program for the urban campus for gsep_1301
DESCRIPTION
Program for the Urban Campus for GSEPTRANSCRIPT
program for the urban campus of the girl scouts of
eastern pennsylvania
becky yannes | thesis 2013
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The adaptive re-use of historic buildings, celebration of city planning decisions, and introduction of new typologies in the urban fabric will have defining impacts on the successful redevelopment of city neighborhoods and living conditions for their diverse populations. Integrating civic buildings to serve targeted audiences is the most effective means to incur healthy and sustainable growth.
The environment for testing the idea of integrating a civic space with a target audience in an underdeveloped neighborhood requires two key ingredients:
(1) a neighborhood that is in need of commercial development with zoned
areas for non-residential use;
(2) a group or organization with interest in designated center city space.
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(1) a neighborhood that is in need of commercial development with zoned areas for non-residential useThe site for the project will focus on the 600 block of North Broad Street and 1300 block of Ridge Avenue between Melon and Wallace Streets. The master planning of the surrounding area will reach west to Broad, east to 13th Street, north to Fairmount Avenue, and south to Mount Vernon Street.
The site emphasizes historic city planning decisions as Ridge Avenue slices through the organized city grid. The intersection of Broad and Ridge Streets is further emphasized by the abandoned Divine Lorraine Hotel, which stands with awesome potential to serve as the gateway to North Philadelphia. Much of the site is vacant overgrown greenspace, but does also includes abandoned resi-dential buildings. There are a few commercial and industrial buildings in use as well. The site is accessible, within a block of the Fairmount Avenue Station on the Broad Street subway line. Adjacent blocks include community infrastructure such as credit unions, medical offices, places of worship, elementary school and residences.
observed site challenges:Vacant land causes a disconnect among the various land uses surrounding the site and has been limiting in the development of existing structures.
There are a few buildings in use on the proposed site.
The site provides parking for nearby buildings.
Ridge Avenue has a very limited identity in Center City.
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(2) a group or organization with interest in designated center city space. The building design will support a program for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania.
The Girl Scouts celebrate their hundredth year of girl centered programming in 2012. In this celebration and as part of its mission, the organization seeks to empower girls. Recently organization has made strategic moves to promote STEM career development and exploration among scouts. Programming to support such initiatives demands space that is technologically relevant, flexible, accessible, and visible to the public.
observed organizational challenges:The Girl Scouts’ broad and relevant ideals have great opportunities to engage girls and adults, particularly in urban areas. But, they are often overlooked in the shadows of cookie sales and camping activities that are more prevalent programs of the organization.
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The neighborhoods surrounding the intersection of Broad Street and Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia require land development to foster sustainable commercial growth. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania are in need of urban presence to increase and retain girl and adult members. The scope of this project will include the design of an urban campus for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and proposed master planning the Broad Street and Ridge Avenue intersection.
fairmount avenue
urban wetlands
community gardens
architecture forwomen
habitablegreen roofscomfortable
and productivework spaces
temperature
stormwater management
camping
lighting
shared
privatesound
sheltercontrol
access
indigenous species
bridging ceremonies
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concepts
The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania are not the only persons to be affected by the development of this site. The development will impact community members and pedestrians as well. This project will explore the user experiences of staff members, community members, parents, volunteers, young adult scouts, child scouts, and pedestrians. Similarly, it will explore the circulation of various transportation modes to and on the site.
Further, research will focus on the development of urban wetlands, community gardens, comfortable and productive spaces, habitable green roofs, and architecture for women in an effort to investigate appopriate and innovative solutions thoroughly.
