City of the Star
Mixed Use Residential
Roanoke, VA
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Virginia Tech
Fall 2015
12 Weeks
Professor:
Heinrich Schnoedt
This project creates an active, vibrant place that contributes to and compliments the city to which it belongs. The site presents unique opportunities to create new and exciting urban spaces that compliment and relate to the other ones in the immediate downtown area. In particular, the market square is a wonderful urban space already existing in the city. The creation of a new plaza that compliments the existing one serves to enhance the entire downtown area of Roanoke.
Two primary passages between these urban spaces are from Campbell Ave SE from the north and Kirk Ave SE from the west. Each arrival results in a particular spatial condition.
The design began with a process of developing a concept and a strategy of how to handle the diverse mixed use program, how to address the city and how to accomplish the goals of the project.
Diagram 1: The forces shown are the movement of the people of Roanoke into the site, the rhythm of the surrounding buildings, and the axis from the north end of the site to the iconic star of Roanoke atop Mill Mountain.
Diagram 2: The mixed use program is diverse in its spatial requirements as well as how each program element relates to one another. A scheme is depicted here, and the movement of the residents is shown.
Diagram 3: The axis from the far end of the site and the Roanoke star is a force which interferes, redirects, and refracts the rhythm of the surrounding buildings. This new rhythm, changed by the star axis, gives new form to the program spaces depicted in the previously.
Diagram 4: The diagrammatic forces are removed from the site, but their trace remains on the form of the building. The resulting architecture is one that is entirely unique to its site. Its form is a resultant from the surrounding city, and one of its most important icons, the star on the mountain. The goal of the architecture being a place that compliments and contributes to its city is accomplished in this process.
The diagram study continued to actualize itself into architectural form through this model study at a larger scale. The important lines that generated the initial form continue to be present in the project. The ramp that leads to the upper plaza and frames a view of the Roanoke star was worked out in this iteration. Certain areas of hardscape and softscape in the the ramp and the plazas and roof terraces were decided on. In addition, the facade began to appear based on a combination of form giving lines and function of the program on the interior.
Arrival from Campbell Ave. looking at the framed view of Mill Mountain & the Roanoke Star
Sketch along Church Ave. SE
Studio Apartment Axon
One Bedroom Apartment Axon
Due to the unique process of developing architectural form, most of the apartments in the development are unique in plan. This presented an opportunity to utilize prefabricated elements – kitchen pieces, entertainment centers, bathrooms, bedrooms, and utility – to minimize on site construction. These prefab elements can be arranged to create economical apartments that fit in with the unique form of the building.
Level 1 Plan
Level 2 Plan
Level 4 Plan
Typical Wall Section