Projects
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The Aboriginal Community Center was a project located in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The design of this building was conceived through the research of the native people of the land, their traditions, and beliefs. Initial site strategies, including slope, existing movement through the site, and building typology, were all considered when planning the location of the building within the rural site. The requirements for the community center were given, such as a gymnasium with locker rooms, two large community spaces, and classroom spaces. The addition of a large outdoor space and an area to display local and traditional aboriginal art work was felt to be necessary for the growth and the celebration of their culture. Locating the gymnasium below ground maximized the space at ground level, allowing for outdoor activity above. The gymnasium becomes the center of the building complex with the classrooms, community rooms, and art and craft display areas, each projecting towards a seperate cardinal point. Lighting is very important and is exploited through elevated skylights and filters through to the gymnasium from cone shaped light wells above. These light wells are reversed at night as they become beams of light through the outdoor space. The community center is constructed of wood from the site itself. |
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The housing project was located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The project was to integrate housing within the dense downtown commercial and administrative core of Halifax. This downtown center was once thriving with both areas of work and living within its core. As building increased and outer suburbs were developed, the residential population decreased. To reintegrate the residential population within the core the five storey building also included areas of outdoor leisure to compete with the openness of suburb living. The block is broken into two residential sections, the apartment style housing at the outer perimeter facing Barrington Street and the town houses to the center of the block. Towards the end of the site, facing Granville Street, is the community building with studio living and classrooms with a daycare for the residents of the complex. At the center of the block are pedestrian streets that join Barrington, Granville, and Prince Street to the interior of the complex and to the commercial spaces on ground level. There is also a small outdoor gathering space for the residents and patrons of the commercial spaces. The apartment building has three service cores for resident circulation to the five storey building. |
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The revitalization of Barrington Street, Halifax, was the topic of my thesis. As mentioned in the Housing project, the downtown core of Halifax has become a commercial and administrative center. The loss of green space and areas of leisure, as well as the increase in administrative buildings, has moved the residential community out to suburb living, decreasing the use of the downtown area. The addition of pods of leisure and open spaces within the historic Barrington Street could begin to reshape the street as well as the population using it. The Old National Film Board (NFB) Building is the first of six sites to be redeveloped to help bring Barrington Street back to life. The building was destroyed by fire and only the street façade remains. The façade of this historic brick building introduces the contrast of materiality with the addition of a two storey steel box. The space left behind the remaining brick façade is given back to the street and the community with an outdoor stage and park area for concerts, plays, and market space. The two storey steel box is raised on pillars and part of its structure passes through the openings of the brick façade to show itself to the busy street. The program of the building and the site is mixed. The site acts as an organisms as it works with the surrounding programs, the Neptune Theatre, the Argyle Bar and Grill, Up Country Furniture Store, and Spirit Spa. The outdoor space, as well as the two storey interior space, can be used by the various restaurants or the city for concerts, plays produced by the Neptune, or for the display of work from local artists . By including spaces and facilities for each of these sites it increases the use and the diversity of patrons to the space, catering to the various interests of the city. |
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