New Designs - Round 3.1

In preparation for the campus’ Design Review Board on April 22nd, architects released two refined models. The main changes center on the northwest corner, though smaller refinements are also present throughout.

Here are the links to the respective pages:

http://unionbuildingproject.wordpress.com/round-31-option-1/

http://unionbuildingproject.wordpress.com/round-31-option-2/

Earth Day - Rocky Mountain Institute Symposium

The Building Project’s sustainability consultants will be hosting a lunchtime symposium on green design today in Engineering Hall, 1610 from 11:00-12:30. Free pizza will be served.

Programming and Operatation, DAG Notes, March 16th

• Concerned about dividers and sound proofing between meeting rooms.
• Concerned about noise leaking through.
• Concerned about noise from bowling lane moving through building if climbing wall is in the same area.
• Like idea of combining bowling and climbing wall
• Games area should include billiards, etc.
• Refreshments in the bowling/games area.
• Concerned with climbing wall taking up potential window space (for meeting rooms)
• Look at rock n bowl in New Orleans.
• Concerned about bowling under theater/auditorium
• Can bowling lanes be turned 30 degrees?
• Need small space “screening room” for 50-100 people
• Still prefer one space for theater/auditorium
• Would like food close to auditorium; can we think of food carts? Use meeting room for refreshments
• Would like projection booth connecting both rooms. 35 mm & 16mm projectors will move; also want digital capabilities.
• Can bands park at loading dock? Or in car park?
• Loading dock for Pub? Concerned about loading in/out bands for pub events.
• Want access to sit outside (from pub); nice day sit on terrace/green space
• Concerned about windows and programming e.g. pub
• How will rooms be ventilated?
• Why are student orgs on the 2nd floor?
• Don’t like food by art gallery
• Where is bike station?
• Northwest entrance seems like wasted space. Too large. What about computer kiosks?
• Computer lab? Working with DoIt on an Info Commons.
• Want gaming space/group work space.
• Have to be realistic about outdoor programming.
• Center of building could get congested with 3 food venues
• Should coffee house move closer to the northwest entrance?
• People currently sit on northwest end of building-need to make sure we have seating on this side as well.
• Need pocket lounges on 2nd floor;
• Currently 2nd floor is dead
• Want mirrors in one room for dance, exercise groups (can it be hit at other times e.g. drapery).
• Trim hall on 3rd floor (southeast wing)-make room larger

Indoor/Outdoor Recreation, DAG Notes, April 15th

Bowling Concerns:
1) “Visibility” is not as important as “awareness”. Specifically, not enough people know about bowling at current Union South. Indoor bowling advertisements not sufficient, outdoor bowling advertisement (physical signs) prohibited by current policy. Being able to see bowling from outside first floor does not particularly excite bowling Bob as much as it excites architects.
2) Auxiliary functions (food, pool, table tennis) CRUCIAL to whether bowling survives. There are 8 lanes. Often there will be more people wanting to bowl than there are lanes… these people need something to do. Putting pool/table tennis in pub, and put at other side of buildings is extremely detrimental. An underground tunnel connecting both is insufficient.
3) Complaints about current bowling is lack of ceiling height (not regulation), claustrophobic layout, smelly carpets, lack of space behind counter.
4) Great things about current bowling is ability for counter to watch over all parts of area, ability of people at bowling lanes to have line of sight to counter (so they can wave to friends who’s turn it is to bowl), mural
5) The rationale for having more than 8 lanes is that a number of lanes are already committed to bowling leagues. Having more lanes allows late night reservation of lanes by large groups.
6) One of the most profitable(?) and popular bowling events is glow-in-the-dark bowling. There is concern that too much physical integration with 1st floor and outside will cause spillage of light and sound.
7) Would like architects to explore reconfiguring level L1 (and rotating bowling) so that it is connected to pub, e.g. pub dance floor would be a mezzanine that connects to bowling on L1/L2 and to bar on Main. Bowling alley can be connected to mezzanine, pub, parking lot, and Orchard. Bowling is very pro-synergy (as opposed to decentralized activation of the building)

Climbing Wall:
1) Concerns that people leaving pub will climb it.
2) Concerns that if connected to bowling will cause a sound connection to Main level. In regards to walling off climbing wall in plexiglass or other material, members pointed out echo effect and rappelling down top-rope courses.

