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Boston Architectural College (Albert)
Transferring to the sunshine state | |
I’ve been dreading writing this last entry for weeks now, but I think it’s finally time to come clean. I’ve made the big decision and I’m transferring to New School of Architecture and Design in San Diego. It’s a tough decision for a lot of personal reasons—I’ve lived in Boston for 10 years now and it’s just started to feel like home. All of my friends, networks and associations are here. So naturally moving cross country alone is a difficult decision. And transferring to a relatively new and unknown school was also a decision that required a lot of introspection.
People who know me or have met me in the past year know that I am all about the BAC. And I think I kinda shocked a lot of my classmates when I told them I was leaving. And I do want to make it clear that my decision to leave has little to do with the quality of education at the BAC. And I whole-heartedly believe that achieving a BAC degree is an impressive feat in and of itself. It is however, unfortunate but true that the present economy has had a pretty drastic impact on the BAC. Since the BAC requires work credits in segments, students who can’t find internships or who have been laid off, are having a difficult time moving forward with their education.
The school has taken certain measures to accommodate for the recession. They are now allowing students to earn their Practice Credits (their required work hours) by participating in competitions, working in “alternative” related job fields such as HVAC work or construction, and they are even giving practice credits for travel and volunteer work.
The changes have been good for some people, but not for others. Some students prefer having the opportunity to do work in other related fields. Some are taking the chance to participate in competitions that otherwise wouldn’t fit into their schedules. For many students though, it’s just not enough.
For myself, at 28 years old, if I’m going to make the long sacrifice to attend a 5 year program, it better be doing “double-duty” by living up to its marketing pitch that students who graduate from the BAC are ready to take their licensing exams. This can’t happen obviously since working in an alternative field does not earn you IDP credits.
I should say however, that the job market looks like it’s improving, and I do know a few students who have found jobs. More than one person in the industry has told me that they believe in the next 6 months we will begin to see projects which have been on hold, starting up again. All good things for the BAC.
I’ve been asked by a lot of people whether or not I would’ve stayed if I had a better outlook in the job market. Knowing what I know now about the differences between a “typical” academic program and the BAC’s program…probably not. After having the AOP experience, I’ve realized the value in a studio culture. There’s a element of collaboration and camaraderie that I don’t think is present in the Concurrent Program at the BAC. On the flip side, the BAC’s emphasis on learning through work is one of a kind. I’m not sure I’ve heard of another program that has a similar philosophy. So given my personal circumstances, as well as learning style preferences, opting out of the BAC ended up making a lot of sense.
I will be closing this blog, and hopefully another BAC student will pick it up and run with it. To everyone at the BAC, Thank You! Good Luck! And Come Visit San Diego! And to all who have been following this blog…I plan on continuing writing for New School of Architecture….see you there.
Lifecycle Building Competition: Project Farm To Market | |
Our entry for the Lifecycle Building Challenge
Farm to Market: A Place for Nature in the City
Our structure is an abstraction in modular design using reclaimed grain bins from regional farms. The concept of brining the farm to market is the driving force behind this design. Two main case study locations were chosen within Boston's urban landscape: Government Center and Prudential Center. The ease of assembly and structural versatility allows this design to be erected in either a linear or cluster configuration. The steel grain bins, while rural in origin, have a sleek, urban finish that writes them fluidly into the city's vernacular. With the addition of the wooden palettes and concrete rainwater purification planters and supports, the entire structure transforms into a cohesive design that connects the farm to the market.
Design Adaptability and Disassembly:
Currently, the farmers' markets in Boston are held under temporary tents placed sporadically around the city, depending on the day. In order to provide the farmers and the general public with more reliable structures and locations, this design aims to act as a more permanent pavilion that can adapt to the ever-changing urban landscape.
The importance of this design is that it can be without vendors. During the colder months it can be a shelter for bus or train passengers, and in warmer weather, it acts as a gathering place for events, a resting area, or a luncheon spot. This structure is low maintenance, easy to assemble, and durable. The converted bins are reclaimed after they have completed their “working lifespan” holding grain. The steel sheets are connected using zinc plated dichromate coated bolts. The ease of deconstruction is as apparent as the structure's simple assembly. The steel can be quickly broken down and is completely recyclable. Of course, the wooden palettes can be reused or recycled as well. The purification planters can be left intact or converted into benches. Even alone, they continue to speak to the circulatory language of the city.
Building Techniques:
The recognizable circular design of the grain bin resides completely in the roof structure. The original bins go through a transformation that flips them upside down and then calls for an angular sectional cut through. This inverted roof design is then lined with a thin solar film to harvest electricity from sunlight. The captured energy is contained until it is ready to be used for such tasks as: lighting, refrigeration, charging stations. In addition to providing the inhabitants with electricity, the roofs act as rainwater collectors for the vegetated water purification systems. Separate tubing runs vertically through the hollow concrete structural supports carrying the water and electricity. The collection planters are finished as streamlined concrete rectangles, highlighting the circulation both within the structure and along the city streets. Because the planters and the main supports are composed of concrete this structure seems to take root in its urban environment; a continuation of the pavement underfoot. The purification planters provide the opportunity for an educational center on the natural purification of rainwater.
In order to provide the farmers with a protected produce space, the recycled wooden palettes, that are often used in the very transportation of fruits and vegetables, would be suspended from the roofs along the southern elevations. This not only signifies the market's presence, but also provides shade for the vendors.
