Design and Integration
Originally, the projected cafe should have all the components and elements, required for effective business and service performance. Thus, the required components involve a kitchen, integrated with the servery area and with the seating area. Thus, the required infrastructure components should be equipped with a reliable ventilation system and the sewerage system, for scents staying in the kitchen area. The toilet facilities, which are an integral part of any cafe may be represented by summer and winter variants, which may be used not only by visitors but also by beach users. The parking place for 50 additional car places must be provided for beach users and cafe visitors. Because the capacities of the cafe presuppose serving up to 60 users, 50 parking places will be enough. The structural systems overview is associated with the implementation of the measures, aimed at improving the structure of the building and improving the construction in general. Thus, all these components should be built from the perspective of load resistance, which is the main aim of structural system engineering.
Structural Systems
Infrastructural systems are available for the selected place, thus, there will be no problems with water, electricity, and sewerage. The only problem which should be resolved is the problem of thermal control for visitors. Originally, it should be based on effective ventilation, and the actual necessity of ventilation is also explained by the access of ocean air, which is the required element for the cafe atmosphere. Because the land is sandy, the infrastructure and building should be enforced enough, in order to endure sand motions and draw (Nadler, Tushman et.al., 2005) The key requirements of the structural system are closely associated with the reliable and functional exterior and attractive interior design.
In general, the analysis of structural loads, required for the definition of structural systems, required for the construction, is closely associated with the analysis of the place, where the building would be located. Originally, the risk factors of the increased loads are sandy soil, winds, storms, and water. Seasonal risk factors are snowfalls and possible hurricanes. Thus, the structural loads will be powerful enough, and their effect should be minimized by implementing the structural system solutions. Originally, the solutions, which may be offered and regarded as an alternative are as follows:
- Base isolation
- Shear walls
- Space frames
- Monocoque
However, monocoque should be regarded as the opposite alternative to supporting columns, and, considering the fact that construction of columns is the final decision for the project, a monocoque sub-system may be regarded as a recommendation.
The structure should entail five columns: four of them on the corners of the site and the fifth one on the middle. This solution is required to improve the durability of the construction. Four columns on the corners will be the basic support element, and the fifth column will be mainly regarded as the design element, required for the creation of the central interior element. (Poggenpohl, 2004) The integration function of columns is the supportive function for the concrete construction and the creation of a specific atmosphere of the design. Thus, the key requirement for these columns is to be of aesthetic friendly appearance.
Sub-systems of structural systems of the cafe entail the necessity to create the sufficient base isolation for the construction was durable and stable enough on the sandy soil. Thus, the structural system requires the implementation of seismic protection, and in spite of the fact that the region is not seismically dangerous, the structure requires sufficient survivability potential for standing on sandy soil. In accordance with Nadler, Tushman et.al (2005, p. 312), the following statement should be emphasized:
It is meant to enable a building or non-building structure to survive a potentially devastating seismic impact through a proper initial design or subsequent modifications. In some cases, the application of base isolation can raise both a structure’s seismic performance and its seismic sustainability considerably.
In the light of this statement, it should be emphasized that base isolation will provide the increased stability of the construction, and form the required basis for resisting the sandy soil motions and shakes.
Along with the supporting columns, the construction should be enforced with the shear walls. From the perspective of structural engineering, shear walls are aimed at resisting lateral loads, affecting the entire structure. Shears are generally made of braced panels or structural plywood, and these are intended to form the supporting framing of the construction. By Poggenpohl (2004, p. 412):
Shear walls are a type of structural system that provides lateral resistance to a building or structure. They resist “in-plane” loads that are applied along with their height. The applied load is generally transferred to the wall by a diaphragm or collector or drag member. They are built in wood and concrete. Plywood is the conventional material used in the construction of Shear Walls, but with advances in technology and modern building methods, there are other prefabricated options, which enable to inject shear assemblies into narrow walls that fall at either side of an opening in a shear wall.
Thus, the shearing of the construction is required to improve the durability of the construction to winds and soil motions, caused by storms on the shore.
The next subsystem is the space frame creation. On the one hand, the roof supporting system is not required for a single-story building, nevertheless, the snowfalls may cause insignificant damages to the entire construction. Enforced by storms and strong winds, the natural disasters may damage the construction, thus, it should be enforced enough for enduring all the possible loads. Space frames are aimed at enforcing the construction, and making it more solid and durable for the lateral loads, which the building, constructed on sandy soil will be subjected to.
The existence of columns in the construction excludes the necessity of creating a monocoque, nevertheless, it would help to save more useful spaces, which could be used for additional service constructions. The monocoque approach is not a conventional one in architecture, thus, it may be regarded only as an alternative.
Conclusion
Construction of a single-story cafe on a beach should be projected from the perspective of enduring the structural loads, and loads associated with natural forces, such as wind, water storms, and snowfalls. Thus, the provided recommendations and analysis of structural sub-systems are required for making the construction more durable. Additionally, some systems are offered as an alternative to the final project of the cafe. All the other sub-systems offered and analyzed may be used for enforcing the entre construction and making it more durable.
Reference List
Nadler, D. A., Tushman, M. L., & Nadler, M. B. 2005. Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture. New York: Oxford University Press.
Poggenpohl, S. H. 2004. Practicing Collaboration in Design. Visible Language, 38(2), 138