Community Research
Welcome to the East Lewiston Revitalization Master Plan and Focus Design project presentation by .  (click on the icons for a larger image)

 

Introduction

The East Lewiston Community Development is designed using principles of created in a self sustaining community.  Limiting the vehicle use and providing affordable living with large easy access to open spaces.

I approached this assignment with a passion to help residents who were tired of living in high density buildings and not having the ability or access to the basic necessities.  There are six basic cultural universals that have been found in every community since the dawn of man.  These universals are not an option for a community, but a must for the residents as individuals and as a whole to exist effectively.  These desires are food production, commerce, government, education, religion, and recreation.  If one translates these into guidelines to follow in community development they are; easy access by foot to retail areas for shopping for food and other simple needs; jobs for a percentage of the residents of the community, close proximity to places of government, education, and religion, and large open spaces for a variety of activities within walking distance for everyone.

 

Program Elements

The program below was developed using key words and themes to direct the design process.  The entire design of the community is founded upon these important principles.

  • “Originality,” keeping the site unique to the cities of Lewiston and Clarkston.

  • “New,” create a partial self-sustaining new community.
    “Creativity,” use existing elements as much as possible.

  • “Space,” create new usable open spaces for recreation and relaxation.

  • “Diversity,” produce a community that allows for a diversity of people.

  • “Mixed-Use,” employ a variety of mixed-use buildings.

  • “Relationships,” satisfy the needs of residents according to location, density and dwelling. (For example the highest density units will be nearest the largest open space areas.)
     

Schematic Design 
Within the beginning processes of design several key ideas and themes started to arise.

- Flood the old abandoned railroad yard in order to bring water to residents, since the levy was quite tall. 

- Create a business district along the existing east main street to continue the natural flow of business along this road from the other side of Lewiston.

- Develop a Marina in the new bay for recreation use for the main community of East Lewiston.

- Run a trail and park system all along the existing levy pathway as well as redirecting the seldom used railroad along side it with a dense vegetation buffer between both paths. 

- Design a wetland park area to the east to provide wildlife habitat and help with the clean up process from the old Potlatch Mill.

- Create a central park and business district in the very heart of the community.

 

Master Plan

Computer Drawing

 The master plan follows my previous schematic ideas and thoughts as well as the overall project program.  It compromises of a variety housing units from large estates to high density apartment living.  The heart of the community is a central rectangular corridor within the middle of the town is surrounded by a mixed-use district of retail and apartments in the same building, high density apartment living, small and large condos, and a large central park.  Around this central corridor remains medium density housing with the schools and churches for a neighborhood environment.  Beyond this section past the road which encircles the entire community lies prime water/park front property including the estates and condominium complexes.  Past this lies the park which surrounds the community that includes ample open space, trail system, and the gated, moderately used train track.  In my design I felt that the relationships between these different areas was important that residents and visitors would experience a high quality community. 

Master Plan Facts:

Population: 12,500

1 Car/ 1.25 People

Marina Parking: 345

2 Elementary Schools (20,000 sq. ft.)

Mixed Use: 1,078,000 sq. ft. (Retail) 2,695 (People)

5 Churches (10,000 sq. ft.)

10 Units/ Acre

 

 Plant List:

Trees:

Fastigiate Hornbeam Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigata’
Little-Leaf Linden Tilia cordata ‘Chancellor’
American Ash Fraxinus Americana ‘Autumn Purple’
Red Oak Quercus rubra
Scholar Tree Sophora japonica’Regent’

Shrubs:

Serviceberry ‘Amelanchier arborea’
European Cranberry ‘Viburnum opulus’
Fragrant Sumac ‘Rhus aromatica’

 

Focus Area

The focus area that I chose was an area in the middle of my community that involves the dynamic relationship between mixed-use buildings, high density units, and a large open park.  This created a unique challenge to its design allowing for easy accessibility to open space for the variety of users of the area.  The design structure is based upon the focus area program below. 

