Architecture Thesis - Bachelor of Architecture - Trenten Kelley

musica universalis Trenten Kelley Boston Architectural College Bachelor of Architecture December 21, 2018 Guest Critics: Ian Taberner Ralph Jackson Hyacinth John William Boxx Shichong Xie Mark Rukamathu John Christiansen Thomas Merchel Erion Nikolla Dave Kurachi Jamie Li Consultants: Amir Mesgar / Structural Monty Forman / Building Envelope Bruce MacRitchie / Mechanical Stephen Spear / Material Assemblies

Trenten Kelley

Peter Martin / instructor

Karen Nelson / dean

contents

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004 story 008 program 010 site 014 zoning 016 precedents 020 evolution 028 musica universalis

030 exterior renders

032 plans / interior renders

060 sections

066 egress / fire safety / accessibility

068 mechanical systems

070 structure

074 details

076 misc. renders

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Musica Universalis or “music of the spheres” emerged in the Middle Ages as the philosophical idea that the proportions in the movements of the celestial bodies -- the sun, moon and planets -- could be viewed as a form of music, inaudible but perfectly harmonious; and vice versa. The “vice versa” is an method called “geometrical music theory,” the idea that music has a geometry associated to itself.

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Boston is blessed to have a diverse cultural backdrop, yet, cultural unfamiliarity is often unintentional, restrictive, and limited. This is because there is not a set program, space, or design that addresses the idea of cultural boundaries.

Cultural boundaries are created from preconceptions, stereotypes, issues of safety, and ideologies that differ between cultures.

This is the challenge that I am attempting to solve.

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program

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The goal of this thesis is to create a music library. What is a music library? A music library is typically associated with colleges and universities that have a heavy focus on the education of music. There are two libraries in the Boston area that fit the description, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology music library and the library at Berklee College of Music. These examples are very similar to that of a typical school library with a larger focus in music. I have attempted to challenge the idea of the typical music library with my own interpretation. My goal is to create a central node for the city of Boston that focuses on the creation, collaboration, and experience of music. The program of this node would include dedicated areas that follow the process of the music creation process: researching, learning, inspiring (one’s self and others), practicing, recording, and performing. This node will bring the people of Boston together to collaborate in the music creation process and experience music together.

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site

The site is currently a parking lot located at the intersection of three main vehicular arteries, I-90 East/West, Boylston Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Ipswich Street. Following the I-90 corridor is the MBTA’s commuter rail that connects the Boston Metro area to the city. I have proposed a new site boundary that spands over the I-90 corridor and the MBTA tracks. I have proposed this due to future developments that attempt to extend the grid of the Back Bay neighborhood.

This would diffuse the drastic division that separates three converging neighborhoods -- Back Bay, Fenway, and South

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zoning

To the right is a list of the main zoning elements that were taken into consideration during the development of the building. The existing lot size is 25,120 SF while the proposed extension creates a site of 35,358 SF. The total SF is 91,300 SF which provides and FAR of 2.6, while the FAR restriction is 3.0. The proposed FAR falls below the maximum due to the site extension that will require a variance. Aside from the lot extension, no other variance will be needed.

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Parcel ID Address Property Type Classification Code Lot Size Frontage Lot Depth District Type of Use Lot Size Minimum SF Lot Width Minimum FT Floor Area Ratio Maximum Height of Buildings / Stories Height of Buildings / FT Front Yard Minimum Depth FT Side Yard Minimum Width FT Rear Yard Minimum Depth FT

504157000 1081 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215 Commercial Land 387 (Commercial Property / Pay Parking Lot) 25,120 SF 237 FT 150 FT H-3 Other Use None None 3.0 None None 15 FT None 20 FT

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the precedents

The School of Music in Lisbon, Portugal greatly influenced my overall design choices. The school features a central courtyard with an outdoor performance space that is enclosed by a perimeter of practice rooms, classrooms, and smaller performance spaces. These ideas carried over into my final idea, performances spaces encapsulated by all the parts of the music creation process.

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The Music Box Residence / Scott by Edwards Architects in Portland, Oregon had influence in my design choices as well.

The idea behind this project was to place a geometry onto the chosen site, carving away to create unique spaces. The final result was two separate musical spaces connected both visually and programmatically by a single space. I took this into consideration during the design process to create three separate musical performance spaces connected visually and mechanically by a single volume.

