Habitable Circulation

While working further in section and plan I came up with a solid programmatic design with circulation consisting of variable spaces from tight to open penetrating the different pieces of program.  As one accesses the building from the long access, one would see a large cantilever that also drops funneling the viewer into a tighter space which than opens up into a space between wigglesworth dorms and the film archive hovering above.  one is then once again forced into a tighter space as the building continues downward once again touching the ground.  where the entrance occurs.  The entrance consisting of an open space begins one's climb through program.  However, as one travels through space, they are not just traveling through circulation space but gallery space as well.  Furthermore, as one climbs they are next faced with the three different theaters branching off from the circulation while also dropping down from the level or climbing further upward.  Yet all of the theaters are linked together with the film archival space which is also the main support for the structure being the programatical leader.  Although the circulation is separate from the theaters, one still has the ability to experience the activities inside the theaters as the films are projected onto surface that would allow visibility from both interior and exterior circulation space as well as the anticipated theater space.  Furthermore, the circulation penetrates the theater spaces above the line of view of anyone in the theater yet low enough for one to have the same experience in the circulation space.  Ultimately, the circulation narrows once again only to open up again into the more private educational and administration areas.  These areas being more private are furthest from the public spaces yet link the rest of the building to the main library.  They also provide views outward towards the surrounding city being the highest point and being the ultimate destination.

Radical Reconstruction

While working with cubism and fragmentation, I found it to be the perfect method for creating a radical new piece of architecture for the Harvard campus.  I am thinking of incorporating the fragmentation into the architecture similar to some of the works of Leabus Woods who was dealing with reconstruction efforts after war.  I am thinking of integrating the new addition into the campus as a parasite that uses the other surrounding buildings for its support.  This parasite will be radically fragmented working off of the cubism I have been working with.  Furthermore, it will also be playing with the perspective in the tight narrow site creating a tight feeling at times as well as a release and open feeling at others.

Drawdeling

The Negative Harvard

While mapping out the Harvard campus concentrating on my particular site and immediate surrounding area, I chose to utilize an abstract representation to portray my ideas.  Essentially, all that was solid became void extruded downward and all that was void became solid extruded upward.  I incorporated this idea with all buildings and the landscape which created a very interesting series of spaces.  I further wanted to portray views outward from the site view key areas of the campus such as the carpenter center.  To do this I extruded the view downward cutting into the landscape exposing the the forms that would be seen in that view.  I am currently in the process of completeing the circulation which is to be represented as a solid space represented with plexiglass.

Exploration of the New

While further looking into the site I had previously chosen, I found it to be simply to safe of a solution.  I feel that if I place my proposed design solution on this site, it will be merely to boring among other things.  I want my site to have more of an impact on the Harvard campus, shocking one into seeing the connection between the new and old.  My site is the beginning of my design and its placement is just as important as the structure itself.  The site should be something more radical possibly an unconventional location, possibly a narrow space or the space above all the existing libraries.  However, this seems too radical but I am seeking a challenge from my site.  I have therefor been looking further into the wedge shaped site between the Widener Library and the Wigglesworth Dorms.  This narrow tight wedge offers me the challenge I believe I am looking for while allowing for exaggerated perspectives.  It is also within a close proximity to the libraries so programaticaly it is logical.  It creates the connection from the old Wigglesworth to the modern Carpenter Center through a narrow view framed by the Houghton Library and the Lamont Library.  This new site has plenty of potential as well as many challenges however, it offers a slight disturbance to the Harvard campus as well as a connection.

A New Site

Studying the new site of the Harvard campus located in Cambridge Mass, has offered many issues in deciding which location on the site is the best location for the purposed design.  While researching the site i took care to notice the language that many buildings have with one another.  For example, Memorial Church and Wildener Library sitting face to face create a great space that I would rather not disturb.  This space is filled with foliage that appears to be older than most on the site.  Furthermore, The Robinson, Sever and Emerson buildings create a similar space while also speaking with the street.  However, the lower right corner of the campus seems to be lacking this language.  it consists of a series of smaller buildings that do speak to one another in some means but not as strongly as the others.  In this area though there is an underground library that one would have to deal with.  This area does though have limited greenery that seems to be younger in age in comparison.  I am therefore thinking this may be an ideal location.  I would be able to provide this space with a possible language connecting all of the surrounding buildings as well as to the street that runs next to the area.  It also sits diaganol to the Carpeter center allowing me to utilize my design solution as a connection for the carpenter center to the rest of the campus.  Overall I feel that this area needs the most improvement and I feel that it may be to disastrous to disturb the other buildings and their language with one another where this area is lacking just that.

Production