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project scope
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Proposal Submitted
Initial Site Survey
Program Draft Submitted
Initial Interviews with Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
Program Submitted
Research on Community Center Building Type
Research on Community Gardens
Research on Urban Stormwater Management Strategies
Development of Master Plan
Fall Group Review
Charrette with Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
Continued Development Master Plan
Development of Site Plan and Building Massing
Publication of Comprehensive Research
Intermediate Review
Schematic Development of Building
Report of Progress to Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania
Design and Development of Building
Technical Review
Continued Design and Development of Building
Publication of Comprehensive Research and Design
Final Review
August 20, 2012
September 17, 2012
November 05, 2012
December 17, 2012
March 11, 2013
June 01, 2013
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proposed site
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640 Lofts
The Mulford building was orignially developed as rentable factory space by the Metropolitan Company in 1912. Developer Eric Blumenfeld of EB Realty bought the building in 2006 and has since repurposed it for residential mixed use.
Rodeph Shalom Congregation
The original synagogue was designed by Philadelphia architect, Frank Furness in 1869. That structure was demolished to make way for the new temple building and its Philadel-phia Museum of Jewish Art.
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proposed site
Northwestern Bank Building
Architect Phillip Merz designed the build-ing that was built in 1918. An addition was constructed in 1918 and the banks success continued. In 1949, it became the first bank in the city to have a drive-thru teller window. The building houses a PNC branch today.
Metamorphosis Philadelphia: Blueprint To End Homelessness:
This mural by Josh Sarantitis, Page Hamrick, and Eric Okdeh overlooks the Harry Murray Memorial Park.
Divine Lorraine HotelThe Lorraine Apartment House was complet-ed in 1894 as an early example of apartment living in Philadelphia. By 1900 the building had been converted to a hotel. In 1948 it transitioned to a residential hub for the Unity Mission Church under the leadership of Rev-erend Major J. “Father” Divine.
Jennifer Lin, “The view is Divine” , August 27, 2012,
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The selected lots for development are zoned as RSA-5, CMX-3, and CMX-4 according to the zoning code released in August 2012. This makes them appropriate for the development of a building for Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and for residential and commercial growth in the surrounding blocks. The code allows for community garden space as well, but may require some variances to include sports field. But there are some existing sports fields a block north of the proposed site.
There are also some development projects under construction or in the news. There are residential units under construction in the 1500 block of Fairmount Avenue.
Further, the Divine Lorraine Hotel, which has remained dormant for several decades has recently made the news because it has been purchased for development and the mayor has made mention of the city’s commitment to its improvement.
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RSA-5Permitted Building Type: Detached, Semi-Detached; AttachedUses permitted as of right: Single-Family; Passive Recreation; Family Day Care; Religious Assembly;
Safety Services; Transit Station; Community Garden; Market or Community-Supported FarmUses requiring special exception approval: Group Living; Personal Care Home; Active Recreation;
Group Day Care; Educational Facilities; Fraternal Organization; Hospital;
Libraries and Cultural Exhibits; Utilities and Services, basic; Wireless Service Facility
Min. Lot Width 16 ft.
Min. Lot Area 1,440 sq. ft.
Min. Open Area Intermediate: 30%;Corner Lot; 20%
Min. Front Setback Based on setback of abutting lots
Min. Side Yard Width 5 ft. per yard
Min. Rear Yard Depth The greater of 9 ft. or 20% of Lot Depth
Max. Height 38 ft.
