College Projects
Washington Park Apartments
General Information
- Duration: 8 Week Design Period, 1 Week for Final Presentation
- Academic Level: College, Sophomore Year, Summer Quarter
- 2D Drawing Medium: Plastic Lead on Mylar
- Rendering Medium: Colored Pencils, Marker and Pastels on Paper
Program Information
The purpose of this assignment was to design an apartment building for a vacant lot in inner-city Cincinnati. There had to be a minimum of 12 units, with at least four of those being two bedrooms and the rest one bedroom. This building was intended for low to middle income families, being in a poor yet historically significant area within walking distance of downtown. It was important to consider building codes, especially regarding fire separation since there are existing buildings on two sides.
Personal Requirements
Since the building would be facing Washington Park to the west, and with Music Hall (one of Cincinnati's most recognizable buildings) on the other side of the park, it was important to orient as many of the views towards the park as possible. Also, because of the constrained site, it was important to order the building to help minimize wasted space. The driving force behind this order was an analogy to a woven tapestry. In this case, the analogy creates a number of overlapping cross axes. The main axis houses all of the kitchens and bathrooms while the living spaces of each unit, and the vertical circulation for the building, are inserted around it. There are also minor axes within the apartment units that further order the spaces and carry through to the elevation.
