Oregon City Great Room
Spring 2008
In this spring studio taught by the esteemed members of the engaging and conceptual design firm Allied Works, my task was to create a “Great Room” or community gathering space for the small historic town of Oregon City Oregon. The project was an exercise in conceptual design from an experiential standpoint. It was an attempt to take direct experiences felt on the site and nearby to create a place of gathering. The site was bound by a major automobile thoroughfare on the river side, and a quiet main st on the other. The area itself is rather unpleasant with the massive volume of vehicular traffic, so i attempted to create a place that attract people, but allows them protection from the bustling world below. My Experiential goals of the project were as follows…..
Oregon City is an eclectic town that offers a plethora of experiences in and around the lower downtown. My building is an attempt to bring these experiences together under one roof but without the negative effects that come with them.
Experience Goal 1: To bring the visitor into a vast great room that begins to include them in the expansive river valley below. 99E great room is meant for larger gatherings (300-400 people) such as wedding receptions, dog shows, concerts, art performances, large art installations etc.
Experience Goal 2: Offer experience directly related to Main Street with view of the historic downtown, and the bluff. Courtyard/plaza in front of building to encourage visitation. Main street great room is meant for more intimate large gatherings (100 people), such as weddings, smaller scale meetings, group activities (art), and gallery display space.
Experience Goal 3: Compressed entry similar to the feeling of being in an alley way, with steel grate staircases bringing the visitor up in elevation quickly to allow for expansion into great room views. In addition, there is a visible and easily accessible connection between the great rooms that allow for simultaneous use of both.
To see the project photos on Picasa click here