Virginia G. Piper Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People

VIRGINIA G. PIPER SPORT AND FITNESS CENTER FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

Building analysis by Elisabeth Frizzell and Eunsol Choi

VIRGINIA G. PIPER SPORT AND FITNESS CENTER FOR DISABLED PEOPLE Phoenix, Arizona Baldinger Architectural Studio Building analysis by Elisabeth Frizzell and Eunsol Choi ARCH 341, Fall 2018 Lab instructor: Stacey White

Cover image: Raul Garcia

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1_Project Summary 2_Place 3_Form and Assemblies 4_Perception and Performance 5_References

1_PROJECT SUMMARY PROJECT DATA Location: Phoenix, Arizona Year of completed construction: 2011 Total area: 45,000 sq ft Total construction cost: $12.5 million

TEAM Client: Greater Phoenix Disability Community Architect: Baldinger Architectural Studio Landscape: Killip Land Planning Structure: AED Inc. Structural Engineers MEP and FP: Stone Engineering Civil: AEC Consultants Lighting: Rowley Engineering Contractors: Caliber Construction

1.1 North Elevation at Dawn Photo: Raul Garcia

ARCHITECT PROFILE Founded in 1986, Baldinger Architectural Studio is a design firm based in Tempe, Arizona. The firm approaches design through a deeply collaborative and interactive studio environment which provides both architects and other team members with a close involvement in every phase from design to construction. The firm seeks to produce work that is elegant, modern, and will last through the ages. The longevity of their designs can be attributed to their commitment to making each one rational, functional, well-engineered, economical, and easy to build and maintain. Their methodology is characterized by responding to a broad set of programmatic, contextual, and environmental factors. This all-encompassing consideration leads to designs that are efficient and environmentally responsible.

Baldinger Studio practices good environmental stewardship in every design, as they understand the vital role that designers play in maintaining- and restoring- the health of building inhabitants and the health of the planet.

Sustainability is at the forefront of the firm’s every design and their goal is to educate their clients and the public about responsible and achievable green architecture. The firm does use LEED as a standard in many of their projects, but also seeks alternative strategies for measuring sustainability when a different tool is more applicable to a project’s budget or scope.

In 2012, the final stage of construction of the Virginia G. Piper Sport and Fitness Center was completed. It was designed specifically for disabled people as the final building on the Disability Empowerment Campus in Phoenix, Arizona. The sensibility and consideration for disabled people in a recreation center fits well with the studio’s commitment to detail and boundary-breaking design- the Center is the first of its kind in the Western United States. The focus of the design was on building a “total environment”- design that fused function, environmental considerations, and aesthetics. The “total environment” approach seeks to seamlessly transition users from site to campus to building, giving them freedom of movement that they have often not had access to. The project was awarded the Arizona Real Estate and Development Best Public Project award in 2012.

1.2 (l) Disability Empowerment Center Photo: Raul J. Garcia

1.3 (r) Facilitec Showroom Photo: Raul J. Garcia

1.4 Heacox Residence Photo: Raul J. Garcia

PROJECT BACKGROUND AND DESIGN PROCESS The architect sought to go above and beyond the design requirements of ADA to give the users of the building a truly enjoyable experience. The main design driver for the project was to blend accessibility with aesthetics.

The Greater Phoenix Disabled Community needed a space to exercise with dignity and the firm gladly took the opportunity. In an interview with the founder and one of the principal architects, Ilan Baldinger, he told us that this project was his favorite to work on because of the people he got to build relationships with and their immense gratitude for the project. The site was spatially constrained by adjacent buildings.

1.5 Site Plan

Baldinger Architectural Studios

Second Floor Plan

1/64”= 1’- 0”

First Floor Plan

1/64”= 1’- 0”

Basement Plan

1/64”= 1’- 0”

Massing Model scale: 1/64” = 1’-0”

Composite diagram

Structure

Envelope: Glass

Daylighting

Program

Envelope: Zinc Panels

Circulation

Transition To Fabric Duct

Rigid Insulation

Route Condensate in Poured Concrete Wall

GRAPHIC SUMMARY

Egress

Thermal and Ventilation Systems

2_PLACE

MARICOPA COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL WATER TREATMENT PLANT

PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION

ENERGY

WASTE

ARIZONA

THE STOCKYARDS STEAKHOUSE

ESPRESSIONS COFFEE ROASTARY

PHOENIX COFCO CHINESE CULTURAL CENTER

ARIZONA AUTISM UNITED

CORESTAFF SERVICES

GRAPHCO GRAPHICS

CACTUS STONE

HARBOR VIEW BUSINESS PARK

PHOENIX SKY HARBOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

143

PAPAGO PARK CENTER INDUSTRIAL 202

PHOENIX AIRPORT CENTER

WATER SALT, VERDE, AND COLORADO RIVERS

2.1 Aerial view of Surrounding Buildings Photo: Google

REGIONAL RESOURCES

CONTEXT

The city of Phoenix ‘s water supply comes primarily from the Salt River Project (SRP) which brings water by canal and pipeline from the Salt and Verde Rivers , and the Central Arizona Project (CAP) which transports Colorado River water. 1 The city’s main sources of energy are natural gas and nuclear power plants. 2 Waste is treated at water treatment plants around the city. Arizona is home to the largest nuclear power plant in the nation and also generates 2/5 of its renewable energy through solar due to the state’s large solar exposure. 2 Wastewater in Phoenix is treated after use to bring it up to standards for reuse.

