Abigail Lovins - Portfolio

ABIGAIL LOVINS

HELLO.

I am Abigail Lovins, but most people call me Abby. I graduated from Tulane University in May 2023 with a Master of Architecture, and will complete a Master of Preservation Studies in December 2023 (currently completing my Practicum virtually). Prior to my time at Tulane, I graduated with a B.S. in Architecture and a certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Cincinnati in April 2020. I am currently looking for a full-time position in Cincinnati, Ohio.

This portfolio contains select academic work from both my undergraduate and graduate level studies, as well as choice professional and personal work. The projects range from Spring 2017 through Fall 2022. To see more of my work, please visit abigaillovins.weebly.com.

Prompt:

this studio was to design an office building on a site in Orleans that integrated multiple aspects of building design: functionality of spaces, structure, HVAC systems, environmental materiality, local zoning ordinances, and international building focuses on the culture of New Orleans and the existing

site’s current use as tailgating space to propose a Saints football themed design that functions as both private office space and accessible public space. The building is comprised of a series of stacked boxes that play to the diverse nature of the architecture in the immediate context; each volume has a unique identity and materiality based on its unique program and use.

SITE SECTION DIAGRAM | empty lots

SITE SECTION DIAGRAM

SITE LOCATION DIAGRAM - NEW ORLEANS AND MISSISSIPPI RIVER

SITE PLAN HIGHLIGHTING PROPOSED BUILDING FOOTPRINT, LOCATION TO SUPERDOME AND IN STRIP OF PARKING LOTS

SITE AND BUILDING ACCESS PARTI MASSING IN CONTEXT PARTI MASSING

FLOOR PLAN | level 04 - office

FLOOR PLAN 05 | OFFICE LOUNGE, EVENT SPACE, ROOF DECKS

FLOOR PLAN | level 05 - lounge, event, + roof deck

volume 06 - event space

volume 03 - bar + cafe

volume 02 - corner store

volume 01 - museum + library

SECTION | facing poydras street

DOWN FROM ROOF DECK

CAFE

EXTERIOR PLAZA

OFFICE LOUNGE

SAINTS HALL OF FAME MUSEUM OFFICE

VIEW OF FRONT - WORK DAY

VIEW OF FRONT - GAME DAY

VIEW OF BACK - WORK DAY

VIEW OF BACK - GAME DAY

Prompt: These studios focused on the documentation of various historic structures both locally, in Louisiana and Mississippi, and internationally, in Barbados. On site visits, students produced scale field drawings, photographs, sketches, and other documentation of the existing conditions. Later, the data was compiled into

technical drawings, written descriptions, and a series of reports. The overarching goal, other than recording existing conditions, was to recraft the narrative of what once existed, within the context of specific individual structures and the wider context of multiple streets of buildings that establish a cultural and historic neighborhood.

The residence at 433 HWY LA-18 is located on the West Bank of Mississippi River. It is a small, timber-framed structure that was likely by a free-person of color. It’s documentation was part of an

effort to document similar structures currently existing on the West Bank that have not yet been recognized, and to register the historic nature of the local corridor.

ORTHOGRAPHIC PHOTO SCALE FIELD DRAWING OF TOP OF PORCH COLUMN

TECHNICAL DRAWING - PHASES PHOTOGRAPH OF THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING FIELD SKETCHES

Auburn is a large, historic suburban villa in Natchez, Mississippi. on the outskirts of the downtown area, Auburn was originally on massive acreage of land, and was one of the first structures

in the area to use the classical styles of architecture. Though it has been a house museum for many years, there was no technical drawings of the building, which the students produced in addition to a written history.

Back porch drawn by Sarah Quinn, measured by Abigail Lovins

Historic Preservation | Roebuck Street - Bridgetown, Barbados | Tulane University | Spring 2023

Graduate Architecture Preservation Studio Year 02 | Faculty- Brent Fortenberry Programs used- Conditions Assessment App, 3D Laser Scanner, ReCap, RealityCapture

Prompt: BarbadosRoebuck

PHOTOGRAMMETRY ORTHOGRAPHIC PHOTO OF A PORTION OF ROEBUCK STREET

PHOTOGRAPHS OF BRIDGETOWN

This studio focused on the documentation of Bridgetown, Barbados- a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a specific focus on Street. Over the span of two weeks, students photographed

each building, wrote building descriptions, did conditions assessments on each structure, and produced photogrammetry elevations that will be used to create technical, linework elevations in AutoCAD.

