PLAN 210 Davis Centre Site Inventory

DAVIS CENTRE FRONTAGE

SITE INVENTORY, ANALYSIS, & RESEARCH

TEAM 7 KAREN HAMMOND PLAN 210 STUDIO 101 NOVEMBER 5, 2017

TA BL E OF CON TEN TS MEET THE TEAM

1

TOPOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

2

TREE COVER ANALYSIS

3

SITE FURNISHINGS

4

SHADOW ANALYSIS

5

USES + ACTIVITIES

6

CIRCULATION ANALYSIS

7

VIEWS ANALYSIS

9

BUILT FORM ANALYSIS

11

SENSORY ANALYSIS

13

WIND ANALYSIS

15

DISCLOSURE

17

i

M E ET TH E TEA M

T7 + TEAM 7 - LEADER: SAWROOP - WRITER: WILLIAM - EDITORS: JOE, KELLY, SAWROOP - DESIGNER: JOE

JL + JOE LI - VIEWS ANALYSIS - INDESIGN COMPILATION

1

KC + KELLY CHEUNG - USES & ACTIVITIES - SITE FURNISHING - BUILT FORM ANALYSIS

SS + SAWROOP SANDHU - TOPOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS - CIRCULATION ANALYSIS

MG + MEAGHAN GONSALVES - SHADOW ANALYSIS - SENSORY ANALYSIS

WV + WILLIAM VOLPE - TREE COVER ANALYSIS - WIND ANALYSIS

TOP O G RAP H IC AL ANALYSI S The Davis Centre Frontage, represented by the red contour, is a relatively sloped site. The site has a maximum elevation of 335 feet about sea, and a minimum of 333.5 feet about sea. The lowest elevation occurs in the area between the Davis Centre and the Engineering 3 building. Highest elevated areas are located by the front entrance of Ring Road, mainly the walkways near the west face of the Davis Centre.

OPPORTUNITIES The natural slope of the site allows for the possible incorporation of tiered seating into the landform. The higher elevation of the north-eastern face allows for an expansive view of the entire site, such as the incorporation of public art into the paving. Water features that use flowing water components could also be incorporated to the sloped site.

CONSTRAINTS The sloped landform brings forward some problems for accessibility, as some of the natural slopes are quite steep, especially on the western face. If the western side of the site is to be further developed, slopes must be flattened to allow for better wheelchair access.

2

TR EE COVER ANALYSIS While the site is lacking in vegetation, it does have some diversity in tree species. The site hosts a mixture deciduous and coniferous species including Norway Maple, Tulip Trees, Sycamore, and Austrian Pine. The current arrangement of the trees is quite sporadic, and does very little to create an enclosed space within the site. There are some tree-lined walkways; however, this is limited and does not create strong enclosure along the Frontage’s pathways.

OPPORTUNITIES The relatively open area allows for the planting of more shade intolerant species, as well as more shade tolerant species around already established trees on site. The region also offers a diversity of native species such as White Pine and Sugar Maple, which can improve on the site’s overall attractiveness. By using indigenous vegetation, the site’s sense of place would also be greatly improved. Native trees, such as the tall White Pine, could give the site more feeling of enclosed vertical space, while native maples could be used as wind and shade cover. The current memorial plaques could be enhanced or enlarged to bring prominence to these trees, while also creating landmarks for pedestrians.

CONSTRAINTS The site is home to a considerable percentage of already mature non-native species, which are unhealthy and reduce the site’s sustainability. The site is also very exposed to wind, which creates a need for wind-resistant tree species.

Additionally, the site also has some trees that have memorial plaques, which means they must remain in their respective areas. The establishment of many mature trees means that the new design must work to incorporate their current locations.