The project is located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a 3 mile distance from the Phoenix International airport, an urban area in between two major freeways, 143 and 202. It is nesteld in Harbor View Business Park, a commerical plaza with businesses including Espressions Coffee Roastary, Corestaff Services, The Stockyards Steakhouse, and Cactus Stone countertop store. It shares a connected form with the Arizona Autism United Center.

CLIMATE ANALYSIS AND RESPONSE The Koppen climate type of Phoenix is hot desert so the project is designed to resist heat gain. One way in which it accomplishes this is by not having any glazing on its south and west facades. The psychrometric chart shows a large diurnal swing and the humidity also has a wide range. These conditions make it difficult to design a building that can be conditioned mostly off of passive strategies. Winds come from every direction over the flat landscape, which must be taken into consideration for calculating the lateral loads on the building.

3_FORM AND ASSEMBLIES 3.1 Suspended Running Track Photo: Raul Garcia

EXERCISE STORAGE VERTICAL CIRCULATION

3.2 Exercise Floor Photo: Raul Garcia

SPECTATING RESTROOMS OFFICE CLASSROOM LOBBY/ RECEPTION LOCKERS

3.3 Sport Court Photo: Raul Garcia

PROGRAM The main program for the building is exercise space, split between the suspended track, the sport court, and the exercise floor. The building also has office space, a classroom, lockers, and reception along with support areas like restrooms, storage, and vertical circulation. The spaces are organized such that one enters in the lobby and reception space then moves past the offices to the lockers and then can exercise either in the sport court or upstairs on the exercise floor. One may also go from the lobby upstairs to the classroom. The spaces are organized for ease of access and navigation to all program elements. The spaces are also organized like this to funnel people into progressively larger spaces, with the large sports court anchoring one end of the building and the also large exercise floor anchoring the other end of the building on the second floor. These two spaces are the major “served” spaces and the “service” spaces fill in between them.

3.4 Lobby Seating Photo: Raul Garcia

3.5 Suspended Track Structure Photo: Raul Garcia

STRUCTURE The building is a steel and concrete construction. Trusses are used to span large spaces like the basketball courts and exercise floor. Diagonal bracing, and shear walls are used to help resist lateral loads. All loads are transferred to the ground by the columns throughout the building. The building is supported by a concrete slab foundation with concrete footings supporting major structural loads.

3.6 Steel Trusses Span the Basketball Courts Photo: Raul Garcia

zinc standing seam metal roof

rigid insulation

painted steel truss

ENVELOPE: ZINC SCREEN WALL The primary cladding material is zinc standing seam paneling. It is the outermost layer of the wall, protecting the rigid insulation from the exterior environment. The zinc panels are used to clad the entire finished elevation of the sport court space, as well as its roof. Zinc is very corrosion resistant and has a very long life. It is also 100% recyclable, making it a very sustainable choice for building.

3.7 Perforated corrugated zinc screen wall Photo: Raul Garcia

Operable

Non-operable

Translucent Panels

Spandrel

ENVELOPE: GLASS CURTAIN WALL There are 4 different types of glass used on the building that each serve different purposes. The operable windows provide views and ventilation, while non-operable windows provide just views. Both of these types bring in sunlight and heat. The translucent panels in the middle of the glass curtain wall of the sport court help bring a more diffuse light into the space. The small strip of spandrel glass on the east facade below the exercise floor serves to continue the look of glass while hiding the floor structure behind it. The mass to glass ratio is approximately 4.73:1. It varies greatly by facade based on solar orientation: the entire south and west facades have no glass while the entire north facade of the gym is completely glass. Overall, the building is cladded with a combination of glass, brick veneer, and zinc panels.

3.8-3.9 Glass curtain wall: Interior and exterior views Photos: Raul Garcia

4_PERCEPTION AND PERFORMANCE

Energy Model

ENERGY AND DAYLIGHTING PERFORMANCE The target EUI for this building, as given by ZeroTool, is 9 kBTU/ft^2/yr. The main driver of energy use in this building, according to Sefaira, is equipment use. The actual performance of the building, according to analysis by Sefaira, is closer to 47 kBTU/ft^2/yr. This is influenced by the climate, which calls for a lot of cooling. The building has no glazing on the south or west facades, which definitely helps keep it cooler and save energy. The building could use less energy if it used high-efficiency equipment, since the equipment loads are currently the dominating energy load on the building.

Daylight Model

Transition To Fabric Duct

Rigid Insulation

Route Condensate in Poured Concrete Wall

THERMAL AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS This building uses an HVAC system to maintain comfort and ventilation. The main passive strategy used to maintain thermal comfort is the orientation of the building and the corresponding window- wall ratio. The south and west facades have no glazing to help keep the building cool, and rigid insulation is utilized in those facades to regulate thermal bridging. The HVAC system is a forced air system with no hydronic component. The conditioned air is distributed through ducts that are exposed throughout the building.

