Some Game Show Fun, Enjoy

Program Diagrams: Adjacencies

Program Development: Activities and Circulation

After a thoughtful site selection, I am re-visiting the program exercise from the project before.  I have since altered some of the ideas that I initially introduced with the program, and supplemented them with more concrete ideas that relate more directly to my thesis.

The above diagram is an example of how the circulation would work around the program.  I will look further into how the circulation could change with the implementation of certain program into the schematic design.

Site Development: Facade Study

SITE Development

Site Development

An Analytical site model showing my reaction to the site upon visiting.

     I spent some time on the site and this is what came to me as far as analytical site data.

          I felt as though as i walked down Van Ness Street, that it was desolate, and separated from the surrounding streets.  I have shown Van Ness Street in the elevated black bar, with the 'mesh' attached to it.  The mesh acts as the protruded vacant lots that are connected to Van Ness Street.  This reiterates the fact that not only is the street desolate, but there are lots that have been vacant for a while and there needs to be a response to these lots. 

Site Development

Contemporary Architecture: A response in sustaining a culture

Thesis Idea/Statement (and a brief explanation)

Is it Possible to preserve a culture of people that has been historically shaped over time, while responding to and sustaining the contemporary architectural needs?

Even though buildings and people change over time, the culture can be preserved. When a large group of people gathers in one place for one event, it sets up the ideal opportunity to let architecture affect them. The cultural or social event is what draws the people together. If the architecture responds to that, then there will always be a connection between the people and the architecture.

Building Type/Project Type/Program Ideas

An architecture that will respond to the culture

(Fenway and the surrounding neighborhood)

Fenway Cultural Center  

                        - Community Space

Public gallery space

                        Public meeting space (Fenway CDC)

                        Private exhibit space

                                    Permanent + Flexible

            - Historic information (ecological and landscape history)

                        Galleries exhibiting the history and development of the area.

                        Possible Historic New England outpost

            - Fenway Hall of Fame

                        Individual gallery and exhibit space

            - Gift shop(s)

            - Restrooms

            - Attached Restaurant

                        Kitchen, restrooms, outdoor seating, etc.

            - Underground parking garage

           

Site Choice

The block surrounded by Boylston Street, Van Ness Street, Yawkey Way, and Ipswich Street.

Current Block is Broken into 4 parcels

            ± 42,000 sq/ft            Rite Aid and Medical offices above (existing)

            ± 60,000 sq/ft            Howard Johnson Hotel (existing)

            ± 36,000 sq/ft            Vacant parking lot (existing)

            ± 20,000 sq/ft            Jerry Remmy’s Guitar Center and CVS(existing)

Revisiting my Topic Map

With the progression of my work, and some corrections that I needed to make, I am re-posting this with the central idea which used to read "a modern idea" to read "a contemporary idea".

Site Development

Site Development

Site Development

Site Development

Site Development

SIte Development

Site Development

Site Development: Site Criteria

The main 3 access points to Fenway Park are the Following T Stops:
     Kenmore
     Fenway
     Boylston

The most, and arguably the only successful of the 3 that act as a gateway to Fenway is Kenmore.  Not only is the T stop itself the most developed, but the most lively approach to Fenway is from the Kenmore T stop.  From Kenmore, the culture of the neighborhood is clearly portrayed.  This is needed all around Fenway.

In orange, is the potential area to be revitalized that will add to the much needed whole culture of Fenway.  The social and culture radiates out of Fenway and to the many people who venture there each year.  This radiation is also inversely apparent; from different areas in the city, the culture radiates towards Fenway.

Site Development: Site Criteria

As I began to think about the type of program I wanted to have that pertained to my thesis idea, I thought it would work best in an urban context.  I felt that since I wanted to model my thesis around the culture and society of a large group of people, assembled around a singular event.

The event is tied to the social and cultural identity of place.

This place is important enough to preserve its physical fabric and sustain its cultural importance.

Beyond Historic Preservation, what is the role of new architecture in the engagement and enhancement of that experience?

The 'main event' creates opportunities for other events and smaller cultural experiences also embedded in the identity of the urban culture.

What are these events?

What is the role of architecture?

What are limitations placed upon it by its existing context?

Actual Site:

Neighborhood surrounding Fenway Park, Boston, MA.

This is a landmark with in the historical stadiums.  The culture of New England that surrounds this area is so strong needs to be sustained.  Each person has the New England culture embedded in them, and is in some way drawn to the ‘Fenway’ event.

Site Development: Thesis Statement

Large events often draw large crowds of people into concentrated areas and as a result, each person feels as though he or she is  a part of the event as much as the next person.  The congregations at these events are all culturally and socially affected.  This allows for one of the most opportune moments for architecture to have an impact on such a large group of people at one time.  This phenomenon of this cultural architecture is one that must be sustained in order to preserve the social connection. 

