The goal of this Thesis project is to design a stadium on the site of the Civic Arena that will adapt and transform in parallel with the growing sport of Rugby Football in the United States through series of open-ended Architectural systems. This Rugby hub will act as a organic growing 'stage' upon which the growth and culture of the sport can be displayed, represented and celebrated.
The beginning steps of this process do not necessarily need to be in any order, and can be executed interchangeably.
I will do site analysis of not only the Civic Arena (either as a reusable structure or as a razed site) but also of the nearby Console Energy Center, as they can share parking and infrastructure needs, as well as the surrounding region, ranging from local to the Greater Pittsburgh area. This will involve observing and mapping on several scales infrastructure, urban design, parking needs, and so on.
I will also study and develop the programmatic needs of stadiums ranging from a 5,000 capacity to a 60,000 capacity by observing numerous precedents and interpretation/explanation of rugby culture. Local needs and amenities will also be determined from the mapping and site analysis exercise.
Reading and research into existing 'open-ended' design techniques will be carried out. Additionally, if the project becomes an adaptive reuse of the Civic Arena, thorough studies of the structure, layout, and programmatic spaces of the existing building and infrastructure will be done.
The final product of this Thesis project will be a base design for a 5,000 person capacity stadium, along with addition staging plans for future development and growth of the building as Rugby becomes more and more popular in the United States, capping off at a maximum of 60,000 capacity. Additionally, a clearly (or as clear as possible) defined outline of when the building can and should begin each successive stage of growth will be established.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Position Paper v.1.2
Scale is one of the most crucial elements when designing truly engaging Architecture: Not only is the scale of the human body relative to its surroundings important, but equally important is the scale of the built environment adjusting to growing occupancy and needs.
Architecture alone cannot cure all the inadequacies, shortcomings and woes of the world on its lonesome. It can, however, act alongside forces outside (or also encompassed by?) the realms of Architecture to act as a conduit to allow for such changes to occur. Architecture's most basic function is, after all, to serve human function and needs, whether those needs are for survival, amusement, or otherwise.
As the sport of Rugby continues to grow in the United States, a similar growth pattern can be traced to other countries where the sport has absolutely exploded in popularity. In 1995, the International Rugby Board declared the game open and removed all restrictions on payment to players, essentially turning the sport professional. Though the United States lacks enough interest or fan base to fund any sort of professional league, the game is teetering on the brink of such an advancement in the near future. Any Rugby fixture built specifically for the game in the United States, and particularly Pittsburgh, could not be one of grandeur and magnificence at its inception because there is currently a lack of interest, and by simply placing it there and hoping the fans will come would be foolish, especially in Pittsburgh where football and hockey rule the local sports world. Acting as a comparatively small scale venue with seating starting at 5,000 maximum, the human scale will be addressed throughout. As the popularity of Rugby grows on its own, and the human scale (occupancy within the building) grows with it, so too shall the building, because a sure way to deter crowds is to sit in an overscaled and empty space. Through the research and incorporation of 'temporarily unfinished' or open-ended building techniques, structural systems, parking, infrastructure and programmatic elements, the building can literally grow, open up, and be amended to meet the needs of a vastly growing sport. The building houses the needs for the development at both the professional level as well as the youth level, and itself can become a representational icon for what the sport is and will be in the future while providing fans with as little disconnect and maximum overlap between the players, the game, and the Rugby culture as possible. The proposed site to be (re?)used is the Civic Arena given the flexibility of the space with regards to land, parking, infrastructure and so forth.
Architecture alone cannot cure all the inadequacies, shortcomings and woes of the world on its lonesome. It can, however, act alongside forces outside (or also encompassed by?) the realms of Architecture to act as a conduit to allow for such changes to occur. Architecture's most basic function is, after all, to serve human function and needs, whether those needs are for survival, amusement, or otherwise.
As the sport of Rugby continues to grow in the United States, a similar growth pattern can be traced to other countries where the sport has absolutely exploded in popularity. In 1995, the International Rugby Board declared the game open and removed all restrictions on payment to players, essentially turning the sport professional. Though the United States lacks enough interest or fan base to fund any sort of professional league, the game is teetering on the brink of such an advancement in the near future. Any Rugby fixture built specifically for the game in the United States, and particularly Pittsburgh, could not be one of grandeur and magnificence at its inception because there is currently a lack of interest, and by simply placing it there and hoping the fans will come would be foolish, especially in Pittsburgh where football and hockey rule the local sports world. Acting as a comparatively small scale venue with seating starting at 5,000 maximum, the human scale will be addressed throughout. As the popularity of Rugby grows on its own, and the human scale (occupancy within the building) grows with it, so too shall the building, because a sure way to deter crowds is to sit in an overscaled and empty space. Through the research and incorporation of 'temporarily unfinished' or open-ended building techniques, structural systems, parking, infrastructure and programmatic elements, the building can literally grow, open up, and be amended to meet the needs of a vastly growing sport. The building houses the needs for the development at both the professional level as well as the youth level, and itself can become a representational icon for what the sport is and will be in the future while providing fans with as little disconnect and maximum overlap between the players, the game, and the Rugby culture as possible. The proposed site to be (re?)used is the Civic Arena given the flexibility of the space with regards to land, parking, infrastructure and so forth.
Make Something v.2
Graphic detailing elements of Rugby that remain static and ones which must remain open ended when undergoing substantial growth and interest over time. This has led me towards an exploration of open ended building techniques, structural systems, and programmatic elements which will adjust and be supplemented in time to reflect the growing popularity of Rugby in the immediate region & the larger context of the nation.
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