3

S I T E FURN I SHINGS The Davis Centre Frontage has a variety of furnishings to try and accommodate for the diverse use of the site. There are 10 lampposts and 10 waste receptacles that are distributed along the frontage area. There is also a large amount of long bike racks along the entrance of the Davis Centre building that are quite heavily used. A small amount of new rentable temporary bicycles are also offered. Moreover, two bus shelters and stops are located along Ring Road that serves GRT, Go buses, and Feds Bus stops during the weekends. Trees are sparsely located in the green space and do not provide much shade or integrative support. Memorial plaques and trees have also been recently added in the past years to commemorate student and staff. Signs for bus stops are easily seen, but the Davis Centre and surrounding buildings are not as prominent.

OPPORTUNITIES Site furnishings that already exist on site can be modified to better serve site visitors. Although the bus stops will be moved, the bus coverings can be utilized as a covered seating area. The bicycle racks take up a large area of the site, but are necessary for its functioning. They could be converted into functioning public art, while retaining its function as a bike rack. This would add much needed public art to the space, without reducing its functionality. Combining public art and function together with the lampposts and waste bins located on site can be attempted.

CONSTRAINTS The flower planters along Ring-Road are not all season, so they only provide benefits for a temporary time. The site also requires good lighting for safety and accessibility reasons, but this creates problems with light pollution. This constraint can be easily mitigated by proper lighting that limits the negative effects of light pollution. The memorial trees located on the site limit future design changes on the site, because they must remain in their current locations. Future design, functional or not, must work around these centrally located trees which will cause issues to arise. Most importantly, the site is a very critical space on campus that directs a large flow of people every day; therefore, the site furnishing must be able to accommodate for this frequent use.

4

S HAD OW ANALYSIS Shadow analysis of the Davis Centre Frontage show a range of shadow cover during high-use times for the site throughout the seasons. Shadow analysis was recorded for December 21st, March 21st, and June 21st at 9:00 am during morning class times, 12:00 pm during lunch, and 3:00 pm during afternoon class times. UTC of –5:00 was used for December, while -4:00 was used for March and June to account for daylight savings.

OPPORTUNITIES Shadow analysis in June shows very limited shadow cover during the three measured times of the day. This can allow the site to be converted into a summer destination for students in the summer. The abundance of daylight can be used to attract individuals to stay if appropriate activities and seating is provided.

MARCH 21, 3:00 PM

MARCH 21, 12:00 PM

MARCH 21, 9:00 AM

JUNE 21, 3:00 PM

JUNE 21, 12:00 PM

JUNE 21, 9:00 AM

DECEMBER 21, 3:00 PM

DECEMBER 21, 12:00 PM

DECEMBER 21, 9:00 AM

CONSTRAINTS In December, daylight is limited and shadows are extremely large on site; at 3pm, almost the entire site is shadow covered. In addition to the relatively cold temperatures, the shadow coverage will limit usage of the site. Although shadows are less prominent in March, 3pm shadow analysis shows a large shadow coverage.

5

U SES + AC T IVIT IE S The Davis Centre Frontage serves many purposes, and is used by many individuals throughout the day. Its main use is as a key entrance and exit to the eastern part of the university campus. The site consists of three different buildings: William G. Davis Centre (DC), General Services Complex (GSC), and Engineering 3 (E3), with each playing an integral part to sense of place on campus.

The Davis Centre portion includes a main eastern side of the library which includes a prominent study space, public computer access, book borrowing, and help desks such as the Information Services and Technology Center. The central area of the building comprises of mainly open space and hallways to other offices, laboratories, lounges and lecture halls that make up the building.

The General Services Complex portion of the Frontage area is not very large, but serves as the main entrance to the building. The main services provided is the home to the plant operations of the university. It provides important services such as the development and maintenance of facilities and infrastructure across the university campus.

Specific services include building, electrical, mechanical, custodial services, maintenance repairs, renovations, and design construction support.

The eastern entrance to the Engineering 3 building primarily leads to many labs such as the G2N and metrology lab seen upon entrance. There is also a pathway that leads to the CIM building, which is part of the Davis Centre Computer Research Centre that holds a number of research labs, as well as offices for staff.