Site Images

A few images from around the site:

Project 5: Site Selection

Fenway Park:
     A stadium that is nestled into an urban fabric.  The New England Culture is embedded into the stadium and surrounding area.  This must be preserved, the commercialization of recent parks have left many of them stray of the original culture and society.

Project 5: Site Selection

As I began to think about the type of program I wanted to have that pertained to my thesis idea, I thought it would work best in an urban context.  I felt that since I wanted to model my thesis around the culture and society of a large group of people, assembled around a singular event.
Event is tied to the social and cultural identity of place.
This place is important enough to preserve its physical fabric and sustain its cultural importance.
Beyond Historic Preservation, what is the role of new architecture in the engagement and enhancement of that experience?
The 'main event' create opportunities for other events and smaller cultural experiences also embedded in the identity of the urban culture.  what are those? what is the role of architecture? what are limitation placed upon it by its existing context?
 Neighborhood around  Fenway Park, Boston, MA.
It is a landmark with in the historical stadiums.  The culture of New England that surrounds this area is so strong, and needs to be sustained.  

Program Diagrams: 10/27/10

Activities and Circulation

Program

Adjacencies

Final Topic map and Image Abstract:

Things I can't live without

Things I can’t live without:

            A list of things a really enjoy…

·       Food (Cooking and Eating)
·       Family
·       Sports (All Boston teams)
·       Dogs
·       Contrast (materials)
·       Internet
·       Exeter Library
·       Connecticut Science Center
·       Fenway Park
·       Fall
·       Snowboarding
·       Front Porches
·       Bahrain World Trade Center Towers
·       Sydney Opera House
·       Photography
·       Milwaukee Art Museum
·       Music
·       Playing Guitar

There is much more that I will continue to add to this list, most of the items will be in photographs that I post on the blog.  They will have the label and be in the category “Things I like”.

Project 1: Collage/Montages

Here are 4 of the 6 original photo montages that I created for Project 1.  I have previously posted the other 2 that I chose to study further and create sections through.

Guitar

I have always been into music, and have played a number of different instruments in my life.  The guitar is one thing that I have come to love.  It is hard to find time to play the guitar, and a lot of the time it seems as though I use the guitar as a method of relaxation.

Image Abstract

Updated Topic Map

Sports "Nations"

Opening Day, Fenway Park. The revealing of the Banners.
The Redsox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics alike, all have a their respective nation.  Thousands of fans that all come to one place to watch.  There is something about having all of these people into one spot, and that they are all experiencing the same thing, that really stands out to me.  There is almost no other type of architecture that so many people can go to and get this same experience at the same time.

Nature

I took this picture while I was out in Sturbridge, MA.  I like the undisturbed land, and the calming feeling of hearing and seeing the water fall through the creek.

Idea/Topic Map

This was a topic map that I created for my thesis project.  I am interested in researching what was so important about historic architecture, and what it is people like about it.  Should we be bringing these different elements into the modern day?  That also poses another question that I  think I may want to look in depth at the fact that historic preservation and reconstruction may be a modern architecture.  I am very interested in the Boston area, in the topic map, you see the Boston train map in the background with various images from boston throughout.

Light and Shadow Collage first Iteration

This was the first iteration of the light and shadow collage and section.  In this one, the collage had not been abstracted.

Sailing Collage, first iteration

This is the first iteration of the movement collage that I did.  Earlier, I posted the final iteration of this.  The drawing shown below here was a section cut through the middle of the collage.

Movement Collage/Montage

Charles River, Boston

Another collage of images i took on the Charles River in Boston, this one is the expression of movement.  The section in this image, (again below) is cut in a way that follows the sailboats in time as they move across the image.

Light and Shadow Collage/Montage

The Christian Science Church:

This is a compilation of many images that I took one afternoon, to portray light and shadow.  I have collaged the photos together, and enhanced the image in photoshop to really get a sense of the contrast between the places the light falls and where the shadows are formed.  The image below, is a section cut, based on certain areas where the shadows are.

Piercing the Sky

As I was walking around City Hall Plaza, the Edward W Brooke Courthouse caught my eye.  Its sharp building edge pierces into the sky, and creates such a nice contrast of building and the surroundings.  I especially like when the triangulated corners of a building do this.  It is a common notion to think that a triangular site can pose such a problem, but when designed correctly it can be done quite beautifully.  (Also the Richard E. Griffin Academic Center for MCPHS on Huntington Avenue in Boston.)

Harvard Yard

Over the weekend I made my way over to Harvard to take a look at Sever Hall.  I recently had a lecture on H.H. Richardson and Sever Hall so I thought i would take a second look.  I walked around Harvard Yard, took some photographs, and was really struck by the original brick carvings.  I think that Richardson did a great job with this building (it had to be brick; Harvard's requirement).  As you can see, the original brick is in place, and has been carved into.