BY VINCENT FARRIS WEAVER
ARC 601-602: 5TH YEAR THESIS STUDIOS
C. SANCHEZ-DEL-VALLE AND DAISY OLICE WILLIAMS, STUDIO PROFESSORS
DR. WESLEY HENDERSON, THESIS ADVISOR
SPRING, 2010
CoastalDESIGN
TRANSFORMATION 10
PROBLEM
Living in coastal climates, will always be an adversity towards the survival of coastal communities. Knowing that wind and water will always be a common threat to coastal living, will bring issues to how the built environment reacts to measures of survival of coastal structures, specifically residential housing. For centuries now tropical storms have been the number one natural tragedy that imposes on human and inhabitant life, that is so endearing that tropical storms induce their own season of giving.
QUESTION
How can architects successfully attempt to design single family coastal residences that can structurally sustain its form through the duration of a tropical storm?
CLAIM
My working claim is faced with the Kinetic movements that can be incorporated through coastal design to help withstand structural damage during the approach and duration of tropical storms.
CLICK 4 ARGUMENT
SITE CONCEPT
SITE PARAMETERS
Housing plain on consistent flat elevation
3-5 miles off the Gulf coast line
Grid-like Urban housing district
Single-Family housing structures
Hurricane prone site.
The Coastal Community of New Orleans that is located 3 miles from the inlet on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. I chose this site because it shares many traumatic experiences that were left with my generation in dealing with the surviving race of tropical storms. In the context sense, this particular site gives a great reference to the need that the site elevation is already below sea level. The site has significant rich background and diverse community demographics.
SITE SCENARIO
The small coastal community is aware that NASA scientist predicted the 2010-2011 hurricane season, to be the worst series of destructive tropical storms that will be hitting the Atlantic Coast in the past 20 years. The Coastal Community has been evacuated, except for one family that could not leave due to sick relative. This particular family is in need of a massive housing renovation to protect the integrity of their single-family home inside and out. They have called architects to design their home, where the home could potentially prepare itself by transformation and movement, to sustain itself structurally from high winds and possible flooding. In the community hall meeting on August 23rd of 2010 was a discussion of a pending proposal for the renovation of this particular single-family home. However, stating that they were looking for a designer who can successfully design a conceptual form that can physically adapt and transform to handle the forces that occur from a Category 5 tropical storm, while securing a limited family household duration of tropical storms.
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ROTATION
SIMULATION
RISE 2 ROTATE
ELEVATION
RISE 2 ELEVATE
CONCEPT 1 SIMULATION
SHIELD 2 PROTECT
CONCEPT 2 SIMULATION
COMING SOON
APRIL 2010
"This thesis is submitted to the Department of Architecture, at Hampton University in partial fulfillment toward the degree of Master of Architecture."
By: Vincent F. Weaver Arc 601-602: 5th Year Thesis Studios C. Sanchez'del'Valle and Daisy O'lice Williams, Studio ProfessorsDr. Wesley Henderson, Thesis AdvisorSpring 2010
