Mid-Review

So this was the big mid-review.  The style was a bit different though; we presented in groups of three to different juries and had a total of 6 people over the course of the day to give us feedback.  Here is a distillation of the information I got:

Also a few firsts to note!

Yesterday was the first day I saw someone get his model ripped.  Afterwards he asked me if he should be honored or upset that his model was damaged.  I had no answer.

Also it was the first time I saw someone get called out for not doing all the work.  Basically he had a super nice model, but no technical drawings, and one of the jurors said that he was getting seduced by his own work and neglecting the rest of the design, which is interesting to say the least.

Lastly, it was the first time I got complimented on one of my models, and it happened to be by the studio professor I'll have next semester.  I think the model is pretty poorly crafted, but maybe there is something to like.

Some thoughts on my review:

PHASE 03 REVIEW NOTES:

PETER WALDMAN AND BETSY ROETTGER:
-Push the grid further, draw the site out
-establish an edge condition, perhaps with density
-do something drastic, like a fortune telling area
-can use a tree wall to create different spaces
-curve the cafe into the site, maybe as a reaction to the topography
-make something very large, as tall as 10 stories

CHARLIE MENEFEE AND SARAH KARPINSKI
-key words: open, closed, central space, open garden
-needs a main structural idea that ties all the elements together
-cafe can have multiple “front” doors and can be placed elsewhere
-needs something “bossy,” such as making the platform six times larger
-can have multiple aspects, but there should be one clear, central part
-consider the space throughout the year when stuck
-the “food” has a form, but what is the flavor?
-might have too many things going on at once

W.G. CLARK AND MARGARITA JOVER
-pecan trees and berry patches are so outrageous that it works
-flip the entire project, that is, have the platform be close to the cafe -so that people can experience that while waiting for the train
-the columns and tree connection is too obvious and not architectural
-divide up the space below for parking and then start putting in trees -and columns, or maybe not the columns unless necessary
-get rid of the entire middle row of columns, if not more

CONCLUSIONS:
The space is currently loosely defined, but it could benefit from a solid structuring. Most likely the best way to go about this would be to continue the grid system, but articulate it a bit more clearly. Spatial arrangement and strategies should be reevaluated and continue to be explored.

BRIEF PROJECT STATEMENT:
The site will be an interactive garden area complete with pecan and berry picking, as well as a central cafe area allowing for a more fluid experience from the train to Charlottesville. Acting both as an intermediary between commuters and citizens of Charlottesville, the site will redefine the current condition of West Main Street.

Here are some of the pictures and diagrams of my final presentation materials:

 

Collage, definitely not West Main St. in the back

 

 

Rhino render, concrete, steel

 

Rhino Render, steel, grass, concrete

 

Rhino screenshot

 

Happy Halloween! Thanks for reading.