Radiant apartments philadelphia12/31/2023 ![]() To counter this damage, the apartments use the natural slope of the site to provide limited natural infiltration, reducing the quantity of water and increasing the quality of the water released into the ocean. Rain events at UC San Diego are infrequent, but are often dramatic downpours that produce high volumes of runoff which, from this position atop the Pacific coastal bluffs, cause erosion to the fragile coastal scrub arroyos, a particularly threatened ecosystem. ![]() Careful planning for the new complex spared the cost and environmental impact of replacing the lost housing elsewhere. ![]() The project also extended the life of a neighboring building slated for demolition. Stormwater flow into the Pacific Ocean, which at the time of design was eroding a fragile coastal canyon, is remediated with a system of landscape bioswales and retention basins that reduce stormwater quantity, delay peak water flow, and control flooding in this region of the campus. Water scarcity is managed through a comprehensive strategy of conservation and reuse, including on-site wastewater recycling, a first for the UC system. This led to a building envelope that uses thermal mass to buffer temperature changes, minimizes solar gain, and naturally ventilates. The design response was to tune the design to capitalize on the favorable environmental features, while moderating or eliminating the undesirable ones. Owner and architects saw this project as an opportunity to capitalize on the favorable climate while addressing Southern California’s pressing environmental challenges of stormwater management, water scarcity, and carbon emissions. Sustainable design was a primary driver for the design of the project. Great lengths were taken to construct the buildings with high quality, cast-in-place white concrete to visually tie them to the existing architecture. They adopt elements from the classic campus buildings exterior walkways, repetitive sun control elements, and a warm color palette, but are firmly rooted in a 21st century aesthetic that unites form and performance. Three apartment buildings are arranged in a C-shape around a courtyard that creates a new social zone and unites it with the existing 1960s Fleet Residences to the east. This community was created out of the College’s existing components, building on its heritage, and establishing a new gateway at the west edge of the campus. The goal was to provide each student with a distinctive, human-scaled home within a large research institution, at a location where they can more fully engage the academic community. The apartments are instrumental in the revitalization of Revelle College, the founding college at UC San Diego, by bringing students closer to their core academic buildings. The buildings and landscape promote the active use of exterior spaces, encouraging interaction among students with outdoor circulation that leads to chance encounters, convenient spaces for individual and group activity, and spaces conducive to congregating. ![]() The apartments are situated to provide expansive views of the ocean and mountains from all interior spaces, and from exterior walkways and the large roof terrace, which have become popular gathering spaces. The location offers remarkable views to residents as well as access to refreshing onshore breezes. Named for the scientist whose research first alerted the world to the possibility of the human impact on global atmospheric carbon, the apartments employ a suite of tactics to address Southern California’s pressing environmental challenges of stormwater management, water scarcity, and carbon emissions. The Charles David Keeling Apartments are located on the southwestern edge of the UC San Diego campus overlooking the coastal cliffs of La Jolla. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |