Vol Walker Hall + the Steven L Anderson Design Center
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VOL WALKER HALL + THE STEVEN L ANDERSON DESIGN CENTER THE ADDITION AND RENOVATION TO VOL WALKER HALL AT THE FAY JONES SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE IS A COMPLEX BUT RESOLUTE HYBRID OF A BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED HISTORICAL BUILDING, AND A MODERN COMPLEMENT. Vol Walker Hall + The Steven L. Anderson Design Center The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at the University of Arkansas is a striking and effective hybrid of a beautifully restored and renovated historical building, Vol Walker Hall (65,000 SF), and a contemporary insertion and addition, the Steven L. Anderson Design Center (37,000 SF). The ensemble invigorates the historical center of the campus and instills new life in Vol Walker Hall, the campus’s original library and home to the School of Architecture since 1968. The overall design is a didactic model, establishing a tangible discourse between the past and present while providing state of the art facilities for 21st century architectural and design education while achieving LEED Gold in recognition of the sustainable and urban strategies employed. The Anderson Design Center is a modern complement to the neo-classical architecture of Vol Walker Hall, sensitive to the past and conceived to enhance the spatial character of the historic campus plan. The footprint of the addition mirrors that of the traditional structure’s primary east wing, physically and conceptually balancing the old and the new. The Design Center’s contemporary vocabulary resonates with its neighbor’s design through similar materials and proportions. Regulating lines established by Vol Walker Hall’s classical composition and proportions of string courses, cornice lines, fenestration and moldings generated the organizational system for the elevations of the Anderson Design Center. The limestone and steel windows of Vol Walker Hall, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are meticulously restored while the interior renovation establishes a middle ground between minimalism and classicism. The plaster is restored while the white finish extends from the addition through the renovation to provide continuity and clarity of detailing. The previously dysfunctional central gallery is transformed into a vibrant, day-lit gathering space at the heart of the school. An oculus is set into a backlit fabric ceiling, illuminating the space and providing required acoustic control, while a steel plate portal slices through the existing wall to frame the connection to the addition. Review spaces are integrated into studio spaces throughout the building, acknowledging the critical role of these spaces in design education. A new 200 seat auditorium fulfills a critical need of the School to provide space for lectures and School events. Below the rake of the auditorium seating, the Student Lounge feature custom felt seating and ambient lighting. Visual slivers of glass in the north and south elevations, twin glass enclosed stairwells reveal the formal joint between renovation and addition, connecting old and new and delivering daylight and activity into the center of the building. Post-tensioned, architectural concrete construction and Indiana limestone rainscreen give the Anderson Design Center weight and