First, I would like to introduce you to this village in a general sense. The Village of Grand Beach, Michigan might be most characterized by its neighborly camaraderie, long-established family connections, and summer activity.
Started around the year 1900 as a “summer resort” of single-room cottages ordered out of a Sears catalog, many of the village’s current qualities—such as the natural features and cottage-style homes you see here—allude back to what attracted people to the area in the first place.
You can find Grand Beach at the very southwestern tip of Michigan, as part of the New Buffalo Township . . .
. . . putting it right along Lake Michigan.
lack of a third placelack of public lakefront views
underutilized site
current site use
First is the issue of the lack of a third place in Grand Beach.
“The Third Place,” is a relatively intuitive concept, defined by a term that many people haven’t heard. The term was coined in the 1990’s by Ray Oldenburg, an urban sociologist, in his book The Great Good Place. Basically, there is the first place (home), the second place (work), and the third place (something that is not home or work). But it gets more specific than that.
The characteristics that really identify the third place are listed here. The main idea is that this third place is . . .
First, something that you have no commitment to in the sense that it is visited and departed from at will, and accommodates people only when they are released from their responsibilities elsewhere. There is no need to plan ahead or dress up.
Second, the third place is somewhere at which you can count on not being alone. You can go by yourself and expect to see people you know there or interact with people you don’t. The third place has regulars, but is also inclusive to its diverse, lessfrequented visitors.
Third, this place must be accessible in the sense that it is easy to get to and almost always open.
Fourth, the third place relies only on simple entertainment. Meaning mainly, the art of conversation taking place in a modest environment, with little to no alternative entertainment or themes.
1. no commitment
2. not alone
3. accessible
4. simple entertainment
THE CONCEPT OF A THIRD PLACE
Oldenburg creates a compelling argument for the need for a third place. Following are a few of my favorite quotes from his book. And these just scratch the surface of its content.
“The
for a
of experience— for human association that is both pleasurable and gratifying because of the presence of others. That people are the source of most of life’s joys and pleasures as well as its frustrations and anxieties
THE NEED FOR A THIRD PLACE
irritations of modern life call
counterbalancing kind
[condition] the need for a third place
“Americans have substituted the vision of the ideal home for that of the ideal city . . .
They proceed as though a house can substitute for a community if only it is spacious enough, entertaining enough, comfortable enough, splendid enough . . .
THE NEED FOR A THIRD PLACE
THE NEED FOR A THIRD PLACE
“In the absence of an informal public life, expectations toward work and family life have escalated beyond the capacity of those institutions to meet them . . . the resulting strain on work and family institutions is glaringly evident.”
Getting into Grand Beach and the Third Place, I’ll walk you through the past, present, and future to describe the relationship between the two.
The notion of a third place is not completely foreign to Grand Beach. The history books describe some locations that quite possibly acted as the third place, with varying degrees of supporting details to determine such. These range from various clubhouses, pavilions, and lodges to the primitive pump house and even the dune itself.
highest dune ● open area ● “the young people had beach parties near the water in front of Skihi” ● “children took picnic lunches and spent the afternoon rolling down the dune” ● “there was very little vegetation and in the winter people were known to ski and toboggan down the slope”
Post Office ● large area with windows on three sides ● beautiful view of the creek and lake ● greeting area for new guests
● nightclub ●congregating by the young people around the soda fountain + juke box ● social center of the Village ● almost constantly in use ● opened in winter to serve the skiers and visitors
connection to the water
water source ● all the women from the little cottages congregated to draw water and gossip
connection to the water ● everyone came down in the evenings, sauntered out on the pier and later dripped into the Pavilion ● it was an unwritten rule that when on the pier introductions were not necessary
21-room inn
175-room resort hotel ● horseback riding ● tennis ● rental boats ● ski jump ● hotel lounge ● hotel terrace ● always open to the cottage owners and their friends to enjoy the full facilities for dancing, dining, bridge, horseback riding, or the golf courses ● activities scheduled for Dining Pavilion
showers ● lockers ● overnight accommodations for visiting golfers ● bowling alley ● lower level and a main floor divided,one side for the men and the other for women ● in the men's locker room on the lower floor were provisions for social gatherings ● lounge ● the women who did not wish to play golf could play bridge or they could spend their time on the big porch
dance floor ● gallery with tables and chairs ● ice cream and soft drinks ● centered all the social activities of the Beach for many years ● devoted altogether to recreation ● tables and chairs for those who came to look on and to visit with their friends ● everyone came down in the evenings, sauntered out on the pier and later dripped into the Pavilion
pro shop ● village hall ● event space ● social center ● post office
Most of these were out of existence by the 1960’s at the very latest, however, which you can see on this timeline.
THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD PLACE IN GRAND BEACH
Here they are mapped out. Notice that many of them, especially those that are most closely assumed to have been actual third places, were located very close to the water. The two that are still standing are removed from the water, though.
THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD PLACE IN GRAND BEACH
Today, Grand Beach has certain locations that have some characteristics of a third place, but ultimately fail in the role. These include the beach, the park, and the combination pro shop / village hall / event hall (which maybe once was a third place, but is no longer by definition).
one can count on their neighbors to be there without making plans ● proximity to the home
one can often count on seeing their neighbors there ● proximity to the home ●
one can sometimes count on seeing their neighbors there ● proximity to the home
relatively low density of people, circulation paths, and habit of set-up combine to mean that people do not have to talk with the people they didn’t come with (see diagram) ● no host/ hostess to connect people ● no refreshments available (bring your own)
● no lighting after dark and permit (pre-planning) required for bonfire, so effectively limited hours
● no shelter, so limited by weather
usually requires making plans to join people for a round ● the necessary magnitude of people does not exist in a foursome ● one often plays with the same people ● no refreshments available (bring your own)
● costs money to play ● no lighting after dark and related pro shop has limited hours, so effectively limited hours
● nature of a golf course means that people in other foursomes are too removed to socialize with
● no host/ hostess to connect people ● no shelter, so limited by weather
revolves around child activity ● often low amount of people ● no refreshments available (bring your own) ● no host/ hostess to connect people ● no shelter, so limited by weather
one can sometimes count on seeing their neighbors there ● proximity to the home limited open hours ● no adult beverages available ● host/ hostess does not act to connect people
proximity to the home used as place to conduct business and office functions ● one cannot count on seeing their neighbors there ● no host/ hostess to connect people
proximity to the home
limited open hours requiring prior permission for use and key access ● one can only count on seeing their neighbors there for pre-planned events ● no refreshments available (unless part of a pre-planned event) ● no host/ hostess to connect people
one can count on seeing people who they do not normally see at the primary home here ● proximity to home ● host/hostess to connect people the same as “home” and by definition not a third place ● still acts as a home and must retain a degree of privacy, so can’t invite others over and experience third place effect ● does not offer variety of people required (just extended family and some guests)
As means of comparison, they are mapped out here.
The beach maybe comes closest to being the current third place of Grand Beach, but still fails, partially because of the way people occupy the beach and the resulting rare opportunities for interactions with others outside of the group, and . . .
PATHS (momentary occupation)
“going to the beach”
“ nding a spot”
“walking the beach”
AREAS (lasting occupation)
“heading for a swim” set-up of belongings swim area
rare opportunities for interaction with others outside of group
. . . partially because of other reasons, that are supported in the public survey comments of the village’s master plan.
speaking to beach as not third place (18 comments)
THE CURRENT MISTAKEN THIRD PLACES IN GRAND BEACH
Just because Grand Beach does not currently have a third place does not mean there is not a need for one in the village. In fact, many public survey comments taken for the Master Plan of 2008 unknowingly allude to the need for a third place. There are survey comments in favor of a sense of community, in favor of an older time, in favor of a different security condition, in favor of a relaxing environment, against vehicular traffic, both in favor of and against large homes (identifying both an existing problem and hope for a solution), and in favor of a certain type of place.
in favor of a sense of community (22 comments) in favor of an older time (7 comments) in favor of a different security condition (17 comments) in favor of a relaxing environment (3 comments) against vehicular traffic (13 comments) both in favor of and against large homes (11 comments) in favor a certain type of place (9 comments)
THE NEED FOR A THIRD PLACE IN GRAND BEACH
With regards to the future, the role of the third place in Grand Beach has the potential to be a very unique one since the village is not the typical residential area of which Oldenburg speaks. If Grand Beach visitors already perceive beneficial effects from spending time in the village—much of it attributed to the overvalued qualities of retreat and isolation–then one can only imagine what real beneficial effects are to be had on the mental health of visitors if those aforementioned qualities are reassessed and replaced with the actual antidote to the human condition that often cannot be found at the first “home”, let alone the “second.” Essentially, the goal of refreshment by visiting the village stays the same but the means of achieving it, and consequently the extent to which it can be achieved, change for the better.
