INNOVATIVE PROTOTYPING
SPRING 2016 - Graduate Comprehensive Studio
[A collaborative project between myself and two other students]
Our chosen client is AUDI, specifically a research and development department that focuses on innovative prototyping in design, as such the role of the car and infrastructure will be questioned and defined in our project.
Audi’s motto is "Progress Through Technology" as such innovative technologies will be strategically used in the structural and environmental systems of the building. The ground level will be dedicated to public amenities concentrating the inflow traffic from the street and the light rail station. A multi-story retail space will work in tandem with the lobby and public spaces and will strive to engage the public and visitors to the site. Vehicular access within the site will be key for the client to display and work on automotive prototypes throughout the building.
Audi also places a large emphasis on education, as such, our facility will form a partnership with local universities to foster new design and engagement between professionals and students. The expanding infrastructure of Charlotte, specifically the light rail, will be essential in this engagement and will play a large role in the design of the building. The maker spaces and gallery will join the retail on the ground floor diversifying the pedestrian landscape. The offices will incorporate team centered floor configurations while allowing for cross-floor interaction and the implementation of social spaces. Flexible pockets of space will gather employees in stimulation social environments and will maintain desirable amenities such as coffee shops, lounge spaces, presentation rooms, and group work stations.
The architecture should express the desire to be sustainable by design and not by the addition of after-market systems. The formal and functional expression of the program should also responsibly include sustainable design practices that holistically contribute to the cohesiveness of the design. The architecture should be the primary medium to establish relationships between the program, the the urban context, infrastructure, the environment, and the individual.
