Final Review

SIte:

As you enter the site the long façade of the tunnel is dominate. As you approach the building the delivery area splits to the east and climbs around the outside of the tunnel to meet it again on the south side of the building. Traditional cars progress straight and pass directly under the tunnel to where the parking area stretches further south. The entry is located on grade next to the tunnel and visitors are forced experience the tunnel from three separate angles during the entry sequence: under, next to, and finally in.

At each end to the tunnel concrete pads are scattered to allow for material storage to assist the delivery area to the east and display areas to the west.

The river as been diverted into the site as the past dam strategy was ignored.  This allows for testing to take place within the flood plain at all times.

Indoor Laboratory:

This section of the building contains the heart of the program. A large laboratory that acts as a type of sensory deprivation chamber. This allows for the indoor environment of the laboratory to be fully controlled. This allows for building components and structures to be tested in snow, rain or any condition that isn’t available through outdoor testing means.

Surrounding the laboratory are the public spaces a small cafeteria and public display area greet visitors out of the entry. The low area on the south-side of the building has six development areas where scientist, engineers, and designers can develop, assemble and test (on a small scale) new materials.

The double height space contains offices for administrative support and small design teams. The offices are designed in a collaborative setting where employees can work in small teams as opposed to individually on projects.  The mezzanine has a large bridge lounge area that allows employees to view the testing in the indoor testing facility.

Outdoor Laboratory:

The outdoor testing facility is one built on customization, the floor of the facility drops in and out of the floor plain on four large hydraulic lifts. The walls and the roof of the structure are PTFE balloons which are inflated or deflated and can be pulled up like curtains or across the roof to allow the entire/ or sections of the building to be opened and materials can be tested outside in the natural environment.

Lab technicians and designers have a small moveable pod that can be moved to observe and monitor the testing. 

Tunnel: 

The circulation tunnel stretches across the entire northern portion of the site and acts programmatically as the buildings circulatory system. This light structure is designed to have the minimum number of support members as it spans over the two small hills and spans over the water as a bridge. 

The space has dark structural members that can be seen crisscrossing through the double layer PTFE coating. A large 6 zoned forced air HVAC system provides heating and cooling in this quarter mile condition spaced.

The tunnel has two walkways which provide the human circulation through the building and flank the overhead rail system that moves all the large components across the site able to carry any material 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide.