Germantown - A proposal for a New Corridor City by Stanley Leonard Anderson In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE Massachusetts Institute of Technology June 1967 awrence B. Anderson Dean, School of Architecture and Planninq of Technology -.,,ssachusetts Institute Carbridge, Massachusetts Dear Dean Anderson: fulfillment of the requirements for the degree -n partial of Master of Architecture I hereby submit a thesis entitled Proposal for a New Corridor City." "ermantown-A ~7espectfully, itanley Leonard Anderson June, 1967 TABLE OF CONTPNTS ACKNO"LFD GIE3TNTS 4 ABSTR ACT BA CKQUND PR 6 JE"CTIONS PIROITOSAT BI BLIOGR APH 9 Y3 2 I wish to, o;<ress hfis helpf l of this my criticism project. precation to Jan and enpouragement Lultbi.cz-Nyc7 in the for com>letion I. ABSTRACT Germa ntown-A Proposal ,for a oe Corridor City Stanley Leon%rd Anderson Submitted to the Department of 1967 in partial to develop is a corridor city as pro osed in area* Year "M'edges and Corridors" intended for an eventual Jan D.C. metropolitan to trovide the necessary population of 100,000 2000. Thesis Supervisor: Capital 1964 to serve the aopulation of the Washington, The city is facilities the a prototype for adapted by the Maryland-Nationa Park and Planning Commission in burgeoning for the Architecture. The object of this thesis Plan, on June 19, fulfillment of the requirements degree of Master of General Architecture Lubicz~-Nycz by the II. BACKGROUND Location which has beon selected for this prood near the present t own of Germantown in The site city is Countby, Maryland, at the intersection It is of Maryland Branch of the Baltimore and Route 118 and the Metropolitan Ohio Railroad. 5 miles north;west of down- located about D.C. town Tashington, MontCmery also some 33 miles to Baltimore, miles to Frederick and 9 miles to, Rockille, 18 the County Seat. Popul ation Montgom ery County is aresa in it the United States. experienced 1940 on, one of the fastest a growth In grow ing suburba'n the years; from 1910-1960 rate of over 1000 percent, and from the population has. doubled cver y ten years. population The 1960 stood at 340,928 peons, in Present Land Ua The present villa go of Ge rmantow-n consists of a smali centration of both old and now dwellings a general store, ities such as: mill, and an elementary school. lished communities in some miles to the north of Middl ebrook at on Route nursing home, area grain are Midd lebrook, intersection the Road; us other facil Other smal , well estab- the planning Route 355 and Middlebrook r'h bank, con~ and Neelaville, 353. of Mar land about one - Employment quarters centers of importancc of the Atomic Energy Commission southwest quadrant and are the Nationaload~ of the Routo IS Interciange with 70S the Fairchild Hiller ,industrial undo construct.ion, Except occasCi for the land in research to the north across Rou t commercial the planning area agricultural, Seneca Reional iying now 118. of idle or used for or State Park purposes. ark lies planning area and the Great cnter, the remainder uscs, private recreational The Little located at the directly north of te Seneca State .ark lies directly to the south. Natural Features The Germrantow-n planning area lies within the 'iedmont a region extending from the Hudson Rive;r to Alabama. It is graphy which, characterized in t he area, Soil in are prevalent Fast Central to billy rannges in sea level. topo- elevation , Rock outcro-ings and a number of minor drainage channels cross many of which contain s, ring fed streams. the area are c'eysasidered good for farming. g but are a rolling the planning area, from 300 to 500 feet above are evident by Jateau sed for all These co' o ils to be arg not hig.hly productive n cros throughout the moodertely d aning an for area. aSure. oods Germantown cemperature seld at, Rockville, is wi.th extrem es in en-joys a f avorable, cli'te and Average precipitati.n June tempnerpature is uniformly throughout annual 4 about the, year., or northwest is, largely in the form of rain, on occasion. ai,r currents flowing from the sputhw;est across the Appalachian Mountains, Germantpwn area 74,2 degrees. inches,, distributed although, heavy snowfala have, been recorded Normal movement of relatively free of the air keeps the pollution which affects the, Washingtpn Metropolitan region. factor, along with an increase in mately 400 feet over downtown plann;ing kept averape January temperature the. Cunty Seat, 3,3.0 de-,grees 'ean Acc ording to rcordK oeper ic ned. area sopewhat elevation pf approxi- ashington, D.