GAVRIELA

= **Best Fit** = by Gaby

= INVESTIGATION STAGE =

**General characteristics of the neighborhood:**
The lot is located in Forest Hills is a relatively quite neighborhood with residential, businesses and stores alike. The lot is located near single houses, double houses, as well as apartment buildings, and is directly adjacent to a Catholic school. The stores in the area are varied from clothing stores to bookstores, but there are no big malls and stores.

Block and Lot:
Block: 3259 Lot: 5

Size of lot:
282' x 285' x 56' x 22' x 84' x 182' x 388' (Though half of the lot is developed on now)


 * == [[image:8-2-carver-satellite-view.JPG width="520" height="328"]] ==

Satellite View ||
 * [[image:8-2-carver-street-view.png width="520" height="266" align="left"]]

Street View || Tax Lot ||
 * [[image:8-2-Carver-tax-lot.png width="448" height="410"]]

**Needs assessment** :
**1. A description of what the neighborhood already has.**

This neighborhood, Forest Hills, has several small houses and apartment buildings. There are a range of houses from attached houses, to single houses, to single family homes to double family homes. As far as apartments go, there are several a block distance from the lot and some of them are tall, none too imposing, casting tall shadows on the other buildings. In general there are many supermarkets, from right across the street at the Natural or “C” Town to the new one on the next block near Queens Boulevard. There is also a range of banks in the area already. Several clothing stores and shops are found along Austin Street, the street on which the lot is located. The shops are relatively small, nothing as big as Malls or stores like Home Depot. As for schools in the area, there are several, and one is adjacent to the lot itself. From middle schools to high schools, as well as Catholic schools like the one next to the lot. Recreation in the area includes movie theaters, as well as parks with playgrounds for kids and others with many trees and much greenery. Also, many kids go to the community house after school. There, there is a variety of things to do, like swimming, to acting out plays, or playing basketball.

The general categorizations of the buildings in Forest Hills would be having mixed heights. If a building were to be built in Forest Hills it would have to be not too tall and imposing to the surrounding scenery. It would not be a bank or supermarket because there are already several located in the area. Forest Hills is more of a calm neighborhood where the buildings all in a way go together with nothing to high-tech or shiny.

Recreational sites in Forest Hills now, include a movie theater, the Midway, was well as parks in the area, like the Austin Street Park and Forest Park. In Forest Hills the Community House, only a couple blocks away from the empty lot, is where may of the younger kids go after school to play games with other kids, perform plays, and swim. As for residential units around the lot, there are apartment buildings, attached houses, double family houses, single family houses, and separate poems. The medical professions in Forest Hills include dentist and doctors offices. Also, around the lot there are several food stores like supermarkets, the Natural and C town, as well as fast food places like McDonalds and restaurants and bakeries that include Boston Market, A&J's Pizza and "Cheese of the World". The types of stores near the lot also include clothing stores, book stores, and electronic stores. In Forest Hills the places of worship include temples, churches and mosques, and the education available around the lot include public, private, and Catholic schools. To go around in Forest Hills, the transportation includes subways, buses, cars, and bicycles.

**2. An analysis of what the neighborhood needs.**

Forest Hills is a very varied place with shops, homes, stores, and schools, though the one thing kids would really appreciate would be a recreational center. It would be unlike the community house already in Forest Hills, which is for younger kids. Since Forest Hills has such a variety of stores, kids don't always have somewhere to go. With a recreational center kids could go there, play sports, watch a movie, read, or even get a bite to eat. Another thing Forest Hills doesn't have, is a bowling alley. In the recreational center bowling could be incorporated into what is finally put in the building. Also, on the roof there could be a garden which the kids could take part in creating and maintaining. This would give Forest Hills a lesson in what the people there can do to help the environment.

