Precedent Project

Marcus with a great find relative to my project..... Thanks!

http://www.archdaily.com/347061/elevated-sports-court-at-lasalle-franciscanas-school-j1-arquitectos/

Thesis Statement

The youth is the targeted audience for the Greater Boston area according to the 2010 Census report that indicates the ages of 5-24 makes up 31% of the Boston population which has increased over 10 years; compared to the United States youth population of 27.4% has dropped approximately 1%. In efforts to set youth trends of engaging physically activities in the Back Bay commercial district, the proposal of a community fitness center will compete against digital media for their attention in becoming a community node for everyone.

Conceptual Massing 2

Essentially utilizing the entire perimeter of the site in maximizing square footage. The facades responds to the primary and secondary street frontages. The essence of horizontal lineage that allows a floating effect, much like its adjacent parking building.

Conceptual Massing 1

The massing reacts to the wind tunnel affect. The facades redirect the directional wind away from inner core, and if the wind does make is way through, theres a passage that allows it to channel out. The intent is to create multifunctional spaces inside and out.

Wind Study

March 21 - Wind Rose & Shadow Diagram
Majority of wind from Northwest.

June 21 - Wind Rose & Shadow Diagram
Two main directional paths of wind from Southeast and South.

September 21 - Wind Rose & Shadow Diagram
Two main directional paths of wind from Northeast and West.

December 21 - Wind Rose & Shadow Diagram
Majority of wind from Northwest.

 Yearly Wind relation to Site - Parcel 16 is at the edge of the Back Bay District meeting with the South End District. North of the site is surrounded by large buildings with 6+ levels. Along with the infamous John Hancock wind tunnel phenomenon as it funnels its way with the vehicular traffic on Clarendon Street.

 Axon of Wind Tunnel Effect

Shadow Study

Even though the Parcel 16 site is surrounded by sky-scrappers, the sun and shadow paths doesn't affect the site as much as much as I thought it would. The large commercialized mixed-use buildings are located North of the site and the residential brownstone buidings are South of the site; in which the suns path travels from East in the morning, hovers above South at noon time, and settles in the West. With the openness of Parcel 17, 18 and 19, it allows the morning sunrise to gain great amount of exposure to the Columbus Ave. facade. Also,the Columbus Ave. facade is the most prominat to the ongoing traffic of Interstate-90 traveling West bound.

To proceed:
- interpretation of sun/shadow study
- wind study relevant to its surround context
- interpretation of the wind analysis

Objective

To design an exclusive multi-functional sports recreational training facility that ultimately caters to the focus of the users.

Suburb vs. City Sports Complex

City recreational facilities seem to have less to offer than the suburbs. Located in the city has many factors that be affected by the social and economic issues of using the facility. Other factors would be the distractions of being in the hearth of the city, such as the dynamic influence of population and  surrounded by an overwhelming sets of amenities. The costs of living is much more expensive compared to the suburban areas.  Also, dealing with city regulations and citations could probably take into affect of the conscious decisions people make in coming to the city. These are the issues that designers have no control of when the site is in the realms of the city.

City sites tend to cramp in as many programs as possible that could effect the functionality of the space. Common problems of sports recreational facilities design in the city is the size of the space; whether if its just enough to function, or if there's a desire to accommodate more space to make it more user appreciative. In the suburbs, they seems to have a lot more land to design with. An opportunity to design for future professional athletes because of the programs they could accommodate into designing a successful facility. Suburban areas don't have the distractions like the daily city life style and conflict of schedules in managing the space.

The pros of what a city facility has to offer is location, location, location. Traveling expenses and the time to travel take does affect the decisions people make to plan accordingly. Being in the hub of a metropolitan city already offers that option of public transportation. But for automobile travelers will have a difficult time in finding parking in fitting their price point. As for the pros with suburban areas is the amount of space and land they have. The opportunity to create not just a functional space, but a space thats geared for the users. So the idea of integrating the advantages of the suburb and city culture of a sports recreational facility is a design challenge thats much needed for the Parcel 16 site.

Design for flaws

Many designers these days attempt the minimum requirements to feed the functional space. Cramping in as much program within the sites perimeter. Coordinate with the client to define the bells and whitles of space. But what if the clients intuition isnt enough to just meet the minimum requirements to fill the space. Or perhaps the designer researches only the bare minium according to codes or regulations that determines the sze of the space. These designers who have created these sports recreational facilities ae good, but sometimes good isnt enough. Having to observes numerous sporting facilities, I note attention to where design flaws hinder the act of play. Such examples if the ceiling rafters isnt high enough where it I terferes with play. The suspended baskeball hoop doesnt fully fold away in hiding itself from interference. Clerestory to bay windows allow natural light in the space thats eye piercing the players retna in redirecting their focus from the action. There are many design flaws and I hope to counteract a lot of them increating an ultimate user friendly enviroment primarily for the players to achieve greatness.