program for the urban campus of the girl scouts of eastern pennsylvania becky yannes | thesis 2013
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The adaptive re-use of historic buildings, celebration of city planning decisions, and introduction of new typologies in the urban fabric will have defining impacts on the successful redevelopment of city neighborhoods and living conditions for their diverse populations. Integrating civic buildings to serve targeted audiences is the most effective means to incur healthy and sustainable growth.
The environment for testing the idea of integrating a civic space with a target audience in an underdeveloped neighborhood requires two key ingredients:
(1) a neighborhood that is in need of commercial development with zoned areas for non-residential use;
(2) a group or organization with interest in designated center city space.
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(1) a neighborhood that is in need of commercial development with zoned areas for non-residential use The site for the project will focus on the 1300 block of Ridge Avenue between Melon and Wallace Streets. The master planning of the surrounding area will reach west to Broad, east to 13th Street, north to Fairmount Avenue, and south to Mount Vernon Street. The site emphasizes historic city planning decisions as Ridge Avenue slices through the organized city grid. The intersection of Broad and Ridge Streets is further emphasized by the abandoned Divine Lorraine Hotel, which stands with awesome potential to serve as the gateway to North Philadelphia. Much of the site is vacant overgrown greenspace, but does also includes abandoned residential buildings. There are a few commercial and industrial buildings in use as well. The site is accessible, within a block of the Fairmount Avenue Station on the Broad Street subway line. Adjacent blocks include community infrastructure such as credit unions, medical offices, places of worship, elementary school and residences.
observed site challenges: Vacant land causes a disconnect among the various land uses surrounding the site and has been limiting in the development of existing structures. There are a few buildings in use on the proposed site. The site provides parking for nearby buildings. Ridge Avenue has a very limited identity in Center City.
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(2) a group or organization with interest in designated center city space. The building design will support a program for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. The Girl Scouts celebrate their hundredth year of girl centered programming in 2012. In this celebration and as part of its mission, the organization seeks to empower girls. Recently organization has made strategic moves to promote STEM career development and exploration among scouts. Programming to support such initiatives demands space that is technologically relevant, flexible, accessible, and visible to the public.
observed organizational challenges: The Girl Scouts’ broad and relevant ideals have great opportunities to engage girls and adults, particularly in urban areas. But, they are often overlooked in the shadows of cookie sales and camping activities that are more prevalent programs of the organization.
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The neighborhoods surrounding the intersection of Broad Street and Ridge Avenue in Philadelphia require land development to foster sustainable commercial growth. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania are in need of urban presence to increase and retain girl and adult members. The scope of this project will include the design of an urban campus for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and proposed master planning the Broad Street and Ridge Avenue intersection.
rid
broad street
fairmount avenue
ge av en ue 9
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project scope
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Proposal Submitted
August 20, 2012
Initial Site Survey Program Draft Submitted Initial Interviews with Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania Program Submitted
September 17, 2012
Research on Community Center Building Type Research on Community Gardens Research on Urban Stormwater Management Strategies Development of Master Plan Fall Group Review
November 05, 2012
Charrette with Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania Continued Development Master Plan Development of Site Plan and Building Massing Publication of Comprehensive Research Intermediate Review
December 17, 2012
Schematic Development of Building Report of Progress to Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania Design and Development of Building Technical Review
March 11, 2013
Continued Design and Development of Building Publication of Comprehensive Research and Design Final Review
June 01, 2013
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proposed site
640 Lofts The Mulford building was orignially developed as rentable factory space by the Metropolitan Company in 1912. Developer Eric Blumenfeld of EB Realty bought the building in 2006 and has since repurposed it for residential mixed use.
Rodeph Shalom Congregation The original synagogue was designed by Philadelphia architect, Frank Furness in 1869. That structure was demolished to make way for the new temple building and its Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art.
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There’s the giant vertical calling card on the south side of the building for TOBER and KNOX, and a cryptic message on the roof: “URADORK RODAK!” But the days of tagging the Divine Lorraine may be over. Blumenfeld is trying to seal a $44 million deal to convert the old hotel into 126 rental apartments and ground-floor restaurants. “If North Broad Street is all about connecting the dots,” he said, “this is the logical next dot.” To the south, he has a clear view of two nearby old factories in the 600 block of North Broad that he has already converted into loft apartments. To the north, he can see the cranes rising over new projects on the campus of Temple University. “Think about what is happening on North Broad Street,” Blumenfeld said. “This could be transformational. We’re only halfway there.”
