A GARDEN OF ACOUST ICS

christopher osterhoudtuniversity at buffalo

semester six

ARC 302Design StudioChristopher Osterhoudt, CDCurt Gambetta

Spring 2012 Portfolio

University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkSchool of Architecture and Planning

in conjunction with

The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical GardensBuffalo, NY

The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens 4

Development of a Concept 6

Expansion Proposal 8

THE BUFFALO AND ERIE COUNTY BOTANICAL GARDENSThe Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens (BECBG) was designed and built in the late 19th Century in part by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead and glass house architects Lord & Burnham. The original organization plan was to have vegetation from various climates around the world, based on the premise of Buffalos meridian. The world would be cut vertically at the longitude of Buffalo, and the circumference of the resulting section would be known as the Buffalo Meridian. Its a simple and elegant organizational strategy, yet as the diagram to the right shows, the existing organization is arbitrary with regards to the Buffalo Meridian, more organized by climatic requirements of the vegetation.

FERN HOUSE

RAINFOREST

SEMI TROPICALDESERT

SEMITROPICAL

EXOTIC TROPICAL

VICTORIAN FAVORITESSEASONAL DISPLAY/EVENTS

PANAMA RAINFOREST

FLORIDA EVERGLADES

RAINFOREST SEMITROPICALSEMI TROPICALDESERTOCEAN ANTARCTICA COLD/ARID

PANAMA RAINFORESTFLORIDA EVERGLADES

REPRESENTEDNOT REPRESENTED

PANAMA RAINFOREST FLORIDA EVERGLADESSEMI TROPICALDESERT RAINFOREST SEMITROPICAL OTHER

BUFFALO BOTANICAL GARDENS

AROUND THE WORLD

AROUND THE WORLD

BUFFALO BOTANICAL GARDENS

EXIS

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BUFFALO, NEW YORKS70 W25 +612

INUKJUAK, CANADAS48 W-15 +82

SIBERIA, RUSSIAS58 W15 +(?)

TSETSERLEG, MONGOLIAS55 W-5 +5577

YINCHUAN, CHINAS70 W17 +3641

SINGAPORE, MALAYSIAS82 W79 +50

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINAS52 W76 +69

LIMA, PERUS63 W74 ~500

HAVANA, CUBAS81 W72 +40

MIAMI, FLORIDAS85 W68 +6

CITY NAME, LOCATION(Summer temp) (Winter temp) (Elevation relative to sea level)

*Summer and Winter seasons based on Northern Hemisphere

BUFFALO MERIDIAN

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EPT Upon visiting the Botanical Gardens, the visitor should

feel completely immersed in the environment being represented. Vegetation, whether temporary or not, should be planted in the ground, with integrated paths of circulation that weave throughout the exhibits, like a path winding through a forest. Information signs should be dispersed throughout the gardens, constantly keeping the visitor informed about and engaged with the exhibits. Visitors are able to walk right up to the vegetation, able to touch it if safe. There are no limitations to this sort of museum; no glass panes or walls separating exhibits; the new proposal for the BECBG should be a single enclosure that encompasses a forest of unlimited information.

The Buffalo Botanical Gardens is a space that not only simulates natural environments, but is also built in the natural environment of a park. Between the thresholds of the park it is located and the environments being simulated inside, there should exist an obscure boundary that seamlessly blurs the natural environment inside with the natural environment outside. An uninterrupted and integrated path of circulation should flow throughout the interior of the gardens and connect to the park outside so as to make the observer feel harmonized with both the environment being simulated and the existing natural environment of Buffalo.

EXPANSION PROPOSAL

concave form reects and echoes sound wavesideal for loud spaces such as rainforests

convex form absorbs and evenly distributes sound wavesideal for classrooms and quieter spaces

speaker

direct sound path

indirect sound

path

reected sound path

AC

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BEH

AV

IOR

Developing an atmosphere that closely resembles the natural environment revolves around designing for more than just one or two senses. Sight and touch have already been addressed simply by the paths of circulation and integration of exhibits. Going one step further is the manipulation of sounds to mimick the environments being represented and further develop the placement of programs to make the experience more educational and visually striking.

One very important aspect of the proposal is the integration of classrooms with the plant exhibitions. A hands on experience is often the most effective way of teaching; therefore a secluded classroom off to the side of the gardens is unrealistic for this proposal. Establishing a classroom (with desks, signs, etc) in the heart of the gardens is in itself easy, the problem comes when trying to control the louder noises of the gardens with the quiet required for a learning environment. A single wall separating the classroom from the gardens solves the noise issue, but also visually separates the two. The solution comes about by establishing one massive undulating enclosure for both the gardens and the classrooms that changes in its curves based on formal requirements.

Sound waves behave in the very same way as light waves; when it hits a surface, it is reflected at the same angle it hits the surface. A concave form, such as a dome, causes sound waves to bounce back and forth multiple times before it reaches the listener. The difference between the direct sound wave reaching the listener and the indirect sound waves that bounce around before reaching the listener is known as an echo. Because of this bouncing around, concave forms are more appropriate for programs with generally loud noises.

