building + site
city and state overviewLouisiana is the 31st largest state by area and the 25th largest by population. Geographically fifteen percent of the state borders the Gulf of Mexico and due to its coastal location one of Louisiana's main exports is seafood and it is the largest producers of crawfish in the world. However, Louisiana's coastal location makes it extremely prone to hurricanes.
Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana. It is the second largest city in the state and is currently one of the fastest growing cities in the US. College students make up 20% of the southern town's population. The historic and modern architecture in the downtown area is a tourist attraction in and of itself. The Louisiana State Museum and Old State Capitol Museum are state landmarks and portray the colorful history of the state. The Shaw Center for the Arts showcases a variety of art and performance exhibits. Louisiana Arts and Sciences Museum has a planetarium in addition to science exhibits. Other museums include the LSU Museum of Natural Science and the USS Kidd. |
Dean Commerce Building
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design constraintsThe Commerce Building presents several design challenges, especially for an aquarium. The vertical structure of the building affects the type and shape of tanks that can be supported by the 8-story building. The first and second floors will be opened up with a mezzanine level and the basement will be used for structure reinforcements and filters for the tanks above. Fortunately the building has ample windows and natural light, however, shading devices will be necessary to maintain a comfortable interior environment, especially for the animals.
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