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Leroy Ali-Osman

Leroy Ali-Osman

Durham, NC, US

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Dynamic Tension - (Mixed-Use Mid-Rise)

Located on Rosalind Avenue between Lake Eola and the Orange County Courthouse, the intervention is conceived as a formal convergence of these two important components in Downtown Orlando.  Its built form draws from the vertical and horizontal essential qualities of each, creating a dynamic tension.  The hybrid nature of the program allows for accommodations that satisfy a wide range of functional requirements.  Facilities for a medical research institute provide a much needed and valued service that affects much more than just the community of downtown Orlando.  In response to the growing student population of the area, the intervention contains a housing component which can support approximately one hundred and fifty graduate students.  Ancillary spaces such as study lounges, computer labs and a book store also help to foster an academic environment.  Spaces on the street level, and the first floors of the main building make up the public aspect of the project.  Exhibition galleries open onto both sides of the street engaging  passing pedestrians.  In addition, a multi-use auditorium, restaurant and small shops offer a variety of uses that help draw a great number of occupants.  The most impactful urban feature of the project is the tiered park space that occupies much of the ground and roofs of the mentioned programmed spaces along the sidewalks.  These greenspaces are entirely public and will activate the journey up Rosalind Avenue at the scale of the pedestrian.  Because the intervention occurs on both sides as well as above the street, the automobile becomes an important part of the project.  A portion of the park space, which also contains the restaurant, spans Rosalind Avenue allowing for a unique exchange between the individual and the vehicle through which each gains a new perspective of the other.

 
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Status: School Project
Location: Orlando, FL, US
My Role: Designer