University of Arkansas Rome Center

for Architecture and the Humanities

 

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN - SPRING ‘09

 

Professors

Davide Vitali, Francesco Bedeschi, Paolo Pineschi, Massimo Curatella

 

Project for a new transit hub in the Central Archaeological Area of Rome

 

The subject of the course of Architectural Design for the Spring Semester 2009 is based on the fourth annual CONCRETE THINKING FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLD, International Student Design Competition, administered by ACSA and sponsored by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) & the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. The program is intended to challenge students, working individually or in teams, to investigate an innovative application of Portland cement-based materials to achieve sustainable design objectives.

 

Please visit the ACSA website at this address for more detailed information: https://www.acsa-arch.org/competitions/09Concrete.aspx

In particular, our project will follow the competition's Category I Transit Hub: design an environmentally responsible Public Transportation Center focusing on architectural innovations to preserve tomorrow’s resources.

The area for the project will be located in Piazza Venezia, on the northern edge of the Central Archaeological Area as identified by the new Master Plan of Rome. It is a strategic place from the mobility point of view - on the one hand being the entryway to the archaeological area and, on the other, a crucial intersection for different means of transportation.

Due to the competition being a part of the didactic activity as well as the workshop with the University of Auburn, the semester will be divided into three main phases.

Class phases and requirements:

Phase 1) The Project

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CENTER

The competition program encourages students to merge two modes of public transportation while considering the facility’s potential symbolic aesthetics and connection to the city with its surrounding community. Students working in teams of two are to design a Transit Hub to accommodate the needs of the assigned area.

This transportation center will need to support two means of mass transit and should be designed to be able to expand in the future. Passengers will change or transfer between the modes of transit; convenience in getting around and through the transit hub is important, since many travelers need to get on and off transportation quickly and efficiently. The center will also be a hub of interaction and a significant emblem of the nature and character of the culture it serves. The center may include convenience services such as a coffee shop, newspaper or magazine stand, or other small retailers.

SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES

Sustainable design innovations and ideas should be used throughout the Transportation Center including the building and exterior. Sustainably designed buildings and sites aim to lessen their impact on our environment through energy and resource efficiency. Sustainable design concepts must include at least three of the following solutions provided by concrete technology: durability, recyclability, reduced site disturbance, storm water management, heat island mitigation, optimized energy performance, indoor air quality, material use reductions, and recycled content use. Solutions providing multiple benefits from a single application will receive extra credit.

The jury will select winners in each category based on the extent students have developed inventive ways to integrate Portland cement-based solutions into their design to achieve sustainable development objectives.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Design an environmentally responsible Public Transportation Center focusing on architectural innovations to preserve tomorrow’s resources. The functional and programmatic requirements for the Transit Hub spaces are outlined below. The area allocations are suggestions only and may be altered. Solutions should observe the total gross square footage, within a range of plus or minus ten percent.

LIGHT RAIL SERVICES

Light Rail will approach the station on 2 tracks, which are served by one center platform elevated to approximately 48”, thus allowing passengers to enter and exit trains without steps. The platforms must be a minimum of 24’ wide and 600’ long.

Waiting & Queuing Areas (including Platforms)	15,000 sq ft	1500 mq
Information Center/Desk	150 sq ft	15 mq
Light Rail Offices	200 sq ft	20 mq
Light Rail Total	15,350 sq ft	1535 mq

BUS SERVICES

Coaches will service the station at a maximum of 6 at one time. Following are assumed coach information: Width 96”, Length 40’, Wheel base 279” (23’ 3”), Turning radius 44’, Seating for 44 passengers with room for 22 standing, and a wheelchair lift.

Waiting & Queuing Areas (including Platforms)	4 ,000 sq ft	400 mq
Information Center/Desk	150 sq ft	15 mq
Bus Offices	200 sq ft	20 mq
Bus Total	4,150 sq ft	415 mq

TRANSIT HUB SHARED SERVICES
The following additional facilities may be added or removed depending on the city’s needs.

