Preliminary Plans, Elevations, Section

Here are some preliminary sketch/drawings of my building complex, as you can see they are far from finish. I am still working on them and starting a 3D model to help me understand better all different levels and circulation. I originally wanted a ramp that went throughout the entire site from east to west but in order to make it accessible and come down to the sidewalk would have been too long. The version I am showing here stops in the second floor of the "Learning Center" and goes to a vertical circulation area. Also there is another connection to this ramp from Dr. Santiago Veve St. that connects on the second floor.

Massing Model V2

These are some pictures of my second attempt massing model. The main difference in this model from the first one is the location of the Performance Space. In this model the Performance Space moved to the north side of the site allowing me to use the slope on the west for outdoor seating. The Performance Space establishes a connection with the Live Music Bar/Museum from which performance can be watched across the outdoor seating area as well. One of the things I have been trying to do is to use long elements to connect the complex throughout the site. I have been thinking of these elements as something more open, perhaps a volume-defining trellis system with greenery instead of the original idea of glass. This is something I will further pursue.

Top View

View Looking South- Javilla St.

View Looking West- Dr. Santiago Veve St. & Javilla St.

View Looking North-Dr. Santiago Veve St.


View Looking East- Ramas St.

Site Plan Layout

East-West Section Through Performance Space

Massing Model V1

Here are some pictures of my first attempt of massing model for my building. The model is based on Scheme A form previous posts.

Site Diagram

This is a Site Plan Diagram showing some points of interest in the historic district as well as transportation routes. The majority of the pedestrian movement around the site occurs in Dr. Santiago Veve St.(East-West). During special events like festivals or baseball games, pedestrian movement from the north side of site increases coming through Javilla St and Ramas St. Just a block south of the site there is a public parking structure that will allow site's users to park there and walk to the new building. Because of the lack of public transportation system most of the people will drive to the site; having this parking facility within walking distance alleviates the demand for parking in the area and complements the new parking in the new building. There is also a taxi station located north west from the site a block away.

Process Sketches and Plans

For the record, here are some sketches of my projects explorations. I have been studying the possibilty of opening the performance space to the outdoors at the back. I really want to have a connection with the music performance and the outdoors to take advantage of the tropical characteristics of the site. Another option I have been thinking is the possibility of having one enclosed main performance space and auxiliary outdoor space for impromptu performances.

Also here are some schematic plans for the building siting. The main difference between these two is the performance area location. One of them opens to the outside and one does not. My favorite option is the one that does not open, this is because of the ability to connect the two sides of the site with the middle bar. Whereas the other option blocks that connection, breaking the site in two different sections.

Site Model Pictures

These are some pictures of the site model. It is ready to start some mass studies for my building. Also don't be scared about the site area! I am planning on working with the natural hill side of the site. I built the model this way for ease of the study models. I decided to build it at 1"=50'-0" which made it a pain to build. I think it should be good enough for my study models since I'm planning on the long run building one in the computer.

Research Topic #3

Better Sections Through Site

Research Topic # 2

Building Siting Options

This past week as I was working on "this week assignment" I figured out that after I change my schedule I did not even followed! I totally messed up the order of my assignments, that's why my research topic was posted before my Building Siting Assignment. Anyways, here it is. These two building siting options came from different trials since week two and three of the semester, the two came from my favorite schemes. Now that I have further site information about the site I believe the next step for me is to explore the in 3-dimensions. One of the main challenges of the proposed building will be to respect Porta Coeli's prominent position on top of the hill and keep sight lines unobstructed.

Site Analysis Part II

This is the second part of my site analysis. This past week I finally received more information about the existing conditions of the site, this helped me understand more what is happening in terms of topography. I will keep trying to get more information as porssible to be able to build a model, which is my goal. Once I have that I will be able to play with the building massing and orientation.

Site Plan Diagram

Existing Conditions, Site Schematic Sections

Existing Conditions, Site Elevations

Research Topic # 1

Here is my Research Topic #1. After starting to work on it I didn't know what I was getting myself into. It was too much information to digest, so my assigment is like a summary of important facts of Puerto Rican music.

Updated Bibliography

Bibliography
· Armstrong, Leslie. Space for Dance: An Architectural Design Guide. Publishing Center for Cultural Resources, 1984.
· Aparicio, Frances R. Listening to Salsa: Gender, Latin Popular Music, and Puerto Rican Cultures. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1998.
· Appleton, Ian. Building for the Performing Arts: A Design and Development Guide. Architectural Press, 2008.
· Bandur, Markus. Aesthetics of Total Serialism: Contemporary Research from Music to Architecture. Birkhäuser Basel, 2001.
· Beranek, Leo. Concert Halls and Opera Houses: How They Sound. Woodbury, NY: Acoustical Society of America, 1996.
· Blesser, Barry and Salter, Linda-Ruth. Spaces Speak, Are You Listening. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2007.
· Bomba Boricua. http://www.bombaboricua.com/
· Brown, David. Noise Orders: Jazz, Improvisation, and Architecture. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2006.
· Bullivant, Lucy. 4dspace: Interactive Architecture. Wiley Academy Press, 2005.
· Calatrava, Santiago. Dynamic Equilibrium. Munich, Switzerland: Artemis Verlags AG, 1993.
· Curtis, William J.R. “The Structure of Intentions: Rafael Moneo” El croquis, 2000, 28.
· Glasser, Ruth. My Music Is My Flag: Puerto Rican Musicians and Their New York Communities 1917-1940. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1995.
· Directoria de Urbanismo. http://www.gobierno.pr/212/
· Alden Mason, J. and Espinosa, Aurelio M. “Porto-Rican Folk-Lore. Decimas, Christmas Carols, Nursery Rhymes, and Other Songs.” The Journal of American Folklore (1918): 289-450
· Flores, Juan. From Bomba to Hip-Hop. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2000.
· Hardy, Hugh. Building Type Basics for Performing Arts Facilities. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
· Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. http://www.icp.gobierno.pr/
· Janney, Christopher. Architecture of the Air: The Sound and Environments of Christopher Janney. New York, NY: Sideshow Media LLC, 2007.
· La Danza Puertorriqueña. http://www.ladanza.com/
· Lopéz-Cruz, Francisco. La Música Folklórica de Puerto Rico. Sharon, CT: Troutman Press, 1967.
· Martin, Elizabeth. Architecture as a Translation of Music. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 1994.
· Muecke, Mikesch and Zack, Miriam. Resonance: Essays on the Intersection of Music and Architecture. Ames, IA: Culicidae Architectural Press, 2007.
· Music of Puerto Rico. http://www.musicofpuertorico.com/
· Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place. New York, NY: Marloe & Company, 1999.
· Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance. http://www.prfdance.org/index.html
· Rawn, William. William Rawn: Architecture for the Public Realm. New York, NY: Edizioni Press Inc, 2002.
· Russell, James S. “Performing Arts: Beating the Odds,” Architectural Record, January 2005, 133.
· Salter, Charles. Acoustics: Architecture · Engineering · The Environment. San Francisco, CA: William Stout Publishers, 1998.
· Stephens, Suzanne. “Performing Arts: Civic Identity,” Architectural Record, January 2008, 107.
· The Puerto Rican Quatro Project. http://www.cuatro-pr.org/

Revised Schedule

I thought I uploaded this earlier. I didn't realized I did but it was only in my Voice Thread!