ABSTRACT
Title of Thesis: Sustainable Building Museum for Washington, D.C.
Degree Candidate: Vanessa T. Eng
Degree and year: Master of Architecture, Fall 2003
Advisory Committee: Professor of Practice, Gary Bowden
Adjunct Professor Julie Gabrielli, AIA
Professor Carl Bovill
Discussions of sustainability have become increasingly common in recent
times, as there has been a growing concern for the impact of the built environment
on the ecological state of the planet. As we experiment with alternate energy
sources, long- term development plans, and waste reduction techniques, new
materials and design approaches are emerging.
A synthesis of these discussions, this thesis examines how green buildings
work in urban environments through the development of a museum and research
center on sustainability for Washington, DC, that is itself, environmentally friendly.
Utilizing and displaying green building systems, this public museum will teach the
design profession as well as individuals through its exhibits and assembly. This
learning machine will focus on the generality of sustainability, and the specifics of
sustainable architecture.
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MUSEUM FOR WASHINGTON, D.C.
By
Vanessa T. Eng
Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the
University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Architecture
2003
Advisory Committee:
Professor Gary Bowden, Chair
Adjunct Professor Julie Gabrielli, AIA
Professor Carl Bovill
DEDICATION
This thesis is dedicated to my mother.
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to sincerely thank all of the people who have
helped and encouraged me along the way.
Special thanks to Julie Gabrielli, Eric Chan and Jim Shemro for their support.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Figures???????????????????..????????
Introduction???????????????????..????????...
Chapter One
Sustainability???????????????????..???????.?..
Definition; How things came to be; Significance Today
Chapter Two
Museum Paradigm??????????????????????????.
Development of Museums through the Living Museum
Chapter Three
The Site ??????.??????????????.??????..???.
Museums in Washington, DC; History of Site; Survey/
Documentation of Existing Condition; Analysis; Zoning
Chapter Four
Goals and Approach ??????????????.???????...?.??
Special Issues; Design Intent; Program-Specific Description,
Information, Diagrams
Chapter Five
Design Approach??????????????..???????..??...??
Parti Analysis
Chapter Six
Precedent Analysis??????????????????????????
Sustainable Buildings - Cultural, Emotional; Sustainable Buildings ?
Ecological; Flexibility of Spaces; Relating to Nature; Museum Circulation;
Living Museums
Chapter Seven
Synthesis????????..??????.???????????????.
Bibliography????.??????????????????..?????.
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Photographs from the 2002 Solar Decathlon, Washington DC??..??
Figure 2: Catalogues from exhibits at the National Building Museum??.??.?
Figure 3: British Museum, London???????????????????
Figure 4: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (exterior)??????..
Figure 5: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (interior)??????..
Figure 6: Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain??????????????.
Figure 7: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio and
Inventure, Arkon, Ohio.???????????????????..
Figure 8: Figure Ground Diagram of Washington, DC?????????..??
Figure 9: Local Order????????????????????????.
Figure 10: Downtown Arts District and Cultural Buildings??..???????..
Figure 11: 1903 Baist Plan of Vicinity, Plate 30??????.?????.???
Figure 12: 1932 Baist Plan of Vicinity, Plate 30????????????..??
Figure 13: 1965 Baist Plan of Vicinity, Plate 30??????????????..
Figure 14: 2002 District of Columbia Office of Planning, Plan of Vicinity????
Figure 15: Areas undergoing construction and recently completed work?????
Figure 16: Space Positive Diagram. ????????..??????????..
Figure 17: Space Negative Diagram???????????????????
Figure 18: Aerial Photograph of Vicinity?????????????????.
Figure 19: Aerial Photograph of Site??????????????????...
Figure 20: Axonometric Diagram of site?????????????????.
Figure 21: Land Use?????????????????????????.
Figure 22: E Street, NW. ???????????????????????.
Figure 23: 9
th
Street, NW..?????????????????????.?..
Figure 24: F Street, NW..???????????????????????.
Figure 25: 8
th
Street, NW?????????????????????..?...
Figure 26: Section through E Street, looking north at site????????.??.
Figure 27: Section through 8
th
Street, looking west at site??????????...
Figure 28: Lot and Sidewalk Dimensions?????????????????
Figure 29: Pedestrian Oriented Developments. ??????????????..
Figure 30: Plan of immediate vicinity showing entrances and building types???
Figure 31: Topography????????????????????????.
Figure 32: Sun Path Diagram for 40? North Latitude????????????..
Figure 33: Seasonal Shadow Projections?????????????????.
Figure 34: Hourly Shadow Diagram for 40? North Latitude on June 21?????.
Figure 35: Climatic Data. Avg. Temp. and Records for Washington, DC?..?...?.
Figure 36: Climatic Data. Record Daily Precipitation for Washington, DC.??...?
Figure 37: Climatic Data. Record Daily Snowfall for Washington, DC??.?..?...
Figure 38: Climatic Data. Monthly Averages for Washington, DC??.??...??.
Figure 39: Accessibility?????????????..??????????.
Figure 40: Transit???????????????????.???????
Figure 41: Axon of Parti 1- Courtyard Scheme????????..???..??...
Figure 42: Plan of Parti 1- Courtyard Scheme???????????????.
Figure 43: Section of Parti 1- Courtyard Scheme??????????????
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Figure 44: Plan of Parti 2- Interior/Exterior Scheme????????????...
Figure 45: Section of Parti 2- Interior/Exterior Scheme???????????..
Figure 46: Axon of Parti 2- Interior/Exterior Scheme??????????.??
Figure 47: Plan of Parti 3- 12? East of South???????????????...
Figure 48: Section of Parti 3- 12? East of South??????????????..
Figure 49: Axon of Parti 3- 12? East of South??????????????.?
Figure 50: Plan of Parti 4- Separate Program Scheme???????????.?
Figure 51: Section of Parti 4: Separate Program Scheme??????????....
Figure 52: Axon of Parti 4- Separate Program Scheme???????????...
Figure 53: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters????????.....?
Figure 54: The Pyramids??????????????????????.?
Figure 55: Daniel Burnham?s Flatiron Building in New York City?????...?..
Figure 56: Embassy of Finland. Overlapping of Spaces Diagram???????..
Figure 57: Embassy of Finland. Overlapping of Spaces???????????.
Figure 58: Embassy of Finland. Flow through building??.????????....
Figure 59: Embassy of Finland. Planting as building material????????...
Figure 60: Atrium Space. Renzo Piano Apartment Building??.???????..
Figure 61: Experience Nature. Parc Andre Citroen?????????????
Figure 62: Simulate Nature. Culture House????????????????
Figure 63: Museum Circulation????????????????????...
Figure 64: The Rotunda of the Museum of Natural History??????????
Figure 65: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum????.?????..
Figure 66: View from E Street, looking west???????????????...
Figure 67: View from the corner of E and 9
th
Streets????????????..
Figure 68: View from E Street, looking west???????????????...
Figure 69: Atrium space from the lower level???????????????.
Figure 70: View into atrium from exhibit space??????????????..
Figure 71: View of rooftop Experimental Garden?????????????..
Figure 72: South Elevation??????????????????????...
Figure 73: West Elevation???????????????????????
Figure 74: East Elevation???????????????????????.
Figure 75: East-West Section through building, looking north?????????
Figure 76: North-South Section through building, looking east????????..
Figure 77: Lower Level Plan??????????????????????
Figure 78: Ground Floor Plan?????????????????????..
Figure 79: 2
nd
Floor Plan???????????????????????..
Figure 80: 3
rd
and 4
th
Floor Plans????????????????????.
Figure 81: 5
th
Floor Plan???????????????????????...
Figure 82: Rooftop Plan???????????????????????...
Figure 83: Urban Strategy???????????????????????
Figure 84: Green in the city?????????????????????.?.
Figure 85: Program???...??????????????????????
Figure 86: Organization/ Structure???????????????????...
Figure 87: Light???????????????????????????
Figure 88: Materials?????????????????????????.
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Figure 89: Plantings?????????????????????????..
Figure 90: Experience Nature?????????????????????...
Figure 91: Green Roof????????????????????????..
Figure 92: Heating/Cooling??????????????????????..
Figure 93: Learn from nature?????????????????????...
Figure 94: Energy??????????????????????????
Figure 95: Atrium Section Detail????????????????????
Figure 96: South Wall Section Detail??????????????????.
Figure 97: Model Images???????????????????????.
Figure 98: Model Images???????????????????????
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INTRODUCTION
?They paved paradise, put up a parking lot,
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swingin? hot spot?
Don?t it always seem to go, that you don?t know what you?ve got ?til it?s gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot?.?
