Water Pavilion

Hello, my name is Kelly and I’m a rising senior at Staten Island Technical High School. I primarily work with Revit, however, working on this project has taught me new skills and techniques. It was as much of a fun process as it was a learning experience. My bridge is a link from the bustling city to an island getaway. It’s a free space for people to let go of their daily pressures and enjoy the tranquility of the moment.

1. Revit
2. Enscape
3. Google Maps/Earth

I chose to build my bridge from Red Hook, Brooklyn, to Governors Island. Governors Island is an escape from the city and a great place to spend time in nature as well as with family and friends. Having visited the island multiple times, I always have a wonderful time and recommend others to visit. Unfortunately, Governors Island is only accessible via ferry. There is no ferry service to the island from Brooklyn on weekdays or a direct connection overall. Ferries and other modes of water transport docked at Red Hook and Lower Manhattan are making the local air unbreathable. Developing a pedestrian bridge to the island helps reduce ship emissions and make the air cleaner for residents. After all, walking and cycling are the most sustainable methods of transportation. As for Brooklynites, the footbridge will be a convenient way of getting to and from Governors Island.

I wanted to create a structure unique to the typical straight pathway. My bridge features a central observatory that offers panoramic views across the city with paths resembling an “A” connecting the island to the mainland. The walking trail is designed with a gentle incline, suitable for pedestrians, cyclists, strollers, and wheelchairs. Extending on the inner right end of the circular mass is a terrace. On the opposite side lies a curved ramp. The structure leaves space for boats to pass through and is supplemented by transparent glass panels. The observatory, combined with various routes, intends for people to spend more time on the bridge rather than solely using it as a crossing. 

Foundation:

Starting from a blank project, I made a quick layout using detail lines and experimented with dimensions. I began designing the bridge by creating its centerpiece, the observatory (platform and roof), and its foundation using massing. It was my first time building a mass. The process was confusing and tedious due to the many reference planes I made for accurate measurements. As I moved on to building the bridge supports, I grew more familiar with the tool. I sketched most of the mass using lines, circles, arcs, and splines. Once the foundation was complete, I changed the material to steel. 

Note: For efficiency, I mainly worked on one end of the bridge, then mirrored elements, such as the foundation, paths, and railings, to the opposite end.

Paths:

I attempted to make the bridge path with ramps. After learning that they can not be in irregular shapes, I opted to use floors by modifying sub-elements to create the incline instead. Again, I mainly used lines and arcs to draw the boundary of the trail. I changed the path material to "Siding, Clapboard" for a wood decking look. Next, I created the railings with exterior glazing. For floors with a flat surface, I outlined their borders to sketch the railing path. Whereas for floors with an incline, I place the exterior glazing down first and then edit their profiles to match the slope of the slant. Lastly, I adjusted the height of the railing to 3' 6''. 

Observatory:

To furnish the observatory, I added asphalt flooring and a complementary ceiling. Then, I made glass panels on the exterior and interior with exterior glazing. By loading its type properties, I changed the spacing to 10' and added rectangular mullions on the vertical grid. I included an alternating light blue and gray tint to the glass panes. This was done by hovering over the glass, clicking the tab button, and changing the tint color through the material browser. For lighting, I made a round light strip using a model in place. I created an extrusion, modified its height, and changed the material to Acrylic-Signify-Frost. To construct the columns, I edited the Round Column family by creating a cylinder-shaped void and inserting a light strip family within that void. Once the column was loaded into the project, I used the array tool to place multiple around the observatory. Finally, the terrace was formed by sketching a crescent moon-shaped floor on the interior. 

Greenery/Water:

The grass was made from--once again--floors. However, the rendering looked flat and unrealistic in Enscape. I learned that I had to specify a grass type by renaming the material in Revit to give it a natural look. The same goes for the water. I chose the Medium Grass and Generic Sea/Ocean types.

Assets:

To produce a realistic virtual setting, I utilized Enscape's asset library. I inserted people, plants, benches, picnic tables, and trash cans throughout the bridge.