-., cooler in This the summer. keeps the III. PROJECTIONS Pou.bation Growth As, stated pre viously one of the fastest comin ment, the growing in pf World War II the,-roing s-read out in metropolitan r.n, un,der this country, and the expagsion of population, of th,e all consider,ntion Jirections, By area had settled in counties of Nontgomery and is Vith the federal govern- asjitngton -960, area has 55 per cept of the the two adjoinng 7aryland n orineopges. 4hiule statistics show that the, rate of prrot4th is, down, in the and w'll, arowth total nuribrs is stJil cpntinue to, be through 1970. slowing very substpntial By 1983, the Reaional Distr,ic,t will be host to a population of about 1,435,000, and by the year 2000, nearly 2,190,000, Metropolitan All the Area population of approximately 2,400,000; )lace in the future will not be expccted the corridor cities, cent of the grow;th in however. the next 20 years uill About 53 per take place in the ring of already urbanized land surrounding Another 40 per cent of of Columbia. in the corridor cities, in the large-lot and the District this growth Kill occur -hile perhaps 3 per cent will 1)e fringe along the edges of the corridors, th-e remaining 4 per cent will villages. reach almost as much as the present Washington population growth in to take bi-county figure will be in rural or semi-rural 10 In the period between 1980 and 2000, located to a nuch greater extent in new growth will be the ned corridor cities, some of which will begin to ap roach their tion ranges of 75,000 to 125,000. will not develop overnight the space provided in not be used to its maximum popula- However, the corridors and even by the Year 2000 all the recommended urban pattern will fullest capacity. Judging from past trends in the Regional District, German- town will be largely populated by families with incomes well above the national education. av-rage and possessing. a high level of These characteristics kinds of dwellings, will be reflected community facilities, the and leisuretime activities which will There will also be a need for living accommodations be needed in to serve local residents. for s service employees with low and medium incomes who will be unable to find a home in income population. mined effort federal a housing market geared to a hit For this group there to augment physical-design should be a deterproposals with aid programs. The re are several in dica tions that th e Germantown area cai exj)ect to attract ridor o c city grrowt"'h at least its for it which draw potential convenient share of this projected nossesses reside-tial iany of the cor- qualities development sujch as: access to highway and rail f:acilities, all utility 11 requIrements i readily at hand, a:lie, Yntl av an deer ves specia l radial will be as a Highway igtonm, tinl exreway p'roviding Furt part District of ase n immed- throuh theC city to event c al circumforential ue access orth erly a maj or di or* e ted by th the majo facilities The highway 70, conneCtion 'ugrme her t er 1a:n . reant ent1n, road f rom recraNt .onal t entr. of highway 7Ti Rto 118 around the of Columbia. EmplonaAt Characteristics The iashington area has consitently uneployment rntes in to the unusual With l'ost ment fCr to the rk il cent. to find Nithen emloyed tn it entiC oiy the the mnployed by au ui twe n n nt is em and d velo- n su ited to their that ipat e overnment area be n reserarch nshington as ca of Industvril 'a%s asse subst antial ,1he lhoest parti'ally de bas orc government G per ThS is oeonmic of the about firme begin peronr Qf o"af incr e o, eration. of nature levels accounting e0cted the country. one-third Various the had one of 'il the number all. £ to inc ease during these yenaS. But to WIaohington. are expected act ll Germanton By In (jor enployers the the a; Year Geranow Wi be the an mr 2000 a arei Rationl. 