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Arquitectura, diseño y urbanismo |
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Complete Project: La Playita (Little Beach) Recreational Center
The fact of designing a recreational area in depressed sectors such as the Guasmo sectors, doesn't mean to be at the margin of the new urbanism and planning tendencies, the essential thing is to be in agreement with the population's segment to which the project will serve, and in this way to be able to define scale patterns and standards to achieve sustainability and support that allows it to transcend and be successful.
In the definition of these standards, the materials and finishes play an important role because it is a recreational project directly linked to a natural resource as the estuary and its environment, and this condition compels us to a strong ecological-component and support planning.
This argument could condition the public's aesthetic expectations toward an “ecoimage” of the product, on which vernacular materials and appropriate technologies should be put into consideration, but all this should comply with yet another important condition: the socioeconomic component, which due to its particular connotations will influence even more in the design process than the ecological component itself.
A sector and an economically depressed population bring along rstrictions such as insecurity, violence, vandalism, etc., which have obviously been taken into consideration in the planning of the project.
Taking into account all these considerations, the materials to be used will require a minimum maintenance, avoiding as much as possible biodegradable materials, or non-sustainable exploitation natural resources as the swamp, they will have to be resistant to the agents they will be exposed to; vandalism, accelerated wearing due to visitors' overload, infrequent maintenance, climatic condition, environmental salinity, etc.
For the selection of some finishes a cost-benefit analysis has been carried out, thus being able to sustain the use of materials that could initially seem to be more expensive, but since no long-term maintenance will be required, their cost will lower; this could be the case of materials such as stainless steel, the muranglass, or any type of additive, sealer, or anticorrosive used to improve the useful life of any finish.
To establish the Architectural program of necessities the program provided by the Municipality was taken into consideration in terms of contract reference, and in an analysis process related to all specialty studies (social, Architectural, environmental, hygienic, etc.) a program sustained in these preliminary studies was elaborated, and later presented and coordinated along with the Municipality.
Sidewalk adjacent to building front =1.20 m., minimum
Service traffic roadway (restricted) to = 3.57 m, gutter to = 0.50 m.
Cycloway to = 1.80 m.
Green areas (trees) and wall-seats to = 2.00 m., with the purpose of creating a “natural barrier” with regard to the housings thus attenuating the tension produced by the vicinity of the recreational space with the residential one.
The food court will be located in the platform border with 15 restaurants in a cylindrical way and proposed in independent units, to achieve permeability between the building front and the beach. Trying this way not to isolate this recreational area from the community in which it is inserted; allowing the facades facing the beach to maintain their views toward the horizon so that the inhabitants make the project their own, becoming not only the main beneficiaries of the regeneration, but strategic allies in an active participation in topics such as maintenance and security, as well as, in the provision of services related to this new tourist offer (parasol rentals, drink sales, crafts, etc.)
For this reason, and also because it is unavoidable to prevent the access from the estuary, it was considered that placing a formal or traditional fencing in the perimeter of this area would not be successful, since it would not favor the “ownership” that is sought, but rather creating a barrier that would impede any participation from the community, since this would grant all the responsibility for care and maintenance to the Municipality.
As complement to this area, the following paraphernalia is proposed:
Adjacent to the food court, a border walk is proposed supplemented with an axis of palm trees and lights that end up in bleachers that may be used as seats, resting and observation areas.
This area corresponds to the border fringe that links the two recreational
areas, which has a longitude of 346m., and its level in relation to that of
the beach is approximately of NPT+3.10 mts., that is why it is proposed to define
it with sustaining walls. These walls have been designed in 2 different structural
systems and inserted in different angles:
Tracts of gabion walls, and tracts of castled reinforced concrete walls, have
been set in angles that allow a variation of visuals and points of view, with
the intention of breaking the direct line of the space.
With the same objective of breaking the longitudinal sense of this walk and to enrich the landscaping topic, each sequence of walls (gabions- reinforced concrete walls) are separated by means of platform-miradors that stand out toward the beach.