Northwestern Bank Building Architect Phillip Merz designed the building that was built in 1918. An addition was constructed in 1918 and the banks success continued. In 1949, it became the first bank in the city to have a drive-thru teller window. The building houses a PNC branch today.
Divine Lorraine Hotel
The Lorraine Apartment House was completed in 1894 as an early example of apartment living in Philadelphia. By 1900 the building had been converted to a hotel. In 1948 it transitioned to a residential hub for the Unity Mission Church under the leadership of Reverend Major J. “Father” Divine.
proposed site
Metamorphosis Philadelphia: Blueprint To End Homelessness:
ue
This mural by Josh Sarantitis, Page Hamrick, and Eric Okdeh overlooks the Harry Murray Memorial Park.
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He said that the deal he is working on is “complicated” but that a key step has been taken: He has an agreement to purchase the debt on the building from Amalgamated Bank of New York. The current owners owe Amalgamated almost $20 million, plus $800,000 to the city in back taxes. Blumenfeld said the Divine Lorraine was expected to go up for sheriff’s sale in October, which would give him a way to gain title. He said he has been working closely with city officials and bankers and is “optimistic” that the process in play “will put us in a position to bring this back.” Jennifer Lin, “The view is Divine” Philadelphia Inquirer, August 27, 2012,
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The selected lots for development are zoned as RSA-5, CMX-3, and CMX-4 according to the zoning code released in August 2012. This makes them appropriate for the development of a building for Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania and for residential and commercial growth in the surrounding blocks. The code allows for community garden space as well, but may require some variances to include sports field. But there are some existing sports fields a block north of the proposed site.
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There are also some development projects under construction or in the news. There are residential units under construction in the 1500 block of Fairmount Avenue. Further, the Divine Lorraine Hotel, which has remained dormant for several decades has recently made the news because it has been purchased for development and the mayor has made mention of the city’s commitment to its improvement.
RSA-5 Permitted Building Type: Detached, Semi-Detached; Attached Uses permitted as of right: Single-Family; Passive Recreation; Family Day Care; Religious Assembly;
Min. Lot Width Min. Lot Area Safety Services; Transit Station; Community Garden; Market or CommunityMin. Open Area Supported Farm Uses requiring special exception approval: Group Living; Personal Care Home; Active Recreation;
Educational Facilities; Fraternal Organization; Hospital; Libraries and Cultural Exhibits; Utilities and Services, basic; Wireless Service Group Day Care;
Facility
Min. Front Setback Min. Side Yard Width Min. Rear Yard Depth Max. Height
16 ft. 1,440 sq. ft. Intermediate: 30%; Corner Lot; 20% Based on setback of abutting lots 5 ft. per yard The greater of 9 ft. or 20% of Lot Depth 38 ft.
CMX-3 Community commercial and residential mixed use Uses permitted as of right: Household Living; Group Living; Recreation; Daycare; Education Facilities; Fraternal Organization; Hospital; Libraries and Cultural Exhibits; Religious Assembly; Safety Services; Transit Station; Utilities and Services, Basic; Description:
Wireless Service Faculty; Office; Building Supplies and Equipment; Consumer Goods; Food, Beverage, and Groceries; Pets and Pet Supplies; Sundries, Pharmaceuticals, and Convenient Sales; Wearing Apparel and Accessories; Animal Services; Assembly and Entertainment; Business Support; Prepared Food Shop; Sit Down Restaurant; Financial Services; Maintenance and Repair of Consumer Goods; Structure Parking; Personal Services; Radio, Television, an Recoding Services; Visitor Accommodations; Artist Studios and Artisan Industrial; Research and Development; Community Garden; Market or Community-Supported Farm Uses requiring special exception approval: Surface Parking
Max. Occupied Area Min. Front Yard Depth Min. Side Yard Width Min. Rear Yard Depth Max. FAR
Intermediate: 75%; Corner; 80% NA 8 ft. if used for buidling w/ dwelling units NA 500% up to an additional 300% with bonus
CMX-4 Description:
Center City commercial mixed use
Uses permitted as of right: Household Living; Group Living; Recreation; Daycare; Education Facilities; Fraternal Organization; Hospital; Libraries and Cultural Exhibits; Religious Assembly; Safety Services; Transit Station; Utilities and Services, Basic;
Wireless Service Faculty; Office; Building Supplies and Equipment; Consumer Goods; Food, Beverage, and Groceries; Pets and Pet Supplies; Sundries, Pharmaceuticals, and Convenient Sales; Wearing Apparel and Accessories; Animal Services; Assembly and Entertainment; Business Support; Prepared Food Shop; Sit Down Restaurant; Financial Services; Maintenance and Repair of Consumer Goods; Structure Parking; Personal Services; Radio, Television, an Recoding Services; Visitor Accommodations; Artist Studios and Artisan Industrial; Research and Development; Community Garden; Market or Community-Supported Farm Uses requiring special exception approval: Surface Parking
