ARC423 Advanced Building Systems

LECTURE: A Noble Attempt

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ITHACA SCATTERED SITES HOUSING PROJECT, ELM STREET SITE.
Werner Seligmann & Associates, Architects and Urban Designers
Description  |  Program  |  Credits  |  Images: Elm Street  |  Images: Maple Avenue
DESCRIPTION:

The medium rise building at the top of the site contains principally 2 bedroom units. Each unit is afforded a view of the valley from the living room and master bedroom. The slope of the site was utilized to allow grade level access from the parking lot to all the units (see section). Each 2 bedroom unit is 2 stories high and organized to provide a maximum sense of spaciousness.

The terrace housing, consists primarily of 3 bedroom units. Each unit focuses on a private courtyard, which becomes an outdoor living space accessible from the bedroom and living room areas with a framed view of the valley. The 3 bedroom units are linked by private pedestrian walkways down the site. These walkways also contain all utilities and access to mechanical spaces. A small number of one bedroom units, several for the elderly, are interspersed with the terrace housing to achieve a greater social mix. The four bedroom units are located at the bottom of the site. Each of these units also has a private deck, a common green area and play space.

The project includes a great amount of new landscaping. The pedestrian and vehicular routes are identified by the landscaping treatment. The city streets are lined with maple trees. The private vehicular streets are lined with locust trees, the individual pedestrian walkways identified by the type and the color of the trees. Areas that have been disturbed by earth moving have been reforested with 2000 pine and spruce seedlings. Other slopes have been reseeded with wild raspberries, blackberries, sumac, etc. approximating the original environmental condition.

The medium rise building constructional system is shown in the axonometric drawing. The building consists of 21 bays of identical structural units. Each bay contains two duplex apartments and is constructed of cast in place concrete. The walls and slabs are gang formed. Each structural concrete bay has a structural infill system of wood. The exterior walls were assembled in panels on the site and bolted to the frame. All other units, except for the basement units, were factory produced modules and assembled on the site. Five modules of 12' x 32' make up two -3 bedroom units. The particular arrangement of placing the living room modules at right angles to the bedroom affords an extraordinary spaciousness for a 960 SF unit. The project illustrates that the inherent limitations of a 12' wide modular system can be overcome by design invention without jeopardizing the technological advantages.

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PROGRAM

Distribution:

  • 65 1 BR (20 are designed for the elderly)
  • 80 2 BR
  • 72 3 BR
  • 18 4 BR

Midrise Building- Sstories- contains:

  • 80 2 BR
  • 20 1 BR (20 are designed for the elderly)
  • Management Office
  • 2 Laundries
  • 1 Meeting room
  • 1 Store

Terrace Units contain:

  • 28 1 BR atrium units
  • 72 3 BR atrium units

A central play area for small children was also designed to serve community gatherings.

Four Bedroom Duplexes at Chestnut Street contain: (At bottom of hill)

  • 17 1 BR units (below)
  • 18 4 BR units (above)

Meeting room
Laundry

Playgrounds are designed opposite the ramp of the medium rise building and below the four bedroom duplexes.

The wooded area surrounding the intermittent creek on the south side has become a play area.

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CREDITS:

CLIENT New York State Urban Development Corporation
1345 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10019

ARCHITECT Werner Seligmann and Associates
9 Homer Avenue
Cortland, New York 13045
Project captains:
Elm St Mid Rise, design phase: Bruce Coleman
Elm St Atrium units, design phase: Hansueli Jorg
Maple Ave, design phase: Siegfried Saur
All aspects, construction phase: Bruce Coleman

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS Severud - Perrone - Sturm - Conlin - Bandell
415 Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10017

STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Dr. Donald P. Greenberg
500 Hanshaw Road
Ithaca, New York 14850

MECHANICAL ENGINEERS Galson and Galson
6601 Kirkville Road
East Syracuse, New York 13057

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Harold E. Schumm and Associates
112 Dewitt Street
Syracuse, New York 13203

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Stewart and Bennett, Inc.
for medium rise building
714 West Clinton Street
Ithaca, New York 14850

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Sectional Structures, Inc.
for terraced units
23 Mercer Street
Oswego, New York 131 26

LANDSCAPING CONTRACTOR Treeland Nurseries, Inc.
RD# 1
Canastota, New York 13032

PLAYGROUND CONTRACTOR McPherson Builders
for Elm Street
Savings Bank Building
Ithaca, New York 14850

OWNER / DEVELOPER David M. Abbott
150 West Village Place
Ithaca, New York 14850

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Images: Elm Street
[ Click on the image for a larger image. ]

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Site plan
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Aerial view
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Preliminary model of mid-rise building
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3 BR unit plan as built with modules.
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Preliminary model of 3BR units
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3 BR atrium unit assembly diagram
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Unit assembly in factory
elm.unit.factory.100.jpg (4764 bytes)
Unit assembly in factory

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Placement of 3 BR atrium units in field.
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Placement of 4 BR duplexes in field.
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Interior view of 3 BR atrium unit.
 

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Images: Maple Avenue site
[ Click on the image for a larger image. ]


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Site plan
 
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Link to Syracuse University home page http://soa.syr.edu/faculty/bcoleman/ARC423/Lectures/423.lecture15.4.ElmStreetHousing.html Send email to: webmaster@soa.syr.edu
Last update: April 14, 2003. Copyright © 2003 Bruce M. Coleman
No text, images or content on this page may be copied or linked to without the author's express written permission.