substance that honor its historic counterpart. A fritted glass brise-soleil screens the intense western sunlight from penetrating the curtain wall that allows natural light to fill the studios. The Anderson Design Center’s expansive roof terrace is both a green roof and a covered outdoor classroom; the elevated vantage point affords dramatic views over the surrounding campus, city, and landscape. SOUTHEAST CORNER ARKANSAS UNION MULLINS LIBRARY LIBRARY EXPANSION AGRICULTURE BUILDING OLD MAIN STEVEN L. ANDERSON DESIGN CENTER UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS SITE PLAN ESTABLISHING AN ENTRY AND CORRIDOR THROUGH THE ADDITION AND RENOVATION FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS ALONG THE CAMPUS AXIS IS A CORRECTIVE MOVE; PREVIOUSLY, CIRCULATION CAMPUS AXIS DIAGRAM PREVIOUS ALONG THIS PRIMARY ROUTE WAS CUT OFF BY LIBRARY STACKS AT THE WEST OF CIRCULATION VOL WALKER HALL REQUIRING ONE TO MOVE OFF AXIS AND AROUND THE BUILDING. CAMPUS AXIS ORIGINAL BUILDING SOUTHWEST CORNER OF EXISTING BUILDING STACKS REMOVED STACKS WERE REMOVED TO ALLOW FOR EXPANSION RECONSTRUCTION AND ADDITION DEMOLITION COMPLETE, COMPLETE FOUNDATIONS IN PROGRESS THE STEVEN L. ANDERSON DESIGN CENTER IS LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSITY’S CAMPUS. THE BUILDING INVIGORATES THE HISTORIC CENTER OF CAMPUS, BECOMING PART OF A KEY SEQUENCE OF BUILDINGS THAT INCLUDES VOL WALKER HALL AND OLD MAIN - THE FIRST BUILDING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS. NORTH ELEVATION A A B A C EXISTING BUILDING MASS AS GROUND B C ADDITION VOL WALKER STEVEN L. ANDERSON PLAN DIAGRAM HALL DESIGN CENTER MASS AS FIGURE PROPORTIONS BRISE-SOLEIL SHADES THE INTERIOR FROM THE WESTERN SUN WHILE CREATING AN ICONIC ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION THROUGH EXTENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, THE OPTIMAL CONFIGURATION OF THE BRISE-SOLEIL FINS WAS DETERMINED AND THEN TESTED AT FULL SCALE ALONG WITH ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE FINISHES. BRISE SOLEIL MOCK UP THE RESTRAINED USE OF MATERIAL IN THE ADDITION LEND CLARITY TO THE BUILDING’S ICONIC GESTURE. THE FRITTED GLASS BRISE-SOLEIL IS SET WITHIN A PRECAST CONCRETE FRAME WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE FORM BALANCING ON IN-SITU ARCHITECTURAL CONCRETE WALLS CREATING A GENEROUS OVERHANG AT THE WEST ENTRANCE OF THE BUILDING. A CUSTOM, LOCALLY FABRICATED STEEL CURTAIN WALL EXPRESSES THE DETAILS OF FABRICATION, PROVIDING A TEACHING TOOL FOR THE DESIGN STUDENTS WORKING IN THE BUILDING’S STUDIOS. RIGOROUS DETAILING OF THE MATERIALS AND INTERSECTIONS ALLOWS THE COMPLEX SYSTEM TO RESOLVE INTO A SIMPLE YET LAYERED EXPRESSION. WEST ENTRY ALONG THE CAMPUS AXIS THE CONTEMPORARY ARTICULATION OF THE ADDITION’S WESTERN PORTAL, WITH ITS TRIPARTITE GLASS DOORWAY, GRACIOUSLY SET BACK UNDER A GENEROUS OVERHANG, EMULATES WITH PRECISION THE PROPORTIONS OF THE HISTORIC PORTICOED EAST ENTRANCE, VISIBLE IN THE DISTANCE UPON ENTRY. THE REMOVAL OF OBSOLETE STACK SPACES AT THE REAR OF THE BUILDING MADE ROOM FOR THE ADDITION AND CREATED A NEW CIRCULATION ROUTE ON THE PRIMARY AXIS OF THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS. EAST ELEVATION AND ENTRY GROUND FLOOR RED OAK TABLEAU AND DISPLAY VITRINES IN THE COMMONS PROVIDE AN INFORMAL GATHERING SPACE ALONG THE CENTRAL AXIS OF THE BUILDING. THE CENTRAL AXIS OF THE UNIVERSITY