Max. Occupied Area Min. Front Yard Depth Min. Side Yard Width Min. Rear Yard Depth Max. FAR
Intermediate: 75%; Corner; 80% NA 8 ft. if used for buidling w/ dwelling units NA 500% up to an additional 300% with bonus
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street names roadways cognitive zoning existing vegetation figure ground site
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program
Membership growth and retention in the urban population are goals of the Girl Scouts, particularly in Philadelphia. The Girl Scout presence is muted within city limits compared to suburban counterparts. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania attribute this to several factors including lack of family history in scouting and ignorance to the valuable programming the Girl Scouts offer both girl and adult members. The Girl Scouts have various facilities in areas surrounding Philadelphia, including six administrative offices and six camps. The training facility for orienting leadership in the organization, Edith Macy Conference Center, is about a three hour drive from the Philadelphia area. This is a barrier for both staff and volunteer leadership. The organization recognizes the benefits scouting leadership provides adults for career preparation, but is unable to capitalize on opportunities to offer its programming to urban audiences.
client needs
Existing meeting spaces at the Shelly Ridge Complex in Miquon, Pennsylvania is useful for day to day staff meetings, but are not large enough for more substantial training events.
Existing Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania properties do not provide the visibility in the center city area necessary to demonstrate the organization's relevance to local residents. The Girl Scouts have commissioned buildings over the last sixty years to support staff and scout programming. Many of the buildings were well designed for user comfort and to behave responsibly environmentally, but do not adequately support current space needs. Particularly, the Shelly Ridge Complex (Miquon, Pennsylvania), which serves as the headquarters for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania cannot accommodate scout programming nor can it hold full staff events. Interviews with staff members have revealed that the office space also does not accommodate staff’s daily work needs appropriately. There are not enough personal offices for each of the team managers. Similarly, staff members are often left to use their valuable cubicle space as program storage in addition to their work space.
Valuable office space is uesd for storage of various sales products and programming materials. Many managers have similar storage situations within their own cubicles at the Shelly Ridge Complex.
Existing facilities do not support the group programming that the organization would like to offer to constituents.
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The Girl Scouts of the USA recently surveyed a population of nearly 1,000 teen girls to investigate their interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The findings were released in the Generation STEM report earlier this year. With data demonstrating girls’ interest in STEM fields, the organization has continued to expand programming in these areas. This expansion would be fueled by urban presence, nearby industry and university research leaders.
Although the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania’s staff is overwhelmingly female, there are minimal accommodations for women’s needs. This photograph depicts the “breast pumping station” that has been set up in a storage closet with a curtain separating the door’s sidelight window view from the lobby.
A 2010 study was done by a Florida student, Leialni Aletras, as part of a similar project for an urban campus in her state. She found, similarly to the findings of this research, that the spaces needed by the Girl Scouts in her region could be zoned in an
(1) Girl Area, (2) Administrative area, and (3) Public Area. By separating the spaces she urban building as
was able to program a building of approximately 30,000 square feet that would be useful for each of the three user types.
Aletras found that the segmentation of user spaces would expand opportunities for the Girl Scouts to rent spaces for added revenue. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania currently rent out camps to other non-profit and private groups for events, trainings, and other gatherings, but take little advantage of such opportunities with their indoor meeting spaces. Discussions with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania have revealed that it is most interested in the expansion of programming spaces in the urban campus. Much of its staff can remain in the Miquon location. Offices in Center City will service a small staff
The office should serve as a model for comfortable work space in an urban space and particularly accommodate women’s needs more suitably than existing facilities. The urban campus will adopt
and provide cold desk and storage space to volunteers.
appropriate practices from the Shelly Ridge Complex. For example, it will provide outdoor areas for staff to enjoy. Also, it will seek to adopt contextual vernacular, as the existing office facility does.