**Buildings and that provide inspiration**

 * [[image:building-gc.png width="318" height="232" align="center"]]

The Hamburg Philharmonic Hall is a concert hall in Hamburg, Germany. It was designed by Herzog & de Meuron, on top of an old warehouse. This building will be the highest inhabited building in Hamburg. I am inspired by this building because it is not the typical shape of a building that most people would expect. This building would inspire my building in Forest Hills because it gives me the idea that the lot could have an irregularly shaped building to fit the limited space available. By having twists and curves in the building I feel like it gives the structure a more friendly and kid welcome look, in the sense that it would appeal to kids who want to have a place to hang out. ||
 * [[image:theburj.JPG width="320" height="273" align="center"]]

The Burj Al Arab, a luxury hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates managed by the Jumeirah Group and built by Said Khalil, was designed by Tom Wright of WS Atkins PLC. This building inspires me because it is designed to resemble a billowing sail which soars to a height of 1,053 feet. The way the the architect, Tom Wright, incorporated the scenery of Dubai into a building is inspiring to me and encourages me to do the same thing for the design for the lot in Forest Hills. Forest Hills is a very calm community and with medium sized buildings. The Burj Al Arab inspires me to use the medium sized heights to an advantage to include a new modern design with a height that allows many different recreational activities in the building. ||
 * [[image:High_Court,Chandigarh.JPG width="240" height="223" align="center"]]

The High Court Chandigarh by Le Corbusier is a building that has many inspirational features. For one, this building is made wholly of concrete. This building is full of colors and shapes that make the building unique. In Forest Hills the buildings are mostly unlike the one above. The buildings are not usually colorful and bright with many different design spaces. So, this building inspires me to add color into a building in Forest Hills. Not necessarily as bright and big as the High Court Chandigarh, but adding color and shapes on the outside of a building on a lot designed for a children's hang out center would welcome other kids as a recreational center. ||
 * [[image:fallingwater1.JPG width="240" height="223" align="center"]]

Fallingwater, the name of building for Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Kaufmann Sr. at Bear Run, Pennsylvania, was created by Frank Lloyd Wright, according to his ideas to place the occupants close to their surrounding nature. The reason I find this building and architect so inspiring, is because Wright found a way to incorporate the building into nature. This could be very inspiring when thinking of building a structure in Forest Hills. I would have to think about the buildings already there around the lot, and incorporate the atmosphere in the building I am trying to create. ||
 * [[image:building5.JPG width="320" height="200" align="center"]]

Hundertwasser Building is a residential complex that is in Germany. This building inspires me because it connects "green" into a building. The U-shaped building rises like a ramp and has grass, flowers and trees planted on its roof. For a building in Forest Hills, having greenery on the roof would allow a sense of peacefulness. Not only that, but by putting greenery on the roof, a person could relax and maybe even take away a lesson about nature. This, as well as the curved design of the building, would be the perfect touch to finish a recreational center and hang out. ||

** In what ways has the investigation influence you to design a building for you lot that makes the best fit for the neighborhood? **
The investigation of buildings that inspire me has influenced my ideas on building a lot that has the best fit for Forest Hills. For one, all the green designs for the building made me think that having greenery on the roof of a building that has recreational activities for kids would give them a place to relax, and maybe even inspire them to think more about the environment. Also, several of the buildings also had the important factor of height to make the lot seem bigger than it really is. Adding height to a building may seem imposing in Forest Hills, but a medium sized building would allow the design for the lot to incorporate recreational activities for kids in several different categories of sports. I learned from my research that buildings do not have to be conventional and "normal" shaped. In a way it is that weird and unconventional element that would make kids like the recreational center more, if it were to be built in Forest Hills based on these inspiring buildings and architects.

=Works Cited:=

"Burj Al Arab Hotel Dubai UAE - SouthTravels.com." //Hotel Reservations | Hotel Booking | Trusted by Tourist Worldwide - SouthTravels.com//. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. <[]>.

"Hamburg Ballet and John Neumeier." //Ballet.co Home Page//. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. <[]>.