CMX-3Description: Community commercial and residential mixed useUses permitted as of right: Household Living; Group Living; Recreation; Daycare; Education Facilities; Fraternal Organization; Hospital; Libraries and Cultural Exhibits; Religious Assembly; Safety Services; Transit Station; Utilities and Services, Basic; Wireless Service Faculty; Office; Building Supplies and Equipment; Consumer Goods; Food, Bever-age, and Groceries; Pets and Pet Supplies; Sundries, Pharmaceuticals, and Convenient Sales; Wearing Apparel and Accessories; Animal Services; Assembly and Entertainment; Business Support; Prepared Food Shop; Sit Down Restaurant; Financial Services; Maintenance and Repair of Consumer Goods; Structure Parking; Personal Services; Radio, Television, an Recoding Services; Visitor Ac-
commodations; Artist Studios and Artisan Industrial; Research and Development; Community Garden; Market or Community-Supported FarmUses requiring special exception approval: Surface Parking
Max. Occupied Area Intermediate: 75%;Corner; 80%
Min. Front Yard Depth NA
Min. Side Yard Width 8 ft. if used for buidling w/ dwelling units
Min. Rear Yard Depth NA
Max. FAR 500% up to an additional 300% with bonus
CMX-4Description: Center City commercial mixed useUses permitted as of right: Household Living; Group Living; Recreation; Daycare; Education Facilities; Fraternal Organization; Hospital; Libraries and Cultural Exhibits; Religious Assembly; Safety Services; Transit Station; Utilities and Services, Basic; Wireless Service Faculty; Office; Building Supplies and Equipment; Consumer Goods; Food, Bever-age, and Groceries; Pets and Pet Supplies; Sundries, Pharmaceuticals, and Convenient Sales; Wearing Apparel and Accessories; Animal Services; Assembly and Entertainment; Business Support; Prepared Food Shop; Sit Down Restaurant; Financial Services; Maintenance and Repair of Consumer Goods; Structure Parking; Personal Services; Radio, Television, an Recoding Services; Visitor Ac-
commodations; Artist Studios and Artisan Industrial; Research and Develop-ment; Community Garden; Market or Community-Supported FarmUses requiring special exception approval: Surface Parking
Max. Occupied Area Intermediate: 75%;Corner; 80%
Min. Front Yard Depth NA
Min. Side Yard Width 8 ft. if used for buidling w/ dwelling units
Min. Rear Yard Depth NA
Max. FAR 500% up to an additional 300% with bonus
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Month starting HDD10/1/2009 24211/1/2009 36812/1/2009 8161/1/2010 9272/1/2010 8653/1/2010 4684/1/2010 2105/1/2010 806/1/2010 17/1/2010 08/1/2010 09/1/2010 810/1/2010 18211/1/2010 45012/1/2010 9431/1/2011 10242/1/2011 7113/1/2011 5954/1/2011 2635/1/2011 666/1/2011 37/1/2011 08/1/2011 19/1/2011 2010/1/2011 21611/1/2011 36612/1/2011 6011/1/2012 7812/1/2012 6333/1/2012 3784/1/2012 2625/1/2012 496/1/2012 127/1/2012 08/1/2012 09/1/2012 22
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Month starting CDD10/1/2009 311/1/2009 012/1/2009 01/1/2010 02/1/2010 03/1/2010 04/1/2010 195/1/2010 766/1/2010 2157/1/2010 3108/1/2010 2239/1/2010 10810/1/2010 611/1/2010 012/1/2010 01/1/2011 02/1/2011 03/1/2011 04/1/2011 185/1/2011 656/1/2011 1507/1/2011 3168/1/2011 1489/1/2011 6110/1/2011 611/1/2011 012/1/2011 01/1/2012 02/1/2012 03/1/2012 34/1/2012 115/1/2012 596/1/2012 1387/1/2012 2938/1/2012 2009/1/2012 68
(1) Description: Fahrenheit-based heating degree days for a base temperature of 63F
(2) Description: Fahrenheit-based cooliing degree days for a base temperature of 72F
The goal is to minimize mechanical supported heating and cooling of the building. The project will assume ~5F internal heat gains in most of the spaces, independent of direct sunlight and machinery heat gains. Further, the building will push temperatures to higher than average for office spaces. During the summer months, the building will support 77F temperatures. This heat is based on a 2004 study from Cornell University, that revealed office workers were more efficient working in a 77F environmnent than a 68F environment (http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Oct04/temp.productivity.ssl.html). degree days
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program
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Membership growth and retention in the urban population are goals of the Girl Scouts, particularly in Philadelphia. The Girl Scout presence is muted within city limits compared to suburban counterparts. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania attribute this to several factors including lack of family history in scouting and ignorance to the valuable programming the Girl Scouts offer both girl and adult members. The Girl Scouts have various facilities in areas surrounding Philadelphia, including six administrative offices and six camps.
