KARA

=**Best Fit** = by Kara

=INVESTIGATION STAGE =

**General characteristics of the neighborhood** :
The neighborhood I am developing is Long Island City, an urban, commercial area with the busy Northern Boulevard running through it, cutting it half. There are big, box stores like Home Depot, Sports Authority, Toys R Us, and Michaels on the southern side of the boulevard as well as many other stores like Old Navy, Game Stop, and Conway that are smaller or just stores that take up a lot of space like Car Dealership stores. On the northern side, there are many apartments, mostly belonging to the Woodside Public Housing Projects but besides people's homes on that side, there are small bolognas and delis as well as a big box store, Best Buy. There are also many places to eat or drink like McDonald's, Pizza Hut, StarBucks, and Boston Market. Also, the intersection my lot is near is very busy because two buses, the Q18 and the Q66 run by and there is a train station where the R train and the M train stop. Another thing, is that there is a large Chinese place for worship in the neighborhood.

Block and Lot Number:
Block Number: 1192 Lot Number: 42

Size of lot:
257.6 x 260.01 x 275.59 x 270.01

**Needs assessment** :
The neighborhood already has a lot of big, box stores and regular stores which is why its a commercial area. Some of the big, box stores are Home Depot, Best Buy, Sports Authority, Toys R Us, and Michaels. Regular stores are Old Navy, Conways, M ﻿ arshalls, Game Stop, Guitar Hero, Chuckee Cheese, Party City, David's Bridal, and The Pets Store. There are also car dealerships which are very big and take up a lot of the western side of the boulevard. It has plenty of places to eat or drink like Orange Hut, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Boston Market, Dunkin Donuts, Joe's (pizza store), and StarBucks. It also has small bolognas and delis on the Northern side of the boulevard. The neighborhood also already has homes like appartments but not many, most of them belonging to the Woodside Public Housing Projects. It already has transportation like the Northern Boulevard, Q18 and Q66 buses, and the R and the M train. The neighborhood also already has a place to worship for Chinese. **2. An analysis of what the neighborhood needs.** The neighborhood needs a few things. The neighborhood needs a school close by so that it can increase the amount of kids that come in. It could also give more of a community feel to this area that is so commercial and urban. Besides a school, there also needs to be some sort of recreation like a park or a bowling alley. Once again, it could help the area become more a communtity where people can go to hangout or play instead of just going for the big box stores and shopping. It could also help more people go to the area which is good for my lot. The neighborhood needs some sort of medical place like a doctor's office or hospital. This could add more of people coming in for things like doctors appointments instead of just driving on the Northern Boulevard or going to one of the big, box stores. Another thing that the neighbor needs are more homes like apartments. Although there are apartments, most of them are part of the Woodside Public Housing Projects. If we add more apartments, then more people will be in the area and will create more of a communtity of this commercial area. As you can see, the neighborhood needs to have a better communtity instead of being so urban and commercial. **Buildings and architects that provide inspiration**
 * 1. A description of what the neighborhood already has. **











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 * In what ways has this investig﻿ation influenced you to design a building **** for your lot that makes the best fit for the neighborhood? **

I am seeing a pattern in the choice of buildings. Most of them, have a curve interpreted in them. It is not a coincidence that they all have curves but that I picked some of them because they had it. I think that it adds a lot of style to the building and can establish itself so that it won't be looked at without being noticed. Also, my lot is an irregular shape, something that I want to use to create the curve in the building. However, I know that my building will have to be squarish because of the neighborhood but with the irregular shape, I can add the curve I am looking for. Another pattern I saw in the choice of my buildings was that they had a lot of windows, mostly large windows. I think I picked most of the buildings because they had a lot of windows. I think, if done carfully, a building can have so much value with large windows. However, I do not think my building I am designing will have a lot of windows because it would not fit in the neighborhood. I reliazed that my neighborhood has a lot of big, box stores and high rise apartments. This is essential to designing my lot because that means my building can be tall in height as well as wide without sticking out like a sore thumb in the neighborhood. Also, another thing essential to designing to my lot is how modern it is. I think that I can work with that because I wanted my building to be modern all along. However, I also think that to make it modern (also, because I think a building looks so much better with it) I would add a piece of glass in the middle. I think this investigation influenced me to design a building for my lot that makes the best fit for the neighborhood that would be a recreation center. I think a place that can pull the communtity together and make the neighborhood more welcoming is needed. For example, there is no place for the children to play or where teenagers could hang out or a close gym adults could go to. A recreation center provides a place for everyone. I also think it would work because the neighborhood is a commercial place and it needs things that could make it more friendly for the people who live there instead of the people who shop there.

