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Christopher L. Smith Florida A&M University School of Architecture

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Contextual & Programmatic Analysis R

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Gaines street is a historic district in the city of Tallahassee. It is known for it’s patronage to the arts and music. It is under construction to renew its urban landscape

The main idea and design goal was to design a Art museum that would cater to a blinded audience

The building would serve as a gateway facility to Gaines street

which is to become a new urban district. way finding was a key element in the design program.

A series of studies were done to understand how a blind individual would interact on a daily basis with their surroundings

CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT+DESIGN METHOD

DESIGN PROCESS Chris Smith SPR 13’ DESIGN 3.1

CONCEPT to create a way finding experince for the sighted as well as the blind

Dialouge in the Dialouge in the Dark

is a tis a traveling exibition that will be housed on the third floor of the museum. it gives the blinded the oppertunity to show the sighted patorns through an exibition of a day in the life of being blind cre-aating the ultimate way finding tour

Precedence

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Architectural articulation + resolutionEXEC

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The floor plans were inspired by the adjacent context given by the Florida Department of Edu.In the design resolution I wanted to juxtapose the white box governing buildings with an angular brick building to provide a gateway into another district i.e. Gaines Street

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Site+Structural material+environmental

Exterior Brick Pattern

The Wall Sections consist-ed of Roman Brick to add a new twist to the facades in the context surrounding the site and bring a new feel to Gaines street The Floor on the interiors consists of a similar pattern as a way finding path for the blinded patronsIt is a relief pattern in the concrete slab floors

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museum of the blind