Becca Northey
Muncie, Indiana Spring 2023 | 3rd year
ACSA Honorable Mention
Valparaiso, Indiana Summer 2023 | 4th year
Muncie, Indiana
Fall 2024 | 5th year
Madrid, Spain
Fall 2024 - Current
Ongoing Thesis Project
Project Type: Spiritual Space
Location: Ball State University, Muncie, IN
Date: Spring 2023
Studio Instructor: Timothy Gray
Advisor: Miguel San Miguel
Award: ACSA Steel Competition, Honorable Mention
Each year, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) hosts an international design competition partnered with the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) open to all undergraduate and graduate students to work either individually or in teams to explore the use of steel in design and construction.
This year, over 1,000 students competed from nearly 50 universities, and the jurors chose first place, second place, third place and three honorable mentions. The program asked students to design a spiritual space on a campus.
This project embraces spirituality through a sense of simplicity and connection to site.
The simplicity is portrayed by referencing the simple origin of steel structures: the grid. Out of simplicity arise subtle complexities. As a primary welcome point to the north campus, programmatic elements are divided into two separate volumes. There exists a sense of romanticism between the two buildings as they complement each other and meet at the courtyard, a node reminiscent of an embrace. The courtyard is designed around an existing old-growth maple tree, which informed the siting of the built components and was the starting point of the design.
Terraced Courtyard
A relatively simple building housing the functional components of the program celebrates the unique quality of the more complex sanctuary building through contrast. The two buildings are connected through a below-grade passage with connection points at the library and multipurpose space.
The dynamic between the two halves acts as a spiritual acknowledgement of both the good and bad moments in life and allows for transitions between the interior and exterior. The project explores lightness and darkness as its prescence transforms radically between day and night.
Membrane roof over concrete over steel frame
Roof drainage to below-grade cistern with overflow into rain garden for stormwater management
Translucent ETFE foil skin system where occurs
Two way spanning steel frame 4x4x1/2” steel HSS at 5’-0” O.C. throughout
Floated wood floor over radiant slab - hydronic warm floors throughout, hydronic system tied to university geothermal system
ETFE Foil
4x4x1/2” Steel HSS @ 5’-0” O.C. throughout
ETFE Connection (see detail)
Fly ash concrete stem with 5” cantilevered edge to accomodate grade change around the perimeter of the
4x4x1/2” Steel HSS
Steel Angle
Materiality as a Sustainable Design Strategy
Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene (ETFE): - 99% recycled material
- compared to glass, ETFE is 100x lighter, transmits 90% more light, and insulates better, allowing for a lighter and more efficient structure that requires less energy for both production and transportation
Clamp
Anchor
ETFE Foil
Bolted Connection
Project: Valpo Skate Park Donor Signage + Viewing Platform Proposal
Location: Valparaiso, IN
Project Type: Skate Park Donor Signage & Viewing Platform
Location: Valparaiso, IN
Date: Summer 2024
Studio Instructor: N/A
I was approached by the Valparaiso Parks Director, Valpo Creative Council Executive Director, and Valparaiso High School Architecture Department Head to design a proposal for donor signage and a viewing platform for Valparaiso’s new “Flounder and Friends” Skate Park.
The proposal was presented at a public event to engage with the community and in attempt to generate excitement for the new skatepark.
I was approached by the Valparaiso Parks Director, Valpo Creative Council Executive Director, and Valparaiso High School Architecture Department Head to design a proposal for donor signage and a viewing platform for Valparaiso’s new “Flounder and Friends” Skate Park. The proposal was presented at a public event to engage with the community and in attempt to generate excitement for the new skatepark.
Located at the northwest corner of the Old Fairgrounds Park in Valparaiso, IN, the design acts as a natural extension of the existing site and complements the adjacent skate park.
Located at the northwest corner of the Old Fairgrounds Park in Valparaiso, IN, the design acts as a natural extension of the existing site and complements the adjacent skate park. The guiding concepts behind the design were to thoughtfully recognize donors, to provide a shaded area for non-skaters to enjoy the park, and to create an overall sense of community.
The guiding concepts behind the design were to thoughtfully recognize donors, to provide a shaded area for non-skaters to enjoy the park, and to create an overall sense of community.
The main entry uses select materials (i.e. brick and limestone) to continue the Valpo Parks design vocabulary.
The donor signage is comprised of a series of bronze sculptural elements alluding to the skateboard form and engraved with donor names.
2
Inspired by the plant-a-tree initiative, larger donors are recognized with a tree planted in their name as a seedling to show community effort and symbolize community growth.
The Phase 3 Valpo Skate Park proposal does not include ADA access at the main entry. This design proposes an ADA access ramp at the main entry point that slopes down to the viewing platforms.
The platforms follow the natural slope of the topography and provide a shaded space for non-skaters of all ages to enjoy the park.
