Site Model Progress Prints

Below are some early images of my intended site. Using sketchup, cad, and some hi-res aerial photos, I have created a 3-d virtual model of the Bangor Waterfront, including much of downtown. The highlighted area is the intended site for my project. This is a shift from what I had anticipated earlier, but I believe it is for the best. Early in the process, I was thinking of a more wooded site, but as my research unfolded, I began to see the importance of the Penobscot river in this region. Bangor wasnt put on the map because it was in the forest, but instead because it was on a river that enabled it to utilize the timber from the surrounding forests. Furthermore, this site is accessible from major roadways, railway, and the river. This type of accessibility is vital for a building aspiring to become the center of the region.

Stay tuned....there will be much more to come over the coming months. I anticipate posting a building program progress print, as well as a more formal site analysis within the next week or so...

The process of the "Sawmill" as a symbol

As my research goes on, I am beginning to see the relevance of the “sawmill” as a symbol for the region. Not so much literally, but figuratively. Afterall, it wasn’t trees that put Bangor on the map, but lumber. The sawmill is an interesting place. It is a collector, a transformer, and a distributor. Logs came from all around the state via rivers, trucks, and trains. They underwent a transformation within the mill. They were then distributed out into the world. Is this a metaphor for what could/should be accomplished within my civic center??? People gather from all around in this place where they are “transformed” by new knowledge, experiences, sense of community, etc. They are then disseminated back out into the world? I am excited about the potential richness of this symbolism. If I could boil the sawmill down to its main components, collection, transformation, and distribution, I could use these to guide my design.