1
Joni Mitchell
1
Buildings consume at least 40% of the world?s energy, and account for about 25%
of all water use. Buildings are responsible for 50% of CFC production, and building
construction and operations account for 35% - 40% of municipal solid waste. In
the United States, 80% of the things we buy today is thrown away after six months.
In manufacturing, 97% of raw material becomes waste, while only 3% becomes the
actual product.
2
By looking at these statistics, it is clear that the environment is not a primary
concern in the way we build. This failure to acknowledge our inefficient use of
materials and its bad effects on the planet is not the fault of the act of building, but
rather a manifestation of our cultural values. We are in need of reconsidering our
current building practices and attitudes toward design. These statistics demonstrate
that we are dehabilitating the planet faster than it can regenerate itself. In order to
ensure the continuation of our survival with the highest quality of life, we need to
revaluate our attitude towards how we build.
This thesis proposes the formation of an institute dedicated to the
documentation and study of sustainable building practices. The Sustainable Building
Museum for Washington, DC, will act as a catalyst, a forum for the discussion and
exchange of ideas relating to the way we build today, how we have built in the past,
and how we should build in the future. This museum will aim to inform us of our
environmental achievements as well as concern us with our trouble spots, raise
awareness, and inspire people to take responsibility.
There is no formula or recipe for the development of a green building.
Design decisions must be made specific to the conditions of the site (climate,
landscape, cultural context) and the performance needs of the occupant. This
institute will document the Washington, DC, and Baltimore Metropolitan areas in
terms of climate and landscape in order to set up appropriate building guidelines for
2
these areas. It will also work with the local governments to facilitate green design
initiatives and incentive programs.
It is a goal of the museum is to further push sustainable building practices
into the norm. It will do this by relating individuals to their role in the ecological
cycle and gently informing them of ways they can improve the current statistics.
This building does not suggest a sudden leap into green building, but rather a
gradual transition in the right direction with long term goals in mind.
Sustainability is a major consideration that is part of a holistic design
process. The LEED rating system will be considered to monitor ecological design
strategies, whereas Ten Shades of Green will be used to incorporate Green Design
Principles. The ecological success of the building will be quantified through its
LEED rating. Community and time will determine the cultural success.
This thesis begins to address the issue of sustainability through the selection
of an appropriate site. The redevelopment of a parking lot on E Street, between 8
th
and 9
th
, NW, will fill a void and reinforce the existing urban fabric through the
elimination of a surface parking lot in the city. The site is located on a cross- town
bus route, within a five-minute walk from each of the Metro Transit lines, which
encourage the use of mass transit and carpooling.
1
Mitchell, Joni. Big Yellow Taxi.
2
Tannenbaum, Robin. ?You Do The Math.? CriT Magazine. Fall 2001: no. 52
3
CHAPTER ONE : SUSTAINABILITY
sus?tain (s -st n )
tr.v. sus?tained, sus?tain?ing, sus?tains
To keep in existence; maintain
3
4
Although sustainability as a social and environmental movement has existed for
many years, it has only climbed its way to the spotlight as of late. Following the
Industrial Revolution, the presence of a ?return to nature? agenda has been evident
in a variety of disciplines. Economic books, like Small is Beautiful, as well as
literary fictions such as Brave New World, are just two examples of books in various
fields that emerged out of a concern for the future of the built environment based on
then current building practices.
Local governments are beginning to take action by offering green design
incentives. The U.S. Military has been experimenting with a sustainable design
program since 1993.
4
And from a worldwide perspective, many modern societies
are beginning to see it as a design responsibility. The 2002 Earth Summit
Conference in Johannesburg, and the series of Kyoto Conferences to address Global
Warming signify a worldwide movement of change, in addition to the numerous
green buildings being constructed internationally by prominent architects such as
Kenneth Yeang, Sir Norman Foster, Michael Hopkins and Partners, William
McDonough and Renzo Piano.
Figure 1: Solar Decathlon Photos taken from the US Department of Energy
5
5
The recent popularity of the Solar Decathlon on the Washington, DC Mall is
evidence that the public is hungry for knowledge and interested in change. For
three weeks, visitors came from all over to explore the 14 houses designed and
constructed by teams of university students. Here they learned about energy, water,
materials, and passive design strategies.
The National Building Museum has
taken the topic of Sustainability under its
scope. In the past, they have hosted the 10
Shades of Green exhibit. They recently
opened an exhibit, Big and Green, in
January 2003.
As the National Building Museum focuses on the act of building, sustainability
is only one of the many aspects of the design field covered. As a result, exhibits on
sustainability are temporary and sporadic.
Figure 2: Exhibit Catalogues from the
National Building Museum.
The United States Green Building Council,
resource that sets industry- wide green building standard
design professionals. It does not address th
individuals with background knowledge and specific concerns.
The topic of sustainability requires exploration beyond the capabilities of the
existing resources. Public and professional interests dem
additional resources on sustainable design, for exam
and recycle-ability of products, life cycle and cost analysis, and inform
6
also located in Washington DC, is a
s and provides services to
e general public, rather it is a support for
onstrate a need for
ple, information on the reuse
ation about
the embodied energy of available materials, material and cultural implications of
design decisions, etc.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
Literally, to sustain means to remain. To last. To endure. It is the common
goal of all living things to sustain life on the planet. The concept of sustainability
has entered into the mainstream so rapidly that it has become a buzzword meaning
something different to everyone who applies it. It has evolved beyond a specific
definition and exists accurately only as an umbrella term. This is because to be
sustainable means something different to each culture, climate and landscape, and
relates to ecology, economics, heritage and aesthetics of a particular place. Design
solutions that are sustainable in one place are most likely to be inappropriate if
applied to another.
Brian Edwards describes sustainability as ?not universal, but like classicism, is
modified by regional circumstances. It is an order of process and thought
necessarily adjusted by local circumstances- the rightness of sustainability and its
cultural relevance relies upon the celebration of difference.?
6
Because sustainable
architecture is context ? based, it offers the opportunity to reinforce the sense of
identity of a place. The regional, or vernacular work of architects Brian Mackay-
Lyons, Rick Joy and Glen Murcutt emphasizes significance of place through
relating back to the cultural history, climate, and the environment.
Different environmental solutions become more apparent in difference cultures,
climates and contexts, based on the availability of technology and materials.
7
Through designing less universally and more appropriately, we achieve a built
environment that is sensitive to people and place.
Some buildings that are built with permanent materials, with intention to remain,
are considered sustainable for their long life potential. At the same time, buildings
made of impermanent materials as temporary structures are also considered
sustainable for their ability to be recycled. How is that possible?
The reality is that both of these practices are in fact sustainable. The key to
understanding what is sustainable is through determining what is appropriate. The
word, appropriate, means to be suitable for a particular person or place or
condition.
7
When applied to the built environment, to build appropriately means
that buildings should be designed to last with the intended use of the building in
mind.
William McDonough interprets how to build appropriately as ?understanding
the limitations of design.? In the Hannover Principles (design guidelines and
standards written for the EXPO 2000 World?s Fair in Hannover, Germany), he
writes that we must ?understand the limitation of design. No human creation lasts
forever, and design does not solve all problems.?
8
At the same time, how do you value one ?green? solution over another? For
instance, in a project, a large quantity of wood is required, but there are no certified
lumberyards nearby. Is it more sustainable to purchase the wood from a certified
lumberyard and have it shipped to the site, or to purchase uncertified wood locally
in order to avoid pollution from transportation? There is no simple answer.
Sustainability is a concept driven by valuing the earth?s natural processes and
8
attempts to mediate our impact on it. Until we are at a stage of development where
there are more sustainable resources available, it is the responsibility of the designer
to decide what is appropriate.
HOW THINGS CAME TO BE.
The American society is aggressive about building. This is in part due to the
fact that our relationship to the landscape began as an aggressive one. The early
settlers feared the darkness and mystery of the forested New World. The wilderness
was a scary, dangerous place that needed to be tamed and conquered. Forests were
cut down for wood, but also as a way to control the landscape. Land and natural
resources were plentiful, so there was no need to consider conservation.
Prior to the industrial revolution, the earth was able to compensate for man?s
impact on natural resources, as it had been on such a small scale in relation to the
whole of the planet. The industrial revolution has exponentially increased the scale
of our building and resultant resource usage and waste production. Our aggressive
relationship with the natural environment in pursuit of raw materials has brought the
earth?s natural cycles out of balance. We are now consuming materials at a pace
faster than the earth can replenish, and creating wastes faster than they can be
assimilated.
