WATKINS GLEN
RESEARCH CENTER

In Design Studio II, the challenge is to design on a steep site. Students were given the entire semester to design an automotive research center at Watkins Glen International Raceway.

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My design was influenced by the BWM Welt in Munich, Germany, and followed a concept of aerofoil induction - the basic automotive principles of how air enters and flows through a vehicle. Following these rules, I created a building that took advantage of the steep site by both burying and raising separate wings of the building.

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The program was rather flexible, so I decided to add extra square footage for research space, a simulator room, a showroom, and cafe. The lot is also equipped with on-site housing for any researchers spending bulks of time conducting research.

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See above for the final design solution, and to the right for an animated walkthrough of the project. Being someone who has heavy interest in classic cars and auto racing, I enjoyed this project very much and appreciated the flexibility we were given with the program.