The training facility for orienting leadership in the organization, Edith Macy Conference Center, is about a three hour drive from the Philadelphia area. This is a barrier for both staff and volunteer leadership. The organization recognizes the benefits scouting leadership provides adults for career preparation, but is unable to capitalize on opportunities to offer its programming to urban audiences.
Existing Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania properties do not provide the visibility in the center city area necessary to demonstrate the organization's relevance to local residents.
The Girl Scouts have commissioned buildings over the last sixty years to support staff and scout programming. Many of the buildings were well designed for user comfort and to behave responsibly environmentally, but do not adequately support current space needs. Particularly, the Shelly Ridge Complex (Miquon, Pennsylvania), which serves as the headquarters for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania cannot accommodate scout programming nor can it hold full staff events. Interviews with staff members have revealed that the office space also does not accommodate staff’s daily work needs appropriately. There are not enough personal offices for each of the team managers. Similarly, staff members are often left to use their valuable cubicle space as program storage in addition to their work space.
Existing facilities do not support the group programming that the organization would like to offer to constituents.
The Girl Scouts of the USA recently surveyed a population of nearly 1,000 teen girls to investigate their interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The findings were released in the report earlier this year. With data demonstrating girls’ interest in STEM fields, the organization has continued to expand programming in these areas. This expansion would be fueled by urban presence, nearby industry and university research leaders.
Existing meeting spaces at the Shelly Ridge Complex in Miquon, Pennsylvania is useful for day to day staff meetings, but are not large enough for more substantial training events.
Valuable office space is uesd for storage of various sales products and programming materials. Many managers have similar storage situations within their own cubicles at the Shelly Ridge Complex.
Although the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania’s staff is overwhelmingly female, there are minimal accommodations for women’s needs. This photograph depicts the “breast pumping station” that has been set up in a storage closet with a curtain separating the door’s sidelight window view from the lobby.
client needs
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A 2010 study was done by a Florida student, Leialni Aletras, as part of a similar project for an urban campus in her state. She found, similarly to the findings of this research, that the spaces needed by the Girl Scouts in her region could be zoned in an
urban building as (1) Girl Area, (2) Administrative area, and (3) Public Area. By separating the spaces she was able to program a building of approximately 30,000 square feet that would be useful for each of the three user types.
Aletras found that the segmentation of user spaces would expand opportunities for the Girl Scouts to rent spaces for added revenue. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania currently rent out camps to other non-profit and private groups for events, trainings, and other gatherings, but take little advantage of such opportunities with their indoor meeting spaces.
Discussions with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania have revealed that it is most interested in the expansion of programming spaces in the urban campus. Much of its staff can remain in the Miquon location. Offices in Center City will service a small staff
and provide cold desk and storage space to volunteers. The office should serve as a model for comfortable work space in an urban space and particularly accommodate women’s needs more suitably than existing facilities. The urban campus will adopt appropriate practices from the Shelly Ridge Complex. For example, it will provide outdoor areas for staff to enjoy. Also, it will seek to adopt contextual vernacular, as the existing office facility does.
The urban campus will also add a location for the sales and distribution of retail products for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. While the region has two retail locations, the urban campus will service the growing population of Philadelphia scouts. The space will offer
additional storage for retail and product sales as well.
Programming spaces in the urban campus will include large and small meeting areas for scouts, training facilities for adult members and volunteers, large event spaces, indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, kitchen and technological labs, and the
associated support areas. These facilities will meet the growing needs of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania while providing opportunities to engage with the surrounding community.
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Intentions for Programmed Space Uses
Staff and Volunteer Offices In addition to the staff offices at nearby Shelly Ridge, some executives for the GSEP will have private workspaces at the Center City campus. Further, a small staff will share open office space with volunteer leaders and program supporters, including community garden staff.
Conference Rooms Conference rooms will serve as meeting rooms for groups of about 10 or less.
Kitchen This small kitchen will support the office area.
