MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Concept and Inspiration
Owner Goals
The developer wants to provide a place for local design
education opportunities and for the public and the design
community/industry to have a place where open
communication can occur. He also plans on using the
adaptive reuse of this historic mill building as an example
of sustainable design. He believes that transparency in
business practices and the challenges of the economic
downturn has opened up opportunities for architects,
designers and sales agents to provide builders,
contractors, and the general public with product
information and design solutions that will promote green
design and financial prosperity for all.
Design Concept
Type of Form: clustered form because each type of space
will be grouped together
Ordering Principles/Plan Arrangement: axis applies to the
spacial arrangement of the clustered types of spaces
Space Relationships: sharing a common space where all
areas will feed from a central location for security and
convenience
Design Approach: decorative or applied design in the form
of materials and finishes
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Building Location and Existing Conditions
Location Overview
• 7 Vance Avenue, City of Memphis (the South End)
Shelby County, Tennessee
• Region: Southern US, Southwestern Tennessee, adjacent to the Mississippi River
• Global positioning of building: 35 08’16.81”N, 90 03’34.88”W Elevation 322 ft
Historical Data
Memphis was chartered, surveyed and designed in 1819 by General/President
Andrew Jackson, General James Winchester and Judge John Overton. The city
was incorporated in 1826.
Existing Conditions
• The site is the former Nylon Net Company warehouse and office building.
• It has 225,000 square feet of usable space. Each floor comprises approximately
74,000sqft.
• The red brick exterior has large arched windows on all four sides of its exterior
façade.
• The building has 3 levels, a partial basement, full first and second levels.
Program Congruence
Memphis is a city on the rise. There are multiple organizations and
programs in the city implementing redevelopment, regeneration,
and revitalization programs in the communities, economic centers
and landscape.
•“The mission of the Memphis Regional Chapter of the USGBC is to
educate the Memphis Metropolitan and Greater MidSouth
community in the art and science of sustainable design and
construction practices, and to guide the community into the regular
implementation of such practices.”
http://chapters.usgbc.org/memphis/
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Project Overview
Floor Plan The Design Education Center has spaces for Design Offices for lease/rental, a
Resource Room, Lecture Halls for education and informational meetings, Exhibition
and Display spaces for building and interiors products and equipment, and a Café
space. The Center is designed to promote education in design practices thereby
fostering a healthy design community.
The developer wants this space to self support. This will be achieved through lease
and rental fees from the Designer Offices, Meeting Rooms. Café, and Display and
Exhibit spaces.
Because the overall design concept is flexibility, the space has elements that can be
disassembled easily and relocated or recycled. Part of flexibility is the ability to adapt
and reuse a space for another purpose with minimal materials loss or change. This
conserves and is more sustainable.
Exterior Views and Interior Comfort are
important. Because the exterior is wrapped in
windows, the views will be maintained by using
fire rated acoustical glass walls around the
meeting rooms and lecture halls. The exterior
wall to the building corridor will also be a curtain
wall to extend the views into the accessway.
There are also windows added to walls between
30-90” to allow daylight into the corridors.
Neutral Brown
Color Scheme to
serve as a
backdrop for the
applied finishes
and displayed
merchandise
Accent Colors
Present in the
column wraps,
upholstery, and
Education is the main
focus of the Design
Center. Starting with the
Lecture Rooms and
continuing into the
Display and Exhibit
Spaces and in every
nook and cranny. The
materials ,finishes,
equipment and
furnishings all teach
lessons in innovation,
sustainability, and
universal design,
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Flooring and Surface Treatments
Flooring Plan
Throughout
Hardwood Flooring
Existing tongue and
groove flooring
repaired with
reclaimed lumber and
painted for uniformity.
Lecture Hall
Milliken Modular
Traction backed
carpet tile -Persian
Dynasty-Samovar
It has permanent
conductive fiber to
reduce static
electricity.
Wet Areas
Spacia Access vinyl
tile-Travertine
Allows the floor to
be removed from
the existing wood
for future
adaptation.
Sherwin Williams
Low –VOC Porch and
Floor Enamel
Base boards
Formica Micro-
Perf. Aluminum
Veneer
Baseboard set-in
4”Hx1”D
The flooring in the space is an antique hardwood that should be preserved due to its
durability. It will be maintained under a coat of low voc paint. No wall will cause
damage and the floor will be cut as little as possible in the construction process. All
of the restroom fixtures will be wall mounted.
