Concerning a Bus Shelter

*above is a map showing the downtown bus routes

Things to Consider (running list)

1.) Materials : Wood, glass, stone, steel
2.) Lighting
3.) Seating
4.) Information Board
5.) Heating

Concerning an Urbanized Campus

*The Image above depicts the proposed site at top and three examples of Urban Campuses that may provided inspiration in the development of the site.

Things to consider (Running List)

1.) Central Court (Lighting, seatings, walkways, etc.)
2.) Wellness Center
3.) Student Union
4.) Additional Class Space
5.) Branch Library
6.) Food Services
7.) Parking
8.) Bus Stop

Concerning the Freight Depot Farrago

*above is an image depicting the proposed site at top and Three examples of existing plazas providing inspiration of how this space may be developed. (Running List)

Things to be investigated and proposed
1.) Light
2.) Paving material / pattern
3.) Planing material
4.) Public Steps / Boardwalk
5.) Parking for customers and Academic villagers
6.) Book Store
7.) Grocery Market
8.) Farmers Market
9.) Adult Hostel
10.) Rewindowing / Redooring
11.) Art Studio
12.) Coffee House
13.) Sushi House
14.) Micro Brew House
15.) Public Restrooms
16.) Restaurant
17.) Craftperson shop
18.) Dance Studio
19.) Public Seating
20.) Performing Space
21.) Ice Cream Parlor

Concerning the Academical Village

*Above is an image depicting the proposed site at top and 3 other neighborhoods providing inspiration of how this site may be developed.

Some thoughts regarding the academical village:

“No one more sincerely wishes the spread of information among mankind than I do, and none has greater confidence in its effect towards supporting free and good government. I, am sincerely rejoiced, therefore, to find that so excellent a fund has been provided for this noble purpose in Tennessee.... I consider the common plan [for colleges] followed in this country, but not in others, of making one large and expensive building, as unfortunately erroneous. It is infinitely better to erect a small and separate lodge for each professorship, with only a hall below for his class and two chambers above for himself; joining these lodges by barracks for a certain portion of the students, opening into a covered way to give a dry communication between all the schools. The whole of these arranged around an open square of grass and trees would make it what it should be in fact, an academical village.... Much observation and reflection on these institutions have long convinced me that the large and crowded buildings in which youths are pent up are equally unfriendly to health, to study, to manners, morals, and order.”

^{~Thomas Jefferson}

Quote Found a www.nps.org

A country whose buildings are of wood, can never increase in its improvements to any considerable degree. Their duration is highly estimated at 50 years. Every half century then our country becomes a tabula rasa, whereon we have to set out anew, as in the first moment of seating it. Whereas when buildings are of durable materials, every new edifice is an actual and permanent acquisition to the state, adding to its value as well as to its ornament.

~Thomas Jefferson
Quote Found at faculty.virginia.edu

Things Considered in this Project (Running List)

1. 30-40 faculty Housing (walk-up units)

2. Central Public Court

3. Corner Shops

4. Private Garden

5. Parking

6. Walkways

7. Lighting

8. Building Materials

Developing the site

The site has begun development. I first established broad generalization of how each area will be used as described in the top image. From there a more specific program is being developed to make this area an 'Academic Village' where faculty students can live, work, study, shop, and play within this well defined district.

Infill Project - NDSU Downtown Campus Urbanization

*picture above is example of similar project not produced by students of NDSU Arch 771

NDSU has invested millions in developing a downtown campus that is quickly becoming the new face of the university. Land mismanagement threatens future growth and the campus’s ability to fulfill the needs of the students and faculty. This project will look at what services the Downtown Campus could provide and describe how a phased master plan can be implemented for future facilities and services.

New Construction Project - Academical Village

*picture above is example of similar project not produced by students of NDSU Arch 771

While many have acknowledges the thousands of students that do and will dwell in the farrago neighborhood it is the faculty and scholars that are often a forgotten part of the educational equation. The idea of an academical village was the Jeffersonian vision to create a place where learning is a life-long and shared process between students and teacher. This project will focus on that collaborative living/learning by providing housing for the faculty of the downtown University.

The site sits immediately north of the NDSU Klai Hall. It will attempt to densify an already residential block and create durable long-lasting housing that will define the area for the next 100 years. This project will also explore the possibilities of alley fronting housing further dissolving the grid of downtown.

