NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

ARCH 301 - Design III Portfolio

Rene Reynolds
Presented to Professor Jason Hwang|FALL 2012

If you have a garden and a library, you have everyth ing you need.-

Marcus Tullius Cicero

DESIGN III

Illumination & Infiltration: Greenpoint Public Library Proposal Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Libraries may be becoming obsolete to some degree, not simply because due to the ease of access to digital media sources and the Internet, but rather because libraries may be in the process of abandoning their role as collection builders and managers. In this way the contemporary must be able to adapt to changes in use.

SITE ANALYSIS
Design development cues are garnered directly from the site. One of the more interesting aspects was the large amount of graffiti in the area attributed to the quality of artificial light in the area. The area which comprises the industrial zone, and also where our site is located is poorly lit whilst lighting in the residential zone on the just on the border of the historical district is better lit. Documentation of the lighting conditions of the site, specifically, the quality of dappled light experienced in the avenue of trees along Kent Street became significant.

STUDY MODELS & PHOTOGRAPHS

POCKET PARK ANALYSIS:

Diagramming the Linear Condition

A study of the physical attributes of this avenue and comparison with pocket parks and their function within a community was integrated into the design. Fusion of these two aspects shaped the concept Infiltration & Illumination wherein feasible iterations of the linear condition experienced along the avenue of trees were layered to produce functional floor plans.

MASSING ANALYSIS
Additionally, using the dappled light study it was determined that there are areas of concentrated, direct light and those of blurred, indirect light as sunlight (and artificial light) filtered through the canopy

LAYERING THE LINEAR CONDITION

Further extrapolating the concepts derived from the vegetation of the historical district, a microscopic scale of observation was utilized to illustrate similarities between the xylem system patterns in leaves used to transport nutrients and dappled light patterns. As the sun travels through the sky during the day, this pattern experienced in nature is reflected on the exterior surfaces of the building and is also allowed to penetrate deeper into the interior spaced through large expanses of glazing on the eastern and southern elevations.