In studying site conditions such as solar angles, urban fabric, street-facing buildings, local terrain, and potential views for occupants, I designed a tower that would serve as joint public and private space in San Francisco. First, I looked at my site so as to get the minimum and maximum building heights and also get a rough idea of what would be acceptable for my building idea. I wanted to place the tower itself toward the edge of my property line in order to create a setback that would provide a large, open space for public gatherings and space for individuals to sit, admire the building and the landscape around them.
Next, I wanted to make sure the height of my tower would match the urban fabric and the Federal Building’s height. In order to make a stronger connection with the public space, I gradually worked on the opening and framing into the massing, which would also help create the rooftop terraces that would give the building and the public spaces the clear views of Grove Street, the Civic Center of San Francisco, and the Market Street.
Finally, I wanted a large area to have the space for the sunlight to make its way deeper into the building's interior spaces, cutting back on the need for artificial lighting. The large open area would allow the sunlight to reflect off inside of the building, creating a Solar shaft radiating, natural light into the building's interior.
Agenda
After my site research I found out that I could engage my project with the public by having an after hour in school. Then would bring the kids and teenagers to help me with the building of their future and also engage them with the client’s workers. I was also thinking of ways to bring them on the actual site. Then finally I came up with the idea of skate park that would bring all the public and the users of site together. This idea offering a chance for all users to engage with the public in the skate park.
