final report

12/10/2008

Final ReportProject Research Methods (ARC 5910)

Alberto Gonzalez

Fall 2008Instructor: Ann Chaintreuil

Alberto Gonzalez

Final ReportProject Research Methods (ARC 5910)

Introduction:On the surface, the idea of proposing a boutique hotel alongside a student housing residential tower seemed fairly simple: pick a site near campus, verify zoning requirements, and implement program into 2 slender towers. But in reality it is more complex than initially perceived. In the end, finding cohesion between a sophisticated boutique hotel and a typical fraternity style dormitory proved to be a contradicting merger.

As it is known, architecture students work and prepare projects around the clock, literally. After being awake for 30+ hours and six Red Bulls (Fig.1), the need for a quite resting spot seemed a necessity. Currently there are no dormitories near campus, therefore students are forced to either sleep on the floor near their assigned studio space or drive home half asleep. During the project research period, various architectural students showed interest in the need for adequate resting areas. On occasions during the student

advisory meetings this need has been communicated to the faculty. At the present moment no arrangements have been made to satisfy this need, therefore this informed our design process.

Another need that was evident was a small scale hotel that would cater to commuting business men and women for the Western side of Downtown Fort

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Figure 1 www.redbull.com

Figure 2 Hotel Context

image courtesy of: http://maps.live.com

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Lauderdale. Currently there are three hotels within a one mile radius of downtown Fort Lauderdale, however none of them address the current needs of the area west of Federal Highway (Fig.2). This area is classified as the city center district due to the fact that it has a high volume of commercial and educational density. Currently there are projects on hold i.e. The Icon, " a 42 story mixed-use tower" (Fig.3) which would increase the current density (www.iconlasolas.com), therefore in preparation for this increase, a boutique hotel catering to this area would be favorable. One of our group members had acquired experience in boutique hotels while working at the South Beach Marriot. As a result, our group decided that the site selected would need to be located both near campus and on the West side of downtown.

Our team selected a site adjacent to the Higher Education Complex (HEC) in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, FL. For the purpose of this report, it is located on 100 E. Las Olas Boulevard. The site is approximately 38,272 sq. ft. (.88 acres) with 220.28' of street frontage to the North, 109.94f to the West and 110.00' to the East. Conveniently it is located just south of the HEC building. Huizenga Park is located on the West side of the site. To the East is the Sun Sentinel building and directly South is the Las Olas River House which is currently the tallest residential tower (440 ft) in the downtown area. At the present time the site is leveled and prepped for new construction having no existing vegetation on site. A contextual connection must be made to the existing parking structure on the South side of the lot. An added amenity to consider is the close proximity the site enjoys to the New River. Fort Lauderdale is known for its many canals and waterfront living and having access to water is always a plus. The New River offers many opportunities for boats to dock and this site has as many as 12 boat slips to its advantage.

Zoning for the site falls under Regional Activity Center (RAC), which is intended as the city's high-intensity downtown district. Accepted/permitted land uses would be a mixture of large scale businesses, cultural,

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Figure 3 Icon Las Olas

image courtesy of www.iconlasolas.com

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educational, governmental and residential development. However, current design guidelines for new construction in City Center District (RAC-CC) call for "higher-density to the central downtown core area as a means for accommodating a wide range of employment, shopping , service, cultural, higher density residential and other more intense land uses"(Municode).

Prior to program and precedent analysis, our group was interested in the idea of bridging the site with the HEC building. A preliminary bridge was introduced as a literal connection that would facilitate the architectural students primarily. To respect the tall residential towers on the South side, our group decided that two slender towers varying in height would be adequate. The taller of the two structures would be for the boutique hotel facing the East side of the site. The smaller tower would engage the HEC building in respect to its height and to the connection that the bridge would make on the seventh and eighth floor.