The urban campus will also add a location for the sales and distribution of retail products for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. While
the region has two retail locations, the urban campus will service the growing population of Philadelphia scouts. The space will offer additional storage for retail and product sales as well.
Programming spaces in the urban campus will include large and small meeting areas for scouts, training facilities for adult members and volunteers, large event spaces, indoor and outdoor athletic facilities, kitchen and technological labs, and the
These facilities will meet the growing needs of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania while providing opportunities to engage with the surrounding community.
associated support areas.
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Preliminary Program of Spaces
Per Sq. Footage
Quantity
Total Sq. Footage
Administrative
6.04% Staff and Volunteer Offices Private Offices
3
100
300
Open Office
1
1500
1500
Conference Rooms
2
300
600
Kitchen
1
100
100
Copy Center
1
150
150
Gross Administrative Area
2650
Scout and Community
85.54%
Scout Shop
1
750
750
Permanent Collection
1
750
750
Flexible Collection
1
600
600
Collection
1
1000
1000
Computer Lab
1
400
400
Reading Room
1
600
600
Leaders
1
600
600
Daisy / Brownie
1
600
600
Junior
1
600
600
Cadette / Senior / Ambassador
1
600
600
Reception
1
2500
2500
Multi-Purpose Auditorium
1
8000
8000
Preparatory Kitchen
1
650
650
Demonstration Kitchen
1
600
600
Exhibits
Library
Scout Lounges
Gathering Spaces
Kitchen
Meeting Rooms 38
Computer Labs
3
750
2250
Flexible Classrooms
6
750
4500
Multi-Purpose Sports Court
1
8000
8000
Locker Rooms
2
400
800
10
375
3750
Gymnasium
Visitor Accommodations Room with Bathroom Gross Scout and Community Area
37550
Support
8.43% Restrooms Women
3
150
450
Men
2
100
200
1
200
200
Digital
1
150
150
Shop Inventory
1
200
200
Merchandise
1
750
750
Office
1
150
150
Program Equipment
3
400
1200
Bicycle
1
400
400
Loading and Disposal Storage
Gross Support Area
3700
Outdoor Community Garden
1
5000
5000
Multi-Purpose Sports Field
1
5000
5000
Multi-Purpose Sports Court
1
4200
4200
200
200
40000
Parking Indoor Sub-Total
43900
Circulation (30% Indoor Sub-Total Area)
13170
Gross Indoor Area
57070
Gross Outdoor Area
54200
Campus Total
111270 39
hierarchy of spaces outdoor support scout & community administrative
outdoor
scout &
community c ourt
garde
sports
gymna
unity
sium
ring s paces gathe
comm sports
visitor
fie ld
accom
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ions
parkin
modat
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shop
meetin
kitche
library
scout 40
scout
exhibi
ts
lounge
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circulation
adjacencies
scout
The Scout Shop, while small, should reside nearby the administrative and support spaces for its day to day operations.
c ourt
ring s paces gathe
kitche parkin
n
g
The gathering spaces are the most voluminous in the complex. These spaces will be available for large internal and external events. Therefore, parking needs to be accessible to these spaces. The kitchen and support areas also need to be adjacent to the gathering spaces. Connections between the community garden and the kitchen will help to demonstrate the cycle of food production fostered by the complex.
comm
unity
garde
n
fie ld
s g room
sports
meetin
The gynasium and outdoor sports facilities should be adjacent to one another for easy access and storage of sports equipment.
sports
gymna
comm
sium
unity
garde
scout
n
lounge
s
shop
library
Scout lounges, meeting rooms and resources should be nearby one another for regular meetings. To provide for outdoor meetings, the community garden should be nearby these spaces.
