Albemarle, Design developmet 1

As a third-year student at the University of North Carolina- Greensboro, we were presented with a semester long project which, consisted of proposing a new use for an old Belk building located in downtown Albemarle, N.C. The people of Albemarle that are overseeing the building wish to bring people and a life to the downtown area of Albemarle. Therefore, through this space we as the students are proposing some sort of residential element within the building as well as, a commercial attraction.

When working on the proposal we worked in pairs. My partner and I are proposing retail elements which would be, a sporting goods store and an arts and craft boutique. We chose those two retail stores from observation of the speaker who spoke about Albemarle's history and existing attractions. The speaker announced that they are known for outdoor sporting such as, fishing, biking, hiking etc. They also gave emphases on art. We are also including a restaurant because, it was stated that the only restaurant near by cost $100.00 for two people; and from observation of the site and speaking with people of Albemarle many thought that was costly.

After further observation of the site my partner and I formed the conceptual idea of stratification to help with the formation of the interior of the building. We chose the idea for the reason of another use added to the building is like bringing a new layer to the building which was once a, funeral parlor, furniture store, jewelry store, and Belk as the most recent. We also thought it went well with the site knowing that it is known for its surrounding geography such as, the Uwharrie mountains.

Below are are images of the space, first beginning with the plan.



When entering the space, one will encounter tall columns that act as seating for those waiting and dividers for the entrance and the dining seating. The dining is raised to give a level change to go along with the concept of stratification. The concept also helped us to divide the space. Stratification sometimes means arrangement of objects accordance to importance. Therefore, we chose to place the retail in the rear of the building because, retail typically close before restaurants. Furthermore, if the retail closes if placed in the front facade of the building it wouldn't bring much attraction to the restaurant if the restaurant was placed in the back.

Below is the circulation and an elevation facing the east wall:




When viewing the above section one will notice that the main level is where the commercial attractions are located. As one moves up through the space, the second level (mezzanine) to the right and the third level to the left are designated for the residential units.

Below are perspective images to help one understand the space better.

above is a perspective view looking from the dinning area left of the entrance.
above is another perspective view looking from the dining area right of the space. The columns is an expression of cantilevering which is a characteristic of stratification.
above is another perspective viewing the bar, bathrooms and the rear retail areas.

above is a perspective viewing the front facade while standing in front of the retail units.

Exterior view of the residential units on the mezzanine level (level 2).




Perspective view of the residential units on the third level of the building.