This concludes the description of the first issue, the lack of a third place in Grand Beach.
retreat + isolation = relief
informal public gathering Goal stays the same. Means of achieving it changes. Results are enhanced.
THE THIRD PLACE AS UNIQUELY APPLIED TO GRAND BEACH
Next to describe is the second issue, the lack of public lakefront views in Grand Beach.
The people of Grand Beach obviously have an appreciation of and need for better lakefront views, as demonstrated in their survey comments.
in favor of lakefront views (11 comments)
APPRECIATION OF / NEED FOR BETTER LAKEFRONT VIEWS
Additionally, I have identified six prominent qualities that make lakefront presence so desirable, in case anybody needed any convincing. I think it really comes down to . . .
. . . perception of the infinite, . . .
HORIZON
desirability of lakefront: variety in color
DESIRABILITY OF LAKEFRONT: PERCEPTION OF THE INFINITE
desirability of lakefront: expanse of the unbuilt environment
DESIRABILITY OF LAKEFRONT: VARIETY IN COLOR
. . . expanse of the unbuilt environment, . . .
MOSTLY BUILT
desirability of lakefront: scale
DESIRABILITY OF LAKEFRONT: EXPANSE OF THE UNBUILT ENVIRONMENT
74,000,000,000,000
DESIRABILITY OF LAKEFRONT: SCALE
desirability of lakefront: rarity
THE AVERAGE HUMAN
counties with centers within 80km of coast* 13%
much less than 13% land benefitting from view of coast*
desirability of lakefront: breezes
*indicates coast of ocean and Great Lakes only
** percentage refers to that of continental US land
The majority of lakefront property in Grand Beach is private— which you can see shaded in gray on this map—except for the easements that give residents access to the beach, which are indicated with the arrows.
These easements are narrow, present restricted access, often offer no seating, are blocked by vegetation, and feature no lighting. There is then not really a place where the public can sit and enjoy lakefront views sheltered from the elements and out of the sand.
So in Grand Beach lies a desire for publicly accessible lakefront with a lack there of.
BLOCKED BY VEGETATION
NARROW EASEMENT
OFTEN NO SEATING
RESTRICTED ACCESS
ALSO: NO LIGHTING
Moving onto issue #3, which is the underutilized site, I will introduce you to a more specific portion of Grand Beach.
Here we have on this map, the highest point of the village denoted, at about 120’ higher than the lake’s surface. It provides a unique environment from the rest of the village.
HIGHEST POINT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Its height is explained by the dune that forms it. While the site falls under two environmental regulation statuses, shown here, its “Critical Dune” status is arguably the most important. With dune protection comes inherent contradiction in two directions: (1) by loving the dunes and wanting to be amongst them, people destroy them, yet (2) by protecting the dunes for the sake of extending the lives of the benefits they provide, the state lowers the current level of benefits they can provide. Regardless, the dune status actually indicates the site’s desirability.
“CRITICAL DUNE” STATUS INDICATES DESIRABILITY
A little glimpse into the history of Grand Beach indicates that the dune was once a gathering area that brought much joy and entertainment, but that by 1969, it was no longer available as such.
“ The highest dune was called Ski-Hi . . . The young people had beach parties near the water in front of Ski-Hi, children took picnic lunches and spent the afternoon rolling down the dune. . .
It is unfortunate that the children of today haven't such a play area available to them. ”
Here you can see that this highest point is actually civic property, in contrast to the majority of the property around it that is private, meaning that the village has control over what to do with it.
Currently, the civic property is used for water storage in the form of a ground water tank and water tower.
The only current plans for this special site consist of the addition of a cell phone tower and equipment shelter by Verizon Wireless.
currently unwelcome / forbidden entry to site
And, currently, the highest, most unique point in the village is characterized by unwelcoming (well, actually, forbidden) site entry.
The public survey comments speak to an appreciation of and protection of nature, which is not what is gained by this current underutilized site.
in favor of appreciation of + protection of nature (11 comments)
Next is issue #4, the micro condition, which is the current site use and its corresponding elements.
As previously mentioned, the site is currently used for water storage in the form of a water tank and a water tower. Three existing issues were identified.