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precedent studies
GLOWING EMBERS GIRL SCOUT COUNCIL
program & training center Kalamazoo, Michigan
Construction Completed: September 2007 Architect: Design Plus Interiors: SKP Interiors Electrical Engineering: WPF Engineering Construction Management: CSM Group Budget: $4,500,000 Square Footage: 33,356 sq. ft. The Program & Training Center built for use by staff, volunteers, and members of the Heart of Michigan Girl Scout unit was completed in 2007, but required more than five years of fundraising efforts for development. The building was constructed to serve its urban community and to resopnd to the site environmentally responsibly. However, the building's main purpose is to support the area's Girl Scout membership with spaces for small and large group activities. relevance to research The Glowing Embers Program & Training Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan serves an urban community of Girl Scouts. It also engages with the public to provide cultural outlets, specifically through its outdoor spaces. The center is about the size of the proposed building for the Philadelphia site. The programming of spaces was completed in collaboration with local scouts.
To accommodate the use cases of the building, it was programmed in zones: (1) Program Area, (2) Volunteer Services, and (3) Administration. The Program Area includes spaces for: Activity Rooms, Teen Lounge, Kitchen, Locker Room. The Volunteer Services includes spaces for: Members Lounge, Retail Store, Coffee Bar, Resource Library. The Administration Area includes
The main entrance of the building circulates into the volunteer services zone. This zone includes the publically available Coffee Bar. "Cafe Girl Scout" is open weekdays from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM to generate revenue for the Girl Scouts. The program area includes diversified spaces that accommodate 10 to 132 people for various activities and events.
The structural and environmental systems are exposed throughout the building so that they can be used as teaching tools for visitors. “ The design was intended to remain rough so that the girls would be able to see how the building was constructed (Aletas 65). This accentuates the many lofted spaces and highlights the accessible passageways between them.
The building is celebrated for its connection to the urban center of Kalamazoo. But it is also celebrated for its environmentally friendly campus. This campus includes several landscaped regions that make up the International Gardens, representatives of the four Girl Scout World Centers in England, Switzerland, India, Mexico, in addition to an Oriental Garden. The gardens are open to the public and their design and maintenance are coordinated by the Kalamazoo County Master Garden Association. The site also accommodates 75 parking spaces.
“When the building was first constructed, there was some criticism in the community and a general question, ‘why would you build something so grand for Girl Scouts?’ To this, the council put forth a campaign- ‘Girls are worth it!’ Now, [the council] can happily say that the building put Girl Scouts ‘on the map’ in their area, and thankfully, the community sees them as the most visionary nonprofit in Kalamazoo” (Aletras 65).
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SOUTH BRONX
community center at melrose houses Bronx, New York Construction Completed: February 2001 Architect: Argest and Gandelsonas Architects; Wank Adams Slavin Associates Budget: $6,500,000 Square Footage: 20,000 sq. ft. The Melrose Community Center was completed in the winter of 2001 as a complement to its neighboring housing facilities. The building was erected on a site amongst an area with one of New York City’s highest crime rates. The center is seen to be a “point of identification and pride for the community.” The target audience for the center is teenagers. The center offers programs in athletics, visual arts, computing and more. The building’s programmed space is separated into two practical wings. Half of the 20,000 square feet are dedicated to the gymnasium which features a basketball court. The remaining 10,000 square feet are reserved for the administrative and classroom functions of the building. The two wings are connected relevance to research by a small linking passageway that serves as the entrance. Because visitors enter at the center of the building, either wing The Melrose Community Center is an excellent example of an urban campus that does not take on a traditional urban form. The can be secured when the other is not being used. center was also developed to serve a particular demographic, namely teenagers. Its volumes all for views through the building to the surrounding neighborhood that supports the center.
The footprint of the Melrose Community Center is not compact and rectangular like most urban buildings.’ Instead it mimics the surrounding housing quads. This footprint provides nooks of outside space that can be used or gardening.
The two wings of the building are shaped precisely to meet their programmatic needs, forming an oval and a bar. The bar was designed to be transparent to celebrate the activities going on in the classroom spaces and encourage participation. This transparency to the public and between classrooms allows the corridors to be used as exhibit spaces effectively. The NYCEDC and New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, responsible for the construction of the Melrose Community Center has since carried out great studies to understand the commercial potential of the area. The studies have found the area to be one of New York City’s fastest growing neighborhoods. This growth has sparked demand for: restaurants, grocery stores, name brand apparel, dry cleaning services, bookstores, health and medical services, and professional services. 47
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The extrusion of the glazed wall provides the necessary space for deep sill seating. It also provides dimension to bring ample natural light to spaces below grade.
