Somerset street provides a unique setting for new buildings. The neighborhood houses a thriving Asian culture that will soon see itself transformed by the arrival of the Light Rail Stations, the development of Lebreton Flats and the revival of Chaudière Falls.

The neighborhood is a collage of eclectic layers. Before politician Marion Dewar’s 1979 immigration initiative to sponsor 4000 Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Chinese, it was a mix between little Italy and Mechanics-ville. The newly immigrated Asian families established themselves into red brick houses with old-style cornices, brick modilions, and allusions to ancient column orders.

The Heritage status of the street makes destruction of existing property almost impossible and renovations costly. For the most part, Asian business community has renovated and adapted historical shells to fill their own needs. This limitation has often prevented them from building their own architecture. The long history of fires in Chinatown is sometimes considered the secret way of freeing land for development due to the stringent heritage laws.

With so few opportunities for development, every new move the development community takes should be considered tactically to improve the neighborhood as a whole and set a strong precedent for future activity.

OTTAWA CHINATOWNSamuel Arsenault-Brassard

An improvised growth clashes with the surrounding Revival Italian ornementationBlind arches and covered graffiti

The exploration of the site revealed multiple elements in tension. A small extension struts out of the alleyway, window scars are still visible on old walls, anachronistic details are widespread and street art is being replaced with murals. Having identified many tensions but no clear resolutions, I chose the theme of the fracture to guide my project.

The theme can be applied through lines of light, snow, ice and water through slices and tectonic manipulations. Furthermore, the idea of a fracture emphasizes a desire to break from the past. Rather than define Chinatown’s architecture as Chinese history covering up Italian history, it pushes for the adoption of modern modes of expression, a break from aesthetic conventions and a re-evaluation of the neighberhood’s core needs.

The first step was the design of a plaza as a response to the site.

Revival Italian ornementation

SITTING SPACES, SOCIAL NETWORKS AND PERFORMANCE

The plaza is located at the corner lot of Cambridge and Somerset, adjacent to the Chinese Royal Gate. The path near the gate leads to a pond surrounded with seating areas. Multiple water streams drown out traffic noises and create acoustical privacy.

A communal lunch table occupies the corner of the lot. A central rock mound creates visual privacy among closely seated strangers.

At the end of the path, away from the Somerset traffic, are three wind baffles. Together, they create a space for performance and audiences. The baffle are semi-covered, allowing environmental protection without encouraging loitering. They protect the winter crowds from major winds, shield the summer crowds from harsh sun rays and direct the music’s acoustical waves towards the audience.

SNOW GAMES

In an attempt to create a “gentle bomb” that creates its own snow fracture system, I filled a mason jar with water and left it outside. The idea is simple, as the temperature drops, the water turns into ice and the jar cracks, leaving a particular frature pattern behind.

My first attempt was unsuccessful. The uncapped jar fell in the wind and created a thin sheet of ice on on the side of the jar.

My second attempt used a capped jar and fractured succesfully. As time passed, Spring rose and the ice started to melt. For a short time, the ice and glass separated and an internal ice column held the structure.

Now, the ice is gone and the jar sits broken and empty.

These games illustrate the relations between moulding and molded elements as well the complexities they can generate through environmental transformation such as gradual, but explosive, weathering.

The concept could be used architecturally by creating a crackable formwork designed to remain after a partial internal explosion or expansions.

PLEATSThe paper technique creates a variation on the traditional flashing detail. The tension created by the folds pulls the sheet into its own loose shape.

The pleats can be flat, simply folding up or down. A twisted pleat will go from one direction to the other, creating a pull. Cutting a twisted pleat releases the stress on the skin.

By combining the folds, waves, nooks, opening and wrinkles can be created to articulate walls and windows.

These folding techniques are promising since the can easily be applied to sheet metal flashing amongst other materials.

FACADE STUDYOn the left of the panel, folds crumble and twist onto themselve. The surface splits near the middle and creates a smoother surface around the horizontal fracture. The slit unfolds upward and is tightly anchored back to the bottom of the facade. The use of fabric only allows for tension based details and suggests a palette of joints held by threading.

CULTURAL DIVERSITYThe demographic mapping of Chinatown reveals interesting subtleties. The geographic core of Chinese presence is centered around the Royal Arch, this influence holds strongly over a two block radius. Further down West is a strong Vietnamese amalgamation.

SOLAR EXPOSUREThe site’s location is ideal for solar exposure. The West facade benefits from afternoon sun without any major visual obstructions.The Southern facade has access to both morning and early afternoon solar coverage.The Eastern side is mostly blocked, but can peek at a sunset.Northern windows will provide soft indirect skylight, but no direct sunlight.

PREVALENT WINDSThe Southern side of the site, adjacent to Somerset will endure strong Western and Eastern wind tunnels in the winter months. The rest of the plaza will be sheltered from these wind tunnels due to their surrounding buildings. Further wind barriers, such as walls or trees, can be placed to mitigate the wind and noise from Somerset.

Winter Wind Rose (Dec, Jan & Feb)South facade - solar stereographic projection schedule

West facade - solar stereographic projection schedule

Shadow study - Equinoxes

Year long Wind Rose with velocity chart

Wind mapNorth-West winds are mostly shelered by adjacent buildings. Purple indicates low wind velocities.

Plan of early plaza designThe circulation lane divides the plaza in half towards a stage at the North end. Food trucks parking is provided on Cambridge

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Early Stage Section

Various conceptual explorations

An early iteration give a generous amount space to the plaza at the front of the building and then juts out towards the stage beyond the property line.

SECTION

SOUTH ELEVATIONSOMERSET

WEST ELEVATION PLAZA

BASEMENT BOOKSTOREPRESENTATION

ROOM

RESIDENCE

The first layout incorporates a fracture, the central opening where the stair circulation between the mid-levels is exposed to the plaza.

The initial fracture is an of external shard slicing through the building and destabilizing its tectonic balance.

The back of the building becomes a prime location to look onto the outside stage performances.

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SITE PLAN

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CAM

BRIDGE

SOMERSET

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OTTAWA CHINATOWNTHE FRACTURE

In the final version of the design, the fracture is inversed. The slim curtain wall hugs the side of the stairs to allow the plaza to penetrate the building. The opening through the building brings light to the basement and interconnects all floors.

Long clerestory windows pierce the facade, reinforcing a theme of horizontal sedimentation. These windows are ideal for the bookstore’s light sensitive environment, they eliminate most direct sunlight and provide indirect lighting.

The used bookstore’s first floor has custom shelves integrated around the window openings. An elevated cash area overlooks the store. More books are available on the lower floor and rare books are held in the basement’s appraisal room to be sold online or to visiting collectors.

A reading room and publishing office has been added to the program. The bar serves beverages during the day and can be used for the magazine’s launch parties. The office is an open design meant for collaborative work and meetings. The only private space in reserved for the editor in chief on the mid-floor above. The top floor houses the editor in chief’s residence.

APPRAISAL

BOOK STORAGE

MAGAZINESTORAGE

0BOOKS

1ARCHITECTURE &

DESIGN BOOKSTORE

0.5BOOKS

BALCONY

2.5EDITOR IN

CHIEF'S OFFICE

3RESIDENCE

2ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINE

PUBLISHING OFFICE

1.5READING &

BEVERAGES

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3

2

10

0

0.5

1.52.5

1 Bookstore0

1 1

0.5

1 Bookstore0

2 Magazine3500

3 Residence6500

1.5 Reading Room2300

0 Bookstore-3988

0.5 Bookstore-1150

2.5 Editor in Chief5750

1.5 2

2 2.5

3 3