Week 5 Development!

Architecture:

This week we began to work with the site, choose materials, and detail facades and atrium spaces.  After fully analyzing the site we realized that the drop in elevation was much steeper than we had originally planned for.   Seeing as though we wanted our building to feel as though it were part of the site and not just planted on some flattened surface, we began sketching to think of ways to use the change in topography to our advantage.  Our solution was to use the lower elevated part of the site as an entrance to an underground parking garage under one of the wings of our building.  This way we could free up the parking spaces that were close to the “happy spaces” around our building and use it for green space. 

For materials we finalized the decision to use locally produced materials such as Tulsa limestone, and Tulsa lumber for the large amount of forestation in the area.  By using these materials we are able to create a warm and inviting feel, make the building feel more local, and hopefully help stimulate the Tulsa economy by buying  materials that are being produced in that region.

We also began to make decisions on types of spaces we wanted for our three atriums.  Instead of having three spaces that all felt the same, we wanted them to be different to create interest to the visitors of the hospital to encourage exploration.  That being said we came up with three different themes for the “happy spaces” within.  The first is a Japanese garden, meant to be therapeutic and calming for those going through chemotherapy.  The second is a family garden with more local vegetation, picnic tables, and more family activities for people who are visiting /waiting at the hospital to go.  The last one we have decided to use as a water treatment area in which we would use a “living machine” system to help clean the purify the water within the building. 

Interiors:

The beginning of the week we began to buckle down on the modeling of the interiors. We fully developed the café area and determined the egress plans and circulation patterns for all three floors. The café is a key element in our design of the “Epic Center” that sits above the porte-cochere and entrance. It is designed to be the place to get away from the chaos and grab a coffee and bite to eat while getting a great view of the surrounding neighborhoods and a glimpse of downtown Tulsa.

After many hours and days of modeling of the specialty clinic, chemotherapy, dialysis, café, and entry, we were finally able to bring our design into the rendering phase. Before the rendering began, we had to carefully select the views in which we would show the client. These perspectives would allow the client to fully grasp the connections between each space and the overall appearance of the building’s interiors. We also had to narrow down our material selection in order to render the perspectives correctly! This process sounds simple however it is a difficult development. When choosing the materials to go within each space, we had to take into consideration the type of material, the environmental impact, the durability, and the strict requirements that healthcare facilities demand.

Materials Chosen:

Goals for the upcoming week:

Our goals for this next week are to really start focusing on the details of the building, finalize the roof structure, and if all goes well start working on our final model. For the interiors, we plan to have at least 2 renderings done and begin to render our floor plan. Although the interiors portion does not sound extensive, the rendering portion of the project is the most time consuming.