The simplicity of the forms help to articulate the uses of each space. Creating such dramatic voids as part of the site demands careful planning of landscaping. The lack of pathways and articulated edge conditions of the community center takes away from the ability to develop indoor outdoor connections and relationships between the public and building’s vistors.
Views to the residences beyond the community center roofline connect visitors as they approach the center entrance corridor. But, the connection of the building to the ground is uncomfortable and raises concerns for stormwater movement.
Because the bar’s size is limited to the required program spaces, the corridors serve as exhibit areas and informal gathering places. The hallways are wide to accommodates these sorts of interations among users. Notice, that the the glazing allows for transparency to public passersby.
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zamet centre Rijeka, Croatia Construction Completed: October 2009 Architect: 3LHD Budget: $3,500,000 Square Footage: 185,000 sq. ft. The Zamet Centre in Croatia is a sports arena that has provided urban connections between a public green space and a school building as a venue with specific uses and audiences, but opportunities for other uses make it difficult to categorize this building as a sports arena, solely. While the arena serves particular athletic audiences, it is flexible to provide space for community events including concerts, conferences, and congresses. The arena is equipped to seat 2380 spectators.
relevance to research The Zamet Center acheives the goal of connecting urban spaces effectively. Similarly, it brings together many uses in a campus setting. The building also brings necessary parking to part of the structure. While the building is grand in scale, it is not overwhelming to its visitors or others who are passing it on the street.
The building also houses offices, a library and 13 retail spaces. The massing studies of the architects demonstrate the necessary volumes as rectangular boxes. The ribbon rhythm is overlaid on those volumes to provide access to light and connections to the landscape. The landscape becomes a plaza for the public and the ribbons allow visitors to approach the building from various elevations. One third of the arena is cut into the ground, but the undulating roofline provides natural light to the great spaces below. The north and south faces of the building are treated with the same ceramic tiles that continue onto the groundscape. The pattern of local stone was inspired by the surface pattern of
a handball. Most of the east and west facades feature Prolifit glazing systems. These glazing systems allow pane glass to stand out as a unique materiality and different texture for visitors to experience. The transparency of use in each space is continuous from outside to inside and among the indoor spaces. In addition to the transparency of use, there is great transparency in the structural systems of the building.
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The complex focuses on three program types, in addition to service: gathering, athletic, office/athletic prep. There are only a few major points of circulatory entry and a single zone for parking and service entry. In plan the massing of the complex emphasizes the hierarchal importance of the program types. However, the tectonics of the building do not reveal too much about the spaces inside. Glazing exposes some of the activity from the east and west, but the north and south elevations are solid. The utility courtyard on the western edge of the site is guarded with informal tree lines and does not take away from the public square to the west. However, the amount of planting on the site is limited in comparison to the amount of solid surface. This solid surface is a system of ceramic panels, that serve as exterior cladding and paving for the Zamet Centre. Parking for the facilities is housed underground. The garage holds about 230 vehicles and has 7 access ways of egress. As demonstrated in the photo diagram on the next spread, the scale of the building to surrounding units is similar in proportion to the planned complex and the neighboring Divine Lorraine. This is noticeable in perspective. The image also introduces the building’s relationship to the street. The south elevation has great rhythm that leads visitors to the grand plaza for entry to the facilities. 52
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To balance the grand arena spaces, the ribbon dimension is used to house other gathering spaces. It also welcomes vertical circulation to be exposed and traveled along the long north to south dimension.
