Day 13: Week 5 Review

Today Claudia Pagani joined the studio and after a brief introduction to her background we reviewed the projects in groups of 2 or 3 projects. A lot of work took place over the weekend as the projects gained definition through some detailed sections and drawings. The individual character of many of the projects was also evident and the comments tried to focus on those qualities in moving the projects forward. A number of the drawings really showed the promise of the students ideas, whether that be a detailed ground plan, a perspective or a section. We encouraged the students to continue to refine their projects, though the area of focus varied considerably from one to the next. It was a great introduction to the work of the studio for Claudia and a nice chance for the students to get her input.  

Day 12: Buildings and Food

On our fourth Friday of the quarter, the students are focused on the development of their projects for the review on Monday with Claudia Pagani from ABDR Architetti Associati. She will be in Seattle participating in the studio for two weeks. While the projects continue to develop in greater detail, with a closer focus on the issue of structure and form, the urban space is, in a number of cases, seeing much closer attention to match this focus. Today was also the open studio day this quarter, where students wander between the studios--each of which provides food for their guests while they look at the work. We did our best to combine Italian themed food with a variety of other international foods. 

Day 11: From Site to Form, Part 2

The students have continued to work on the digital site model and the sketches and drawings are beginning to show greater precision. At the same time it is important that the projects maintain their focus on the urban space of Marion Street. A number of the projects are working with sketches to simultaneously develop their urban and structural approach to the site. The urban approach in many of the projects is to try to incorporate and relate to as many of the buildings as possible along the street. An even more difficult challenge has been addressing the proposed Colman Dock Ferry terminal. 

Day 10: From Site to Form

On Monday I caught up with the students and the progress they made in leading up to the review last Friday. We had a general discussion about the progress of the student work, which up to this point has focused on the urban strategy. The students began work on a more detailed digital model, taking into account all of the details of the site context. The site was divided up into sections so that each student has a responsibility. The stress was on moving to a more precise definition of the site condition, which will allow the students to consider increasing detail in the consideration of material and structure. 

Day 09: Urban Strategy Review

On the last day of Paolo's initial visit there was a review of the progress of the student work with Tyler Sprague. There was a spirited discussion of the project, where students were advised to move from the scheme to the morphology of the structure. It was clear that the idea of the morphology of the projects was related to the translation of the scheme into a form. This translation should take place in an indirect way, taking into account the suggestions that the site can provide. Paolo encouraged the students to creatively interpret the form of the structure in this way to avoid an exploration of form as an autonomous principle. The projects presented show the wide range of interests on the part of the students.  

Day 08: Desk critiques

The focus of the student work continues to be on the urban scale in order to clarify the broad intention of intervening in the site. In addition we are talking about the structural and formal idea that relates to this site intervention. The emphasis in the desk critiques has been to continually reference the development of the project to the site conditions. The work continues through models and sketches, though the emphasis is on more precise drawings at a larger scale, particularly in section. Through working carefully in the site at increasing levels of detail, the hope is that the projects gain a specificity that pertains to this specific site. On the issue of structure, the discussion has been around responsive rather than standardized forms of structure. 

Day 07: Urban Intentions, Part 2

The review of projects continued to be related to the urban intentions, with the argument that at the broadest scale the project was an urban project even if there would eventually be some development of structural and material aspects. One question that he asked of a number of students was to consider the different segments of the site as responding to different necessities. While the connection over top of the Alaskan Way would link the ferry passengers to the site and the city, this did not necessitate bridging all the way to 1st Avenue. In a number of cases as well, students were being asked to respond with greater specificity to the context. At the same time, some of the projects began to work with a more specific idea of their form relative to this urban condition.

Day 06: Urban intentions

Following a visit to the site, Paolo emphasized the importance of the urban conditions to the consideration of the project. Rather than merely solving a technical project of providing a pedestrian pathway from the ferry, he stressed the importance of considering the urban conditions of the site. It is for this reason that the work of Boris Podrecca was suggested to the students. In many of his projects the concern is with the urban space and with ways of working with surface and materials to create a strong sense of continuity. A number of the projects have embraced this challenge and are working toward even including some of the existing buildings in their attempt to create a strong idea of urban space linked to the problem of the pedestrian bridge. 

Day 05: First review with Paolo Desideri

Paolo arrived from Rome, after an unplanned overnight stay in Calgary, in mid-Morning on Wednesday. This was our first review, which gave a chance for him to see what was going on with the studio. We reviewed the projects in three groups, with the students being asked to identify the problems that they were trying to solve through their projects rather than specifying the concepts they were pursuing in their design. The review provided Paolo with an initial introduction to the students, the project and the site. Through asking the students to focus on the necessity of their response, they were being asked to clarify their goals in a direct way. There was a wide range of responses, with many of the students working in physical models.  

Day 04: Colman Dock Ferry Terminal

As the projects are advancing in their design, particular attention is being given to the connection between the new bridge structure and the proposed new Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock. As the drawing below shows, the Seattle Waterfront Plan includes a number of systems of circulation, from cars and pedestrians to a dedicated bike track that will run continuously along the waterfront. Although bikes will not be coming off the upper deck of the ferries, the inclusion of bike stations and the potential for bike parking for people riding to the terminal and going without bikes on the ferry creates the potential for bike access to the bridge structure. A number of the projects have thus begun to look at this intersection as crucial node within the functioning of the bridge, ferry terminal and waterfront. 

From Seattle Design Commission Report, October 2014. 

Day 03: Marion Street Bridge and Waterfront Plan

The initial design responses of students are beginning to take shape in response to the design of the waterfront plan as well as to the program for the new Marion Street pedestrian bridge. We printed out a large copy of the design proposal for the Seattle Waterfront (see below), and posted it in studio as a reference to the broader context that all projects must take into account.  

Seattle Waterfront Concept Plan from waterfrontseattle.org  

Day 02: Site discussion and preliminary ideas

In our first day working in the studio we took a little bit of time to discuss some of the issues of the site. We spent a good amount of time talking about the flow of bicycles and pedestrians, noting that since the bicycles ride along with the automobiles on the lower deck of the ferries, they would not necessarily use the raised pathway. It was noted, however, that some may want to ride their own bikes or use bike sharing at the terminal and thus bikes may have a more direct impact on the shared pathway. In addition to considering issues related to circulation and movement of pedestrians, bicycles and cars, a number of questions were raised about the problem of creating a vital public space that can be active through supporting functions that draw people to the site beyond ferry passengers. A number of students have begun initial diagrams and studies of the project and site models are underway as well. Here is an image of our studio space, which is in the north-west corner of the building.