Ticketing/Office Facilities:
Ticket Queuing Area	350 sq ft	35 mq
Fare Collection	300 sq ft	30 mq
Offices (2 at 150 sq ft each)	300 sq ft	30 mq
Storage	100 sq ft	10 mq
Equipment Room	100 sq ft	10 mq
Ticketing Facilities Total	1,150 sq ft	115 mq

Employee Facilities:
Employee’s Lockers & Toilets	1,400 sq ft	140 mq
Employee Lounge	500 sq ft	50 mq
Employee Total	1,900 sq ft	190 mq

Concessions:
Fast-food/Snack Bar	1,000 sq ft	100 mq
Vending Machines	200 sq ft	20 mq
Newsstand	500 sq ft	50 mq
Concessions Total	1,700 sq ft	170 mq

Toilets:
Public Toilets (M/F 500 sq ft each)	1,000 sq ft	100 mq

Total Net Square Feet	25,250 sq ft	2,520 mq
Total Gross Square Feet	30,000 sq ft	3,000 mq
(Including 20% allowance for Mechanical, Structural & Circulation)

Dates:

-        Friday, January 30^th 2009 – Individual audio/video presentation

-        Thursday, February 12^th 2009 – Phase 1 Intermediate review

-        Thursday, March 12^th 2009 – Phase 1 final review

Requirements: 8 boards A1 size (84x59.4 cm) with plans, sections, elevations, sketches, 3D renderings at the appropriate scale factors.

Evaluation: at the end of this phase, the student will receive an evaluation corresponding to 50% of the final grade.

Phase 2 ) The Workshop

 

It is a 9-day charette with the architecture students from Auburn University and Philadelphia University who will be in Rome for a two-month study period. The subject of the workshop will be the design of the new entryway to Trajan's Forum and Markets on the side of Piazza Venezia (next to Trajan's Column).

 

Dates: from Monday, March 23^rd until Tuesday, March 31^st 2009

Requirements: 3 boards in A1 format (84x59.4) with plans, sections, elevations, sketches, and 3D renderings of the project.

Evaluation: at the end of this phase, the student will receive an evaluation corresponding to 25% of the final grade.

 

Phase 3) The synthesis

 

The third phase of the semester will be devoted to the preparation of the competition's final boards. It will be the moment for a final synthesis of the project with the addition of some contributions derived from the workshop experience.

The “graphic design” of the boards, as well as the visual communication techniques, will be extremely important to achieve the best results.

 

Deadline: April 23^rd 2009 (final boards due date) – April 29^th 2009 (Final review)

 

Requirements: two 20” x 30” digital boards. The names of student participants, their schools, or faculty sponsors, must NOT appear on the boards.
All boards must be uploaded through the ACSA website in Portable Document Format (PDF) or Image (JPEG) Files. Participants should keep in mind that, due to the large number of entries, preliminary review does not allow for the hanging end to end display of presentation boards. Accordingly, participants should not use text or graphics that cross over from board to board. The names of student participants, their schools, or faculty sponsors, must NOT appear on any of the submitted material.

Evaluation: at the end of this phase, the student will receive an evaluation corresponding to 25% of the final grade.

Subjects of theoretical lectures:

 

-        #1 Monday January 19^th:
Class Presentation – a new transit hub in Piazza Venezia
Description of project area: identification of general and specific goals to be reached and explanation in detail of each individual theme. General presentation about the mobility plan for Rome.

 

-        #2 Thursday January 22^nd:
Historic ad Urban definition of the area
Illustration of the urban complexity of the central area through the reading of historical cartography and understanding of urban transformations from the origins of Rome to modern times.

 

-        #3 Friday January 23^rd:
Site visit of the area of the project + on-site drawing session

 

-        #4 Monday January 26^th:
Concrete: physical and mechanical characteristics of the material
A brief overview about the most important mechanical and physical characteristics of concrete and its use in architecture.

 

-        #5 Thursday January 29^th:
LEED and Concrete
A presentation about the LEED rating system for sustainable design with particular attention to concrete as a building material

Development of didactic activity:

 

Design Class will be every week on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm. Theoretical lessons, presentations, visiting lectures as well as mid-term and final reviews will take place in the large classroom in the studio at Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 173.

Studio Lab and normal crits will take place at the studio in Via S.Maria dell’Anima 30 (Piazza Navona).

 

Reviews will be either individual or as a group; every week a sign-up list will be posted; students who want a desk-critique with one or more instructors must sign up.

 

In the final presentation of every phase, students are required to present the final and best version of their work; incomplete or bad drawings will not be accepted. The evaluation of each phase will be based not only on the contents but also on the graphic quality of the work.

 

Attendance to the class is mandatory; absences without a good cause will not be accepted.

 

Admittance to the Navona Studio (via S.Maria dell’Anima 30) as well as to the Main Studio (Corso Vittorio) will be guaranteed every day Monday through Sunday starting at 9.00 am with the unbreakable rule of exit by 9.00 pm.