Module 11 Final Report

Your Name
Anthony Villalobos
Linked Student
Journal Entry For
Module 11 - Sharing Your Project
Scored
Created
Mar 20, 2022 12:27 PM
Last Edited
Mar 22, 2022 6:09 PM

Overview

  • Key / Essential / Unique Design Features
    • Courtyard
      • The focus of the exhibition center is on the courtyard at the heart of the structure. The four primary buildings surround the courtyard and place an emphasis on it. I felt that the natural aspect should be the core of the exhibition center.
    • Open Layout
      • The exhibition center uses an open layout which had many benefits. It directly supported the daylighting and natural ventilation features. Additionally, it made the exhibition center more connected and one with the nature around it. The center is not a large box in the middle of Jasper Ridge, rather a flowing and open addition to it.
    • Daylighting
      • The buildings were made with smaller widths so that they could nearly all be lit by natural lighting. This was more difficult with the main lobby, however the side buildings and cafe would hardly need any artificial lighting during normal operating hours.
    • Natural Ventilation
      • Natural ventilation was crucial towards reducing the demand placed on the HVAC system. As described in the HVAC module, automatic louvres (similar to those in Y2E2) would allow the buildings to start the day with cool air.
    • Green Materials
      • No concrete was used in this structure! The buildings were made from wood and supported by a steel structural system. Steel was chosen as opposed to wood as it allowed greater spans and did not impose as much of a challenge for maintaining open spaces where desired.
  • Your Big Successes -- From a visual standpoint, I think the flow of the center is very natural. The main lobby was not quite perfect, but it leads well to the side buildings and then to the cafe across from it. The open layout and courtyard helped greatly with this and I think they were both key features towards making a natural structure. The use of curtain walls and windows ensured the center did not feel like a jutting box and instead allowed the eyes to pass through and over it. The height was never too great and it kept low to the ground. It would not ruin the landscape of Jasper Ridge and I could very well imagine this structure being located there. My favorite building come the end wound up being the cafe. I was worried how the structural system would look but I loved it by the end. The HVAC system on the other hand looked quite awful so I pretended it did not exist when making renders haha. A challenge I will need to address.
  • Your Big Challenges -- The primary challenge was the HVAC system. I felt very confident in designing the structural system to be fit in with the building, but I found the HVAC system near impossible to hide. It covered the entire ceiling and was quite the eyesore. I can understand why buildings have the panels covering the HVAC system above the ceiling. Related to this was the cafe’s HVAC system. In the all glass structure there was nowhere to hide the system. Unlike the structural system, the HVAC system was not nice to look at. Additionally, because of the all glass design, the cafe had a gigantic supply air demand that I was not able to meet. The HVAC system would be the focus of a redesign and any work I would do on this project in the future.
  • Lessons Learned -- I would do smaller workflows of the HVAC and structural systems before even beginning to model the masses. Having familiarity with these processes would have changed my designs significantly. However, this does make sense. No building is ever perfect from the get go, especially for those taking this class who have little to no experience. You kind of have to learn but realizing there would have been a better way to do what you did. Like better design spaces for beam locations. Or having better techniques for designing to hide the HVAC system. The shapes of my wing buildings and cafe made these challenges at times, but I guess that is what happens when the building is not a simple rectangular haha.

Video Presentation / Tour of Your Project Features

Design Journal Entries

💡
Click the Filter button below, then enter you first name in the search field to link all your Design Journal entries.

Design Journal Entries | Winter 2022