Although there is no doubt that the industrial revolution brought many positive
changes, it is important to recognize that it was not designed.
9
There was no
planning for resources, only quantity of product and financial profit. With the onset
of mass manufacturing capabilities, industry boomed. Machines are by far more
efficient than people, allowing for a faster depletion of resources and more
9
pollution. Cities have been given the ability to grow without an understanding of
how to grow.
The growth of cities like Chicago and New York in the late 1880?s verify this
testimony. Pollution from industry became so bad in the waterways that the cities
began to turn their backs on the amenity that brought them there. The factories and
machines that were supposed to be providing for the people were actually
smothering them. The dense housing conditions that emerged from the need for
factory workers brought on sickness and disease. Ultimately the government
stepped in and enforced regulations and public works systems that regulated the
future growth of the city. Although a lot of the obvious hygiene and sanitary issues
have been resolved, other issues continue to need attention- such as energy and
waste management.
For example, urban heat islands have become a growing problem in cities across
the world, raising temperatures as much as 5? in some areas.
10
Cities retain and trap
heat in the summer as a result of high amounts of pavement and non-porous
surfaces. Planting street trees and designating lighter colors and natural surfaces for
roof materials can reflect light and heat more readily, with the potential to cool a
city by as much as 3? F. By lowering the amount of heat a building absorbs on
the roof, less energy will be spent on cooling the building, reducing the overall
energy consumption as well.
In an Architecture magazine article by Eric Adams, it was noted that thermal
variation images from NASA reveal that the Delta Center has the coolest roof in
Salt Lake City.
11
This was not planned to be an energy efficient design decision, the
10
white colored roof was chosen for reasons of cost- the original black roof system
was out of the project budget. On the other hand, the nearby Matheson Courthouse
has the hottest roof in Salt Lake City. This black roof was chosen because with its
20-year warranty, it?s the state?s preferred material.
12
In both of these case studies,
materials were chosen to save money.
Sustainable design solutions are often characterized by high initial investments
and slow but steady returns. From the financial perspective, green buildings have
lower operating costs over long the term. Although unplanned, during the life of the
building, the Delta Center will save money and energy on cooling costs because of
the reflective roof materials. The Matheson Courthouse will require greater cooling
loads (more energy) from the black, heat-absorbing material. While the Courthouse
designers were planning for long term, they were not aware of the benefits of energy
efficiency on budget.
The goals of our society are centered on minimizing investments for big profits.
Rarely do we think about the consequences of our actions and consider the impact
the actions have on the future of the world. Rarely do businesses look into the
future and plan for the long term. Economically speaking, it is only a matter of time
before this trend reverses itself and we begin to invest in the big picture. Stephan
Schmidheiney, Co-Founder of the Business Council for Sustainable Development,
stated ?It?s going to be next to impossible for businesses to be competitive without
also being ?eco-efficient-? adding more value to a good or service while using fewer
resources and releasing less pollution.?
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11
TODAY.
Our indigenous understanding of nature is not yet completely lost, and the
appreciation of the many living things on the planet still exists. Knowledge and
understanding of what is appropriate will come in time. It is clear that informed
decisions would change the goals and methods of building. Although much has
changed over time, our view of the natural world remains aggressive. Aside from
financial considerations, many of the things we do continue to remove us from the
spirituality of the natural world, making it easy to forget and harder to understand
the significance of its true role in our lives.
Short term goals and fascination with invention have led us astray. Although we
have the technology to create controlled, ?ideal,? environments, it does not mean that
we should. To understand environmental responsibility, one must value the
environment. It?s easier to overlook responsibilities when they are not in direct view.
We are at a level of technological development where we can reflect on the
developments of the past, and so we must decide how to grow from here. We are
aware of what we are doing. We have the ability to change. If not now, then when?
3
?Sustain.? The American Heritage? Dictionary, Fourth Edition.
4
Snoonian, Deborah. ?Architecture Rediscovers Being Green.? Architecture Record.
June, 2001: vol. 189, no.6, p.87.
5
Departnemt of Energy Website
6
Edwards, Brian. Green Architecture. London: Wiley Academy, July 2001. vol. 71, no. 4, p. 7.
7
Wordnet ? 1.6, ?1997 Princeton University
8
WM +P Website
9
McDonough, William and Michael Braungart.
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things.
New York: North Point Press, 2002.
10
Adams, Eric. ?Urban Heat.? Architecture. January 1999.
11
Ibid.
12
Ibid.
13
McDonough, William and Michael Braungart.
12
CHAPTER TWO : MUSEUM PARADIGM
mu?se?um (my -z m)
n.
A building, place, or institution devoted to the acquisition, conservation, study,
exhibition, and educational interpretation of objects having scientific, historical, or
artistic value.
14
13
DEVELOPMENT OF MUSEUMS
A museum is a place for communication and sharing of ideas in a format
available and easily understandable to the public. Museums are interesting because
of the mixture of public and private agendas. The space is meant to be inviting and
welcoming to the visitor while still offering a degree of privacy for each individual
in order to contemplate his or her relation to the piece of work.
Jenks, Charles. ?The Contemporary Museum.? Architectural Design: UK, 1997.
Figure 3. The British Museum
in London, designed and
constructed by Robert Smirkey
between 1823-47, was meant to
convey the message ?we have
conquered the earth, and the
objects shown here justify our
claims as the true inheritors of
Historically, the museum has played a very specific role as a building type.
Used as milestones of accomplishments, these museums were built of such a
monumental scale, that the place felt unwelcoming to visitors. ?Displays of cultural
achievement, museums were typically monumental places of learning, often
15
historical destiny (Jenks).?
intimidating and having an air of cultural dominance.? Museums developed into a
type of background architecture, they were neutral spaces of contemplation meant to
showcase artifacts or art. In these types of museums, artifacts are displayed as being
frozen in time and separate from their natural context.
It wasn?t until the middle of the 20
th
century that the museum type began its
transformation. Frank Lloyd Wright?s Guggenheim Museum in New York was the
14
first revolutionary foreground museum building. It challenged the neutral, right-
angled spaces found in most museums by creating a dynamic space with round
walls and a ramp that traversed the full height of the exhibition space. Wright
commented on his creation- ?It is not to subjugate the paintings to the building that I
conceived this plan. On the contrary, it was to make the building and the painting in
uninterrupted, beautiful symphony such as never existed in the World of Art
before.?
16
Figure 4: The Solomon R. Guggenheim
Museum in New York, designed by
Frank Lloyd Wright and built between
1956-59, has a much friendlier and
welcoming appeal.
Trachtenberg. Architecture. Prentice
Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ 1986
The Guggenheim ?attempts to become more than a passive frame for the
curatorial arts of exhibition and actively to enlighten, in an architectural way, the
viewers experience of the art shown within it.?
17
It was this conscious decision to
bring the architecture into the spotlight that makes it stand aside from other
museums. ?At every moment, one simultaneously is in intimate proximity to a
small group of works yet in the presence of the entire exhibition.?
18
15
Figure 5: The atrium lined by the open gallery creates a tension between the still
artwork and the movement of the people. Ibid.
Wright attempted to bring the meaning of modern art into the display. Works had to
hang in front of the curved wall, rather than be attached to it as in the past. This
subconsciously reminded people that the art in the museum is out of its natural
context.
Figure 6: Frank Gehry?s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. 1991-97.
Ragheb, J. F., Frank Gehry, Architect. Guggenheim Museum: New York. 2001.
Frank Gehry?s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, followed Wright?s
departure from the conventional neutrality of museum architecture. The bright and
colorful use of materials, and expressive spatial qualities became immediately
iconic. Bringing the architecture into the foreground was key to achieving this
building?s role as the centerpiece of the city?s redevelopment project.
16
Contemporary Museums must no longer be judged strictly as background or
foreground architecture, but on the basis of unity with their contents.
19
Another
developing trend of the museum type is the educational/ interactive museum.
Deemed ?Edutainment? by Architecture Magazine in the December 1995 issue, this
museum type has expanded to become interactive and multi- sensory.
Figure 7: Cleveland?s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, designed by I.M. Pei (left) and
Akron, Ohio?s Inventure Place by Polshek and Partners Architects (right) engage
visitors with interactive and multi-sensory exhibits.
Architecture Magazine. December 1995.
The exhibits and information presented engage visitors through employing
science experiments, digital recordings and touch-screen technology. The museums
attempt to educate and inspire visitors through the experience of place as well as
through the exhibits.
In addition to the wave of educational museums, another museum type is
developing, the Living Museum. Rather than remain static with historic
information, a Living Museum must adapt with time. The United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum is an example of a Living Museum. As a memorial, it is
significant that the building and the messages it conveys endure. To be an effective
17
memorial, it must inform the future of events of the past. It strives to recognize a
moment in history so that the past may not repeat itself.