Part 1: SiteThe site is located exactly 26.07N 80.08W in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Recorded average temperatures for the site range from 90.0°F to 95.6°F. Utilizing this data, the challenge would be to maximize cooling for a new structure in this climate. In this hot/humid weather, this can be achieved by having air vents high on the warm side (south side) and low on the cool side (north side). Warm air is pushed up by the cooler air and goes out through the vents high on the south side. This process is called 'free' breeze (www.windfinder.com). A initial concern our group had was if this new structure would cast shadows upon its

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Figure 4 Wind Pattern

image courtesy of: http://www.naturescapebroward.com

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adjacent buildings. After modeling the site and an initial massing study our team concluded that no shadows would affect the River House towers or their pool area. The site is directly North of this structure therefore in no time of day would there be a shadow casted upon this neighbor. On another note, this new structure would have the opportunity to shade the south facing façade of the HEC building which is currently a glass façade with no horizontal shading.

One concern our group had initially was how to take advantage of the prevailing winds (Fig.4) during the hot/humid summer months. According to www.wunderground.com, the yearly wind summary for Fort Lauderdale is between 2.4 - 27 mph from the SSW. Ideally the design would allow these winds to enter and cool the site. Another climatic factor which must be taken into consideration is humidity. The site has experienced, during the 2008 season, a humidity range from 73.5% - 97% according to www.underground.com. Rain fall is a key factor which must be considered especially in those summer months when Florida experiences Hurricanes. June and September are typically months when the site would experience its heaviest rainfall amounts. June has recorded as much as 10.01 inches as well as 8.26 inches in September. Information on rain fall quantities will influence the design of a structure and site by many ways. One design approach might be to collect and re-use the rainfall for irrigation purposes during the months that little or no rain is experienced. Also during the rainy summer months a soil stabilization method should be implemented as a measure to prevent soil loss. Rain gardens and vegetated roofs are also important design factors to be considered.

As mentioned earlier, the site is currently leveled having sand and small coarse gravel (Fig. 5). It has been prepped for future construction and cleared of debris and vegetation. Currently it is utilized as a temporary parking lot. There is a screened chain link fence along the entire perimeter of

4 Figure 5 100 East Las Olas

image courtesy of http://maps.live.com

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the property which has been maintained and is utilized to secure the parking lot during the evenings and weekends. There is vegetation in the immediate surroundings. To the North, along the HEC buildings sidewalk there is an irrigation swale that is currently a field of grass and this area is framed with a variety of palm trees, mostly Royal palms. To the N.W. along the sidewalk of the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art, there is also a series of Royal palms and some medium sized Oak trees. Just to the West of the site is a median which contain 4 Princess palms within a bed of shrubs. The Huizenga park has many palm trees as well as large Oak trees and a heavily used grass field. To the East of the site near the Sun Sentinel building we can find a few Sable palms that rise about 3 stories. During site visits, no visible fauna was observed however, www.floridadiary.us/Flora.asp describes the local area as having various small species of fauna ranging from raccoons, rabbit, squirrels to rattlers and wood peckers.

The current site also contains a 10 foot sidewalk with one bus stop being Route 11 which is utilized 7 days a week. This route starts on Commercial Blvd. & Hwy. 441 passing through Las Olas and arriving to Copans Rd. & U.S. 1 and back again. The bus service is available as early as 5:53 A.M. and as late as 11:02 P.M. (www.broward.org). No provisions currently exist as a means of shelter from the sun or rain at this bus stop. There are also no benches to sit on as one waits for the bus. The only indication that a bus might arrive is a small fading sign attached to a light pole.

There is existing utilities available due to the fact that there was a building previously developed on this site. The water main that would service the site is located approx. 10 feet away from West side of property line (See Utility Exhibit in Appendix). There is also existing sanitation lines located on center of Las Olas Blvd. The site has access to 2 fire hydrants and is framed by working curb gutters and storm catch basins. There are 5 visible manholes around the site as well. The city has placed new check valves on the S.W. corner of the site.

