(re-)connection with site

Up to this point, any attempts I made to clarify a building form seemed to be missing something.  There was nothing "necessary" to any of the moves I was making.  I wanted to have a welcoming geometry on 43rd, and so far, that had meant creating a funnel-like setback in the center of the 43rd frontage, as shown below:

This shape was intended to mimic the 43rd St. 'El' Station.

This shape was intended to mimic the Forum building.

Diagonal long-block massing of the 43rd St. Station

Heavy, pitched-roofed massing of the Forum building opposite of the El station.

The attempt to be mimetic was proof that I was not in-tune with the site yet, and needed to visit it again.  Neither building shape even payed much attention to the grid just established.

(re-)visiting the site
As shown in the Google Map below, the residential building directly North of the site has a significant setback from Prairie Ave. To simply build out the building to the property line all the way down the Prairie Ave. frontage would mean closing in this building and limiting its access to the street view.  Therefore, I committed to an equally significant setback from Prairie Ave. on the back half of the building. 

Google Map shot of Site 1 with El station and surrounding buildings shown.

The setback was already in some of my earlier programming attempts, creating an L-shaped building of 3 floors, however, this had little specificity to the site, and was more a way to incorporate open space without giving up 43rd St. frontage.  After the site visit, this space was sized to explicate the site relationship.

3rd Floor Layout of Program Prior to Site Visit

2nd Floor Layout of Program Prior to Site Visit

1st Floor Layout of Program Prior to Site Visit

What is evident even in these early layouts is the use of the 8' x 20' unit size to size the programmatic blocks.  Indications of entry and circulation are shown; on the first floor, quick in-and-out entries are contrasted with those that involve lingering in space. 
 

Diagonal Pedestrian Path through the Site

Looking back to the site image, a very obvious feature of the site currently is the diagonal walked path that cuts the site almost in half diagonally.  I found this path more important than it would be considered at first glance.  A chain-link fence encloses this area, but is damaged on both sides to allow foot traffic to pass through.  This proves two things: 1) that the path is walked so frequently as to be visible and 2) that the path was actively chosen and exists as an intervention on the site enacted by community members, presumably.  In other words, it stands as a testament to how community members have made the site their own, and illustrates how community members currently interact with the site. 

The pedestrian path and surrounding fence shown from the train tracks.

site analysis :: pedestrian traffic
The following diagram overlays the figure-ground of the area a portion of the Google Maps image showing the path.  Analysis details the prevailing pedestrian lines around the site (green lines) and locates entries to the surrounding buildings.  The dark grey shapes describe the ways in which setbacks, etc. help to articulate entries into the surrounding buildings and study how these moves are used to welcome or encourage traffic into the buildings.  Blue lines indicate available routes for smaller delivery vehicles, and the red path notates the path taken through the site, which primarily connects the neighborhood (Prairie Ave.) to the El station and commercial venues on 43rd St.

Site analysis of pedestrian and delivery traffic around the site.

With such a tangible relationship between site and community, I knew my building had to incorporate this path into its geometry.