'A bedroom total of 30,(00 Some itself. At community 2 jobs Wf the n () nrgy CI rs ion 12 (2500 emprloycos) , the Nation at Burerau of emloye), 7000 is it esi ated telyr 10,000> no-basic can e jobs will bo carried jobs jo consid town area, commuting, commute to there that or service sumd that that tho residents (500-700 ine. zand OutSide ill in by immigration Tr of thown of will the appoi- t. out by ponpte outside' to the Oernanalso xected awinifirn degree commnity. and natural rrowth have rwt !n oV f 1965 Pweuaticn D ellinge Jobs -- ~~ 15,000 4, 300 5,000 1975 30 000 8, 60 1980 45,000 12, 900 15, 0-0 19 60,000 17, 20 ,00' 1990 75,000 23 1995 87,500 2,000) a- 1970 5 00 100, o3 00 2,000 r nde V been cover te years cunitl 2000. Year It e 300 I it is The foIlowI'ng assumptions for th e excted town bt of nd f rom wor (5000- erWloyWes. eporticn to of Standards 10 0800 0 27,0 30,000 17 IV, PROPOSAL Selection of Site of the proposed new town, rerained it the nucleus of this new develoment of the various After evaluatinn of people, for the location critc;ria which were neces- finally selected I of to be determined. conc-n- functioning of sych a, large sary for the efficient tration as the site area having been selected Vith t he Germantown the orea directly southwest of the present vi 1ge of Germantow;n as my choice placement. for its by Route 118, This nren, on the northeast by Clopper Road,, by Riffle Ford sotthest utility access, The, area toad, and on the the necessary fulfilled and fnc.:lity requirments. the circumfer- has direct access from Route 118, highyay around ential bounded ontte northwest Nashington, into Route 70S,, a major radia, at about one mile from the site.. which in, highay fro turn feeds Wa.shipton, C1opper Road at 'Fresent runs from Route 118 connectirg to 70" just porth of Gaithersburg t%, th s major, trunk road., for Germantnyi into parllpl thts givin tyo f The a, major :ighway, as well ,as ;expasiLo, highway, which approxiimates Ccnmission Reporti- the area reliminary Mastpr Plan env;LeiPns the enlargempnt present Riffle Ford Road (see ningf, eder roads from of Clopper Road of -pother th,e lo,cations of the Land Use Plan i: the Plan- 14 rapid transit For a link with a newly developed I assumed ashington, right-of-way from the use of the existing, B&O Railroad ashington Gaithersburg where it to apoint just north of would join the enlarged Clopper Road to the site. right-of-way to connect it Germantown it route from From the new would t-hen follow existing, road networks to Clarksburg, the proposed site of the next corridor city development. This particular site utilities. also has direct access to major An existing gravity trunk sewer runs immediately to the south and downhill from the site and is of suf- ca acity to provide service for the enlarged ficient Germantovn. Electric power is a running' through line Cower p anned location. the wooded later sup ply is of a recently installed Route also readily availlable from area south of the accomplished by menns 24 inch, line wich runs north along 3S to Route 27 and from there, along Route 118. Flanking the southern boundarvry of the site which I chosen is the Great Sen eca State Park. accessi)le tected from of its state facilities a piont just artificial recreational This provides space and at the same time is later encroachment ownership. have easily pro- of city growth by the nature I Propose enhancing the recreational by damming the spring-fed Great Seneca Creek at to the south of Riffle Ford Road to provide an lake. 15 Proga SPatial and renvironmental i bild , posibl which ig'c to dterie satial to in an aeth spnce. th dntrmin il it of a requie- s Tho)Se funzcti'rr. Us e nvironm enta ca.lassification t ntires develomont hips. btVen diff o-rnt seve ict nIronmental etic and Sucha mOre ci tt <early in bri ifof. ris inlde dirwhnsional restrictions, t urai demand, desirod chr-t an the need th ings categori7ed zi:rc cert -jvoiumtric, ;ccommodat can Requiremente- ra and h nhich of to ls can b ~og ter of u cionmoe gi gthem clafitions qulities o en l th proossd fo rmul ae eficil o fcien below cove r Ait baoic the n, r tion- in tl,: The. reqirement which c mot uses dema nd. Sze-Volume A TLow wco--floar to DepVh not more thn Access to Anat,,ral ceiljng 30 10 from ligfhti, aIir, external ;ll and vie *mal live, loads fpace highly frarionted T ypcal Usoea Dwellin g Hospital or nursing Waord oxtVrnally and internally 16 Sonce-VolumenB Characteri stics te Fo C 2 -iin Depth 30'4O' fin ex tcrio r wa evironme-ntal Hih ereer o f IuM . a;Ir n s t ruct, control yste a Tigh degree of partitional (3s*xt0*) flexi1ity Ue Ty icn Junior Nigh Scoo le Col Technica I Intitute Library Spaco-VoIlume C Charact ristice lo o r t 2- eln pthod~ istance: - tur g ora Lexteal -nd air nt 4 liht gh Degree Tyrl ses Iffices l ie contro- (30uc0t) 4u Mediu m. sran structurl, evy liv s mandntory enviroeta odgree wa load of flexibility fe 'r rrnem' t 17 Resoarch abhor atories Cormercial: Suprmarket Departmsent Store Shons$ Restaurants an cluba Spa<CVoltme Dt Characte-ristics ih sr, ace floor SOmei patural to ceiling,, light h, h degrreo of than 30' dpsirable e sa, m-Pe