Copy Center The copy center will service the staff and volunteers to support programming.
Scout Shop The scout shop will offer various merchandise, but most particularly will carry uniforms and insignia.
Exhibits Exhibits will include permanent collections of historic uniforms and memorabilia for display. Exhibit spaces for flexible collections will be allocated for the display of scout or community materials. Collections should be public or semi-public with great presence in the building for most visitors to access in the building.
Library The library will be made up of a collection of scout and community centered books and artifacts. It will be supported by a naturally lit, semi-public reading room. The library will include a space for a secured computer lab.
Scout Lounges Scout lounges will be separate, flexible spaces for various age groups of girls. The spaces should incorporate modular, movable furnishings that relate to the scale of the girls as they develop through scouting. Lounges will be used by scouts for independent activities after school, on weekends, and summer days. These spaces will be private and need to be sercured from public access. Visibility will be important for these spaces as well -- a small staff should be able to supervise girls in multiple spaces. The spaces will change over time to meet the needs of the changing scouts.
Gathering Spaces The reception area will serve as a secure entry for multiple user types. The space will be large to supporting gathering of various groups. A larger mult-purpose auditorium will provide spaces for large events to include scout and community performances and ceremonies, for example. Seating should be flexible and the auditorium lighting will need to be controllable. Gathering spaces will be rentable spaces to provide opportunities for revenue to the GESP.
Kitchen The industrial kitchen will service events in the gathering spaces, but also house a demonstration space for scout and community cooking and other wet lab events.
Meeting Rooms Meeting rooms will be flexible spaces to support scout, leader training and other community meetings. These spaces will also house computer labs that need to be secured.
Gymnasium The gymnasium will be a flexible, sports-centered facility for scout and community use. It will require equipment storage and wet locker rooms.
Camping Facilities Secured courtyards and green roof spaces may be used as outdoor, urban campgrounds.
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Great Significance
Deterrent
Some Significance
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Intentions for Master Plan
Hospitality and Restaurant School
As an educational facility, the hospitality school will embrace the North Avenue of the Arts. The school will use the community garden and may access or present in the demonstration kitchen of the GSEP facility.
Arts Annex The Arts Annex will house artists or designers who will lease spaces. The building will also have gallery and storage spaces. The Annex may use the GSEP reception and auditorium spaces for events.
Septa Transit Center and Bike Facility
The Septa Transit Center will be a hub for the Fairmount rail and bus stops. Additionally, it will have the area’s bike share facility.
Multi-Use Residential Units Units will include commercial spaces on the ground floor and 3 to 5 floors of residences above.
Dog Park An increase in residential units in the area will create an increase in pet population. Aside from the community garden and sports field, a designated dog park will be established to isolate pet waste.
Arts Library To continue the Avenue of the Arts, a collection of arts resources will be housed in a branch library. This building should have strong connections to the Art Annex.
Shared Parking
Food Truck Alley The food truck alley will support the increased workforce and resident life in the North Broad area. The grove should be set up as a plaza with permanent and temporary eateries, varied seating options, and public art.
Outdoor Sports Facilities An additional soccer field and basketball court will be developed with relationships to the sports fields to the north of the site.
Visitor Accommodations The Center City campus will be a hub for leadership training in the area. In order to support training retreats, a few hotel-style rooms with personal bathroom facilities will be developed as private spaces.
Community Garden The community garden will be administered by the GSEP as a learning lab for scouts. But it will welcome community involvement in individual and group capacities. The garden should have connections to residential areas in surrounding blocks, but also to the kitchen of the campus. It may be most effective to develop the garden in the southern region of the site at the lowest elevation to take advantage of water movement.
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Great Significance
Deterrent
Some Significance
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scout &community
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hierarchy of spaces
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adjacenciesThe Scout Shop, while small, should reside nearby the administrative and support spaces for its day to day operations.
Scout lounges, meeting rooms and resources should be nearby one another for regular meetings. To provide for outdoor meetings, the community garden should be nearby these spaces.
