To post new organizational and constructive types for an extremely large new mass timber building, the project primarily re-imagines “bigness“ in the context of a giant RISD, a 24-floor tower housing all academic programs. The tower proposes a gradient transition of mass timber structural elements from glue-lam columns to CLT wall panels. The transition in both horizontal and vertical directions brings different spatial opportunities for a sense of shifting in scale, orientation, and movement. The hybrid nature of mass timber, massive elements built up out of sustainable material traditionally used in stick frame construction, frees us to see the absolutes of adder versus divider, structural versus spatial.

The proposed horizontal grid is denser on the peripheral, creating a more stable structural system learned from the tubular tower structure. The gradient column grid creates a dynamic spatial transition from exterior to interior, thinner at the edge and becomes thicker in the middle. Vertically, the structural elements started from column condition, and non-structural walls started to shift off the column grid. The number of structural walls begins to increase, releasing more columns, eventually creating an all-wall condition on the top floor. The gradient transition that happens in both horizontal and vertical directions brings different spatial opportunities for a sense of shifting in scale, orientation, and movement.

As the structural change allowed a shifting scale and atmosphere of spaces, we divided the programs by the scale of activities and scale of furniture, aiming to create a more inclusive educational environment across design and fine arts departments. Furniture is considered as objects across various elements of field conditions, both across each floor of gradient columns and throughout different wall distributions on various floor heights.

The project was developed at the Rhode Island School of Design.

KOOZ What prompted the project?

JCZ | KQ As we’ve entered the 21st century, large-scale architecture stands at a crossroads. While there is no reason to question the supremacy of concrete and steel as primary material choices for large-scale buildings, its inadvisable consequences - global warming has challenged us to consider not only our immediate needs but also the future of our planet.
The most widely used material, concrete, is solely responsible for 5% to 8% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Steel, although less carbon-intensive than concrete, is still accountable for 4% of global energy consumption. To frame the challenge in architectural terms, about ⅓ of GHG emissions are attributable to the construction and operation of buildings. As designers and architects, we have to start exploring sustainable solutions now. The only material we have available to us that could deliver large-scale building needs - and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with construction - is wood. Timber is the only construction material that can be grown, and as it grows, it consumes carbon. Using timber will reduce our impact on the planet and help to reverse some of the effects of 20th-century industrialization. The new age of building architecture takes us beyond the notion of modernism and concrete-steel construction to a new timber era.

While we witness the beginning of the transition for building materials and technology, it appears we are in a moment that is rich with the possibility to reimagine the spaces of our city and our education at RISD to address issues of the near and distant future. Rhode Island School of Design is primarily located in Providence’s downtown and college hill area, hosting 3,000 students/faculty/staff worldwide. Classroom, studio, and shared workshop spaces are highly valued, advancing principles of social equity and inclusion, environmental and climate justice, and equal access to resources and opportunities. As art and design students, it’s crucial to take action to the global mega-crisis by rethinking the future of sustainability and educational models. Echoing the RISD culture and core academic values, our proposal projects a new institutional model reacting to the most critical environmental challenges.

KOOZ What questions does the project raise and which does it address?

JCZ | KQ The Giant RISD aimed to address new ways of learning, making, and collaborating with organizational and constructive types for a new mass timber building to house all of RISD’s academic programs. In this studio, we are challenged to re-examine the assumptions that underlie our every act as architects: how we build and design the spaces and cities in which we work and live. The proposal explores the position of a large-scale tumble-made institutional building to host all of RISD’s academic and museum space.

The Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas first identified the idea of “bigness” in his book Small, Medium, Large, Extra-Large. It raised unaddressed questions in large-scale contemporary architecture, where the large scale overweight the significance of the building itself. The Giant RISD intends to rethink and expand upon past industrialized architecture and directly address the contemporary global public. The potential of designing and building with mass timber construction is addressed from the early stage of the project. We studied and transformed the concrete/steel construction method of Berlin Free University by Team Ten architects Candilis, Josic, and Woods.

KOOZ What drew you to explore the potential of timber within large-scale proposals?

JCZ | KQ With several tall wood projects being completed worldwide, the benefit of building with new wood and mass timber technologies encourages architects and structural engineers to think bigger with interests in sustainable and efficient construction. Lightness, large span, and the versatility of the timber structural system challenge the traditional institution buildings and the scale of the college campus. It intends to reconnect the separated academic departments, encouraging interdisciplinary studies and collaboration between students, professors, and the general public.

KOOZ How is the material challenged and explored within the design proposal?

JCZ | KQ The proposed horizontal grid is denser on the peripheral, creating a more stable structural system learned from the tubular tower structure. The gradient column grid creates a dynamic spatial transition from exterior to interior, thinner at the edge and thicker in the middle. Vertically, the structural elements started from the column condition, and non-structural walls shifted from the column grid. As a result, the number of structural walls increases, releasing more columns, eventually creating an all-wall condition on the top floor. The gradient transition in horizontal and vertical directions brings different spatial opportunities for a sense of shifting in scale, orientation, and movement.

KOOZ How does the project articulate the educational programmatic distribution?

JCZ | KQ As the structural change allowed a shifting scale and atmosphere of spaces, the academic programs are considered by the scale of activities and furniture. To create a more inclusive educational environment across Design and Fine Arts departments, we carefully analyzed all majors’ different spatial, lighting, and ventilation needs at RISD. Inspired by the Bürolandschaft — office landscape and field condition — the distribution of the educational programs are articulated through the concept of freedom and autonomy to allow students and faculty to create an activities-based working environment.

Furniture is considered objects across various elements of field conditions, both across each floor of gradient columns and throughout different wall distributions on various floor heights. The studio space is no longer designated to an individual. Instead, the students can choose the type of space that suits their needs and foster an environment for more robust collaboration and communication.

KOOZ What are the educational connections the structure aims to foster and reinforce?

JCZ | KQ The typical plans and interior scenes are considered through the detailed configuration of furniture and distribution of programs. Three large egress circulation cores are pushed towards the periphery, allowing large indoor spaces in the center for programs such as group gathering areas, workshop spaces, and auditorium. The gradient change of structure from glulam column-based to CLT wall-based reinforces the efficiency, collaboration, and individualization of the studying environment, especially after the influence of the pandemic.

Bio

Jen Chenyu Zhang, born and raised in Shanxi and Beijing, studied architecture at RISD in the US and ETH in Switzerland. Her experience of living in multiple cultural backgrounds shapes her unique approaches to architectural design. After receiving a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rhode Island School of Design, she is stepping into the professional architectural practice with SOM New York office.

Born and raised in Beijing, China, Kunyue Qi has studied at RISD in the US and KADK in Denmark. Kunyue received degrees of Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Fine Art from Rhode Island School of Design, with her thesis winning the undergraduate thesis award. She is planning her next stage of professional practice in the SOM San Francisco Office with her loyal companion Steve (a 3-year-old tuxedo cat).