The Sustainable Building Museum proposed by this thesis further expands on
the transformation of the museum type that began with Wright?s Guggenheim
Museum in New York. And similar to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in
Washington DC, this will be a living museum. The mission of the Sustainable
Building Museum is to clarify sustainability, to help both non-experts and design
professionals to understand the consequences of their most basic actions, and
provide them with the means to use this information to generate form rather than
perceive as limits that need to be accommodated. It will be interactive and
experiential, like those described as being ?edutainment.?
Museum is the appropriate paradigm for this thesis, offering contemplation,
learning, collection, components- a way to link institutional research back to the
public. The living component will be the research part of the program, offering
general information relating to sustainable design. In addition, it will be similar to
Seattle?s Green Building Team, the Green Building Alliance in Pittsburgh and the
Earth Pledge Foundation in New York, this research facility will be Washington,
DC?s Sustainable Design Center. Each of these non-profit organizations attempt to
raise the bar of green building standards in each of their home cities. They do so by
offering information specific to climate and landscape of each particular city, as
well as influence local government standards. A museum focusing on sustainable
building practices will satisfy the needs of professionals as a research center, and the
interest of the public as a museum.
18
14
?Museum.? The American Heritage Dictionary. Fourth Edition. 2000.
15
Maggie Toy, Contemporary Museums
16
Trachtenberg and Hyman, Architecture. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ 1986 p. 537.
17
Ibid.
18
Ibid.
19
Newhouse, Victoria. ?New Museums Stimulate New Art.? Architecture December 1995
19
CHAPTER THREE : THE SITE
site
n. A physical position in relation to the surroundings.
20
20
MUSEUMS IN WASHINGTON, DC
The plan for Washington, DC, was completed by Pierre L?Enfant in 1791,
following George Washington?s announcement of the location of the National
Capital. The undeveloped land was a clean canvas for the city?s founders, leaving a
unique opportunity to determine the form of the new capital.
Figure 8: Figure ground diagram of Washington, DC, showing the influence of
L?Enfant?s plan on the form of the city.
L?Enfant?s plan respected natural land contours and overlaid grand radial
avenues over a grid to create monumental spaces and squares. It left a grand public
open space dedicated to the people- the National Mall. Although the design of the
National Mall has changed since its first inception, the overall parti has remained
the same.
21
An 1846 Act of Congress established the first of the Smithsonian Museums.
Englishman James Smithson ?bequeathed? his estates to the United States to
establish a foundation to increase the diffusion of knowledge.
21
The development of
the Smithsonian Institution began the legacy of Washington as a cultural center for
arts and sciences. The first building was the Smithsonian Castle, which was
followed by the Museum of Natural History, and many others. In recent years,
several museums and cultural buildings have emerged within the urban fabric in
areas beyond the Monumental Core of the city.
HISTORY OF THE SITE
The site for the Sustainable Building
Museum is part of a local axial order,
extending from the National Archives,
through the Navy Memorial, to the Portrait
Gallery, and beyond to Mount Vernon
Square.
Figure 9: Local Order.
As seen in Figure 10, The site is part of the Downtown Arts District of
Washington, DC, on the north side of E Street, between 8
th
and 9
th
. This street is
part of the original network of streets planned by L?Enfant in 1791 between
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Avenues.
22
Figure 10: Downtown Arts District and Cultural Buildings
The site is located just north of the theater district, sharing the block with the
newly opened International Spy Museum. The National Building Museum is four
blocks to the east on F Street. The MCI Center is two blocks to the northeast, and
the DC Convention Center is being constructed five blocks to the north.
Throughout the 1800?s, this area was primarily a residential development,
spotted with boarding houses and retail shops. After the Civil War, streets were
regraded, sidewalks were improved and a wave of new buildings emerged, bringing
retail to the downtown district.
23
Figure 11: 1903 Baist Plan of Vicinity, Plate 30. In the late 1800?s, many of the
lots were occupied by small buildings. Two of which housed the Maccabee Temple
and the Civil Service Commission. The Ledroit building (one of the oldest
buildings in Washington, DC), Adams building, and Atlas buildings were built, as
well as the nearby Masonic Hall on the corner of F and 9
th
, and the Washington
Loan and Trust Buildings.
24
Figure 12: 1932 Baist Plan of Vicinity, Plate 30. The Gayety Theatre was one of
many theatres along 9
th
St. The US Land and Indian Office had moved out and the
building was used for various govt. offices- including the Tariff Commission and
Post Office.
25
Figure 13: 1965 Baist Plan of Vicinity, Plate 30. Following 1965, the FBI
Headquarters took residence in the neighboring block of 9
th
and E Streets, and The
National Portrait Gallery moved into the Patent Office on F street, and the project
site was left near vacant, with only a hotel remaining.
26
Project Site
Figure 14: The Site. The International Spy Museum, a mixed-use retail and
apartment building, was just completed in 2002 on the North portion of the block.
The National Portrait Gallery is undergoing renovation. The Tariff Commission
Building is being renovated into a hotel, and a new apartment building has been
recently completed on the southwest corner of 8
th
and E Streets.
27
In recent years, this area has been undergoing a healthy wave of
transformation. This began in the 1980?s with the addition of the Metro Transit
System, with stops at Metro Center and Gallery Place. In the 1990?s, ?momentum
built rapidly with hundreds of millions of dollars in new real estate and
infrastructure investment.?
22
Many of the developments in the area are in fact
renovations. Historic facades are being maintained and restored, with new mixed-
use buildings developed behind. New apartment housing complexes are bringing
more residents to the area, putting people on the streets and reinforcing the
development of a pedestrian- oriented neighborhoods.
Figure 15: Areas undergoing construction and recently completed work.
28
Figure 16: Space Positive Diagram. This diagram emphasizes the well-defined
street edge and the overriding organization of the grid.
Figure 17: Space Negative Diagram. A comparison of figure and ground, these
diagrams emphasize voids in the urban fabric due to surface parking and empty lots.
29
SITE SURVEY / DOCUMENTATION
Figure 18: Aerial Photograph of Vicinity. 2002 GlobeXplorer, AirPhotoUSA.
Figure 19: Aerial Photograph of Site. 2002 GlobeXplorer, AirPhotoUSA.
30
Figure 20: Axonometric Diagram of site.
Massing of buildings in the vicinity reveal the rugged conformity to the grid
organization, highlighting gaps in the urban fabric.
31
Figure 21: Land Use. As part of the downtown core, the land use designations of
the area vary between Mixed- Use, Commercial, Institutional, and Federal.
32
Figure 22: E Street, NW.
,
The north block of E Street, between 8
th
and 9
th
Streets, NW
the site is currently a fee parking lot.
The street level is activated with ground level retail. Maple
trees along the sidewalks bring down the scale of the
buildings and create a pedestrian friendly walking
environment. Parallel parking along the street acts as a buffer
between the sidewalk and the moving traffic.
The south block of E Street, between 8
th
and 9
th
Streets,
NW, is lined with tall mixed- use buildings.
On the corner of 8
th
street is an 11-story apartment building
that was recently completed.
On the corner of 9
th
street is a 10- story office building with
ground level retail.
33
Figure 23: 9
th
Street, NW.
The north- west portion of 9
th
Street is lined with tables and
chairs for a restaurant seating during nice weather.
9
th
Street has three lanes of one-way traffic moving
southbound. Both sides of the street are lined with parallel
parking.
The International Spy Museum occupies the historic 6- story
red brick Atlas building on the east side of the block.
A contemporary 11-story office building fronts the west side
of the block, as well as the Washington Loan and Trust
Building
Wide crosswalks contribute to making this area a pedestrian
friendly environment.
34
Figure 24: F Street, NW.
The International Spy Museum complex.
The historic facades were renovated and restored, and a new
building was inserted behind.
View down F Street, looking East.
The National Portrait Gallery, with its Magnolia Trees,
shown under renovation, fronts the north block and is
centered on 8
th
Street.
35
Figure 25: 8
th
Street, NW.
View down 8
th
Street, looking south at the National
Archives Building.
US Tariff Commission Building, with its central arcade is
currently being converted into an upscale hotel.
View of buildings fronting the north- west portion of 8
th
Street. Both buildings are part of the International Spy
Museum.
The renovated Le Droit Building and a newly constructed
building neighboring it.
36
Figure 27:
Section through 8
th
Street, looking w
e
st at site.
Fi
g
ure 26:
Section thro
u
g
h E Street
,
lookin
g
north at site.
