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ROBERT ANDREW COX
PORTFOLIO 2010-2013
Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation
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BIG DIG MONK’S CELL LIBRARY BEDSLED ACTIVATE ICEFLOAT SMOKESTACK LIGHT, INDUSTRIAL TECHNICAL ANALYSIS DAISY CHAIN HOTEL CALIFORNIA CHOPPER AIR LAB CASE STUDY HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY PERGOLA CURIO HOUSING
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As arctic ice continues to melt in coming decades, new frontiers will emerge alongside environmental disruptions. Greenland, with a mineral rich landscape previously frozen in ice, stands to witness enormous changes in its culture, environment, and economy, most notably within its mining industry. The inevitability of ice melt and subsequent mining in Greenland requires an architectural response to the multi generational life of a mine, from resource removal to landscape renewal. This series of laboratory buildings grows with the mine over several periods of time. The ensemble grows down the former haul road, beginning at the topsoil mound above the mine and adding new volumes in the decades following the mine’s closure. These volumes, directed inward toward the minescape, systematically frame the colors and surfaces of bare earth as they transition to verdant hillside. This progression of frames follows the process of replanting, focusing the building on the multi-hued, changing strata of the earth.
Advanced Studio VI Leslie Gill, Mike Jacobs, critics
BIG DIG
The growth of the laboratory occurs alongside the various stages of the mine, from the initial survey (a), to the topsoil removal (b), to the surveillance of the active mine (c). After the closure of the mine, the laboratory grows over several years from the topsoil mound’s greenhouse (d) to the entrance to the mine (e).
The path through the building moves from moment to moment, frame to frame. Scientists and visitors are directed and redirected via walls of native stone, encased in thin planes of wire.
This design for a study carrel is based on cells in a medieval Cistercian monastery, creating on a sense of seclusion within thick walls, and displaying the effects of light across robust surfaces.
Core Studio III Robert Marino
MONK’S CELL
Silence and personal space are commodities in the city. Libraries are publice places that provide this commodity. As patrons ascend from the noisy, open street level, they are further and further welcomed and enclosed by the growing, thickening walls that in turn become shelves, seating, and private reading spaces.
Core Studio III Robert Marino
LIBRARY
Library patrons, ascending further into stacks, establish their own private rituals of escape into spaces they identify as their own. Upon reaching the top floor, the library turns completely in on itself, fully removing the visitor from the city.
After a summer working for a small fine furniture company in North Carolina, I was able to build my own piece: a lap desk designed for reading and writing in bed. The entire piece was made using only joinery, and was constructed out of soft cedar and impressionable leather to age as I use it.
Summer 2011
BEDSLED
A dormant economy and high inactivity rate typify the small mountain town of Dilijan, Armenia. This proposal for a regional extreme sports hub aims to attract sports enthusiasts from around the world to activate this former spa town.
Advanced Studio V Markus Dochantschi, critic Ben Brennan, partner
ACTIVATE
carve
By carving into a natural indentation in the hillside above the town train station, the building becomes a new hillside. Trails from surrounding nature preserves weave through the new skin, and oculi puncture it to allow light into the atrium below.
spa 63k
hotel 82k
conference 25k welcome 46k auditorium 32k dorm+lounge 71k
gym 32k
restaurant 15k
ACTIVATE ARMEN
With an underlying geometry creating white masses out of darkness, graphite carves away pieces of the ‘icefloat’ to reveal layer upon layer of floating solids and encroching voids.
Arch. Drawing II T. Kelly Wilson, critic
ICEFLOAT
Often prominent features in the urban landscape, and today often lying dormant, smokestacks stand to remind us of the consequences of pollution. This one-man smokestack laboratory supports research in alleviating those consequences. The structure clamps onto the top of the smokestack and rotates slowly in the wind, its shape and mechanics moving with the changing air.
Core Studio I Joaquim Moreno, critic
SMOKESTACK
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Roof RoofGarden GardenExhibiton Exhibiton 8th Floor (roof) 116' - 0"
Hostel HostelLobby Lobby 7th Floor 88' - 0"
Offices Offices
WorkShops WorkShops
WorkShops WorkShops
WorkShops WorkShops
Lobby Lobby
6th Floor 74' - 0"
5th Floor 60' - 0"
4th Floor 46' - 0"
3rd Floor 32' - 0"
2nd Floor 18' - 0"
Level 2 10' - 0"
Cafe/ /Gallery Gallery/ /Loading Loading Cafe 1st Floor 0' - 0" Foundation -5' - 0"
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B
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oof) 116' - 0"
7th Floor 88' - 0"
6th Floor 74' - 0"
5th Floor 60' - 0"
Given the task of designing a full structural, mechanical, and facade system for an industrial tower, our group took the constraints of these physical needs and created an environment suited to light industrial workshops. Small businesses populate the tower, and are given ample space for interaction between groups, and ample light for production.