First, the issue of security. The restricted site access, as communicated by the “no trespassing” sign, in combination with the chain link fence around the water tower, implies an inadequacy of the fence in keeping the public out of trouble with regards to the equipment.
restricted site access
chain link fence around water tower
implied
of fence in keeping the public out of trouble
sub-issue #2: aesthetics
inadequacy
Second, the issue of aesthetics. The water tower and associated industrial equipment, in combination with the chain link fence around the water tower is simply an eyesore.
water tower and associated industrial equipment
chain link fence around water tower
sub-issue #3: accessibility
Third, the issue of accessibility. In order to take advantage of the highest point of the site and village, accessibility in traversing the 15’ elevation change from site entry to water tank level becomes a challenge.
As you can see here, these four issues translate into the programmatic, site, and architectural goals of the project, to (1) give the people of Grand Beach a true third place . . . (2) in the form of a structure from which the public can enjoy prolonged lakefront views together, out of the sand and the elements, (3) in order to make use of an underutilized site by allowing the public to experientially benefit from the natural features of the dune, while (4) relating to and enhancing the current water storage use of the site.
Out of the six categories of sites that were considered for the location of a third place in Grand Beach, the dune-top water tower site was deemed ideal because it went beyond providing a third place and presented the opportunity to address these four issues in synergy.
lack of a third placelack of public lakefront views underutilized site current site use
Give the people of Grand Beach a true third place . . .
. . . in the form of a structure from which the public can enjoy prolonged lakefront views together, out of the sand and the elements, . . .
. . . in order to make use of an underutilized site by allowing the public to experientially benefit from the natural features of the dune . . .
. . . while relating to and enhancing the current water storage use of the site.
AS TRANSLATED FROM THREE CONDITIONS OF SITE ANALYSIS
Not only is the aforementioned site appropriate for the location of a third place for the reasons of its dune and lakefront qualities, but it is appropriate for other reasons, starting with convenient access:
This is a map of the roads of the village as they relate to village entry points.
You can see here that the site is located centrally along the only major, continuous path through the neighborhood.
It is also located centrally to the neighborhood, along the line that divides the neighborhood into two equal parts by area, maximizing its accessibility.
The third place needs such ease of access, and this location is within a 15-minute walk of about 50% of village residents.
Grand Beach is extra fun in the sense that it is a golf cart community, so what is a 15-minute walk translates to less than a 4-minute golf cart ride, which is important to note in this case! While having to drive to a third place is not seen as ideal, a golf cart provides a completely different green, open-air experience; and a quick ride at that.
Another reason why the site is so appropriate for the third place is anti-commercialism. The people of Grand Beach, in an effort to pinpoint and maintain what is special about the village, voice strongly against commercial development.
This site is the only civic property that benefits from a connection to the lakefront. The third place is proposed as an extension of civic services, rather than a commercial-driven venture by an unfamiliar entity.
Yet another reason why the site is so appropriate gets into respect for the home. Considering the zoning of the neighborhood, properties near the lakefront do not currently allow for any non-residential development.
RESPECTING THE HOME: CURRENT ZONING
You can see that the site here is surrounded by an actual land use of private residential.
RESPECTING THE HOME: CURRENT LAND USE
But, what we have with this site that we don’t have with any other potentially village-acquired lakefront property, is a vertical separation between third place and residence, if not a horizontal separation.
It is important to respect the home, because having the first place in its true form is essential to the existence of a third place.
Now, after that thorough description of existing issues as I’ve analyzed them, I’ll get into how the architecture forms a response to them. It actually makes sense to explain the issue of the current site use first.
An overwhelming 200’ in length would be needed to create a complying ramp that travels a 15’ elevation change between the entry onto the site and the third place destination.
This length would be intrusive, out of proportion with the program, and intimidating if laid out in a straight line, but by curling that length around the tower, the ramp is no longer any of these.
Additionally, the ramp can play the role of hiding the water tower and equipment from view while also providing greater protection than the chain link fence that was here before it.
ramp around tower to get length required for accessible elevation change
design ramp to hide water tower from view while also providing greater protection than chain link fence
ENTRY ONTO SITE
GROUND WATER TANK
WATER TOWER
VIEWS REFOCUSED
THIRD PLACE DESTINATION / HIGHEST POINT IN VILLAGE (±15’)
VIEWS BLOCKED
ACCESS BLOCKED
This strategy then provides solutions to the three defined issues in the ways listed here.