37
Figure 28: Lot and Sidewalk Dimensions.
38
Figure 29: Pedestrian Oriented Developments. Wide sidewalks increase the
comfort and safety of foot traffic. Trees help to bring down the buildings to a more
human scale, while parallel parking spots act as a buffer between people and
moving traffic.
39
Figure 30: Plan of immediate vicinity showing entrances and building types. T his
diagram can inform where the most pedestrian street activity occurs.
40
Figure 31: Topography. The site slopes slightly upward toward the northwest.
41
Figure 32: Sun Path Diagram for 40? North
Latitude. The Sun Path Diagram can be used to
determine the altitude of the sun on the site
according to season, and thereby suggest shading
requirements.
Figure 33: Seasonal Shadow Projections. This diagram shows what areas of the
sun are penetrated by direct light during the different seasons.
23
42
Figure 34: Hourly Shadow Diagram for 40? North Latitude on June 21. This
diagram shows what parts of the site will be in shade during the day, as well as
which areas of the site will be in direct light.
24
Figure 35: Climatic Data.
25
Avg. Temp. and Records for Washington, DC.
43
Figure 36: Climatic Data.
26
Record Daily Precipitation for Washington, DC.
Figure 37: Climatic Data.
27
Record Daily Snowfall for Washington, DC.
Figure 38: Climatic Data.
28
Monthly Averages for Washington, DC.
44
SITE ANALYSIS
Figure 39: Accessibility. This site is easily accessible to the general public as
museum visitors, as well as architects and designers for the research component. It
is within close proximity to other building related institutions, such as the (1)
National Building Museum, the (2) United States Green Building Council
(USGBC), and the (3)American Institute of Architects (AIA).
45
Figure 40 Transit. The site is ideally located for mass transit opportunities. At the
heart of Metro Transit coverage area, the site is within a five- minute walk of each
of the Metro lines. It is also on the D1, D3 and D6 bus lines, and a twelve- minute
walk from the National Mall.
46
ZONING
The north block of E Street between 8
th
Street and 9
th
Street, NW has been
classified within the C-4 (Central Business District) overlaid in combination with
DD (Downtown Development District) restrictions.
The C-4 downtown core is ?comprised of the retail and office centers for the
District of Columbia and the metropolitan area, and allows office, retail, housing
and mixed uses to a maximum lot occupancy of 100%, a maximum FAR of 8.5 to
10.0, a maximum height of 110 feet and 130 on 110-foot adjoining streets.
(Maximum height and FAR depend on width of adjoining streets.)?
29
The DD is intended to create a balanced mixture of uses by means of
incentives and requirements for critically important land uses identified in the
Comprehensive Plan, including retail, hotel, residential, entertainment, arts, and
cultural uses.
30
As a result, ?each building shall devote not less than 50% of the
gross floor area of the ground floor to permitted retail, service, arts, and arts-related
uses.
31
?Any open arcade in the DD Overlay District shall extend the length of the
entire block frontage, or shall connect with an open arcade in an abutting building in
such a fashion as to provide a continuous walkway.?
32
?Not less than 75% of each street wall of new construction to a height of not less
than 15 feet shall be constructed to, or within 4 feet of, the property line between the
subject lot and each abutting street right-of-way.?
33
47
?Not less than 50% of the surface area of any street wall at the ground floor
level of each building shall be devoted to display windows and to entrances to
commercial uses or to the building; provided:
(a) The windows shall use clear or low emissive glass, except for decorative or
architectural accent;
(b) Entrances to the building, excluding vehicular entrances, shall be separated
by not more than 50 ft. on average for the linear frontage of the building?
34
This site has also been zoned as part of the Downtown Arts District, with the
intent to ?retain, expand, and support a concentration of spaces and activities for the
arts and artists, including the performing and visual arts, cultural facilities,
entertainment, and arts-related retail uses.?
35
The Downtown Arts District requires that not less than 0.25 FAR equivalent
of the required gross floor area shall be devoted to retail, service or arts and arts-
related uses.
36
This may include unenclosed sidewalk cafes not exceeding 1000
square feet.
20
Worldnet ? 1.6, ? 1997, Princeton University.
21
Master Draft 2-2
22
Lewis, Roger. ?Shaping the City.? Washington Post. Saturday, November 30, 2002; Page H03.
23
Brown, G.Z. and Mark DeKay, Sun, Wind & Light.
24
Ibid.
25
http://www.wunderground.com
26
Ibid.
27
Ibid.
28
Ibid.
29
District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, District of Columbia Office of Zoning.
http://dcoz.dc.gov/info/reg/reg.shtm
30
Ibid., 1700.3, General Provisions
31
Ibid., 1702.1, Area-wide Use Provisions
32
Ibid., 1701.2, General Provisions
33
Ibid., 1701.3, General Provisions
34
Ibid., 1701.5, General Provisions
35
Ibid., 1704.1, Downtown Arts District
36
Ibid., 1704.3, Downtown Arts District
48
CHAPTER FOUR : GOALS AND APPROACH
?As this century draws to a close, we are living in a time when technology
dominates our relationship with the domestic environment, work environment and
even nature. It has a powerful influence in most of our decision-making. So we
need to question whether we are using technology just for the sake of using it.?
37
Avi Friedman
49
SPECIAL TOPICS
The built environment offers a snapshot of the cultural values and
technological capabilities of the place and time in which it was created. There are
two ways in which society can begin to build towards a more sustainable future:
consider ecologically sustainable systems, and incorporating culturally sustainable
principles.
For humans to sustain life on Earth, global ecological status must become a
priority. Assessing valuable resources, analyzing building practices, and
determining how to build more effectively and more efficiently will insure a
sustainable future.
Buildings designed must be built with an understanding of what is
appropriate both contextually and culturally if they are to last. Humans must be
able to relate to the experience of the place. In order to assign it value, people must
want to maintain it.
Sustainability will only thrive if society begins to understand and accept it as
part of its social responsibility. Attitudes toward recycling must be expanded to
encourage the reduction of consumption. Society can reduce its waste production
and thus focus on producing more meaningful products.
50
TEN SHADES OF GREEN, PETER BUCHANAN
38
Ten Shades of Green took the form of a traveling exhibition, attempting to
further move environmental responsibility into discussion among the society of
architects and designers. It argued that green building called for more than
specifying materials and tweaking existing systems. Rather it suggested that green
architecture should relate to the environment at a higher level, integrated into both
the form and function. The ten shades refer to key themes that should be considered
early in the design and development of any project.
39
As these values can be used
to suggest values in the design, they can be applied to measure success of the
product.
The following descriptions have been taken from a pamphlet from an
exhibition held at the National Building Museum.
[01] Low Energy/ High Performance- buildings are organized and
shaped to be less dependent on fossil fuel energy through reducing
the need for artificial lighting and air- conditioning.
- big windows, shaded by overhangs or recesses
- natural ventilation
- individual control of environment
- application of a double facade
[02] Replenishable Resources- refers to utilizing ambient energy
sources, such as the sun, as well as constantly replenished materials,
such as wood.
- use of replenishable materials when appropriate
- solar panels to take advantage of the sun as an ambient
energy source.
[03] Recycling- means to eliminate waste and pollution because in
nature, there is no waste.
- conserve and recycle rainwater for landscaping
- design a building that is robust and adaptable enough for long
life, and made from materials and components that can be
reused.
51
[04] Embodied Energy- is all the energy required to extract,
manufacture and transport a building?s materials as well as that
required to assemble and ?finish? it.
- The use of local materials reduces energy lost to trans-
portation, as well as further embeds the building in place.
[05] Long Life, Loose Fit- refers to the life cycle of a building.
Considers how to make buildings that will always be valued, that
people will identify with and wish to reuse and conserve.
- generously accommodating and flexible in organization
- materials that are appropriate, meaning they last and even
improve visually and in tactility with age
[06] Total Life Cycle Costing- means to consider the long-term view
and looks at the larger impacts of any action on the environment and
society. The costs considered include those to society, local
community and individuals, ecology and larger environment, the
psyche and sense of the aesthetic- of every aspect of the building,
from the extraction, manufacture and transport of its materials,
through its erection and useful life to the ultimate recycling of its
materials or their degradation back to earth.
[07] Embedded in Place- refers to taking clues from the physical and
cultural context.
- local materials and building traditions inform the design
approach
[08] Access and Urban Context- refers to a building?s location in
terms of its accessibility and proximity to a range of other functions
- consider ?ecological footprint? of city through strengthening
existing fabric rather than expanding into greenfields
- maximize opportunities for access
- consider proximity of nearby local shops, restaurants, social
venues
[09] Health and Happiness- considers the well- being of building
occupants, and values people above all.
