Appeals to the Hierarchical Orders of Value

Ian Hsu engages an interesting combination of appeals by pursing the industrial order as well as the inspired order of hierarchical value. In his pursuit of the inspired order, he uses glass boxes as dividers between various programmatic uses. The design of the glass boxes find their roots in the inspired order; allowing ample light and connection with endless sky. Accomplished with soaring seamless glass, the inhabitants interact with the immaterial. In these glass enclosures the most noteworthy part of the experience is the sense of warmth and white light. In one way the user is enclosed by the structures to the east and west, feeling a sense of restriction and comfort, but then the sky above is endless. This combination of blocking out the context on the street level and creating no limits on the context above normal eyelevel disconnects the users from the surrounding street context, and allows them to only connect with the surrounding environment through sky views. Through this intention in planning scale and material, Ian appeals to the inexpressible and ethereal.

A seemingly contradictory appeal is that of the industrial order. Finding its mark in the dignity of tangible work, the principle of efficiency, and the standard of high function and organization, industrial appeals, at face value, seem to clash with inspired values. From the information on Ian’s design I have presented so far, the obvious assumption would be that he was not interested in making industrial appeals. However, his glass enclosures that create an ethereal experience double as direct solar gain greenhouses. The soaring seamless glass allowing in ample light and warming the space for the unique experience of the user also cuts down on HVAC costs. Efficient. The location of the greenhouses as anchors for the other building functions allow for the users disconnect for street context and connection with endless sky also give the greenhouses a perfect location to naturally radiate heat into the adjacent apparatus bay and residential areas. Well organized. Depending on how you frame the design intention behind the glass enclosures they can be viewed as contributing to both inspired and industrial appeals.

Synthesis and Analysis of the Critiquer’s Comments

Going off of this theme of duality of function in a space, one reviewer argued that there are many missed opportunities for continuing this theme throughout the rest of the layout. Ian included a large paved outdoor area south of the apparatus bay. In his current design it serves merely as a continuation of the access route for the firetrucks and an outdoor washing area for the trucks. Its program is strictly related to the operations of the fire vehicles. This space, which encompasses hundreds of square feet of land, could double as an outdoor patio space for the enjoyment of the firefighters. They could use it for barbeques and get-togethers with family and friends. It could be incorporated into the residential area to the east of the apparatus bay. It could connect to the park path and in doing so create a more fluid connection between building and site.

Another opportunity to develop site, that Malcolm mentioned during the review, is the green space enclosed on two sides by the residential building and on a third side by one of the glass enclosures. It opens up to a view of the inlet, but is bordered on the south by apparent dead, white space on the site plan. Any direct connection to the inlet is cut off by the access drive for the fire trucks, so the green space functions almost as a courtyard. Ian has currently decided to leave the design of the courtyard ambiguous, but the strength of the building’s integration with the site would be greatly enhanced by a more developed design for that greenspace. As mentioned during my discussion of the paved area outside the apparatus bay, the green space could be incorporated with the paved area to create a more fluid use of outdoor space. Part of the courtyard could be enclosed within the greenhouse to enhance the edgeless, ethereal feeling of the glass enclosure space. Also, being that it borders residential program like a large kitchen, part of the greenspace could be devoted to a vegetable garden for the full time firefighting staff. And if Ian decided to connect the courtyard with the paved area and the park path, the garden could become a space open to the community.

Another point brought up in review by Christine was the issue of scale. The greenhouses are currently at two different scales although they are serving the same function. They interact with the surrounding buildings differently because of their differing heights. One of the greenhouse enclosures cannot even be seen from Franklin Street because it cuts off after the second floor and the surrounding buildings continue higher. If Ian’s concept is based around these anchoring greenhouses that create an ethereal experience for the users, then he might consider making them more of a statement structure. He could accomplish this simply by increasing the roof heights of the greenhouses so that they are visible from every elevation. I would also like to throw out the opposite suggestion for consideration; Ian could decrease the scale on both of the greenhouses and make an effort, with the placement of the surrounding buildings, to visually close the glass enclosures off from the public streets on the north and east. Instead of making them statement structures he could make them understated hideaways. Two secret sky-filled spaces tucked between hulking, old-world industrial buildings. But regardless of which direction he chooses to take his greenhouses, I would still suggest connecting them to greenspaces in a more fluid way.

Technical Comments

Because of the interactions between many separate spaces, a massing model or axonometric diagram of the basic programmatic layout would be helpful. I would also suggest that Ian develop his wall section even further because it currently does a great job of communicating accessible space within all the levels and if developed further could be a statement drawing on his board.

Featured image Bauer Hall by architect Moore Ruble Yudell.