On the other hand, when a sound wave hits a convex form, it hits it only once, bouncing in many directions but never hitting the same surface twice. The sound dissipates in energy quickly and echoes never occur. The result is a space that is comparitively quieter, and is appropriate for those programs where loud noises are unacceptable, such as classrooms or a library.

Strong (Loud)

Sound Wave Strength(Dissipation of energy due to air and reverebration)

Weak (Quiet)

WAFFLE STRUCTURE

light well?

two aisles for circulation

at Buenos Aires

pond?

speaker

direct sound path

indirect sound

path

reected sound path

one winding path for circulation

temporary exhibits planted into ground with their potsbackdrop of larger, permanent vegetation

demonstration gardens outside

glass domereective material to sound waves

wood structureabsorptive material to sound waves

concave form reects and echoes sound wavesideal for loud spaces such as rainforests

convex form absorbs and evenly distributes sound wavesideal for classrooms and quieter spaces

glass dome

glass dome

orangery?

glass dome

new structure dug into the sitefurther integrates the gardens with the park

After determining the behavior of acoustics, a formal enclosure started to develop based on the consequences of reflecting sound waves. Louder programs were developed under concave portions of the enclosure, where sound waves would be able to reflect multiple times before reaching the visitor. This mimicks the echoes that can be associated with rainforests and other densely vegetated climates. Programs requiring a more quiet atmosphere are developed under convex portions, where the sound waves would hit the enclosure just once before bouncing away from the visitor.D

EVEL

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light well?

two aisles for circulation

at Buenos Aires

pond?

speaker

direct sound path

indirect sound

path

reected sound path

one winding path for circulation

temporary exhibits planted into ground with their potsbackdrop of larger, permanent vegetation

demonstration gardens outside

glass domereective material to sound waves

wood structureabsorptive material to sound waves

concave form reects and echoes sound wavesideal for loud spaces such as rainforests

convex form absorbs and evenly distributes sound wavesideal for classrooms and quieter spaces

glass dome

glass dome

orangery?

glass dome

new structure dug into the sitefurther integrates the gardens with the park

The ground plane is engaged in a way that best reflects the original intention of strongly integrating the botanical gardens with the park that is the site. Originally the form was located completely above grade, but with areas where the enclosure came down to be flush with the ground. The concept of integration was best exemplified, however, if the enclosure for the gardens was sunk half way below grade, so that the proposal engaged with the earth in an interlocking way. The demonstration garden would be established where the form dips below grade, where the park is sectionally embraced by the botanical gardens.

SEC

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SEC

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Plants and exhibits are all located under one roof, ridding the design of visually obtrusivewalls. Each climate is separated into zones made apparent by the undulating roof. Basedon an analysis of various climates on the Bualo Meridian and the average temperaturesthroughout a given year, vegetation and exhibits are organized by similar environmentalrequirements. The warmest biomes greet the visitor at the main entrance by the parking lot,and the colder and more barren biomes are located in the existing structure. The main domeand extension o of the dome are programmed with servant spaces, a gift shop, and cafe,so they would not be considered part of the colder biome representations.

BUFFALO, NEW YORKINUKJUAK, CANADA

SIBERIA, RUSSIA

TSETSERLEG, MONGOLIA YINCHUAN, CHINA

SINGAPORE, MALAYSIA

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

LIMA, PERU

HAVANA, CUBA

MIAMI, FLORIDA

BUFFALO MERIDIANCLIMATE DIFFERENCES

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TICKET DESK

COAT ROOM

GROW HOUSE

ORANGERY

CLASSROOMS

The majority of the proposed design is located below the existing main oor,taking up the area that is currently mechanical space in the basement. Thisallows for a direct entrance from the parking lot through the existing servicetunnel to the north.

The Growing House and Orangery are largely separated from the proposedaddition by deep structure, yet paths of circulation connect all the spaces sothat one does not have to go outside to travel from one space to another.

Circulation between the proposed addition and the existing structure isestablished by a 20 ramp sloping up from west to east, going over the mainentrance. From there it is connected to the main oor of the northern mostexisting house.

5' 10' 15' 20' 25' 50' 100'

SEED LIBRARY

FIXT_CODEFU_TOTALFU_WASTEFU_HOTFU_COLDFIXT_CODEFU_TOTALFU_WASTEFU_HOTFU_COLDFIXT_CODEFU_TOTALFU_WASTEFU_HOTFU_COLDFIXT_CODEFU_TOTALFU_WASTEFU_HOTFU_COLD

PLA

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GROWING HOUSE

ORANGERY

CAFE

OFFICES

HANDS ON LEARNING

GIFT SHOP, COAT ROOM

DEMONSTRATION GARDENS

PLA

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MA

IN F

LOO

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