In the r.c. and castled tracts, the access ramps to the beach, through which the fishermen of the area and the swimmers have access, are inserted.
The design proposes a functional width that allows pedestrian circulation, the circulation of bicycles (cycloway in 2 senses), also areas with benches and an axis of lights and palm trees, having the following ideal traverse section:
The beach area in front of it and the beach area in front of the school make
up the park.
The decision of including the park in this project has as objective to enhance
a considerable investment already carried out by the municipality, and for which
social cost for expropriations, had already been paid becoming this an opportunity
to reduce investment costs, using an existent recreational infrastructure, which
with minimum changes in the current design, it will allow to introduce part
of the Architectural program proposed in the reference terms. It is recommended
to adapt the beach in front of the school with a minimum of urban furniture,
with the purpose of enlarging the visitors' capacity.
The intervention proposal in the park has as objective to create the minimum impact in the pavements, structures and existing facilities, respecting the trees especially, none of which will be affected in the re-conversion of the park.
The new spaces proposed in the Architectural program, have been designed within the green areas and/or existent hard floor, due to this the nursery that works there was excluded from the project. This exclusion was proposed with a fencing whose design will be identical to the one in the park, in this way the nursery will be able to continue working and to usufruct the new paraphernalia of the park.
>From the north, the access is through Callejon 58 SE where at the moment
there is a fence in good condition, the fence is also found on the east and
west sides of the park, while toward the south it is limited by a rail with
concrete balustrades, resembling a pier. It is here where the design intends
to create a new border with filling contained by gabion and reinforced concrete
walls, which will be part of the pedestrian walk that communicates to La Playita,
therefore the existing rail is thought to be replaced with a fence identical
to the one in the park and 2 sliding doors that will serve as entrance for pedestrians
and cyclists.
It is proposed that the cycloway that comes along the path enters the park forming
a circuit in its interior, independent from the entrance and exit circuit.
The existing entrances and sandstone-lined hard-floor platform are kept, and
the steps that lead to the court, would be closed (filling and leveling them
to the bench mark of the sandstone floor) in the new proposal they disappear
to give way to a children playground area with natural floor. A resting area
with seats, pergola, and rail will be created; here the parents will be able
to watch the children playing.
The children playground area is limited by the skating ring which is encircled by the cycloway. For the cycloway a red-colored concrete pavement is proposed, and for the skating ring a blue-colored one.
The children playground area will have a basketball hoop and several games for children of all ages. Inside this area, a baby theater with a small agora for the small spectators is also proposed.
Through the sandstone platform you have access to the paving stone walkways
that reach this point.
Next toward the East side you can find the interpretative panels area, where
didactic exhibitions with topics related to the ecosystem and environment will
be carried out.
The interpretative panels are part of the fence that excludes the nursery and
they have been designed as part of the structures the pergola that covers the
length of this sample.
In front of the panels there is a wall-seat, also covered by the same pergola
that clearly defines to this space as the interpretative area.
In each one of the two existent circular platforms (toward the south), in the center of the circle, a construction in form of cylinder has been placed, with 4 small restaurants planned in its interior (in each quadrant). The characteristics of this construction are similar to those of the beach sector restaurants, that is their external walls will be lined with muranglass in the colors specified in the plans.
Wall seats have been planned in the perimeter of these platforms, they will
be covered with pergolas that will project shade to the platform, here the concessionaires
will also be able to set tables and seats normed by the municipality
Next to the park’s east fence are the public rest rooms, (between the
interpretative panels and the restaurant) whose main facade is a composition
of 3 overlapped limestone-covered curved walls, which create an ethereal image,
far from the character of some bathrooms.
Next to the west fence, it has been planned an area with aerobic paraphernalia for adults which is surrounded by the cycloway ring in the Southwest entrance.
This paraphernalia as well as the children games have been designed with preserved wood and stainless steel accessories.