Explanation of Final Project
This design is located in a central area of Perkins Road beneath the I-10 overpass. The approach is inspired by the fact that people are afraid of the dark, noisy area under the interstate. This intervention attempts to understand how we perceive the space under the interstate and how our perception of that space can be changed through the design.
There are two main areas of thought in the study of perception. The first is Gestalt Theory, which maintains the belief that people perceive things in groups, and the second is Gibsonian Theory, which maintains the belief that people perceive things through surface qualities. With these concepts in mind, a “skin” has been added to the underside of the interstate that serves several different purposes. First, it gives people a visual cue as to the new groupings of interstate columns. The new groups will break up space and create specific groups of columns instead of the existing, endless rows. The skin is actually a field of lights that hang from soundproof material that form the grouping with lights hanging lower along the edges of the path (creating threshold) and building upward into the spaces to create a field of level or flat lights. The field of level lights also creates the feeling of being in a room. The lights are lightweight and hang from a metal wire so that they move freely and make the wind visible to those entering or experiencing the site. At night, when the lights are on, brighter columns of light mark the path thresholds and wind movement is still visible.
In order to project this idea to the ground, a hexagonal pattern is used to regroup columns, locate the lights that create threshold and the lights that create atmosphere. This pattern also creates the path that connects the site from Parrain’s all the way to Duvic’s. Programmatically, moving from Parrain’s to Duvic’s, the path follows a series of topographical forms that descend from a 2-foot platform to an area 6 inches below ground, which is for picnicking. Immediately adjacent to the picnic area is a series of market spaces. In front of George’s, a tunable gel capable of reflecting the temperature through color change is applied to the interstate’s columns. In addition to highlighting this phenomenon, the columns also create a luminous atmosphere due to the LED lights located behind the gel. Altogether, the new groupings change the experience and perception of the area underneath the interstate into the place to be, instead of the place to avoid.
Final Plans:
Sections:
Diagrams:
Existing Program:
Proposed Program:
Existing Circulation:
Proposed Circulation:
Loocation of lights:
Sound Diagram:
Final Models:
Skin with lights:
Example of Light Fixture
(includes sound proofing material to prevent wind chime situation.)
Gel on column showing Temperature Conditions:
Final Model of Site:
Poster:
explaining gel and how it works