- maximize opportunities for views, fresh air, & natural light
- opportunities to foster community
- non-polluting materials
[10] Community and Connection- attempts to connect people with
each other, to nature and the cosmos, and to past and future
generations in order to improve the quality of life for all.
- educate people about and encourage sensitivity to nature
- reinforce community, bring people together
52
LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a rating system
established by the U.S. Green Building Council. It is a point-based rating system
by which a building?s greenness can be measured.
LEED Design Strategies? Green Building Rating System, version 2.0
Bold Type Font indicates potential credits applicable to this thesis.
Sustainable Sites
Prerequisite: Erosion and Sedimentation Control
Credit 1: Site Selection
Credit 2: Urban Redevelopment
Credit 3: Brownfield Redevelopment
Credit 4: Alternative Transportation
Credit 5: Reduced Site Disturbance
Credit 6: Storm water Management
Credit 7: Landscape and Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Islands
Credit 8: Light Pollution Reduction
Water Efficiency
Credit 1: Water Efficient Landscaping
Credit 2: Innovative Wastewater Technologies
Credit 3:Water Use Reduction
Energy and Atmosphere
Prerequisite 1: Fundamental Building Systems Commissioning
Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance
Prerequisite 3: CFC Reduction in HVAC&R Equipment
Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance
Credit 2: Renewable Energy
Credit 3: Additional Commissioning
Credit 4: Elimination of HCFC?s and Halons
Credit 5: Measurement and Verification
Credit 6: Green Power
53
Materials and Resources
Prerequisite: Storage & Collection of Recyclables
Credit 1: Building Reuse
Credit 2: Construction Waste Management
Credit 3: Resource Reuse
Credit 4: Recycled Content
Credit 5: Local/ Regional Materials
Credit 6: Rapidly Renewable Materials
Credit 7: Certified Wood
Indoor Environmental Quality
Prerequisite 1: Minimum IAQ Performance
Prerequisite 2: Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control
Credit 1: Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Monitoring
Credit 2: Increase Ventilation Effectiveness
Credit 3: Construction IAQ Management Plan
Credit 4: Low- Emitting Materials
Credit 5: Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control
Credit 6: Controllability of Systems
Credit 7: Thermal Comfort
Credit 8: Daylight and Views
54
DESIGN INTENT
Content
A place where the public can come, feel welcome to experience the facility and
utilize its resources. This building is to be an amenity to the city. A comprehensive
experience -displaying its greenness at a variety levels, consciously and
intrinsically. The content will aim to influence the form and process of the built
environment.
Climate as Context
40
To understand climate as part of the context and how it influences how much energy
is being used. To use climatic considerations to inform the design.
Urban Design
Relate to the scale and proportion of the existing fabric and ordering systems. To
spill activity onto the street and activate the ground floor frontage.
Energy
Efficient use of energy is a key consideration that leads to financial and ecological
gain. A building that is energy efficient demands less power and saves money on
energy bills.
Aesthetic
Part of the challenge will be to demonstrate that a green building doesn?t necessarily
look different than other buildings. By reinforcing the normalcy of appearance, the
green system will not hinder its marketability. It is also important that the building
respond to the site and be contextual, but also stand out enough to attract attention in
order to create a memorable image in people?s minds.
Flexibility
It is important that the building and spaces within accommodate a variety of
functions and be flexible should the building tenant redesignate the use in the future.
Materials
Relate to the historical architecture of Museums in Washington, DC as well as
utilize recycled and certified materials. Explore the use of greenery as a building
material.
Green Roof
Cities retain and trap heat in the summer as a result of the high amounts of
pavement and non-porous surfaces. As a way to reduce this ?urban heat island?
effect in Washington, DC, this building will have a green roof. Plants also can help
to cool a city through water evaporation. Green roofs help to lower temperatures,
reduce pollution, reduce storm run-off, retain up to 25% of the building?s heat in the
winter, and reduce heat absorption by up to 50% in the summer.
41
The presence of
55
native grasses also protects buildings (especially the roofing membrane) from
thermal shock and ultraviolet degradation.
42
Air Quality
Each individual can control his or her own breathing zone in terms of air
temperature and flow of fresh air.
Enhance lives of inhabitants
Celebrate cultural and natural pleasures. Sun, light, air, nature, food. Fresh air and
natural light naturally enhance the pleasure of a place.
Daylighting
Reduce the need for fluorescent lights by maximizing natural light opportunities.
Views to exterior- awareness of life cycles of days and seasons, contributes to health
and happiness of building occupants.
38
Schumacher, E.F. Small is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered.
Vancouver: Hartley & Marks, 1999.
38
Buchanan, Peter. Ten Shades of Green. Architectural League of New York, 2000.
39
http://www.ar.utexas.edu/gallery/exhibitions/10shades/
40
Brown, G.Z. and Mark DeKay, Sun, Wind & Light.
41
Brake, Alan G. ?Rooftop Oasis? Architecture, June 01
42
McDonough, William and Michael Braungart.
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things.
New York: North Point Press, 2002.Page 74.
56
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
1. Entry
Lobby
Information desk is located here, with access to coat check, restrooms
Caf?
This caf? services the general public, as well as visitors and staff from the museum.
It has a separate entrance from the museum, with access to the museum through the
atrium
Bookstore
Allows visitors to bring home and expand on their experiences at the Museum.
Further support the ?research? nature of the museum by making information
available to the public for personal use. It has a separate entrance from the museum,
with access to the museum through the atrium
2. Atrium / Events Space
Places are provided to encourage impromptu discussions. Bring light and air
through the center of the building and organizes the program. Heavily planted to
bring green into the city, as the heart of the building.
3. Exhibition Spaces
Built Environment Gallery ? Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Review of the full life cycle of the built environment from methods of production,
to produced items. This exhibit will offer an analysis of what is built and why from
the viewpoint of where we?ve been, where we are, and where we aspire to be.
Timeline, value systems, opportunity, and available technology will be considered
from a international, national and regional scope.
Tomorrow?s Potential ? Domestic Scale
Encourage individuals to become aware of the effect of their every day decisions.
Outlining ways for individual families to implement sustainable practices in their
homes and every day lives.
Organic Suburbanite, by Warren Schultz
Product Analysis
Department of Energy CD ROM
Tomorrow?s Potential ? Professional Scale
A study of building materials, Systems Technology, Rating Systems through
samples, models, diagrams, software.
The building itself will be part of the example.
Temperature of different parts of the fa?ade (color, cardinal direction,
57
shading devices)
Green Roof
Solar Panels ? energy ?produced? during that day
Laws of Nature Gallery ?
This gallery talks about the natural environment in terms of how people interact
with nature, and principles of nature such as thermodynamics, ecosystems, and
nature?s ?services.? Focus on man?s connection to nature and spirituality
Models, Videos will be used to demonstrate concepts and principles
Case Studies - Role of Architecture in a Sustainable Tomorrow
This gallery displays an in depth study of new buildings, products and projects.
This exhibit will be continually updated, and the material archived in the Resource
Library.
Temporary/Visiting Exhibits
Flexible Space for visiting exhibits. Easily subdivided and changeable.
4. Resource Center
Resource Directory
A complete listing of local Architects/Designers, Manufacturers, and access to
Green Resource Websites.
Reference Materials ? General Stacks
Collection of Published Documents including books, periodicals and magazines
Reference Materials ? Washington, DC
How to build in the context of the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Information
on local materials, climate conditions, solar models.
Computer Modeling Stations
Software ? Energy 10
Materials Samples
An in-depth study of different eco-friendly building materials. Display of material
samples, encouraging creativity and reuse potential.
5. Education Facilities
Classrooms for education programs, information sessions, small lectures, seminars,
and workshops. Each classroom is equipped with chalkboards, pin-up space, and
media devices. Space is flexible to meet the varying needs of the general public,
professionals and school programs.
58
6. Administration
Office of the Director
Oversees all functions of the museum and research center.
Office Seating for Permanent Staff
Committee established to collect information and generate a database.
Permanent staff publishes documents, holds seminars, offers consultations, provides
information for public use in the library and resource rooms.
Open plan strengthens the sense of community.
7. Rooftop
Working Garden
Terrace
A ?greenspace? in the city that can act as a venue for special events.
