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raisin’ the roof

With things picking up for the studio entering fall semester, convocation, and neckdowns, we were working with a tight deadline for when the boom truck was booked to raise trusses before the chaos started. 

While building the trusses, we did a series of physical and sketch studies to test column composition and location and hardware for the splices. Once the trusses were finished, we moved into column construction focusing on how to make the three plys as tight as possible and create a structural and aesthetically pleasing screw pattern.

Sections showing three different connection types for each column: screws laminating the column from both sides 18” on center, lag screws at the splices with an offset splice, bolts connecting column to steel blades on footer.

Elevation drawings of screw patterns.

Using a template to place screws and lag bolts consistently throughout column.

Clamping columns to ensure they are laminated tight.

Moving between the woodshop building columns and site, we began to place and steel feet on the column footings and drill holes for anchor bolts. We located each footing focusing on centering them along truss lines so that the truss can slide into the column. We then set the threaded rod using apoxy and set leveling nuts to ensure the steel plates were all sitting at the same height.

Truss raising day finally came (after weeks of stress dreams and some long days). With the generous help from West Alabama Mechanical and United Rentals for a scissor lift and man lift, we were able to get all of the trusses up in a day! Seeing the structure raised and beginning to understand some of the spatial aspects of the pavilion in real life has been a big boost in the project for us.

the men “helping” (but really, we couldn’t do it without them)

Thankful for the BEST clients (we’ve said it before and we’ll keep saying it because it’s true) and some incredible community volunteers who believe in this project and love Moundville!

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four ladies and some power tools

After Pig Roast, as we waited for final building approval from the Park, University of Alabama, and the represented Native American tribes, we jumped head first into detailing and learning the ins and outs of Enercalc, a structural engineering software, to go over with our consultant Joe Farrugia.

As we continued to study and make decisions on the aesthetics of the visible structure, we were also able to check and balance the structural requirements based off of the loads we recieved from Enercalc. These loads factored in the weight of structure, environmental factors (rain, wind, a small snow load, etc.), and structural qualities of Southern Pine lumber, our building material.

We built 1:1 mockups of possible footing details, looking at multiple factors such as column profile, distance from the bottom of the wood to ground, steel profile, steel width, bolt placement, and screw type and distribution. We spray painted plywood to represent the actual steel which will be galvanized (this actually tricked quite a few classmates that swore it was steel when they first saw them).

Once approval came in, we kicked July off with the craziest batter board set-up we’ve seen in our short careers. We laid out the roof outline first to ensure that we located the pavilion perfectly within the site. However, since our structure is all on a diagonal we pulled a skewed rectangle based off of the first truss line to locate all of the column footings accurately. After 3 days of fighting with the site’s hard dirt and building “extra” reinforced batter boards, we were successfully able to mark out all concrete foundations and have them dug with rebar placed ready for the pour the following week.

And within a week, we had our concrete footings!!

Concurrently, we ran the numbers on the structure and accurately spec’d each connection for the columns and trusses (we’re waiting for our structural engineering degrees, any day now). Once everything was 100% Joe-approved, we presented to Jim Turnipseed of Turnipseed International Steel who graciously provided all of our threaded rod, washers, nuts, and splice plates!

And viola, three weeks later and we have 5 beautiful trusses and 12 columns built and ready to be moved to site (column pictures to come)! Somewhere during that time we also squeezed in design work progressing the paving under the pavilion and we got our steel feet back from Turnipseed International and Super Metal Works here in Newbern.

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the big event

The population of Hale County tripled on April 27th, 2019 for the annual Pig Roast; a day to celebrate the collective work of the studio and the “graduation” of the current fifth year teams. At least 100 cars, carrying family and friends, caravaned around Hale County to get a brief update on each of the current projects. The caravan visited 11 projects in 11 hours, kept on schedule by our own drummer boy, Alex Therrien.

We were the first stop, at 9:00am sharp. With only 15 minutes to present, it was quite a challenge to decide what we wanted to show. After briefly thanking those who have supported us, we introduced the project, and then allowed people to meander about the site to experience the ceiling mockup and visit boards scattered throughout that went into details on certain aspects of the project: community involvement, the history of the park, structure, and construction process. We also had the newly completed truss on site to show the start to the project!

With empowerment from Anderson Inge and our professors here at Rural, we dove head first into the real world and built a 1:1 truss, in one and a half days. The truss is an accumulation of the knowledge we’ve acquired from scaled structural tests and intuition. It was 4’ in depth and 44’ long, it took a village to move it by hand from the workshop to the 16’ trailer and then over to site where it rests safely. We’re looking forward to running some structural calculations on it in the future.