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the evolution

The evolution of this project began by gathering information from the precedents and the site analysis, then applying that to my design process. The process sketches to the right are the roots from where the project stemmed from. I applied the idea of the sculptural performance spaces being caged in by an orthogonal structure with programmable space within. The idea started with a central core that joined the performances spaces together and evolved into visually connected performance spaces that danced throughout the building, still being caged in by the orthogonal structure.

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Further sketch iterations introduced programmable spaces within the orthogonal structure, creating a more dense cage surrounding the visually connected performance spaces.

The programmable spaces eventually gathered to either side of the performance spaces. The bottom right sketch was the first sketch that successfully portrayed the ideas of my project.

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This sketch was the final conceptual sketch that brought the project together and ended the sketch phase. The idea included orthogonal programmable spaces encapsulating and hovering above the performance spaces. The performance spaces were further defined to include three main performance spaces. The idea behind the performance spaces, and the reason they appear to be round, is due to my experience with James Turrell’s art installations. The installations use edge-less rooms with projection-mapped colors onto the walls to leave the user with no perception of depth. I am attempting to use this idea in the performance spaces to create an environment that focus the user’s attention on the music and the people around them. This is opposed to a traditional theater that reveals distractions like exposed speakers, curtains, etc.

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The top right sketch is an exploration into my sustainable strategy. The idea is to create a fixed, horizontal louver system, covered in a layer of mesh, on the south facing facade that mitigates direct sunlight and helps with cooling the building. The louvers visually react to the sculptural performance spaces within the building, bringing the performance to the exterior of the building. The bottom right sketch is an exploration for how to cycle air through the performance spaces. The air would be delivered from the top and returned through the seating area.

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musica universalis The goal of my thesis project is to challenge and redefine the idea of what a music library. I have attempted to challenge the idea of the typical music library with my own interpretation. My goal is to create a central node for the city of Boston that focuses on the creation, collaboration, and experience of music. The program of this node would include dedicated areas that follow the process of the music creation process: researching, learning, inspiring (one’s self and others), practicing, recording, and performing.

This node will bring the people of Boston together to collaborate in the music creation process and experience music together. The performance spaces, a sculptural piece, represents the form that music takes in our head.

The orthogonal structure represents the structure of music, the chords, notes, etc. The programmable spaces are held within the orthogonal structure while the performance spaces are held within the sculptural piece. The performance spaces act as a container, an acoustical separation, separate from the building.

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small performance venue / silent disco edge-less, sound-reactive projection mapping occupancy: 50 square footage: 600

large performance venue / theater

edge-less, sound-reactive projection mapping occupancy: 250 square footage: 4,300

medium performance venue / planetarium edge-less, sound-reactive projection mapping occupancy: 125 square footage: 2,000

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The basement level includes a large collaborative music recording studio, a waiting area, an impromptu performance space with step seating, and mechanical areas. Square footage: 14,500.

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practice

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first level

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Massachusetts Avenue

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The first level includes the entrance, lobby, reception area, step seating to the basement, single and group practice rooms, and the first level entrance into the main performance space. Square footage: 17,700.

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second level 4

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The second level includes the large performance space and its entrance as well as the single and group practice rooms. Square footage: 16,600.

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inspire

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third level V1

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The third level includes the medium performance space and its entrance as well as a gallery. The gallery is meant to serve as a space to inspire others and inspire yourself. Square footage: 12,500.

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The fourth level includes the small performance space and its entrance as well as classrooms, workshop spaces, and admin spaces. Square footage: 12,000.

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research

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1 - recording studio 2 - impromptu performance space 3 - mechanical / storage area 4 - single practice room 5 - group practice room 6 - classroom / workshop 7 - admin 052

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fifth level V2

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The fifth level includes an open library with break out spaces for group collaboration space and reading areas for individuals. The library also includes book stacks and laptop tables. Square footage: 15,500.

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sixth level

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The fifth level includes an open library with break out spaces for group collaboration space and reading areas for individuals. The library also includes book stacks and laptop tables. Square footage: 17,000.

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The below section describes how the program is configured.

The process of music creation starts in the library, on the fifth and sixth floors. The music creator then works their way down the building to the basement in order of the process, research, learn, inspire, practice, record. The final stage takes place in the center of the buiilding, the performance spaces. The performance is the end goal for the music creator, performing in a sculptural piece that is a performance in itself. This section reveals how the sculptural performance spaces are situated within the building.

