Site Design Vignette-please review!

[jdpa]

Please review my solution for the vignette from NCARB exam guide. Highly appreciate your comments/feedback!

Questions I have specific to the solution..

The plaza touches just one shorter side of the box at office tower entrance.
Is this an acceptible coordination of pedestrian plaza?

One of the accessible parkings is not fully within the 100' radius circle sketched.
Also, when measured along the actual movement path, even the second accessible parking is not fully within 100' from the OT entrance.
I should keep the actual movement path distance from each accessible parking to OT entrance within 100' ? not just simply locate them within the 100' radius circle?

In my solution, a walkway from restaurant entrance connects directly to the plaza. Can a walkway from the restaurant entrance connect directly to the walkway between plaza and pulbic walk instead? (I wouldn't do it in this solution, but just wondering if it's not a wrong thing to do.) I guess this is a general question.
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Few general questions or things I would like to confirm..

Nothing can be drawn over the easement. Not even a tree,, correct?

In the program requirement #13, "built improvements" include a tree too, right? So I should not draw a tree outside the building limit line or within the required setback from the Pond?


In the program, there is no required minimum separation between a walkway and a driveway.
So a walkway and a driveway can be drawn right next to each other running parallel? Also, there is no other minimum required separation?
(just bit more confused cuz the Ballast book says they should be either side by side or separated by at least 60', unless the program says otherwise.)

A driveway or traffic aisle doesn't require any setback from pedestrian plaza?


According to Ballast book, Pedestrian plaza's area can be within plus or minus 10% of the required area. Is this rule good to follow?

Can pedestrian plaza be drawn over the box at the entrance? (plaza overlapping the box)


Thanks for any comments in advance!

[Sparky83]

Please review my solution for the vignette from NCARB exam guide. Highly appreciate your comments/feedback!

Questions I have specific to the solution..

The plaza touches just one shorter side of the box at office tower entrance.
Is this an acceptible coordination of pedestrian plaza?It must touch or overlap.

One of the accessible parkings is not fully within the 100' radius circle sketched.
Also, when measured along the actual movement path, even the second accessible parking is not fully within 100' from the OT entrance.
I should keep the actual movement path distance from each accessible parking to OT entrance within 100' ? not just simply locate them within the 100' radius circle? All 3 should be within a 100' radius. If travel distance mattered, they would have to say so.

In my solution, a walkway from restaurant entrance connects directly to the plaza. It is not continuous if it crosses a driveway. Can a walkway from the restaurant entrance connect directly to the walkway between plaza and pulbic walk instead? (I wouldn't do it in this solution, but just wondering if it's not a wrong thing to do.) I guess this is a general question. Yes, it's all pedestrian circulation.
---------------

Few general questions or things I would like to confirm..

Nothing can be drawn over the easement. Not even a tree,, correct? Yes.

In the program requirement #13, "built improvements" include a tree too, right? Can you build a tree?So I should not draw a tree outside the building limit line or within the required setback from the Pond? Technically can, but not recommended.


In the program, there is no required minimum separation between a walkway and a driveway.
So a walkway and a driveway can be drawn right next to each other running parallel? Yes. Also, there is no other minimum required separation? There are no hidden separation requirements.
(just bit more confused cuz the Ballast book says they should be either side by side or separated by at least 60', unless the program says otherwise.) The program doesn't say that.

A driveway or traffic aisle doesn't require any setback from pedestrian plaza? Is it in the program?


According to Ballast book, Pedestrian plaza's area can be within plus or minus 10% of the required area. Is this rule good to follow? NO. That's a terrible rule. That would be 800 s.f. The PP does not have to be rectilinear. Getting within just a few s.f. is VERY easy.

Can pedestrian plaza be drawn over the box at the entrance? (plaza overlapping the box) Yes.


Thanks for any comments in advance!

SEVERE over use of new trees. Why are there trees north & south of the service drive?

[jdpa]

Thanks for your comments and clarification, Sparky!!

In my solution, the plaza touches the box at the entrance. So the plaza is connected properly to the office tower entrance, right?

My solution would lose score for not having the third accessible parking entirely within the 100’ radius sketch circle shown.

I would also lose score for not having provided a continuous pedestrian walkway because one of the walkways crosses a driveway, correct?
(The walkway from restaurant crosses the main driveway. I thought this wouldn’t affect the walkway continuity and the score because this was done in NCARB solution)

SEVERE over use of new trees… good to know this is something to watch out for. I should erase the 5 new trees near the easement because the plaza gets enough protection from the wind without those trees? I should also erase the 2 new trees south of the service drive because they don’t really do anything to hide the view of the service entrance from the plaza. But shouldn’t I keep at least one of the trees north of the service drive to hide the view of the service entrance from the plaza?

Another question just to make sure,,
You would not get any score deducted for having drawn a very irregularly shaped and/or non-rectilinear pedestrian plaza (even with jagged or curved edges) as long as the plaza meets the area requirement?

Thanks again!

[Sparky83]

Thanks for your comments and clarification, Sparky!!

In my solution, the plaza touches the box at the entrance. So the plaza is connected properly to the office tower entrance, right? Yes.

My solution would lose score for not having the third accessible parking entirely within the 100’ radius sketch circle shown. Probably.

I would also lose score for not having provided a continuous pedestrian walkway because one of the walkways crosses a driveway, correct?
(The walkway from restaurant crosses the main driveway. I thought this wouldn’t affect the walkway continuity and the score because this was done in NCARB solution) NCARB sample passing solution contain errors. See pg 26 of the ARE 4.0 Guidelines.

SEVERE over use of new trees… good to know this is something to watch out for. I should erase the 5 new trees near the easement because the plaza gets enough protection from the wind without those trees? I should also erase the 2 new trees south of the service drive because they don’t really do anything to hide the view of the service entrance from the plaza. But shouldn’t I keep at least one of the trees north of the service drive to hide the view of the service entrance from the plaza? How could a person on the PP see the south face of the restaurant? The program says service entry, not service drive.

Another question just to make sure,,
You would not get any score deducted for having drawn a very irregularly shaped and/or non-rectilinear pedestrian plaza (even with jagged or curved edges) as long as the plaza meets the area requirement? PP shape does not matter.

Thanks again!

[jdpa]

Thanks for your helpful comments!

Pedestrian walkway discontinuity, and severe over use of new trees… Is there any other error in the NCARB sample passing solution for the site design vignette?

A question regarding visibility of the main entrance of Office Tower from Bentley Avenue,,,

In my solution, the entrance of OT is visible from Bentley Avenue.
If I had turned the OT so the entrance faced east, it wouldn’t be visible from Bentley Ave., right? (Ignoring all the coniferous trees blocking the view)
What if OT was moved up close to Bentley Avenue (right to the building limit line, and next to the pond) and the entrance faced east? Would the entrance be visible from Bentley Ave.?
If not, what if OT with its entrance facing east was put at the north west corner of the building limit line? (assuming the pond is not there)

Thanks