Juraj Dulencin

advisor

Faculty of Architecture and Design STU in Bratislava

Slovak

- lecturer and head of the Institute of architecture, Faculty of civil engineering, Brno University… more

Good day Ali,
at the beginning, I would like to commend you for the interesting project of the Vocational training center. The design contains several different operations, which complicates the work. But you have managed to link it well and unify it into a interesting building.

Urban plan
Your design works with the placement of square masses, which you complement with internal atriums. This beautifully connects the interior and exterior of the building and defines the public and private space. At the same time, the greenery contributes to a better micro climate. The orthogonal plan design of the buildings is complemented by the curves of the access road and the parking itself. This creates a contrast with each other - orthogonal and rounded. If that was the intent, I can accept that. However, it would like to make the individual curves more elegantly rounded. The curve at the employee parking is clearly made up of multiple segments and thus does not form a unified line. By inserting the fountain by the parking lot you make it a bit difficult for cars to move and pedestrians don't enjoy it much. I would recommend placing it elsewhere. A water feature would be better placed in the atrium which would make the microclimate more pleasant. When a visitor parks their car, the movement is not clearly defined, there are no sidewalks or they have to cross the road where staff cars are moving.

Floor plans
Two units (buildings) are separated by a wide walkway with trees. This creates a visual axis that is not terminated by anything (sculpture, fountain, entrance,...). Moreover, the main entrance to the building is outside this axis and the parking area is not visually connected. Try to check urban plan of Washington DC for undertanding my comment. The orthogonals are complemented by diagonals, but each main visual axis is terminated by an important monument or building.

- There is a ramp at the entrance. There are more elegant solutions to integrate the ramp into the staircase. Please check picture here: https://polioalberta.ca/form-follows-function-inclusion-designs-can-leave-a-lot-to-be-desired/
- Entrance foyer is nice, but missing place for sitting, I recommend to design more seats but in a way that does not restrict people's movement.
- Space in 1.st floor beside visual room is useless, huge space with staircase, no windows. Try to put some activities there (if the fire safety code defines to keep the space clear, separate the staircase and use the space for some activity). This also applies to the space on 1.st floor, above the main entrance,
- Toilets are too far, hidden and only one for floor, better is design two, each for north and south building,
- Cafe and tuck shop - better is to hide kitchen and open shop to exterior to invite and welcome costumers, put kitchen along the wall with Technical room, keep supplying the kitchen on the right side,
- You have not enough light in classrooms, if they are used for reading and writing you need more light, classrooms are deep - better to put windows on the side as you have in some classrooms.

I want to compliment you for your beautiful and careful work in developing the analysis section. You did a great job.

Dear Juraj Dulencin,
Thank you so much for your precious comments on my project and deeply showing the interest .
Your suggestions are very helpfull for me.
Next time I will try to incoprate the things in my design which you hilighted.