A01: Site Analysis and Case Studies

Last Updated on 2023.08.30 by slee

Parks: a Part of the Pittsburgh Plan | Citizens Committee on City Plan of Pittsburgh | 1923	Title: Beltzhoover. Plate 13 | G.M. Hopkins & Co. | 1905	Title: Beltzhoover, Beechview, Brookline, Bon Air. Plate 29 | G.M. Hopkins & Co. | 1910

Team Submission Requirements:

This assignment is a shared effort to produce a single 11 x 17 team report and a team site model based on the area of McKinley Park that you choose to engage. There will be three reports and three site models at the conclusion of this assignment.

We will provide a shared laptop for TV or projection. Please submit your plot files as PDF's to: 48400C Files for Reviews

• Prepare a precedent study of several environmental learning centers that will inform the design decision making for your projects, including building size, photographs, plans, sections and contextual information. I hope that you are inspired by the Case Studies I have included but that you find new ones that inspire you

• Prepare information on the surrounding neighborhood (1/2 mile radius), including the following:

• public and private transit networks
• pedestrian circulation
• public spaces
• building context: building heights, development density, basic services***, land use
• ecological context: wetlands, flood plains, natural and man-made bodies of water, ground cover/vegetation, rare or endangered species habitat

• Prepare information on the immediate site vicinity (200' radius), including the following:

• public and private transit networks
• pedestrian circulation including sidewalks and crosswalks
• public spaces
• building context: building heights, basic services***, land use
• utilities: adjacent storm and sanitary drainage lines; gas, water, and electricity supply lines

Note: basic services include, but are not limited to: 1) Bank; 2) Place of Worship; 3) Convenience Grocery; 4) Day Care; 5) Cleaners; 6) Fire Station; 7) Beauty Salon; 8) Hardware; 9) Laundry; 10) Library; 11) Medical/Dental; 12) Senior Care Facility; 13) Park; 14) Pharmacy; 15) Post Office; 16) Restaurant; 17) Another School or University; 18) Supermarket; 19) Theater; 20) Community Center; 21) Fitness Center; 22) Museum. 23) Commercial Office

Contents:

• Prepare a comprehensive precedent study.
• Prepare a full climate report of your project site including, but not limited to, the visualizations you learned in the Rhino Climate Studio Plug-in.
• Perform a photographic survey of your project site and adjoining neighborhood context, including site panoramas and important views to and from the site.
• Conduct research on the history of your project site and the neighborhood in which the site is located including historic maps. A good source is Pitt's Historic Collection.
• Perform brief analysis of 2018 ICC Building Codes for Assembly Group A-3 to identify life safety and building service requirements including height/ area limitations and construction types.
• Prepare E-W and N-S site sections at scale of 1" = 40’ (1:480).
• Construct a Site Model at scale of 1" = 40’ (1:480); approximate overall size of model will be ~24 x 24 inches. Final size to be determined by studio based on site context. Use chipboard or cork to represent contours in scale or use the dFAB to carve from solid block of high density foam.

Mandates:

• Format the analysis as an 11 x 17 double-sided booklet in landscape orientation with left-edge binding as a PDF file.
• All plan drawings (site plans, key plans, floor plans) must be oriented with north up and a graphic north arrow.
• Numeric scales must be be noted as 1:96 or 1/8"=1'-0", etc.
• Graphic scales must be included.