Design Refinement and Installation: Phase Four
To be continued next semester
Presentation and Critique: Phase Three
The formal presentation to the university guests was held in the lobby of our building, which showcased the design phases of the project. The presentation included scaled models, site plan drawings, sectional drawings of individual castings and photographs of students casting their designs. On the Sunday before the presentation, all of the casted concrete elements were moved to the Gateway island to prepare for the critique open to university guests and iarc students. On Monday morning our group placed the individual ground planes and semi-circles in a more intentional way.
Our guests walking through the gateway island and brought up things like considering how the ground planes are placed diagonally and consideration to not cutting them. A university guest advised that pedestrian walkways will need to be considered for students crossing the street in line with the pathways created in our island for safety reasons. All of the feedback was constructive, positive, and I felt that the presentation went quite well. I feel that we are now at the point to design this project in a more informed way, in regard to the capabilities of concrete and the specific project needs. Further refinement of design and installation will take place next semester. I feel that our inside presentation was well received by the guests. I personally learned that I need to letter the site plan drawing with a larger font size so the audience can read the print farther back in the audience.
Site plan of gateway island at 1/2" scale = 1.0', to match scale of the model
Sectional drawing of ground plane
DESIGN AND CASTING: PHASE TWO
I decided to lay down individual pieces of paper 12" x 12" to physically and aesthetically inform the design and placement of the ground planes. Questions were answered as to the angle and width of the path. It was suggested that a row of three ground planes would be best to define the pathway so the two paths would be consistent in width, since the longer pathway leading to Highland Avenue can only accommodate three ground planes in certain areas due to the light fixture and angle of path sandwiched between street and parking lot.
Washing of wooden frames for recasting
Our group constructed a system of frames, each houses the production of 3 ground planes, using a large sheet of plywood, 96"x48", cut into 6 sets. We used the plywood provided by the department with purchased wood for the sides of the frame which are stapled into place. Each ground plane is 12"x 12". This dimension was chosen since the island is 4' wide and divisible easily by 12. 
Ground plane design
Stoel and I built one individual wooden frame to test concept before building system of frames for casting of ground planes. I was pleased that the frame worked very well: relatively easy to make, incorporated provided materials, relatively easy removal of casting once cured if using vaseline inside, etc. The choice of pea gravel as aggregate also worked well and will add strength to concrete as ground plane. 
Cardboard cut-out inserted into bottom of frame to create raised circular form
I created this simple sketch which shows the design process of the ground plane. Our group elected to move ahead with the design pictured above on bottom left. We decided to remove the outer circle in the design and create the circles in the square form for simplicity and ease of production. The open circle suggests a larger concept, a larger idea that reaches farther than the moment when a shoe touches an individual stone.
First casting of individual ground plane made in wooden frame. Mold used to create circle did not work well and so decided to start over in design.
One of the first castings in a bowl with impressions from a small muffin pan
First casting from plastic cover for pastries from the grocery store. Mold worked very well but design needs development as ground plane.
Casting from chip and dip mold - unfortunately the small circle did not stay attached to the larger form
Chip and dip mold - face up, I had hopes for this mold but it didn't work well
Chip and dip mold as potential ground plane - has graceful shape
Initial idea for ground plane design - decided that the circles needed to be bigger to have a dialog with semi-circlesADA truncated concrete pattern
Ideation and Development of Concept
A critical and challenging point in this project was the blending together of the various aspects of the research to develop an overall approach. Other areas of research included environmental and behaviorial. In a brainstorming session the studio at large adopted a progressive, interactive gateways concept as it pertains to the islands situated adjacent to the Studio Arts building in the parking lot. The studio was randomly divided into five groups with each group being assigned a different island to design: Gateway, Oasis, Way Station, Desert and Building Edge. In preparation for the brainstorming session we were asked to create a group parti and a throw up graphic individually to communicate various ideas that could be used in crafting our project concept involving the five islands.
In observing the Gateway island it became quickly apparent that the island is used as a main crossroads for students. Worn paths from pedestrians crossing the island for convenience, with little landscaping, was the most important consideration for the design. There were things to consider on the island as well, waste bins and a cigarette receptacle, that needed to be removed for aesthetic and safety reasons. It became quickly apparent that this project was about one of two things: keeping pedestrians off the islands or directing a pathway through the island and designing it well for use. As the latter seemed to be the obvious choice for this project, we began thinking critically about how to design a pathway with ground planes as stepping stones.
The idea to respect the existing pathways as the placement for ground planes and to create a sculptural element to direct the pathways was accepted. Each group was to incorporate common themes to unify the design of the five islands: light/shadow, pathway direction, ground plane, texture, verticality, visual slowing down of traffic. Also as a unifying element, a expression of graphic shapes, circles and squares, would be used in a progressive fashion. The gateway island was to incorporate circles as the main shape in the design.
Throw up graphic
The initial idea to create thin rods of concrete to direct the paths would have been technically impossible to realize in concrete and potentially unsafe. On to another idea....
Gateway Island - Site Photographs:
PROJECT RESEARCH: PHASE ONE
The studio was presented with a new project, Pathways, Edges, Boundaries, to span the second half of the semester. We were asked to begin a design process that specifically entails critical attention to the context of a given setting. Contexture is a quality that designers usually seek, the unity and dialog of parts that we have discussed and explored throughout the semester. This project asks us to explore the idea of contexture through the making and placement of a series of ground planes made of concrete. The site chosen is the interface between the Gatewood Studio Arts Building and the parking lot to the south of the building. The purpose of the ground plane elements is to help define the pathways, edges, and boundaries between the building and the parking lot.
