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SD DESCRIPTION |
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The massing of the new building was carefully considered and went through many variations. New two-story wings flank the existing building to the east and west, separated from the existing by glass links. The new wings create strong courtyard enclosures to the north and south and help extend the space of the building to the exterior, creating semi-enclosed exterior courtyard “rooms” which complement and support the functions of the building. The massing of these wings brings focus to the historic south facade and portico of the existing building. The portico dominates the composition and is re-established as the main entry to the facility. With the closure of Athletic Avenue and the establishment of a green quadrangle to the south of the facility, the historic facade and courtyard will form one edge of this space and provide the starting point to new development potential for future OSU buildings around the quad. The auditorium is placed to the north of the existing building, separated by a “glass” link. The mass of the auditorium connects the two wings across the rear of the building grouping and helps created a “wrap” of new buildings around the existing to the north. The scale of the auditorium is kept as low as possible to allow the existing building to dominate the composition from the north. The auditorium can be accessed from the north or through the existing building from the south. Functionally the building is zoned with all “public” spaces located on the ground level and studios and studio support spaces on the second and third levels of the existing building. The existing building will be completely gutted and renovated, and a strong entry axis will be created on the first floor towards the north through an open, flexible gallery which is terminated by the auditorium, and animated by a swath of light flowing into the end of the axis from the link skylights above. A secondary axis to the east and west will be punctuated by light from the glass links separating the wings from the existing building. The entry space will be expanded vertically by carving a volume of space through the building to the third level along the south facade. This space will be animated by two sculptural stairs connecting the ground to the third floor and a glass elevator, exposed to showcase its construction. Administration will be located on the ground level of the east wing and classrooms and the architecture library in the west wing. The library and administrative areas will be strongly linked to the adjacent courtyard space. The courtyard facades of the new wings will be mostly glass and will allow the spaces of the new wings to connect strongly to the courtyards. These facades are protected from the sun by a lacy metal canopy with screening to provide sun-control, and by new and existing trees in the courtyard. The “campus” facades will be more solid and relate to the context through use of materials (brick, stone, metal, and glass), scale and articulation. The studio spaces are carefully designed to reflect the school’s team-teaching approach and “open studio” philosophy. The space of the studios in the new wings will relate to the monumental space of the existing third floor studio with exposed metal and cable trusses and exposed systems. Light will filter into the studios from skylights above and controlled openings on side walls. Sustainability issues are central to the design. Daylighting concerns in the entire building are critical, especially to studio spaces. Control of direct light through shading devices is carefully conceived. While alternative HVAC systems were carefully considered, the campus’ very efficient central system made it a logical choice. Materials will be chosen with sustainability issues in mind. Perhaps the most visible sustainable feature is the incorporation of the existing building in the new facility, highlighting the School’s strong commitment to preserving our heritage and the re-use of existing buildings.
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