The gathering spaces are the most voluminous in the complex. These spaces will be available for large internal and external events. Therefore, parking needs to be accessible to these spaces. The kitchen and support areas also need to be adjacent to the gathering spaces. Connections between the community garden and the kitchen will help to demonstrate the cycle of food production fostered by the complex.
The gynasium and outdoor sports facilities should be adjacent to one another for easy access and storage of sports equipment.
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precedent studies
GLOWING EMBERS GIRL SCOUT COUNCIL
program & training center
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Construction Completed: September 2007
Architect: Design Plus
Interiors: SKP Interiors
Electrical Engineering: WPF Engineering
Construction Management: CSM Group
Budget: $4,500,000
Square Footage: 33,356 sq. ft.
The Program & Training Center built for use by staff, volunteers, and members of the Heart of Michigan Girl Scout unit was completed in 2007, but required more than five years of fundraising efforts for development. The building was constructed to serve its urban community and to resopnd to the site environmentally responsibly. However, the building's main purpose is to support the area's Girl Scout membership with spaces for small and large group activities.
To accommodate the use cases of the building, it was programmed in zones: (1) Program Area, (2) Volunteer Services, and (3) Administration.
The Program Area includes spaces for: Activity Rooms, Teen Lounge, Kitchen, Locker Room. The Volunteer Services includes spaces for: Members Lounge, Retail Store, Coffee Bar, Resource Library. The Administration Area includes
relevance to research
The Glowing Embers Program & Training Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan serves an urban community of Girl Scouts. It also engages with the public to provide cultural outlets, specifically through its outdoor spaces. The center is about the size of the proposed building for the Philadelphia site. The programming of spaces was completed in collaboration with local scouts.
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The main entrance of the building circulates into the volunteer services zone. This zone includes the publically available Coffee Bar. "Cafe Girl Scout" is open weekdays from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM to generate revenue for the Girl Scouts. The program area includes diversified spaces that accommodate 10 to 132 people for various activities and events.
The building is celebrated for its connection to the urban center of Kalamazoo. But it is also celebrated for its environmentally friendly campus. This campus includes several landscaped regions that make up the International Gardens, representatives of the four Girl Scout World Centers in England, Switzerland, India, Mexico, in addition to an Oriental Garden. The gardens are open to the public and their design and maintenance are coordinated by the Kalamazoo County Master Garden Association. The site also accommodates 75 parking spaces.
The structural and environmental systems are exposed throughout the building so that they can be used as teaching tools for visitors. “ The design was intended to remain rough so that the girls would be able to see how the building was constructed (Aletas 65). This accentuates the many lofted spaces and highlights the accessible passageways between them.
“When the building was first constructed, there was some criticism in the community and a general question, ‘why would you build something so grand for Girl Scouts?’ To this, the council put forth a campaign- ‘Girls are worth it!’ Now, [the council] can happily say that the building put Girl Scouts ‘on the map’ in their area, and thankfully, the community sees them as the most visionary non-profit in Kalamazoo” (Aletras 65).
SOUTH BRONX
community center atmelrose houses
Bronx, New York
Construction Completed: February 2001
Architect: Argest and Gandelsonas Architects; Wank Adams Slavin Associates
Budget: $6,500,000
Square Footage: 20,000 sq. ft.
The Melrose Community Center was completed in the winter of 2001 as a complement to its neighboring housing facilities. The building was erected on a site amongst an area with one of New York City’s highest crime rates. The center is seen to be a “point of identification and pride for the community.” The target audience for the center is teenagers. The center offers programs in athletics, visual arts, computing and more.
The building’s programmed space is separated into two practical wings. Half of the 20,000 square feet are dedicated to the gymnasium which features a basketball court. The remaining 10,000 square feet are reserved for the administrative and classroom functions of the building. The two wings are connected by a small linking passageway that serves as the entrance. Because visitors enter at the center of the building, either wing can be secured when the other is not being used.