Transit Project - Downtown Bus Stops

*picture above is example of similar project not produced by students of NDSU Arch 771

Current Bus stop structures in downtown Fargo are non-descript, generic structures with a negative public perception as being low class. This project will explore the bus stop as an iconic structure that promotes ridership and provides comfort for the users.
The bus stops will be at various locations where bus stops exist now. The structures will seek to expand on the bus stops found on the NDSU Student Union Stop. it will provides places to sit both in and outside of a semi-enclosed structure. Heaters will be provided to help keep warm in the summer months. There will also be a consideration made for on-site energy generation for the lighting and heaters. A public notice board will be provided as a medium to promote neighborhood events.

Restoration / Reuse Project - Freight Depot Commons

*picture above is example of similar project not produced by students of NDSU Arch 771

The Freight Depot and surrounding buildings are finding their usage incompatible with the emerging neighborhood in terms of usage. This project will proposal will reassess the use of the structures and make inquiry on how this cluster of industry can be transformed into a center culture, leisure, and commerce.

The Proposed site is the Freight Depot, Beverage Inc., Minkota building, and the negative space between. This site offers great opportunity for the development of a great civic square with ample space for farmers markets and an array of outdoor eating venues. Such tenets could include: Bookshop, microbrewery/ pub, artist studio, grocery market, farmers market, candy shop, sushi house, dance studio, guitar store, flower shop, dakota pride store, jewelry, furniture, kitchen supply store, coffee house. etc. The commons in between could become a vegetated marketplace with trees, public seating, lighting, and performance space.

Fargo's Material Farrago

This is a graphic showing a sampling of the materials and colors used in the area under study.

Word of the day.

today the word of the day is farrago \fuh-RAH-go; fuh-RAY-go\, noun: an assortment; a medley. I thought this was pretty fun because of its closeness of name to Fargo and the definitions relevance to the diversity of the neighborhood in which we are working. Fargo's Farrago district. ha

Massing Model complete.

Building a City

We have begun the process of creating a digital model of downtown Fargo. This will give us a the medium with which we can do a series of studies including land utilization, neighborhood massing, lighting, etc. This particular image is of First Lutheran Church and St. Mary's on North Broadway.

While in Aurora, CO last weekend my friend and I stumbled upon a Wal-Mart while trying to find a parking lot to sleep in. To our surprise this was no ordinary Wal-Mart. The Facility was outfitted with wind and solar energy, bioswales, and much natural lighting. It maybe does not make up for the ailments that Wal-Mart has caused, but it was a step in the right direction for the number one importer of foriegn goods in the world. Here is an article that gives a little more scope to the projects


http://www.progressivegrocer.com/progressivegrocer/cp/foodexport/images/pdf/som_apr06.pdf

Image found at (http://www.slagcement.org)

This is a design competition that I had been following throughout the summer. Some of the ideas are pretty extreme but others might have relevance to our project whether through typologies, processes, or even presentational issues.



"After a dizzying week of heated debate and lively discussion, Reburbia is very pleased to announce the winners of our month-long competition to redesign the suburbs! The competition called for design solutions that would address the problems that plague present-day suburbia by envisioning different scenarios for the future. Proposals tackled McMansions, big box stores, strip malls, parking lots and more with design fixes ranging from community agriculture and algae-based biofuels to transplanted tract developments and zeppelin-based transit. The competition drew 400 entries from more than a dozen countries, and while it was quite a challenge to narrow them down to twenty finalists, culling that list into just 4 winning entries proved almost impossible. In the end, there could only be one grand prize winner – read on to see the triumphant design!"

http://www.re-burbia.com/

Day 2: Establishing Guildlines.

Now that we have established a site we begun doing research to create some precedence in downtown design guidelines. I have found some literature on a variety of cities from around the country including Los Angeles CA, Austin TX, and Seattle WA.

http://www.urbandesignla.com/downtown_guidelines.htm - Los Angeles, CA

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/downtown/designguidelines.htm - Austin, TX

http://www.seattle.gov/DPD/Planning/Design_Review_Program/Applicant_s_Toolbox/Design_Guidelines/default.asp - Seattle, WA

Day 1: Establishing Site.

To begin the process we first determined some boundaries for our investigations. We collectively decided on First Ave. S as the Southern Border, 7th Ave. N to the North, 14th St. to the West, and 4th Street to the East. The boundaries places Barry Hall, the new face of NDSU Downtown Campus, directly in the middle of the study.

After establishing a focused area we went on a short tour of the emerging neighborhood to discuss the history, present condition, and potential of the area. Among other opportunities we identified Three sites that might be given further consideration in the future plans.
1.)Union Transfer Warehouse.
2.)Proposed Ethnic Market Warehouse
3.) Rail side Warehouse Space.

It is difficult to determine what direction this project might take but we are gaining enthusiasm with hopes of talking to local developers and city planners.