EXTENDS THROUGH THE BUILDING AT THE GROUND FLOOR. STEEL AND GLASS DISPLAY VITRINES AT THE COMMONS AND THE EAST ENTRY PROVIDE SPACE FOR EXHIBITS, REVEALING THE WORK OF THE SCHOOL TO STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY AS THEY PASS THROUGH THE BUILDING. GROUND FLOOR EAST ENTRY BEFORE RENOVATION DISPLAY VITRINES FLANK THE EAST ENTRY THE TABLEAU, BUILT FROM TWO LARGE RED OAKS THAT WERE REMOVED DURING CONSTRUCTION, REVEALS LESSONS ON THE NATURE OF WOOD GRAIN AND TREE GROWTH PATTERNS TREE REMOVAL AIR DRYING THE ROUGH SAWN LUMBER TABLEAU CREATED FROM MILLED LUMBER 7 - GALLERY WITH ROTATING PANELS FLANKS THE WEST ENTRY PROVIDING SPACE FOR EXHIBITIONS AND FUNCTIONS, INCLUDING THE FIRST EXHIBITION, “WORKS BY E FAY JONES” 4 1. STUDIO 1 2. LOBBY 3 3. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 5 4. AUDITORIUM 5. STUDENT LOUNGE 6 2 6. STUDENT ORGANIZATION 11 2 9 7. EXHIBITION GALLERY 10 8. TERRACE 9. COMMONS 10. CUSTOM VITRINES 7 3 11. CAMPUS AXIS 1 GROUND FLOOR PLAN 8 7 - EXHIBITION GALLERY THE BRISE SOLEIL LIFTS AT THE SOUTH END OF THE ADDITION TO REVEAL THE EXHIBITION GALLERY FEATURING A VITRINE OF ROTATING PANELS WHICH IS USED TO DISPLAY THE WORK OF THE DESIGN DISCIPLINES TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY. A GENEROUS WINDOW ALONG THE CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE WOODSHOP ALLOWS VIEWS OF THE ACTIVITY WITHIN THE RENOVATED LOWER LEVEL INCLUDES AN EXPANDED WOODSHOP, DIGITAL FABRICATION FACILITIES, MEDIA LIBRARY, AND COMPUTER LAB. THE WORK TAKING PLACE WITHIN THESE SPACES VISIBLE TO STUDENTS AND FACULTY THAT PASS BY THE LABS, ENCOURAGING CROSS-DISCIPLINE LEARNING AND COLLABORATION. LOWER LEVEL LOWER LEVEL STUDIO BEFORE RENOVATION LOWER LEVEL COMPUTER LAB 1. STUDIO 2. LOBBY 3. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES THE GRAND STAIR FEATURES A PAIR OF DAVID CHIPPERFIELD CHANDELIERS, SKYLIGHT, AND CAREFULLY 4. AUDITORIUM RESTORED PLASTER DETAILING AND MARBLE STAIR AND CONNECTS THE PRIMARY AXIS OF THE BUILDING 5. STUDENT LOUNGE TO THE SECOND LEVEL READING ROOM STUDIO AND CENTRAL GALLERY. THE WHITE PLASTER PROVIDES 6. STUDENT ORGANIZATION CONTINUITY BETWEEN THE ADDITION TO RENOVATION. 7. EXHIBITION GALLERY 8. TERRACE 9. COMMONS 10. CUSTOM VITRINES 11. CAMPUS AXIS SECTION THROUGH GRAND STAIR LOOKING NORTH 8 7 2 1 3 4 5 6 9 10 THE CENTRAL GALLERY FEATURES A STEEL PLATE PORTAL THAT SLICES THROUGH AN EXISTING WALL TO FRAME THE CONNECTION TO THE ADDITION CENTRAL GALLERY PRIOR TO RENOVATION ROLLING CUSTOM STEEL PIN-UP PANELS ALLOW THE GALLERY TO BE RECONFIGURED FOR A VARIETY OF USES VIEW THROUGH RESTORED ARCHWAY INTO CENTRAL GALLERY WITH ADDITION BEYOND SECOND FLOOR THE RESTORATION AND RENOVATION OF VOL WALKER HALL AND ADDITION OF THE STEVEN L. ANDERSON DESIGN CENTER ESTABLISH A TANGIBLE DISCOURSE BETWEEN THE PAST AND PRESENT WHILE PROVIDING STATE OF THE ART FACILITIES FOR 21 ST CENTURY ARCHITECTURAL AND DESIGN EDUCATION. DETAIL LOOKING THROUGH FOURTH LEVEL CLASSROOM RED GLASS TO CENTRAL GALLERY THE READING ROOM (ABOVE) OF THE FORMER LIBRARY FEATURES RESTORED STEEL FRAME WINDOWS, PLASTER, AND CASEWORK. MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, ONCE AN OBTRUSIVE ADDITION, ARE INTEGRATED INTO A RECONSTRUCTED MECHANICAL ATTIC ABOVE THE SPACE. AUTOMATED WINDOW SHADES CONTROL HEAT GAIN AND GLARE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE CENTRAL CRITIQUE SPACE,