Wichita Community Boathouse - Rachel Mattes

Wichita Community Boathouse, Wichita, KSSchool of Architecture, Design and Planning

University of KansasARCH 609 Comprehensive Studio

Spring 2012

CONTENTS

Programming

Precedent Studies

Wichita Data

Site Analysis

Final Program

Initial Design Schemes

Mid Review Progress

Site Development

Code Analysis

Final Review Material

Reflection

Project Goals and Studio Mission Statement

Wichita is a city on the verge of change. There are plans in motion to revitalize the heart of downtown and the area directly across the Arkansas River from downtown. With this knowledge, we have a great responsibility to make our mark on Wichita. The City of Wichita is interested in including a Boathouse on the Arkansas River, and is has been our task, this past semester, to design one.

This Boat House will serve the Wichita State University Crew Team but will also be a rowing and bike center for the community. There is an opportunity here to bring the community and the rowing team together over common inter-ests.

Some initial goals for this project have been defined for us. These goals are based on a few important details. These include being located on a readily accessible waterway and the importance of community interest. Knowing that we already have these two things working for us makes it that much easier to visualize a solution for Wichita. From the Rowing competitions to the Marathon that happens once a year, from the River walk to the location of many muse-ums along the river, this is a vital area of the city.

The program will include areas for the WSU Rowing team, but may also include areas for instruction so the community can learn to row. The building will have a community and team work out space and also bike rental. This building will also include a restaurant and other revenue raising areas. All in all, it is important to offer a diverse group of services for a better chance to reach the community at large and give them good reason to visit this and other buildings on the river.

Personal Philosophy

My design philosophy for this project is fairly simple. While this is a Boat House for the Wichita State Crew Team, I think it is just as important to think about this building as it functions when the Crew team isn’t there. The site lends itself to many opportunities as it is located right on the Arkansas River Corridor.

The riverwalk on the Arkansas River is heavily traveled and is also used in the fall for the Prairie Fire Marathon. This event alone brings many people to the river. The draw to the river is already there and it is my goal to create an invit-ing place to spend time along the river.

My main focus during the design phase of this project is to create a place for the Crew team and the community to come together over shared interests. This Boat House will not only serve the rowing team, but will serve the entire community. This connection is crucial to a successful design.

Another important aspect is how this building responds to its surroundings and how it fits in to its surroundings. We have a very interesting site condition, and it is up to us to decide how the building and site communicate with each other.

The context of our site is very interesting. We have the great opportunity to be designing a building that will be located right on the Arkansas River. Not too far around the bend, the river breaks off into the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers. At that fork in the river sits the Keeper of the Plains statue and pavilion. There is also an All-Indian Museum located there. Various other museums and parks are also located on the river. Directly across the river is where downtown Wichita is. This is the main area that is proposed to be revitalized in the near future and we now have an opportunity to help influence that revitalization.

Urban Context

The social aspects of this project are crucial to the success of the building. Wichita’s Rowing team is only one social dimension that will make use of the Boat House. The greater community also spends a lot of time on the Arkansas River and will be using this building often. Creating a place that can lend itself to many diverse activities will make the boat house a destination place along the riverwalk.Technical aspects of this project could include things such as accessibility and sustainability. The economic aspects are fairly straightforward. We want to design a place that will, inevitably, bring money in to the city of Wichita. Designing with a number of attractions and program spaces will be crucial to making this happen. Although this is important, money is not the driving factor on this project. If the program can attract the community at large and also bring in money for the city, I will have succeeded.

