College of Architecture
Fall 2000
Project issue: Friday, October 27,
2000
Reviews: Wednesdays, November 1, 8, 15 and 29
Final submittal: Monday, December 3, 2000, 4 PM
Introduction
A large urban hospital serving an international clientele has decided, at the
urging of a generous and philanthropic board member, to construct a small
memorial chapel on the hospital campus. The hypothetical location is Houston,
Texas. This building of reflection, meditation and prayer is to be used by all
faiths and beliefs. It will be used primarily for quiet solitude and
contemplation, organized worship services primarily on Fridays, Saturdays and
Sundays and on major religious holidays. In addition, it will be used for
memorial and funeral services and on occasion, a baptism or wedding. The
ambulatory patients in the hospital and their families will customarily use this
space. Hospital chaplains of the different denominations will most often direct
the services.
Site attributes
The site selected for your project is on an essentially undeveloped plot of
land, with rather dense indigenous pine trees and grasses. There are several
pieces of obsolete mechanical equipment on the site that will be removed. The
site is bounded on the immediate south side by a twenty (20’-0”) foot wide
paved service drive, which is also an underground utility and surface drainage
easement. Further to the south is an eighty-five (85’-0”) foot deep parking
lot and adjacent to the south side of this parking lot is a two-story clinic
building, with a helipad on the roof. This building is connected to a four (4)
story building with a low-sloping roof that is also adjacent to your site on the
west. This building is set-back from the north property line twenty-five
(25’-0”) feet. Fifty (50’-0”) feet back from all sides of this building
rises one of the main towers of the hospital, twelve (12) stories high. The site
is a square tract of land, one-hundred twenty-five (125’-0”) feet on each
side. A major thoroughfare runs east-west adjacent to the north property line of
your site and adjacent buildings. There is a twelve (12’-0”) foot
right-of-way. The hospital campus continues to the west of your site for a
distance of one-hundred-twenty-five (125’-0”) feet. A two-story building
that is set-back from the north forty (40’-0”) feet, from the south eight
(8’-0”) feet, and from the east twenty (20’-0”) feet occupies this east
tract. A two lane, north-south street adjoins the east edge of the hospital
campus.
Zoning
The older building to the west of your site is only set-back from the street
on the north by twenty-five (25’-0”) feet because the street was widened.
You are required to set-back forty (40’-0”) feet from the north property
line. As all of the rest of the adjacent property belongs to the Hospital, there
are no other set-back requirements. The "building code" (International
Building Code) does however, require that you have no openings in exterior walls
less than five feet from adjacent buildings and protected openings if less than
twenty feet. Exterior walls must be fire-rated for two hours.
You may have up to 40% maximum site coverage with your building.
Additional parking is not required.
Utilities
All utilities are located in the aforementioned underground easement,
including distribution of steam and chilled water from a central campus plant.
Therefore you need only provide air-blowing units of some type and some means of
fresh-air intake into your structure.
A seating area for 150 persons, providing a flexible arrangement, optimal sight lines and acoustic properties not requiring electronic amplification. Note: two exits required.
Toilet room, storage and changing areas with at least four storage closets for liturgical items for different denominations.
Storeroom for seasonal decorations and other furniture.
Toilet room for public use adjacent to a small changing room for brides.
The major building on the west has an eight feet wide, east-west hallway, centered 57’-6” from the north side of the building.
Floor Plan(s) 1/4" = 1'-0" (1/48th full size)
Site Plan 1/16" = 1'-0" (1/192nd full size)
Other requirements to be enumerated.