The studio was assigned to teams that had specific aspects of the context to define and research. My group, Midtown, was responsible for researching the historical/cultural aspects and analyzing the data for relevance to the project. Within the research scope I was asked to research the architects that designed the Studio Arts Building that houses the Interior Architecture school. Centerbrook Architects from Centerbrook, Connecticut was the designer architect and Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern from Charlotte was the architect of record. After thoroughly reading their websites I decided it would be most beneficial to interview the project manager from Centerbrook to learn more in detail of the design process. I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Stephen Holmes over the phone and the following highlights our conversation.
Interview with Stephen Holmes, project manager at Centerbrook Architects, on the design of the Maud Gatewood Studio Arts Building at UNCG
Could you describe the research phase of the project?
The firm traveled to UNCG from Connecticut to see the site, which was already cleared of two small houses on the property, as the beginning step in the research. A consistence study and site analysis was ongoing for six months. The consistency study involved a study of academic, studio arts buildings around the country with similar needs. Important input was provided by the university and users of the building on an ongoing basis. A list of required studio spaces and relating needs for an arts building were communicate in the beginning.
There there any limitations of the site?
The site was small, heavily bound, in midst of an existing parking lot. The sloping site had a significant drop off.
Through your site analysis, were there any issues that influenced the design of the building?
To proactively address any possible vibrations in the building due to the proximity of the site to the railroads, the frame of the building was built in concrete. The placement for the building was pushed up hill to allow a view from upper stories of neighboring buildings.
Was the existing university traffic flow in this area considered in the design?
As part of the site analysis, access to this area was closely monitored for pedestrian ways. The building was asymmettrically placed on the site to maximize the efficiency of footprint on the site.
Were there concepts that were important in the design and features that you wanted to showcase in the building?
The firm wanted the building in its design to be informative to the students. They wanted the students to openly see how an exposed slab structure is built. They wanted to honor the function of the space as a learning facility.
The lighting was a main concept in the design. The request for transparency in the building strongly influenced the extensive use of glass that infused light into the studios. The exterior overhang is to shield a degree of this light but to offer a strong visual element, harkening to a sense of craftsmanship.
A two story lobby that featured a central gallery was also important to showcase and honor the nature of work produced in this building.
Graciously proportioned stairs were important to include.
What considerations were given to the edges of the building?
The block form of the building grew out of the nature of the programming spaces for the building. The front edge at street level was brought down in scale, providing a front porch, to promote human relationships and appeal. The front has the same overhang as the rest of the building. The horizontal band harkens back to a craftsman tradition. The exterior respects a red brick form used on campus. The edges as invitations for light was important for all hours of the day. The edges meld a modern feel with a craftsman tradition. The larger order of brick was more formal. It created a brick skin. The layered space in the rear courtyard was an important edge.
How were sustainability and energy conservation philosophies incorporated into the design?
The decision to realize the building structure in cast-in-place concrete was due in part to a concern for sustainability as very durable. Unvarnished finishes ensure long-term durability. Construction and materials quality was very important in this project as consideration for long life. The exterior stack with incorporated for ventilation so the ventilation does not come up through the main structure.
What was your involvement with the parking lot adjacent to the building?
There is a small, existing parking lot on the east side of the site. There was also a gravel parking lot on the south end of the site at the time. The east parking lot was modified slightly to allow truck access delivering supplies to the foundry, ceramics studio, etc. The designers were informed that a master plan for a parking deck on the south end of the building. No attention was given to the southern area.
How long did it take to design the building?
The research phase, called programming, took approximately 6 months. The design documents phase took 1 year.
What was the earlier concept for this area on campus?
He consulted with Chad Floyd, principal of Centerbrook Architects overseeing the Gatewood project, but unfortunately both of them do not know the answer to this question.
Interview by phone 10/27/08 by Sharon Frazier
Studio Arts Building Named For N.C. Artist Maud Gatewood
By Steve Gilliam, University Relations
Maud Gatewood in her studio. Photo by Michael Zirkle.
When it opened in the summer of 2006, the new Studio Arts Building at UNCG honored the name of Maud Gatewood, the late artist who is acknowledged as one of the state’s most important painters.
UNCG trustees named the building for Gatewood, a renowned artist who was a 1954 alumna of Woman’s College (now UNCG). Located on Highland Avenue just off Spring Garden Street, the 99,000-square-foot structure is a North Carolina Higher Education Bonds project and is being built at a cost of $17.6 million. A formal dedication will be held October 5 as part of UNCG’s Founders Day activities.
“There could be no better choice than Maud Gatewood as the namesake for our Studio Art Building,” said UNCG Chancellor Patricia A. Sullivan. “She was a one-of-a-kind individual who graduated from this institution and then went on to achieve national and international recognition for her painting. She was one of the state’s finest artists, and it will be an honor for this university to put her name on a new building that will benefit our art and design students for years to come.”
Maud Florance Gatewood, who died in November 2004 at the age of 70, is considered by art historians, curators, museum directors and collectors as one of the most important painters in North Carolina history. Her namesake, the Maud Gatewood Studio Arts Building is located on Highland Avenue near the Weatherspoon Art Museum, which holds five Gatewood paintings in its collection, and will receive some of her other paintings from her estate. Upon completion, it will house UNCG’s departments of Art and Interior Architecture. Scheduled to be completed this summer, the building will open its classrooms, design studios, foundry, ceramics studio, art gallery and outdoor sculpture garden to students this fall.
At the age of 16, having skipped two grades in school, Gatewood entered Woman’s College where she earned her B.A. in fine arts in 1954. A year later, she completed an M.A. in painting at Ohio State University and later studied at UNCG and Harvard University. Later in her career, she received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Salzburg, Austria. She exhibited widely in the southeastern United States throughout her career and won numerous awards for her work. Her life and work was chronicled in an hour-long documentary, “Gatewood: Facing the Canvas,” which was produced by UNC-TV.
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