Shane ScrantonArchitectural Studies Thesis

Middlebury CollegeSpring 2013

A Special ThanksTo Dean Scranton and Gayle Sullivan for the unbridled support.To Ariele Faber for the caffeine and peeps.To John McLeod and Steve Kredell for the inspiration.To Steve Smith for setting me on this path.

Assigned Course Prompt:“The College is instituting a new pilot project to prepare for the full implementation of the new senior work requirements. One “learning library” will be built on a site in the local community. The learning library will be affiliated with a particular department or program of Middlebury College. Eventually, such learning libraries will be constructed for all departments. The new facility will be open to all residents of Addison County. Seniors majoring in the given subject will apply and hone their knowledge and skills by presenting, demonstrating, tutoring, and otherwise engaging with local high school students, retired residents, continuing education adults, and anyone else who cares to learn about the particular subject.”

A learning library for the Environmental Studies department at Bakery Lane, Middlebury, Vermont

The library at Bakery Lane is a unifying space for the college and the town. Spatial and socioeconomic rifts divide members of the college community from the members of town, and a lack of interpersonal interaction between these two groups perpetuates this divide. The learning library offers a solution to this problem by bringing both parties out to a common green and under a shared roof. The site sits within walking distance from town and college, and offers a sun-lit green space that proceeds down to Otter Creek. Within the building, and balanced above Middlebury’s river, farmers, students, local employees, and professors will work together on an Addison County Almanac. This annual document will represent the collective academic and practical knowledge of weather cycles, crop rotations, infrastructure improvements, geomorphologic cycles, and other useful data for the future-concious development of Addison County. The learning library at Bakery Lane is a hub. It draws together a diverse audience with a collective goal: to better the local Vermont community through collaboration and education.

The SiteA parking lot and a bridge over Otter Creek

Building Functions Vegetation Pedestrian Circulation

Residential Mixed Use Food Retail Library

Vehicular Circulation Solar Exposure

Summer Solstice

Winter Solstice

SunriseSunset

SunsetSunrise

The spread on the previous page shows the site with the college to the west and the town to the north-east. Bakery Lane’s existing condi-tion is one of pavement and neglect. The new town bridge extends over the southern part of the site, casting shadows onto Middlebury’s largest parking lot. A diner sits south of the bridge and the town library boarders the site to the west. The views from the river’s edge offer tranquil frames of an old, wooded mill town.

What if this parking lot no longer overwhelmed the passing river? What if sunlight could penetrate this space

and give it life?

The Initial ProcessExtending the Town Level and Receiving the Sun

Niemeyer’s Cathedral of Brasília, HS99’s CINiBA, and Tod Williams & Billie Tsien’s Barnes Foundation offer precedence.

Leuppi & Schafroth Architekten’s Limmat Foot-bridge, Becker Architekten’s House S, and Luís

Rebelo de Andrade & Diogo Aguiar’s Pedras Salgadas Eco-Resort offer precedence.

Town Level

River Level

Anchor

Urban Natural

Warmth

High Energy

Low Energy

Light

Site AlterationsThe highlighted brown area will be excavated to

the level of the existing parking lot. This space will become a two level underground parking garage

completely covered by an extended town level plane (the highlighted green area). This gesture creates a

town level park that is on grade with the bridge and bathed in natural light. The new park also serves as

a platform for the cantilevering library.

Creation of the Town Level Form

Creation of the River Level Form

The cantilevering structure began as a single rectangular volume sitting on the east-west axis.

The form began as a squat box to serve as a platform for the cantilever above.

One edge folds down to the south to allow for solar exposure on the roof and interior shelter from direct sunlight.

The program splits the rectangular volume down the middle. The south is an assembly space and the north is circulation.

The western corners are reversed to pull up the south side for a mezzanine level and push down the north side to limit building height and north wall exposure.

The southern volume bends with the passing river while the northern volume retains rigidity for the building above.

The hearth anchors the building to its site and one corner lifts up to welcome in visitors.

The hearth anchors the building to its site and load bearing walls flank the two volumes.