Dancing (sorry, floor numbers may be wrong, I don’t have diagrams in front of me):
1) Would like 3 rooms on north side of 3rd floor merged via removable walls (as currently drawn). Someone asked if the two rooms on the sides of this room (there are 5 rooms total in a row) are necessary.
2) Would like to see the bottom 3 rooms of 2nd floor right side merged via removable walls so it can serve as a wedding reception, a la Tripp commons. There are 4 rooms in a row there and currently drawn the bottom two can be merged. Even better than merging 3 rooms is merging all 4 rooms.
3) Current division of Badger Hall shows two large rooms and 4 small rooms. Members proposed putting a large stage in center so that, upon division, each of the two large rooms has a “corner stage”.

Theater:
Below the theater is a M/W restroom and below that is another room. Someone suggested changing the M/W to a blackbox, and putting the M/W where the room is.

First floor NW:
Seems like a lot of empty space in new NW. There’s more hallway space there than Retail1 + Retail2 combined. Members suggested putting more there, e.g. bicycle station or whatever.

Third Round of Conceptual Designs

This third round of preliminary conceptual designs was unveiled at the Design Committee meeting on Monday, April 14th.  There are two relatively similar building designs that test different design possibilities, particularly the northwest corner, the northern side, and the southwest-facing arch.  Given the relative similarity of these two designs, there is only one set of floorplans.

Floorplans

Terrace 1.0

Terrace 2.0

(old) First Round of Conceptual Designs

Here is the page containing the first round of preliminary conceptual designs that probed how the building might fit on the site and how the mass of the building might be arranged.

Planning Principles

These planning principles were established early in the design process to help serve as as guide for the entire process.

Planning Principles

1. This building is a people magnet
2. This building advances programming
3. The architecture is timeless and enduring
4. The building process and materials are “Green” and the future operations are sustainable
5. The facility is student focused, but welcoming of all
6. This building is a draw for the entire campus, while reflecting the interests and serving the needs of its local area
7. This building is complementary to Memorial Union, not supplementary
8. This facility tells our story

Quality of Design Principles

A.  Enhancing the people magnet effect, the building and site should be a hub, connecting the region

B.  Green space will create a people-friendly oasis

C.  At every scale, the building should feel exceptionally comfortable

D.  Back of the house functions are omnipresent but invisible

E.  Human Factors are emphasized

F.  Every space in the building advances the mission, vision, and values of the Wisconsin Union as the University’s cross-campus community builder

G.  Connection between indoors and outdoors is emphasized

H.  The building is far more impressive in person than in photos

Comments - 2nd Round of Designs

Here are a portion of the comments on the designs and project as a whole - the rest will be forthcoming. Thanks to everyone who took the time to give input & keep your eyes open for the third round of design concepts.

What will be in the new building?

For a breakdown of space allocations, check out the most recent version of the Broad Scope Program Model.

Sustainability, DAG Notes, April 10th

• WHY IS SUSTAINABILITY IMPORTANT?  What does sustainability mean and what will be important when you come back and visit the building in 20 years?
  • Water use will be a central concern here in Madison
  • Ecological and carbon footprints and visibility of sustainability are important
• Climate stabilization wedge research (Socolow and Pacala) indicates new buildings must be 80% more efficient than they are currently in order to avoid looming dramatic climate change
• WID (Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, being built across the street) uses 50% less water and energy than a typical campus building - an even more impressive feat when its laboratory nature is taken into account
• Make sure you understand local microclimate conditions, get site windrose and sun data => take advantage of microclimate when possible, avoid negative impacts to greatest feasible extent
  • an example is the southwestern afternoon sun that is generally welcomed in winter, fall, and spring but will present a major challenge in summer
• Natural ventilation, both horizontal and vertical, should be an essential element of this building’s design, particularly given its emerging shape
  • Good examples: Turning Torso (Calatrava, Sweden) & Bedzed (England)
• Pick three big priorities and do them well rather than multiple smaller priorities done on an inferior basis
• Be sure to communicate with Engineering faculty and students who have interest and expertise in relevant areas