OPPORTUNITIES The site’s buildings include an availability of diverse uses that contribute to the convenience of the place; it provides a range of services including public transportation, research, and education. This then attracts many people to the Frontage, which creates a lively atmosphere. The lounge area within DC offers space for events and activities, as well as it functions as a lecture hall. Furthermore, the indoor pathways and bridges from E3 to CIM, as well as DC to CIM, provide walkable shelter for students and staff, which is especially crucial during winter months and harsh conditions.

CONSTRAINTS There is a need for more effective signages to the main buildings, as well as within the buildings to provide direction and guidance throughout the space. This can be included on the pathways themselves to direct flow and movement of large populations on a daily basis. There are no benches or infrastructure that offers resting spaces around the exterior and interior of the building, which means individuals are less likely to stay. The many uses of the surrounding buildings create high volume for the site, which means walkways must be quite large to accommodate for this. This necessary component of the site will ultimately take up space, which is quite limited for the frontage already.

6

C IR CUL ATI ON ANALYSIS PEDESTRIANS & BIKES The highest volume of pedestrians is experienced at the nodes indicated in orange. This is where pedestrians, following the movement of the paths in yellow, converge to create a high volume space of interaction. The two largest nodes are at the Grand River Transit (GRT) stop and the main entrance of the Davis Centre. For pedestrians on bicycles, the main path of travel is the one that contests to the intersection on Ring Road; indicated in pink. The main nodal point of bicycles is around the bike stands near the entrance of the Davis Center. As the presence of people dominate the frontage site; the new design of the Davis Centre must focus on pedestrians, as they are the main consumer.

VEHICLES Most vehicle traffic is experienced on Ring Road. Vehicle movement is displayed in this diagram in blue.

There is also some interaction of vehicles on the North Side of the Davis Centre. William Tutte Way leads straight into the core of the north campus and is currently used for parking and by construction vehicles, due to the renovation of the Student Life Center and the Physical Activity Complex. On the south side of the Davis centre, there is an unnamed road. This road does not experience much traffic and often is only used by university owned vehicles. Since vehicle traffic is situated around the frontage, the new design needs to describe the motto of the University of Waterloo in a glimpse as vehicles move past. The frontage needs to be at the forefront, in order to create a welcoming environment for students and staff alike.

7

TRANSIT The Master Plan suggested that transit would move past the Davis Center at a transit corridor between the University Shops Plaza and Carl Pollock Hall. However, following the UW Campus Master Plan (2009), the Frontage of the Davis Centre has become a node for Transit. The transit node is represented here in purple, along with the movements of all the buses. Excluding the upcoming implementation of Light Rail Transit (LRT), the Frontage experiences a high volume of traffic as the 200, 7, and 9 GRT buses, as well as the 25 GO bus flood the scene of students and visitors traveling to and from the university. As a result, transit blooms around the Frontage, and the new design must be applicable to sustaining the volume of interaction created by the GRT, GO buses and the upcoming LRT. OPPORTUNITIES The use of bicycles by students and staff is prominent and represented by the great usage of bike racks located on the frontage site. Therefore, further developments and urban design elements should focus on encouraging and promoting pedestrians who use bicycles to ensure their safety and accessibility. This said, further emphasis should be placed on managing the space to withstand the variety of types of transportation along the road, and thus manage traffic efficiency.

CONSTRAINTS Although Ring Road is a key road for auto-centric traffic around campus, the two other roads that surround the Frontage site is quite hidden and not utilized as much; but rather it is used as parking for staff and student vehicles. This decreases the efficiency and movement of the area and can perhaps be extended or better connected to promote movement and flow within the area. Lastly, the spotting of the occasional skateboarder is seen on Ring Road and should be accounted for, as it can be a hazard to the busy car and bicycle traffic along the area, as well as the safety of the skateboarder themselves.