Regarding security, not only is the ramp designed as a better physical protective element than the chain link fence, but by locating the third place on this site, it also means that the elements requiring protection are put in the public eye, as opposed to on a vacant site, which may seem negative first but is actually very positive in terms of keeping the public out of trouble. Passive supervision is the concept.
Regarding aesthetics, not only is the ramp designed to disguise equipment and focus attention elsewhere, but the eyesore of the chain link fence is also no longer needed.
Regarding accessibility, not only is the length that is needed to traverse the fifteen foot elevation change found around the water tower, the ramp offers a panoramic experience, so is in no way inferior to the more direct stairs.
#1 SECURITY
RAMP DESIGNED AS BETTER PHYSICAL PROTECTIVE ELEMENT THAN CHAIN LINK FENCE
ELEMENTS REQUIRING PROTECTION ARE PUT IN THE PUBLIC EYE INSTEAD OF ON VACANT SITE
#2 AESTHETICS
RAMP DESIGNED TO DISGUISE EQUIPMENT & FOCUS ATTENTION ELSEWHERE
#3 ACCESSIBILITY
UGLY CHAIN LINK FENCE NO LONGER NEEDED
LENGTH THAT IS NEEDED TO TRAVERSE ±15’ ELEVATION CHANGE IS FOUND AROUND WATER TOWER
RAMP OFFERS PANORAMIC EXPERIENCE, SO IS IN NO WAY INFERIOR TO MORE DIRECT STAIRS
As for the implementation of this strategy . . .
Finally, a glimpse of the resulting architecture!
You can see how the ramp coils itself elegantly around the water tower, before reaching out to the gathering space program, which I will introduce you to in more depth with our next issue.
Oldenburg, speaking to the lack of the third place in modern day America challenges the reader of his book by saying, “It doesn’t have to be like this!”He argues that action can and should be taken to re-implement these informal public gathering places into our community fabric. On the other hand, he mentions that a third place cannot be designed as such. Here lies the contradiction, or maybe just lack of solution. Here also lies the opportunity for architecture to insert itself in the discussion of the third place.
The third place is all about people enjoying one another’s company. The specific nature of interactions needed for a third place must be acknowledged. First, the patron-to-patron relationship is identified. Two types of interaction are required between patrons in a third place: (1) intentional interaction (which requires deliberate proximity), and (2) incidental interaction (which first requires visual connection, then proximity).
REQUIRES DELIBERATE PROXIMITY
FIRST REQUIRES VISUAL CONNECTION, THEN PROXIMITY
PATRON-TO-PATRON INTERACTION (TWO TYPES REQUIRED)
Second, the host-to-patron relationship is identified. In the third place, a closer-than-average relationship is required. In response to the patron-to-patron relationship required, the three following architectural strategies were implemented . . .
HIGHER-THAN-AVERAGE LEVEL OF INTERACTION REQUIRED
(1) visually connecting all gathering space, . . .
= VISUAL CONNECTIONS
(2) incorporating circulation space within gathering space so the two are merged and patrons are encouraged to move across the body of people to approach the bar or visit the restroom, etc., . . .
= GATHERING SPACE
= CIRCULATION
= DISTRIBUTED PLACES TO WHICH EVERYONE MUST CIRCULATE
GATHERING
BEVERAGE SERVICE
VESTIBULE
FOOD SERVICE
RESTROOMS
. . . and (3) treating the interior elevation as a homogeneous, corner-less, uninterrupted surface so as to encourage fluid movement along it and discourage the facing of any specific direction.
[PLAN]
In response to the host-to-patron relationship required, the strategy of placing the host central to all activity was implemented.
In this plan you can see those strategies relating to interaction as they are implemented.
And here is the celebrated view of this interior gathering space that provides a circular energy, revolving about the host, generating interactions amongst all.
As a response to the second issue—the lack of public lakefront views— considering the six previously identified desirable features of the lakefront, three of them were translatable into an architecture in some way:
. . to take advantage of the lake breezes, the design’s circular arrangement, with pivoted openings in all directions, provides for optimal cross ventilation despite varying wind directions, . . .
INTERIOR GATHERING SPACE
. . . to take advantage of the perception of the infinite (in the horizontal direction) the gathering space offers a 180-degree transparent view aligned parallel to the shore, . . .
