Free Your Mind

It started with a concept. The Hatchery had to be a space where all forms of art collaborate into one building. Research was first done on the city of Greensboro on a large scale meaning history, weather, population, income etc. The area was then focused on which is Greene St. and Elm St. surrounding stores were taken into consideration of the design, and the demographics. On a smaller scale spaces within the Hatchery were separated and given a number of occupancy and a way to enter and exit the space. Finally the materials were studied that would inhabit the interior of our space.

A precedent study was underway while we as a class researched the activities that could be performed within the hatchery. From that knowledge I narrowed down my findings and constricted them into 10 different inspirational businesses. One stuck in my mind which was the school of Juilliard. The amount of talent that flows through the halls and inspiration onto each student is very moving. I feel this can be imitated on a smaller scale in our Hatchery. From my findings I developed the concept ORCHESTRATE.

I took two meanings for the word orchestrate to develop an idea of my space:

-to compose or arrange for an orchestra

-to arrange or combine so as to achieve a desired maximum effect

I envision my space taking on the elements of an orchestra having a bass, tenor, alto, and soprano level within each room. A continuous flow needs to be kept like a piece of music. I would love for the architecture to resemble instruments in some way. If I were to relate my Hatchery to a composition it would be the Four Seasons by Vivaldi for every change in music would be a change in room.

When one first enters my composed hatchery they would first encounter the gallery. I would like that to be first because it would be the most inviting. Work would be showcased by student artists among the free flowing walls. Everything will be light and airy from the material down to the architecture of the walls. I would like for each temporary wall to not actually touch the ceiling so that natural light is dispersed toward the back of the store. I would also like for there to be no doors and have the manipulation of the walls to create that pathway. I pictured the space with the sky light open and the balcony accessible. The light well given onto the Retail area will be interesting from the bottom and the top floor. Material investigation will help with the acoustics of the space.

Past the Retail space is the Client and Performance areas these are parallel to one another. In back is the Collaboration space which can be accessed from the back also. Light will play a great part within the building. I am trying to get as much natural light as possible by opening the staircase and making it almost free standing. From the upstairs the balcony needs to be open to the 2nd floor in order to have the nature from the outside poor onto the inside. Upstairs I envision to be a painting, poetry writing, reading, relaxing area. Along with all those fun activities a coffee bar. Customers can watch people shop below through the light well in the floor, which would have railing around it to make sure no on falls through. Onto the outside I would love to have a Veranda with plants native to Greensboro dispersed and displayed everywhere from the planters on the sides to hanging arbor overhead. Cobblestones will take place on floor along with mosaic among the walls.

My building needs to have a harmony and a melody to accompany one another. I feel I can achieve this by the placement of the separate sections. Where is the eye led to? What is more important? Those questions are answered with the melody of the space. What is the bass? What needs to exist for the melody to shine? These few questions I am currently researching in order for the concept to translate well.