Angelo Logan's Thesis

Final Thesis Presentation

2009-05-22T05:22:00.001-07:00

Final Intensive 4 Presentation Notes & Comments

2009-02-20T12:27:00.000-08:00

The following are handwritten notes from the 4th Semester Intensive on January 17, 2009.

I had several constructive comments from the panel of critics (below). They were written by my Thesis Instructor, Kevin Losso. The letters preceeding the comments designate the critics making the comment or asking the question:

M: - Michael

A: - Aristotle

G: - Gabe

The comments were very helpful and I have begun to address them. I have started developing a matrix to help guide decisions for the master plan and design decisions. I have also spoken with developers in the region to get information on the market for residential developments in St. Louis and to begin to identify a target audience for the residential units.

I have also began to research the neighborhoods surrounding the complex to determine how the redevelopment should assimilate into the urban context. I have identified mass transit routes for the neighborhood and planned greenspaces in the area.

Finally, I have gathered information about the USGBC's pilot rating system for neighborhood development.

Final Intensive 4 Presentation

2009-02-19T07:20:00.000-08:00

I had posted this information on Angel, but noticed that everyone was continuing to post to their blogs. I will keep both this blog and Angel updated.

Modified Residential Layouts

2008-12-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

Heinrich asked if the column grid was off because the columns near the west wall were in the middle of windows. No the windows on the west elevation were spaced incorrectly. This happens many times with historic buildings when the buildings were not built exactly as the drawings illustrated. The photograph shows the existing condition of the west facade.

Building 1 - West facade

I've corrected the openings on the west facade. That existing exterior wall is also a wood frame wall and not masonry like the remainder of the exterior walls on building 1. I've redesigned the units so that the living room or bedroom areas have a view of a winter garden. I’ve also made the powder rooms near units entries smaller; add coat closets near each unit entry.

Buidling 1 Residential Unit Layout

2008-12-14T13:36:00.000-08:00

I revisited the design of the winter gardens on the 2nd floor. They are private gardens for each residential unit. Some of the larger units have access to two gardens. Additionally, the main entrances to each units is from the main corridor, and not off of a winter garden or atrium.

I have provided a central landing near the central elevators at the mezzanine level to allow egress from the units that have bedrooms on a at this level. The Mezzanine levels are only accessible from the central stair.
The entrances to each unit is inset from the corridor to provide residents a limited amount of privacy when entering their unit. This entry space also includes a lower ceiling to reduce the scale as residents transition into their unit. The 3rd floor units include balconies at the light well in lieu of the winter gardens.

All glazing adjacent to the lightwells will contain "smart glass" or switchable glass. This refers to electrically switchable glass or glazing which changes light transmission properties when voltage is applied. This allows the resident to control their privacy.

Residential Floors - Reworking Units

2008-12-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

I spoke with the owner of the Lemp Complex and he informed me that the floor to floor heights in Building 1 were 18'-0". This allows some of the units to have mezzanines. I've also made the winter gardens semi-private, there is a visual connection from the public corridor. However, the winter gardens can only be accessed from the residential units. With natural light from the lightwells and existing windows, residents will have a good amount of daylight along with opportunity to visually connect with the outdoors.

More Preliminary Plans - Building 1

2008-12-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Phase I - Site Plans

2008-11-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

Phase I - Building 1 Schematic Layout

2008-11-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

Interior Perspective at Ground Floor looking up through Lightwell

Interior Perspective at 2nd Floor Garden

3rd Schematic Layout

2008-11-09T12:56:00.001-08:00

My challenge has been creating a design that will bring natural light into the center portion of the layout. A central circulation space minimizes public space, allowing more space for the residential units on the Second and Third Floors.

This also provides an opportunity for each unit to have connectivity to the outdoors. The replacement window units will be operable, therefore each resident will be able to control their interaction with the outdoor environment. It is important to have exterior views from all of the residential units. This provides opportunities for connectivity to the environment. In this region of the country the four seasons are very distinct. Residents must be able to visually experience the seasons.

The Yerba Buena Lofts in San Francisco, California provided an excellent example of loft or warehouse design with a deep plan and tight structural grid. Each unit has access to a small private loggia.

The unit sizes for Building 1 at the Lemp Brewery are:
Unit A - 2600 s.f./unit (2 Bedroom, 2 Bath)
Unit B - 2300 s.f./unit (2 Bedroom, 1 Bath)
Unit C - 2000 s.f./unit (1 Bedroom, 1 Bath)
Unit D - 1600 s.f./unit (1 Bedroom, 1 Bath)

The Kyo-Machiya housing type in Japan was developed to allow urban spaces, which are in densely populated areas, to have access to natural light. This housing type utilizes the concept of directing natural light into the interior portions of the buildings.

