Museum of the Bible

Typology:

Museum, Office, Collections

Project Location:

Oklahoma City, OK

Project Phases:

Research, SD, DD, CD

My Contribution:

Aided in Research
Space Planning for Museum Galleries & Public Spaces
Aided in Exterior Design
DD and CD Renderings/Diagrams

This project was a result of a comprehensive studio. Many areas were explored with great detail including, building codes, structural systems, HVAC systems, and construction documents. If you want to see the entire publication for this project, click the link below!

Comprehensive Studio Booklet

Schematic Design

As part of a team of three architectural students and one structural engineer, we worked to conceptualize a building that houses gallery space, collection storage, and office spaces for the employees of Museum of the Bible (MOTB).

Currently, all three of these spaces are housed at separate locations. The employees of the museum felt disconnected from their current gallery spaces. Also, dealing with the logistics of transporting collections from a remote warehouse to the office and then to the gallery spaces was inconvenient and difficult.

SD - First Floor Plan

Programmatic Elements Massing:

Public Spaces

These spaces would house the gallery spaces and is positioned to activate the attention of pedestrians.

Support Spaces

Positioned on the other end of the site for easy access to the loading dock

Offices

The offices act as a bridge element that gives MOTB employees optimal daylighting and proximity to both public and support spaces.

Sloped Courtyard

The courtyard, positioned across the street from a public park, aimed to provide an informal gathering space during the day and a venue space after museum hours.

When it came to the exterior façade, we wanted to emphasize the offices that bridged between the public spaces and support areas.

On both ends the the building, a series of solid panels and louvered panels shield sensitive areas from daylight while creating a modern appearance.

The office spaces and atrium contrast the flanking wings by features floor to ceiling glass. Also, instead of hiding structural elements, the steel members are celebrated along with a louver system that protects the offices along the south-facing façade.

SD - Building Axon

SD - Section Perspective through Bridge

Design Development

From this point forward, each member of the team would split apart and develop the building on their own. A closer look into interior finishes, HVAC systems, and ceiling treatments were explored in further detail.

DD - Enlarged Gallery Sections

Enlarged Section Perspectives

Building Systems Axon

Mechanical Systems:

A full HVAC system was modeled to give accurate information to where ceiling and duct conflicts occurred.
Correct sizing of chillers, boilers, ducts, and diffusers were calculated and picked to maintain aesthetics in each space.

Structural Systems:

Locations for shear walls and correct sizing for steel members were calculated and modeled in BIM software.

Skin Systems:

Further investigation into building sections required further thought to R-values, building codes, and how the exterior skin was fastened to the structure.

Gallery Wall Section

View of Front Façade from Road

View of Permanent Gallery

Construction Documents

In the next step of the process, I was challenged to document this project as though it was going to be built. Having to think of each space in detail and thinking of details like interior elevations, wall sections, and plan details made me appreciate the complexity of documentation.

CD - First Floor Plan - Zone 1

As one of the focal points of the project, I decided to think about how the custom fountain was going to drain, where the internal components would go, and integrate with the pavers.

Courtyard Details