Helpful Critters

The second set of design drawings I have developed (first somewhat coherent set):








...and some not so hot elevations:



...and the feedback I got from my peer crit-ers today:

Mary Rasure Mai Huynh-Carnes

Thesis Name: Western Energy Trading Center
-Has a very developed, programmatically executed building, with sections, plans & elevations.
-Incorporate and further explore her concept into the building(s), so the concept can drive the building form, materials, etc.
-Could take a historic preservation approach and have the new building emerge from the existing building. [Old verse New; on many different aspects.]


Mary R. From Ian Flood

1) Conservation as building metaphor is strong! This idea can carry your whole project.
If you look at conservation of Energy and link that to Historic Preservation in
Architecture, you have an automatic connection between your program and the
buildings on the site you have chosen. It is logical and can progress in several
ways.

2) How to achieve an Energy Center that expresses conservation as a principle?

a. Notes from class.
- pull lines from existing building.
- Heighten connection to existing through either perspective or section.
This is how your architecture can make conservation and Energy trade
resonate!
- Lower discussion on security. This is my personal view because I don’t
think you want Jurors questioning the security of this building. I would
focus on the key connections between preservation and conservation.
Not to say that security cannot be a design generator, it just may make
a better discussion to focus on the other stuff.
- How do you respond to the building @ the south? It’s funny because
clearly the shorter classical building is the feature space. Conservation
would almost allow for more tweaking in the taller, southern building.
Possibly your building is simply a connection between these two old
structures.
b. Look at materials. This will set up fundamental moments where new meets
old.
c. Subtractive operations. Subtractive work in architecture is strong because it
critiques existing work. You can remove a wall from an existing building
and still be considered a conservationist.
D. Section. Section will show rich material variance and contrasting spaces.


Mary Rasure From Nicholas Bittner

Mary stood and talked enthusiastically about her project, though she lacked a site model. However, she did have drawings that were further along than the students who did have a site model, which leads me to question the merit of a site model over simply knowing ones site having visited it or drawing off some topographical drawings rather than a 3’dimsnsional artifact wasteful of materials. I digress. Mary saw a lot of sectional opportunities with her mastery of the program and site.