4th Floor 46' - 0"
3rd Floor 32' - 0"
2nd Floor 18' - 0" Level 2 10' - 0"
1st Floor 0' - 0" -5' 0"
Arch. Tech. V Anton Martinez, critic K. Stokien, A. Lugrin, H. Byron, partners
LIGHT, INDUSTRIAL
MEZZANINE OFFICE FLOOR ONE HALF-LEVEL FOR FURTHER OFFICE SPACE IN A UNIQUE TWO-TIER OFFICE ENVIRONMENT.
GALLERY/OFFICE FLOOR ONE LEVEL FOR FURTHER DISPLAY OF ONSITE-PRODUCED ART AND GOODS, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND OPEN FOR SPECIAL EVENTS. ALSO HOSTS OFFICES FOR INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS DOWNSTAIRS.
HOSTEL FLOOR ONE LEVEL FOR BUILDING OCCUPANTS TO SPEND THE NIGHT WHILE WORKING ON A PROJECT OR FOR CREATIVE SESSIONS WITH FELLOW ARTISTS OR DESIGNERS.
WORKSHOP FLOORS THREE LEVELS OF DIVERSE WORKSHOP TYPES. CENTRAL ATRIA FOR CASUAL AND UNEXPECTED MEETING POINTS.
PUBLIC FLOORS TWO LEVELS FOR THE DISPLAY AND SALE OF GOODS MADE IN-HOUSE THROUGH EXHIBITION AND MARKET SPACE. A BUILDING-OWNED CAFE FOR BUILDING OCCUPANTS AND THE OUTSIDE COMMUNITY. ACCESS TO THE OUTLYING GARDENS ON THE PROPERTY VIA RAMP OR DIRECT EXIT THROUGH THE PATIO.
elevator
stair
restroom
mechanical
atrium
3rd Floor Plan
mech
mech
9’
SCREEN (FULLY EXTENDED)
CL. OF HORIZONTAL MULLION
AWNING WINDOW
INTERIOR
EXTERIOR
ARGON FILLED LOW-E INSULATED GLASS
ALUMINUM MULLION MULLION PLATE
FLASHING
6"
STEEL FRAMING GYPSUM BOARD
AIR BARRIER CORTEN STEEL SOLID SCREEN
3'-4 11/16"
STRUCTURAL INSULATED PANEL XPS R-30
CORTEN STEEL PERFORATED SCREEN
1'-9 1/2"
10"
1/4"
1"
MULTIPLE SETTINGS: SEE ELEVATIONS AND SECTIONS
CL. OF HORIZONTAL MULLION
2 window unit
1wall unit
The facade is unitized for efficient assembly, based on 5’ window and screen units, and 10’ wall units. The units hang as a continuous system down the facade, creating an unbroken thermal barrier across the building. This hanging is made possible through brackets embedded in the poured concrete floor.
3 screen unit
A full structural and technical analysis of the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY yielded a look into strategies Smith Miller Hawkinson employed in their design. Through analysis of construction drawings and a day-long site visit, my group found a great appreciation for the sophistication of this design.
Arch. Tech. IV Anton Martinez, critic G. Colangelo, P. Crupi, H. Byron, partners
TECHNICAL ANALYSIS
The Daisy Chain is a facade element that aims to create a framework for water collection, shading, and green walls using a simple, flexible form based on parametric data. While adding to the energy efficiency of the building, it also enhances community: the double-curved surface continues along a variety of facades to bring people to their window gardens and share a small bit of green space with their neighbors.
Advanced Studio IV (C-BIP) Scott Marble, Critic
DAISY CHAIN
The module can be adjusted parametrically to adapt to sunlight, rainwater, material, and facade conditions.
By working in tandem with other parametric building ‘elements’, the Daisy Chain can be arrayed strategically across a facade.
4’ X 10’ CURTAIN WALL UNIT
COLUMN TRANSLUCENT CONCRETE (ALL CONVEX SURFACES)
IGU ALUMINUM FRAME
PRECAST CONCRETE (ALL CONCAVE SURFACES)
BATT INSULATION FLASHING
1/8” NO. 8 STAINLESS STEEL PANEL (MIRROR POLISH) LASERCUT
1/2” SHEETROCK 1” PLYWOOD 2X6 WOOD STUD +5/8” FOR FINISHED FLOOR GROUT
9” CONCRETE SLAB
4’ X 10’ CURTAIN WALL UNIT
2” RIGID INSULATION
HALFEN TOP OF SLAB ANCHOR WITH POCK EFCO SYSTEM 5600 PRESSURE GLAZING
CONCRETE COPING THROUGH-WALL FLASHING CAP FLASHING
BASE FLASHING CANT STRIP PAVER AGGREGATE DRAINAGE LAYER ROOFING MEMBRANE RIGID INSULATION VAPOR RETARDER
COLUMN CURTAIN WALL UNIT
IGU FIXED ON INSULATED WOOD STUD BASE
IGU FIXED ON INSULATED WOOD STUD BASE
1/8” = 1’
COLUMN
IGU ALUMINUM FRAME BATT INSULATION FLASHING 1/2” SHEETROCK 1” PLYWOOD 2X6 WOOD STUD +5/8” FOR FINISHED FLOOR GROUT
9” CONCRETE SLAB
With a site facing a large parking lot, this hotel required a means with which to bring in light and avoid an unpleasant view. By utilizing peripheral views and translucent concrete, a massive wall becomes a bold, glowing invitation.
