Pittsboro City Hall Interior Reconstruction

Building perspective: Pittsboro City Hall

Building after fire

Design Issued: Reconstruction and redesign the interior spaces
Precedents study

Design proposal - Concept

Chatham county City Hall Center building of NC at Pittsboro presents the kind of traditional architecture from Greek; there are arched doorways, high rectangular windows on the second floor and four columns in front of the building. All details of architecture are organized symmetrically. I propose that the interior spaces of the building will reflect the exterior architectural style. Moreover, the interior spaces will have clear functions that connect the spaces and offer direction to those who enter the building. Some of main points that will be developed interior spaces include: clear connections between work areas, a unified style between the exterior and interior, using lighting, material and architecture form to create transition of traditional architecture style to contemporary and applying new technology to improve working environment and enhance product activities.

The function of interior spaces must be logical and create a sense of direction for in the building. Offices will be in a common area and connect with meeting rooms. Gathering space must connect with town meeting room and gallery area but it should be separate from work environment. Everyone will have a different direction when enter the building.

The whole building will share a common style of architecture. The archway from the main entrance will design of the interior space; it is an element for interior design. The sense of the tower on the top of building will bring in the center of interior. I will open atrium on second floor, building other tower with 4 columns and arch ceiling. This is a center of interior space. It is a connection of first and second floor.

The interior will encompass the form of the exterior but will employ new materials. Create positive and negative space to bring the lighting to the space.

Technology, absent in the exterior. Will be a necessary in the interior environment in work spaces

We need to organize spaces that have the good connection of space to space. Interior and exterior will reflect the same architecture style.

Concept statement

New study for Chatham City Hall project

1.       Feeling about being an occupant in the San Francisco City Hall after renovation after reading the article:

I think the San Francisco City hall after renovation with the new modern light design, the building look really grateful. I’m very happy if I have chance to work in this wonderful space. The building was improved a lot after the even earthquake in 1989. A lot of architects and engineers worked together in three years to get the best achievement for the City Hall. The light was designed very careful from the research and study of City Hall history and the light is” beaux-art traditional”. The most improvement of the City Hall is the rebuilding of the skylight and relighting of the grand rotunda. That is the most two spaces attractive me.    

2.       Light were discussed that is fixture light and day lighting. With the new modern technology light for the building, fixture light can bring the attractive for spaces of the building. Day lighting has two kinds direct and indirect. We can control how we want the day lighting in the space with using vertical or horizontal window or even sky light.

 With Chatham City Hall building we can use the light fixture to bring new energy for building. For example, it is halogen and tungsten halogen, fluorescent, incandescent, metal halide bubs, building in hiding fixture or special even light. The light can create the good feelings for people who come in the building or even the exterior

3.       The largest dissatisfaction of office space

-          The effective of noise surround of work environment.

-          The disconnection of working spaces (spaces relation)

-          The limited of access day lighting for whole work area

-          The different of male and female feeling from the color.

The effect to Chatham office space

-          With the existence construction wall, there are the limited for open office space, lack of flexible to corporate office space together.  

4.       Courthouse appropriate for a dominant day lighting system. I think day lighting is really important for all activities. Moreover, day light are the good resource of nature. Everyone will have a good feeling with day lighting. Day lighting can help people reduce stress, anxiety Therefore, most spaces we should bring the day lighting to space. However, it does mean that day lighting go directly to space is good because the energy from sun light may damage to furniture in space or other uncomfortable for working place. For example, day lighting it may damage to art painting or artificial.

5.       Benefit of day lighting:

Bring the natural feeling for people. Day light is good for health, improve the quality of life.

Space with day lighting always has a nice view and good felling for people who are in space.

Natural light is the best for working and reading.

6.       Codes may do not matter for lighting design but there are the specific requirement amounts of light for each difference spaces with difference purpose in using.

On other way, Code for design is a standard of design for each difference area or country to create the safety for people using the space. However, a lot of accidence happened because of lighting. So I think for lighting design, we still need have the standard for designer to follow. That may increase the safety for the space.      

7.       Lighting subjective or objective.

I think Lighting is more subjective than objective. How people using the lighting is really depend on each person opinion. Therefore, the light will affect to people emotion. How they feel, the color of the light, the brightness of the light will create for each people a different of emotion and felling in the space. So lighting is subjective because it is effective to person emotional. And it is objective because the amount of light will affect directly to people performance.

8.       The information Appling to my programming and design:

The information I have read was really help me to understand more about the important and the benefit of day lighting and how the light fixture will work to create the new sense for spaces.

Moreover, there are the impact of opening office floor will change for most private space.

From two elements day lighting and opening office space, which inspire in my mind that I can open floor plan to bring more day lighting to the spaces. Therefore, I need to organize spaces; they have the same functions r and space characteristic to connect them in a large area.  

9.       Cooper lighting offer indirect lighting, because the light is cover light with glass or other material.

 Sources from  Articles
The Impact of Light and Colour on Psychological Mood: A Cross-Cultural Study of Indoor Work Environments, Taylor & Francis Group
Enriching Lighting Design, Elizabeth C. Brawley
Effects of Acoustic Environment on Work in Private Office Rooms and Open-Plan Offices : Longitudal Study During Relocation, Taylor & Francis Group
Rethinking Indirect Fluorescent Fixture Design, Charles Lin, AIA
Lighting is the Finishing Touch for San Francisco City Hall's Renovation, Nayana Currimbhoy
LEDs Make Their Architectural Lighting Debut, Lindsay Audin