Reformatting the Coffman Union Bus Stop: Studio_2 Spring_2007 Professor_Martha McQuade

The site of this project is located on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus in Minneapolis Minnesota. The bus stop in front of Coffman Memorial Union is a temporal space. It represents a transition between work and school--home and friends. In its existing condition the sites program is fragmented and defensive. Obstructed views and hard boundaries create an environment that is unwelcoming and disorienting. My design created a clear continuity of circulation defined by a clear line of site throughout the addition. This line of site helped create a more navigable and welcoming space

From the understanding of transparency and opacity in the previous project, I developed a stable program for the Coffman Memorial Union bus stop. Through a process of volumetric programming diagrams, I started to define new the new boundaries of the site. These diagrams helped inform me of areas where continuity of circulation and view were lacking. In reference to my program diagrams and early sketches, a new sub-grade connection became important. This would soften the boundaries of the site and save bus patrons valuable time in their commutes. Overall, my final design embraced the diversity of the site while creating an overall sense of continuity of space.