After our 15 minutes of fame we hopped into the caravan and had a jam-packed and amazing day exploring and learning more about the work done by our peers. In the early evening we landed back in Newbern, in the amphitheater. We ended the day with music, a roasted pig, and a “celebration” of the students (through mockery).

To sum it up for you all, our year level is a little boring, a little exclusive, and like each other a little too much. As a team, we’ve been dubbed the sass queens of Rural Studio. In addition to telling anybody who will listen that we are an all girls team, we’re hard working, confident, and determined; we don’t tolerate any BS (Andrew’s words not ours). It was an evening full of laughs, friendship, and celebration ending in a fireworks show of epic proportions. We loved having our families experience some of the magic here at Rural Studio.

What’s next? With our diplomas in hand we’re all heading off to our new lives and jobs! Just kidding, of course. Now that the heat has arrived in Newbern, we’ve been sweating for a few days in Red Barn to hammer out a few final decisions before moving onto the construction site!

Sincerely, your favorite recent Auburn grads: the Moundville Ladies

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moundville madness

We’re back! Sorry for the radio silence for so long, things have really picked up for the Moundville ladies. Here’s a quick recap of our spring semester, leading up to graduation last month! (yes, we do officially have college degrees)

After surviving stress test (relatively unscathed), we drove straight to Thurlow Tree Nursery in Auburn, AL to pick up 15 eight- foot Pine trees, then on to Selma’s Plantation Tree Company for five Juniper and three White Oak trees. With the official approval from Auburn, we spent the next two days planting 23 trees! We also had our first experience with the archaeological aspects of the site. For each hole, we had to sift the first eight inches to check for any artifacts. Anything we found was recorded and where it was found was documented as a “shovel test.” After the holes were dug, we moved 15 pine trees into place and, with the help of Wayne and his tractor, were able to maneuver the 500 pound White Oaks and Junipers into their holes. All over the course of two days. (on Friday, we celebrated the hard labor with an early day and the lunch special at Mr. Chens)

Plantation Tree Company in Selma, AL

Sifting through the organic layer

Maneuvering the White Oaks into place

Alex wanted to make sure that his digging was documented

Our trees are happy and healthy; they have really transformed the site. The trees in the front yard heavily enforce the idea of a pavilion within the forest, providing an intimate scale to the open, front yard. The trees in the back of the site have also been successful in enclosing the edge by the houses, helping to focus people’s attention on the mounds and forrest instead of the residential neighborhood.

pines, pines, pines!

From the comments we received at stress test, we spent the next month pushing our design forward. One of the biggest decisions we had to make was the height of the low and high corners, which in turn affected the depth of structure. How much of the roof versus the ceiling should visitors of the pavilion see? If the ridge is too low does it feel heavy? If the depth of structure is small, does it make the pavilion feel lighter?

After spinning our gears in studio for a few days, we quickly realized that understanding the spatial implications of these decisions couldn’t be done through drawings. To answer these questions, we built a mockup to test different heights of the ceiling with a stitched landscape tarp held up by six supports along the edge of the proposed pavilion, each with three different hooks to test a myriad of different height combinations.

stitching together the landscape fabric to achieve the correct ceiling dimensions

ropes were thread through the tarp and then tied to hooks on the support columns to move up and down and test various heights

up in the air!

The goal of the mockup was to design the “bend” in the ceiling to enforce and balance the feelings of rest and movement within the pavilion. The high corner opening towards the mounds is important to signify a monumental entrance and not feel squashed, while the opposite high corner into the interior room needs to allow the pavilion’s interior to feel connected to the site looking towards the fireplace. However, the low diagonal is also important to still allow a place of rest so that people can feel comfortable within the space.

After testing these heights and understanding the consequences on the depth of structure and views of the pavilion, we found that the most successful combination of heights was 12 feet at the low corners and 20 feet at the high corners. Although this wasn’t what we expected, we found that it was most impactful in allowing visitors to understand the bend in the ceiling place while also signifying rest in the interior. We were originally worried the eight foot depth of structure would feel heavy, but visitors mainly experience the ceiling plane. The only place the entire depth is understood is from the side where the ceiling and roof are both viewed which greatly helps to break up the structure.

The mockup was a big turning point in the project for us. Being able to experience the pavilion in the site at a 1:1 scale helped with a lot of the decisions we were struggling through. We were also able to use the mockup to think about cladding, test column placement, and test benches.

After deciding on the most successful depth of structure, we were able to move forward with both design and construction. As we worked in studio, we also set a goal for ourselves to have a truss built by pig roast. This gave us a chance to test our construction process and start the design of the truss.

At pig roast we proudly got to display both, so check back in for our next post (we promise we won’t make you wait as long as last time)!

