Project C.E.S.E.R, Community Emergency Shelter for Evacuated Residents, was located by the bank of the Winooski River in Montpelier, VT. At the site there was an abandoned building that would be demolished and a railway turntable that needed to be incorporated into the project. The project was about 30,000 sq. ft. and it’s occupants would be Vermont residents in need of shelter due to unforeseen tragedies that rendered their living spaces useless. The project included twelve transient rooms, a day-care, personnel offices, a place of worship, a garden area, a nursery, a cafeteria, and more. All of these spaces had predetermined adjacencies and had to be figured out in the layout. The buildings structure was made up of steel frame construction with a brick facade.



The solution chosen, in which to incorporate the railway turntable to the building, was to create an elliptical garden area that not only complimented the angle of the railway but also carried a familiar shape related to a circle. This created a long spacious garden area that allowed various activities to take place. The garden area also faced south in order to maximize light and heat exposure. The building also featured a cantilever along the West and North sides of the building to allow for miscellaneous activities to take place, essentially adding an extra space. It would also allow for occupants to have a “framed” view of the Winooski River.