CHAPTER 6: BUILDING PROGRAM

When working within the constraints of an existing building’s footprint, the building plays a large part in dictating how the spaces will be laid out, rather than the architect determining the best way to organize the layout.  When this site was chosen as the topic of this thesis, it was clear that the building needed to be an invitation to explore history, and the best way to accomplish that is to leave the spaces as open as possible.  Even with minimal clear separation of spaces, a wide variety of spaces are needed.  If the proposed spaces are categorized into “Public” and “Private,” the result is a very short list of truly private spaces.  Below is a graphic representation of the “Public-Private” gradient throughout the building. 

CONCEPT

An initial space planning concept was developed utilizing estimated dimensions based on information available in historical and modern accounts of the Malt Kiln.  One goal for the building was that the majority of the spaces would not be fully private.  For example: although areas reserved for brewing equipment should not be accessed by the public in general, visitors would be able to access these areas in a controlled manner such during a tour guided by an employee.  Private offices for certain staff members are provided, but perhaps the event coordinator would need to host potential clients to communicate during the planning process.  The public should not be able to access areas such as the room housing the electrical panels, or the roof where the mechanical equipment is located.  On the flipside, the public is encouraged to journey throughout spaces such as the entry hall, the lounge, and the dining rooms in an unguided, perhaps uncontrolled, manner.  Part of the new Malt Kiln’s purpose is to allow visitors to experience the building itself, in addition to the spaces created inside.

An initial program was created utilizing the approximated dimensions of the building guided by a scaled version of a Sanborn Fire Insurance Company map.  The known division of floor levels was adhered to.  Circulation was kept to a low percentage of area as many spaces would act as circulation themselves.  Square footages were determined from precedents such as known ADA restroom layouts, floor plans from previously discussed case studies, and desired occupancy loads. 

Preliminary space plans were created following the program.  This program proved to be very tight within the available space constraints so in order to solidify it the next step needed to be confirming the exact amount of available space within the remaining walls.

During the initial space planning process, it became clear that the approximated dimensions utilized for the building footprint were incorrect.  The building’s footprint was not far off from the initial dimension used for the width, but the length was actually significantly shorter.  At this point, it was decided that a detailed exiting building model was necessary to continue further, as the initial space program was not yet complete.  As detailed in Chapter 3, photos of the Malt Kiln were studied and bricks and brick courses were counted in order to figure out more exact dimensions.  With a significantly smaller area to work with, it was clear that the initial concept would not work, and perhaps a different approach was needed.  One of the biggest problems encountered was that while the spaces themselves might fit within the walls, safety and accessibility elements required by modern building code would not.  The design allowed a “grand staircase” and two elevators.  In adding two egress stairways as the code requires, the space inside was disproportionally distributed between circulation and actual spaces. 

The most obvious solution to not having enough space was simple – add more space.  It was ultimately determined that an addition would be constructed at the west end of the building, and a new vertical travel zone would be constructed on the neighboring building’s side of the Malt Kiln’s south wall.  According to historian Chris Naffziger, at one time there was a quarry to the west of the Malt Kiln in what is now an open, paved surface within the brewery’s perimeter.  The closest edge of this quarry is thought to begin around forty feet to the west of the Malt Kiln’s west wall.  As the quarry would have been infilled, it is unlikely to be a stable location to place any new foundations or footings.  For this reason, it was determined that the new west addition would need to avoid that boundary, which helped to set its footprint.  The vertical travel zone has a few non-negotiable constraints, such as clearances for elevator shafts and egress stair width.  These constraints shaped this new zone’s footprint.  With these two areas set in place, the interior space planning could resume.  Furthermore, instead of utilizing the original layout of floor levels, it was decided that all existing floors would be removed, and a new floor level hierarchy would be established to provide more floor area.  In many ways, the final program was guided by the building, instead of the typical process of designing a building around spaces.

                The following images exhibit a detailed breakdown of the space program on each level, and note important adjacencies. 

STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS

At the time this thesis was written, the deconstruction of the Malt Kiln was well underway.  This process will leave a stabilized building shell.  In order to ensure the building can support the proposed new uses, more intervention is needed.  This thesis proposes that everything aside from the existing first floor and the remaining exterior walls should be demolished, which will require a great amount of planning.  By removing the remaining sections of floors, all lateral support is also removed, and the middle section of the north brick wall will likely try to fold in towards the south wall of the building.  In order to avoid this, a phased scaffolding plan will be implemented, in which structural scaffolding will be installed on the interior and exterior walls up to the first level of floor to be demolished.  Then, the floor will be demolished and the next layer of scaffolding will be installed, and so on (Figure 77).  With the interior of the building essentially gutted, the new structural columns will be placed.  This will require core drilling down through the two levels of vaults and well into the ground beneath them for pile foundations.  With the square tube columns placed, structural girders can be installed to stabilize the new columns.  At this point, joists can begin to be placed followed by floors, level by level beginning at the roof.  With each floor put in place, the layer of scaffolding below it can be removed so that the next floor and joists can be installed. 

Scaffolding concept: The orange elements are removed due to collapse or selective demolition.  As demolition continues for the Malt Kiln, scaffolding will be built up.  Once the structural members can be placed, scaffolding will be taken down following  a coordinated phasing plan.

In order to ensure the existing brick walls will not fold in on themselves even with the installation of the new structural system, various bracing methods will be utilized.  At the east and west ends of the vertical garden, traditional cross bracing (“X” bracing) will be utilized in order to provide lateral support along the north and south axis of the building.  “X” bracing will be utilized at the far east wall of the building, and will be implemented at additional gridlines on an as needed basis.  Where “X” bracing is not achievable due to space requirements, alternative bracing methods will be utilized such as “buckling restrained knee braced trusses” in order to allow the proper clearances for passage through a space. 

With the structure in place, secondary structural elements can be tackled.  Several new openings are needed in the south wall of the Malt Kiln, as well as a few new openings for windows in the north and east walls.  Prior to these openings being created, horizontal strongbacks will be embedded in the existing brick just above the top of each opening to provide extra stabilization for each new opening.  Brick ties will be installed as needed to provide an extra layer of stabilization to the irregular edges of the remaining brick walls, and if needed, break metal can be shaped in place and fastened to these irregular brick edges to further ensure deterioration will be prevented.  Brick anchors will be utilized to fasten the brick walls to the new structural columns and girders.  For good measure, horizontal and vertical metal strapping will be installed on the interior at high-traffic areas to ensure cosmetic deterioration of bricks does not cause any safety issues.  The new structure is meant to be independent of the existing brick walls, and should provide a stable foundation to build the new additions upon.  However, the brick walls will rely on the new structure’s strength to prevent further collapse.

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Several options were considered for the type of mechanical system to install, and ultimately it was determined that packaged roof top units (RTUs) would be utilized.  The building will need approximately eighty-five tons of cooling capacity, and generally each floor will have its own dedicated unit.  Levels 1 & 1A will share one twenty-ton unit as much of the space is open from Level 1 to the top of Level 1A, and a dedicated unit for Level 1A would not provide a significant change in temperature for the level.  Levels 2 and 3 will share one twenty-ton unit as will levels 4 & 5.  Level 6 will have a dedicated ten-ton unit.  One fifteen-ton unit will serve the vertical garden, and will be specified to have integrated hot gas reheating dehumidification.   Thermostats for each floor will be positioned out of the path of general circulation, and if they cannot be located in a private area, they will be fitted with a locking cover so that only staff may adjust the air temperature.  Temperature sensors for each floor will be placed in a location that keeps an average local temperature, instead of being installed in locations that fluctuate to extremes.  As the vertical garden is expected to trap heat even in cold months, transfer fans will be installed in the walls shared with the interior of the rest of the building that will be activated by thermostats so that excess hot air from the vertical garden can be repurposed to provide additional comfort in the main building areas.

In utilizing a standard RTU system, ductwork will be distributed down through chases to reach each floor.  This requires strategically placed mechanical chases throughout the building, expected to be three feet wide by 3 feet deep at the maximum width, reducing in size as the ducts approach their termination.  This poses challenges in the design, though it has been incorporated into the floor plans in Appendix D.  Horizontal ductwork will remain exposed to act as an element of industrial-style design. 