The platforms are designed around the locations of the existing old-growth trees. The new landscape focuses on incorporating native landscaping by selecting suitable trees and plants according to the Valpo Parks Horticulture Department.
Platforms
Existing Site
Project: Education Center
Location:
Date:
Studio Instructor:
The White River Environmental Education Center acts as a supplement to Muncie Central High School, introducing hands-on education outside the traditional classroom setting. The center challenges traditional notions of what a classroom is/should be and prioritizes flexible learning spaces that can accomodate a variety of functions.
The site informs the design of the center, engaging with the White River and connecting to the high school. The focus is on approaching the project through the lens of architecture while incorporating broader solutions in landscape and urban design.
The redesigned streetscape explores how to curate a pedestrian-friendly arrival experience. Both the building and the site incorporate sustainable design strategies along with interwoven aspects of health and wellness.
Redefining the traditional idea of a classroom in a way that prioritizes flexibility and modularity to accomodate a variety of purposes, focusing on informational learning spaces, hands-on learning spaces, and outdoor learning spaces.
Rethinking traditional notions of education Individual/Small Group Study Space 1
Informational Learning Space (1200 SF)
Learning space primarily focused on actively receiving information (i.e., lectures, seminars, physical education). The space prioritizes flexibility with modular furniture that can be rearranged to accomodate a variety of functions.
Practical Learning Space (400 SF)
Space focused on hands-on learning (i.e., workshops, labs, art classes). Includes sinks, storage, work tables, and easily cleanable surfaces.
Outdoor space to accommodate individuals or small groups to meet for activities such as studying or social meetings.
A covered terrace bisects the two interior learning spaces, acting as negative space that architecturally frames Muncie’s White River landscape. Practical Learning Space Initial Massing
Extend Terrace
Informational Learning Space
There is a focus on approaching the design solution through the lens of architecture while incorporating broader solutions in landscape and urban design, exploring how to redesign the streetscape to curate a more pedestrian-friendly arrival experience. The streetscape design incorporates landscaped elements, wider pedestrian pathways, and dedicated bike lanes to prioritize pedestrian circulation and overall experience.
Project Type: Health & Wellness Center
Location: Madrid, Spain
Date: Fall 2024 - Current
Studio Instructor: Maria Coronado Cabrera
Thesis Advisor: Miguel San Miguel
As part of the fifth and final year in the B.Arch program at Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning, students are tasked with proposing a thesis design project that includes both a site and program of their choosing, aiming to answer an architectural question.
Inspired by my study abroad experience in Spain last summer and witnessing first-hand the differences in health between Spain and the United States, I pose the question: how can traditional notions of health and wellness be redefined through architectural solutions?
Early in the semester, I researched the topic and identified five key architectural design strategies: a user experience-driven approach (the onstage/ offstage model and patient exam rooms), biophilic design, mass timber construction, daylighting and ventilation, and resilient site design.
In the fall, I visited the site in Madrid–a developing mixed-use residential neighborhood in the southwest corner of the city adjacent to the Manzanares River. The site offers significant potential for both urban connection and engagement with the river.
From my research and site analysis emerged the project proposal: a Health & Wellness Center, focused on preventative care and chronic health conditions, that takes a holistic approach to healthcare design, infusing health and wellness into all aspects of the design and program.
I’ve included a peek into initial site analysis– first understanding how the immediate site relates to the urban context through both a physical model and a series of twodimensional drawings.
The figure ground drawing sets a baseline for the following series of urban analysis drawings, provides context for urban density, and locates the immediate site boundary.
Buildings
The green space and water drawing locates green spaces and bodies of water within the city, important aspects for the design of a health and wellness center.
The urban growth drawing explores the ages of the buildings in the city, locating the dense city center with old historic buildings along with newer construction.
Landmarks | Buildings, Sites, & Plazas
The landmarks drawing locates major tourist attractions (buildings/ sites and major historical plazas) within the city. Parque Madrid Rio plays an important role in drawing visitors to the site.
Major Plazas
The mobility drawing locates metro lines and stations within the city and the surrounding five minute walking radius.
The existing healthcare facilities drawing locates existing healthcare facilities within the city, encompassing a broad range of medical care.
Addresses the program through two simple forms that define a single interior courtyard. A main circulation path navigates between the forms and through the courtyard.
Explores further site engagement of western wing, which creates a dynamic overlapping and stacking between programmatic spaces.
Responds to the site by proposing three sides to define the northern streetscape, engage with the western grocery store, and border the eastern mixed-use residential building.
Defines three distinct forms following geometry of the larger site context, creating the opportunity for smaller dynamic interstitial courtyards/spaces.
Initial massing and conceptual design with site context, exploring a combination of the angular and campus partis to both relate to the site at large and define the urban streetscape. Defines three distinct forms that relate to specific programmatic spaces: healthcare, physical activity, and nutrition.
Becca Northey
Ball State University
College of Architecture & Planning
B.Arch | Spanish
rcnorthey@bsu.edu