The footprint of the Melrose Community Center is not compact and rectangular like most urban buildings.’ Instead it mimics the surrounding housing quads. This footprint provides nooks of outside space that can be used or gardening.
relevance to research
The Melrose Community Center is an excellent example of an ur-ban campus that does not take on a traditional urban form. The center was also developed to serve a particular demographic, namely teenagers. Its volumes all for views through the build-ing to the surrounding neighborhood that supports the center.
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The two wings of the building are shaped precisely to meet their programmatic needs, forming an oval and a bar. The bar was designed to be transparent to celebrate the activities going on in the classroom spaces and encourage participation. This transparency to the public and between classrooms allows the corridors to be used as exhibit spaces effectively.
The NYCEDC and New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, responsible for the construction of the Melrose Community Center has since carried out great studies to understand the commercial potential of the area. The studies have found the area to be one of New York City’s fastest growing neighborhoods. This growth has sparked demand for: restaurants, grocery stores, name brand apparel, dry cleaning services, bookstores, health and medical services, and professional services.
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The extrusion of the glazed wall provides the necessary space for deep sill seating. It also provides dimension to bring ample natural light to spaces below grade.
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Because the bar’s size is limited to the required program spaces, the corridors serve as exhibit areas and informal gathering places. The hallways are wide to accommodates these sorts of interations among users. Notice, that the the glazing allows for transparency to public passersby.
The simplicity of the forms help to articu-late the uses of each space. Creating such dramatic voids as part of the site demands careful planning of landscaping. The lack of pathways and articulated edge conditions of the community center takes away from the ability to develop indoor outdoor connec-tions and relationships between the public and building’s vistors.
Views to the residences beyond the community center roofline connect visitors as they approach the center entrance corridor. But, the connection of the building to the ground is uncomfortable and raises concerns for stormwater movement.
zamet centre
Rijeka, Croatia
Construction Completed: October 2009
Architect: 3LHD
Budget: $25,696,000
Square Footage: 185,000 sq. ft.
The Zamet Centre in Croatia is a sports arena that has provided urban connections between a public green space and a school building as a venue with specific uses and audiences, but opportunities for other uses make it difficult to categorize this building as a sports arena, solely. While the arena serves particular athletic audiences, it is flexible to provide space for community events including concerts, conferences, and congresses. The arena is equipped to seat 2380 spectators.
The building also houses offices, a library and 13 retail spaces. The massing studies of the architects demonstrate the necessary volumes as rectangular boxes. The ribbon rhythm is overlaid on those volumes to provide access to light and connections to the landscape. The landscape becomes a plaza for the public and the ribbons allow visitors to approach the building from various elevations. One third of the arena is cut into the ground, but the undulating roofline provides natural light to the great spaces below.
The north and south faces of the building are treated with the same ceramic tiles that continue onto the groundscape. The pattern of local stone was inspired by the surface pattern of
relevance to research
The Zamet Center acheives the goal of connecting urban spaces effectively. Similarly, it brings together many uses in a campus setting. The building also brings necessary parking to part of the structure. While the building is grand in scale, it is not overwhelming to its visitors or others who are passing it on the street.
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a handball. Most of the east and west facades feature Prolifit glazing systems. These glazing systems allow pane glass to stand out as a unique materiality and different texture for visitors to experience.
The transparency of use in each space is continuous from outside to inside and among the indoor spaces. In addition to the transparency of use, there is great transparency in the structural systems of the building.
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The complex focuses on three program types, in addition to service: gathering, athletic, office/athletic prep. There are only a few major points of circulatory entry and a single zone for parking and service entry. In plan the massing of the complex emphasizes the hierarchal importance of the program types. However, the tectonics of the building do not reveal too much about the spaces inside. Glazing exposes some of the activity from the east and west, but the north and south elevations are solid.
The utility courtyard on the western edge of the site is guarded with informal tree lines and does not take away from the public square to the west. However, the amount of planting on the site is limited in comparison to the amount of solid surface. This solid surface is a system of ceramic panels, that serve as exterior cladding and paving for the Zamet Centre.
