The building is pushed to the northern boundary of the site to provide green space at the street front of the site for public and for students and faculty. As green space is very important to the program, I don't feel that green space near the highway is a particularly desirable place to be. This also allows for minimal regrading of the site. The ground level of the building extends partially to the street frontage, to recreate the urban edge of the streetscape and also have a prescence on the sidewalk for visitors to peer into the exhibit space.
The lower level is a natural level below ground, due to the slope of the site, and presents itself for parking and mechanical access. Due to its adjacency to the highway and rail lines, thick concrete walls act as a sound and thermal barrier.
The ground floor is a mostly open plan cafe and exhibit flex space. The exhibit space is partially below ground, and the wide stairs to access the space provide opportunities for seating, stepping, and generally milling around. The exhibit space can then be used not only for display but for lectures, concerts, and large presentations. Adjacent to the exhibit space is the cafe, open to students, faculty and public. A portion of the cafe has storefront windows to allow light into the space, but the majority of the cafe is within concrete walls for thermal and sound resistance. A secondary entrance opens directly into the cafe for access to the patio or front lawn with table seating and natural seating. The elevator runs roughly through the center of the building. Adjacent to the elevator, the ceiling is open to above through the entire building.
On the upper floors, the one studio per floor runs the length of the building on the north side. A curtain wall with alternating insulated metal panels, stone panels and insulated glazing creates the northern wall of the studios. At the east side of the studios, there is a private balcony for students and faculty use. A line of columns and the sleeping rooms create the idea of a corridor without an actual corridor. At each end of the corridor is a stair. Without walls, students will be immediately immersed into the intensive experience as they leave their sleeping rooms, and although they may not sleep on the same floor as they work, the intensive experience will be surrounding them. Floor openings enhance the idea of collaboration. The sleeping rooms are angled to make most use of the morning light from the south east.
