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Abstract

The third place is a widely understood concept coined by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg to denote those life-affirming civic places that are neither work nor home. In an effort lead by Clemson University, the UACDC partnered with the Little Rock Air Force Base to develop a Social Center – or a Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR)/Outdoor Recreation (ODR) Center per official military nomenclature – using mass timber technology. Two schemes reflecting mat building typology, a deep-plan, large, horizontal building developed from repeatable modules, were prepared by the UACDC studio at the level of Schematic Design. The first scheme, The Shed, proposes a distinct roof profile sheltering a public concourse with a constellation of informal café, bar, gallery, and recreation spaces serving formal meeting areas on one level. The second scheme, Laminations: A Social Canopy, proposes level changes along a sloping topography while the roof acts as a horizontal datum connecting interior social landscapes of varying heights. Both feature the integration of nature inside the building as distributed fixed features that give spaces a sense of place and affords enjoyment regardless of function.

Description

Advancing Mass Timber Design and Education for Buildings on Military Installations is an effort led by Clemson University and funded by the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities to encourage the widespread adoption of mass timber technologies by the U.S. military. The Department of Defense holds the nation’s largest real estate portfolio with over 600,000 buildings in 6,000 locations and is one of the more active developers and advocates in mainstreaming sustainable and resilient design. The Endowment advocates for the greater use of mass timber technology—a sustainable building technology—in building construction across the Department of Defense’s 800 bases worldwide.

The Wood Utilization + Design Institute at Clemson University partnered with Oregon University and the University of Arkansas to develop studio-based project proposals for military installations. The University of Arkansas Community Design Center in the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design partnered with the Little Rock Air Force Base to develop a Social Center, or a Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR)/Outdoor Recreation (ODR) Center per official military nomenclature. The Social Center is important in sustaining mission preparedness through the promotion of social connection and mental well-being among military personnel. Two schemes based on the mat building typology for the Social Center were prepared by fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate students in architecture and detailed in this report. The first scheme, The Shed, proposes a distinct roof profile sheltering a public concourse with a constellation of informal café, bar, gallery, and recreation spaces serving formal meeting areas on one level. Conversely, the second scheme, Laminations: A Social Canopy, proposes level changes along a sloping topography while the roof acts as a horizontal datum connecting interior social landscapes of varying heights. Faculty and students in the Department of Civil Engineering at Clemson University consulted on structural engineering design of mass timbers components employed in each of the two schemes. Both schemes were equally challenged to showcase resourceful applications in mass timber building technology while exploring community planning approaches that facilitate greater sociability on military bases.

The project triangulates a focus on tectonics (the culture of building construction) with concepts of territory or landscape as a frame for architecture, and a design approach that assists in restoring social/individual well-being. LRAFB leadership deems the creation of a “third place” imperative for maintaining mission preparedness and morale among military personnel and their families, many who suffer, or run the risk of suffering, from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. The third place is a widely understood concept coined by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg to denote those life-affirming civic places that are neither work nor home. In his now classic text in the social sciences, The Great Good Place, Oldenburg articulates the importance of informal gathering spaces driven by conversation and comradery—taverns, gyms, coffee shops, salons, clubs, cafes, parks/community gardens, and other types of hangouts—in promoting civil society and its measure of social capital. Renewed interest in third places stems from the recognition that the best chance of developing individual resiliency occurs through the building of informal social ties involving comradery and conversation outside of the “strong ties” associated with family, religion, and co-workers. The UACDC studio collaborated with LRAFB leadership in developing the MWR/ODR Center (hereafter referred to as the Social Center) program, campus layout, and building design around the economy of mass timber technologies. Schematic designs involving mass timber technology mostly addressed glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction though other forms of timber laminate fixing include dowel-laminated and nail-laminated timber. Developing spaces of care drove project planning—akin to what author Sara Jensen Carr calls “topographies of wellness”—alongside the ethos of innovation implicit in rethinking standard commercial-grade construction.

Publication Date

5-2022

Document Type

Report

City

Little Rock, AR

Keywords

Mass timber; Wood utilization and design; Sustainability; Department of Defense; U.S. military

Disciplines

Architecture | Environmental Design | Mental and Social Health | Other Architecture

Awards

2022 The Plan Awards: Mixed Use Future Finalist

Comments

Project Funding by Clemson University under the grant: Advancing Mass Timber Design and Education for Buildings on Military Installations, sponsored by the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities.

Project Team:

University of Arkansas Community Design Center:
Stephen Luoni: Director and Steven L. Anderson Chair in Architecture and Urban Studies
Elizabeth Wehr: Project Architect
Tarun Kumar Potluri: Project Designer
Linda Komlos: Executive and Administrative Assistant

University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design:
Peter MacKeith: Dean and Professor of Architecture
Dr. Ethel Goodstein-Murphree: Associate Dean and Professor of Architecture
Dr. Tahar Messadi: Associate Professor of Architecture, project consultant
Lauren Lamker: The Shed Group, Student Project Designer
Nathan Streeter: The Shed Group, Student Project Designer
Kyra Vreeland: The Shed Group, Student Project Designer
Hadley Carter: The Laminations Group, Student Project Designer
Jeremy Foley: The Laminations Group, Student Project Designer
Sally Senn: The Laminations Group, Student Project Designer

Clemson University Wood Utilization + Design Institute:
Dr. Pat Layton: Director and Professor of Forestry, grant Pl

Clemson University School of Architecture:
Kate Schwennsen, FAIA: Professor of Architecture, grant Co-Pl
Dustin Albright, AIA: Associate Professor of Architecture, project consultant

Clemson University Glenn Department of Civil Engineering:
Dr. Weichiang Pang: Professor of Intelligent Engineering
Michael Stoner: Lecturer
Lancelot Reres: Graduate Research Assistant and Instructor
Bibek Bhardwaj: Graduate Research Assistant
Sovanroth Ou: Graduate Research Assistant
Jayson Leonard: Graduate Research Assistant
Susmita Bhowmik: Graduate Research Assistant
Aaron Desantis: Graduate Research Assistant

Little Rock Air Force Base:
Michael Boyle, AIA: Chief, Engineering Flight
Matthew Smock, PE: Portfolio Optimization Chief
Randall Green: Community Planner
Claire Jolly: Community Planner

A “Third Place” for the Little Rock Air Force Base

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