4.1 Mechanical System Exposed Throughout the Building Photo: Raul Garcia

CIRCULATION People using the building mostly enter next to the lobby coming from the campus. The lobby space provides seating and views of the campus and swimming pool. The main corridor on the first floor provides an engaging experience with colorful display cutouts along the wall. Throughout the building, the circulation is meant to be as accessible as possible for people with different disabilities. The passages are wide and the main access to the basketball courts is by ramp. The track is suspended from the ceiling in an effort to make exercising and circulating the building more fun and different. The two main vertical circulation cores are located along the main corridorone right by the lobby and one adjacent to the track and basketball courts.

4.2 First Floor Corridor Photo: Raul Garcia

EGRESS AND FIRE LIFE SAFETY The building has a fairly open floor plan in accordance with its program so in many cases, a space will not have a specific exit access like a door. The offices, classroom, and lockers have doors and in the case of the lockers, one set of doors lead directly to outside. The circulation very much overlaps with the egress system, especially since the two main vertical circulation cores are also egress stairs. There is an additional egress stair that is on the exterior of the building but instead of making it look like a normal fire escape, the architect made it a part of the building’s form- the curve of the zinc roof is cut out around the stair giving the south facade more visual interest.

4.3 Exterior Egress Stair as a Formal Move Photo: Raul Garcia

5_REFERENCES Reflection: The project serves the Greater Phoenix Disabled Community by going above and beyond the standard ADA requirements. The architects focused on providing disabled people with a space where their disabilities do not inhibit them from enjoying it- the building gives them dignity and a space to be proud of. This approach led to unique design features like the ramp access to the basketball courts, the suspended track, and the swimming pool that includes three different methods of accessible entrances. The choice of zinc paneling for large portions of the facade as a reference to the adjacent industrial park was another way the architects focused on the details of the site. Though the architect payed great attention to detail in the materials and experience of the building, the building would be further improved with a wider use of passive strategies. From this building we discovered the benefits of putting the occupants’ experience as a top priority in the design. It also served as a reminder that the code dictates minimum requirements and as designers, we should always consider going beyond the code to elevate the experiential and functional qualities of a project.

NOTES 1. “Water Services and Water Supply Q & A.” City of Phoenix. Accessed December 8, 2018. https://www.phoenix.gov/waterservices/resourcesconservation/drought-information/climatechange/water-supply-q-a 2. “Arizona - State Energy Profile Overview - U.S. Energy Information.” EIA. Accessed December 8, 2018. https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=AZ

BIBLIOGRAPHY 3D Sun-Path Generator. Andrewmarsh.com. 2014. Accessed October 14, 2018. http://andrewmarsh.com/apps/staging/sunpath3d.html “Environmental Benefits of Zinc.” Rheinzink. Accessed October 17, 2018. https://www.rheinzink.us/technical-info/benefits-of-zinc-cladding/ Ilan Baldinger (Founder and Architect of Baldinger Architectural Studio), interviewed by Elisabeth Frizzell and Sol Choi, San Luis Obispo, CA, November 28, 2018.

“Profile/ Approach.” Baldinger Architectural Studio. Accessed October 17, 2018. https://www.baldinger-studio.com/approach/ Sefaira Sketch-Up Plugin. Sefaira. Accessed October 20, 2018. https://sefaira.com “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio “Virginia G. Piper Sport and Fitness Center for Persons with Disabilities.” Archello. Accessed December 8, 2018. https://archello.com/project/ virginia-g-piper-sport-and-fitness-center-for-persons-with-disabilities#stories “Virginia G. Piper Sport and Fitness Center for Persons with Disabilities.” Spazio Mondo. February 2012. Accessed December 8, 2018. www. spaziomondo.com/page_progetto_pdf.cfm?id_progetto=77

IMAGE CREDITS Cover image: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 1.1: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 1.2: photograph © Raul Garcia “Disability Empowerment Center.” Baldinger Architectural Studio. Accessed October 17, 2018. https://www.baldinger-studio.com/portfolio/disability-empowerment-center/ 1.3: photograph © Raul Garcia “Facilitec Showroom.” Baldinger Architectural Studio. Accessed October 17, 2018. https://www.baldinger-studio.com/portfolio/facilitec-showroom/ 1.4: photograph © Raul Garcia “Heacox Residence.” Baldinger Architectural Studio. Accessed October 17, 2018. https://www.baldinger-studio.com/portfolio/heacox-residence/ 1.5: Site Plan © Baldinger Architectural Studios “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed December 8, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 3.1, 3.5, 3.8: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 3.2: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 3.3: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 3.4: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 3.6: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 3.7: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 3.9: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 4.1: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 4.2: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio 4.3: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio Back Cover Image: photograph © Raul Garcia “Sport and Fitness Center for Disabled People/ Baldinger Architectural Studio.” January 16, 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed November 15, 2018. https://www.archdaily.com/587732/sport-and-fitness-center-for-disabled-people-baldinger-architectural-studio All other images were created by the authors