100 East Las Olas currently enjoys high visibility due to the fact that it is located on a portion of Las Olas Boulevard that is used extensively as an artery to the downtown business area. To the East of the site we find S.E. 2nd Avenue which is an active Avenue. It is used by both the residential tower occupants as well as the tenants to the Sun Sentinel building. An

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interesting fact is that this Avenue converts into N. New River Drive East which is a perimeter street to the New River. This is an active part of the area. Many pedestrians enjoy brisk walks along the water's edge as well as boat watching when the S.E. 3rd Avenue bridge is open. The N. New River Drive East street returns to Las Olas Boulevard directly in front of the Bank of America building.

Part 2: Program

The program was realized first because of the immediate need we architecture students have of temporary sleeping quarters. A new facility that would facilitate our present needs as well as promote a sense of place for new incoming students. While evaluating or justifying this program the need for a downtown hotel arose and together we decided that it was justified. We contacted the local zoning department and related our desires for the site. We received positive feedback from the Director of Transportation upon the talks of a possible boutique hotel. Hesham Ali, was very helpful and gave our team valuable information especially with regards to parking requirements and the possibility of leasing parking spots from the surrounding city owned parking structures. He is quoted by saying," The city has 4 operating parking structures that have leasing availability. These spaces are usually reserved for business that have traveling employees or consultants. Usually a hotel would provide their own parking spaces even if it's just a valet service. You might want to see if your surrounding buildings have availability which probability would benefit the hotel in the long run. However, if you would like to use the city's provisions then this would have to be talked about in a preliminary design meeting later on". A later design implementation reveals that we incorporated parking within our structure therefore no additional parking was needed to satisfy the program.

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After the initial massing studies our group re-evaluated the idea of the bridge and decided that it would detach more than connect. Since the bridge would only be utilized by the architecture students on the 7th and 8th floors, its implementation would not benefit the pedestrians on the street level and we felt it would disconnect the community. Together we decided to remove it from the program and concentrate on the public interaction directly on the north side of the site. The initial conceptual sketches reflected limited or no activity levels due to the no-setback design criteria implicit in the Broward Design Guide book. This guidebook recommends no setbacks at street level however the structure should recess after the storefront area to reveal the corridor volume. Our group felt this suggestion was restricting and uninviting. After consulting with Professor Chaintreuil, our group started to look at the opportunities we could implement at the street level to increase the public interaction. One of the suggestions taken was to provide reliefs or openings that the public could use to congregate and the implementation of a street side cafe was mentioned and later implemented (Fig. 6). The façade was softened by allowing the massing to recess inwards and allow for a courtyard with ample seating as well as adequate provisions for transient patrons. A sheltered bus stop was considered as well as lush vegetation to add curb appeal. Ideas like a doctor's office or small design firm space was mentioned to provide services at ground level.

Interviews were conducted by various team members with respect as to the benefit of a student housing facility vs. a boutique hotel. What would be the best usage for the site avoiding a bias opinion. Diana Gonzalez, an executive secretary at Patriots Group just 2 block from the site, said: "We need a hotel for a specific type of client in this area. Our clients want a hotel that is specific to their needs not a chain hotel. Our clients have differing needs and we must be able to provide them the type of service and accommodation they desire. A small hotel would be a great addition to our area, good luck". A night time security guard at Florida Atlantic University named Lisa Gunter, told us that students that "transient to this school socialize constantly in front of the HEC building and that when mixed with the social nightlife that Riverfront has to offer has on occasion proved challenging to control. She prefers that students were not housed on the future site because this would require added security".