 

Focus Area Images:

 

Computer Drawing

Computer Drawing with Underground Parking

Watercolor Rendered

Watercolor Rendered

 Focus Area Program:

- Area compromises of a 10 units per acre density.


- Mixed-use buildings allow for appropriate retail use and low-density apartment living.


- Large apartment complexes are elevated so that the space surrounding the units is more usable to residents.


- Parking where appropriate is underground freeing up space above for recreation and relaxation.


- The relationships between mixed-use, high density living, and the large open park to the south maintains a sense of unity, is accessible, and is available for residents and visitors to safely move between these three spaces.


- Open spaces will allow for a variety of recreational opportunities according to their desires with scenic walkways, large turf areas, quiet tree groves, and large courtyard areas for group gatherings, and areas for potential community gardens.
 

 

  

Watercolor Rendered

Watercolor Rendered

 Sub Detail 1: (Walkway confluence)

- This area is at the intersection of three pathways, from the underground parking garage, north from the mix-use district, and south from the park.


- It will provide another area for meeting and resting for residents of the near by units as well as visitors going to and from the retail and park areas.


- Within this area there are also be two community areas that provide a protected area for a community garden or community playgrounds.


- The shapes area of a smooth flowing character to emphasize the easy access and circulation between the different areas, (retail, residential, and park).
 
   

Watercolor Rendered

 Sub Detail 2: (Residential courtyard)

- This area will primarily serve as a community courtyard for the mixed-use residents of the buildings.


- It presents an immediate access to open space, while still remaining in a high-density area of mixed-use.


- The area also gives a real sense of privacy (needed with retail and public spaces below them) and escape for residents with medium density plantings, a fence and a gate.


- Parking and access to other units or walkways is easy and open.


- There is a balance of hard surfaces, seating, and open turf areas accommodating a variety of uses.
 
Three Dimensional Studies
Watercolor Drawings:

With the watercolor drawings I wanted to communicated the feeling of the community in the focus area.  I painted three widely different key view points within the town to better understand the relationships between mix-use areas, high density units, and large open park spaces.

 


Watercolor Rendered

A birds eye view of the focus area.

Watercolor Rendered

This rendering is an aerial view of one of the busy streets within the focus area.  The ideas for secluded parking and the easy accessibility between areas while still remaining safe are better expressed in this rendering. 


Watercolor Rendered

A perspective of one of the large open spaces with multiple uses; one being for circulation between retail and park spaces. It also serves as an immediate area for recreation and relaxation for the high density units surrounding the space.  The underground entrance/exit for parking is directly behind the center tree. 

Physical Model:

With the physical model I wanted to create a physical representation of the forms to better visualize the relationship between the three different areas of mix-use, high density units, and large open spaces.  By using simple building materials and abstracting some of the more complicated forms, one can understand the spaces easily.

 


Physical Model

An aerial shot of the entire focus area represented through a physical abstract model. 

 


Physical Model

A close up picture behind the mix-use units looking towards the large condos which are elevated for semi-underground parking.


Physical Model

 

A aerial shot of the small and large condos surrounding a large open space of turf and a courtyard for a variety of uses. 


Physical Model

  

A over head picture of the downtown main street and the secluded parking in front of the mix-use district.

Physical Model Outside

 

An outside shot, looking down the secluded parking area for the mix-use units with a tree buffer towards the main street.


Physical Model Outside

Another outside shot, peering down one of the connector streets between the mix-use district serving people who live or work within the buildings.  The entrance to the underground parking for the right units is also shown.


Physical Model Outside

 

A similar shot as one before except outside over open spaces directly behind the mix-use units that would serve and immediate relief to residents and/or employees of the businesses.

Physical Model Outside

 

A outside picture looking across the centered open space behind the raised condos. 

  All pictures and renderings done by Aaron Luoma 2004 University of Idaho