Xintong He | Architectural Portfolio | Graz Botanical Garden

GRAZ BOTANICAL GARDEN

By Paige Diamond, Rigoberto Berber-Arias, Wesley Brittain, Xintong He

Project Information

Structure - Materials - Programs - Context

The original structure of the constructive skeleton is the parabolic arch. Due to economical constraints, the same arch is used in all three houses except the fragment located along the street. The exterior of the building is made up of transparent convex double-leaf acrylic shells that are directly fixed to the load-bearing members. The parabolic arch structure provides maximum structural efficiency which enables a higher glass-to-structure ratio as well as maximizes daylighting and light gains. There are three interconnected greenhouses with four climate zones, a nursery with three climate zones and one seminar room. The botanical garden contains about 7,400 species of plants. Inside, there are four different climate zones, with temperatures ranging from 8°C to 24°C and a humidity of 50% to 80%.

Existing Building

When looking at the surrounding site it was clear that we only had a few options to expand on the existing site. Our design decisions were driven by the current site conditions and our goal was to disturb the surrounding areas as little as possible. In order to achieve this we decided only to expand into the areas that we are demolishing and to leave the other existing areas untouched by new construction.

Tropical House Collections

Succulent House Collections

Temperate House Collections

Cold House Collections

Reconstruction

Throughout the process of reconstructing the original building we were able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the existing building. We used these strengths and weaknesses as a way to inform our decisions for the expansion and adaptation.

The overall goal is to integrate the new buildings with the existing while improving the technology and innovation of the new structures. We are also proposing adding to the existing landscaping surrounding the buildings. The garden will connect the existing glasshouses with local fauna and flora and expand the existing biophelia. This will benefit the users and the local surroundings.

Proposed Design

The goal of our expansion and adaptation is to integrate the new buildings with the existing ones while improving the technology and innovation of the new structures. Since the existing botanical garden is located at a University, we decided to incorporate a community garden as the complementary program.

Offer general community support and equity and justice

Promote health and well-being

Education and leadership opportunities

Introduce edible and local ecology

The current nursery will be demolished and replaced with a new nursery that follows the same form as the three main existing glasshouses. This new building will be attached to the other three glasshouses. It will also house the office spaces for the workers and the bathrooms.

Community Garden & New Nursery

Community Garden

Graz is located between climate zone 5 (The Alps) and zone 7 (the wood area). Therefore the collections we are introducing to our outdoor community garden must be hardy and will vary depending on the time of year they are planted. The garden will change its collections during the fall and the spring. Spring/ Summer Crops will include pumpkins, beans, squashes, cucumbers, and melons. These should be planted in mid-April and the seeds should be planted directly into the ground.

Seeding the garden in the fall is key because the crops need to mature before the frost begins. The frost in Graz typically begins in mid-October. Fall/Winter Crops will include garlic, onions, kale, carrots, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. These can be seeded directly into the ground at the beginning of August. However, for optimum growth, since it’s hot this time of year, it’s better to start these plants inside and transplant them to the garden. If starting them inside, then these should be planted towards the end of June and transplanted at the end of July.

Edible Collections

Pumpkins Squashes Melons

Kale Broccoli Onions

Community Garden Collections

Adaptation & Expansion

Throughout the process of reconstructing the original building we were able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the existing building. We used these strengths and weaknesses as a way to inform our decisions for the expansion and adaptation.

The overall goal is to integrate the new buildings with the existing while improving the technology and innovation of the new structures. We are also proposing adding to the existing landscaping surrounding the buildings. The garden will connect the existing glasshouses with local fauna and flora and expand the existing biophelia. This will benefit the users and the local surroundings.

New Set Of Drawings

TOPOGRAPHY, LEVELS AND CONTEXT

AXONOMETRIC

AXONOMETRIC

AXONOMETRIC