Emma Friderici
Architecture
Photography
Art
About
Oculus Youth Center
North Miami Beach, FL
Spring 2022
Team: Emma Friderici, John Kovacic
Faculty: Cristina Canton
413.636.2567 / esf44@miami.edu
The Oculus Youth Center is a commercial project located in North Miami Beach. The site is located at the intersection of Collins Ave and 82nd Avenue. The youth center provides an array of different programs targeted towards the youth of the area, such as a gymnastics hall, skate park, and classrooms.
The project is designed with kids in mind, with a playful design incorporating playful circular shapes in contrast with square massings. The project is designed to sustain climate change and sea level rise, and is designed at an elevated height. The project also focuses on green strategies and solutions, such as passive ventilation, solar energy, and lush green roofs and gardens.
The design features mixed materials, such as wooden louvers, prefabricated concrete, and steel trusses. The first floor consists of ten cylindrical rooms that contain several different programs such as a juice bar, table tennis, and a skate shop. These cylinders hold up the main rectangular mass, which contain the main program of the gymnastic hall, classrooms, and cafeteria.