D5 - Cultural & Recreational Center

Justin Gammon - Term 1, 2012 Final Crit 

The D5 studio builds on design concepts explored in earlier studios and challenges students to explore a complex range of program criteria, including site planning and community integration, that are integral to a multi use facility such as a community centre.

Precident Study

Chapel at Ronchamp (1954) - Le Corbusier

This building, designed late in the Architect’s career, departs from much of his earlier “machine age” work and celebrates a search for spirituality. I used various drawing techniques to explore key aspects of the design including the approach, relationship to site, flexibility of program, scale, materials and, in particular, control of light.

Central Park - Proposed Redevelopment

The second phase of the studio was the design and development of a cultural centre in a natural setting within a city context. I chose an 8 acre park site in a rapidly gentrifying community close to the centre of the city. The site is well used with a 1970’s era building containing a 50m swimming pool and support for a variety of outdoor activities. A closer review however revealed significant limitations with the current infrastructure and a “hodge podge” attitude to site usage.

Looking beyond the boundaries of the site I noted that the property was immediately adjacent to two significant community resources, the Memorial Arena and Royal Athletic Park. While incorporation of these resources was beyond the scope of the studio I noted the relationship and the potential to create an integrated “Recreational Precinct”

With the approval of my mentor I modified the prescribed program to more closely meet the actual requirements of the community (based on discussions with residents and a review of the Official Community Plan).

The resulting program could be divided into three principle components - a recreational centre,  a community centre and a daycare / teen centre. My design reflected this division through the development of a campus of buildings surrounding a central plaza which also helped to organize and integrate diverse activity over the large site.