[moundvillepavilion]

raise the roof

It’s been a busy semester here in Hale County (we apologize for slacking with the blog but we have lots of updates to share!). At the end of January, Anderson Inge made a special trip to Newbern, all the way from the UK, to work with us in an intensive five day workshop. We presented all of the work we’ve done since he last saw us in August, before project teams were even formed. We then spent the next week with Anderson exploring how the project’s conceptual and programmatic goals could be manifested and achieved through the roof structure, while simultaneously pushing the overall design.

Before we met with Anderson we had a set of design decisions and goals:

A large sloping roof to create a sense of compression at the entrance and release into, and focusing on, the interior room and forest line.

Creating an open column line on the Northern edge to connect to the “front yard” and allow movement in and out of the pavilion.

In contrast, suggesting a wall on the Southern edge by having a denser column arrangement to redirect people into the interior room and away from the residences on the Southern edge of the site.

From there, Anderson pushed us to evaluate the scale. Is the slope overwhelming for the site? How is the tallest height of the roof perceived by an individual standing under it? Is it appropriate that the roof creates one large space within the interior room? How do smaller groups experience the space?

In previous structural models, we explored using an inverted truss to break up the space. With Anderson, we looked at how a hinge truss or inverted truss could act differently to create different folds in the ceiling plane. After re-evaluating the overall scale, we realized that the tallest point, although appropriate for Perry Lakes Pavilion, felt overwhelming. We then explored how a similar sense of compression and release could be more subtle, and fit the scale of the site. We studied a diagonal fold to achieve this in a series of quick, conceptual foam models.

We were drawn to a downward fold to create a butterfly roof in the ceiling. This allows more light to move into the interior of the pavilion, rather than an upward fold that would create a darker cave along the diagonal. Furthermore, folding along the diagonal creates a more dynamic structure; the orientation of the two high corners formalizes the entrance into the pavilion and the interior room to encourage movement. However, the lower roof in the interior of the pavilion also creates a space of rest.

From there, Anderson helped us develop a structural system that could create the diagonal ridge along the ceiling but also create a downward sloping roof to shed pine needles and water. He devised a system that put the trusses on a diagonal. This was mainly for constructability so that there are only three unique trusses, mirrored on either side so create a ridge running diagonally. The middle truss then has a ridge on the top and bottom to avoid having a parabola in shape and instead have two separate sloping triangles.

During Anderson’s visit, we also focused on how to incorporate lateral stability while avoiding walls that would divide the space. We tested different column compositions and orientations by building single and double columns, and then simulating wind loads using a string attached to a bag filled with water bottles to test different weights. We used these tests to find the minimum structure needed for the desired lateral stability.

To avoid a sheer wall, we found that we could combat any potential twisting by having two pairs of columns that act as lateral stability in each direction-- two working along the truss line and two working perpendicular to the truss line. In order to achieve our initial goal of a loose and dense column line, we oriented all of the “V” and “A” columns, acting as the lateral stability, along the Southern edge with single columns along the North.

We built a 1/2″=1′0″ model to test the required design load and applied the proportional amount of load to our model by having our classmate, Jake, step on a wood lever arm until 80% of his body weight was applied to a point that was distributed to 16 point loads evenly across the roof. The structure was able to hold past design load with no deflection.

With this new roof structure, the next question we need to answer is how the pavilion will relate to the mounds and the overall park. Do we want to directly relate to the heaviness of the mounds and their connection to the land or did we want to celebrate the mounds by contrasting with a light structure? In summation, is the pavilion heavy or light? This is affected by the overall depth of structure, dictated by the lowest and tallest points of the roof, as well as the treatment of the columns. To test this, we’re in the process of building and testing a mockup on site to experience how heavy or light the roof feels at different heights in the space as well as how comfortable it is to sit inside.

Check back soon for our next blog post about some final roof decisions and photos of our mockup!

[moundvillepavilion]

front page news

Last month, we were given the amazing opportunity to present at the Moundville Town Council Meeting. We gave the council and a few community members our analysis and understanding of the the town, park and the site as well as a general idea of what we hope the pavilion can bring as an amenity space to the community.

We received a lot of positive feedback and are continually humbled and touched by the generosity, acceptance, and excitement of the community members we have gotten to interact with, including those we met at the meeting who offered any assistance we may need during construction. We’re excited to see such a need for an outdoor space that the pavilion can offer and couldn’t ask for a better place to be working in!

After presenting to the town council meeting, there was a write-up about the project in the local paper

Our clients, Alex, John, and Kristie, were also able to swing by Newbern to tour the studio, campus, and a few local projects before meeting to share some of our analysis of the park as a whole and an updated design for the pavilion.