Technical, Social and Economic Aspects

Estimated Space Budget- December 2011

Unit Grossing Area Size Units NSF Factor GSF Facility Areas 1 Men's Team Locker 20 35 700 1.60 1,120 1a Toilets 12 6 72 1.60 115.2 1b Showers 15 10 150 1.60 240 2 Women's Team Locker 20 35 700 1.60 1,120 2a Toilets 12 6 72 1.60 115.2 2b Showers 15 10 150 1.60 240 3 Exercise Room 40 45 1,800 1.60 2,880 4 Training Room 300 1 300 1.60 480 5 Men's Public Locker 20 40 800 1.60 1280 5a Toilets 12 6 72 1.60 115.2 5b Showers 15 5 75 1.60 120 6 Women's Public Locker 20 40 800 1.60 1280 6a Toilets 12 6 72 1.60 115.2 6b Showers 15 5 75 1.60 120 Subtotal 528 250 5,838 9,341 Equipment Areas 7 Boat Storage 960 6 5,760 1.10 6,336 8 Boat Rental Storage 320 6 1,920 1.10 2,112 9 Bike Rental Storage 720 1 720 1.10 792 10 Boat/Bike Repair 1600 1 1,600 1.10 1,760 Subtotal 14 10,000 11,000 Administration Areas 11 Reception Area 200 1 200 1.25 250 12 Offices 120 4 480 1.25 600 13 Rental Office 300 1 300 1.25 375 14 Team Lounge/Event Space 500 1 500 1.25 625 Subtotal 7 1,480 1,850 Public Areas 15 Snack Bar/Event Space 1200 1 1,200 1.50 1,800 15a Kitchen 600 1 600 1.50 900 16 Shop 250 2 500 1.50 750 17 Public Lounge 12 150 1,800 1.65 2,970 Subtotal 154 4,100 6,420 Support Space 18 Laundry Room 200 1 200 1.60 320 19 Storage 100 5 500 1.30 650 Subtotal 700 970 TOTAL 22,118 29,581

Unit Grossing Cost/ Total Area Size Units NSF Factor GSF GSF Cost Facility Areas 1 Men's Team Lockers 20 35 700 1.60 1,120 $115.00 $128,8001a Toilets 12 6 72 1.60 115.2 $90.00 $10,3681b Showers 15 10 150 1.60 240 $90.00 $21,6002 Women's Team Lockers 20 35 700 1.60 1,120 $115.00 $128,8002a Toilets 12 6 72 1.60 115.2 $90.00 $10,3682b Showers 15 10 150 1.60 240 $90.00 $21,6003 Exercise Room 40 45 1,800 1.60 2,880 $95.00 $273,6004 Training Room 300 1 300 1.60 480 $95.00 $45,6005 Men's Public Lockers 20 40 800 1.60 1280 $115.00 $147,2005a Toilets 12 6 72 1.60 115.2 $90.00 $10,3685b Showers 15 5 75 1.60 120 $90.00 $10,8006 Women's Public Lockers 20 40 800 1.60 1280 $115.00 $147,2006a Toilets 12 6 72 1.60 115.2 $90.00 $10,3686b Showers 15 5 75 1.60 120 $90.00 $10,800 Subtotal 250 5,838 9,341 $977,472 Equipment Areas 7 Boat Storage 960 6 5,760 1.10 6,336 $60.00 $380,1608 Community Boat Storage 320 6 1,920 1.10 2,112 $60.00 $126,7209 Bike Storage 720 1 720 1.10 792 $60.00 $47,52010 Boat/Bike Repair 1600 1 1,600 1.10 1,760 $60.00 $105,600 Subtotal 1 4 10,000 11,000 $660,000Administration Areas 11 Reception Area 200 1 200 1.25 250 $90.00 $22,50012 Offices 120 4 480 1.25 600 $100.00 $60,00013 Rental Office 300 1 300 1.25 375 $70.00 $26,25014 Team Lounge 500 1 500 1.25 625 $100.00 $62,500 Subtotal 7 1,480 1,850 $171,250Public Areas 15 Snack Bar/Event Space 1200 1 1,200 1.50 1,800 $110.00 $198,00015a Kitchen 600 1 600 1.50 900 $150.00 $135,00016 Replacement Part/Gift Shop 250 2 500 1.50 750 $90.00 $67,50017 Community Lounge 12 150 1,800 1.65 2,970 $100.00 $297,000 Subtotal 154 4,100 6,420 $697,500Support Spaces 18 Laundry Room 200 1 200 1.60 320 $60.00 $19,20019 Storage 100 5 500 1.30 650 $60.00 $39,000 Subtotal 700 970 $58,200 TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COSTS (Unadjusted) $2,564,422 City Cost Index Factor 84.50% $2,166,937 SIze Multiplier 91.00% $1,971,912 ADJUSTED CONSTRUCTION COSTS $2,000,000