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After other interviews conducted by our team, we decided that maybe a student housing structure would not be adequate and that the implementation of a boutique hotel would be of great need instead. We continued analyzing the zoning code to see if such facilities would be permitted. Another factor in the program was the connection with Huizenga park, especially during the night and weekends. Currently there are a number of homeless people that congregate there and although they might seem friendly this was a security concern of our group. How would they affect our street frontage? What part of the program could benefit them and how could we increase their quality of life. It is evident that they are not going to relocate if there is not a better place available to them. How will our hotel patrons interact with them if any? Could this become a problem? Bubble diagrams revealed that a service entry would be a good buffer on the West side and locating the main entry to the North and East side would increase safety and promote social interaction among shoppers and temporary visitors. An office space or clinic and service entry would be accessible on the West side of the site. This would provide a relief for the office workers to interact with the park and if possible offer services to the general population.

A current statistic from, http://fortlauderdale.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm, states that Fort Lauderdale currently has 185,804 residents which 52% are composed of males. Another statistic is that 58% of all residents are single thus demonstrating that this area is a dense urban environment which attract single young professionals which utilize the downtown area for business. 79% of these professionals commute with their own personal vehicles which also demonstrate the need to implement better public transportation. Our group has concluded that a boutique hotel that can cater to these specific types and needs would be the most appropriate programmatic element for the site. The student housing portion does not seem to be suitable at this time and therefore is eliminated from the proposal. The 2 slender towers is still the design proposal primarily as a direct response to the existing context. The River House tower has set the skyscape and as a respectful gesture we have mimicked the towers by proposing 2 slender structures varying in heights. However the focus will be primarily on the boutique hotel for this report.

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An early precedent study of the "W" hotel in New York City reveals a hotels ability to provide specialty services and plaza style facilities. This hotel is a 57 story proposal that was completed in 2008. As part of the new revitalizing effort post 911, this new hotel promises spectacular views to ground zero and its ability to provide custom tailored services not available in chain hotels. Another hotel located in Sawgrass Mills mall in Davie Florida that was reviewed as a precedent was the Crowne Plaza Sawgrass. This boutique hotel is located in a suburban area yet has become a major icon in its area. Known for its spa and personable service, it has become more than a hotel to its surroundings. Jose Zuniga, the general manager of this location, when asked What makes a boutique hotel? responded, " A boutique hotel is a type of hotel that relies itself on unique person to person service rather than hotel services”. Can you give me a for instance?, “Well for instance, a resort hotel will have a full service spa, with 24 hour room service, whereas a boutique hotel may have the same services but in a very minimal style”. Are there any restrictions that a boutique hotel incurred?, “Well there are many services that are restricted because of either insurance purposes or because of the style of hotel chosen. For instance, a boutique hotel does not have self parking or it is very rare so Valet services are the typical use. The reason behind this, is because boutique hotels are typically a lot smaller than regular hotels and therefore parking is less. Insurance companies in order to protect the hotel will require that the storage of the vehicle be separate from the general public. To further raise the protection boutique hotels as well as hotels in general outsource their valet service company instead of having hotel employees”.

Another precedent study was on the Dream Hotel in New York City. Currently located in a downtown business district and catering to a small select type of customer. It is known as a technological style hotel glamoring its customers with glowing lights and technological advancements. This small hotel also offers stunning views of Central Park as well as views of 57th street. Rooms are decorated with accent lighting which in a way distract one from the lack of square footage available. Bathrooms are tastefully decorated carrying the theme throughout. Peggy Benua, the general manager of the Dream Hotel was able to answer a few of our questions. We asked, how successful is the accent lighting as a distraction method for customers? " When we came to New York, we wanted to make

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sure that we were unique in a sea of hotels". May I ask what is your business positioning plan and who is your target audience? Our business positioning plan has our hotel stationed in a very strategic location, just steps away from Central Park. The target audience you are referring to is geared towards the out of town business clients.