Touring past projects and sharing some of the ideas and goals of Rural Studio

After spending a lot (and we mean a lot) of time in Moundville Archaeological Park, we presented our thoughts on what we love most about how it operates and a few suggestions on how these experiences can be enhanced. For us, one of the most amazing things about the landscape of the park is the entrance. Visitors move from a compressed road with a forest line on both sides, typical of an Alabama back road or highway, and enter into an incredible expanse of ground and sky with the mounds framed within the plaza. However, we did find that changing the direction of the ring road creates better vistas than the current direction which we proposed to our clients. We also proposed building up the forest line, particularly on the Northwest end, as it creates such a strong background and frame for the mounds.

the vistas created with how the Park currently operates and the direction of the ring road

proposal to change the direction of the ring road which creates shorter and closer vistas, closer to mounds and with a clearer understanding of the scale, before approaching the largest mounds and getting more expansive views

We also found that the power of the initial view could be implemented further into the park by creating a series of boardwalks that move through the forest and turn towards the plaza at particular moments to frame views of the mounds.

proposal for a boardwalk and the idea of offering particular views through the forest edge at designed moments, to expand the existing boardwalk shown in the images to the right, and allow people to further interact with the park

Currently in the Park, people get out of their cars when there is a parking lot that invites them to do so, however, we think that using parking lots to connect multiple things encourages further exploration 

John, Alex, and Christie seemed excited by some of the possibilities of taking what the Park is already doing so well and making those aspects even more powerful. We also showed them an updated plan based off of our edits from soup roast that use the existing slab and axis of the fireplace as the hinge between two spaces, including some conceptual perspective sketches. We received their feedback on platform height and different entrance schemes to move forward with in our design process.

perspectives looking at ramp and stair configurations on the main platform, lifting it off the ground to provide an edge to sit on as well as the possibility for gathering steps has appealed to the clients as a possible outdoor classroom space

looking at different column densities to create a “screen” on the south end to further frame the interior room and block the least attractive views in the site while the columns on the north end are more open to allow movement

sketches of different schemes for the fireplace, whether it has a more formalized roof or a natural covering that blends into the forest

It meant a lot to us to get the chance to show them around Newbern and what we do on a daily basis. Not to brag too much, but we’re pretty sure we have the best clients in the history of any architecture project so we feel like one lucky group of gals.

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blinded by the site

After soup roast, we took a break from Red Barn to spend the holidays at home but came back early to spend a much needed week without interruptions, and those pesky professors, to respond to our critique and create an accurate site survey (yes, we procrastinated on that, but we did it). We spent a few days days doing design charettes and talking through different decisions, focusing on siting decisions and the language between two covered structures for the fireplace and platform.

The two schemes we presented at soup roast had different strengths and weaknesses. We felt that the two-roof scheme encouraged people to engage with the interior room whereas the scheme with one roof really focused on creating a strong, impactful view of the fireplace and forestline. We also found that we were focusing too much on what we liked about the site in both schemes. Although we were enhancing the interior space and directing views to the fireplace and canopies, we were urged to look at what we wanted to hide or address as possible negatives of the site: the power poles, private residences in the back of the site, and the unreliable tree lines that could die.

diagram showing negatives of the scheme: focusing on the power poles and homes in the back of the site and covering the light wells in the tree canopies that would disrupt the views, lighting shown in the images to the right

diagram showing negatives of the scheme: not engaging the interior room or the existing elements of the slab and fireplace

We talked about the ground and sky conditions we wanted to accentuate, or at the very least not destroy, with the pavilion. Our schemes didn’t have a clear relationship with the existing elements, the slab and fireplace, which we identified as major drawbacks of the siting. We also found that we weren’t responding to the natural light in the space. There are two breaks in the canopies on our site that let in a significant amount of sunlight. Introducing a secondary roof in these spaces would make our site even darker and lose some of the lighting qualities that make it so special during different times of the day.

The slab is important because it anchors the fireplace and provides a central axis to frame it.  We want the design of the pavilion to enhance this axis by using the existing slab as a hinge between two spaces, with the gathering platform on the east end and a smaller, intimate BBQ space incorporating the fireplace on the west. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve been looking more specifically at the entrance to the space and platform in relation to the connection between the two spaces and how a visitor would experience the space.

using the axis created by the fireplace and slab as a hinge between the two elements of the site: a BBQ space and larger covered space

We’re moving forward with a scheme that we believe utilizes the successes of each scheme we presented at soup roast while responding to the negatives of the site. For the next few weeks, we will continue to delve deeper into entrance sequences, structural implications, spatial/scale tests, and connections to the landscape as we prepare for our revolving door of visitors and stress test coming up in the next month!