Estimated Cost Budget- December 2011

One of the buildings that we had the pleasure of going to see is the newly completed KU Boat House. This boat house is home to the women’s KU rowing team. This boat house was designed by Peterson Architects in Cambridge, MA and Treanor Architects in Kansas City. One of the main design challenges they dealt with was the flood plain. The entire first floor, comprised of the boat bays, had to be designed to take on water. For this reason, all of the heating and electric are located in the ceiling of that first floor. There is a large concrete slab in the front of the boathouse that is used to move the boats out of the bays and begin to move them to the water. There is a large rowing exercise room on the second floor, as well as the locker rooms, offices, a small kitchen and a team lounge. This space can be rented out for parties and events. The building is made, primarily of concrete, with a wood deck that wraps two sides of the second floor. The materials used inside the building were chosen for easy cleaning and maintenance purposes.

KU Boathouse Precedent

Another building I had the opportunity to research was the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse, located on the Harlem River in New York. The boathouse was designed by Armand le Gardeur, while he was still employed by Robert A.M. Stern. This boathouse is a wonderful example of community involvement. The building was a New York Restoration Founda-tion project, and serves the community in a number of ways. The building is not designed for a team, but for public use. There is an exercise room, as well as meeting rooms and viewing deck on the second floor. Another interesting thing about this building is that it is floating. It was actually constructed and moved from Norwalk, Connecticut. The building was originally designed to be grounded, but some of the natural intertidal grasses could not be harmed. While I am sure that my building will be very different in design, the community and sustainability issues addressed by this building are important to follow.

Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse Precedent

Chesapeake Boathouse Precedent

The boathouse in Oklahoma City was a surprising addition, but a great one. This boathouse was designed for an expanding Oklahoma Association of Rowing program. Rand Elliott, the architect, paid very special attention to details when he designed this building. He focused on the culture and site context, as well as researching details of rowing. Elliott paid attention to the length, width and weight of the rowing shells. He also paid attention to speed, movement in water, and the balance rowers need to maintain to succeed. These details drove the design of the building. While the building is primarily designed for the Oklahoma Association of Rowing, it is used by hobbyists and athletes alike. Included in the building are rentable meeting rooms, offices, a fitness facility and storage for over 100 shells. This building has been very successful so far, and the rowing community is growing in Oklahoma City.

WSU Rowing Team Facility Visit

We were given the opportunity to go down and visit Wichita and meet with Calvin Cupp, WSU Rowing head coach. He was very excited about our interest in the design of the boathouse and has been very involved with our design process. There were some things he touched on during out meeting that are worth noting.- The current building is too far from the river, and requires the whole team to spend time taking the trailer to the river every day. - There is a strong history behind the collegiate program that isn’t being recognized because the team doesn’t have a presence on the river. - They want to grow both the men’s and women’s teams, but don’t have the space to do so right now. - This team is very hands on. All maintenance, sewing, repairs and laundry are done in house. - Calvin referenced Oklahoma City boathouse as a building he knew was designed to generate revenue and get more people involved. - Calvin is very interested in the economy of spaces. The more things you can do with each space, the more people you can serve.

On our trip to Wichita, we also had the opportunity to meet with the Downtown Wichita Revitalization and Development team. This group is very focused on making downtown the heart of the city. They have developed and chosen some cata-lyst sites to begin the revitalization process, and our site is one of them. The site we are working on will, eventually, be surrounded by new development. Across the street a new public library is said to be built. Surrounding our boathouse will be a few condominiums and retail buildings. The goal, with all of this development, is to revitalize Wichita and create an inviting place for people to gather. After we talked to the Downtown Development team we headed over to Schaefer Johnson Cox Frey Architects. They worked with Moshe Safdi on the Exploration Place that is just around the river bend from our site. They told us of a few things we would need to keep in mind; the balance of nature and built world, programming, and structural ideas.Through all of our visits in Wichita, people were supportive of our desire to design this boathouse.

