Site Analysis

Highlighting Major routes and access points to the site. A selected figure ground shows historic context.

By simply playing with coloring and image display the lines of the surrounding context pops, showing the linearity of area. Highlighting my site with a different color and "language"  the urban fabric is challenged and a contrast is achieved.

The interesting aspect of this site is its "melting pot" qualities offering several different programs. In the larger scale of things, this site acts as a threshold to the rest of the city (the zone between smaller scale residential and larger scale commercial).

Progressive sections reveal the sites contours as well as its qualities of expanding and occupying side alleyways.

Height study with the darker fill as the highest reinforces the threshold between the scales of the city.

Model shows the progression and manipulation of the topography of Beacon Hill over the years. Black is current where the chipboard represents the past and the Tri-Mountain aspect. The strips of white are major roadways that have remained. The chipboard grid shows the old "social system." On one side of the hill was the wealthier more organized neighborhood, whereas the other side was disconnected and streets ended in dead ends. This more disorganized zone was for the lower class at one point. The intention of this model was to represent the change in topography but also to show that my site is actually the tallest point in Boston-Proper. 




FEEDBACK: After presentations, it was suggested to not focus on specifically Beacon Hill, but to look at this area in the larger picture only in relation to the city. Also emphasize the fact that this area is a threshold between Downtown and the rest of the city. This references one of the earliest studies that was done on the 'onion effect.'