UNDERGRADUATE
Ariel Weiss—B+H Award![]()
Ariel Weiss—B+H Award
About the Award
For the highest academic achievement in Integration Studio I and II.
Growth is a fundamental element existing on all scales of life. The City of Hamilton for example is rapidly growing into a destination for younger people looking to live affordably in the city. The large-scale growth of the city happens over time and is influenced by large-scale change factors such as economy and infrastructure. On a smaller scale, a person may also grow over time. Personal growth is only different from city-level growth in the quicker and smaller-scale of changes such as body and mind. In placing a growth-oriented program (YMCA), onto a growth-oriented site (Hamilton), what is the relationship between the two scales? How can a building be conducive to not just one scale of growth, but create a symbiotic relationship between multiple?
Symbiosis archives this relationship by creating a formal bridge between scales. While the aquatic space in a typical YMCA is often reached at the end of the building's hierarchy, the aquatic space in this case is expressed as a central element of the building. Serving as the center of program and growth, this concept shatters the division between small scale interior and large scale exterior. The relationship between a person and their environment is then amplified through the use of a sculpturally ETFE clad undulating steel structure which extends from the origin of the aquatic space to the facade of the street.
For the highest academic achievement in Integration Studio I and II.
Growth is a fundamental element existing on all scales of life. The City of Hamilton for example is rapidly growing into a destination for younger people looking to live affordably in the city. The large-scale growth of the city happens over time and is influenced by large-scale change factors such as economy and infrastructure. On a smaller scale, a person may also grow over time. Personal growth is only different from city-level growth in the quicker and smaller-scale of changes such as body and mind. In placing a growth-oriented program (YMCA), onto a growth-oriented site (Hamilton), what is the relationship between the two scales? How can a building be conducive to not just one scale of growth, but create a symbiotic relationship between multiple?
Symbiosis archives this relationship by creating a formal bridge between scales. While the aquatic space in a typical YMCA is often reached at the end of the building's hierarchy, the aquatic space in this case is expressed as a central element of the building. Serving as the center of program and growth, this concept shatters the division between small scale interior and large scale exterior. The relationship between a person and their environment is then amplified through the use of a sculpturally ETFE clad undulating steel structure which extends from the origin of the aquatic space to the facade of the street.
