This CAF Newhouse 2011 project (#462) has been awarded First Prize
Bus shelters around Chicago have been the same for several decades. As everything around the city is changing the bus shelters also need to change. The concept for my bus shelter is umbrellas. Umbrellas provide shelter from both the rain and the sun. Not only do they provide shelter but they also change the city's view. I do not think that all bus shelters should be the same. There are many different neighborhoods around Chicago. Having each neighborhood design their own bus shelters would add to the diversity and uniqueness of the city of Chicago.
floresv's work for the Collect Information step:
In Chicago all bus shelters are the designed the same way. The basic function of these bus shelters is to provide shelter for the millions of public transportation users. Most bus shelters are made with corrosion-free material. Public transportation has become more popular in recent years because of the increase in gas prices. Therefore the shelters provide a place for the many passengers to wait. These shelters provide a place to avoid the rain and a place to sit. However that bus shelters do not provide heat for the passengers. Winters in Chicago can get pretty brutal and waiting for a bus or train in the cold is not easy. According to the Chicago Tribune Kraft Foods provided heat to several bus shelters downtown as well as samples of their food. This heat was only temporary so passengers continue to suffer through the long winter. The average a person waits for a bus is about fifteen minutes. But the time may vary. During rush hours buses are more frequent. Still there are always more than three people still waiting at the same time in one bus shelter, which can be a problem considering there are only three seats. The CTA is always asking the government for more funding and they are always trying to find ways to make more money. Advertising on their buses is one of those ways that they make money. Recently, they have also started to have Solar Powered Backlight 3’9 x 5’10 panels to advertise on their bus shelters. The CTA charges one hundred dollars a month to advertise. If they raised the rates, they could use that money to at least heat the shelters, for their passengers.
Problems with the existing bus shelters
- The glass walls have gaps in them that allow wind to come in
- Many do not accommodate people in wheel chairs because they are located too close to the curb.
- Are often vandalized.
-Many are located far from the actual bus stop.
-Many argue they were only designed to "look nice" and with the passengers not in mind.
Completed
floresv's work for the Brainstorm Ideas step:
sketch
Addison Ave.
Addision & Western Intersection
Addison Ave. Possible location.
Features
-Heating
-Lights
-Corrosion free material
-Map of city
-CTA routes
-Seating for at least four people
- Wheel chair accessible
-Bullet proof walls
Most walls should be transparent to provide safety to passengers. This prevents crime as well.
Colors should resemble the CTA company.
It also eliminates the chances of the shelter to be vandalized.
The shelter will be located exactly where the bus stop is, many passengers complain that some shelters are located far away from the actual stop causing them to miss it.
floresv's work for the Develop Solutions step:
Solar panels used to light and heat the shelter.
LCD screen used tell bus times and how long it takes for the next bus.
pre-rendering
Rendering number one
One of the many complaints from bus passengers are the weather conditions they suffer from every winter. My solution to this problem is adding heat lamps to provide some heat to the passengers awaiting the bus.
Going "green" is becoming very popular; in order to help the environment by bus shelter will include lights that are powered by solar panels located on the top of the bus shelter. Another feature of my bus shelter is an LCD screen that will be used to inform customers not only of when the next bus will arrive but also the latest news, weather and any possible traffic delays.
Bus passengers are always on the go. Many of them always rushing from one place to another. This shelter comes equipped with vending machines that will provide a snack for all the hungry passengers.
On every CTA bus in Chicago there is a sign that says the bus driver does not have any change. Bus rides are currently $2.25 a ride. Many passengers often find themselves with no change. For these situations a change machine is available to accommodate to the passengers.
Comments
all these accessories are a nice idea, but you should be realistic in whether having them are realistic.
You are probably 2nd to Ayaz......Good Work.
One of my juniors is knocking you out of 2nd place. You don't have any people or buses in your bus shelter. Midnight 5-18-11.
Thanks for entering the 2011 CAF Newhouse Architecture Competition! Until the judges have completed evaluating all student projects, you are temporarily blocked from accessing your account or working on this project. Please check back sometime after May 26 for the competition results. Good luck!
Very good job analyzing the problem and working through the solution. I appreciate that you documented the site conditions and also located examples of bus shelters that you are most interested in. Great job at getting feedback from others; this only helps to enrich your project & think about things more critically. In the future, make sure you are clear on the requirements though. No site plan or floor plan is shown here. Good job!
Nice work. Great to see your pencil sketches and then the final renderings. The form of the roof element is intriguing and reminiscent of a light weight tensile structure. Well done.
You have done a great job here of finding precedent projects, and of identifying some key issues that need to be addressed in the design of a bus shelter. I would have liked to have had more information to read in the final design section about your images, about your design, and about the process. Overall, you have done a very good job!
Congratulations! Your project has been awarded a First Prize by the 2011 Newhouse Architecture Competition jury yesterday. To celebrate your awesome work, we’re including this project as a ‘Featured Student Project’ on the website. It will now appear in the sidebar of the Student Gallery and on the homepage in the rotating queue.
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Share this link to your project with your friends on your Facebook page!
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Don’t forget to bring your family with you to the awards ceremony and exhibition opening on the evening of Thursday, June 2. (Details will follow in an email.) You can also visit the Robert Morris University Gallery between now and June 11 to see your project on display along with all the student projects. Congrats again!