8. Exhibition Support
Workroom ? exhibition design and renovation
Storage
9. Building Services
Locker Rooms
Recycling Center
Bicycle Storage
Shipping/Receiving
10. Parking / Service
Loading Dock
59
PROGRAM TABULATION
1. Entry
A. Lobby / Reception 2,000 s.f.
B. Caf? (adj. to street) 5,000 s.f.
C. Bookstore (adj. to street) 3,000 s.f.
D. Coat Check (50 lockers) 200 s.f.
E. Women?s Restroom (3 lav., 3 wc) 350 s.f.
F. Men?s Restroom (3 lav., 3 wc, 3 ur) 300 s.f.
10,850 s.f.
2. Atrium / Events Space
A. Atrium 6,500 s.f.
B. Multi Purpose Room 2,000 s.f.
8,500 s.f.
3. Exhibition Spaces
A. Built Environment Gallery 8,000 s.f.
B. Tomorrow?s Potential ? Domestic Scale 8,000 s.f.
C. Tomorrow?s Potential ? Professional Scale 8,000 s.f.
D. Laws of Nature Gallery 4,000 s.f.
E. Case Studies 4,000 s.f.
F. Temporary/Visiting Exhibits (flexible) 4,000 s.f.
36,000 s.f.
4. Resource Center
A. Reception 300 s.f.
B. Resource Directory 2,000 s.f.
C. Reference Materials ? General Stacks 4,000 s.f.
D. Reference Materials - Washington, DC 2,000 s.f.
E. Computer Modeling Stations 1,000 s.f.
F. Materials Samples 1,000 s.f.
10,300 s.f.
60
11. Education Facilities
A. Classroom 1 1,000 s.f.
B. Classroom 2 2,000 s.f.
3,000 s.f.
12. Administration
A. Director?s Office 300 s.f.
B. Permanent Staff 2,000 s.f.
C. Conference Room 1,000 s.f.
D. Reception 200 s.f.
E. Lounge / Restrooms / Kitchen 1,000 s.f.
F. Copy / Mail Room 250 s.f.
G. Storage 200 s.f.
4,950 s.f.
13. Rooftop
A. Working Garden 8,000 s.f.
B. Terrace 8,000 s.f.
16,000 s.f.
14. Exhibition Support
A. Workroom 1,000 s.f.
B. Storage (basement) 10,000 s.f.
11,000 s.f.
61
15. Building Services
A. Locker Rooms 500 s.f.
B. Recycling Center 500 s.f.
C. Bicycle Storage 300 s.f.
D. Shipping/ Receiving 1,000 s.f.
2,300 s.f.
16. Service
2,000 s.f.
Total 104,900 s.f.
Mechanical (15%) 15,735 s.f.
Circulation (30%) 31,470 s.f.
Grand Total 152,105 s.f.
62
CHAPTER FIVE : DESIGN APPROACH
"Sustainability is about quality of life, not just for the people but also for the planet
and all its various systems and creatures, now and in the future. Thus a sustainable
architecture is about the psychological sustenance of participating in the vibrant
community life that is fostered by buildings which live in harmony with nature.?
Peter Buchanan
63
Parti 1- Courtyard Building
Figure 41: Axon of Parti 1- Courtyard Scheme. Similar to neighboring buildings,
on a smaller scale, an external space, courtyard organizes building. The massing of
the building responds to the neighboring context.
64
Figure 42: Plan of Parti 1- Courtyard Scheme. Entrances align with neighboring
buildings. The building wraps around the courtyard green space, provides
opportunity for outdoor use on fair weather days and creating a private outdoor
space in the city.
65
Figure 43: Section of Parti 1- Courtyard Scheme, Looking North. Building heights
mediate between the varying heights of the neighboring context. The narrow floor
plates resulting from the exterior central courtyard maximize opportunities for light
and air to penetrate the building.
66
Parti 2- Interior/Exterior Scheme
Figure 44: Plan of Parti 2- Interior/Exterior Scheme. This scheme attempts to blur
the transition between interior and exterior spaces by creating an internal plaza.
Building pulls in activity off the street while exposing itself.
67
E Street
Figure 45: Section of Parti 2 - Interior/Exterior Scheme, Looking West. The open
area is pulled to one side, allowing the north side to have a more secure, private
program, and the south side to be more public. The atrium space brings light deep
into the center of the building.
68
Figure 46: Axon of Parti 2- Interior/Exterior Scheme. The building fronts E Street
to the south. Screening device mediates between inside and outside
69
Parti 3- 12? East of South
Figure 47: Plan of Parti 3- 12? East of South. Geometry of building addresses both
urban organization and the optimal solar orientation. Program is organized around
an interior courtyard forming an indoor ?street? or plaza. The building fronts the
entry passage of the neighboring Tariff Commission Building.
70
E Street
Figure 48: Section of Parti 3 - 12? East of South, Looking West. A screening
device fronts the south elevation and maintains the street edge on E Street. A
central atrium space organizes the building program while bringing natural light
down into the center of the building.
71
Figure 49: Axon of Parti 3- 12? East of South. The massing of the building
mediates between the heights of the neighboring buildings.
72
Parti 4- Separate Program
Figure 50: Plan of Parti 4- Separate Program Scheme. In this scheme, the more
public elements of the program (exhibition spaces) front E Street, while the more
private elements of the program (research facility) are reserved for the north
building. An exterior green space links the buildings together.
73
E Street
Figure 51: Section of Parti 4: Separate Program Scheme, Looking West. This
scheme attempts to maximize the amount of sun penetrating the site by increasing
the south-facing frontage. The south- public building is only four stories tall in
order to limit the shadows cast on the north building.
74
Figure 52: Axon of Parti 4- Separate Program Scheme.
75
CHAPTER SIX : PRECEDENT ANALYSIS
76
Sustainable Buildings ? Ecological
Figure 53: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters, completed in December
of 2000, was the first Platinum LEED rated building.
43
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters holds the title of ?one of the
greenest buildings ever constructed.? This commercial office was constructed new.
The wood frame, which characterizes the south facing fa?ade, acts as a sun- shading
device. Large window spans and north facing monitors offer views to the bay and
maximize opportunities for natural light, and minimizing the need for fluorescent
lighting. The open office plan allows for the movement of air throughout the
building. Cisterns collect water from the roof, which is reused in the building. Solar
panels collect the ambient energy from the sun, reducing the power needs of the
building, and thereby reducing costs.
77
Sustainable Buildings ?Cultural
Buildings that are culturally sustainable pass the test of time. These
structures remain for a variety of reasons, because they are cherished and loved by
the people who inhabit and occupy them, a significant event has occurred there, or
simply because they are durable.
Figure 54: The Pyramids of Mycerinus (c. 2500 B.C.), Chefren (c.2530 B.C.), and
Ceops (2570 B.C.) at Giza have physically lasted for thousands of years in due to
their megalithic construction. The ceremonial significance of these pyramids will
retain its value through the culture.
44
Figure 55: Daniel Burnham?s Flatiron Building in New York City (1909) is an
example of a culturally sustainable building. This wedge-shaped building is an
example of its time. It maximizes the F.A.R. allowed on the site under the building,
while maintaining the street wall by continuing the scale of the flanking streets. The
Flatiron Building will be preserved for its iconic appearance, and because no
building could be constructed on this site as space-efficiently under the current
zoning.
45
78
Flexible Spaces
The Embassy of Finland, by Heikkinen ? Komonen Architects, in
Washington, DC, exemplifies flexibility of spaces. Finland Hall can be combined
with the Grand Canyon (atrium) to create a larger space through the manipulation of
sliding partition walls. The Grand Canyon Atrium bleeds into Finland Hall, which
extends infinitely beyond the glass wall to the landscape beyond.
Figure 56: Embassy of Finland. Overlapping of Spaces Diagram. The spaces not
only overlap inside the building, but interact with the outdoors.
Figure 57: Embassy of Finland. Overlapping of Spaces Photo. The floor of Finland
Hall carries on from the inside to the outside, reinforcing the continuity of spaces.
79
Relating to Nature
Figure 58: Embassy of Finland. Flow through building. One can experience the
natural light through the atrium at the same time as views to the landscape beyond.
Even at the core of the building, one feels connected to nature.
Figure 59: Embassy of Finland. Planting as building material. Linked with nature
through the bronze trellis with its climbing plants on south facing fa?ade. It acts as
a natural louver, changing in appearance with the seasons.
80
Figure 60: Atrium. Bringing plantings into the heart of the building reinforce
nature as the centerpiece.
Figure 61: Walking among the treetops. Experiencing nature in different ways
creates memorable moment.
Figure 62: Simulating nature is one way of relating to it. A forest of tree-like
columns support the ceiling of this Culture House.
81
Museum Circulation
The way people move around in a museum is an important factor in the way
they experience the information before them. If visitors are concerned about their
environment, it will hinder their ability to become engaged with the exhibit.