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standing room only

Last week was a busy one here in Hale County. On Tuesday, we had a meeting with our clients, Alex Benitez and John Newman, as well as Kristie Taylor, the third member of the design committee and Vice President for UA Museum’s Board of Regents, to discuss how the pavilion can introduce a ground and ceiling plane to create different spatial zones. After receiving their feedback, we had a quick celebration and next-steps strategy meeting at Mi Tenampa before returning to Red Barn early Wednesday morning to prepare for Soup Roast on Saturday.

Before Thanksgiving, we made a lot of decisions regarding our analysis of the park and site and how that would inform our design decisions. To respond to the interior room within our site, we decided that the ceiling plane could help frame and emphasize that space rather than mimic it. We developed two schemes that acted as frames by building on the edge of the interior room to reinforce it as a defined space and part of the pavilion. The schemes then used the floor and ceiling planes to allow for different user groups to occupy the pavilion at the same time (an important element to respond to the park, campers, and community members). The first scheme focused on a level change in the platform, and the second focused on a change in the ceiling by having two separate roofs that brought people in and through the interior room.

(the first scheme that focus on a change in platform level to divide the space)

(the second scheme focuses on using two roofs and change in height of the ceiling plane to divide the space and frame the interior room)

We presented both of these ideas to our clients to receive their feedback on the spaces created through our proposed floor and ceiling interventions, as well as the initial siting. We built models to represent the planes, temporarily without the structure, using acrylic to hold up possible ceilings to focus on and evaluate these spatial qualities. We photographed the entrance and circulation of each space as well as how different user groups would use them to determine if the schemes worked for the predicted program.

(below: entrance sequence for both schemes)

(below: studies to evaluate how different groups could occupy the spaces)

(above: small groups of campers or visitors to the park)

(above: gathering during the Native American festival)

(above: a large party occupying the platform with a smaller group of campers by the fireplace)

(above: small groups of campers or visitors to the park)

(above: gathering during the Native American festival)

(above: a large party occupying the platform with a smaller group of campers by the fireplace)

Overall, we received very positive feedback from John, Alex, and Christie (they are in fact, the world’s best clients). For the first scheme with a single roof plane and changing ground level, they all liked the idea of a platform that could act as a gathering space, stage, or seating. For the second scheme with two roof structures, the clients were drawn to the idea of creating a secondary, intimate space that incorporated the fire as a smaller gathering zone. To move forward, they stated that both schemes were successful and were happy to see both of them developed more.

After the Tuesday meeting, we were full of adrenaline and excitement to keep working on both schemes. We decided to start “playing with sticks” and experimenting with what the structure of our pavilion could be and how that would change people's interaction with the pavilion, using balsa wood sticks representing the wood we have available to us at a quarter-inch scale.

We started with different structural strategies and built models to represent the ways we could achieve them: a forest of columns, as few columns as possible, a thick roof that acts as an arrow, a thin roof that dissipates into the forest line. Each model we built taught us something and informed the next structural system we tested.

(irregular truss that is deeper at the low end of the pavilion to maintain a uniform roof height)

(uniform, thin trusses with no beams and a screen of columns pushed to the edges)

(parallel chord truss with a beam system to allow flexibility of column placement and fewer columns)

(flat lamella with no beams and a screen of columns)

(post and beam construction)

(occupied truss system and inverted truss)

After two days of glue-covered fingers and messy desks, we evaluated all of the models we were able to build in terms of how they did or did not accomplish our stated goals. We found that a screen of columns created a nice relationship to the forest, but also divided the space and wasn’t as flexible to serve larger gatherings. The thicker roof helped mark an entrance but also made a lot of wasted space if it needed to be clad. Trusses added a lot of flexibility, both in the depth of the roof and column location.

We presented the idea of using an inverted truss for the second scheme that twisted up towards the interior room and found it the most successful. In this structural scheme, the space could be broken up to accommodate different users by designing how the columns could form straight or angled lines. We also found that having the roof extend past the vertical structure to engage the surrounding site and blur the boundaries of the pavilion accomplished the goal of framing the interior room and allowing larger groups to gather.

Despite the cold and the rain, soup roast was a whirlwind of model moving, setting up, preparing, printing, and driving back and forth between Moundville and Newbern. The critique was very helpful in what our next steps should be to drive our concept and design forward. We’re looking to engage the site and ground even more and really look at the implications of structural systems in the coming weeks.

(Alex introducing the project at the soup roast presentation-- standing room only)

We’re enjoying a week of hard week before Christmas break (without those pesky professors); check back in early January to see what your favorite four ladies are up to!

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surviving, thriving, and hiking in slippers

Before it got too cold, we took advantage of the fall weather to become even more familiar with the site by camping on it. Not only were we able to experience the park “after-hours,” we were able to document the changing light conditions every hour on the site, make smores, and test out different areas of refuge for the pavilion. Overall, we got to really appreciate the beauty of Moundville and the site.

