Analysis of the Southwest Residential Area

Analysis of the Southwest Residential Area
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Analysis of the Southwest Residential Area
The University of Massachusetts Amherst has come a long way since its founding in 1863, and it is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the twenty-first century. The Southwest Residential Area on the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus, designed by Hugh Stubbins, is one of the most recognizable features of the campus. Each named after a different president, the five towers rise from the horizon and house thousands of students. Additionally, the area is densely packed with other low-rise structures. All buildings are identical in style and design, with nearly identical interiors. Each building contains a combination of shared dorm rooms and common areas. The landscape and the built environment surrounding it are home to a variety of unique and historical architecture that adds a great deal of diversity to the campus. This essay will examine Stubbins' design for the Southwest residential area and the extent to which it meets both individual and societal needs.
After reviewing "Southwest Quadrangle, the University of Massachusetts" in Process: Architecture, no. 10 (1979), and examining the Southwest residential area's designs, it is clear that Southwest reflects a Usonian design. According to my understanding, Hugh Stubbins' ambition for the Southwest region was to develop a large volume of communal housing that meets both individual and community requirements. Due to the growing student population, the towers offer maximum accommodation in a condensed area. This method is also evident in Alvar Aalto's design for the MIT dormitory Baker House. Aalto emphasizes the significance of each space having a southern aspect of receiving sunshine, which can only be accomplished by growing vertically. While Aalto was confronted with comparable economic constraints and population increase, Aalto determined that vertical construction was ideal for satisfying these objectives under these conditions. The orientation and microclimate of outdoor areas played a significant role in the site design throughout the building process. These were critical components of the design since they impact the community as a whole to meet its demands. The university's most recent sustainability initiatives in the Southwest residential area are still ongoing. Landscape architects focus on integrated landscaping and adopt a more environmentally friendly approach to landscape design to create a more sustainable future.
Southwest is a heavily populated area of campus, with five high-rise towers and eleven low-rise structures totaling sixteen dormitories with a capacity of up to 5,500 students. There are three dining areas near each cluster of dorms; a basketball court, snack bars/convenience shops, and administrative buildings. Naturally, the Southwest region has developed into a bustling neighborhood in its own right. Southwest serves as the final "visual entry" to the university due to the closeness of the low and high-rise dorms and the three eating commons. Figure 1 was photographed at the foot of a hill, facing three high-rises and a low-rise structure. The tower is very visible from all directions, even from the lowest point on the slope.
As you approach the campus, these structures are hard to overlook. The facility is approached through different entrances. Each sector/cluster of residence halls has its parking lot, enabling residents to pull up close and unload their belongings on move-in day. However, the motorist is not permitted to enter the Southwest area's interior space, establishing a barrier between the pedestrian and the car. The pedestrian is engaged in a community setting, continuously surrounded by students, and conveniently located near shops, eating commons, and other campus resources. The north-south mall is strategically located to connect the complex's buildings to the university center and serves as the main outdoor gathering spot for the student community. The Southwest area's developers purposefully chose a high-density option for dorms to maintain open space and provide students with easier access to academic buildings. This 35-acre property is situated on a steep slope on the southwest border of campus, surrounded by residential and academic buildings/structures; apart from neighboring lawns and roadways, there is little vegetation. There is an effort to include greenery; for example, the "Southwest Beach" is a grassy area next to the basketball court where students may sunbathe. However, the complex's gigantic concrete towers and clusters of brick structures overpower any natural elements. The towers dominate the campus and are visible from afar.
As you go through the complex, the three-story low-rise and twenty-two-story high-rise buildings provide a stunning contrast. The towers are clustered together and face various directions, while the low-rise residences are fashioned like an L. Each cluster of low-rise dormitories is deftly structured around a courtyard where students may enjoy the outdoors and connect. Stairs go down to the courtyard, which provides a feeling of privacy due to its lower elevation. The varied lines and angles of the surrounding buildings divide the outdoor area into numerous sectors, creating pockets of isolation within a larger space. In the courtyards and open public areas, seats, tables, and grills are provided for pedestrian circulation and enjoyment of the picturesque surroundings. The towers are placed around fifty yards from the eating commons. They are designed to face an open area, allowing students to instantly engage in a social setting when exiting the building, regardless of whether they are going to class or the dining common. Students interacting in the open public area between the dormitory and the eating common is seen in Figure 2.
The site design of the buildings generates a sub-space inside a place—dormitories functioning as barriers surrounding the courtyards and inner areas. The low-rises are purposefully positioned in precise angles to create shade in some regions, and overhangs shield people from the rain. After inspecting the window treatment, I observed that the broader windows are for the common area, while the other windows are for the individual, which is characteristic of a Usonian layout. The windows are built to be broader in the study lounges, enabling maximum sunlight to go through, giving students the optimum study environment. This is comparable to Alvar Aalto's design for the Paimio Sanitorium; the patient rooms were orientated to face northeast, exposing patients to natural sunshine and fresh air for beneficial advantages. His concept of humanization continued over to his design for the Baker House at MIT, where he strives to blend the natural environment with the dwelling units. The materials employed here include reinforced concrete, architectural concrete and dark sand struck brick. The reinforced concrete was specially chosen as the significant material because of its sturdiness and decrease of structural-borne noise. The cladding is comprised of architectural concrete, and black sand struck brick to cover the reinforced concrete.
Hugh Stubbins' efforts in developing movable dorm rooms for the towers are substantially similar to Le Corbusier's work at "Unite d' Habitation at Marseilles." Stubbins initially splits the buildings into three vertical housing stacks, each stack accommodating 192 students. The floor design for each level changes based on its purpose; floors that fulfill ...