FIELD SKETCHES IN BRIDGETOWN - STREET LAMP, PORCH RAILING, BUILDING FACADE

EXAMPLE OF BUILDINGS IN BRIDGETOWN THAT WERE DOCUMENTED- (TOP) PHOTOGRAMMETRY FROM RECAP (CENTER) PHOTOGRAPHS

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE BUILDINGS (BOTTOM) ELEVATION DRAWINGS WITH CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT DIAGRAMS DONE IN AUTOCAD

Prompt:

worked directly with a local church to envision a new existing site that would house a sanctuary for the congregation, dining area for the community table program, a guest suite, a caretaker, and multi-use office and gathering spaces. Bethlehem oldest historically black ELCA congregation in the country and

is an essential force in its local New Orleans neighborhood. The proposed design prioritizes sufficient, functional spaces within an affordable yet resilient block structure that are connected through their relationship to the feature stain glass window at the northwest wall of the sanctuary. The building form retains its traditional gable roof shape in homage to past structures on the site.

VIEW OF STAINED GLASS WINDOW WALL AT

VIEW FROM WASHINGTON AVE

VIEW OF BACKYARD FROM THE STAGE

VIEW FROM SECOND FLOOR BALCONY

VIEW INSIDE SANCTUARY

VIEW OF EXTERIOR

VIEW OF DINING

VIEW OF ENTRY

VIEW OF SECOND FLOOR HALL

VIEW UP RAMP

NEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Modular 5-Site Proposal | Northside- Cincinnati, OH | University of Cincinnati | Spring 2020

Architecture Studio Year 04 | Faculty- Whitney Hamaker | Group- Rachel Magee, Meg McKnight, Ben Paulus

Personal Contribution- exterior design and facade studies, truss + material research, line-work drawings

Programs Used- Revit, Rhino, Enscape, Photoshop, Illustrator

Prompt: This capstone studio paired with a local nonprofit organization- Northsiders Engaged in Sustainable Transformation (NEST)- to provide affordable home designs for five vacant sites in the south block of Northside in Cincinnati, OH. The focus of the studio was to explore various attributes, materials, methods, and occupancy types of what constitutes affordable housing

in Northside and to produce quality design options for NEST to utilize. NEST requested that the designs be accessible to anyone, affordable, and that they fit in with both the unique nature of the surrounding architecture and the welcoming feel of the neighborhood. The design schemes must be sustainable and able to adapt between the corner and infill lot types.

ACCESSIBILITY

The schemes are designed in four major sections: the kitchen and living areawhich has a second story of bedrooms, the master bedroom, the flex-space and the exterior patio. The idea is that the order of these components can be alternated to adapt to specific sites.

COMPONENTS

The shed roof is created with a parallel sloping truss system that utilizes one similar truss at a 3:12 slope to minimize cost. The roof alternates direction and height to create a variety of interior spaces and allow for a second floor with more bedrooms.

The layout of the house is strongly influenced by a storage system that runs along the solid block wall and separates the different rooms. It is based on IKEA systems that are affordable and offer a variety of solutions. It also makes the houses feel more "customized".

All of the schemes are accessible on the first floor with at least one bedroom and bathroom that is ADA, as well as the kitchen, living area, etc. The patio is zerostep entry. These houses were designed with the ability to meet anyone's needs.

PORCH FLEX MASTER LIVING + KITCHEN

Site 01 was originally two separate lots that is being consolidated into one, so its shape is much different than the other four sites. The porch and main living area are located on the lot line against Site 02, providing a large side yard open to the street. The master bedroom component is placed at the back of the site to keep the corner open and welcoming.

Site 02 is the longest site and easily fits all four components. The porch is placed at the front to mirror that of Site 01 and its existing neighbors' front porches. The flex space is right off the porch, allowing the space to be opened up if desired. The block wall is placed along the lot line with Site 01 to open it in the opposite direction.

Site 03 is shorter and, with the setbacks, does not have the flex space. The porch is in the front again to hold with the friendly neighborhood aesthetic. The block wall is on the lot line towards Site 04 because there is expected to be another building built between them. With the windows facing the lot to the west, more sunlight will enter the house.

Site 04 is the same size as Site 03, but has the flex space because the front of the building being closer to the lot line is a continuation of its existing neighbor across the street. The porch is on the back of this home to create a buffer space between the master bedroom and the houses to the south. It's open to the street to allow the most light to enter the space.

Site 05 has the same configuration as Site 04, with the porch at the back of the home to allow more light to enter the space. The block wall is on the lot line to the west because the existing building to the east is shorter and more light will get into the home.

FACADE STUDY

The original facade came from the desire to use a consistent material to minimize cost, yet still emphasize the differientiation between the taller and shorter portions. After researching local, costefficient materials, the cladding transformed into panels rather than strips. In the end, all panels were placed vertically to better connect the separate portions, both visually across the whole building and literally at the physical seams.