Exhaust fans will be required in each restroom, as well as in the kitchen preparation area.  Space for mechanical and plumbing lines serving the restrooms has been included at each end of the restroom cluster, where the exhaust fan ducts will be routed to the roof.  At the kitchen, an exhaust fan duct will follow a similar path to the ductwork from the dedicated RTU.  Additional exhaust fan systems will be installed near the brewing equipment to evacuate any strong smells.  No heating or cooling is planned for Lower Levels 1 & 2 as their temperature remains fairly constant, but fans to help circulate air will be installed. 

The walk-in freezer, cooler, and keg storage cooler will require refrigeration condensers and control racks, which will be mounted on the roof.  Lines will follow a similar path to the RTU ductwork to run up to the roof.  The concrete deck flooring in the section of Level 2 that these cold storage spaces sit on will be thicker than typical floors throughout the building in order to accommodate insulation under the cooled rooms.  This will prevent any condensation from forming on the underside of the floor.

PLUMBING SYSTEMS

Water is supplied from the Metropolitan Sewer District for this site, which will be the main water supply for the building.  A rainwater collection and distribution system will be installed to serve the vertical garden, but is not intended to serve any other area in order to prevent possible confusion.  The roof will slope down from north to south to route some precipitation into a roof drainage system which will terminate into the municipal sewers.  Precipitation that is not addressed with this drainage system will be captured by a storage system which is detailed in the next chapter.  High-efficiency plumbing fixtures will be installed, such as tankless water heaters for the restrooms, high-efficiency dual-flush toilets, and motion-activated low-flow sink faucets in order to reduce general water consumption. 

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS

The existing electrical service to the site will be utilized in this project, but will be assessed to determine if any service upgrades are needed to effectively supply the electrical loads required by various fixtures and systems.  LED light fixtures will be installed throughout the building and accompanying daylighting and/or occupancy sensors will help to reduce energy consumption by utilizing natural lighting as the main light source when available and using interior lights to supplement the natural light. 

ENERGY CONSERVATION

Although the Malt Kiln is in a prime location to take advantage of solar panels to provide a significant amount of electricity, the available space on the roof is not nearly large enough for today’s solar panels to make a meaningful impact on the building’s electricity consumption.  In order to install a worthwhile solar panel system, space would need to be taken from other areas on the site, and it is not realistic to expect that this tenant would be able to reach an agreement with the property owner to do so.  Moreover, any panels placed on neighboring roofs would likely require additional significant structural upgrades, and the cost of that work is unlikely to offset the cost of paying for service from the utility company. 

By utilizing the remaining walls of the Malt Kiln, the project is already ahead on conserving energy.  Every brick that remains in place is approximately 4.2 kW of embodied energy saved (Jackson, 2005).  The Malt Kiln will reuse approximately 57,000 square feet of brick just in the remaining walls, equating to around 260,000 individual bricks, which equates to over 1,000,000 kW of energy saved from day one of the project.  For reference, the average restaurant utilizes approximately 43.5kW of energy per square foot for yearly operations, which would equate to a yearly energy usage of 1,566,000 kW per year for the Malt Kiln.  By utilizing existing walls, almost a year’s worth of energy consumption and costs can be saved, and salvaged bricks used in decoration on the interior only increase the savings. 

Using existing brick walls is a significant measure on the path to conserving energy, but when additional building elements are factored into the calculations the energy savings are not as great. For this reason, great importance will be placed on utilizing materials which further contribute to energy conservation.  By purchasing materials from local manufacturers, emissions from delivery vehicles can be reduced.  Choosing products with high recycled content percentages can help keep waste materials out of landfills.  Designing the building envelope to be as efficient as possible can help to reduce the amount of energy required by the heating and cooling systems.  As the concrete manufacturing process is inherently very detrimental to the environment, concrete mixes utilizing alternative aggregates such as fly ash or wood fibers will be considered to further reduce waste that would normally be routed to landfills. Additionally, during construction eighty percent of waste will be diverted from landfills.