Blog 5 – Proxima Project
Due: 9 October 2019
Luci- Building Use: Does building use make sense? Does the use of any buildings seem to be out of sync with other uses in the area? Are building uses appropriate for the location? Why or why not?
Building uses vary depending on where you are. Campus and city of Columbus buildings are very different. When walking on campus it is easy to distinguish the fact that it is campus. The reason it is easy to tell is because of the style and quality of the buildings. For example, the stadiums are next to parking garages, which are next to a hotel. That way visitors can drive from their homes, park in the parking garage, stay in the hotel, and walk over to the games. When walking from campus to off campus the buildings are houses as opposed to midrise apartment, office, and class buildings. On Lane Ave. A stadium is directly located across from non-campus commercial property, and the housing is behind them. Building uses are appropriate for the location because student need housing close to their classes, and close to amenities such as restaurants, and convenience stores. The housing is kept together, and the commercial/office spaces line the main streets. No buildings are close to industrial areas. The layout of these buildings provides convince for the residents. It does not provide convivence for those that are driving, but most citizens in this area choose to walk.
Jared- Structural Characteristics/Building Spacing: Describe how you feel about the height, size, and shape of buildings in the area. Do you feel like the building layout contributes to the area feeling like a cohesive community? How is the spacing between the buildings? Does it feel as though structures are appropriately close to one another? Does the area feel overcrowded?
The height of the buildings seemed no higher than 5 stories, rectangular in shape, and larger in size than the average American home today. The rectangular shape is ideal for more people in smaller areas, as city blocks limit the amount of space properties can have. There has to be a sense of community living in such tight quarters. There is not much space between buildings, and between these buildings and the road. The area feels mildly overcrowded, but not as overcrowded as other areas in Columbus.
Mandy- Setbacks/Parking: Do the setbacks of properties seem appropriate? How do setbacks differ for different properties? How do these differences affect the character of the neighborhood? Does there appear to be sufficient amounts of parking? Does the configuration seem appropriate and functional? Would you change anything about the parking layout? What are some ways parking could be improved?
One setbacks of the residential area was how close it was to busy bars and shopping areas. Most residential areas are separated from commercial but what’s interesting about cities is that many apartments are built on top of shopping buildings. The Wilson Apartments are a perfect example of a residential building being situated on top of a popular attraction (Starbucks and Chipotle). Another setback of the building is the variance in look from building to building. Most are functional but there is a divide between old apartments and brand new/renovated buildings. One side of lane has old and obviously weathered apartments, then right across the street are the newly built Wilson Apartments which are cost much more than the buildings across the street.
Parking is always an issue in cities. What makes parking harder, is the lack of parking areas in a residential area. All the cars from the leased apartments on Norwich are forced to park in the street since there is no allotted parking area for their cars. Over the tour, Proxima Project saw one parking garage. It was on campus and it also costs a lot of money to park in short or long term. The street makes the street navigation more delayed and hindered by blocking cars.
