University of South Florida Scholar Commons Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 11-18-2008 Blurring the Disconnect: [Inter]positioning Place within a Struggling Context Eric Luttmann University of South Florida Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Scholar Commons Citation Luttmann, Eric, "Blurring the Disconnect: [Inter]positioning Place within a Struggling Context" (2008). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/369 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Blurring the Disconnect: [Inter]positioning Place within a Struggling Context by Eric Luttmann Master of Architecture School of Architecture and Community Design College of Visual and Performing Arts University of South Florida Major Professor: Michael Halfl ants, M.Arch. Joe Toph, M. Arch. Michael Crawford Date of Approval: November 18, 2008 Keywords: University of Tampa, Between, Interstitial, Downtown Tampa, Forming Space, Hillsborough River, Twiggs Street © Copyright 2008, Eric Luttmann Acknowledgements Thank you mom and dad for always believing in everything I have ever done. None of my accomplishments would have ever happened if it were not for your love and support. Thank you Mark for always being there. I am glad that I have a wonderful brother to share my life with. Aly, I don’t know how to put this into a small paragraph. You have always stood by my side through the good and the bad. You are my other half. To the future, I love you so much. I would also like to thank Professor Michael Halfl ants. It was always a pleasure working with you. Thanks for always pushing me to look at my projects in different ways. Note to Reader The original document contains color images. Though it is not necessary to understand the graphics in gray scale, they are better represented in color. The original document is on fi le with the USF library in Tampa, Florida. Table of Contents List of Figures iii Abstract viii Introduction 1 Case Study #1: [de]Humanized Public Space within Downtown Tampa 7 Case Study #2: A Plan Study - Space as... 12 Case Study #3: Porosity and Boundary 19 Case Study #4: Materials - Site, Concept and Innovation 23 Case Study #5: The old Tampa Bay Hotel 27 The Site 30 The Location 30 The Importance of the Location 30 Programming the Site 32 Problem Statement 32 Hypothesis 32 Building Information 33 The Main Users 34 Goals 35 Zoning and Ordinances 39 Waterfront Design Regulations - Waterfront Overlay District 39 Site Analysis 43 Site Characteristics 43 Circulation 45 i Downtown Edge Conditions 49 Forces 51 Twiggs Street Extension 53 [de]Forming Space - A conceptual design study 56 Concept, Context and Continuity 61 The Inside of the Cut and Program 68 Systems Integration 74 Inside of the cut _Concrete 76 Outside of the mass_Perforated Metal 78 Diaphragm_Orange acrylic 81 Interaction of systems 82 Material Studies 85 Natural, Artifi cial and Architecture 91 Sustainability 95 The Section Model 98 Process Models 108 The Final Presentation and Conclusions 114 Bibliography 117 ii List of Figures Fig. 1 Abstract proposal collage ix Fig. 2 Gaslight Park at typical weekday lunch hour 8 Fig. 3 Gaslight Park - lunch hour 8 Fig. 4 Gaslight Park - during work hours 9 Fig. 5 Gaslight Park - after work hours 9 Fig. 6 Park as transitional space 10 Fig. 7 Cross section through space 10 Fig. 8 University of Cincinnati campus plan 13 Fig. 9 Connection diagram 14 Fig. 10 Compressive areas diagram 14 Fig. 11 Division diagram 15 Fig. 12 Variation section 16 Fig. 13 Edge conditions 17 Fig. 14 Variation sections 17 Fig. 15 Pep rally parade 18 Fig. 16 Section cuts 18 Fig. 17 Natural porosity 19 Fig. 18 Corner condition 20 Fig. 19 Between space 20 Fig. 20 Porosity through the boundary 21 Fig. 21 Continuity across the boundary 21 Fig. 22 Continuity within the boundary 21 Fig. 23 Layers and porosity 1 22 Fig. 24 Layers and porosity 2 22 Fig. 25 Conceptual materials 1 23 Fig. 26 Conceptual materials 2 24 Fig. 27 Concrete 24 Fig. 28 Corten steel 25 Fig. 29 Structural steel 25 Fig. 30 Welcoming vestibule space 27 iii Fig. 31 Node space along street 28 Fig. 32 Porous lobby space 28 Fig. 33 Main axes and connections 29 Fig. 34 Aerial showing beyond downtown Tampa 31 Fig. 35 Zoomed in to show site and adjacent context 31 Fig. 36 Extents of site and little context 31 Fig. 37 Programming adjacency bubble diagram 33 Fig. 38 Programming, site and main users 35 Fig. 39 Night-time activity 37 Fig. 40 Daytime and temporary activity 38 Fig. 41 Site sections and references 44 Fig. 42 Conceptual pedestrian 46 Fig. 43 Radii and walking distance 47 Fig. 44 Proposed pedestrian circulation routes 47 Fig. 45 Programming diagram and