Final Reviews - Spring 2000
ARCH 605a First Year Graduate Studio
A European Service House for Westwood, California
Instructor: Professor Victor Regnier, FAIA
- Final Jury Schedule
Nature of the Building
The Site
Lectures and Background Materials
Site Visits
Site Models
The Review Sequence this Semester
Final Review Requirements
8 Learning Objectives and Pedagogical Goals
20 Design Review Questions- Outline Program: Northern European Style Service House for Westwood, California
- • Residential Component
• Service House Component
• Office Spaces
• Back of the House
• Convenience Retail Component
• Adult Day Care Component
• Children's Day Care Component
• First Floor Outdoor gardens
• Parking StructureNature of the Building
During the last 25 years northern Europeans have systematically developed housing and service buildings for older mentally and physically frail people which also provide services to older people living in the surrounding neighborhood. This building type which is called a "service house" is an unusual mixed-use arrangement that contains program elements such as: housing for the frail, social services, day care for older adults and children, a restaurant, an out-patient therapy space, craft activities, educational activities, meals-on-wheels and a swimming pool. The closest examples we have to this type of setting in the US are a few housing and senior centers that have been co-located and larger continuing care retirement communities.
The service house is interesting in part, because it combines housing for the frail with a range of community oriented activities and services while at the same time helping people in the surrounding neighborhood to stay independent in their own apartment or single family home. In Europe, the average age of residents in the housing component is in the 80's while the average age of visitors is in the 70's. Service house activities and services are open to older people living in the surrounding community as well as the residents of the attached housing. They often contain a variety of room sizes and types including large assembly, recreation and therapy spaces, small office spaces and clustered housing arrangements.
In Europe, these buildings are often located in dense urban settings and have the advantage of connecting residents with retail and service uses while attracting people from the surrounding community for various educational, recreational, therapeutic and social purposes. A location like the one we have selected in Westwood Village would be considered ideal in northern Europe.
The Site
The site we have selected (see figure 1) is the large undeveloped parking lot in Westwood Village directly south of the old Macy's/Bullocks building. It is surrounded on three sides by Tiverton (east), Glendon (west) and Weyburn (north). Directly south is the Monty's office tower and a GTE switching station. A strip of commercial retail use has been assumed on the west edge between the service house building and Glendon Ave. Students have assumed their building complex will be placed above a large multi-story parking structure which will serve both their site and the needs of Westwood Village. The class has assumed part of a redevelopment scheme designed by Kanner and Associates for the west edge of Glendon that provides for a mid-block pedestrian connection to Westwood Boulevard.
Lectures and Background Materials
In preparation for their design work, the students have read approximately 500 pages of reference/reading materials, have participated in 15 seminars (see attached topics) and have made two site visits to explore issues associated with site constraints (Kanner visit) and programmatic and design issues (Hermosa Beach site visit).
Lectures
1. Sensory Loss Considerations
2. Physiology and Biology of Aging
3. Demography of Aging
4. Assisted Living Design
5. Design for Dementia
6. 8 Assisted Living Case Studies
7. 8 Service House Case Studies
8. Innovations in European Housing for the Frail
9. Universal Design
10. Landscape Design and Therapeutic Gardens
11. Interior Design Considerations
12. Home Modifications
13. Financing Issues
14. Site Acquisition and Development
15. Management/MarketingSite Visits
a. Site Visit to Steve Kanner's Office
b. Site Visit to Sunrise of Hermosa Beach--Assisted Living FacilitySite Models
The class has constructed three site models one at 1" = 100' of the surrounding context and two larger models of the block and the surrounding buildings--one at 1" = 32' and the other at 1" = 16'.
The Review Sequence this Semester
The students have experienced 4 reviews prior to the final review. The first was an in-depth review that occurred during the 6th week. Students presented preliminary schemes which responded to 12 design review questions. These schemes generally dealt with questions of building concept, massing configurations, edge conditions, program fit and site circulation. During the 9th week a selected sample of students pinned preliminary schemes for a pre-interim review by John Mutlow.