Caroline Wilson’s work, Reaching for Sustainability, is dominated by appeals to the civil order of value. As the title suggests, Caroline seeks to incorporate sustainable strategies into every possible element of her building. She has skylights that aid heat gain and shallow green roofs that collect rainwater and naturally cool the apparatus bay. This reduces the need for heating and air conditioning. There are sustainable strategies on top of the firefighters living quarters as well. An angle towards the west on the firefighter’s roof allows for a natural collection of rainwater through gravity. The angle allows for another sustainability device: Caroline states this is the way “to accept the most sunlight using photo-voltaic cells placed on the roof.” Her design focus on sustainable practices through site planning and programmatic decisions reflect her goal of creating a sustainability driven building.

Hierarchical Order of Value

The way Caroline went about her fulfillment of the civic order leaned towards coupling appeal with the industrial order rather than the inspired hierarchical order of value. When focusing on sustainability, two options of execution arise. The designer can lean towards the ethereal expression, in which they might dream of a power producing city, where the buildings continuously make more energy, leaving no carbon footprint. The mode of transportation might be harmless to the environment, and even aid the life and migration of the wildlife cohabiting the space. Or they can lean towards satisfying a desire for efficiency. In Caroline’s approach to satisfying the civic order she shies away from the ethereal and tends towards fulfilling elements of the industrial order. She uses a narrative of sustainable building to highlight efficiency and planned long term payback on investment; payback not being in financial capital but in ethical capital.

In order to highly value the civic order, this firehouse proposal sacrifices in the market and inspired orders. As previously discussed, Caroline focused on appealing to the industrial rather than the inspired order of value in her design of a sustainable building. I would venture to claim that the inspired order and industrial order are mutually exclusive given that the inspired order thrives on dreamlike imagination and the industrial order is rooted in practicality. The test for the industrial order is trial, and trial is not feasible without substance. The inexpressible and ethereal nature of the inspired contradicts the trial nature of the industrial order, therefore, Caroline’s focus on fulfilling the industrial order sacrifices stake in the inspired order. Similarly to the contradiction of the inspired verses the industrial order, Caroline’s focus on sustainability within the civic order dampened her ability to appeal to the market order of value. Sustainably strategies hold value in the civic order because of their demonstration for a just cause, however they skimp on their appeal to a financially driven order. The upfront costs and added infrastructure that make many sustainable strategies possible take away from the building’s short term financial flexibility. They are an investment that may or may not pay off in a strictly fiscal sense. Caroline’s design strategies do a great job of appealing to the civic order of hierarchical values but with her focus on simultaneously satisfying the industrial order, she sacrifices fulfillment of the inspired and market orders of value.

Board + Drawings

Caroline’s drawings utilized color and line weight well. Color choice was appropriate and helpful in reading her drawings. Line weight read without much effort on the audience’s part. She provided a roof plan that mapped out the varying sustainable strategies used on the roof surfaces. This drawing went beyond the schematic design requirements but was crucial in providing a deeper understanding of the project goals. I applaud her initiative and encourage her to develop her building’s roof plan further. She should consider making it a key drawing with obvious time and effort put into it; the roof plan could be a focus of her presentation.

Comments on Reviewer’s Comments

One of her reviewers commented on how well her building read in section and I agree. Plans are needed to see programmatic layout but her one section was ostracized in the bottom right hand corner. I would suggest not treating her sections as an afterthought. Her plans were well done, but her section could be brought up to that level of rigor. In section, the angled opening towards Franklin Street makes sense because it welcomes the public off the street and then subtly funnels them down as program becomes more and more private. The entrance on the east end in contrast to the openings on the west end work well in implying a hierarchy of space. I suggest Caroline develop her longitudinal section further, paying attention to the poché spaces created by her various angles. Also, she might consider creating a series of transverse sections that move through her building from east end to west end. Those sections would help explain the intended hierarchy of spaces and elaborate on the movement through her building.

Using the building to break up territory would increase the strength of Caroline’s proposal. A reviewer remarked, currently her building feels out of touch with the site. I suggest she could rectify this by anchoring her building with her community garden. She might consider using the garden, not as a green polygon, but instead as a pathway in itself that widens and narrows as the land and building meet in new ways. The community garden is a substantial factor in her appeal to the public and to sustainable practices; it could strengthen her concept to heavily focus on integrating her community garden with the layout and circulation of her building. The photo-voltaic cells on the roof of the firefighters living quarters makes sense programmatically. Caroline might consider realigning the angle of the roof to the south in order to capture as much sun as possible. That might entail reorienting the entry way to maintain the hierarchy of spaces created below by the angled roof, however, given the focus of her concept, maximum sustainability should remain the driving force in design decisions.

In Conclusion…

Just as Juan said, “If you’re going to claim sustainability as your concept, you’re going to have to go sustainability crazy. Then we’ll buy it.”

Featured image from personal photos – Work by Caroline Wilson