Collage

This is a collage I created using Photoshop to help convey to myself and others my vision for the project.

Larger Scale Project Model

These are some images of my larger site model, basically a larger and more detailed version of the small site model. With this I intend to investigate ways of tying the parking garage site together as wel as engaging some of the neglected areas of the site. However, my attempt at this was less than sucessfull as evident by the following photo....

This was not well received but the process of design requires constant revisions. The compositional issues will be addressed in another model to come.

site study

This model was created as a representational depiction of the site. It illustrates the conditions of density vs. openness that I plan to address in the project.

small model

This smaller study model was done to better understand how the composition would come together on the site with the addition of building forms.

Compositional drawing layout

Here is a composition concept for the LaSalle Parking Garage. This is made to ensure that no part of the site is left out of the overall design, which can easily happen when the focus moves to the actual building structure.

Formulation of an Idea

Here are some adjectives that describe the current conditions of the site: barren, concrete, heavy, blocks, orthogonal, cold, vast, expansive, flat, rigid order/control, solid

These are adjectives that describe the conditions of what I hope to achieve on the site: organic, vivacious, lightness, intimate, animated, authenticity, implied control, dynamic, warmer spaces, hierarchy of space

Panorama of the Site

Here is a panorama of the view from our site, the LaSalle parking garage, located in downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was made to help inform aspects of the structure we will soon be designing. To create this image, I took several pictures from a single point and then merged them into one image using Photoshop.

Placelessness

Here are some drawings I used to study the ideas of placelessness and urban density vs. openness. The decline of the soil on the left side of the drawing leads to the open river while the city to the right conveys a sense of congestion and activity. All drawings were created on brown paper with various inks and charcoals.

What I Gather from the Site

Standing at the top of the LaSalle parking garage the first word to come to mind is expansive. From the bottom looking up the colossal structure is almost impossible to take the structure in its entirety from the street view. However, despite the seven stories it contains it is not as tall as one might expect from a seven story building. This is an aspect of function that allows more vehicles to use the space with less material. So the imposing nature of the building is likely due to its hefty latitudinal qualities as well as the almost entire concrete façade. The strong visual component of concrete adds weight to this structure as well as a cool tone to the overall feel of the space.

The next word that comes to mind is order. The entire design has a box-like quality that is broken up into several planes that each defines the spaces of their respective floors. The large flat floors give a strong horizontal reading as they convey adjacent space. Ramps in the center lead vehicles up and down the structure but they also serve as reveals to the floor beneath. Also the design is nearly symmetrical; this factor alone gives a strong indication of controlled space.

Some may see the parking garage as absent of design as it is rather plane in nature. At first encounter the large open space holds many of the same void-like qualities as that of a blank piece of paper. However, this is not the case. Although this structure was designed with a utility first kind of program an architect still designed it to relate to the context of its site. Simple nuances serve to tie the garage to its surroundings. The longer I stare at it the more visual signs of this are evident.

A Sense of Place

Abita Brew Pub

Many People have enjoyed the refreshing taste of an Abita beer, the most popularly recognized being Purple Haze, but few journey to the small town where the renowned flavor was born. For Abita Springs, Louisiana the Abita Brew Pub holds a strong cultural significance. Strategically located in the center of town the Pub stands as a marker for the city it is framed on one side by the Tammany trace; a 31-mile asphalted trail and parallel equestrian trail that connects five communities--Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe, and Slidell.

The Abita Brew Pub has attained a level of authenticity in the community. From the many festivals such as this year's Abita Springs Crawfish Festival on April 17-18 or Louisiana Bicycle Festival held the Saturday before Father's Day. Other events such as the Abita Pub Crawl make the name of this small town familiar to people in larger cities. However, the real display of authenticity lies in the Pub itself. An unassuming exterior allows the building to blend in with the rest of the community. The height of the structure itself is sympathetic to its surrounding buildings, yet it still holds a place of understated prestige as its central location is detached from the strip shop pattern of businesses surrounding it. It’s as if the connected buildings point your eye in its direction. White picket fences on either side lead to the front door as a large oak shades the entrance. Inside the theme of genuineness is continued throughout. The front door opens up to the aged wood of the bar where many of Abita’s beers are freshly on tap. Further into the restaurant you can see a wall mural that depicts the old brewery and the trace beside it and the stainless steel equipment that still gleams proudly in the back of the restaurant. There is a real feeling of connection to a legacy when you are in this place. It is certain that the town would not exist as it is today were it not for this establishment.