Revised Schematic Layout

2008-11-03T15:08:00.001-08:00

This week I continued my research on housing types and revisited my proposed layout for the residential units. I gathered information about the Kyo-Machiya Housing Type of Japan which often combined housing with shops or workshops. The housing in Japan's cityscapes were dense, which required innovative ways to bring the outside in, allowing natural light to penetrate areas deep within the building footprint. After studying this housing type I thought it best to bring natural light into smaller areas of the building by using the approximate area and location of the existing monitors to create lightwells, or "columns of light" that would penetrate vertically into the building. This does not create a large atrium in the middle of the buildings footprint but allows more usable square footage and opportunities for natural light to be a direct benefit to the residents. The following digram is a simple grid that incorporated to organize private decks around the lightwells.

The housing units are then arranged around the private decks (illustrated in this typical floor plan in gray). The lightwells, which are open down to the second floor, are the yellow areas.

The Ground Floor layout includes amenities for the residents, such as a Fitness Club, and Recreation spaces (i.e. Lounge, Drawing Room, Wine Tasting, Billards, etc.). A restaurant tenant, is located along Broadway Street.

I plan to add a rooftop addition that will be set back from the edges of the existing building by approximately one column bay on all sides. This level will include two Boardrooms and Activity Rooms for business meetings or parties for the residence. The Roof Deck and Roof Garden will be accessible to the public. And the remainder of the roofscape will be for the Boardrooms.

The elevator shafts will be relocated to the center of the building, and each elevator cab could have visual access to the lightwells.

The stairs located at each end of the central corridor could also have visual access to the adjacent lightwells, however this would be more of a challenge because these stair will require a fire separation.

This section of a typical bay at the lightwell illustrates how natural light will penetrate into the building.

Preliminary Schematic Layout

2008-10-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

The Benton Park neighborhood middle to upper middle income neighborhood. In the past ten years the area has been turning around and property values have increased. For this reason the redevelopment of the Lemp Complex may best serve the neighborhood by offering high-end apartments or luxury condominiums. This week I have used the Time-Saver Standards for Housing and Residential Development to begin to determine function and space requirements for high-end apartment or condominiums. Units will be between 1200 to 3000 sq. ft.

Program requirements would include a Living area, at least two private Bedrooms. Kitchen with a sink, range, refrigerator, adequate storage space and countertops. Optional equipment would include dishwasher, washing machine, clothes dryer and a separate freezer. Each unit will include at least one full Bathroom equipped with water closet, lavatory, and bathtub. Larger units will include at least one half bathroom. Each unit must have adequate Closet/Storage within the unit. These Closets will be for tenants personal storage and for guests coats, linen. Additionally, a Central Storage Area within the building will be available for tenants with ready accessibility to tenants. Below is a first draft of the program for the housing units.

I’ve arranged all of the support spaces around the semi-public corridor. This allows the living spaces to organized along the exterior walls utilizing the natural light. Exterior views are vital to provide opportunities for connectivity with the environment (biophilla and ecopsychology). The Second Floor Courtyard Area surrounds a covered atrium because fire separation is required between the First and Second Floors due to the change from retail to residential use.

The Third Floor Courtyard Area surrounds an Atrium that is open to the floor below.

The existing roof is severely deteriorated. Therefore, modifications to the roof structure can be justified.

The building sections illustrate a three story central atrium space. I plan to raise the central portion of the roof structure and carry the central atrium space one story above the existing roof level. This allows the opportunity to introduce natural light into the Atrium.

Research Topic #4 - Sustainable Measures

2008-10-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Sustainability is defined as the concept of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The modern concept of environmental sustainability goes back to the post-World War II period. Interest grew sharply during the environmental movements of the 1960s. In the United States, the first establishment of a national policy for environmental sustainability came in 1969 with the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) whose purpose was to "foster and promote the general welfare, to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony and fulfill the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations." Sustainability is much more than environmental protection in another guise. It is a positive concept that has as much to do with achieving well-being for people and ecosystems as it has to do with reducing stress or impacts.

The key to success for a successful sustainable development project is to determine during the initial planning stages to complete the development to comply with the LEED criteria.

Green Globe is a network of design and construction industry leaders committed to sustainable design. The mission includes adoption of building practices that result in energy-efficient, healthier and environmentally sustainable buildings, with a focus on residential and commercial design and construction.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating Systems are common sense principles in non-technical language that provide a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

There are Rating Systems for several different building types

LEED for Homes

LEED for Neighborhood Development

LEED for Commercial Interiors

LEED for Core and Shell

LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation & Maintenance

LEED for New Construction

LEED for Schools, Healthcare & Retail

Each system is divided into three categories

Design

Construction

Operation

Choosing an appropriate rating system is critical and depends on the building reuse, and whether the building is new or existing. The LEED Systems are more detailed and more widely accepted. The LEED Existing Buildings Rating Systems would not be an appropriate system for our purposes of this project because the Lemp Brewery Complex will require major rehabilitation and not simply operation & maintenance solutions. LEED for Neighborhood Development system will apply to site features. LEED for New Construction & Major Renovations is the appropriate rating system for the rehabilitation of the Lemp Brewery Complex buildings and for compatible new infill within the complex. The other rating systems (Homes, Commercial Interiors, Core & Shell, and Schools, Healthcare & Retail) are included in the New Construction & Major Renovations Rating System or are not applicable to this project.

