City College of New York South Campus Development

http://www.rvapc.com/Authoring/Image.../147_tmp24.jpg
http://www.rvapc.com/Authoring/Image.../147_tmp25.jpg

http://www.rvapc.com/ht/HTProject.as...amp;projID=147

Quote:

---

An existing, though poorly maintained, modernist glass-block building – designed and built in the early Fifties – has been selected as the new home for the City College School of Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture which has outgrown its current location in Shepard Hall. Originally conceived as a library, decades of evolving academic and administrative programs have transformed this building, scheduled to contain the new architecture school, into a fractured collection of generally inadequate spaces housing administrative functions for the college as a whole. The RVA master plan for the campus relocates these administrative functions to other structures and calls for a gut renovation of this fine existing building.

On the exterior, a strategy for providing controlled light into studio spaces, involves erecting light stainless steel louvers that respond to the various orientations on the exterior of the building. The rest of the redesign creates two floors of loft studio space, an architecture library, a central exhibit space, offices, and a lecture hall around a large atrium whose system of staircases and bridges facilitate circulation throughout the building. At the top of the atrium, a clerestory introduces natural light into the heart of the plan and a rooftop amphitheater overlooks the campus.

---

Brooklyn College West Quad

Nice design there for a revamp. Low yet appealing. You can see that the public spaces are in the fractal style of design - very 'now'.

BTW Any pic of the "existing, though poorly maintained" 50's building for comparative reasons?

I think the "fractal style of design" relates to the irregular topography.

I work in this building. "Poorly maintained" is right... "Y Building" (as it is currently known) is a dump. It will be great to watch its transformation.

The building features tremendously high ceilings that will make for magnificent spaces when the building has a more open floor plan.

Also, most of the west face of the building is unusable because it is taken up by large ramps that connect the various floors. These were added to allow large book carts to be moved from floor to floor without elevators. Hopefully these will be removed and converted to usable space.

As of now, no date has been set for us to move out of the building so that construction can begin.

http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/aboutus/cam...nim250x188.gif

Just from the 2-flasher pic, it looks a bit of a 'bunker' tmg.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kris

I think the "fractal style of design" relates to the irregular topography.

---

Yet the main building's footprint seems to be on a relatively flat surface (key word here being 'relatively').

Interestingly, the formations rising vertically above any irregular topography in the models for the public spaces/access areas are fractal - which wouldn't necessarily relate to the topography itself but (seems to be) purely to a design aesthetic. Unless of course it also has something to do with a stabilizing process including the retainment of the foundations. Killing 2 birds with.....

On having said that, you (in general) are able to interpret the main stepped access plaza area and relate it to a contoured map, which certainly does relate to topography:

http://www.jhlabs.com/maps/doc/contours.jpg

The building actually has a lot of windows and "glass bricks". The side of the building shown in the pictures has no windows because of the useless interior ramps.

Solid 50s glass bricks - from the exterior or interior....yummo!!

http://www.pirieent.com.au/glassbrickshowroom.jpg

This building has long since been gutted, but this week, the useless old library ramps were demolished. Hopefully some additional windows will be cut on the remaining sheerwall on that facade.

Hopefully some actual construction will start soon. Somebody with a camera, now would be a great time for some pictures!

The addition to the first floor has been built now, in structure at least. A new core has also been installed on the southwest. Between the floors towards the center there are mini-floors that have been formed for offices.

The upperclassmen are a bit disappointed; they thought they'd spend at least a year in the new building. Three years behind schedule now.

Facade is being installed. Not exciting, but oh -- what an improvement over the old one! No glass yet, though.

Here are some updated links:
http://www.rvapc.com/ht/HTProject.as...cts&projID=147
http://www.rvapc.com/Authoring/.%5CI...47_tmp1021.jpg

Yeah the facade is now wrapping around the north and east sides after oddly stopping after the full west face and half of the south side. I can't tell what material it is, but it doesn't look too classy. Seems like it will stain easily; there's already a prominent stain on the west side.

Ducts have also been installed.

I have a billion pictures, I'll try to post some.

Hey Gul!

Welcome back!

Glass installation has begun.

Yeah but only in one bay, it's been there for a week or so now. It seems like they test things out first before going full on here, good idea.

7/19/07

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1237/...e994fb68_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1114/...8c667a0ae0.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1389/...0806380c31.jpg