"Amazing Buildings." Crazy Junkyard. Web. 17 Jan. 2011. . "Amazing Buildings." Crazy Junkyard. Web. 17 Jan. 2011. . "Amazing Buildings." Crazy Junkyard. Web. 17 Jan. 2011. . "Creative Ideas – Extraordinary Buildings Part A." // Amazing Only //. Web. 10 Jan. 2011. .
 * WORKS CITED**

"Frank Gehry’s Center for Brain Health | We Heart: Essential Lifestyle Guide." // We Heart: Your Essential Lifestyle Guide //. Web. 10 Jan. 2011. .

=DESIGN BRIEF =

**Problem to be solved:**
There needs to be a place to make this commercal, industrial place feel more like a communtity. The function of the building is to provide areas for exercise and sports for all ages and interests to enjoy.

**Requirements:**

 * has to be a modern building to fit in with the neighborhood
 * large windows
 * accessible to everyone(wheel chair accessible)
 * made for everyone of all ages and interests
 * have objects to do with exercise and sports
 * have something that will make the building feel "greener"

**Constraints:**

 * can not over exceed 257.6 x 260.01 x 275.59 x 270.01.
 * must be a low rise building(6 stories)

Description of Three Possible Designs This building is 200 feet wide and 256 feet long. It's height is 60 feet tall. Made with modular brick pavers to cover most of the building, it's rectangular shape has been pulled in two directions to make balconies. The first balcony can be used for anyone who just wants to get some air or hang out or play a game. You can call it a family area if you want because it is safe for everyone with a 7.8' feet tall balcony wall and enough space for everyone to use with an area of 78.10 x 182.3. The part of the building that provides this balcony is a translucent 100' x 200' building that houses the entrance to the building. On the second part of the building that is pulled out has a balcony with an area 183.3' x 78.20'. It holds a tennis court and double doors to the second floor. Large windows cover the middle part's walls as well as have a big window in the back part.
 * Design #1 **

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** Design #2 ** This building is 227.11 feet wide and 176.11 feet long. It's height is 60 feet tall. The building is a rectangle made out of tumbled brick and it's roof expands over the building. Made with a 11.5 feet wide Multi Masonry Stone balcony for runners, the roof also has two translucent green houses stacked on top of each other. On top of that is a pool area with three pools and a water slide as well as lounging chairs and seating areas. There is a big translucent window in the back and two small translucent windows above the front entrance as well as two large windows on its side.

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** Design #3 ** This building is actually two 88 feet long, 72 feet wide, 48 feet high buildings combined into one with a translucent triangle designed skywalk. Each building has a large, translucent window on the outer side and back side. They both have the front side pushed in a little, revealing the three part circular door which are both translucent. The building is made out of the color 002 and on the roof has 9.2 feet wide Tanj2 Various Tile Balcony(track) for runners. Wrapped inside the balcony is the translucent 56 feet long and 48.9 feet wide room that houses the workout gym for the recreation center. Opposite this building is the identical building with the same balcony wrapping the same sized and translucent room except the room is used for a pool. Also, underneath the skywalk is a soccer field. Around the soccer field and the building is grass. However, the same tile used for the track will be used for a walkway to the entrance so that people don't have to walk throught the grass.

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<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">** Identify the Best Design: **
The best design is Design #3: The two 002 color buildings connected with the translucent skywalk.

<span style="font-size: 1.3em; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 5px;">** Justify Your Choice: **
==The best design is Design #3 because the other two designs don't accomplish the building I want for my lot to an extent like Design #3. All the buildings follow the specifications and have nothing wrong with them but they do not have a lot of things a recreation center should have. Design #1 does not have a lot of things that people can do except play tennis or play a game on the balcony. How can you bring a communitity together when they have nothing to do? Design #2 does not have a lot of things to do either except maybe go to a green house, track or go to the pool. It also has a lot of things that attract people like the trangle designed skywalk which is very modern and nice to look at. Also, the grass allows people to concentrate on that building and not be right next to the neighboring building. The translucent front is also very modern and appealing and something people will notice but still fit in with the neighborhood. However, Design #3 has a lot of things. It has a soccer field, pool, gym, track, and a lot more room inside for other things. I think this best solves the problem on how to bring the communitity together.==