The Rating System will be used to measure sustainability treatments that will be appropriate and compatible for existing buildings. The Rating System encompasses the following categories:

The LEED for Neighborhood Development Rating System integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building. The advantages of LEED for Neighborhood Development include reducing urban sprawl, encourage healthy living, protect threatened species, developing community support, higher tenancy rates.

Smart Location & Linkage
1. Create Walkable Neighborhoods

2. Encouraging Community Collaboration

3. Attractive Communities with a Strong Sense of Place

4. Provide a Variety of Transportation Options

5. Strengthen Existing Communities

Neighborhood Pattern & Design

1. Create a range of Housing choices

2. Make Development Decisions Predictable

3. Offer Mix Land Uses

4. Preserve Open Spaces

Green Construction & Technology

1. Utilized Compact Building Design

2. Building Reuse & Adaptive Reuse

Prerequisite Criteria

Sustainable Sites

1. Construction Activity Pollution Prevention

Energy & Atmosphere

1. Fundamental Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems

2. Minimum Energy Performance

3. Fundamental Refrigerant Management

Materials & Resources

1. Storage & Collection of Recyclables

Indoor Air Quality

1. Minimum Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Performance

2. Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control

Optional Criteria

Sustainable Sites

1. Development Density & Community Connectivity

2. Brownfield Redevelopment

3. Alternative Transportation

4. Stormwater Design

5. Heat Island Effect

6. Light Pollution Reduction

Water Efficiency

1. Water Efficient Landscaping

2. Innovative Wastewater Technologies

3. Water Use Reduction

Energy & Atmosphere

1. Optimize Energy Performance

2. On-Site Renewable Energy

3. Enhanced Commissioning

4. Enhanced Refrigerant Management

5. Measurement & Verification

6. Green Power

Materials & Resources

1. Building Reuse

2. Construction Waste Management

3. Materials Reuse

4. Recycled Content

5. Regional Materials

6. Rapidly Renewable Materials

7. Certified Wood

Indoor Environmental Quality

1. Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring

2. Increased Ventilation

3. Construction IAQ Management Plan

4. Low-Emitting Materials

5. Indoor Chemical & Pollutant Source Control

6. Controllability of Systems

7. Thermal Comfort

8. Daylight & Views

What will the Guidelines Look Like?

Design guidelines appear in many forms, some of which are discussed later in this document, but comprehensive ones will contain the following four elements.

First guideline element:

A Description of the sustainable features of the design topic to be discussed, along with a statement of broader, related policies.

Second guideline element:

The Guideline text itself, addressing the sustainable topic. This defines a quality of performance or provides a specific measure that one should meet.

Third guideline element:

Any amplifications of the sustainable guideline, where appropriate; these may suggest specific ways in which property owners or developers may meet the guideline’s requirements.

Fourth guideline element:

Photographs and illustration(s) are used to give real world examples and clarify the intent of the guidelines. Typically, an illustration of an appropriate solution will be drawn adjacent to an example that depicts an inappropriate action.

How will the Guidelines be Organized?

As with Historic Design guidelines, Sustainable guidelines can be organized in a variety of ways: by construction activity, by specific building component or by building type. For example, all work related to rehabilitation of historic buildings may be presented in one chapter, while guidelines for new buildings may be in another.

These guidelines will also be organized by building component. Since the Lemp Brewery Complex is a functionally related group of buildings the historic architectural style is the same for all of the buildings, Italianate/Renaissance Revival. Therefore, distinguishing by building type would not be prudent.

How will the Guidelines be Used?

Sustainability guidelines will be used by a neighborhood review board to insure mandatory compliance the LEED criteria, and with programs that encourage green design and construction. Design review will be mandated under a sustainability agreement, and property owners must participate in the review discussions and they must abide by the findings of the review board. It is important to distinguish the requirement of an owner to submit a design, materials and construction methods for review from the requirement to comply with design recommendations of a review board. This system requires that owners submit their design for discussion and receive approval of the review board.

How will the Guidelines Affect the Character of the District?

If well-written and informative, the sustainability guidelines themselves will encourage the long-term sustainability of the complex, but those that are administered through an ordinance requiring approval of the review board will have a more noticeable effect. In essence, the greater the degree of control that is applied, the more direct the effect of the guidelines will be. If review and control is voluntary outcome of the complexes character is not predictable.