BUFFALO BAYOU EDUCATION CENTER
UNDERGRADUATE PROJECT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, 2017
Premise
To expand on Buffalo Bayou Park’s incorporation of art installations located at the East end of the site, this project aimed to activate the site by promoting the idea of a “sculpture garden” and incorporating that into the design itself. Through this idea, the project reflects a harmony between nature and development by representing a tree-like sculptural design— staying true to Buffalo Bayou’s sense of being an “escape from the city.”
Vignette Models
Design Issues & Design Strategies
Through the initial design process, the project and its site revealed a series of issues that were vital to resolve. Some main issues tackled with this project included:
Dealing with a site fully immersed in a flooding zone.
Low activity within the site
A large number of trees on the site.
Design strategies that helped resolve these issues included (to
Elevate the building to a higher point on the site to avoid flooding issues in the future
Develop a vertical circulation within the site to promote the least amount of site impacts in terms of foundation occupation, avoiding the removal of any trees in the site, and opening up views to Downtown.
Branching out of programs to reinforce the idea of a “sculptural tree” design development. This branching out of spaces also allows for the most literal mixture of nature and architecture by having large glazed spaces be elevated next to trees in the site.