. . . to take advantage of the dynamic color arrangements the lake has to offer: (1) the exterior gathering space steps down and expands in the western direction to provide an optimal viewing platform for the sunset, and (2) . . . the material pallet consists of whites and bleached woods to contrast the colors of nature, . . .
TRANSPARENT GLAZING
OPAQUE GLAZING
BLEACHED WOOD
TRANSLUCENT GLAZING
WHITE PAINTED ALUMINUM
WHITE PAINTED WOOD
and to take advantage of the perception of the infinite (in the vertical direction), the height of the gathering space grows in the direction of the lake.
ENHANCEMENT OF THE VERTICAL PERCEPTION OF THE INFINITE
SUNSET VIEWING PLATFORM
You can see these strategies implemented . . .
. . . in this section of the building that is cut perpendicular to the shore.
And if we zoom out, this is how the site and structure relates to the water.
And of course, this image describes the Grand Beach residents habitual activity of watching the sunset as it is amazingly enhanced by this new viewing platform that is created by the site and the architecture.
As a response to the third condition, the underutilized dune site, four main strategies were utilized to derive maximum benefit out of minimum disruption to the dune. The disrupted surface area of the site was minimized in three ways:
(1) by building on top of the existing water storage tank, and using the existing leveled service road as approach, the difference in footprint of previously disrupted and newly disrupted land is minimal. Additionally, the newly disrupted land is mostly treated with permeable paving, which has minimal effect, . . .
MINIMIZED DISRUPTION: EXISTING FOOTPRINT V.
(2) by retaining the existing approach to the site via Skihi Drive, no additional surface area was disrupted, and the sensitive slopes of greater than 33% were left untouched in this respect, . . .
. . . (Plus, according to public survey, the existing dune climbs are difficult and inaccessible as it is) . . .
in favor of keeping existing site access (5 comments)
MINIMIZED DISRUPTION: RETAINING EXISTING APPROACH
. . . compared to the typical climb from the beach to the street, a climb up to our site from any direction would be at least double, and as much as 6 times in heights) . . .
RETAINING EXISTING APPROACH
and (3) by identifying a very plausible location for off-site parking and storage that was close to the site, on civic property, not environmentally regulated, and currently un-programmed, no dune land was disrupted for this purpose.
The recreational aspects of the dune can be re-initiated by encouraging people who are up for a challenge to create their own site access by hiking up the dune. You can see the general paths these hikes would form if they start at public roadways that surround the site but that don’t quite reach it as is.
RECREATION: DUNE HIKE AS ALTERNATIVE SITE APPROACH
We could even go back to the old technique of stringing ropes through the trees to mark a trail through the densely wooded dune.
“Early visitors to Grand Beach often got lost as they wandered through the dunes, then largely wooded and undeveloped. To help hikers find their way, in the early 1900s the Grand Beach Company strung ropes through the trees and brush to mark a trail. ”
- Robert and RoseAnna Mueller
RECREATION: DUNE HIKE AS ALTERNATIVE SITE APPROACH
The peak nature of the dune was utilized,first, in the panoramic experience created by the entry sequence across the site and the journey up the ramp, and second, in the construction of the gathering place on the very highest point of the site and village, on top of the ground water tank.
BUILDING APPROACH SEQUENCE
BUILDING ENTRY + OCCUPATION SEQUENCE RAMP ENTRY
HIGHEST POINT HIGHEST POINT
DESTINATION
VALLEY OF DUNE
STAIR ENTRY
OLD VILLAGE GOLF COURSE
CONSERVATION AREA
UTILIZATION OF PEAK: PANORAMIC EXPERIENCE + HIGHEST POINT
As for the implementation of these strategies . . .
In this elevation, you can see the ramp winding around the water tower, ultimately landing at the top of the water tank . . .
And this is a view of the panoramic ramp experience that features landings that allow people to stop and appreciate the unique aerial views in various directions.
Revisiting the fourth issue—the current site use—the architecture embraces, relates to, and enhances the existing site elements in several other ways, and lets the site elements inform the overall formal language of the structure.
The circular geometry of the water tank and tower actually proved to be very functional for the goals of the third place and lakefront effect, so it was embraced and used to inform the geometry of the entire building in this systematic way, which I will walk you through.
CENTER = WATER TANK
11.25° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
CENTER = WATER TOWER + EQUIPMENT
5.80° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
GEOMETRIC RELATION TO WATER STORAGE
Here are the water tank and water tower as they relate in plan.