HALFEN TOP OF SLAB ANCHOR WITH POCK EFCO SYSTEM 5600 PRESSURE GLAZING
1” VENEER PLYWOOD
Arch. Tech I Philip Anzalone, critic Ray Ho, partner
HOTEL CALIFORNIA
A careful analysis of a small object -- a toy helicopter -- yielded views of its inner workings, its many faces, and its life in imagined space. These hand drawing exercises take hold of a small object and give it a weighty presence.
Arch. Drawing II T. Kelly Wilson, critic
CHOPPER
In creating this animation, I imagined the balanced triangles of SMAO’s Valleaceron Chapel unfolding gracefully into moths’ wings. The glowing moths, fluttering through darkness, assemble into the form of the floating chapel.
Arch. Drawing I Joshua Uhl, critic
VALLEACERON
Science is a way of approaching the world, a way of imagining its possibilities. It is a messy, experimental process, moved forward by individuals working together and separately. This laboratory, situated at the edge of a large tourist area in New York, aims to communicate the human personality of science. The exterior is active, personal, and a bit disordered, creating a variety of spaces for interactions with fellow scientists and with the city.
Core Studio I Joaquim Moreno, critic
THE AIR LAB
1welcome 2data 3workshop 4garage 5generator 6entryway 1
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1welcome 2conference 3office 4flex 5restroom 6workshop 7lab
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An assignment to depict various “moods� within a single world resulted in a scenes of great energy, mellow tranquility, and elusive mystery. Working with a computer model of Case Study House 22 by Pierre Koenig, my partners and I created multiple stories from a single world.
Visual Elective: Fast Forward Jason Ivaliotis, critic
CASE STUDY HOUSE #22
Kinne Travel Grant Japan, 2013
PHOTOGRAPHY: SHADOW
Kinne Travel Grant Japan, 2013
PHOTOGRAPHY: GLOW
Kinne Travel Grant Japan, 2013
PHOTOGRAPHY: RESIDUAL
Kinne Travel Grant Japan, 2013
PHOTOGRAPHY: OCCUPANCY
A sunken courtyard, bounded on all sides by ivy and concrete walls, serves as an overflow space for the Columbia University Italian Academy. Drawing inspiration from a coffered ceiling inside and the long history of coffering in Italy, this pergola is a multi-faceted surface that rises above the sunken yard and gives life to the space.
Independent Study Galia Solomonoff, critic Ray Ho, partner
PERGOLA
Constrained on either side by tiered planters, the pergola reaches over and across to the back wall of the courtyard. Variation in openings allows for partial and full coverage from the rain and sun.
Commissioned by the Columbia University Italian Academy, this pair of wall screens are featured prominently in the lobby of the Academy’s historic home building. My partner and I designed and built these wooden structures to add light, texture, and depth to the building’s entry when the Academy’s periodic exhibitions are not on display. In the event of an exhibition or reception, the screens can be rolled out of the room. The design is based on the Italian Renaissance concept of the curio cabinet, wherein objects of interest are put on display in mirrored boxes. We envisioned these to hold a collection of small terrariums made espcially for the project, with flexibility to hold a variety of objects in the future.
Independent Study Galia Solomonoff, critic Ray Ho, partner
CURIO
UP WN DO
0’ 2’ 6’
14’
28’
-10’
Enlarged Unit Drawing
Site Section
Level Four Plan
Two roles, among many, dominate an urban life: that of consumer and citizen. We live in communities of neighbors and of commerce, as social life and commercial life intertwine. This apartment building, sitting atop an existing big-box grocery store, incorporates commerce through focused attention to a central market, which is parasitic to the elevated grocery store entrance. But while the market commands a central role, it is wholly immersed in the life of the surrounding community.
Core Studio III Charles Eldred, critic Emily Jones, partner
HOUSING HOUSIN
Like the two roles of the citizen/consumer, the two ends of this linear apartment see a daily modulation. Much like inside a New York brownstone, residents move from end to end, from the natural light of the courtyard to the glow of the city street and billboard facade.
HOUSIN
Residents are given the option to gain income from billboard-like screens surrounding the building. But these screens may also act as personal billboards. As thes screens loop over the building, residents are also encouraged to interact with neighbors on their terraces, utilizing this screen as it transforms into a flexible framework for laundry, plants, and shade.
ROBERT COX
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