During the 10th week interim reviews were held and students presented schemes during individual 1/2 hour presentations that focused on urban design considerations, massing issues, floor plan resolution, and site planning concerns. These schemes responded to 20 design review questions.
Individual pin up reviews to finalize presentation materials were held April 17th and 19th. For this review students identified 4-5 major issues that characterized their work and produced a mock-up diagram of their final presentation materials.
Final Review Requirements
Students have 60 minutes to make their final presentation. They have been asked to orally summarize their work in 10 to 15 minutes and then to take questions, listen to comments and participate in jury discussions. Although each student has a slightly different approach to their presentation, the following presentation materials were discussed with each of them.
1. Diagrams: Urban design and project scale diagrams should be used to illustrate your major urban ideas and the salient aspects of your scheme. These should include a definition of the edge conditions, circulation pathways through the site, connections to Westwood Village, links to the parking garage below, a description of the courtyards you have created and the massing philosophy. This might best be explained through an annotated plan or a small axon drawing.
2. Small Massing Model: A small scale massing model of the building might also be a useful way to illustrate the overall massing of your scheme and how it fits into the surrounding context. This could be designed to fit into the class context model (Scale 1"=100') we have created.
3. Site Plan(s): A site plan or plans should be rendered to show the nature of hardscape, softscape, sidewalks, stairs and ramps, parking lots, drop-off areas, courtyards, roof gardens, major landscape elements, trees, play spaces, roof gardens. balconies, bridges, roofs, etc. The amount of detail will probably vary from student to student. Shadows will help provide massing definition and a sense of three dimensions. Needless-to-say the greater the amount of detail, the better your scheme will be understood and appreciated. You should also show building masses on the opposite sides of adjoining streets to illustrate how your building fits the into the surrounding context.
4. Floor Plans: A well developed plan of each floor in a rationale order should be completed at a large enough scale so that it can be seen and understood by the reviewers. Drawings can vary in scale but should be no smaller than 1/32". I believe 1/16" is preferable. These should include rooms, door openings, windows, circulation corridors, balconies, stairs and elevators. Special purpose spaces like the swimming pool, therapy area and restaurant might include some furniture designations to give the plan scale and to visually describe plan intentions. Major rooms should be clearly labeled.
5. Building Sections: At least two to three sections (maybe more) through your complex should be shown. These should clearly show the relationship of the parking garage below with the building above. You should also demonstrate how you have reconciled the 10' to 15' drop across the site. Try to cut sections so they include atria, connecting spines, important indoor-outdoor relationships and larger 1 1/2 and 2 story spaces. Any ideas about daylighting, skylighting and clerestory lighting should be illustrated as well as important relationships between inside and outside spaces. In many cases you might want to include a larger wall sections to illustrate window details or the relationship between your building and the surrounding exterior context.
6. Alzheimer's Component: A larger scale "typical" drawing of the Alzheimer's (or assisted living or respite) unit cluster should be provided. This should be drawn to communicate how you have dealt with the idea of clustering the units with the dining room, living room, balcony, nurse's office, and spa. You might go back to the Zeisel article and think out how your scheme responds to his 8 criteria. In addition you should have unit plans with furniture at 1/8' or 1/4' scale..
7. Elevations: Major elevations of the housing components and the service housing should be provided. These need to show window and door placements, material suggestions, overhangs and balconies, projections and facade treatments. The materials you are proposing should be clearly shown. Again, shadows will animate the facade and communicate your ideas about depth and variety.
8. Alternate Model: As an alternate to drawing the elevations, you can complete a larger scale model (1/16') of the complex. This model should clearly illustrate the windows and facade treatments.
9. Additional Sketches and Illustrations: If you have time, a few additional sketches of the major outdoor pathways, major assembly spaces, courtyards, etc. would further communicate your intentions and the nature of the project.