Therefore, although this type of transportation should be encouraged for its health benefits and sustainability towards the environment, future bike lanes and design features should incorporate protective space on the road for bikers and skaters.

8

V I EWS AN ALYSIS The Davis Centre Frontage is a relatively open site, with views rarely reduced or blocked. Entry from the top right and left corners provides views of the Davis Centre. The bottom left corner has views towards the planned transportation hub, and entry from the bottom right corner has views of the new Engineering 7 (E7) building. Views from exit of the GSC also look into the Davis Centre, but these views are mainly plain walls; exits from E3 also have this problem. The center of the site allows for a complete 360 views of the frontage, except for tree clusters near the western side and southern side, which block some view to E3 and DC. Exiting the site on the right corner has views of E7 and University Plaza. Exit from the top left has views of the new transportation hub, and the ICON apartment building in the distance. Exit from the bottom left have a complete view of William Tutte Way, and the BC Matthews Green field at the end. Exiting from the bottom right has a relatively sheltered view due to Earth Science Building.

OPPORTUNITIES The views looking towards the university campus will remain relatively the same, due to the already built-up form. This allows the design of permanent long-term features that block unflattering views, which will accentuate more important features. This can be done by placing large vegetation, such as trees, in front of unappealing walls or views. The Davis Centre also covers the entire bottom half of the site, which provides a sense of prestige for the site from views towards the campus because of its award-winning architecture.

CONSTRAINTS Views exiting the site from the top corners are more subject to change due to the new building of a transportation hub, and the increased number of apartment towers towards the Laurier campus.

This means that any means to block or expose certain views must be quite temporary, because these views might also be temporary. The development of the transportation hub will also create some form of an “eye sore�, which must be taken into consideration when developing on the top right corner of the site.

VIEWS FROM ADJOINING DOORS

1

9

2

PATHS THAT ENTER THE SITE AT THE BOUNDARY

3

4

5

6

3

4

5

6

N

E

S

W

PATHS THAT EXIT THE SITE AT THE BOUNDARY

CENTER OF THE SITE

10

B U I LT FO RM ANALYSIS The built form surrounding the Davis Centre Frontage creates a very weak sense of enclosure. There are two adjacent campus buildings, with the two-storey General Services Complex (ESC) on the west and the four-storey Engineering 3 (E3) on the east. The north face is relatively exposed and is only enclosed by Ring Road. The Davis Centre (DC) on the rear side is three-storeys tall, and composed mostly of glass windows. There are also two entrances to the Davis Centre from the Frontage, with a main entry point situated in the middle of the site and a side door on the west.

OPPORTUNITIES The semi-enclosure created by DC, E3, and GSC can be used for protected backs for seating, or canvases for public art. The size of the buildings do not block views of the sky, and the relatively open north face allows for the appearance of a grand entrance from the new transportation hub. The frequent use of glass creates a feel of multiple eyes on the Frontage which in turn creates a sense of security inside the site. The flat tiered roof on DC also allows the site area to be extended by the incorporation of community spaces such as rooftop gardens. To add, this site also serves as a major transit node for students as it features local GRT and longer-distance GO bus stops, in addition to the future LRT line.

CONSTRAINTS While there are opportunities in the northern face of the site, the lack of a building on this side creates a weak sense of enclosure. Some enclosure is needed to create a strong sense of place, so this could be corrected by adding vegetation or half walls that somewhat divide the site from Ring Road.

11

DC EAST LIBRARY CONT.

DC EAST LIBRARY

LEGEND

LEGEND

ENGINEERING 3

Transparent Window Mirrored Window Entry & Exit Door

Transparent Window Mirrored Window Exit Door

GENERAL SERVICES COMPLEX

LEGEND

Transparent Window Mirrored Window Entry & Exit Door Loading Door

LEGEND

Transparent Window

12

S EN S O RY ANALYSIS In order to gain an understanding of the sensory atmosphere around the Davis Center Frontage, sounds and scents were detected at the site. Observations were noted on two different occasions; one during the afternoon of Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 1:00 PM, and the other during the night of Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 9 PM. The following diagrams note the location and extent of the noises and smells observed.

