Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

After 4 weeks or so I reached a final design proposal for this portion of the project. Below is the siteplan for the design, emphasizing on three pivotal points: both edges of the corridor and the proposed site for the OSC.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

The other end of Montgomery Street crosses over the 405 freeway.  This was an important junction as right now it is a disconnection between the West Hills and the rest of the City.  The bridge over the freeway is rather small and doesn’t entice people to cross to either side.  Early designs just included the urban canopy extending over the bridge.  The intent was to create a visual marker that would be both visable to the pedestrian and to the cars passing underneath.  Later iterations involved beefing up the bridge and creating a land bridge as a destination point along the corridor.  This provided a better experience without the anxiety of crossing the freeway and creates a stronger connection.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

The first end I addressed was where Montgomery Street descends down to the river and crosses 3 very busy streets.  The roads are feeders to the freeway, and acts as a welcoming point to this part of downtown Portland.  Giving the gateway some meaning and better identity would entice more people to travel Montgomery Street and strengthen the corridor. Generally the design went from this quasi urban-suburban place to something that resembled a staircase surrounded by functional buildings.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

Along with improving the two ends of the corridor, changes were also designed within a few of the PSU blocks, mainly in regards to the integration of the urban canopy. Initially where the overhead bridges are was an idea of connecting to them on the ground level. Something about them bothered me, but wasn’t quite sure yet what it was. After this explorative process to promote their existence, I discovered I just didn’t like them. So the simple solution was to get rid of them, moving all pedestrian movement down to the street level. This promotes more use along the corridor.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

Below are some initial site plans, and are focused on a few areas more than others.  The first of course is where the OSC is to be built.  This analysis will become more apparant and explained in the building design portion. The other two areas are the ends of Montgomery Street, where it crosses the 405 freeway and the other end where it descends to the river, crossing a few busy streets.  Focusing on these ends is intended to provide a stronger connection to the rest of the city while providing visual markers that something is occuring along the corridor.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

Kind of reminds me of the urban sombrero for some reason.  They both keep the rain off our heads at least.  ahem.  For the urban design I was faced with the dilemma on how to connect all the seperate peices together, and I thought that using an urban canopy would work well.  Now what this canopy is, was something that was struggled with much throughout this process.  The logic and intention behind this solution is that it would be a significant visual element, that where applied would act as a visual cue that you are still along Montgomery Street.  This would alleviate some of the wayfinding and general feeling of being lost at certain junctions along the path.

While acting as a wayfinding device, it is intended to also function as a means of shelter in another wise rainy city, and even act as some sort of rain collection to keep water concentrated in certain areas.

In order of progresssion, from initial to semi-final implementation.

Originally the idea was to have the canopy extend over the street, while smaller off branches would function over the sidewalk.  But the original scale of the canopy was going to be large, and mostly organic and curvilinear in form.  This prompted several issues, and after a review or two I ditched this idea.  Too grande, and covering the cars seemed like an improper gesture.

The next attempt shows a more pedestrian appropriate canopy, that where applicable would attach to existing buildings.  This provides the necessary shelter and connective device throughout the corridor.  There are parts that are more natural and park like, and within these areas the canopy becomes more organic and sculptural in form.

Also shown is the implementation of the canopy and some initial ideas on how it might become part of the Oregon Sustainability Center when done.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

The first phase of the project was to redesign and improve the Montgomery Street corridor, leading up to the design of our building. Below are a few initial diagrams and ideas pertaining to this.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

Right before arriving at the river, there is a space that definitely interrupts the flow of Montgomery Street. It descends down quite a bit, and passes over 2 busy streets.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

The next event along the journey consisted mostly of in between space. These spaces were more intimate paths that cut through a superblock, smaller blocks, and eventually would end up jettisoning the wanderer out onto another busy street at the end.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

The photos below are of the 1st site option, my final choice for the Oregon Sustainability Center. The red brick building that is on the site will remain and share space with the OSC. This will become one of the challenges, how to build around it.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

The next area are the PSU blocks.  These felt a little more connected to eachother, but was still it’s own entitiy along the corridor.  There were a few points at which Montgomery Street faded, and was difficult to find the street again as some of it becomes pedestrian street and crosses the Park Blocks.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

Below are some site photos of the project site along Montgomery Street, starting from the West Hills walking down to the River.  I thought it would be an important experience to make the complete walk, taking inventory along the way.  There were several key observations made, and areas that could use improvement.

The gallery below is a series of photos taken along at one of the site, by the 405 underpass.  The West Hills neighborhood had a feeling of disconnection to the rest of Montgomery Street because of the freeway.  One challenge would be this area, and how to make a better connection.

Q1 Fall 2009: Studio 683 – Portland Sustainability Center
Professor Don Genasci and Professor Hajo Neis

The first project for the introductory studio for new M.Arch II students is to design the Portland Sustainability Center located along the Montgomery Street corridor near downtown.  The current proposal for the Sustainability Center is underway, and can be found here: Oregon Sustainability Center

Before the design of the building, 4 weeks were given to the design and analysis of the street corridor the project was to be located on, Montgomery Street.  This approach looked at the larger context of the project, and not only how the building would affect the immediate site, but how it would impact the total surroundings.

From the project description, “Montgomery Street is a major spine that could be developed to give greater identity to the University District.  This street runs from the river and river park area, and is the main East/West street for River Place and University District.  It is on of the few crossings of the 405 freeway in this area, and connects with Vista a major street up in the West Hills.  The University District is an extension of the commercial core.  Currently the area is deficient in services and parks for the substantial population that lives and works in this area.  There is a new square in the  area but it is difficult to use for other than passive activities because of over-design, lack of positive space, and the street car that runs through it.  In addition to the Park Blocks, the commercial core has a series of parks that give identity to the downtown.  The extension of these parks into the university district  may provide an opportunity to provide green space and/or a usable square.”

Map of Montgomery Corridor, and three options for sites are blocked out.