Parking for the facilities is housed underground. The garage holds about 230 vehicles and has 7 access ways of egress.
As demonstrated in the photo diagram on the next spread, the scale of the building to surrounding units is similar in proportion to the planned complex and the neighboring Divine Lorraine. This is noticeable in perspective.
The image also introduces the building’s relationship to the street. The south elevation has great rhythm that leads visitors to the grand plaza for entry to the facilities.
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To balance the grand arena spaces, the ribbon dimension is used to house oth-er gathering spaces. It also welcomes vertical circulation to be exposed and traveled along the long north to south dimension.
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GIRL SCOUTS OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
shelly ridge complexMiquon, Pennsylvania
Construction Completed: 1985
Architect: Bohlin Cwynski Jackson
The Shelly Ridge Complex was constructed in 1980 to support the, at the time, Girl Scouts of Greater Philadelphia. The complex consisted of several indoor and outdoor all with the vernacular of farm buildings, including caretaker’s residence, two service buildings, roads and site utilities, a swimming complex, and a Program Center Building. Because of the buildings’ responsible approaches to energy consumption, they received positive attention at the time of their construction. The Department of Energy studied the performance of the building as a model for other projects and the most recent recognition was the AIA National Honor Award in 1984.
The largest of the buildings is the Program Center building which features a large assembly hall with stage and central hearth. The timber frame structure and simple facade emphasizes the farm vernacular from the access road. But the south, forest facing facade is a Trombe wall. Although it is unconventionally thin, this wall serves as a thermal mass to assist in the passive heating and cooling of the building. In addition to its mass, the wall features user operated shading devices. Also, unnoticeable from the access road, is the semicircular lobby of the building that acts as a sundial, tracing the time of day via shadows. The heat gained by this masonry space also aids in the heating of the building. At the time of construction, solar energy satisfied about half of the building ‘s heating, lighting and domestic hot water needs.
relevance to research
The Shelly Ridge Complex is the current home to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. The staff members did not know that their buildings were once acclaimed for their responsible design. And al-though, they enjoy the buidlings as camp spaces, they recognize that they are no longer adequate for their programming or staff needs.
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The swimming pool complex includes a bathhouse, equipped with restrooms, changing rooms, and showers. There are also outdoor showers along the low wall surrounding the pool. All Girl Scout properties have caretakers who live on the grounds. The original master plan featured a small, two story residence for the Shelly Ridge caretaker. This home just west of swimming pool was constructed in the same vernacular as the other buildings. The lower level had living spaces connected by a spiral staircase to the upper sleeping quarters.
The Shelly Ridge has been “loved” according to current staff who inhabit a more recently constructed office space. The original buildings are utilized for summer day camps. 12 pavilions have been added to the 113 acre site to attract Girl Scout troop activities throughout the year. The pool is open throughout the summer months for summer camp and neighboring
locals. The caretaker no longer resides in the original building which is now used for summer camp support as the infirmary.
Bathhouse
Caretaker’s Residence
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The original caretaker’s residence has been repurposed a few times to include storage, office, and camp programming spaces. It is currently used as the day camp infirmary during the summertime, winter camping residence, and rarely used staff office space on the second floor. According to full time staff, the second floor have been deemed unfit for regular, continuous use as office space. The spiral staircase to that second floor has been replaced with a u-shaped stairwell that shields the large window that provided natural light to much of the original living space. The designed built in book cases remain as evidence to the original floor plan. The exterior of the building is quite worn, but exemplifies remnants of the sustainable initiatives as noticeable in the image to the right with strategically placed rainwater collection barrels. The caretaker’s residence, Program Center, and pool are not well connected with pedestrian pathways and therefore water is not properly managed from the buildings’ edges.
Interior view of first floor of caretaker’s residence in September 2012.
Interior view of second floor of caretaker’s residence in September 2012.
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Exterior view of caretaker’s residence in September 2012.
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