Technical Research Project

WMS Boa thouseScott Dobson | Paige Sullivan

Par t One: The F i rm

S t u d i o G a n gJeanne Gang | Principal

The WMS Boathouse was designed by Jeanne Gang and Studio Gang Architects, a firm based out of Chicago,

Illinois. The firm has produced numerous award-winning buildings all over the world. Jeanne Gang drew influences

early on from experiences she had on family trips, as well as scenes from movies. Her father was a civil engineer, and it

was through him that she was truly introduced to the marvels of the built environment. The two would often go on long

drives to study roads and bridges. A family vacation to Mesa Verde in Colorado opened her eyes to the possibilities of

what architecture could be.

One of Studio Gang’s most significant buildings is the Aqua Tower located in downtown Chicago. Completed in

2010 this 82 story residential high-rise was awarded the 2010 Honor for Distinguished Building from the AIA Chicago,

along with several other prestigious awards. The tower boasts one of the most extensive green roofs in Chicago and is

programmatically divided between a hotel, apartments, condominiums, parking and offices. The most notable aspect of

the building is its wave-like facade shaped by unique outdoor terraces. The design of each terrace is based on views, solar

shading and dwelling size.

The Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo is another key work in Studio Gang’s portfolio. Also located in

Chicago, this project centers around a 19th century urban pond which has been revamped into a protected ecological re-

search habitat. Studio Gang focused on hydrology, improving the quality of water along with the landscape to create an

outdoor learning space. The implementation of a boardwalk that connects multiple educational environments together

as it meanders through the park.

A final project worth mentioning, is the Solar Carve Tower in New York City. This building follows the idea of

‘solar carving’ that is visible in almost all of the work done by Studio Gang. Expected to be completed in 2015, the Solar

Carve Tower uses incident angles defined by the rays of the sun to shape the exterior body of the building. Like the Aqua

Tower, the building’s form is also influenced by specific viewpoints from around the city.

Jeanne Gang graduated with distinction from Harvard University Graduate School of Design in 1993, where she

received the AIA Certificate of Merit. Before that she attended ETH: Swiss Federal University of Technical Studies in

Zurich. Jeanne has been in practice since 1993 when she started working with OMA/Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam, The

Netherlands. She was a project architect and lead designer from 93-95. She founded Studio Gang Architects in 1997, and

is still currently acting as principle.

Studio Gang Architects obviously positions themselves very highly among other influential architecture firms,

describing themselves as a research firm whose ‘studio is like a laboratory.’ As in the case of most significant firms in

the world, critics have many things to say about the work done by studio Gang. Paul Goldberger, a critic supporting the

design of the Aqua Tower recently described the project as “reclaiming the notion that thrilling and beautiful form can

still emerge out of the realm of the practical.”

Studio Gang’s process begins with research in order to create a concrete understanding of the design question at

hand. Collaboration is key to SGA’s process, so they encourage communication and connection with clients and other

trades from the beginning. The team designs with the assistance of diagrams, models and drawings. With an emphasis

on green design a constant factor in all of their designs the use of building efficiency testing and research technology is a

must; the firm prides itself on the fact that all of their staff completes LEED certification.

Par t Two: Pos i t ion

W M S B o a t h o u s e

The Two-story WMS Boathouse, with roughly 20,000 square feet, is a rowing training and boat stor-

age facility. It is home to the Chicago Rowing Foundation and North Park University’s women’s rowing team

in Chicago’s Clark Park.

The structure of the Boathouse visually captures the poetic rhythm and motion of rowing. The ebb

and flow of the rhythmic pushing and pulling expresses the roof shapes. The rhythm of alternating between

V and M along the roofline allows for a delicate passive solar gain for the boat storage area. The clerestories

allow the light warm the floor slab of the structure in winter and switch to ventilate in the summer to minimize

energy use throughout the year. The boathouse’s design of the time-lapse motions provides visual intrigue

while also allowing environmental advantages that lets the boathouse adapt to Chicago’s aggressive sea-

sonal changes.

The Boathouse’s mimic of the entire rowing motion translates to the site and offers a gateway to the

river front. The project is one of the many projects along the Chicago River to revitalize the water’s edge in

Chicago. By providing a publically accessible riverfront, it reveals to the public a larger movement toward an

ecological and recreational revival of the Chicago River.