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center
Reception and Business Core
Armstrong Natural
Variations Cherry
veneer for wall
panels-FSC certified
Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Armourcoat Wall panel in Sand
Glass Panel with Logo
Moz Designs Aluminum panel for canopy
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center
Reception and Business Core
Glazing to maintain exterior
views with a privacy option-
LCD glass
AvantiSystems USA
Polished Plaster by
Armourcoat in
Corridors
Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Sliding Glass Doors
sandwiched between an
LCD panel and a single
glass panel to create an
accoustically sound
partition wall.
Avantisystems USA
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center
Lecture Rooms
Acousti-Seal 911 (Fire Rated)
Ultra-Seal operable partitions
used with the ceiling mounted
Smart Track™ switch and curve,
suspension- The single panels
are stored in a remote pocket.
Modernfold panel systems
Move Arc Table with flip-top, optional data
ports, and optional privacy screen. These
tables nest. Zii Chair folds and may be
fully upholstered. SurfaceWorks US
Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Sliding Panel Board System
Magnatag-wall secured and not
floor mounted to be easily removed
IdeaPaint
Marmoleum Surface
Solutions for
SurfaceWorksUS
Linoleum-Walnut for
table tops
Garret Leather
Multimedia Lectern
and Projection Screen
Da-Lite Screen Co.
Woodworks Acoustical Ceiling
System Armstrong Tegular
Video
Conferencing
Lighting
Columbia
Lighting
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center
Life Safety Plan and Universal Design
Drinking Fountains and Water Coolers -
Spout Height and Knee Clearance
27 inches (685 mm) minimum from the floor to
the underside of the fountain which extends 8
inches (205 mm) minimum measured from the
front edge underneath the fountain back
towards the wall; if a minimum 9 inches (230
mm) of toe clearance is provided, a maximum
of 6 inches (150 mm) of the 48 inches (1220
mm) of clear floor space required at the fixture
may extend into the toe space. (4.15.2,
4.15.5) AADG.org
The side grab bar shall be 40-42 inches in
length, beginning 12 inches maximum from the
rear wall, 33-36 inches above the finish floor
Verge Sink by
BradleyCorp. has
36” clearance space
and saves space in
the lavatory by
combining 2-3 sinks
in one.
Advocate Sink by BradleyCorp. advocates for
universal design in restrooms by allowing the
units to be mounted at varying heights to
accommodate a variety of users, conveniently
placing all accessory areas within the wet area
keeping the floor slip free and reducing the use
of paper towels with its built-in hand dryer.
Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center
Display Area- Exhibit
Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Halcyon Shades Fabric colorways
Design Solution for lighting and solar
control due to the large and numerous
exterior windows in this space. Woven
with color on one side and a metal
reflective material to the window side for
reflecting heat and reducing glare while
maintaining excellent exterior views.
Light Meter to read
Scotopic (solar) and
Photopic lumens/lux.
Placed on the wall near
the windows and near
the interior wall to show
how much daylight is
near the windows and
how much is reflected off
the light shelves into the
space. The exhibit in this
space is Hunter Douglas
Contract.
MozDesigns Canopy to
house direct downlighting
parabolics for the corridor
.
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Reflected Ceiling Plan with Lighting
Luminance™Light Shelves incorporate a unique assembly process that includes a tilt-down panel
feature allowing easy maintenance of the light reflecting surface and the glazing above it. This surface is
highly reflective and slightly textured, yielding a penetrating, diffused light deeper into the interior space.
Modular components simplify fabrication, installation
and replacement. The pivoting panel feature makes each modular panel component very easy to clean
Designed around “Design for Disassembly” principles.
Juno track lighting for
Exhibits and Displays Business Office and
Resource Room
Lightolier Aleron Pendant
Scott Architectural
Lighting Pendants
for Front Corridor
Lightolier Expo Pendant
for accent lighting in the
Business Office
MozDesigns Canopy Inspiration
LED strip
lighting for
accents in
the corridors
RSA Lighting
MDEC Memphis Design Education
Center Erica Yvette Byrd
Senior Capstone Project 2010
Healthcare equipment and Furniture will
be displayed in the space by various
manufacturers showcasing their newest
and most innovative products.
Display Area- Healthcare
Architex Privacy
Curtain and
Upholstery Fabric
solution dyed
nylon 400000
Wyzenbeek
tested and bleach
cleanable
MOZDesigns Column wrap in Aluminum with perforated computer
shelf for more user interaction. The column areas also have
directional signage, data ports, and emergency signage