City of Wichita Visit

Phone Interview with Calvin Cupp- conducted by Sarah Limbocker and Greg Barry

Q: Which months would the boathouse primarily be in use by WSU crew? A: WSU would use the boathouse primarily from September to May.Q: Would you want another business to share the site / building? A: Having another business sharing the site / building is completely fine. Q: What requirements are needed for launch boats storage? A: Launch boats do not leave the river often. Main issue with launch boats in secure storage. Q: How do you feel having the river along the site being contained by dams? A: Without the dams rowing here would not be possible due to shallowness of the river.Q: How does the loading the boats onto the trailer happen? How long is this process? A: The entire team, 40 – 50 experienced people, is needed for loading and the process takes between an hour to an hour and a half to complete.Q: Would the boat bays need to be heated / cooled? A: The repair bay needs to be heated so that paint and resin can set properly. Q: What is needed in a sport’s medicine room in the boathouse? Would it be used or would the athletes have P.T. on the university’s campus? A: The team would need funding for a sport’s medicine staff member because they are not part of the NCAA. Q: Does a concrete pad in front of a boathouse need to be completely flat? A: It needs to be as flat as possible. Warm ups / repairs can happen on the apron. There can be varying degrees with the flattest part being near the boathouse. Q: What are the dock requirements for the team? A: They need to be able to launch three eight-person shells at once and must be floating. Q: How are your current facilities? Any issues on using this facility? A: The current facilities are functional but lack of river access really makes it not suitable for a permanent boat house. Q: How does the crew feel about the current facilities? A: It puts a strain on team dynamics because the current facilities are not viewed as a home base. They have lost athletes because of the facilities. Q: How important is the proximity of water to the boathouse vs. loading up the trailer? A: Very. Closer access allows for more variety in the program, longer practice times, and more team unity. Loading up the trailer puts a strain on the team.Q: What were the past facilities like? Any issues on using that facility? A: Previous facilities were a warehouse building owned by a roofing and guttering company (BG Products). There were two buildings: one used for storage and one for administration. There was about 2 acres of parking and the site was right on the river.Q: Does the crew team have its own space on campus? A: There is a mix of private and shared spaces. The coach and assistant coach have their own private office as well as a small lobby. Everything else is shared. Q: What is involved with the administration of a crew team? A: There is recruitment, budget, and record keeping. It’s nice to have separate offices with enough space.Q: How many staff members are involved with the administration of the team? A: There is the coach (Calvin) and an assistant coach. Both are full time. Other staff members vary from year to year. Currently, there are 2 sports managers, 1 team manager, and 6 volunteer assistant coaches.

City of Wichita History

The city of Wichita has been growing for many years. Originally started as a trading post, Wichita became a great hub of the trading industry. Wichita was also the last stop on the Chisolm Trail, which was a cattle path. The heritage of Wichita is rich and the community is strong. In the past, the Arkansas River was a much more vibrant area of town. There were many boathouses located on the river, as well as Wonderland, a theme park. Now, however, the River is looking to be revital-ized. It is quite evident that Wichita is growing still, and it is our goal to give the people of Wichita a place to gather and share their heritage and pride for the city.

City of Wichita Geography and Infrastructure

The geography of our site, along the Arkansas River, has a lot of interesting features. For example, the soil is of a type that drains well. The Canadian soils have rapid permeability and low shrink-swell potential. Wichita is also full of many different types of foliage. Some of the most common are Eastern Cottonwood Eastern Redcedar, Hackberry, Honey-Locust, and Ponderosa Pine. As in many states in the Midwest, it is very important to take note of the frost line. According to the Sedgwick County code, to make sure that buildings are being built to withstand the frost, the foundations must be set no less than 24: from the surface. Of course, it is important to keep in mind different flood, earthquake and tornado possibilities when designing and building a structure as well. especially for our location in Southern Kansas.

