JB Hardy

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Library Courtyard

An outdoor space within a public library in Florida.

  1. Schematic

    A schematic of the courtyard, with color-coded shadows, circulation patterns, and views. A library is a confluence of cultural traditions, a melding of minds, a repository for the chronicle of the history of civilization; the courtyard itself, as the physical heart of this place, should manifest this journey humans have traveled—physically, metaphysically, allegorically, metaphorically. Taking the shape of the courtyard, an almost perfect square, and overlaying another shape on top, a circle, we begin at a very basic point in human understanding. The central fountain is to have a glass bottom and serve as an oculus in the lobby below.

  2. Parti Sketches

    A collection of parti diagram sketches playing with shapes inside the footprint of the courtyard.

  3. Sketch

    A digital sketch of overlapping circles within a square footprint. Shapes found within the overlaps serve as jumping-off points for the design.

  4. Parti Diagram

    The footprint of the courtyard is where I began—an almost perfect square. Had the shape been a perfect square, I may have chosen a perfect spiral as the elemental formation of courtyard’s shapes, but it is this slight off-ness that inspired the implementation of overlaid circles, all of them somewhat askew, centered on the x-y axes of one main circle. I think of this as the wobbling of the universe as it expands ever outwards; the orderly randomness of raindrops on a pond’s surface; the innocence and genius inherent a slinky—all metaphors and allegory in their own right. Shapes arise where the circles intersect; they look random but are actually the result of a thought, an idea, a pattern. Historical happenstance, even the least-related incidents can influence a generation. Time passes, covers up the paths, but they are there, perhaps inevident, never to be retraced, but inherent, intrinsic and indispensible nonetheless.

  5. Assessing issues

    Here I called out potential awkward spaces and explored how some places might be used beyond my original intent.

  6. Earth, Water & Trees

    A schematic showing which places would be earth (lawn), water, or trees.

  7. Site Plan

    The courtyard, called L'Arena, plan view. Visible to the northwest is the cafe, under a knoll and seating area, with another, larger knoll to the south, beneath the shadows of the windowed wall.

  8. Site Detail

    A detail of one of the pools, showing a grass knoll, plantings, and casual seating, plan view.

  9. Site Detail

    Another detail, showing more pools, plantings, and grassy areas, plan view.

  10. Site Detail

    Another detail, showing the steps up to one of the knolls, some pools, plantings, and the shadows of the windowed southern wall, plan view.

  11. Section View

    A section, slicing through the middle of the plan along the north-south axis, looking west, showing the depth of the fountains, which are flush with the ground. The shallow water will allow sunlight through the oculus beneath each fountain, bringing rippling patterns of the water surface to the floor below. Also visible are the geometric knolls surrounding the fountains.

  12. Section Detail

    A detailed view of readers relaxing on one of the knolls behind a fountain, elevation view.

  13. Section Detail

    Another detail showing the heights of the knolls and depth of a fountain. Behind them are the cafe, under a knoll, and seating, accessible from inside or a set of stairs in the courtyard, elevation view.

  14. Section View

    An east-west section cut, this time looking south toward the windowed wall. This wall evokes hanging gardens, with airy plantings atop the windows. Visible are the heights and depths of knolls, planting areas, and fountains, elevation view.

  15. Section Detail

    A detail of the southern-facing section, showing a Japanese pine as a tree of interest by the fountain, elevation view.

  16. Section Detail

    Another detail showing the shallow pools next to a knoll, which have a sheer glass wall along part of it for protection, elevation view.

  17. Model

    A 3D model of the space to help explain the rise and fall of the different parts, as seen from above. Cutouts represent the fountain, which will allow daylight through to the lobby floor below, and at night will illuminate the pools with lobby light, providing an exceptionally unique after-hours event space. The low geometric knolls show ample green space for lounging, and there is still enough paved area for a reception or large gathering.

  18. Model

    A 3D model of the space to help explain the rise and fall of the different parts, as seen from the northern roof, looking south toward the wall of windows.

  19. Model detail

    With a 6ft. stick figure for scale in the bottom right. Top right corner is the cafe under a grassy knoll.

  20. Model detail

    View from reading room on floor above.