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GIRL SCOUTS OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
shelly ridge complex Miquon, Pennsylvania Construction Completed: 1985 Architect: Bohlin Cwynski Jackson The Shelly Ridge Complex was constructed in 1980 to support the, at the time, Girl Scouts of Greater Philadelphia. The complex consisted of several indoor and outdoor all with the vernacular of farm buildings, including caretaker’s residence, two service buildings, roads and site utilities, a swimming complex, and a Program Center Building. Because of the buildings’ responsible approaches to energy consumption, they received positive attention at the time of their construction. The Department of Energy studied the performance of the building as a model for other projects and the most recent recognition was the AIA National Honor Award in 1984. The largest of the buildings is the Program Center building which features a large assembly hall with stage and central hearth. The timber frame structure and simple facade emphasizes the farm vernacular from the access road. But the south, forest facing facade is a Trombe wall. Although it is unconventionally thin, this wall serves as a thermal mass to assist in the passive heating and cooling of the building. In addition to its relevance to research mass, the wall features user operated shading devices. Also, unnoticeable from the access road, is the semicircular lobby of The Shelly Ridge Complex is the current home to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. The staff members did not know that their the building that acts as a sundial, tracing the time of day via buildings were once acclaimed for their responsible design. And al- shadows. The heat gained by this masonry space also aids in though, they enjoy the buidlings as camp spaces, they recognize that the heating of the building. At the time of construction, solar they are no longer adequate for their programming or staff needs. energy satisfied about half of the building ‘s heating, lighting and domestic hot water needs.
The swimming pool complex includes a locals. The caretaker no longer resides in bathhouse, equipped with restrooms, the original building which is now used for changing rooms, and showers. There summer camp support as the infirmary. are also outdoor showers along the low wall surrounding the pool. All Girl Scout properties have caretakers who live on the grounds. The original master plan featured a small, two story residence for the Shelly Ridge caretaker. This home just west of swimming pool was constructed in the same vernacular as the other buildings. The lower level had living spaces connected by a spiral staircase to the upper sleeping quarters. The Shelly Ridge has been “loved” according to current staff who inhabit a more recently constructed office space. The original buildings are utilized for summer day camps. 12 pavilions have been added to the 113 acre site to attract Girl Scout troop activities throughout the year. The pool is open throughout the summer months for summer camp and neighboring
Bathhouse
Caretaker’s Residence
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Interior view of first floor of caretaker’s residence in September 2012.
Interior view of second floor of caretaker’s residence in September 2012.
The original caretaker’s residence has been repurposed a few times to include storage, office, and camp programming spaces. It is currently used as the day camp infirmary during the summertime, winter camping residence, and rarely used staff office space on the second floor. According to full time staff, the second floor have been deemed unfit for regular, continuous use as office space. The spiral staircase to that second floor has been replaced with a u-shaped stairwell that shields the large window that provided natural light to much of the original living space. The designed built in book cases remain as evidence to the original floor plan. The exterior of the building is quite worn, but exemplifies remnants of the sustainable initiatives as noticeable in the image to the right with strategically placed rainwater collection barrels. The caretaker’s residence, Program Center, and pool are not well connected with pedestrian pathways and therefore water is not properly managed from the buildings’ edges. 58
Exterior view of caretaker’s residence in September 2012.
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sources
photo credits
Fairmount Residence Development http://nakedphilly.com/spring-garden/update-large-new-construction-on-fairmount-ave-is-moving-along-and-apparently-expanding/ Zamet Centre http://www.archdaily.com/38538/zamet-centre-3lhd/ http://www.theplan.it/J/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2073%3Ala-croazia-si-ispira-al-suo-retaggio-modernista&catid=155%3Athe-plan055-12-2011&lang=en Shelly Ridge Bohlin, Cywinski, Jackson (Firm), Joseph Esherick, and Mack Scogin. The Architecture of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson. Rockport, Mass.: Rockport Publishers, 1994. Glowing Embers http://ascribehq.com/aia-grand-valley-projects/portfolio/340 http://www.design-plus.com/girl-scouts/ http://www.csmgroup.com/Portfolio/Commercial/GirlScouts.html http://www.gsgec.org/our_new_home/PATC_Room_Names_Descriptions.pdf http://www.skpdesign.com/GirlScouts.html http://www.gsgec.org/our_new_home/our_new_home.htm#tour Melrose Community Center http://archidose.blogspot.com/2007/01/30-in-30-28.html http://www.ag-architects.com/build/melrose_int.htm http://www.wasallp.com/#/projects/all?p=48 640 Lofts http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/640_Broad_Philly.JPG Rodeph Shalom http://www.rodephshalom.org/our_home/ Metamorphosis Mural Arts http://www.phillymuralpics.com/photo-galleries-1/spring-garden-street-to/img-0338.html http://iconic.muralarts.org/sites/default/files/downloads/MAP_AA_TourBrochure.pdf Northwestern Bank Building http://hiddencityphila.org/2012/04/last-vault-of-the-nouveau-riche/
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