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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
ROWING CENTER

Uptown Manhattan, New York
Spring 2016 
Partner Mingxuan Qin
Instructor Guiliano Fiorenzoli
Academic, Arch 302, Pratt Institute

 
 

The Boathouse is located in a quiet neighborhood in uptown Manhattan, which connects to Inwood Hill Park. It designed for the Columbia University racing boat team. As we learned from the coach, the teams only use this building for training from June to December. The building always stays empty for the rest of the time. 

 

To take full advantage of the building, an additional set of programs for the public rowing club is designed, which open to this neighborhood and community. However, due to the climate condition, this building would still remain unused in winter. Therefore landscape is incorporated into the building design functions as a substitute program, which would make the project into the half boathouse and half public landscape. The landscape goes along with the circulation which connected the top of the roof to the waterfront.  It is an additional green space for the local community as well as a compensation program for the boathouse in the unusable season.

Introduction   01

 
 
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Site Plan

 
 
 

Entrance

 
 
 

Ground Level Plan

 
 
 

Second Level Plan

 
 
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CAST IN PLACE CONCRETE FACADE

The boathouse structure is cast in place concrete to fit in the landscape and designed to achieve the long spans for the boat storages. The facade has a horizontal stripe pattern to enhance the volumetric character and make it changeable through time—the rain will leave its trace on the horizontal stripes. The pattern is cast with round wood sticks on the mode and the window has a clear frame exposed on the facade to stress the openings.

Physical  cement facade model

 
 
 

Section cut through gym and boat storage

 
 
 
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Sections

 
 
 
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ORGANIZATION AND CIRCULATION

Considering the sloped topography of the site, the entrance is located on the second level of the building with flat access to the training spacing, fitting room, and classrooms, which makes it convenient for the athletes. The boat storages, loading area, and staff offices are located on the ground level as service space and with easy access to the waterfront.

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