(lunch with a view of the Black Warrior River)

(when you have two Floridian team members, you eat a lot of Pub-subs)

(waking up for sunrise meant a rather cold morning and not leaving the fire; we’ve never looked better)

(the mounds at golden hour, wow wow wow)

(the light on the site was easily one of the most stunning things we’ve ever seen)

Our team survived a weekend in the great outdoors with one tent, temperatures in the low-thirties, and some suspicious mist. Turns out we didn’t kill each other and really bonded hiking in our slippers; that’s what we like to call team-building.

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just keep digging (deeper)

As we recovered from Halloween reviews we met with Andrew to discuss our next steps. He agreed with Marlon and thought we needed to step back and now dig a little deeper into the site, not abandoning what we learned from our design charrettes but taking some time to figure out what is special about the site that the pavilion can respond to. He pushed us to read the site more and really find out what we like about it so that the pavilion can enhance what is already there and not destroy it.

(existing fireplace and slab backed into the forrest line and a drawing depicting the light quality on the site)

So for the last two weeks we have been focusing on more and more research and analysis, focusing in on our immediate site. We knew the site is special and we knew we all love it; we just needed to figure out why.  

We spent a lot of time just being in the site, experiencing it at different times of day and in different weather conditions as well as talking to John and Alex about what they love about it. John stated the site was chosen because the educational director of the park used to have a trailer in it that has since been removed. He stated that that left a void they think the pavilion can help fill.

This “void” has really created a very distinct experience in the site. The landscaping that was curated and designed around the old trailer is still intact. This has left a opening under the tree canopies where the trailer used to sit. We’ve started calling this the “interior room.” This space feels very separate and protected from its surroundings under the canopies of the trees and abutting the forest wall.

(diagram of our site analysis, giving different areas names that relate to the spatial conditions formed by what’s existing on site: the trees, forrest line, and openings)

(a view into the “interior room,” framed by the front and back tree lines, with the fireplace in the foreground)

As we continued to “dig deeper” into the site and the Archaeological Park as a whole, we continued to catalogue our research and draw conclusions that would drive our design decisions. Last Friday, we were given the opportunity to present to Gordon Walker and Kim and Joe from JAS Design Build out of Seattle. We were thrilled to have positive feedback on the amount of site research we’ve done (even though our presentation got a tad long).

(site sections to depict the experience of the trees and canopies as you progress through the site, showing what is cut through as black and the surrounding trees in elevation)

(analysis of different structural systems with positives and negatives of how they would be integrated into the site)

Gordon pushed us to continue on, be bold, and now design something. Kim helped us sum up our concept as dealing with the ground and sky-- that is what the park and the mounds are all about. Joe believed in the beauty of our site and urged us to “make this place a better place.”

After such a positive and inspiring conversation, we’re ready to break out the trace, keep drawing, design, and be bold about it.

[moundvillepavilion]

Halloween review and Mt. Moundville debut

After what seemed like an impossibly fast two weeks, Marlon Blackwell and Halloween reviews were upon us. The week before, we filled our time with drawing, discussing, editing, curating, and categorizing. We also met with John, the land and facilities manager of the park, and Alex to discuss specific programmatic needs for the pavilion.

They stressed the importance of wanting to get people out to the campgrounds and we can see why; the campsites are truly an incredible place to be outside and to top it off have a pretty spectacular view of the mounds. However, John and Alex are disappointed with how often they are currently occupied. Their excitement in providing a well-used and much needed space to serve the park and campgrounds and hopefully attract visitors took off a little bit of the stress of reviews and only increased our own excitement of the project.

We took this information back with us as we moved forward with our iterations. For Halloween reviews, we defined our goals as striving to create an exterior space that serves the cultural, social, and historic fabric of Moundville through thoughtful design and consideration of all its future users. To achieve this, we identified three main categories that encompassed a variety of different strategies of how to respond to the site: On the landscape, Of the landscape, and In the landscape.

(sticky note voting to narrow down scheme options and talk more specifically about successes and failures of each)

“On the landscape” were iterations that read as more built objects placed into the landscape. Although these concepts still interacted with the site, there was a more clear definition of interior and exterior space and a focus on the ground connection. By creating an emphasis on how the pavilion would meet the ground, whether lightly or abruptly, the pavilion could create an important dialogue with the importance of the ground in the park.

“Of the landscape” focused on pavilions that blurred the boundaries of what was considered the “pavilion space” and the site so that the built structure dissolved into the context. In this category, the designs strove to fit into the landscape and minimize distraction from the beauty of the various tree canopies as something that slipped in between the trunks, leaves, and branches.

“In the landscape” went a different direction but still strove to create a deep relationship with the site. In these iterations, the landscape and topography were used and edited to integrate the pavilion into the ground, whether by sinking below grade or building up the topography to interact with the structure of the pavilion.

(our presentation for Halloween reviews ended on four major schemes, one for “on” and “in the landscape” and two for “of the landscape”)

All three categories achieve our concept in distinct, different but sometimes also similar ways. We were hoping to have a discussion with Marlon about how to decide which strategy is most appropriate within our site and how we can move those schemes forward to become even more contextual.

Marlon gave us a lot of critical and helpful feedback in response to these gut-reaction schemes, with a preference for both the “in the landscape” and “of the landscape” as options that seemed more embedded within the place. In this vein, however, he urged us to step back and dig a little deeper before drawing these more specific plans and sections and making any sort of decision. He urged us to figure out the what before the how. What are we trying to do and how do we do it?

(the two drawings above show a scheme for “in the landscape” that explores a change in topography to change perspective)

(the three drawings above look at creating a fluid structure and roof for “of the landscape” to fade into the tree canopy)

(the three drawings above are for another “of the landscape” scheme that uses two clusters of space to frame a larger exterior space)

He stated that he liked our “single-minded sense of purpose and direction” with what we were striving to accomplish with the pavilion and agreed that different scales to provide for the different users were worthwhile explorations. However, he wanted more from our reading and experience of the site and place before moving forward-- advice we are looking at fully embracing this week.

Another important topic of discussion, our Halloween costumes literally rocked Red Barn and we emerged victorious as first place winners of the annual costume contest judged by a select panel of community members! Apparently we can easily move from an all female to all male troupe, and still look pretty dang good.

(above: Lauren’s mustache fell off while presenting which left an awkward white patch of skin; it may have been the highlight of the presentation)

(above: some people think it’s their automatic right to be a member of Mt. Moundville)

(above: the making of Mt. Moundville taking over the Octavia House living room one Sunday afternoon)

(above: just a few dudes huddling for warmth on a fall day in Newbern)

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trace was definitely harmed in the making of this presentation

Fair warning: this is a long post and we apologize but we’ve been in full swing with Halloween Reviews last Friday so we have a lot to catch up on. Strap in!

(above: a map of Moundville; the light blue shows highway 69 which connects to Greensboro about 30 miles south and Tuscaloosa 15 miles north)

Our first step in designing was to dive deeper into the programmatic needs and site conditions for the project. The pavilion needs to respond to the needs of the Park, community, and campers. When we asked Alex Benitez, the director of Moundville Archaeological Park, what he wanted from the pavilion he said that he imagined it “acting as a swiss army knife.” They are hoping for an outdoor space to fill the various needs they don’t currently have a designated space for aside from the convention center. The community may use the pavilion for large events such as parties and family reunions but there are also solitary walkers or small groups of those who live nearby that use the park on a daily or weekly basis that should feel comfortable in the space. The campers would have similar needs; small groups may use the pavilion to eat dinner when it’s raining or to relax in the evenings.

To fully understand this complex program, we surveyed the community. The park is free to the community but we wanted to know more about how often they use it and how.

(above: an example of the survey we distributed to gauge how the community uses the park)

We attended a Hale County Football Game (senior night so the crowds were in full force) with a survey to gather more information about community usage and hopefully get a few people excited about a new pavilion along the way! We surveyed 160 people and found that everyone from Moundville we talked to uses the park in some way or another. Many people went once a year for the annual Native American festival, but a third of those surveyed also went at least once a month to walk, bike, and be with friends and family outside. Quite a few people said that they had been to large events in the park and everyone said they would consider hosting one there if there was a designated space for it.

(surveying the community of Moundville)

One of the biggest challenges for the design of the pavilion will be to accomodate so many different programmatic needs. The scale of the space should be able to fit large groups but it should also feel comfortable for small clusters of people. There is also the importance of the park’s history. How do we respond to it? The land in Moundville Archaeological Park is special and celebrated. How do we add to it without taking away from that importance?

(discussing spatial conditions with our site model with Xavi and Steve)

With only two and a half weeks to form a cohesive presentation for Halloween reviews with Marlon Blackwell, we jumped straight into the project. We were well prepared with an army of precedent studies from Xavi and Julia Cappomagi during the workshop series. After expanding even more on what we were looking at, we decided to just start trying things to see how they could fit the program and what spatial conditions were created.

An unhealthy amount of trace was used to draw, discuss, and keep drawing. We started to analyze what our response should be based on site and context and what “moves” we could employ to achieve it, knowing that one of the challenges of this project is the complex program.

