Structural Characteristics/Parking

One building that stands out when walking down Woodruff is the Mendoza House. The  brick color does not match the color used in all of the other north campus buildings. This causes a break in the cohesiveness of the design of most of the North campus buildings. Most of them look fairly similar in color and design but since the Mendoza house is older, it looks different from all of the newer buildings surrounding it. It serves as a break between the College of Business and it is the start of North campus housing. Walking further along Woodruff, there does not seem to be enough parking for the number of students living in the dorms, workers, people working on campus, etc. A parking garage of some sort may solve this issue. The closest garage is on College Avenue right across from Curl Market. This garage is one of three around North campus. Surface parking is the main issue rather than garage parking.

Setbacks

The setbacks of the buildings are not all equal while walking along Woodruff. This creates a sense of dysfunction and unconnectedness. By not having equal setbacks, it seems as if buildings are just placed in random array. Some buildings on Woodruff have a front green space while others just have a sidewalk. There is no way to feasibly fix this issue though because the buildings are already there and it would be too expensive to move them in order to add a setback. The building height also varies comparing each building on Woodruff, there is no real consistency in height. This lack of consistency also adds to the sense of unconnectedness. A uniform height would clean up the skyline of the area. 

Building Use

There is a church on the corner of High and Woodruff which seems to be out of place. The brick color does not match and the architectural style is completely different from that of the dorms. This space seems like it could be used for more North campus housing instead. The church breaks up the cohesiveness developing as one moves along Woodruff towards the North campus dorms. The church does not appear to have a strong affiliation with Ohio State even though it is right on campus. 

Structural Characteristics/Parking/Setbacks

The dorms along High Street all have a uniform look and feel. The buildings are evenly spaced and the setbacks all include a small portion of green space. This makes this part of campus feel clean and organized and it starts to make the area feel connected. Across the street, the buildings are various sizes and have different architectural features. There is not a common feature that the buildings share so it does not flow as nicely or look as clean as the North campus dorms. There is more room for parking but it is still an issue. This again could be solved by adding some type of surface lot or a parking garage in the area. 

Building Spacing

On Norwich there are more two-story, family style homes. Most of the homes in this area are rentals and are split up into multiple units. They are all fairly simple and basic homes. All of them have the same outside aesthetic. There is ample street and lot parking on Norwich for residents living in these homes. The houses are very close together with little to no space between some units. The setbacks are fairly consistent throughout this neighborhood. In between some of the houses there are entire apartment units, which give the area a more commercial feel. It does not feel like a cohesive community due to this. Most people live here for a short period of time so there is not a strong sense of a community feel in this neighborhood. 

Structural Characteristics/Parking/Building Use

As you get closer to campus, it begins to feel a little more cohesive with the look and feel. Jesse Owens North Recreation Center on north campus seems out of place. It is on the corner of Neil and High. This is further away than the other gyms on campus for students. The location is not entirely convenient for everyone since it lies near the outer edge of campus. It can be difficult to find for some people who don’t know the area well because the buildings around it block it from being seen from a distance. The design and color of the building does not fit with the flow of North campus as a whole. It is missing the brick element, which connects all of the other buildings. Fisher Hall seems to tower over the other buildings on North campus in the College of Business. There is more parking here in the parking garage across the street, which is a main lot for faculty and staff working on North campus. North campus seems to have a cohesive feel. The other buildings around campus have a common feel inside, but as a whole they seem to be out of place. The architectural elements differ drastically in some cases, making things seem hectic and not planned out very well.

Sam DeLong, Casey Klusman, Ari Roby

Current State: 

The exit/entrance for the Ohio Stater apartment complex is on High Street, which can cause traffic issues at times. The building itself is split in half by a parking garage and underneath the parking lot out front, there is a strip mall underneath the parking lot. It is difficult to see the stores from the street and there doesn’t seem to be enough parking out front for the number of stores at that location. Through improved planning and design, the building could provide storefronts on High Street, creating prime retail spaces with high visibility. Parking can be moved to the rear of the building, alleviating some of the traffic issues on High Street. 

Option 1: 

Shift the building up so that it touches High Street on all sides. Raise the bottom apartment units and create retail space that can be used by current tenants. This will increase visibility for those businesses currently located on the corner, underneath the parking lot. Move the parking lot behind the building to alleviate traffic problems in the area. This is the more expensive option of the two, but it would provide better spaces for tenants and it would fix the traffic problems of cars pulling into and out of the lot on High Street. 

Option 2:

Add a green space to the property instead of having a parking lot. A green space in this area would clean up the look of the building altogether without changing any of the current features of the building itself. In this option, only the parking lot outside would change. Allow shoppers to park in the parking garage located behind the building and create a green space in the current parking lot. Residents would be able to use this green space to walk their dogs or to just relax and enjoy the weather. 

Implementation/Feasibility: 

To raise money for this project we will first contact the owner of the property and explain to them the benefits of redesigning the lot. We will also reach out to investors in the area as well as local, state, and federal grants to help fund the rest of the project. Tenants in the retail space currently located could also help fund the project. As an incentive, they would get to choose where they want their new storefront once the project is completed. The area is zoned as an apartment building/commercial space so it would remain that way. Currently, the parking code of Columbus states that there must be one parking space for every 200 square feet of retail space. This parking code must be kept in mind when making any changes to the building. An update to this site would provide economic benefits to the property owner and businesses alike, increasing visibility, fixing traffic woes, and making the area more visually appealing.

Elements

Paths – The long walk in the oval is a main sidewalk students use to travel from Thompson Library to College Road.

Edges – The Olentangy River runs right beside downtown and is a natural separation.

Districts – Fisher College of Business is made up of different buildings and has its own part of OSU.

Nodes – The OSU Union timer is a place that one can meet coming from different directions. It’s on the corner of the High Street and W. 12th Avenue. Different paths meet at this point.

Landmarks – Pomerene Hall is a landmark building at Ohio State. With its distinctive architecture and convenient location it makes for a great study space.

Emotions

Rage – With all of the construction happening on and off campus one can sometimes experience rage and frustration. It seems as if it is a never ending process. Once one project ends, another one begins.

Calm – Mirror Lake is a very serene spot on campus. With the beautiful landscaping and the benches around the lake, it makes for a perfect spot to sit and enjoy the day.

Curiosity – The Number Garden sparks curiosity and raises many questions. Why do these large numbers exist? Who placed them here? What does it all mean?

Awe – The Ohio Statehouse, built in 1839 and completed in 1861, is a massive feat of human engineering and architecture.

Safety – These emergency buttons are located in various spots on campus which help to create a sense of safety in case dangerous events arise.

Members: Casey Klusman, Ari Roby, Sam DeLong