Competition → Elevated Commons
2024 Spring
Collaborators: Yue Zhuo, Ivan Shen
The primary design move is to create a functional, humble, but simultaneously monumental roofscape that extends the public space of the quad. Modulation of step height on the roofscape forms different spaces for study, seating for performances and social events, and roof gardens to collect rainwater. During winter, when the roof is covered by snow, it becomes a slope for informal snow sliding. In warmer times, the roof becomes huge bleachers for festivals and outdoor events. Underneath the roofscape, the original structure remains essentially unchanged.
We adopted an integrated approach simultaneously considering functionality and structural solutions. Two distinct place-making objects penetrate the roof and enhance connectivity and interaction above and below the roof. Functionally, these objects are a garden, a reading space, and circulation cores. Structurally, they also support the roof alongside the timber column grid, diversifying the load-bearing strategy of the building. The two objects, the columns and the roof beams all use different species of timber. Using a variety of timber species can promote sustainable forestry practices by encouraging responsible harvesting and managing diverse forest ecosystems. This approach supports biodiversity and helps prevent monoculture, which can have negative environmental impacts.
Instead of selecting suppliers from the north-western region or seeking the south, we propose to source timber from Quebec, with the primary advantage of geographical proximity and the St. Lawrence River as a carbon-efficient transportation passage. Water transport has a lower carbon footprint per ton-mile than road transport because ships can carry large volumes of cargo and are more energy-efficient per unit of weight. We will collaborate with the Quebec Wood Export Bureau to obtain a diverse range of manufactured timber that is sustainably harvested along the St. Lawrence River and processed nearby. The and and water hybrid transportation also reduces the transportation cost.