(working on design iterations and the presentation flow)

We’ve discussed these topics endlessly, drawing iteration after iteration in between conversations. Our stack of trace has reached staggering heights and we have continued to critique and modify our design-reactions. Each time we draw, we categorize based off of how the schemes fulfill the goals of the pavilion and try to articulate what we were trying to accomplish and ways we succeeded and failed in doing so. We have been drawing our own ideas and each others to improve and move forward with fresh eyes and different reactions.

Meanwhile, we also carved pumpkins and ate copious amounts of leftover Halloween candy. Work hard, play hard, right?

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Meet the Ladies of Moundville

Welcome to the project blog for Moundville Archaeological Park Community Pavilion!

Meet the project! We are fifth year architecture students with Auburn University’s Rural Studio, a design-build program in Newbern, AL that works and builds within Hale County (for more information about Newbern or Rural Studio, visit http://www.ruralstudio.org ). 

(above: Rural Studio’s Red Barn that serves as our studio space)

We have been tasked with building a community pavilion in Moundville Archaeological Park, a historic Native American site. The park is located in Moundville, the largest town in Hale County. The settlement the park now preserves was once known as “The Big Apple” of the Mississippian era and was the largest city in North America north of Mexico at its height. Now, the park contains “mounds” that are an important heritage site to Native Americans across the country. These mounds were built over time; when the head of the household passed away, the family would burn the body and home and then start again on top of that forming the current “mounds.” The park is also free to access for Moundville residents and includes a campground with over 30 campsites, museum and convention center that can be rented out for meetings and events.

(above: a rendering of what Moundville looked like during the Mississippian era and then an aerial photo of what the park looks like today)

Rural Studio has been charged with building a pavilion that can be used as an outdoor gathering space, event space and classroom for the park, community and campers. The chosen site for our project is nestled within the campgrounds where the home of the educational director used to be, leaving a remaining concrete slab and fireplace that have become important elements of the history of the site. There is also an existing pile of wood material within the park. This will be an interesting design constraint within the project to make use of what we have.

(above: the campgrounds are on the southwestern border of the park, nestled within against a forest edge with an amazing view of the mounds past the ring road)

(above: the existing fireplace on our project site)

The park has a unique connection to the community. Although it is owned by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, it also retains a dominant feature within the local town. The park sits very close to downtown and most of the town’s public buildings including two schools that are nearby. As one of the few parks in Moundville, community members use the park regularly as a place to walk, ride bikes, or spend time with family or friends. However, the park is also a travel destination for many Native American tribes who have heritage ties to the land and is also an active archaeological site. This makes it particularly unique as one of the few archaeological sites in the country to also act as a public park for the community. This is another important reason for a community pavilion within the park to serve all users.

(above: view of the site as you approach from the northeast side)

(above: view looking into our proposed site from the ring road of the campgrounds)

(above: looking into the site from the southeastern border, viewing the road and campgrounds in the distance)

(above: within the tree canopies of the site, near the fireplace looking out towards the park and mounds in distance on a foggy morning)

Meet the team!

Katie Cantine is from Tewksbury, New Jersey. She may be the smallest team member but she brings a quiet confidence (and excellent time management) to the team. Her dog, Finley, has quickly become the studio mascot and she’s always ready to show off his new tricks. In her spare time, she also rides horses and takes care of her many pets at home including her cow, Snickers.

Lauren Ballard is from Jupiter, Florida. As our resident beach bum you’ll find her itching to soak up the sun whenever she can. She loves the problem solving nature of architecture and is always ready to work through a design problem. A love of to-do lists keeps our team organized and ready for a meeting at any time. Her intense love of giraffes provides us with an abundance of fun facts - did you know giraffes produce sunscreen on their tongues?

Emily Lopez is from Orlando, Florida. Although she didn’t attend Rural Studio as a third year, she has adapted the small-town Alabama lifestyle effortlessly. Coming from a family of accountants, she loves the design aspect of architecture but also appreciates the practicality (she is our resident math nerd after all). She also brings a wealth of Disney knowledge to the team as a true princess herself, growing up so close to Disney World.

Sarah Page is from Athens, Alabama. She has a tremendous work ethic and deeply held love of design. Usually armed with trace, she is ready for a design charrette at all times. Her room features an impressive collection of artwork and drawings amassed from around the world. A surprisingly productive tornado, you’ll usually find her patching herself up or searching for a lost item. As an all-girls team (#girlsruntheworld), we are annoyingly peppy at times and a tad OCD with our endless to-do lists. Overall, we are all incredibly thrilled to have the opportunity to work on this project and be able to work with an amazing team and site at the park.

As we shift gears from workshops, we are excited with the endless possibilities the site and program offer. Only two and a half weeks in, we’ve gone through Halloween reviews (update to come this week) and are excited to use our momentum to dig deeper and keep drawing. Check back in soon to see our pretty stellar Halloween costumes and the first stage of our design process!