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BASIS OF DESIGN REPORTUNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGASS T E W A R T C H R I S T E N S E N

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

-Bruce Lee

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The client is looking for a labyrinth to be designed for the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus along the north eastern end of campus, know as the mall. The goals of the labyrinth are many fold and may include: a focal element to a xeriscaped garden area, addressing the spiritual needs of students, research opportunities for the h e a l t h c a r e a n d e d u c a t i o n d e p a r t m e n t s , c o m m u n i t y partnerships, memorial location, and/or a piece of art.

The client would like to provide a quiet, meditative space for students and faculty in hopes that people will be able to find a place of solitude despite their busy lives. At project completion the university will have detailed construction documents outlining the materials and methods for building a labyrinth within the specified site along the mall corridor.

Inventory/Analysis

Location The site is located in Las Vegas Nevada on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus. It lies on the the north east end of campus along the “mall” corridor. To the east of the site are the art buildings and to the west of the site lies the CEB Education building and the beginnings of the Law School. To the north of the site is a large staircase that leads to the Performing Arts buildings, and to the south the corridor continues until it meets the Student Union about 300 yards away.

Climate The Las Vegas Valley does experience four defined seasons but they are not typical of other regions in the nation. The summers are extremely hot with highs well in the 100’s and lows in the 70’s. These summer temperatures are made more bearable due to the low relative humidity, but it is an uncomfortable environment. Winters in this region are mild and comfortable with mid afternoon highs around 60 degrees and clear skies. The city does average 24 days of below freezing temperatures but this is low

compared to other parts of the nation. The Spring and Fall months are ideal in this region and make outdoor activities very pleasant. Because of the Sierra Nevada and Spring Mountains the valley does not receive much rainfall and only averages 4.1 inches a year.

Microclimate The location of the site provides a great opportunity due to its proximity to nearby sheltering buildings and the large mature trees that protect this region of the campus. The shade from the trees and the fact that the Mall is covered in grass creates a very comfortable micro climate even on warm summer days. Also, some of the trees are deciduous, and during winter months part of the Mall receives a good amount of sun as well. The eastern most walkway receives the most shade. The art buildings shade this section of pathway from the morning sun and the trees provide shade the rest of the day. The western most walkway receives shade from the trees during the morning hours but is left fairly exposed throughout the afternoon. This difference creates a very flexible space and the user can typically find a comfortable path to take any time of year.

Design IntentU

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The site is a very flexible space that users typically find comfortable any time of year

“Labyrinths have served for thousands of years in many world cultures as symbols of hope, healing and spirit. Many who walk these paths say they discover a sense of deep peace and hope.”

Johns Hopkins Medical

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The selected site is sandwiched between these two walkways and therefore has both sun and shade factors that are found on the walkways. The south eastern end of the site is heavily shaded while the northern and westerly ends of the site receive heavy sun. Most of the site is currently grass with 8 trees located in the grass on southern half of the site. This is the most comfortable area of the site in the hotter Las Vegas months. The northern end does not have trees located directly on site but there are a few trees to the east and west of the site which provide some shade during various times of day.

The site is also fairly well situated to deal with the sometimes prevalent Las Vegas winds. The site has buildings on either side, a large elevation change to the north, and large mature trees. All of these elements combine to make a good wind barrier, and while winds will still be noticeable they will not be as powerful as other areas in the valley or on campus.

All of these elements combine to make a very effective and comfortable microclimate. Because the space is so flexible, users can find relief in both summer and winter months, and this flexibility makes the site an interesting candidate for design development.

Views and Sightlines The site is very limited in regards to viewsheds and sightlines. Because of the tree cover and close proximity to buildings there are no views of particular mention, however this is not to say that the area is not enjoyable. When looking south from the north end of the site the left (east) side is very enclosed and cocoon like, however on the right side one can see all the way down the Mall as well as the tops of the buildings on the right. This west side is very open and comfortable. When looking to the north end of the site the user has an unobstructed view to the performing arts Buildings and the large flashlight sculpture designed by Claes Oldenburg. The large axis that leads west coincides perfectly with the mall corridor. Large trees and and grass run the length of both axis creating a nice environment with intimate views.

Hardscape Conditions The site is located in the older portion of campus and this shows through somewhat in the condition of the hardscape. Most of the walkways are in good condition but there is noticeable cracking that runs linearly along the long axis of the major walkways. These cracks appear to be minor at this point but it should be noted that they are there. The real damage exists on the inside corners of the walkways. It appears that rounded concrete corners were pored after the original walkway was pored. This may have been done because vehicles often cut the corners, which causes the grass to die. It looks as though the new concrete corners were brought in to fix this problem. However this same vehicle activity has caused these corner slabs to subside and crack. The best solution may be to remove these corners and replace them with something more forgiving like rock or DG. Other than these corner slabs the rest of the concrete on and around the site appears to be in good condition. There were typ. minor concrete cracks throughout the site but nothing that is of particular concern.

