The Roof
Mixed-use of Commercial and Residential

Finalist of Integrative Studio Competition 
Fall 2018 - Integrative Studio
Site: Downtown, Blacksburg, Virginia 
Professor: Kevin Jones
Individual Work 

The program asks for a complex of residential and commercial space on a piece of a sloping block in downtown Blacksburg – a town economically and demographically influenced by the presence of Virginia Tech. The program requires an archery center with a 25-meter shooting range, a public event space, administrative suits for staff, spectator seating, and other support space. Besides the commercial building, 40 residential units are required. 

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Question: 
How to unify a variety of spaces with the architectural language that speaks to the programs, the site, and the people? 

The spatial programs are organized into two separate buildings of residential and commercial connected with grand public stairs. The residential building is situating on the north side of the site, while the commercial building is dominating the corner of the block. By imaging the profile of the site,  the architectural element “roof” starts to play. The roof contour can be recognized as the image of a traditional gabbled-roof house, the tensioned string of a bow, and mountainous scenes in Blacksburg. The whole complex is further broken down into modules through the repetition and iteration for the coherence of the small-scaled neighborhood. The series of modules with different scales and qualities are trying to respond to space underneath. Together, the continuity of the “roofs” is contributing to the image of downtown Blacksburg. 

The site is at the intersection of South Main street and Eheart Street SE. It occupies half of the block, which is an area of 70,000 SF planned for building and 210,000 SF for range and parking. Adjacent to downtown Blacksburg, the site is surrounded by a variety of mix-use spaces:  residential areas for different accommodations, small-scaled local stores, etc.

The density of this region, determined by the school occupancy, varies significantly across seasons.  

The conditions of Friday nights and summer weekdays at downtown are distinctive to each other. To best preserve the historical character of this region, brick is the primary material to use. 
Through a set of site analyses from different perspectives, the architecture starts to appreciate and respond to the fabric of Blacksburg. 

left: residential building; right: commercial building

The required spatial programs are organized into two seperate buildings of residential and commercial connected with grand public stairs. The residential building is sitting on the north side of the site, while the commercial building is dominating the corner of the block. The archery center on the second floor could be accessed from the parking lot at the back, and the gallery is on the street level. 
By imaging the contour of the site,  the architectural element "roof" starts to play. The roof contour can be recognized as the image of a traditional gabbled-roof house, the tensioned string of a bow, or mountainous scenes in Blacksburg. For the coherence of the small-scaled neighborhood, the whole complex is modulized through repetition and iteration of "the roof." The series of modules with different scales and qualities are trying to respond to space underneath. Overall, the continuity of the "roofs" is contributing to the image of downtown Blacksburg. 

Section Diagarm

Under the idea of " the roof," the profile of the residential building is unified and strengthened. The building consists of three types of units for different types of accommodations. These are 20 units of one-bedroom located on the first and second floor, 12 units of loft with curvy roof lines on the third floor, and 8 double-floors occupying the two central rows. Each apartment has a balcony formed with curved windows and perforated bricks. It semi-separates indoor and outdoor activities while allowing light and air to go through spaces.  And the arrangements of areas are unified with the central atrium for gatherings and social events. 

Twenty spaces of one-bedroom units are reserved for a single person. The perforated brick walls of balconies allow the light to penetrate while still ensuring privacy for residents.  

Under the idea of "roof," the profile of the commercial center is unified as a series of under tensioned strings of bows. By proposing the roof in the form of an arch, repeating and iterating through the module of 16 feet wide and by 100 feet deep light-frame roof structure, qualitative light is brought into a column-free space.

The commercial complex has an archery center (can also be used for the other events), classrooms, a reception, a lobby, and supportive spaces on the second floor. People who are carrying heavy equipment could easily access the building from the parking lot. On the street level, there is a gallery space with a glass facade opens to pedestrians. People could have a grasp of artworks on the wall as they move through the site.  The distinctions between two spaces are revealed through the solidity showed on the second floor and the transparency of the first.