Urban Cadence

13 URBAN CADENCE Integrate: Vertical Campus for the Berklee College of Music Harvard GSD Core III | Fall 2024 Instructor: John May

14 Speculation: the Circus Urban Cadence encapsulates the rhythmic interplay of movement, sound, and activity that defines a dynamic Urban Theater where architecture orchestrates a symphony of public and institutional life, blending the chaotic vibrancy of the city with the controlled precision of performance. The conceptual models translate this vision into volumes that intersect and collide, setting the stage for heterotopia—a controlled chaos where activities intersect and overlap. The massing strategy reflects the tectonic contradictions of light and heavy, solid and transparent, through stacking and layering. The facade reveals the building's inner workings, inviting the public to glimpse inside. “The circus, as an event that offers a multiplicity of simultaneous experiences that cannot be taken in entirely by the viewer...where the objective was always to communicate the maximum amout of information in a way that was both pleasurable and eff ective...There is a recognized mission for everyone involved. ” Beatriz Colomnia_The Eameses’ Multimedia Architecture

15 Urban Strategy: A Dynamic Intersection Berkelee is situated at a crucial urban intersection that demands a dialogue between its bustling surroundings and diverse group of users. The project responds to this urban need by extending this intersection outward and bringing it up vertically. The theater, half inserted into the adjacent dorm building, fl oats above an alleyway created by cutting off one bay of that building, allowing for students to pass underneath and creating a series of elevated courtyards. Student Entry (West and South) Public Entry (North) and Loading

16 Circulation: BOH & FOH The relationship between back-of-house (BOH) and front-of-house (FOH) is pivotal. The BOH starts at the second level and extends into the adjacent building. It starts from the southeast corner hidden inside the solid building and as it goes up it turns the corner, wrapping around the theater and revealing itself to the public. This configuration allows students to seamlessly transition between educational and performative roles, with the public catching glimpses of their behind-the-scenes activity. Public Entry (North) and Loading BOH Circulatioon

17 Sections Sections reveal the project’s layered openness: lower levels where impromptu performances blur the line between everyday life and theater encourage informal interactions; volumes such as the library and collaboration spaces penetrate upper-level programs, creating moments of physical and visual connection. Sloped surfaces, terraced spaces, and visual overlaps defi ne the interconnectivity between programs, creating a continuous and dynamic choreography of movement. Library Section A-A' Section B-B'

18 Sections Section C-C' Collabooration Space

19 System Central cores holds a frame system that supports cantilevering trusses. The tapering volumes create opportunities for double facade, an intermediate space that can either be narrow to accommodate a circulation or widened to become a triple height atrium for student gatherings. The double facade would also function as a thermal barrier and produce stack effect for ventilation purposes. Different levels of transparency reveals certain programs and obscure others, providing shading and visual privacy. Facade Corner Detail Wall Sectioon