Figure 63: Museum Circulation. Museums buildings typically follow one of two
types of circulation patterns, a ?freedom? path on the left, or a controlled path on the
right.
In the ?freedom? path scenario, the visitor enters into a main space, and then
decides where to continue from there. The main exhibits, arranged thematically,
present themselves to the visitors. Visitors return to the main space at the end of
each display, where they may chose another exhibit. For example, at the Museum
of Natural History, visitors arriving from both the north and the south entrances but
come to the space place, the Rotunda. The familiarity of the model elephant helps
people to orient themselves, creating a sense of comfort.
82
Figure 64: The Rotunda of
the Museum of Natural
History is a welcoming space
with memorable
characteristics.
Smithsonian Institution. My
Smithsonian: Free Visitor
Guide. Fall/Winter. Volume 2.
2002/2003
In the controlled path scenario, all visitors share the same or similar
experience. Upon arrival at the museum, they enter a main space, from which they
ascend to the beginning of the exhibit. Exhibits are arranged sequentially,
sometimes according to a timeline. Frank Lloyd Wright?s Solomon R. Guggenheim
museum follows a controlled path sequence. From the atrium, visitors are admitted
to an elevator, which brings them to the top floor. While viewing the artwork,
visitors spiral down around the perimeter of the atrium, back down to the ground
floor.
The Holocaust Memorial Museum, by James Ingo Freed in Washington, DC,
is a strong example of how a controlled circulation sequence can be reinforced by
the architecture to create a specific experience. The entry sequence to the
permanent exhibit is manipulated to reinforce and further express the experience of
the Holocaust. Visitors must wait in line for an admittance ticket, marked with a
83
time of entry. They must wait in the grand hall until the time designated on their
ticket. From there, visitors may stand in line for an oversized industrial elevator.
There are no friendly markings, only bolts and rivets. Observant visitors notice that
although the building is full of people, no one is in the elevator when the doors
open.
Figure 65: The experience of the
permanent exhibit at the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum
begins with a ride in one of these
elevators.
Dannatt, Adrian. United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Phaidon Press: London, 2002.
The Holocaust Memorial Museum has characteristics of the freedom path
scenario as well. A visitor to the museum may loop through the building without
ever entering the permanent exhibit ? ?the building becomes a communal space, and
open air park, which keeps the whole alive?The actual m
contained that it is possible to walk around the rest of
it is there.?
46
84
useum itself is so self
the building without realizing
Living Museums
?Living Museums? are at risk for being popular entertainment. At the same
time, ?people need to be engaged, moved, informed, even if it means doing so
resembles popular entertainment.?
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is an example of a Living
Museum. As a memorial, it is significant that the building and the messages it
conveys sustain. To be an effective memorial, it must inform the future of events
that have passed. It strives to recognize an event in history as monumental so that
the past may not repeat itself.
43
?The Greenest Building on the Bay.? Architecture Record.
Oct. 2001. vol 189. no. 10. page 100-101
44
Trachtenberg and Hyman, Architecture. Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ 1986 p. 537.
45
Curtis, William. Modern Architecture Since 1900. Phaidon Press: London, 1996.
46
Dannatt, Adrian. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Phaidon Press: London, 2002.
85
CHAPTER SEVEN : SYNTHESIS
?One thing I know people will say to me is ?Are you suggesting we go back to being
hunger-gatherers??
?That of course is an inane idea,? Ishmael said. ?The Leaver life-style isn?t about
hunting and gathering, it?s about letting the rest of the community live- and
agriculturalists can do that as well as hunter-gatherers.? He paused and shook his
head. ?What I?ve been at pains to give you is a new paradigm of human history.
The Leaver life is not an antiquated thing that is ?back there? somewhere. Your task
is not to reach back but to reach forward.?
?But to what? We can?t just walk away from our civilization the way Hohokam
did.?
?That?s certainly true. The Hohokam had another way of life waiting for them, but
you must be inventive, if it?s worthwhile to you. If you care to survive.? He gave
me a dull stare. ?You?re an inventive people, aren?t you? You pride yourselves on
that, don?t you??
?Yes.?
?Then invent.?
47
Daniel Quinn
86
87
Figure 66:
Aerial Perspective View of Site. The massing of
the Sustainable Design Cent
er blends into its
context. A glass fa?ade into th
e atriu
m
space add
s
visual intere
st on th
e pedestrian plaza.
Figure 67:
View from the corner of E and 9
th
Streets. The solar panels
and exposed atrium create an
imageable building.
88
Figure 68:
View from E Street, looking west.
89
Figure 69:
Atrium sp
ac
e from the lower leve
l a
llows for
a more intima
te re
lationsh
i
p with gr
ee
nery.
90
Figure 70:
View into atrium fro
m exhibit sp
ace.
Juxtaposit
ion of stru
ctu
r
al tree cano
py to real trees.
91
Figure 71:
View of rooftop Experimental Garden.
92
Figure 72:
Solar Pane
ls
domina
t
e
the south fa?ade.
93
Figure 73:
The atrium is exposed o
n
the West F
a?ade, allow
i
ng views in
to the atrium space of the treetops
and the structural tree canopy. Figure 74:
East Elevation.
94
95
Figure 75:
East-West S
ection throu
gh building, looking north.
Figure 76:
North-South Section thro
ugh building, looking east.
96
97
Figure 77:
Lower Level Plan.
Figure 78:
Ground Floor Plan
98
Figure 79:
2
nd
Floor P
l
an. Research Level a
nd T
o
morrow?s Potential Ex
hibit.
99
Figure 80:
3
rd
and 4
th
Floor plans. Natural World
and Built Environment Exhibits.
100
Figure 81:
5
th
Floor Plan. Administrative Le
vel and Experimental Garden.
101
Figure 82:
Rooftop Plan.
102
103
Figure 83.
Fi
g
ure 84.
104
Figure 85.
105
Figure 86.
106
Figure 87.
107
Figure 88.
108
Figure 89.
109
Figure 90.
110
Figure 91.
111
Figure 92.
112
Figure 93.
113
Figure 94.
114
Fi
g
ure 95.
115
Figure 96.
116
Figure 97:
Model Imag
es
117
Fi
g
ure 98:
Model Ima
g
es.
47
Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael. Bantam/Turner Books: New York. 1992. P. 250.
118
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Adams, Eric. ?Urban Heat.? Architecture. January 1999.
Brake, Alan G. ?Rooftop Oasis? Architecture, June 01
Brown, G.Z. and Mark DeKay, Sun, Wind & Light.
Buchanan, Peter. Ten Shades of Green. Architectural League of New York, 2000.
Curtis, William. Modern Architecture Since 1900. Phaidon Press: London, 1996.
Dannatt, Adrian. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Phaidon Press: London, 2002
Edwards, Brian. Green Architecture.
London: Wiley Academy, July 2001. vol. 71, no. 4, p. 7.
?The Greenest Building on the Bay.? Architecture Record.
Oct. 2001. vol 189. no. 10. page 100-101
Jenks, Charles. ?The Contemporary Museum.? Architectural Design: UK, 1997.
McDonough, William and Michael Braungart.
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking The Way We Make Things.
New York: North Point Press, 2002.
Newhouse, Victoria. ?New Museums Stimulate New Art.?
Architecture. December 1995
Quinn, Daniel. Ishmael. Bantam/Turner Books: New York, 1995.
Ragheb, J. F., Frank Gehry, Architect. Guggenheim Museum: New York, 2001.
119
Schumacher, E.F. Small is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered.
Vancouver: Hartley & Marks, 1999.
Smithsonian Institution. My Smithsonian: Free Visitor Guide.
Fall/Winter. Volume 2. 2002/2003
Snoonian, Deborah. ?Architecture Rediscovers Being Green.?
Architecture Record. June, 2001: vol. 189, no.6, p.87.
Tannenbaum, Robin. ?You Do The Math.? CriT Magazine. Fall 2001: no. 52
Trachtenberg and Hyman, Architecture.
Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ 1986 p. 537.
Toy, Maggie. Contemporary Museums
John Wiley & Sons, NY 1988.
120
121
Definitions
?Appropriate.? Wordnet ? 1.6, ?1997 Princeton University
?Museum.? The American Heritage Dictionary. Fourth Edition. 2000.
?Site.? Wordnet ? 1.6, ?1997 Princeton University
?Sustain.? The American Heritage? Dictionary, Fourth Edition.
Websites:
Department of Energy Website
University of Texas Website
< http://www.ar.utexas.edu/gallery/exhibitions/10shades/>
WM +P Website