scarlet plaza
This site is located outside of Martin Hall on the Cook Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick NJ. Martin Hall is an administrative building with a multitude of parking spaces surrounding it. This site presented a great opportunity to get rid of the unnecessary parking spaces in this bump out of Lipman Drive and to include an interesting space that Cook students can be proud of and use. This design attempts that by providing an extension to the existing, yet dull circulation path, as well as seating while being protected from the traffic activity of Lipman Drive. Through the use of augmented reality, I was able to test my design in the site itself.
Context
Lipman Drive is a one way street that guides faculty and visitors throughout Cook Campus. This bump out for parking outside of Martin Hall is one of many parking spaces around this site. This site possess the best potential because it already is a space that is temporarily converted to an active space for Rutgers Parking Day.
Site Plan
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The Scarlet Plaza design takes into consideration multiple aspects making it strong proposal for this site. These include preserving and defining a connection between the existing red gravel corridor, a very popular path used to get across campus. Another aspect includes 3 foot high planters with lush plantings, overhead structures, and small trees. This allows people to feel enclosed and safe traveling along Lipman Drive, which is a tight street that can be intimidating to travel due to the buses and fast paced traffic. Lastly, this space provides seating and preserves views out toward Passion Puddle, located north east from the site which is an important natural element to Cook Campus.
site Diagrams
This design is to be constructed entirely out of wood. Most of the design would consist of wood stained 2x4 pressure treated lumber with the exception of the base of the planters and the ADA accessible ramp on the western edge of the site which are proposed to be made of plywood. The plants include serviceberry trees to provide a break in ground plane and a different overhead texture other than the wood structure, red twig dogwood, and ornamental grasses such as northwind switchgrass. These plants were chosen for their heartiness, seasonal aesthetic, and texture. The construction document sheet set can be found here.
Winter Perspective
Augmented Reality
These videos were an attempt at integrating augmented reality and landscape architecture to test design ideas. Through the help of a program called 'Augment', I was able to export my 3D model as a stereolithography file and upload it to the app. The app then allows me to snap my 3D object to any surface of my choosing. This gave me the opportunity to walk through my design at a 1:1 scale to envision my design in the space without it having to be built. It also gives the opportunity to present a smaller version of my 3D model without having to build a physical model.