Proposal for Program Development and Site Redesign
The revised program of Ed Roberts Campus proposal is based on an emic perspective provided by Leah Frenchick, my informant, and my epic perspective.
The two major categories emerged from the emic and epic perspectives which informed the taxonomy: Environmentally Friendly and Social Integration were considered in two different ways to redefine the program. First, the building was stretched in a West-East direction to compensate for the creation of the garden. However, no major changes were made to architectural features because according to Frenchick they work well with handicapped users. Second, reconfiguration of indoor space covers the same square footage.
The garden was conceived out of two aspects. One is that Frenchick made an emphasis that the building is LEED Qualified, so the garden is made of autochthonous plants and flowers which will require less maintenance and water than plants that are not from California. Moreover, the central physical location of the garden provides ample natural light to the interiors of the building reducing electrical lighting for the central court. The other aspect relates to the healing properties of nature.
To cover this last aspect, the garden of the first floor provides a view of nature which according to the article “Landscape Design: Patients-Scientific Healing Gardens” there is “credible scientific evidence that four elements that can be supported by design help reduce stress: the distraction provided by green nature; exercise; social support; and sense of control” (Cooper Marcus, 563). The garden is a direct connection to nature through the view and the private and intimate spaces created by plants in the garden. Users can easily access the garden from various directions. The view of nature from the garden on the second floor also provides tranquility.