The Marriott South Beach hotel provided to be an excellent precedent. This hotel is located in South Miami Beach, Florida and makes itself notable for its boutique type service. One interesting feature is that it's a themed hotel with a restaurant that offers panoramic view of the Atlantic ocean. Their restaurant adequately named "Deco Blue" primarily is known for its fresh fish cuisines giving local restaurants and hotels good competition. This precedent influenced our program overall. When we visited the hotel, we made an immediate connection to our site and how this style of hotel would benefit us overall. It is a small hotel having only 228 rooms and 8 suites. One of the distinct features of this hotel is that it's a valet only hotel costing an additional $34 daily. The front desk attendant stood out to us because of the amount of tasks and services they rendered. It seemed like a family environment all too familiar. Computer stations were immediately available to us and all accommodations were explained as if we were recurring customers. The lobby was small as to offer the feeling of "home" and not being overbearing. The concierge and valet facilities were open and exposed. It was obvious that the layout of space was planned as to maximize all space. While visiting a typical room, we noticed that all in-room amenities were available as well as 24/7 internet access. There was an honesty bar as well as functioning air-conditioning. One of the added benefits of a boutique hotel was evident when calling for room service. They knew your name and room service is their number 1 priority.

During our visit we noticed the provisions the hotel has made for meeting rooms. Although small it was nice to see that they had it available if needed. The pool was an endless pool edge that seemed to cascade into the Atlantic ocean giving one the sense that the pool was larger than it actually is. The back of house was not available to tour but the hotel manager was able to describe its layout to us. Included in this area was a service entry for all hotel personnel, restrooms and administrative offices. A cashiers office was the area most secured having no windows and a secured door. Also in this

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area is an operators area where incoming calls are routed either to rooms or the front desk.

Touring the kitchen was interesting. It was actually quite large for a boutique hotel. There were grills and stoves and large ovens along the prep areas. There were freezers and coolers for meats and produce. A dry storage area was available for non-perishable foods. Near the kitchen was an area designated for dish washing as well as a trash room that conveniently was a trash chase for the entire hotel. On the rear of the site was a small loading/unloading area where deliveries could be made. We were told that the security area was not available as well since it housed all the security monitors and its privacy was key to the success of the security department.

This visit influenced our team during the programmatic section of our project. We began to communicate our ideas clearly and a sense of cohesion began. Initially we began to systematically layout the required program for the boutique hotel. Two cores were places at opposite ends for vertical circulation (Fig. 6). One would be for the boutique hotel and the other to be decided at a later time. A ground floor plaza housing a cafe and office space was sketched and green space was hinted. A vehicular ramp was introduced on the S.E. corner of the site where the valet could use for parking the vehicles in a valet only setting that takes place in floors 2 thru 9 that house 376 parking spaces both for valet and for personnel (Fig.

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Figure 6 Ground Floor

image created by: Alberto Gonzalez

Figure 7 Parking levels


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7). A service entry was placed on the West side of the site that would provide the service personnel with their own private entrance. Las Olas Boulevard was looked as a corridor and as an opportunity to introduce urban living. Areas for seating and social interaction were placed to activate the perimeter of the site. The main lobby for the hotel was raised to the 10th level where a glass façade facing the North allowed one to view the growing downtown district (Fig. 8). It is at this level where a front desk is located allowing the customer to check in and continue to his/her room on floors 11 thru 22 (Fig. 9).

Part 3a: Zoning Code ReviewAs previously stated, the site is located in RAC-CC which is currently the area within the RAC where an intense movement of density is promoted. It is within this area that high density structures inhabit and it is where future development is expected. The local jurisdiction for this area falls within the City of Fort Lauderdale. The permitted uses as per Sec. 47-13.10 in the Municode call for a variety of occupancies and included in them are Food and Beverage Sales and Service, Services/ Office Facilities and Lodging. A cafe, hotel and office facility would fall under these permitted uses and thus be acceptable for this site.

