Embedded Files
SITE PHOTOS
CONTEXT
INTRODUCTION
Along Beechurst Avenue, Area 7 parking lot sits nestled between the Downtown WVU Campus, Sunnyside residential district, and the Monongahela River. Traffic speeds by along the busy avenue, the sounds of PRT cars rattle overhead, and residents using the Caperton Trail walk, jog, and bike just below. The site is currently full of potential; it is close to campus and the trail, offers spectacular views of the river and Woodburn Hall, and it is conveniently located near a bus stop and a PRT station. It also offers a unique set of challenges; the slope from the site to the river is significantly steep, the existing vegetation is poorly maintained and overgrown, and several homeless persons have established a semi-permanent encampment in the wooded area closest to the river. The design challenge I aim to address is, how to strengthen the positive aspects of the site while finding creative and inclusive solutions for some of the complications.
TOPOGRAPHY
The topography of the site is one of the clearest challenges. While the lot itself is relatively flat, the decent from the lot to the river's edge is steep. I was certain I wanted to provide access to the river and a viewpoint from a high point as well. It was necessary to take the topography into great consideration in order to accomplish both of these goals. Pictured below is a photograph from 1891 looking across the river at Woodburn Hall prior to the construction of many of the other downtown campus buildings. Without the obstruction of those structures it can be seen that the site is located on the decent of a very steep hill.
In this photo from 1891 the topography can be seen clearly from what is now Westover. The primary high point houses WVU’s Woodburn Hall
LOCATION
Residential Buildings Campus Buildings
The site is currently surrounded with traffic noise from the nearby street, the sounds of the PRT moving overhead, cars parking in the lot, and people using the Caperton Trail below.
Pictured here the relationship between Beechurst Ave., the adjacent sidewalk, and the site below is evident
PROGRAM
In this phase, we were asked to identify, how the space will be used, which users would likely occupy the site, and how to accommodate them. Because of the location and context of the site, I chose to focus primarily on creating a space for WVU students, WVU faculty, the existing homeless population, Caperton Trail users, cyclists, and skateboarders. I determined that the best way to achieve this would be through the creation of four primary types of spaces: Lounging areas for students and trail users to relax in, gathering space for students and faculty to meet and have meal breaks, sheltered space for the homeless to take refuge and keep the space usable during bad weather, and sporting areas to provide entertainment to skateboarders and cyclists. I also decided during this phase that the space, once developed, should close at 11 p.m. each night in order to allow the space to be occupied by the homeless population safely and comfortably.
For inspiration during this phase, I researched Platform Park located beneath an overpass in Culvert City, CA. It is a project that incorporates inclusive naturalistic programs in an area that has a similar bustling, industrial feel. Rather than shielding or ignoring the overpass, designers from TERRAMOTO embraced its verticality and created a space that feels open but sheltered and peaceful in a noisy and busy place.
CONCEPT
When considering a concept to inspire my project, I focused on the idea of pace. The site rests in an area that is loud and noisy near the street, then active but quieter along the Caperton Trail, and quiet and lazy near the river. I determined that the best way to create a site that fits into the context would be to try to match the pace that already exists in the space. Because of this, I titled my concept Cadence as I wanted to recreate the tempo of the existing space. My design goal in the concept phase is to create a site that transitions smoothly from a fast pace to a steady and eventually slow end - like the cadence of a song drawing to a close. I used musical imagery such as sheet music and the forms of different instruments to inspire shapes I implemented into the site. I found that my most successful iterations created areas, or "notes," of interest throughout. While there are no direct references to the source of inspiration in my final design, there is an inherent rhythm to the space influenced by the way users move through the site, the details, colors, and spaces implemented.
Development
By descending the staircase rhythmically with short, active steps from the sidewalk along busy Beechurst Ave., one enters an active space where users are skateboarding, gathering, taking photos, or riding bikes across a rumble strip that traverses black and white patterned bricks. Beneath the PRT tracks, where transit cars rumble overhead, large, elongated, stacked block seats encourage users to climb, up and find a space to lounge. A deck made of steel grating rings with the sound of footsteps and provides a viewpoint for the river The decent to the river winds down a long ramp punctuated by trees and shrubs, leaves the noise and bustle behind, and ends at a quiet riverside dock where users can lay back in hammock seating and watch the sun set behind the mountains.
Japanese Maple
Rhododendron
Red Oak
PLANT PALETTE
Zelkova
Inkberry Holly
Ginko
Downy Serviceberry
Fountain Grass
Dwarf Alberta Spruce
Dwarf Blue Spruce
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