The Boathouse is a very simple building, it is on one side a high performing low energy use shed for

boat storage. On the other side, there is a two level enclosure for training and resting for the rowers and

kayakers. The systems work very passively in the boat storage area with either being open for the boats to

be brought in and out of or to remain in storage without worrying about the shells wearing out from climate

conditions. While in the field house light is brought in from two story spanning slices of glass. Most of these

slices occur on every side but the south end. Rowing is primarily an early morning sport so the training ar-

eas are positioned on the west end to have more reflective light with they are in the midst of training. As the

day moves on the rowers switch to relaxation after the sun has moved away from the eastern side.

The circulation stairs are located in the spaces between the rest area and training area. They act more as

implied barriers than a system of moving up and down the one flight of steps. The circulation is part of the

ritual of training your body as a rower, moving from rowing machine or rowing tank to resting.

The major system of the Boathouse is its simple structure. The mass of the building is then broken

into connected bays and each bay connection is shaped like an M or a V on top of the frame of structure.

Within this mass there is a simple frame system of I beams that also connect between bays. The roof is

then pulled over these frozen motions to complete the motion. Structurally, there are simple roof slats that

slowly rotate where they meet the two differing roof angles.

The glass for the Boathouse is Guardian SunGuard SNX 62/27 and was selected to deliver energy

savings and abundant daylight. The glass has 62% visible light transmission, a low 0.27 solar heat gain co-

efficient for a light-to-solar gain ratio of 2.30. The glass has three microscopic thin silver layers in the coat-

ing to block solar heat gain, achieving maximum energy efficiency while retaining high visible light transmis-

sion. The glass features a neutral exterior appearance, so that building benefits still without a dark or overly

reflective look. The SNX 62/27 also helped the Boathouse qualify for LEED points. (Gardian) Tubelite also

supplied 400 Series curtain wall and its T14000 storefront system with wide-style doors.

The Clark Park boathouse building costs $8.8 million. All funding was split between $3.2 million in pri-

vate funding, including $2 million from WMS (an electronic gaming manufacturer), $1 million from North Park

University, $200,000 from the Chicago Rowing Foundation, and $1 million matched by Ald. Ameya Pawar.

Engineers and Manufacturers

The Glass: Guardian SunGuard SNX 62/27

Architect: Studio Gang Architects, Chicago, Illinois

Guardian Select Fabricator

Trulite Glass & Aluminum Solutions, New Berlin, Wisconsin

Glazier: CAD Contract Glazing, Wheeling, Illinois

Metal Supplier: Tubelite

General Contractor: Schaefges Brothers, Inc

The plumbing system in the WMS Boathouse is fairly simple. A main mechanical room located on the

first floor contains the water tank for the building. From here pipes travel through the floor to the row tank

room, as well as up and through the second floor. These pipes connect the second florr bathroom and the

community room with the main water tank on the first floor.

P l u m b i n g

A i r C i r c u l a t i o n Circulation of air in the WMS Boathouse is accomplished through ducts that run from a main fan room

on the first floor. The ducts connect throughout the entire building, releasing air through the ceiling on the

first floor and through the floor on the second floor. The fan room connects to the exterior of the building to

draw in fresh air and release air from the building.

The slanted roof of the WMS Boathouse naturally carries water from the roof down the sides of the

building. Located at the base of the building is a gravel trench that wraps around the entire

structure. This trench catches all of the water from the roof and funnels it to nearby

drainage ditches.

0’ 2’

Glazing to Roof Connection Detail

At the scale of the Building

The glazing on the WMS Boathouse is designed to

extend from the floor all the way to the ceiling. To

accomplish this seamlessly the glazing is set up into

the roof itself. This allows for a clean connection detail.

At the Scale of the Detail

M o m e n t s o f I n t e g r a t i o n

A grid system of columns allows the roof to

cantilever over an exterior, second floor ter-

race. By doing this Studio Gang was able to

push the circulation to the outside of the

columns, and engage the structure in the

human experience of the building.

At the scale of the Room

A thin slice of glass is set into a larger I beam. This is

then sheltered by layers of insulation and slate which

forms the building’s envelope.

E n v e l o p e

The structure of the WMS Boathouse is set up in a

formal grid system. This system bends inward and has

a vertically irregular column structure. The structure

of the building is the backbone of the ‘act of rowing’

concept.

S t r u c t u r e

Circulation blocks act as implied barriers and slowly diffuse into spaces. A single staircase in the public lobby

acts as a sculptural piece and ties the first floor to the second floor. Two egress staircases are tucked away

in quiet corners of the building, meant only for emergency use. This leaves the sculptural staircase as the

primary means of circulation between the first and second floors.

C i r c u l a t i o n

M o d e l P h o t o s