Site Analysis

Demographics

Sunsete Park has a significant Hispanic and Asian population and is safe to assume that the majority of the neighborhoods are coming from an immigrant background and with family households being the majority of residents, providing a school for immigrant children can be vital to supporting the community/neighborhood.

Land Use 

Sunset Park is a Brooklyn neighborhood with a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Here we can infer that residents are regularly active along 4th and 5th Ave most amenities and commercial spaces seem to be located along those avenues with the majority of residents living along there as well with a wall of industrial buildings separating the site from the neighborhood. Perhaps providing opportunities for schools to be accessible to the public can help further bring the community to Bush Terminal such as a welcoming corridor that connects between Bush Terminal Park to 5th Ave for a more accessible commute.

Contextual Analysis

Sunset Park is situated on relatively flat terrain, with a gentle slope leading towards the waterfront. However, after analyzing the topographic change, we can identify a dramatic increase in elevation, getting steeper as we move east. Its flat topography, combined with its proximity to the bay, makes the neighborhood susceptible to flooding. As a result, the site is submerged within a flood plane of 2’ - 4’ which is important to be mindful of as we’ll have to be cautious about locating any programs below or on ground level and will have to locate mechanical systems above ground level. However, a large open lot for the site offers the opportunity to design the landscape to help mitigate flooding while also possibly raising ground floor elevation to avoid water seeping into the building and perhaps designing rainwater systems to collect any runoffs within the site. To mitigate the risk of flooding, the city has implemented various flood control measures, including the construction of seawalls and pumping stations. 

Transportation Access & Transportation

As we look throughout the neighborhood for its circulation and its use of transportation we begin to notice that Sunset Park holds a variety of options for public transportation. B35 & B70 buses would have the shortest walking distance to the site/main entry of the park. However we can’t deny no matter what bus or train you take, will take a decent amount of walking to reach the site. In this map, we identify the closest bus/train stops to go to and from Bush Terminal and identify their shortest walking distance to the site. This is crucial to understand as the majority of parents are likely to commute through public transportation while faculty and workers are more likely to use their personal vehicles. And while children may be transported through school buses, we must consider solutions to have our site more accessible to the community we reside in.

Local Access & Circulation

Some things to take note of from the local circulation of the site are:

1. The main entry of Bush Terminal Park, however, raises concerns with the intersection of 

vehicles and pedestrians along the entry.

2. Pose’s a possible main entry to the site/school for parents and children to drop off their child by foot.

3. Can be a secondary entry to the site/school for faculty to use and an easier way for students to access Bush Terminal recreation spaces.

4. Potential location for school buses to drop off students and parking entry for faculty.

Microclimate & Noise

We can conclude that the building would be receiving direct sunlight from the opposite direction of the ocean bay, hinting at a possible location for light wells and other forms of openings along the building. Furthermore, with winds and noises being established, we can determine potential openings and locations for outdoor spaces blocking off western winter winds with massing that will also block off noise travel from vehicles moving along the west. From there we can also consider creating a funnel facing towards the ocean bay to allow sea breeze to enter during warmer months while also allowing pleasant noises of birds and sea to enter as well. With the context of the moderate to loud noises coming from almost all directions of the site, we can also propose forestation around the site to create a more natural environment while also naturally blocking off unwanted sounds such as cars, trucks, and pedestrians.

Site Reflection & Project Proposal

Here are a couple of information and concerns we’ve found throughout the site analysis but also some potential solutions that can be applied to the site such as:

1. The community is blocked off from the site by the industrial wall of industry buildings and the highway that runs across 3rd Ave, making it a very unfriendly space to commute.

Solution: Create a pedestrian-friendly pathway connecting Sunset Park’s residential zone (where most of the local community is located) to the project site.

2. The initial site is very restrictive for a school and can limit an immersive environment that could help heal immigrant children.

Solution: Create a landfill along one of the piers of Bush Terminal and locate the school there to provide a closer connection to water and provide forestation on the newly added landfill to foster the vision for an immersive environment.

3. No direct connection to the site from the main entry of Bush Terminal Park to the site.

Solution: Use the initial site to provide an alternative entry to the Bush Terminal that’ll provide direct access to the school for vehicles, bikes, and pedestrians.

4. The site is within a flood plane of 2 ft - 3.9 ft which creates flooding concerns

Solution: Manipulate landfill for an elevation rise of 4’ or more along the newly added site to prevent flooding and to design the terrain so rain runoff is towards the water and not the building. 

After Analyzing the site we can understand how the site / Bush Terminal works around the neighborhood and realize there are obstacles to face that can be resolved. I realize there’s more to simply designing a school and for this project to be successful we’ll have to look beyond the boundaries of the site and create a solution that connects the neighborhood to the school.