(Above) Section reveals structural variation across the project.

Boathouse + Nature Center

second undergraduate studio
with Assoc. Prof. Jen Maigret


Situated within Ypsilanti’s Ford Lake Park, this hypothetical project seeks to bring visitors across different layers of threshold as they navigate from the entrance on the upper floor, to the bathrooms and changing areas, to the boat storage area.

Section at top of page indicated by orange line.There exists on site a parking lot, a boat launch, a picnic shelter, a play place,  and unsafe bottom conditions.

The architecture has the capacity to service rowing teams and host regattas, but is also intended for recreational paddlers and community groups. The rough wedge geometry created by the shoreline, the hill, and the southern facing wall explodes into different zones for different demographics.

Perspective 4

Unwieldy yet fragile rowing shells require lots of space and special care when loading, so the dock on the northwest side of the peninsula is designed for the rowing teams to easily access the water with minimal maneuvering from the storage facility. Kayaks and canoes are much less finicky, so the lawn area and dock to the southeast are devoted to more casual paddling and play.

One enters on the south side of the building of the upper floor, which houses flexible spaces to meet the shifting needs of a nature center. The main entrance drops one into the most compressed inner space, near the bathrooms (1). Visitors continue out into the light of the upper deck with a view out over Ford Lake (2) before turning back into the depths of the boat storage. A long ramp descends to another compressed space: the boat garage, which opens out onto the dock at water level. The lower level also includes extra showers/changing areas for rowing teams.

(Above) Perspectives 1, 2 and 3.

The different thresholds are signaled by the layers of construction. The stereotomic spaces are molded with rammed earth where feasible and emulated with plaster in the main hall ceiling (see persp. 4). The lightest, techtonic construction is built up with wood and steel members and the wooden decking conceals or reveals the truss system (see persp. 3).

Axonometric from N side.

Finally, a shell of glass paneling encloses the project. The rough studies below and the layering concept illustrated in the section and perspectives are inspired by multiPlan arhitekti’s Rowing Center in Bled, Slovakia, Marie-José Van Hee and Robbrecht en Daem’s Market Hall in Ghent, Belgium, and Rural Studio’s Glass Chapel in Mason’s Bend, AL.

An early materials study and modeling experiment illustrate the spectrum of threshold conditions.

This last layer provides weather protection while maintaining views over the lake to the north. To the south, it adds an extra level of thermal insulation to an otherwise minimally conditioned facility and allows the earthen walls to act as Tromb walls.
 

Perspective 5

Crossing these thresholds, one circumnavigates unprogrammed spaces that can be flexible for erg machine workouts or community classes. The different zones delineated by the construction layers offer a variety of spatial experiences for the users of this space, from the athletes and regatta spectators to children coming to learn about water conservation, to an old local there to kayak at her leisure.

(Below) Perspective 6

02 mo., winter 2020
This course went fully online just before mid-review, due to COVID.

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