OPPORTUNITIES The smells from the University Plaza create a unique sense of place for the site, combining cuisine from many different cultures. The present vegetation on the site also creates a natural aroma, which can be very calming for site users.

The bustling sound of students walking and chatting, also create a lively atmosphere.

CONSTRAINTS In order for the site to remain sanitary, garbage cans must remain present on the site. This will create a constant smell of garbage, so appropriate sealing of the cans must be incorporated into the design. The site is also relatively well used, which means there will be the smell of cigarettes on site. This could be mitigated by strategically placing cigarette disposal units away from high usage areas. The noise from Ring Road could also create a problem, but this could be solved by placing vegetation along northern sections of the site to act as a sound barrier.

1. Near the side of the building is two large dumpsters which leave a strong odor of garbage lingering in the air 2. Beside the bus stop on ring road, there is a strong aroma of pizza and food, coming from the people gathered at the stop 3. Outside the front entrance, there is a subtle smell of Tim Horton’s coming from the store inside of the lobby of the Davis Centre 4. Near the pathway adjacent to the Engineering 3 building, there is a slight smell of cigarettes coming from the pedestrians walking towards campus

13

1. There is an underlying scent of gasoline coming from the cars on the road at the corner of Ring Road and William Tutte Way 2. A number of trash cans next to the bus stop on Ring Road create a foul stench which surrounds the bus shelter 3. The open green space in the frontage is surrounded by trees, dirt, and grass, leaving a faint earthy essence 4. At the east side of the frontage there is a musty smell lingering between the buildings most likely due to the lack of greenery and vacant paths

1. People gather and chat inside the entrance and in front of the building, and voices can be heard in the surrounding area 2. Busses and cars frequently pass along Ring Road creating a prominent sound of traffic, especially near the bus stops 3. Between the trees in the center of the frontage, birds are chirping loudly in on the grass and in the air above the site 4. At the northeast corner of the site where the paths and the road meet, there are audible footsteps from the mass of pedestrians bustling through the corridor

1. There is howling coming from the Northwest near Laurel Trail 2. During the evening there is a soft sound of wind rustling through the leaves of the trees 3. Near the street corner police sirens are observed in the distance, most likely coming from University Avenue 4. At the east side of the frontage there are noisy mechanical sounds, probably furnaces, coming from the sides of the buildings

14

WIN D AN ALYSIS PREVAILING WINDS + WINTER WINDS The DC Frontage is relatively exposed to wind compared to other sections on campus. In this region, winter winds are generally coming from the north which affects the entire site. This creates the possibility of a high exposure area along the north face, and two wind tunnels along the east and west. Prevailing winds are mostly from the west, with some south-west and south-east exceptions.

OPPORTUNITIES While there are some exceptions, common western winds allow for stronger barriers such as walls and vegetation along the western side. With few exceptions, there is limited wind from the east, which allows the eastern face of the site to remain relatively exposed. This could mean an open seating space with more expansive views on the east side. The design of the Davis Centre building also creates a small sheltered area near the west side of the building, which could be converted into a small sheltered seating area. The site’s abundance of wind also creates the opportunity for the incorporation of kinetic sculptures and public art that utilize wind.

CONSTRAINTS The site is exposed and has wind tunnels on both eastern and western sides. These high wind areas mean that any attempt to attract the public for longer periods of time must include appropriate wind protection. The relatively flat terrain provides no natural wind barriers that could be exploited for design. The current buildings surrounding the site also have flat faces, which creates accelerated wind speeds.

15

16

17

COMPLETED BY TEAM 7 K E L L Y C H E U N G , M E A G H A N G O N S A LV E S , J O E L I , S A W R O O P S A N D H U , + W I L L I A M V O L P E