The Municode does not regulate a maximum height for the RAC-CC but does limit maximum lot coverage to 95%. There are no ground floor minimum setback requirements. There are certain requirements the program must abide by as per Sec.47-20.2 under parking and loading zone requirements which

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Figure 8 Lobby Level


Figure 9 Typical Floors


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are allocated in the exhibits portion of this report. As far as signage requirements, according to Sec. 47-22.8 of the Municode, "merchants occupying sixty percent (60%) or more of the street frontage of properties on both sides of a street in any area defined by such merchants may petition for the formation of a special sign district for such area". Since our structure is one sided we are exempt of such requirements. Permits are required before any sign can be erected. A plot plan showing location, type and size shall be submitted before any sign can be installed.

Part 3b: Building Code ReviewAccording to the current South Florida building code, the proposed structure would fall under type 2 construction because of the Exterior CMU bearing wall type which are listed in Table 601 (See Exhibit section). According to Municode under Sec 302.1 General, "Structures or portions of structures shall be classified with respect to occupancy in one or more of the groups listed below. Structures with multiple uses shall be classified according to Section 302.3 . Where a structure is proposed for a purpose which is not specifically provided for in this code, such structure shall be classified in the group which the occupancy most nearly resembles, according to the fire safety and relative hazard involved" (Municode). Therefore, 3 different classification can be applied to this project.

Business (see Section 304 ): Group B

Mercantile (see Section 309 ): Group M

Residential (see Section 310 ): Groups R-1, R-2, R-3 as applicable in Section 101.2 , and R-4

Within SEC. 309.1 Mercantile Group M, "occupancy includes, among others, buildings and structures or a portion thereof, for the display and sale of merchandise, and involves stocks of goods, wares or merchandise incidental to such purposes and accessible to the public. Mercantile occupancies shall include, but not be limited to, the following":

Restaurants and drinking establishments with an occupant load of less than 50 persons.

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MAXIMUM FLOOR AREA ALLOWANCES PER OCCUPANT

FLOOR AREA IN SQ. FT. PER OCCUPANT

60 gross

Coffee shop / restaurant

3900 SQ.FT. / 60 SQ.FT. per occupant = 65 people

SECTION 47-20. PARKING AND LOADING REQUIREMENTS

Use: Restaurant, take-out or delivery only

Parking Space Requirement:

1/250 SQ.FT, including outdoor dining area, if any

3900 SQ.FT. / 250 SQ.FT. = 15 parking spaces

SECTION 304 BUSINESS GROUP B

304.1 Business Group B.

"Business Group B occupancy includes, among others, the use of a building or structure, or a portion thereof, for office, professional or service-type transactions, including storage of records and accounts. Business occupancies shall include, but not be limited to, the following":

Professional services (architects, attorneys, dentists, physicians, engineers, etc.)



100 gross

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OFFICES

Small office

20 x 20 sqft = 400/ 100 sqft per occupant = 4 people

Large Office

40 x 40 = 1600 / 100 = 16 people


Use: Medical office (doctor, dentist, clinic)

Professional office (not including medical, dental offices)

Parking Space Requirement

1/150 SF.GFA.

1/250 ST.GFA.

Small Dentist office

400 sqft / 150 sqft = 3 parking spaces

Large Professional office

1600 sqft / 250 sqft = 6 parking spaces

310.1 Residential Group R. "Residential Group R includes, among others, the use of a building or structure, or a portion thereof, for sleeping purposes when not classified as an Institutional Group I. Residential occupancies shall include the following":

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R-1 Residential occupancies where the occupants are primarily transient in nature, including: Hotels (transient)

MAXIMUM FLOOR AREA ALLOWANCES PER OCCUPANT OCCUPANCY :Residential

FLOOR AREA IN SQ. FT. PER OCCUPANT 200 gross

484 SQ.FT. / 200 SQ.FT. per occupant = 2 people per room


PARKING AND LOADING ZONE REQUIREMENTS

Use : Hotel


1/room

Boutique Hotel - 150 to 275 rooms = 150 to 275 parking spaces (150 parking spaces)150 rooms / 15 rooms per floor = 10 floors of living space

10 floors + 4 floors of parking + ground floor = 15 floors total

15 rooms X 484 SQ.FT. = 7260 SQ.FT. per floor


R-2 Residential occupancies containing sleeping units or more than two dwelling units where the occupants are primarily permanent in nature, including: Dormitories

DORMITORY. A space in a building where group sleeping accommodations are provided in one room, or in a series of closely associated rooms, for persons not members of the same family group, under joint occupancy and single management, as in college dormitories or fraternity houses.