"High Court,Chandigarh. | Flickr - Photo Sharing!" //Welcome to Flickr - Photo Sharing//. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. <[]>.

"July 2010." //Shine Brite Zamorano//. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. <[]>.

"Wright, Frank Lloyd Photos." //Welcome to Quotations Book - The Home of Famous Quotes//. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. <[]>.

= DESIGN BRIEF =

**Problem to be solved:**
The problem to be solved in the neighborhood is that Forest Hills needs a building for recreational purposes. Forest Hills has many business and food stores and not enough buildings that is simply a place of recreation for teenagers. Forest Hills needs a place where teens can go after school to relax and enjoy games as well as foods.

**Requirements:**

 * There must be a setback from the sidewalk for gardens and a place to relax
 * The building must be tall enough to hold several recreational activities that teens would enjoy participating in
 * The exterior of the building must not be too flashy to clash with the other buildings in the area. Also, the building can be modern but must be respectful of the other types of buildings in the area.
 * Around the building and on the top there must be gardens to give people a chance to enjoy the scenery of an area

**Constraints:**

 * The footprint of the building must not be larger than the size and shape of the lot itself
 * The building must be no higher than 5 stories
 * The building must not be right up against the sidewalk
 * Must be informed about the landmark protected styles

Description of Three Possible Designs media type="custom" key="8106802" This first design is a rectangle, with rounded corners, having a semi-circle design in the front for a door. The transparent glass designs on the sides of the building are meant to allow light to flow into the building, and have a open feeling. (This open feeling is meant to allow people to feel relaxed as they look outside.) On the top of the building as well as next to the building set back, there are rooftop gardens. The building colors, light and dark blues, purple, green, and a red/purple color, are meant to give the building a playful look that welcomes kids to have a place to hang out. This building is meant to have an overall affect that invites younger people, with unconventional window designs and bright colors.
 * Design #1 **

** Design #2 **

media type="custom" key="8107062" This design, meant to be about a 4 floor building with high ceilings, has an unconventional design, with many windows allowing light to get into the building. Though the design has a rectangular footprint, it has both circular and rectangular windows. (The rectangular windows are both horizontal and vertical.) This design includes three main colors, blue, light purple, and bright green which are all colors that represent children (meaning more playful that the normal brick building.) The blue is the base color for the building where all the windows are located, and the purple is a pulled out wall design on top of the blue. Outlining where the purple walls are pulled out, is the color green. The colors are not meant to be too bright to clash with all the other buildings in the area, but bright enough to represent younger people in the area.

** Design #3 **

media type="custom" key="8126724" The building has a footprint of a rectangle with rounded corners, as well as two other structures on top of the one main base. The colors in the building were green, purple, blue, and yellow. They all gave the building a younger look. The whole building has several windows that are translucent that makes the building seem lighter. This design also has several gardens, including on the top of each structure on the building, and next to the sidewalk set back. This building has an eye catching design with the unconventional three structure building, which would welcome younger people to go into the building.

** Identify the Best Design: **
The best design is design three, the unconventional building with three structures put together. It has in total four gardens, three on the roof of each structure in the building and one next to the sidewalk set back. (The roof top gardens are all surrounded by a fence.) The design also has about four floors with several transparent windows, including some that are in a specific design. The top most level of the building has a room with two totally transparent sides. The four colors used to create this design are yellow, light blue, light green, and light purple.

** Justify Your Choice: **
Design Three is the best because it represents what kids would like when thinking of places to hang out. The building has an unconventional design with a rectangular base and two added structures, overlapping, on top of it. The design also has bright colors which is unlike the other buildings in the area, but not too out of the blue that the colors clash or stick out. This building is modern in a way that attracts younger kids, and gives them a fun place to hang out. The design includes many creative ideas, yet still fits the specifications with having a set back, a specific height and footprint limit, and roof top gardens, and still attracts teens in the area.