Site considerations and Building Enclosure- week 3- INT322

    During the reading I noticed how much detail actually went into the site and enclosure decisions, way more than I expected from just seeing and walking around the building. It gave me a much better understanding of how the concepts from the presentation actually play out in a real project instead of just being listed as bullet points.

    Something I found interesting was how much the site itself shaped the design of the enclosure. The architects moved a 70 stall parking lot out of the middle of campus so the building could sit within a shared quad along with the chapel and library, which lines up directly with what the PowerPoint talked about regarding site placement and its impact on the building. The south of the building was specifically oriented to take advantage of solar gain for both daylighting and the photovoltaic system, so the site consideration wasn't just about where the building sits, it directly influenced how the enclosure was designed.

    When I investigated how the building is framed, I found that the structure is pre-cast concrete. Which was chosen on purpose for its thermal mass since that mass helps drive the stack effect ventilation system. Outside of that concrete structure, the exterior walls are stick framed extensions built about four feet out of the precast walls. This goes to say that the framing isn't just structural, it also helps that the four foot cavity acts as the chase for airflow and as a light shelf. Therefore, the framing of a building is tied closely to the ventilation and daylighting strategies.

    Next up with materials and external finishes. The lower level is finished in brick veneer while the upper portion uses a combination of EIFS and metal panels. The windowsills, jambs, and heads are finished in white metal panels, which were done on purpose to bounce daylight further into the interior. The glazed atrium in the center of the building stood out to me the most because it does two jobs at once, it brings daylight in and acts as the main intake for fresh air. It also makes the Judson library a space where people want to be there because of how much sunlight there is, and the aesthetic of it. On the south stacks, the finish becomes more technical since those areas are glazed to hold the building integrated PV panels, and I found it interesting that the heat those panels give off is actually used on purpose to help pull air through the stacks faster. 

    Reading through the other sustainable features really helps connect everything on this project. Something Professor Kaufman said to me earlier this week is that as we learn more in class, these things will be something that you just notice, scanning the space and really taking in all the work it took to design and build all the spaces around us. The landscape design uses bioswales, permeable paving, and native plantings to manage stormwater, and that process even feeds cooler air back toward the building. Overall, the Harm A. Weber Academic Center is a place where I spent several hours throughout the week. This case study helped me see that site considerations, framing, materials, and finishes all work together toward the same sustainability goals.