Site Analysis

The project is sited in Newark, NJ in the middle of University Heights, next to NJIT, Rutgers-Newark, and Essex County College. I intend to design this campus center and dormitory for NJIT. This is a satellite photograph of the surrounding area.

I identified the surrounding area into 4 spaces: automobile circulation, exterior parking lots, buildings, and open exterior spaces for student activity and relaxation.

This is a figure/field diagram of the surrounding area which highlight the spaces around the site that is not occupied by buildings.

In red is NJIT's campus and the separate red rectangle is the site. This diagram is to show how, unlike the other NJIT structures, it will be separated from the rest of campus in the sense that it is not directly across the street from another NJIT structure if not adjacent or next to it. It brings up the issue of whether the new campus center and dormitory will have the feel of an independent structure separate of NJIT and to what degree or if there will be an attempt in the programmatic space organization to connect to the rest of the campus.

This diagram is to show how there are clear boundaries between NJIT, Rutgers-Newark, and Sussex County College that is identified and created by Martin Luther King Boulevard and Raymond Boulevvard. It also shows how the site is clearly separated from the rest of NJIT and has crossed this boundary.

This diagram outlines the exterior public spaces (in blue) and the buildings to correlate the relationship of mass and void in plan. This diagram shows a possibility to connect the open exterior area of Rutgers campus with the Rutgers baseball field to create a sense or perception of having a larger exterior space for a greater sense of community within University Heights or an opportunity to dissolve the 'invisible wall' existing between NJIT and Rutgers campus manisted in the form of Martin Luther King Boulevard.



These two pictures are outlined to show the relationship between the downtown Newark cityscape and Bradley Hall on top of a hill, from which one can have an open view of downtown Newark. The Rutgers field provides an unobstructed view but by placing a structure in the parking lot adjacent to Bradley Hall and the Rutgers field, the site will have a scenic view. However, this also creates complications: by placing a structure in the parking lot, the structure will be precariously placed very closely to Bradley Hall possibly obstructing the buidling's view; creating an undesireable close space between the two buildings; another is that Bradley Hall obstructs a view in the opposite direction - from the site to the majority of NJIT campus and from the majority of NJIT campus and the site.

This diagram shows the several factors that will affect the programmatic scheme of my design. In red arrow is pedestrian traffic going to and coming from NJIT, the black arrow is car access from Warren Ave., in blue are the major views - one of the severely close Bradley Hall and the other of downtown Newark, in green are exterior public spaces, and in yellow are unobstructed sunlight.