[Fall 2020 Studio Project]
Located in Durham, The Miracle Field Cooling Center is designed to be a place for all people to socialize, rest, and escape from the brutal heat during the summer months. The Cooling Center utilizes active cooling, as well as passive cooling strategies such as the solar chimney. The series of pivoted doors on both sides of the building would open up to allow cross-ventilation of the space, taking advantage of the dominant S and SW winds.
The Project is just across the Durham Freeway from the American Tobacco Campus, where the 19th century industrial atmosphere is preserved. The American Tobacco Campus and its industrial history is an integral part of Durham's identity today. The exposed steel structures of the seating area and the brick walls of the bathroom and concession area alludes to the dialogue between the tectonic and stereotomic elements present in the American Tobacco Campus. These elements are unified by a membrane of Insulated Translucent Panels, allowing a subtle hint at what lies beyond.