I started with a list that went something like this:
-Design a place for the community to gather/come together in a social setting (to promote interaction).
-Make the spaces (interior/exterior) accessible to all residents of Berlin.
-Bring people together from neighboring towns
-Create architecture/style that respects/responds to the surrounding environment (ie. river).
-Bridging the gap between east/west Berlin (the river has divided the town and the site is sandwiched between the two sides - separated by the river and the roadway that defines the boundaries of the site)
-Using architecture to reference the past (the history of industry)
-Recycling materials/buildings/
-Use materials that are representative of the location
-Promote future growth on the site (master planning - plan for future building and program expansion)
-Keep scale of buildings relative to one another
-Design with the climate in mind (ie. northern new hampshire temperature is cold for most of the year)
I then realized that some of these "rules" were not actually rules, but more like "goals." Things I want to accomplish or achieve through the design.
So looking back at the list, I selected the points that could be used as rules and examined them further:
-Make space accessible
-Create respecting/responding architecture
-Bridging/Connecting two sides of Berlin
-Reference the past
-Use of materials (recycled, location appropriate)
-Scale
-Promote future growth
-Keep climate in mind
Then I broke them down further:
1. Make spaces accessible
-Accessible from both sides of the river (through use of physical bridge, walkways)
-For visitors/students (perhaps by re-establishing train system)
-Programmatically, allow for uses by all age groups/levels/abilities (not only having indoor gym space, but also parks, sitting areas, places to gather and listen to music/lectures, green space for running/playing)
2.Bridging Berlin
-Make connection to Main Street (to help improve economic situation)
-Develop program not only on site, but carry to Main Street to help establish connection
-Include the eastern part of town (right of site) in design (make more of a gesture other than connecting to the site with a road)
3.Referencing the Past
-Industry was a part of town for over 100 years, let the architecture represent the history of the town
-Use materials that would represent that industry
4.Materials
-Local character/materials - (wood, stone)
-industrial aesthetic (referencing the past)
-Carry the materials throughout the entire site design - all buildings should use same materials
5.Scale
-Existing building is quite large - but that is part of the character of the site/town (its impressive, huge size)...this should remain as it is, but the auxiliary buildings should stay within the height constraints/limits of the neighboring buildings in the town (ie. not exceeding 2 or 3 stories in height)
-Footprints of the buildings should remain with the footprints/foundations of former buildings (to remain within the "hurt" part of the site)
6. Future growth
-Develop a site plan that would allow for future growth
-Provide multiple entry/exit sequences on outlying buildings - to connect to future buildings
7.Climate
-Consider creating interior spaces (hallways rather than exterior walkways) to connect spaces/buildings
-Cold climate: use warm materials (colors) to counter-act the "coldness" (both physical and psychological) - creating a "warm" place for people to come to
8. Create respecting/responding architecture
-The site was originally chosen for its location to the river - represent why the river is important
-Make the river a key focal point of the design, rather than an afterthought
-Orient buildings towards views (main street, river, mountains)
I am hoping that this list will help me define and shape this final design in a way that will help to reinforce the ideas I have set forth in my thesis.
I would appreciate feedback on any/all of these points - I want to make sure that they are helping to really "define" what I want.
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