main connections 47 Fig. 46 Proposed water taxi and routes 48 Fig. 47 Vehicular access 48 Fig. 48 Downtown edge conditions 50 Fig. 49 Scattered gathering places 50 Fig. 50 Growth from within 50 Fig. 51 Real forces - grids and river 52 Fig. 52 Making the connection 52 Fig. 53 Forces conceptual - UT and downtown 52 Fig. 54 Twiggs Street extends to and across river 55 Fig. 55 Street extension and programmatic functions 55 Fig. 56 Proposed connections and programmatic functions 55 Fig. 57 Unformed object in a fi eld of nothing 57 Fig. 58 Series of three showing formation of space 58 Fig. 59 Series of three showing building reacting to space 59 Fig. 60 Formed space and buildings in x-ray to show variation 60 Fig. 61 Final space diagram - porosity in both directions 60 Fig. 62 Context Diagram - extending the downtown grid to the river 61 Fig. 63 Context Diagram - establishing the connection between downtown and UT 62 Fig. 64 Context Diagram - creating the necessary continuity across the site 63 iv Fig. 65 Master plan 65 Fig. 66 Space along river beneath overhang 66 Fig. 67 Corner at Twiggs extension 66 Fig. 68 Twiggs Street extension 67 Fig. 69 Pedestrian connection from afar 67 Fig. 70 First fl oor plan 68 Fig. 71 Within space 70 Fig. 72 Dave and Buster’s signature logo 71 Fig. 73 Water drop 73 Fig. 74 Watermelon 74 Fig. 75 Exploded axonometric of all systems 75 Fig. 76 Concrete protrusion into space 76 Fig. 77 Vertical openings and bamboo as screen 77 Fig. 78 Screen pulls away from building 78 Fig. 79 Screen on outside of initial cut 79 Fig. 80 Diaphragm wall pushes through screen 80 Fig. 81 Diaphragm wall fi nished with orange acrylic 81 Fig. 82 Main structural beams lock into diaphragm wall 81 Fig. 83 All systems 1 - highlighting diaphragm 82 Fig. 84 All systems 2 - overall from downtown 83 Fig. 85 All systems 3 - overall from Hillsborough River 84 Fig. 86 Concrete form work before the pour 85 Fig. 87 Concrete sitting in the form work after our has cured 86 Fig. 88 Concrete showing reverse texture of screen 86 Fig. 89 Concrete showing the different pours 87 Fig. 90 Screen pulls away and creates the texture 87 Fig. 91 Materials used to construct screen 88 Fig. 92 The smaller parts of the assembled screen 88 Fig. 93 Process to construct begins with steel work 89 Fig. 94 Bolts connect panel to panel and sheet the angle 89 Fig. 95 The cross-bracing keeps the panel together 90 Fig. 96 Bamboo forest - courtesy of Wikipedia 91 Fig. 97 Bamboo shooting up through void created by fl oor plates 93 Fig. 98 Curtis Hixon park side as park blends with inside space 94 Fig. 100 Typical solar array 96 Fig. 101 Typical Florida sun is harsh 96 v Fig. 102 Montage of overall section model 98 Fig. 103 Section model - large volume space 99 Fig. 104 Section model - diaphragm wall pushing through 100 Fig. 105 Section model - main entry court space 101 Fig. 106 Section model - looking through in elevation 101 Fig. 107 Section model - space between concrete shell and building 102 Fig. 108 Section model - interior lobby space and main volume 103 Fig. 109 Section model - Just enjoying the view! 104 Fig. 110 Section model - Look at all those ridiculous perforations 105 Fig. 111 Section model - exposing the structure and volume space 106 Fig. 112 Section model - overall image 1 107 Fig. 113 Section model - overall image 2 107 Fig. 114 The original concept model using the word “between” 108 Fig. 115 Concept model - basswood and missing chunk as datum 108 Fig. 116 Concept model - every piece builds upon the last 109 Fig. 117 Formal model showing between space 110 Fig. 118 Formal model - zoomed out to show entire site 110 Fig. 119 Systems model - beneath overhang 111 Fig. 120 Systems model - looking at formed space 111 Fig. 121 Systems model - overall image 1 111 Fig. 122 Conceptual systems model - interaction 112 Fig. 123 Conceptual systems model - structure and space 112 Fig. 124 Conceptual systems model - systems integration 113 Fig. 125 Final systems graphics and material studies 114 Fig. 126 Final graphics and models laid out 114 Fig. 127 The fi nal presentation set up and ready to roll..... 115 vi “To deny the traditional place or enclosure, suggests another condition off this displaced architecture that is interiority. Interiority has nothing to do with the inside or the inhabitable space of a building but rather of a condition of being within.” - Peter Eisenman vii Blurring the Disconnect: [Inter]positioning Place within a Struggling Context Eric Luttmann ABSTRACT Downtown Tampa, a struggling city core, will continue to struggle as it holds no true identity to its relationship with important surrounding context, as well as within itself.