

Fit of site and Program to inquiry

The shopping center adjacent to the Gateway transit center is extremely disjointed and abundantly impervious.  The existing Transit center platform offers no clues on how to access the neighborhood.  New development in this portion of the Gateway neighborhood would repair the detrimental suburban like symptoms emanating from the big box stores it contains.  It will provide adequate housing, retail, business, and habitat space to ensure the longevity of Gateway generations to come.  This node will become a social amenity while setting the tone for future development in the area. Success with this project can become fodder for future exploration in EcoDistrict design and TOD.  The addition of a streetcar would provide a viable connectivity solution the Gateway neighborhood could greatly benefit from.  Making the line adjacent to the Transit Center increase public modal options while making this portion of the neighborhood immensely desirable towards people look for a lifestyle less dependent on the automobile.  

The Gateway District

Image from 'Gateway Ecodistrict Pilot Study' pg 9

Assignment 1: Cont.

After researching several Portland metro areas that Portland Streetcar Inc. has proposed future alignments in, I’ve discovered that the Gateway neighborhood is being taken into consideration as a possible eco-district.  The Urban Studies and Planning department has prepared a pilot study for the Portland Sustainability Institute.

http://www.ecogateway.net/uploads/3/8/0/8/3808789/gateway_ecodistrict_pilot_study_final_report.pdf

My current understanding of an eco-district is a collective of buildings and spaces organized in a manner that takes advantage of being able to share infrastructure.  It considers the input and output required of building typologies and uses them to their advantages.  If successfully executed, you end up with a complex network of buildings and natural systems working together to achieve and maintain stasis.  This quarter Id like to get a better understanding of what an eco-district is and look for possible opportunities associated with the structuring neighborhoods.

Public transportation is another important layer to consider when designing stratum as complex as an eco-district. The Gateway neighborhood would lend itself to an urban plan structured along a streetcar alignment due to its existing healthy mix of both commercial and residential areas.  The Gateway transit center, currently serving both bus and Light Rail, would be an ideal place to tie in a streetcar, further extending the branches of its effectiveness. A more illustrative T.C. would become the node necessary for nurturing future urban growth.

Lastly I see this project as an opportunity to aid with current social problems like homelessness, disposable attitudes, aging population and urban sprawl.  Cognizant planning for buildings that demand special/unique building typologies will give a community the structure necessary not only for helping itself but others.

Conceptually speaking ‘sustainability’ should be scale-less, and modern refined strategies make this easier to apply at a district level rather than to single edifice.   I am interested in looking at ecosystems as a way of understanding how a complex network of symbiosis’s function to keep their ‘neighborhoods’ on track. 

Methodology

1. Use the existing Gateway pilot study as one means of understanding the future neighborhood structure
2. Look for ways to weave a streetcar alignment into that plan.
3. Look for opportunities to structure the eco-district in ways that are conducive to as mentioned above.
4. Develop an urban plan for the existing commercial center that structures new transit center.
5. Identify a building within the new plan to develop for a quarter.