The facade is a rainscreen panelling system. The two-story section consists of vertical panels that are half the width of one window or door- about 1'6". The height of the panels is determined by the height of the windows to create two horizontal seams that run across the taller section level with the top of the windows. The one-story sections of the home have 6" wide by 3' tall panels. They are cut from the same material to minimize waste, but the various proportions provide nice changes in the facade both within the individual home and between the different sites.

The varying roof lines, facade panel sizes, and organization of the building portions provide for different and interesting elevations on each site. Though all five houses are made with the same materials and design basis, each owner can still feel that their home is unique because it doesn't look exactly like a neighbor's.

TYPICAL BACK ELEVATION

The windows are laid out in a triple, double, single pattern that suits the general function of the room they are in; the more communitybased spaces, like the living room and kitchen, have more windows to allow more light in. All windows are the same size to allow maximum light and alignment with the panels while still allowing them to be more affordable if all of them are ordered together.

This CMU block wall is along the lot line, allowing for more space and light on the opposite side despite the skinny lot size. It is tutilized as the functional storage wall throughout the plan and will likely be up against another building on the exterior.

There is a master suite on the first floor with a fully accessible bathroom that can easily meet ADA standards if the correct appliances are installed. The laundry is also located on the ground floor for easy access.

The exterior patio is zero-step entry which provides an accessbile solution to the 'front porch' that is commonly seen and utilized in the neighborhood. The double-sided fireplace allows for people to gather on either side- in the yard or in the half-enclosed covered patio

SITE 04 PERSPECTIVE FROM CHERRY STREET

(COOPER STREET) SITE 4 SITE

CHERRY STREET

(CHERRY STREET)

SITE 05 PERSPECTIVE FROM POWERS STREET

KITCHEN + SECOND FLOOR BEDROOM

MASTER BEDROOM + BACK ENTRY

studio was a series of quick, 2-week projects that strove to delve Cincinnati is and design its possible futures. In this scenario, many future, the Ohio River rises to drastic levels. Kentucky heeds warnings and builds up the levee on their northern border, of the river overflow into central Cincinnati because it sits in

a basin surrounded by hills. Five of the city’s neighborhoods are practically lost, abandoned by their residents for higher ground. This project proposes inexpensive, temporary floating structures, each with a specific purpose depending on what was lost when the neighborhood flooded, and a system of floating pathways and boat transportation to begin to revitalize the area.

OVER THE RHINE - PERFORMANCE

The goal here was to maintain the area’s eclectic feel and entertainment value. Daily parades float down the “streets” and can be viewed from bleachers attached to existing buildings or through the floor of the temporary concert venue. Businesses and restaurants now have mobile floating stations.

PRICE HILL - RESIDENTIAL WEST END -

Once a super residential area, it will retain its original purpose. Houseboats painted by local artists offer an Airbnb situation for visitors and permanent solution for residents. A skating rink provides an alternate locale for the now flooded streets. Carnival-like roller coasters create more attraction and entertainment.

This area is all about experiencing of uses that was found here. and room in the large temporary own experience, designed companies, groups, and artists. what a revitalized life can be

MIXED USE

experiencing the wide variety here. Each floating station temporary structure is its designed and created by different artists. They show visitors be in the now flooded area.

QUEENSGATE - DISPLAY

Historic Union Terminal once put objects on display in a museum. Now a ferris wheel flips the scene, putting the surrounding exterior area on display. There is an art gallery to show local artists. Private, personalized house boats line the floating streets putting residents on display and replacing many homes that were lost.

CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT - COMMERCE

The downtown area is the heart of the city, and was redesigned with that in mind. There is a market for small businesses and office space for companies. Floating stations, designed by owners, line the streets as the new “store fronts” and the publicly loved merrygo-round is built anew.

YORK CITY, NY

NEW YORK CITY, NY

Pandemic I found myself trapped in my home and lacking a whim, I decided to start editing images I’d taken on began as a simple color-correction process transformed

into a series of creative exploration and ideation of the world around me. I started to challenge the scale and realistic nature of each individual scene and began to question what was important or interesting about the image.

GREECE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

PISA, ITALY

BARCELONA, SPAIN

this class I’d never had much experience or luck with drawing. naturally talented at it and this semester was one of the hardest because of that. However, through this course I learned that the

amount and quality of work I can produce is extraordinary when I give enough time and effort. This really set the baseline for both my past and future academic and professional career, and inspires me to do more.

COLLAGED AND EXPANDED

MAUSOLEUM AT SPRING GROVE CEMETERY

FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE STAINS ON A WALL