Above Architecture Hall

FACT 29 – Active Project

Above Architecture Hall is a design proposal by FACT for the roof deck of the north addition to Architecture Hall, a building designed by NADAAA + HDR scheduled for completion in 2024. The roof deck will be an amenity serving the college but without the burden of an overarching functional program – it will be respite from the studio, classroom, and office. The outdoor space will be used for casual gatherings, formal events, and design experimentation. The site is formed by pulling back the addition’s fourth-floor studio to reduce overall building size thus yielding a roof deck area to support 49 occupants. The team of 5 FACT students selected concrete and wooden tiles on the pedestal pavers for the deck, and proposed structures for shading, seating, a worktable, and a green wall. For shading, the team design a 5-Ply CLT canopy to foreground the system used to construct the building. The canopy appears to float above the deck and is supported on a CLT “wallumn” and two slender steel lally columns anchored to the building’s CLT structure beneath the waterproofed deck. For seating, the team designed “SeaTables” – moveable CLT chairs with lids that fold down to form tables, benches, or when arranged together, a multi-use stage. The canopy and wallumn, SeatAble, and Work Bar, will be cut from a single CLT blank, reducing waste, and allowing students to visually reassemble the construction process. Lastly, a pod-system green wall will contribute an element of a biophilia to the hard-edged building. Overall, FACT designed the rooftop for comfort, function, and flexibility.