Another item to be noted is the condition of the brick pavers used in the rose garden. The pavers are in good condition except for those that receive overspray from the sprinkler system. These pavers are in fair condition and there is visible wear and water damage.

Infrastructure and Utilities There is a fire hydrant located on the north end of the site. The hydrant is in good condition and sits in the grass receiving spray from the sprinklers so it probably has to be painted and maintained often. The main lighting is directly off site on either side of the two north to south walkways. The lights appear to be in good condition however the site was not visited at night so it is not currently know if the site receives adequate lighting. There are a few large underground lock boxes on site that appear to be in good condition as well. There was no visible damage or vandalism. The large catch basin on the east side is in good condition and looks to be draining the site properly.

Site Furniture The precast concrete benches are standard for UNLV but they are not comfortable or esthetically pleasing. The benches on and around the site are in good condition and do not necessitate replacement. There is standard UNLV signage on and around the site that is in fair condition and only needs fresh paint.

Vegetation The trees on and around the site are mature and provide a heavy shade canopy to the south end of the site. The maple tree that is located on the south east end of the site looks unhealthy and may be dying. The tree may be fine and just under stress do to high temperatures but the tree should be looked at immediately, and necessary measures taken. The grass on the site is in good condition. There are some areas that need better coverage but these are minimal. The shrubs in the rose garden are doing fine, and the roses themselves are are fine as well. There were no obvious issues with the soils in the planter beds or those in the grass areas. While the soil is devoid of nutritional value it is typical of Las Vegas and there are no issues of concern.

Structures The buildings on both the east and west sides of the site work to inclose the area and give the site a linear structure. The main building is the art department to the east, and its presence has a noticeable effect on the site, both visually, and psychologically. The building also provides morning shade for the eastern north/south walkway.

Einstein“It is a miracle that curiosity survives a formal education”

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Users The site is used as a corridor by students, faculty, and vehicles. It does not appear that the space is used as a resting or sitting area. On occasion I have seen a class or two using the space while sketching, but other than that I have not seen people using the site. Because the space is transient there is some pedestrian/vehicle conflict but it is typical and not of major concern. The pedestrians are aware of the vehicles and the vehicles drive at safe speeds. Among the various modes of transportation are: walking, skateboarding, cycling, golf carts, vending machine trucks, and maintenance vehicles. The site sees the most traffic, Monday thru Thursday during class times from 8:30 am to about 6 pm. There is some use on fridays, but it is not nearly as heavy as the other week days. The weekends see minimal traffic. Most of the traffic travels North/South but there is a fair amount of cross traffic as well. Often the South to North traffic breaks off to the West at the large intersection on the north end of the site. These users are heading to the other classroom building on the North/West side of campus.

ConclusionOverall this site is a great location for the

proposed labyrinth. The location is very visible and well used so the labyrinth will not go unnoticed.

The micro climate in this area is ideal for outdoor seating however the space is not currently used in this manner. Consideration should be made to adding a seating area in conjunction with the labyrinth to encourage people to use the space. It is more likely that people would walk the labyrinth if they were stopped or sitting in the area rather than just passing through. However it should also be noted that a seating area in this location may not be successful. Seating areas on campus often need a draw before people use them. In the sycamore grove the draw is created by the sidewalk cafe, and the student union creates a draw on the other end of campus. Without a food establishment or some other anchor the seating area may remain empty.

The Mall area is covered in turf which gives the Mall its pleasant atmosphere but it also uses a large amount of water. A labyrinth has the potential to reduce at least a small portion of turf and thus conserve water. If the project is planned well this labyrinth will enhance the atmosphere of the space despite this turf reduction.

A labyrinth on the university campus will provide great opportunities for many fields to do research on the cognitive effects of labyrinths. Currently there are few scientific studies on the effects of labyrinths. The education, phycology, and other departments can use the labyrinth to perform child development research , cognitive

research, and other research associated with labyrinths. As discussed before the labyrinth will also perform as a space for students and faculty to relax and enjoy. This campus, and in particular this site, is a great location for the proposed labyrinth.

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This campus, and in particular this site, is a great location for the proposed labyrinth

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SourcesClimate Datahttp://www.wrh.noaa.gov/vef/climate/pagei.php

UNLV imagehttp://zobi09.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/unlv1.jpg

root rebelshttp://www.unlv.edu/global/html/homepageRotation/images/RootRebels.jpg

girl readinghttp://www.jrmtutoring.com/images/principles.jpg

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