The city of Wichita has a very interesting infrastructure. It is the largest city in Kansas, and has many residenial and commercial districts, most of which are historic. Our site is located in the Historic Delano District. In the past, it was viewed as a rough part of town. It was also a major stop on the Chisolm Trail. Now, the Delano District is working to revitalize the area and is becoming a very family friendly place. It is our goal to keep this momentum with our boat-house design project.

Site Photos and Finalized Program

I ended up changing my program a bit, to match the needs and desires of the WSU team and the city. Below you will find the break down of spaces on each floor.

First FloorWSU Boat Bays (4) Lobby “Bay”Public Boat BayPublic Bike BayRestrooms, M & W

Second FloorExercise RoomWSU Team Locker Rooms, M & WTeam LoungeStaff Locker Rooms, M & WLaundry RoomTraining RoomAdministrative OfficesJuice Bar/ Convenience ShopLobbyConference RoomPublic Locker Rooms, M & WMechanical RoomWaste Pickup and Loading Dock

Third FloorRestaurantKitchenRestrooms, M & WLobby

Site Photos

The curve of the building came along fairly early in the design process. It created its own set of problems, but in the end I feel I resolved most of them. These diagrams show some of the many iterations I went through during the programming phase of the project.

Initial Design Schemes

The curve that I began to implement early on in the project was used for a few reasons. One reason was to create pan-oramic views of the Arkansas River. Another reason was to give the sense that the building was being drawn towards the river, like I hope many people from the City of Wichita are. Deciding on the correct curve and how to lay the rooms out inside was definitely a chal-lenge, but through all of the iterations, I think I came to a great final organization.

Initial Design Schemes

Schematic Site Plan

Schematic First Floor Plan

Schematic Second Floor Plan

These are a series of massing models that were done over the first half of the semester. As you can tell, deciding how the facades pushed and pulled and where the restaurant was located were things I was trying to figure out primarily.

Model Pictures

Mid Review Reflection

I feel like I had a good amount of information to show for the mid review. Based on what I had, I got a lot of feedback. I felt that the feedback I got was positive, and I also got some criticism, but it was offered in a very constructive way.

The main feedback I received was about the form of the building, and the site, both things that I feel I resolved by the end of the semester. There were suggestions to make the building feel less “clunky” and more elegant. Some suggested to thing the building out into strips, and focus more on the arc of the circle, rather than on the middle of the circle.

The site suggestions were some of the same. Focus on the arc and where it connects with the site. Also, don’t focus so much on the mid point of the circle, but figure out how all of the elements fit together.

All in all, I was pleased with the feedback I got and feel that it gave me a more focused idea as the project progressed from there.

Site Plan Development

Project Title: Wichita Community Boathouse Review Completed by Rachel Mattes Based on Drawings dated: 4/2/12 Occupancy: Main Occupancy: Mixed Use Mixed Use Occupancy Groups: B, S-1, A-3, A-2, M SeparatedConstruction Type and Allowable Area and Height Building Area of largest floor: 17,683 sq. ft. Total Building Area: 37,801 sq.ft. Building Height: 32'-0" Number of stories: 3, 2 above grade Building will be sprinklered Minimum Construction Type: II A Allowable Area per floor: 37,500 Maximum allowable building area: 187,500 Allowable Height: 65' or 5 stories Fire Resistance Ratings Structural Frame, Walls, Floors and Roofs all require a 1 hour rating and building will be supplied with at least that Fire Protection and Life Safety Requirements Smoke barriers required- must enclose the atrium Fire door requirement- conforms to test requirement NFPA 252 Fire blocking/ Draftstopping required at stair, penetrations and floor and ceilings Interior wall and ceiling finish: Class B- exit enclosures, class C- corridors and enclosed spaces Floor finish: class 2 Automatic Sprinkler System Required Emergency lighting and exit signs, panic hardware on exterior doors all requiredMinimum Number of Exits Minimum number of exits on each floor: 2 Minimum Number of Plumbing Fixtures Minimum has been met and exceeded on each floor