thn id more. 60,' heavyloads enviromentat con-rol Typ ifcal Uses T7Hll City Art Gallery Gymnasium r orship Place rSace-Volume D Char act er itics Hi. gh s-pace, to conta ith i"j-de sipan, Ntural floor to ceiling more extt aal tha light and High degree more stface 60', "envy than 35' r e (ire live air not desirable of environmental control loads Typical Uses Auditorium Theater Cin em a Bowling Alley Space-Volume F Characteristics High space floor to ceiling, Access to natural light 20' and air not need ed Wide span 60'x60' Heavy live loads Some environmental control Typical Uses Industry Warehouse Mechanical Plants Parking (floor to ceiling 8') Bus Terminal Space-Volume G Characteristics Open spaces exposed to elements Manipulation with grade Uxposed horizontal surfaces of structures 19 Typical Uses Parks Gardens atios Roads Piazzas The above classification to it. It ization of use-space In is does not imply rigid adherence only meant to serve as a guide in relationships. addition to the above considerations other factors which sion, fire ability there are many -ust be solved satisfactorily for the city to operate efficiently. requirements the organ- in order These functional include servicing, circulation, and police protection, ease of expan- maintenance, and adapt- to changing civic, needs. uantitative Requirements-- For the initial stage of development we have set the, target date of 1975 as our goal and therefore need accommodations and facilities for approximately ing quantitative The follow- program for ten years hence cnn give som.e indication of the requni rements it 30,000 people. becomes increasingly difficult for further development, but to fo,resee what unantici- pated problems will be, encountered and they. "ust therpfore re ma.in t erely educated guesses. 0 Hlousi n, (A) volume tric Efficiency UnAts reguirement ,i2e 500 -sq. ft. 300,000 1 BR 750 18% 1550 1,160,000 2 BR 900 25% 2150 1,935,000 3 BR 1100 25% Q150 2, 580,000 4 BR 12 50 15% 1300 1, 525,000 1450 10% 5 BR pTus Total sq. Elementary Jr. per cent no 7% 600, ft. for hou sin (1) Schools (4) High Schools () Senior. High Schools 8 850,000 72,1 0000 -(B) 146,000 (3) 150,000 () 150,000" Museum and Art Gallery Library 1,230 000 176,000 (B) Technical Institute Regional College 850 (D) 20,000 (n) 20,000 Auditorium (B) 40,000 Theater (B) Cine (3) as 25000 ( 10,000 Places of Worship (12) Multi- Slls (5) urpose (D) 240,000 (D) 100,000 G1ymnasiums (3) (D) 4 5 ,000 Covored Swimmning 'Pools Bo wl in Al ey ( 2) (D) 20,000 ( ) 10,000 Mlotel-Hotel Resltaurants Cafes, (500 rooms) (C) Night Clubs (A) 2-00,020 4C" ,0(0 (C) "0,0- Local Shops 250,000 (f) (A) Shops Reional1 1,000 ,000 City Hall-Administration Police Station 120, 000 Stations Post Office 20,0 0 (B) 24,000 (A) 750,000 (C) Spa,ce (C) and Labs Reseach Tctal Structures sq. 150, 000 (F) 7arehpusing Light Industrial and Parking 30,000 (F) (2) Medical Cepters Of fi ce 05C)eo (&) '(A) ospit-al Fire Jail - 50,000 (D) S$00,000 (C) 6,000,000 ft. 19,63S3,000 Facilities Additional Stadi- m Ut ili ties Trnnsportation Facilities Pr,s an total 0 n of al"ost 20,OO,000 sqta,re feet ius,t then be provided i ex ect ed 'opulastion. the next ten years hin greater priority note bly "pace housing, transportation to Obvius ly Sorm rovide for the structures have a than others in the construction scheduling, schools, shops, facilities. basic and rudimentary Architectural Proposal The form which my proposal for Germantown around a linear service spine which runs a city organi-d parallel to, and at a distance southeast of Route 118. sections of of . about one mile to the This spine is segment-d into mile in apprroximately one-quarter are connected at nodal points. length which These points become the major organinational centers for the scheme for it these nodes, that cianges in that future that of takes is growth mode, is from speed, and level occur, ould spring from, between the housing and commercial and that connection portions of the city occurs. The main service spine contains all the rajor functi'ns, other than housing, facilities along with the parking and heavy delivery necessary for their operation. The spine is b bounded on either side by the one-way highways which serve to connect the city The pron to the housin rseis dential forms regional road network. accommodated in from high-rise aoartments variety of resithrough terraced row housing and semi-detached dwellings. areas run perendicular g-reater to the rain sp inc deg~pree of, segmental gro-wth' . These residential