RESEARCH

RESEARCH LEARN

INSPIRE

PRACTICE PRACTICE RECORD

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113’-0” / roof

90’-0” / sixth level

75’-0” / fifth level

60’-0” / fourth level

35’-0” / third level

15’-0” / second level

Mass Ave.

113’-0” / roof

90’-0” / sixth level

75’-0” / fifth level

60’-0” / fourth level

35’-0” / third level

15’-0” / second level Boylston St.

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I-90 West

Following the same path a before, the music is created throughout the path of the building, then performed and showcased in the performance spaces. The medium performance space is shown here, it is a planetarium style performance space with projections on the dome that react to the music being showcased.

RESEARCH

RESEARCH LEARN

INSPIRE

PRACTICE PRACTICE RECORD 063

Also following the same idea, this section reveals the large performance space in a theater layout. This performance space is similar to the others with the music-reactive projections onto the surfaces that surround the audience.

Access to this theater happens from the first and second floors. If entering from the first floor, you will take an elevator or stairs to the next level and enter the theater. If entering from the second level, you will end up at the midway point of the audience and the stage. Access to the stage happens with a limited use limited accessibility lift.

RESEARCH

RESEARCH LEARN

INSPIRE

PRACTICE PRACTICE RECORD

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113’-0” / roof

90’-0” / sixth level

75’-0” / fifth level

60’-0” / fourth level

35’-0” / third level

15’-0” / second level Boylston St.

0’-0” / first level

MBTA

I-90 East

I-90 West

egress / fire safety

*the entire building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system powered by a fire pump room located in the basement level. This allows for a maximum travel distance of 150’-0� to nearest egress core.

egress core (2 hour fire separation CMU wall) egress core (2 hour fire separation CMU wall)

Exit to Ipswich St.

Exit to Mass. Ave. Exit to Boylston St. Exit to Mass. Ave.

The building contains two elevators that provide service to every floor. Within the large performance space, access is obtained via first and second levels, but the seating occurs at various levels. Due to this, an elevator is made available to access each area, as well as a limited use limited application lift to service the stage area.

accessibility

elevator core (service to every floor)

Exit to Boylston St.

Exit to Mass. Ave.

mechanical systems air handling unit

two 100 ton air handling units total square footage: 91,300 500 SF = 1 ton of air circulation 91,300 SF / 500 SF = 182.6 tons of air circulation needed

supply air ducts (blue) return air ducts (red)

The system that serves the building is two air handling units that are capable of circulating 100 tons of air throughout the building. The building requires 182.6 tons of air to be circulated at a minimum, this number was rounded to 200 tons to accommodate any inconsistencies and errors with the calculations. One of the AHU’s are dedicated to serving 2/3 of the building while the other is dedicated to the remaining 1/3 as well as all of the performance spaces. This was calculated to be the most efficient way to circulate air due to the performance spaces not always being active. This means the system will run at a lower capacity a majority of the time. The AHU’s are placed on the roof of the building and circulate are through exposed supply and return ducts that gain access to all floors through the main elevator and egress stair core.

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structure

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roof truss / horizontal steel tube truss to support span tension cables / steel tension cables to support cantilever moment columns / 1’-6” concrete columns first level truss / horizontal steel tube truss to support span across highway facade truss / vertical steel tube truss to support height and wind loads

floor plates / 1’-6” concrete floor slabs

louvers / horizontal louvers on south facing facade (louvers are shaped by the performance spaces)

mesh / mesh to cover louvers

performance spaces

site boundaries

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roof truss / horizontal steel tube

truss to support span over highway

facade truss / vertical steel tube truss to support height and wind loads

columns / 1’-6” concrete columns

floor plates / 1’-6” concrete floor slabs

tension cables / steel tension

cables to support cantilever moment

columns / 1’-6” concrete columns

first level truss / horizontal steel tube truss to support span across highway

corner column touches down to highway median floor plates / 1’-6” concrete floor slabs

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113’-0” / roof

90’-0” / sixth level

75’-0” / fifth level

074 horizontal louvers

structural support for louvers

vertical steel tube structural truss

curtain wall spider clip

curtain wall glass panel

louver structural support arm

insulation

parapet wall insulation roof deck

details

60’-0” / fourth level 35’-0” / third level 15’-0” / second level 0’-0” / first level

foundation wall footing

horizontal louvers

structural support for louvers

loose gravel compacted gravel

foundation wall

foundation wall

first floor deck

curtain wall glass panel

vertical steel tube structural truss

curtain wall spider clip

louver structural support arm

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