Code Analysis

Final Presentation Material

Following is my final review material. I presented my finalized site plan, building plans, a few sections, a detailed wall section, some diagrams of HVAC, Structure and Circulation, and a few renderings. My main goal with this project was to give panoramic views of the city. I also wanted to maximize on the spaces inside the building. For this reason, the boat bays can be opened up and used as an event space. This turns the, otherwise fairly unusable boat apron, in to a usable, public area. The Exercise room and Restau-rant could also be used in various ways for various events. The goal is to bring people to the river, and I believe that this building would succeed in that task.

2nd Street

McLean Boulevard

Arkansas River

Site Masterplan

First Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Third Floor Plan

Roof Plan

These sections portray the building structure and how the envelope works at the wall section. In one of the building sections, it shows the elevations all the way down to the water.

1285’-0”

1302’-0”

1318’-0”

1334’-0”

Materials

My intention with materials was to be fairly indus-trial. The Arkansas River is manipulated and kept up by the Army Corps of Engineers and that is where I found my insipration for the Gabion Walls and CorTen steel. The concrete will provide a base for the building, as it is fairly water resistant. The CorTen steel will be used for the fins of my building, which will carry through to the interior as well. The Gabion Wall will provide a back wall to the boat bays,

HVAC and Structural Diagrams

The structure of my building ended up being rather simple. Although the building has a curve in it, using the front and back walls as retaining walls, I was able to set up a simple grid of beams and open web steel joists. These elements carry up through the entire building. The HVAC of the building would be rather simple as well. Although the Mechanical Room is on one end of the building, it would be simple to run the ducts through the open web steel joists and, in some areas, conceal everything with a drop ceiling. In other areas, these elements would remain exposed.

I entered this semester, excited about taking on a new design challenge. One of the things that fascinates me about the profession of architecture is the knowledge we acquire while on the job. I would never have had a reason to learn so much about rowing before we took on this project. Being able to work with, and have the support of, Calvin and a few people from the city of Wichita helped make this project feel real.

Throughout the design process, I had a clear goal in mind. I wanted to design a place for the team and the commu-nity to share. It was my intention to create a building that made a statement, while still being functional. I feel like, in many ways, I achieved this goal. My site plan and floor plans came together very cohesively. It was important for me to make the site and building work together, rather than exist separately from one another.

Something that I have struggled with throughout my educational career is graphics. I felt like, while I have been improving from previous years, I still have a lot to work on and a lot to learn. It is a goal of mine to get to the level, graphically, that my plans are at technically. I really was happy with my building at the end of the semester, but don’t feel like my graphics did the project justice. I plan to use the summer to dive in to more sophisticated render-ing programs so that my graphics are at a much higher level, a level I should really be at already.

By the final review, a lot of the feedback I got was very positive. Many of the critics thought that my plans and the site were very well thought out and that my building was, as a whole, making a lot of sense. Where they felt like I was lacking, was in my graphics and in my ability to successfully represent my project. I definitely agree and hope to work harder on this in the future.

This semester has been a lot of fun and I have enjoyed putting in the time for this project. I felt like I was giving plenty of freedom to pursue the ideas that I was interested in. I know I struggled, at times, to bring everything together, and I think if we’d have had a bit more time, I would be in a much better place, graphically and overall. Given more time, I feel like I would have come to more of a concise finish, rather than having some things still left unfinshed. That being said, I feel like I have grown this semester, as a student and as a professional and am happy with the progress I was able to make. If I had to do it all over again, I would push my concept a bit further, and work faster to achieve my goals. It has been a great semester and I look forward to using my newly acquired knowledge in the future.

Wichita Community Boathouse, Wichita, KSSchool of Architecture, Design and Planning

University of KansasARCH 609 Comprehensive Studio

Spring 2012