Urban Environmental Center

HIAA0150: Intermediate Architectural Design Studio, Fall 2021, Professor Craig Barton

The following design project is a response to the task of designing an Urban Environmental Research Station and Education Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The site for the project was a grassy location at the edge of the Providence River and at the foot of College Hill; sitting in the Fox Point neighborhood and at the mouth of the Providence Pedestrian Bridge, the site lay at the intersection of paths, rivers, nature, and commercial and residential development. The center was required to include various classrooms and lecture spaces, as well as an open public space, a greenhouse, and a nursery for young trees.

Concept Development

An investigation of the site forced me to consider the topography, views of the river/downtown skyline, and direct Southside sunlight as some of the most important elements in my design process.

Keeping this in mind, I started creating iterations of physical models to block the building masses. I wanted the floors to be offset, the greenhouse to wrap around one side of the building, and an atrium in the middle letting natural light into the lobby.

After an exploration of the different program arrangements, I settled with a relatively open floor plan in the lobby with views of the greenhouse available from all floors. The main entrance leads into the lobby and atrium which provides plenty of sunlight streaming in through the greenhouse and the center of the spiral staircase. The stairs lead up to the second floor - where you will find labs and classrooms - and also the rooftop, which opens up to the third floor of the greenhouse and an open air cafe where visitors can enjoy the views of the river and downtown skyline.

The nursery is wrapped around the structure, with little nooks carved in for lounging in between the trees. The big grassy stairs leading up to the entrance act as an outdoor public space, where the public can bask in the sunlight, absorb views of the river or read a book from the library on the ground floor.

View from outside of the outdoor public steps/space

View when approaching from the Pedestrian Bridge

Exploded Axonometric Drawing of the Urban Environmental Center demonstrating the layers of the greenhouse, the spiral staircase, and open atrium.