to provide r Veli-cular access is from the main nodal points under the high-rise se condary roads feed the parking extensions from ch supplied Ped strian nccess from the housing to the central s provided by a ntvork hirh-ris- "stems" of wa-lkays contain and primary one, facilnities, offices an or the main spine, The upper level, is "streets" pedestrian movembnt of rea space are cremen to, mainI y dte commorcial arcs, in creases in segments This core i± 118 to fulfill rmined by which is, nopulation, as demanded intended is level. by its the nods of to heavy service a ,ro the housing 1here needs for m arking structures. dsigned to ex and in designed to groi much more flexible is reinforced connect minor nodal The ho usinr, dito, levators a,lso dire cty .n the s- ine is designe d to take a difforent for the commerial smnal the housing branches. oints and operate on the second activity additional cu'ltural stops and by: by a system of moving sidemwaIks which than in the The two levels are connected from the rap'id transit Coonncotd to the interior Exnansion is small shops larper offices while the upper serves from the parking, garages. Horizontal containing serving the major stores, and speciality shops. by escalators The -around ase. two main activity leve1ls There are lover, "street, for yerr ane arcades. both an op en nrcade for summer strolling; and an interior and offices, sore in row in, The a ccpm'modatjain larrer rveJireents. linearly parnlleo ing city. t Route 204 As the spine gros each segment of which requires no further development for its T functioning. can operate in pop u lation (I the same manner as for phase not intended ce but to r: ther, Then for the initial the comoleted feeding be one wic as it the point is added, and the utit is form which I feel for pssible in Route alternate the drawin&s the mu ich city. 70S was photo graphs which follow. core to segment. the transporgrowth conception of the take. The first included a study of The segnient of the develop- then chosen solutions and then can grow a new sgment. such a development miit the uses anticinated to com pl ein ready for further show the preliminary model closest co mercal The truck completes the total The following photographs illustrate fir an optimum does from the nodal point, through the development of St for this city flexible enough to continue thus alloing the next nodal ment of 1000,000. cit- reaches at a gradual pace until it tatio'n network, t e 30,000 with reservations one which is small increments expand t and highway system bey ond the projected population figures.) ro service, in hus the rapid transit use the word''completed' form is si continues to and service unit of transportation be a self-contained facilities expansion to be investigated and the results of thi s, the model , are shown in the SELECTED BIBLIOCIZAPHTY Alexander, Christopher, May 1965. "A City Is Not a Tree", Forum, Ap p leyard, Donald, Kevin Lynch and John R. Myer, from the Road, Cambridge, MIT Press, 1964. Crosby, Theo, Architecture: City Sense, London and Reinho1d, 1965. Cullen, Gordon, Townscape, London, N. Y., The View Studio Vista Architectural Press, 1961. Jacobs, Jane, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, N.Y., Vintage Books, 1961. London County Council, The Design of a New Town: Hook, London. , ftheC Lynch, Kevin, The Im Harvard University Press, 1960. Cambridge, MIT and Maryl and--National Capital Parlk and lanning Commission, lan for Germantown, April 1966. Preliminary Master _The Urban TransporJ.R., J.F. Kain, and M. "ohl, tation Problem, Harvard University Press, 1965. Meyer, Nairn, Ian, The American Landscape, N.Y., Random Touse, 1965. National Capital Planning Commission, A Policies Plan for the Year 2000, The Nation's Capital, National Capita Regional 1Planning Council, 1961. Ritter, Paul, Company, Planning for Man N.Y., 1964, and Motor, The MacMillan Rudofsky, Bernard, Architecture Without Museum of Modern Art, 1964. Architects, N.Y., Sutphin, Niles, Tie Visual Analysis of Nei Town Design, unpublished city planning thesis, MIT, September 1965. 1ingo, Lowdon, Jr., editor, Cities and Space--The T uture Use of Urban Land, The Johns Hopkins "ress, Baltimore, 1963. Oro'S /aft, %$I *-a& {K- -nan r MAU= -A WMT sUnam, tow STAMLUT AaUInMEIn -Aa -r 1 N rn~' =au ra' - ) \\ ~ 'K> -~ I >1 " 'N -2~ ___-'I __________ ________- '~ -- N N 'I mai soro r C fs '11C .4. .- k- (F bail - (('i "F '' . .'c . ... ... 4- b A z ~vp. ~i~i / 4flTh11 ul II, I Li U I I1 j F T S -- "rn I Fq \ IV 4 W L1~d