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Occupancy: Residential


200 gross

Dormitories

800 SQ.FT. / 200 SQ.FT. per occupant = 4 people per room

11 rooms per floor X 5 floors of living space = 55 rooms total

11 rooms X 800 SQ.FT. = 8800 SQ.FT. per floor

PARKING AND LOADING ZONE REQUIREMENTS:

Use: Hotel


1/room

55 rooms / 1 parking space per room = 55 parking spaces

Parking spaces total

15 parking spaces for coffee shop + 150 parking spaces for hotel + 55 parking spaces for dormitory + 6 parking spaces for professional office + 3 parking space for dentist office = 229 parking spaces

Section 1015.1: Exit access travel distance dictate that the "exits shall be so located on each story such that the maximum length of exit access travel, measured from the most remote point within a story to the entrance to an

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exit along the natural and unobstructed path of egress travel, shall not exceed the distances given in Table 1015.1"

TABLE 1015.1

OCCUPANCY WITHOUT SPRINKLER SYSTEM (feet)

WITH SPRINKLER SYSTEM (feet)

B 200 300 c

M 150 250 c

R 175 325 c

Section 1016 Corridors states that " corridors shall be fire-resistance rated in accordance with Table 1016.1 . The corridor walls required to be fire-resistance rated shall comply with Section 708 for fire partitions".

OCCUPANCY OCCUPANT LOAD SERVED BY CORRIDOR

REQUIRED FIRE-RESISTANCE RATING (hours)

Without sprinkler system

With sprinkler system

B, M Greater than 30 1 0

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R Greater than 10 1 1

With regards to stair requirements, the building code demands two forms of egress. This is accomplished in our program with the two vertical circulation elements both having 2 stairs in opposite corners. As far as the minimum total window area, measured between stops, for every habitable room is no less than ten percent (10%) of the floor area of that room. Since the design calls for wall to wall curtain wall this criteria has been met. All ADA requirements have also been met by providing min. of 32" flush corridor and door openings. An elevator in each vertical mass has been provided and a 1:12 ramp on the valet side of the entrance. Handicap parking requirements are doubled from 8 to 16 therefore surpassing the requirement.

Total Parking in Lot

Required Minimum Number of Accessible Spaces

1 to 25 126 to 50 251 to 75 3

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76 to 100 4101 to 150 5151 to 200 6201 to 300 7301 to 400 - (376 parking) 8401 to 500 9501 to 1000 2 percent of total1001 and over 20 plus 1 for each 100

over 1000

Conclusion:I would like to sum everything up in a short story. Imagine the following scene, I'm in front of a design proposal meeting where I am to present my final design. Included in this meeting is the owner whose money I propose to spend as well as the contractor who wishes to build my imagination. Present are some of the owners staff as well as local building owners and community leaders who might benefit from this design. My fellow peers who have worked under my wing in this design and whose faith is what carries me through my presentation. Imagine the following scenario, your proposing the project and 15 minutes have gone by, everyone is excited, the owner is still interested, the contractor is agreeing with your methods, everything is going just right. Then suddenly, the owner says, " how is this design going to benefit my staff and surrounding neighbors"? You suddenly ask yourself, did I interview anyone? No. oops, what do they want out of this design? Are the neighbors going to like this? What do they think? Why

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didn't I ask before scheming up all this work? Boy am I in trouble and suddenly it starts. The meeting spirals out of control, degrading into a discussion about wither or not I am taking from his views, I don't like the color, The space is too small for my needs, etc...

