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48_305/640 | Advanced Construction Studio | S20

Semester Project | A Neighborhood Environmental Learning Center in Pittsburgh

Last Updated on 2020.01.10 by slee

Last semester you studied the ecological flows on Six Mile Island in the Allegheny River. This semester, the Advanced Construction Studio (ACS) faculty will expand upon your learning related to ecological flows to study the five different neighborhood sites you have been assigned and how they inform the architecture of the proposed Environmental Learning Center (ELC). The fall semester looked at issues holistically for a very large site with the design of eco-machines, while this semester we will zoom in to a site of less than an acre and a single building of approximately 15,000 ~ 18,000 sf. The notion of systems thinking that you engaged in the study of ecological flows, will be extended to spatial systems, structural systems, enclosure systems, material systems and construction systems for this building.

The five (5) neighborhood parks are:

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy is a nonprofit formed in 1996 to work with the city to restore its parks. Since 1998, they have completed over 20 park restorations and are committed to expanding their educational programs directly into the neighborhoods with network of Environmental Learning Centers in community park settings.

We have the opportunity to work together with the leadership, educators and facilities staff of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in Pittsburgh to explore concepts for the design of these next generation Neighborhood Environmental Learning Center's (ELC). You are being asked to prototype an ELC of approximately 15,00 sf. A fundamental aspect of the ELC is to teach ecological literacy to people of all ages. To this end, all users must be provided the opportunity to actively engage in the operation of the building - from passive strategies to active strategies to measuring and verification of performance. The flagship Environmental Learning Center of their system is the Frick Environmental Center designed by SoA alumna, Patty Clark, at BCJ.

We have created a statement of mission and principles from Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy literature to guide you design making in the design of your ELC.

The Community Environmental Learning Center provides a variety of educational activities as well as a place for informal learning. It is open to the public when it is staffed on weekdays from 9:00am - 5:00pm and weekends from 10:00am - 6:00pm. It is also available for evening classes and other staffed events as scheduled, at which times the administrative suite is not open. The site is an integral part of the life of the Center, and projects, classes, and environmental tours are held throughout the year. The Center's multi-purpose room is also available for other community events when the Center is closed.

To emphasize the importance of placemaking in building community, each of the five studios will be working in a distinct neighborhood. Each of you will become intimately knowledgeable about your neighborhood - history, demographics, assets, liabilities, micro-climate, transportation, etc.

With your work this semester, you will demonstrate how the development of a comprehensive architecture proposal for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy will fulfill their vision for Neighborhood Environmental Learning Centers.

Architectural Program

Environmental Learning Center (ELC) Building Program: approximately 15,000 net sf +/- 25% of net for horizontal and vertical circulation, etc.

Building Height: between two and three stories

Preliminary List of Rooms and Spaces:

Project Objectives and Methods of Demonstration

ObjectiveDemonstration
Sustainable: The building must demonstrate high levels of performance.
Incorporate effective passive strategies in the design - load reduction, daylight, natural ventilation, other.Model energy and daylighting performance.
Identify the type of mechanical systems that are suitable to condition the building - heating, cooling, ventilating & lighting **Calculate and/or model performance. Use CBECS as benchmark. **
Identify the opportunities to generate energy on site - sun, wind, biomass, other.Calculate annual production.
Integrate passive systems with spatial, structural, enclosure & material systems.Diagram building systems integration
Control solar radiation, heat flow, airflow, rain penetration & water vapor flow through the design of the envelope system(s).Design wall sections based on building science (SPAIGR). Model energy and daylighting performance.
Retain all rainwater falling on the site on site. **Diagram systems; Calculate of amount of precipitation to be captured and volume of containment.
Recycle, process and separate solid waste on site. **Diagram systems; Calculate of amount of waste to be captured.
Compost all organic waste on site. **Diagram systems; Calculate of amount of waste to be captured.
Contextual: Enable community access and joint use of facilities to engage the neighborhood.
Environmental ContextReduce impermeable surface below 50% and increase tree canopy to 40%.
Architectural Context ** Improve neighborhood identity; reinforce neighborhood character; eliminate weak spots.
Social Context **Design building to recognizable as school; public entrance is legible; exterior spaces are "claimed"; building offers natural surveillance; building is not "hardened" architecture

Flexible: The building must be able to support spatial change over time.

The ability to re-arrange/re-configure spaces and F,F & E to accommodate differing lesson plans and changing demographics.Prepare multiple plans showing alternative arrangements & uses
Adaptable: The building must be able to support technological change over time.
The ability to constantly upgrade and accommodate the technological infrastructure of the building (plug-n-play) minimizing disruption, waste and lengthy construction cycles. **Prepare infrastructure system diagrams.
Healthy, Inspiring & Conducive to Effective Learning: The building must demonstrate the ELC Prinicples and Practices
HealthyDemonstrate daylighting, natural ventilation, IEQ, active circulation systems, healthy materials.
InspiringCreate renders to demonstrate experiential attributes of interior & exterior spaces.
Conducive to Effective LearningDemonstrate translation of pedagogy to spatial strategies.
Ecological Literacy: The building itself must be an effective tool for teaching - a living & lived-in laboratory.
The operation of the building must be understandable and accessible to the faculty, staff and students.Demonstrate climate-responsive building envelope; display building systems showing full-cycle design; install monitors showing real-time use/production of energy, water collection, etc; include gardens for learning
Note: Whilst this table contains unquestionably important architectural objectives for all buildings, the ones marked ** are beyond the scope of a one semester studio.