Entry Metrics per Structure:
Square footage: 8054 sq. feet of steel, 703 sq. feet of concrete, and 1500 sq. feet of wooden palettes
Steel: Reclaimed steel grain bins from regional farms 692 ft3 at a density of 800kg/m3 is equal to 17.05 tons of recycled steel
Concrete: Recycled concrete from the urban landscape 233 ft3 at a density of 2400kg/m3 is equal to 17.22 tons of recycled concrete
Wood: Recycled wooden palettes Approximately 100 palettes at 5ft x 3ft each
Miscellaneous: Regional vegetation, soil, sand, gravel, charcoal, mesh filter
Thin solar film: cost effective and an outstanding harvester of solar energy in comparison
Click on the images below for a larger view...hopefully it works...
2009 Graduation Exhibition | |
B-1 Boathouse Final Photos | |
All Done! 1 year down, SO many more to go | |
Just 3 more days! Final review is this Thursday and it's crunch time! The past few weeks have been a little rough. I'm relieved to say that I'm pretty confident that I passed Structures I. Definitely NOT with flying colors though! In fact, I'm not even going to post up my final project...it's just embarrassing.
With Structures and History A out of the way, all I have left is Studio. Motivation has been running low. There's just not enough time, as usual. BUT, after today, I'm starting to feel hopeful about my project.
Since my last post, I feel like I've gone through dozens of iterations and it feels like i've just been spinning the wheels over and over again. Here's what i'm working on now. I've only modeled the structural and floor plates so far, but it's coming along.
More updates as I go....
A few random notes:
Spring is here in Boston! WOO HOO! It actually made it into the 60's two days in a row!
A big congrats to my friend Lisa who just got accepted to Columbia's GSAPP program!
And finally, good luck to Raj who is running the Boston Marathon on monday!
Ok...now to architecture
Below is the preliminary design for a community boathouse to be sited on the Boston side of the Charles River. It is to house crew boats, not sail boats. We've just been introduced to the specific program elements, so this model doesn't incorporate specifics, but it does differentiate between athelete's areas vs public/guest areas. The goal of the project is to develop site analysis skills, create a thesis from that, and incorporate it into building design.
The site for my boathouse is at a location which can be described by convergence. It is where Boston and Cambridge connect. It is located in the vicinity of Kenmore Square which is a major node in Boston. It is also the location where water meets land and where nature graduates to man-made.
The concept of convergence develops from the larger context. Looking at the urban fabric of both Boston and Cambridge we find a system of radial planned circulation in which avenues which provide expedited travel meet and diverge at nodes. This system connects the various neighborhoods and districts of Boston. Kenmore Square in particular is a key node. Not only do circulation routes connect at this intersection, but it is a location of cultural conversion. The towns/districts of Brookline, Fenway, Brighton and the Back Bay all converge in this location.
In designing a structure that would encompass the idea of convergence, I first mapped out the qualities of the program spaces in order to understand how they are connected and how they converge. I understood that there would be a separation of athlete’s spaces from guest (public) spaces. Where these spaces meet would have dual functions—the event room, and the entry way. I chose to house two entryways within one structure, separated by the boat storage garages. In this way, the structure itself unites the athlete’s space with the guest space, but only implicitly. From there the “true” point of converge is the 3rd floor event space, which is of the greatest ceiling height, giving it its dominant hierarchy. Structurally floors two, three, and four are dependent on each other. The cantilevered second floor is balanced by the opposing force of the third and fourth floors. The same is true of the fourth floor.
The elevation of the building is a gradual increase in height from water to the Boston. This not only mimics the shore topography, but it allows for better visual sight lines. The observation deck looks out towards Boston. Its height allows sight lines to be less impeded by the barrier that the apartments produce. At its height and orientation, drivers travelling west on Storrow Drive will experience moving towards the building at its equal height as they pass through the elevated Charles Gate bridge intersection.
From Kenmore Square one can see the building through Raleigh Street. This visual connection is enhanced by the 70 degree angle of the east wall on the third floor, which continues the line of sight through the building, to the water. In this way the building acts as both destination in itself, and focused connection to the water and then Cambridge.
This past weekend the BAC held a Career Symposium. In past years it's been a job fair, but given the state of the economy we felt it would more appropriate to have something a little different. The symposium included workshops with BAC alumni and faculty in interviewing skills, resume, cover letter, and portfolio workshops, an IDP workshop, and job tables from "alternative practice" type firms. These are companies that are related to architecture, but not traditional architecture firms, and included Autodesk, Green Jobs Coalition, Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation, Neoscape, and the Center for Human-Centered Design.
The alternative jobs were particularly helpful for BAC students considering that we need to fulfill a set amount of internship hours in order to move on to Segment 2 (or 3) of our program, and since most arch. firms have a hiring freeze the BAC is allowing students to submit credit hours for related work.
The show stopper was definitely Neoscape--they do high end renderings for arch firms. High def flyby's, walkthroughs, CG movies etc. Check out their website here:
http://www.neoscape.com/
Their main office is in Boston and they also have an office in NY.
Aside from the relevance to BAC students, it was very interesting to hear how many of the guests have architecture degrees, but chose to pursue careers in other fields. The two representatives from Autodesk are both architects, but found they were more interested in technology than in building design. A similar story from the rep from Neoscape. Almost all of them mentioned the importance of creative critical thinking in their career pursuits and how design school fostered this. It was refreshing to hear uplifting stories about how you don't have to be a traditional architect just because you went to architecture school.
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