The
dramatic design set forth for Campus Center is visually daring and bold; yet
upon further introspection, inherently elemental and concise in its
organization of the complex programmatic mix. The proposed LEED certified
structure is conceived of as a portal comprised of a base and a top supported
by two towers that allow large exterior public spaces at ground and in sky. The
project is to serve as a catalyst-exasperating significant enhancement to the
campus experience and image through a local revitalization of the surrounding
neighborhood.
The
project’s mass is sensitively sited to respect its immediate context--
establishing a friendly pedestrian experience of plazas, quads, and arcades
that provide space for the enjoyment of life. The form, an extruded quadrangle,
is carved to maximize openness, flow of activity, and views through the large
contoured center. The proposed project is a mix-use building that, in addition
to housing the College’s 250,000 SF Center, will include 146,400 SF of two-level
street fronting commercial space wrapping the entire base of the building as
well as a 41,000 SF open-air campus “Arts Quad” on the third level-- that
serves as the main distribution level to various programmatic components of
College. The project also incorporates a 250,100 SF office component; a
60,000sf meeting facility, a 40,000 SF athletic center, a 798,551 SF
residential component with 1,142 small studio, and one-bedroom rental units;
and a 300 key, 268,400 SF full service mid-range hotel. The parking garage is
proposed to be completely underground, innocuous to the above ground functions.
The underground parking structure accommodates 1,700 vehicles in 428,289 SF
including the loading/ service zone for a total project area of 2,504,912 SF.
To
enhance and support the activity and excitement of the campus “Arts Quad”,
pedestrian entrance points are accessible via minimal ground floor lobbies and
monumental stairs (and adjacent escalators). These access points lead to the
central “Quad”, where the urban fabric and the fabric of the campus are
stitched together in a dynamic public space of grand yet humane proportion.
Vibrancy at the street level is supported by the proposed Bookstore, House of
Blues Restaurant, House of Blues Theater and other significant retail stores
that ensure a seamless continuity of street level shops and businesses support
a continuous stream of pedestrian interchange. The underground loading/service
zone for direct and discrete access limits noise, odors, and interference with
non-service related functions.
The
Campus Center is fully integrated with the building and serves as the projects
heart and soul. Organized around the 3rd level Quad-the various cultural
components (Museum, Sculpture Garden and Theater) of the College are fully
engaged from this vantage point. A sloping landscaped plan provides a natural
auditorium and opportunity for various cultural activities (spontaneous
concerts, and nighttime cinema). Additional college program is stacked directly
above the quad with large exterior congregational terraces serving to activate
the overall collegiate experience. The size and proportions of the two 35-level
towers are dictated by the inherent requirements of residential and office
typologies above. An Athletic Center and Meeting Facility are located on the
40th Level and unite both the East and West Towers at the top. Above the
meeting rooms is the “Sky Quad” (Lobby) that additionally serves all
programmatic elements within the complex. Organized around this garden in the sky
are 3 levels of Hotel and 2 levels of large residential Penthouses. Located above the Penthouses are the
building’s mechanical areas with farms of wind turbines and solar hot water
collectors that provide the tri-generation power system and add to the overall
sustainability of the project.
The
buildings exterior is a pure expression of structure where veins of steel
create an elegant exoskeletal system increasing building efficiency while
eliminating the need for massive shear walls aside from the core. The skin of
the building is an impact resistant, energy efficient glass window-wall system
that provides ample daylight and the opportunity to appreciate the natural and
manmade beauty.