STITCH

ARCH 208 | Fall 2019 | Gregory Crichlow

The theme of the STITCH was to introduce a new intermediate point for biking commuters who not only need a safe place to park their vehicles, but also a lavatory to freshen up after a hard trip, to properly prepare yourself for the day ahead.

To represent the unique function of this little project as well as celebrate the relationship this building has with its guests, I took inspiration from biking movements and themes to give the STITCH its unique form.

The existing contents of the site included a mural at the end of a series of concrete planters with various trees and fauna.

I didn't want to disrupt this little green oasis, so I chose to bring the project to the front toward Mass St.

When anaylzing the movement of bikers to obtain a source of inspiration, I became interested in how the components of the human body interact relative to one another while peddling.

The core and hips remained mostly stable as that's the center of gravity, but the legs and feet of course were much more dynamic during the process to stimulate movement.

The planes of the project represent the stability of the core (orange), while the undulation represent the dynamic movement of the legs (blue and purple).

The distinct shifting path carved in the planes represent the flow of movement through the structure represents a biker’s center of mass shifting as they shift their weight from one side to another while turning.

This path allows foot traffic to flow with minimal disturbance, and even provides a beautiful cavernous effect that completely engulfs those who pass through.

Concealed within the wooden planes are hook-rail systems to hang bikes with ease. The extending volutes can be used as seating for friendly bikers to sit and marvel all they want.