This is a scenario I hope to avoid in my career. If one thing I learned this semester is to do research, research and more research. It is important before the design process begins to know some of the following. How will the design relate to the existing context? While visiting the site, one should interview all the staff if possible. Everyone has some input wither it's the janitor or the CEO. When you work at a place personally you know what you want and need to perform the job required. So interviewing everyone is key. Another benefit research has taught me is that although you may know what the best need for a specific site has, you should enter a design open minded and listen to everyone's ideas and comments. When I chose the site I wanted an architectural dorm for selfish reasons. During your project I realized that a boutique hotel was better suited for the site and the contextual needs it encompasses. I realized this would be a better solution for the problem and I shall continue my search for a quiet place to sleep elsewhere.

As designers we must recognize and understand that we must learn from our clients and from his surroundings. What we initially assume is best might not be what he/she wants. Also, without research we don't know what is permitted and furthermore how it is permitted. Doing our homework before we commit to a design could minimize errors as well as save our client money. Synthesizing on the research is essential. What is the breakdown from all our research? What information can be applied directly to the project? Basically it's about getting to the point. It was because of the research and precedent visits that a program began to evolve. The idea of a hotel existed but it was the research that gave insight into how it could become a reality. It was during the research stage that schematic sketches of space planning begun and how the inner parts all related. It was due to interviews that the student housing portion was eliminated because of the obvious disconnection needed from a boutique hotel. It was during our final presentation that it was made obvious that both programs would not work and that a decision had to be made. To conclude, I see the value that

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research has to our profession and I expect to continue growing in my career as I apply these tools.

Bibliography:http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10787&sid=9

http://www.iconlasolas.com/enter.php

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http://www.windfinder.com/windstats/windstatistic_fort_lauderdale.htm

http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KFLFORTL32&day=10&year=2008&month=12&graphspan=year

http://www.broward.org/bct/mapsandschedules/mapsandschedules_route_11.htm

Hesham, Ali. Director of Transportation. Telephone interview. 29 September. 2008

Gonzalez, Diana. Executive Secretary. Personal interview. 6 October. 2008

Gunter, Lisa. FAU security. Personal interview. 7 October. 2008

Zuniga, Jose. General Manager of Crowne Plaza. Telephone interview. 14 October. 2008

Benua, Peggy. General Manager of The Dream Hotel. Telephone interview. 14 October. 2008

http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10787&sid=9

http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm

http://maps.live.com

height analysis created with SketchUp from, http://sketchup.google.com/

http://www.broward.org/transportationplanning/mapsanddata.htm

http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10787&sid=9

Interview - Hesham Ali - Florida Department of Transportation – District 4

Director of Transportation Operations (954) 777-4106

Calculations are approximates only, field observation on Sept. 23, 2008

Sun analysis created with SketchUp from, http://sketchup.google.com/

http://www.city-data.com/city/Fort-Lauderdale-Florida.html

http://blogs.usatoday.com/weather/hurricanes/index.html

23

Alberto Gonzalez

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/weather/hurricane/blog/2008/08/

http://www.floridadiary.us/Flora.asp

Sustainable Metropolis Article, March 1, 2004 by: Karen E. Steen

http://www.commonground.org/?page_id=9

http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=136

Architecture firm website

http://www.bevkperovic.com//

Citizens' Crime Alert

City Hall 100 N. Andrews Avenue.

Pat Mayers 954-763-7863.

Or 954-828-5377

Fort Lauderdale Crime Report 2006

City Rating.com

http://www.cityrating.com/citycrime.asp?city=Fort+Lauderdale&state=FL

massing study was created with SketchUp from, http://sketchup.google.com/

24

final report

Documents

downtown area

site adjacent

near campus

sophisticated boutique

boutique hotel catering

boutique hotels

area west of federal

tallest residential