Continuing my Development of Design Philosophy and Influences

Review Influences
Some of the project types that I have worked on throughout my academic career are office spaces, hotel design, a university (educational setting), healthcare, and an A. Hays Town residential project. To further expand my portfolio, I would like to create a retail center and hotel space. I think the combination of these two spaces will create a different type of hotel experience, one that encourages the visitors to go out on the streets and explore the area. According to Garvin, the author of The American City: What Works What Doesn’t, everything cannot be provided for the public in one central place. Otherwise, the people will not remove themselves from that single setting and search for the other goods that they desire. The retail space is intended to do this, by making a space for the hotel’s occupants and the public.

In the near future, I plan on attending graduate school for architecture. After graduating with my bachelors in Interior Design, I want to seek a job in a very competitive industry, such as hospitality or retail design. I am seeking to design a space that is able to adapt to the future demands of the changing market. Directly related to the changing market is the evolution of the design industry towards sustainability and green design. I hope to become LEED Certified to increase my marketability with employers.

Another consideration for my location is that there are currently two major hotels in the downtown area: The Hilton and The Sheraton. Based on the lecture given by David Rhorer, the Executive Director of Downtown Development in Baton Rouge, the downtown area is trying to create a built environment that “compliments the city.” The location that I chose is The Kress Building because it is located towards the opposite end of downtown from The Sheraton Hotel on 102 France Street and The Hilton Hotel on 201 Lafayette Street, which gives the downtown another tourist attraction, but also provides residential and commercial interaction. I envision the bottom floor to have a more outdoor and recreational use with the upper space (hotel) serving as a plaza overlooking the downtown area. This hotel will generate revenue for the downtown area in addition to providing an entertainment venue.

Recently, the Downtown Development Program has implemented a new ordinance, known as the Demolition and Relocation Ordinance. This ordinance makes historic preservation necessary by stating, “It shall be unlawful for the owner of any historic building within the Downtown Development District to undertake or contract for the demolition or relocation of any such building within such area without having first obtained approval from the Planning Commission.” A historic building is defined as a building that is at least 50 years of age. The demolition and relocation process involves holding a public hearing with proper notification between 10 and 20 days prior to the hearing. After the hearing, the Planning Commission must view the plans for the historic property. If there is opposition by a person who is affected by this decision, the appeal must be made within 10 days of the Planning Commissions’ publication of the decision. Currently, the Kress Building’s front facade on the first level has been demolished. For my Senior Capstone Project, I want to respect the historic nature and elements of the facade, but I also want to adapt them to the changing market. In order to create the plaza effect I intend on implementing, I will be demolishing the back wall as well. I feel that the side wall facing Laurel Street should remain since it creates a barrier for the adjacent parking lot. In the future, the wall may contain openings for elevators and an adjacent parking garage.

Another important concept that Mr. Rhorer discussed was the Facade Growth Program and way finding signage for pedestrian and vehicular use. The Facade Growth Program is taking a new approach to the street scape with pedestrians in mind. A great example of this consideration is awnings that shelter pedestrians from rain or direct sunlight. Another growing concern for the population is being able to see into the space. The open plaza I am proposing makes this possible for the pedestrians as well as enhancing the urban applications of my design. In continuation of the design for pedestrians, new interpretive signage is being incorporated onto the streets. This signage benefits not only the locals who work and interact in the setting on a daily basis but also the tourists who are unfamiliar with downtown Baton Rouge.

Naturally, the riverfront is an important feature to the downtown Baton Rouge area. Like the new terrace decks that are being implemented, similar spaces need to be implemented into my design of the hotel and plaza space. The way that I plan on taking advantage of the natural features is through a rooftop terrace and wonderful views of the waterfront on the North Street side of the hotel.

Identify Your Perspective
After 4 years in the Interior Design Program at Louisiana State University, I have learned that every space is uniquely determined by the users. In relation to this project, I am concerned with the reaction produced by the outdoor recreational space (retail) on the urban setting and the overlooking hotel. The execution of my design concept will be determined by the selection of materials, finishes, and furnishings of the spaces as well as the execution of technical drawings. Furthermore, my design will give consideration to broader aspects of design, such as urban development, environmental responsibility, and historic preservation.

I envision the independent study project to cover the following areas: 1. Selection of materials and finishes (Sustainable materials with green design as a focus), 2. Development of computer aided drawings (possibly with a set of construction documents as my focus), 3. 3-d renderings of a typical hotel room, the hotel lobby, and the retail space, 4. An additional rendering or drawing dedicated to the new facade of the Kress Building, 5. Consideration of historic facade, 6. Maintaining a budget of the materials, finishes, and furnishings that are used within the spaces, 7. Preparing specs for the furniture selections for each typical room type in hotel, and 8. Provide innovative solutions in the development of the retail space (innovative designs to make the space attractive to pedestrians).

Consider a Focus
The two focuses that I am considering for my project are either sustainability through green design or developing a set of construction documents. Here is a brief listing of why I chose sustainability and construction documents.

Sustainability
Environmental aspects
To learn more about the materials involved and different applications (roofing systems, water runoff, etc.)
To produce a space that reflects the outdoors in the interiors (the open recreational purpose of the plaza in relation to the interior spaces of the hotel)
I am very interested in learning about the principles and materials involved because of the growing importance of LEED Certification
Hesitant because we are going to implement sustainable materials in our healthcare project this semester

Construction Documents
To have a full set of construction documents that pertain to a commercial application
To illustrate the concepts of my design fully (plaza facade and hotel facade in relation to one another)
Since we are focusing on the needs of the downtown area, I find it important to research how the plan fits into the urban environment and surrounding street facade.