In the last post I made, I wrote about the data that I gathered from my site analysis research, and following the pre-project plan I made in week three, this blog is going to be a continuation of the data post where I will be analyzing the data and trying to use the analysis to improve my overall design.
SITE LOCATION
Referring back to what I wrote in the data blog regarding the location of the site, the position in which the site is to be located was provided to us in the brief earlier in the term and the cultural centre was positioned in the north of Cromwell, so we had to pick an exact location to build our designed project. As the term went on, I picked a location not too far from Dinosaur Park and also very commutable from the Visitors and Tourist Centre that is being designed by my colleague. The spot I chose measures a surface area of 58,597.22 m² and a total distance of 981.88 m. Having this large amount of space would allow me to be able to design not just the building but also think about the landscape and how I can input vegetation in and around the building.
{Fig 1}
CIRCULATION
In terms of circulation, as stated in the previous post, most of the roads in the town were destroyed except roads 99 and 9 which are the major roads for going in and out of the town. Due to this new roads have to be constructed to make vehicles and pedestrians circulate effectively around the site and town. As part of the redevelopment of New Cromwell, a tram is going to be constructed as a form of public transportation around the city.
For the site, attention is not just going to be focused on the circulation around the building but also outside the building, how cars, bikes, bicycles, and pedestrians move around the building.
VEGETATION
Cromwell was a blossoming town when it came to the kind of beautiful green spaces and colourful flowers it had until it was all brought down by the fire that consumed the town, in reference to the previous post, I said that since it has been almost a year since the fire is is possible that some of them would have grown back. The vegetation of my site is really important and it would include a good amount of green spaces, colourful plants and trees which would add to the aesthetic and cultural value of the project.
{Fig 2} EASTERN REDBUD (Cercis canadensis)
WEATHER
In architecture, there are a number of things that influences the design of the project and how it is built and one of these factors is the weather, the weather having a lot of sub-categories in humidity, temperature, and wind speed plays a vital oral in how the design should be formulated.
Humidity. In the previous blog, we discovered that the humidity of Cromwell can get as high as 90% and according to Designingbuildings.co.uk (2014), humidity determines how well a building performs because, it causes, condensation, growth in moulds, corrosion and rusting, and so on. This therefore should be a key determinant in the kind of materials used in the building designs, because the aim is to build a culture centre that is sustainable both to the users and the environment. Further research into this will be done in the materials and sustainability research post I will do.
Temperature is another weather feature that should be considered when designing a building. Cromwell can get a little bit hot in the summer and cold in winter which is why this would also play a role in determining the materials to use. It does not just play a part in choosing the materials but also how the ventilation of the building would work, how can the inside of the building be kept cool during summer and how can it also be kept warm in the winter. These are things that I would research further on to help improve my project.
Wind speed. The speed of wind on site should be considered as it can be the cause of the entire building coming down if not built properly. Luckily, the wind speed in Cromwell is just average, it does not go too high, but still, the thickness of the pillars, the position, and in general the structure of the building are thought about seriously.
Finally, the sunrise and sunset. How does this affect a building? When designing a building, it is important to figure out how the sun moves in order to know how to position the building on the site. It is generally known that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, with this you can determine the position of the building where the some would be concentrated and where it would cast shadows. For my design, I will make the entrance of the building face a little bit towards the southeast so that a good amount of shadows can be cast at the rear of the buildings where the terrace and garden would be located, it would also be a good place to chill in the evenings and watch the sunset in the west of Cromwell.
With this information, I would then move to the final design of my site plan outcomes, including what I have talked about in the drawing and the dimensions as well.
Reference List
Designingbuildings.co.uk. (2014). Humidity. [online] Available at: https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Humidity [Accessed 6 May 2024].
Image Reference
www.rayzorsedgetreeservice.com. (n.d.). Best Connecticut Native Trees for Spring Flowers | Rayzor’s Edge Tree Service. [online] Available at: https://www.rayzorsedgetreeservice.com/best-connecticut-native-trees-spring-flowers/ [Accessed 6 May 2024].
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