Parking Garage

One Way Rd. Deck

Sloping Park

Circ.Core Library

River Level Site Plan

Circ.Core

Park

Landscape Pavers

LibraryRotary

Town Level Site Plan

Built StudiesSchematic Design Models

Design DevelopmentVisualizing the Details

Lobby

Lobby

Elev Elev

Elev

DN

DNDN

Elev

Lobby

Lobby

Elev Elev

Elev

DN

DNDN

Elev

River Level Circulation Core

Town Level Circulation Core

Lobby

Town Level Footprint

Up

Skylight

Hearth

Reception

Drive

Lightwell

Walkway

Elev

Stair

ExhibitCoats

ClassroomOtter Creek

Storage

Cl

Cl

Br Br

Cl

Parking

Deck

Up

River Level Plan

Storage

Lounge

Kid’s Corner

Work AreaElev

Work Area

River BelowOutdoor Hearth

Hearth

ElevCafe

BR BR

Conference

Entry

Stair

Open To Below

DN

Stair

DN

Up

DeckBelow

PathBelow

RoadBelow

GroundBelow

Storage

Lounge

Kid’s Corner

Work AreaElev

Work Area

River BelowOutdoor Hearth

Hearth

ElevCafe

BR BR

Conference

Entry

Stair

Open To Below

DN

Stair

DN

Up

DeckBelow

PathBelow

RoadBelow

GroundBelow

Town Level Plan

Mezzanine Plan

Transverse Section

Longitudinal Section

Vertical 8” Cedar Boards Horizontal 8” Cedar Boards Painted Metal Panels 8” Poured-form Concrete Painted GWB Ceiling

Exterior Materials

Oak Window FramesStructural Steel FrameTable Top Gypsum Wall Boards 4” Maple Flooring

Interior Materials

Wall SectionsThe exterior walls are designed to minimize thermal bridging and create a tight, insulated shell. The drawing shown above is a section cut through the north side of the eastern cantilever. Wooden slats extend halfway down the north windows to provide a visual screen and focus the views east. The full wall section on the right shows the assembly of the northern load-bearing wall.

SECOND FLOOREL. 18'-0"

MEZZANINEEL. 26'-6"

FIRST FLOOREL. 0'-0"

SECOND FLOOREL. 18'-0"

MEZZANINEEL. 26'-6"

SECOND FLOOREL. 18'-0"

MEZZANINEEL. 26'-6"

FIRST FLOOREL. 0'-0"

1 1/2” VERTICAL OAK SIDING1/2” AIR SPACE1” EXTERIOR SHEATHINGVAPOR BARRIER3/4“ PLYWOOD10” DENSE PACKED CELLULOSE3/4“ PLYWOOD5/8” GYP BOARD

10 X 6 HOLLOW STEEL

STANDING SEAM MTL ROOFICE AND WATER SHIELD3/4 “ PLYWOOD3/4” WOOD BOARD SHEATHING2 1/2 x 11 TJI PURLINS 18” O.C.16” DENSE PACKED CELLULOSE3/4“ PLYWOOD5/8” GYP BOARD8 X 10 HOLLOW STL RIBS

REINFORCED CONCRETEVAPOR BARRIER3/4“ PLYWOOD5” DENSE PACKED CELLULOSE3/4“ PLYWOOD5/8” GYP BOARD

10 X 6 HM STEEL

8 X 10 HOLLOW STEEL RIBS

2 X 6 GLULAM JOISTS

10 X 4 HM STEEL

W24 I-BEAM

15 MIL VAPOR RETARDEROVER INSULATION

4” SLAB ON GRADE

4 X 24 GLULAM BEAM

SECOND FLOOREL. 18'-0"

MEZZANINEEL. 26'-6"

FIRST FLOOREL. 0'-0"

1 1/2” VERTICAL OAK SIDING1/2” AIR SPACE1” EXTERIOR SHEATHINGVAPOR BARRIER3/4“ PLYWOOD10” DENSE PACKED CELLULOSE3/4“ PLYWOOD5/8” GYP BOARD

10 X 6 HOLLOW STEEL

STANDING SEAM MTL ROOFICE AND WATER SHIELD3/4 “ PLYWOOD3/4” WOOD BOARD SHEATHING2 1/2 x 11 TJI PURLINS 18” O.C.16” DENSE PACKED CELLULOSE3/4“ PLYWOOD5/8” GYP BOARD8 X 10 HOLLOW STL RIBS

REINFORCED CONCRETEVAPOR BARRIER3/4“ PLYWOOD5” DENSE PACKED CELLULOSE3/4“ PLYWOOD5/8” GYP BOARD

10 X 6 HM STEEL

8 X 10 HOLLOW STEEL RIBS

2 X 6 GLULAM JOISTS

10 X 4 HM STEEL

W24 I-BEAM

15 MIL VAPOR RETARDEROVER INSULATION

4” SLAB ON GRADE

4 X 24 GLULAM BEAM

Roof System

Cantilever Structure

Outter Skin

Insulative Layer

Mezzanine

Town Level

Poured-formConcrete andHearth

River Level Ceiling Structure

Circulation andriver level walls

River Level InteriorPartition Walls andDeck @ Water

Exploded Axonometric

Pickup / Drop off at the River Level

Town Level Interior Facing East

River Level Mixed Use Space