GEOMETRIC RELATION TO WATER STORAGE
The central node of the building geometry was placed at the center of the water tank, and a circle equal in size to the water tank drawn with this center.
The central node of the ramp geometry was placed where a circle of a circumference equal to that of the required ramp length could wrap around all of the water tower equipment with some space.
CENTER = WATER TANK
CENTER = WATER TOWER + EQUIPMENT
GEOMETRIC RELATION TO WATER STORAGE
A line was drawn connecting the two nodes . . .
CENTER = WATER TANK
CENTER = WATER TOWER + EQUIPMENT
. . and then that line was polar arrayed around each node at an angle that allowed for a specific segment length distance of each inner ring.
CENTER = WATER TANK
11.25° POLAR ARRAY
CENTER = WATER TOWER + EQUIPMENT
5.80° POLAR ARRAY
Both inner rings were then offset in increments of 1 foot. The radial lines and offset rings were used in combination to convert the circular geometry to a segmented, and thus more build-able, system.
CENTER = WATER TANK
11.25° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
CENTER = WATER TOWER + EQUIPMENT
5.80° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
Lines were drawn from one intersection of radial line and offset ring to another to define a surface edge in plan.
CENTER = WATER TANK
11.25° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
CENTER = WATER TOWER + EQUIPMENT
5.80° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
Edges were allowed to step out or in from one another to adapt to the different conditions necessary.
CENTER = WATER TANK
11.25° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
CENTER = WATER TOWER + EQUIPMENT
5.80° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
This brings us back to the building footprint superimposed over the radial grid.
CENTER = WATER TANK
11.25° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
CENTER = WATER TOWER + EQUIPMENT
5.80° POLAR ARRAY
1’ OFFSET
Additionally, of course, the decision was made to build directly on top of the water storage tank, in a way that still allowed it to be accessed for maintenance and repairs. This drawing demonstrates that physical relationship to the site elements The building uses the water tank as a central concrete foundation, and cantilevers off in all directions from there.
INSULATION + AIR/WATER/VAPOR BARRIER + CLADDING
BEAM
FURRING AS SUBFLOOR
PANELIZED REMOVABLE FINISHED FLOOR
RADIANT HEATING INSULATION
GROUND WATER TANK
BUIDILNG STRUCTURE TO TANK CONNECTION
Out of the circular geometry, a stepping language was derived that was ultimately embraced in plan and section, across four surfaces, to create a continuation of space, surface, and form. These four surfaces and the basic notion of the stepping in section is described with this diagram. The stepping is used in section as a strategy for graceful elevation changes and graceful floor-to-ceiling height changes. The actual application of the stepping in the plan is described in these diagrams.
DIMENSION VARIES
DIRECTION VARIES
DIMENSION VARIES
surfaces A, B, C, & D
[FLATTENED SECTION OR PLAN]
DIMENSION VARIES
The stepping is used in plan as a strategy for (1) the placement of varying service program sizes and proportions, (2) the massing of ramp lookouts, (3) creation of an elegant ramp to building transition, and (4) relating interior gathering space panels to vertical surfaces of ramp. Overall, stepping up, down, in and out is used to create a unified, continuous, and coherent design.
surface A
surface B
surface C
surface D
As for the implementation of these strategies . . .
You can see the physical and geometric relationship to the water storage elements and the stepping formal vocabulary as they occur in elevation here.
At this moment, the circular geometry of the water tower transitions gracefully into that of the water tank, forming a swooping canopy overhead as one chooses to journey up the ramp or the stairs.
Within this systematic geometry of the design, there was still room to embed some further meaning in the architecture, by letting it relate the to the culture and built environment of the village.
For example, the bridge that is created when the coiled form makes the transition from ramp to building provides an allusion to the architecture of a major past third place, the Golfmore Hotel.
The detailing of both the ramp entrance (that doubles as the bridge support) and the overhead condition of the sunset viewing platform are able to allude to the iconic village entry arch that has been there since the beginning.
With all that said, welcome to the Third Place of Grand Beach! This has been a description of how the lack of a third place, lack of public lakefront views, and an underutilized site on top of a dune can come together to create an amazing sociological and architectural experience that enhances the Village of Grand Beach in many ways.
WELCOME TO THE THIRD PLACE OF GRAND BEACH
