mussaycm@umich.edu
Timber in the City
Miami University Fall 2023
Instructor: Murali Paranandi
Serenity
Miami University Fall 2023
Instructor: John Reynolds
ANN ARBOR MOVIE THEATER
The Junction
University of Michigan Fall 2024
Instructor: Steven Mancouche
04 05 06
Nature’s Angles
Miami University Fall 2021
Instructor: J. E. Elliot
The Vein
Miami University Spring 2024
Instructor: Lauren Whitehurst
Extending the Arm
Miami University Fall 2023
Instructor: John Reynolds
The project consists of designing a multi- and mixed-use building in a mid-rise dense urban community located in downtown Atlanta. It is 12-20 stories containing an urban marketplace, a community fitness center, and several other programs. The building features housing spaces, offering 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and studio units, as well as community spaces for sports and other community-wide events.
The use of mass timber is not as common in the United States as in Europe, but is starting to garner more attention due to its sustainable and cost-efficient aspects. One of the most important elements in many mass timber buildings is the central core, which also houses the building’s circulation. My core design, as well as the grid layout for the residential half of my building, came from the study of the work of the Lever Architecture firm. This project enabled me to enhance my skills in physical model building, as well as in software like Revit, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
One of the main goals of this project is to express the grandness and beauty of mass timber throughout the building, while successfully integrating it into the urban landscape. I was able to do this through the processional atrium that cuts through the center of my building, allowing sunlight to shine down on the space, lighting up the massive posts and beams with a warm glow. Furthermore, the building is located on an active urban corner where it can draw visitors in through the courtyard and central atrium space.
Gold Subway Route
Red Subway Route
Pedestrian Circulation
Bicycle Friendly Road
Fast Traffic
Slow Traffic
Building Footprint
MARTA Station
Interface Carpet
Global Headquarters
High Museum of Art Foundry
Renzo Piano Building Workshop Piazza
The Woodruff Arts Center
Structural Core
Swimming Pool
Food/Retail Gym
Circulation
Commercial Kitchen/Classroom
Residential
Floors 5 - 18 Apartment Layout
Structural Core Studio Apartments
1 - Bedroom Apartments
2 - Bedroom Apartments
Mass Timber Tower Interior Perspective
This project is a redesign of the Fallingwater Education Pavilion in collaboration with a team. The new design of this pavilion, connected to the visitor center, consists of a reimagined building envelope with operable facade prototypes. In addition, we were responsible for designing interior elements, such as furnishings, storage and a Mobile Education Apparatus (MEA). The goal of the project is to develop a mastery of materiality and detail issues in the context of the Education Pavilion inspired by weaving, nature and our Japanese Joinery explorations. My responsibilities included developing the digital model using Rhino, which allowed me to produce renderings, elevations, sections, and axonometric diagrams.
Our class visited Fallingwater and the surrounding area to familiarize ourselves with the site and its context. Here our group began the design process with the idea that we wanted to develop a part-to-whole relationship within the space and create an emphasis on site-specific design. That is, we wanted every element to relate to one another, from the operable facade to the furnishings within. To accomplish this we incorporated Japanese Joinery into the structure of the operable facade and the structure of the MEA. The two joints helped create a relationship between the pavilion and the site and were intimate details within the design.
The studio helped develop and enhance our awareness of site-specific tectonic issues grounded in the experience/phenomena, history, and memories associated with the place. We explored the notion of place through architecture, with an emphasis on its tectonic expression and its connection to the landscape. Moreover, we gained valuable client-based experience, providing insights into building environments that will enrich the lives of those who occupy it.
Road and Parking Lot
Operable Accordian Style Wall Panels
Operable Accordian Style Wall Panels
Operable Accordian Style Wall Panels
Existing Columns
Central Placement of Moveable Desks
Cantilevered Stairs with Tapered Ends
Fixed Panel Wall with Sliding Panel Doorway with
Fixed Counter with Storage
Operable Accordian Style Wall Panels
The fabrication of both joints came through several nature studies conducted by our group. The first joint reflects the movement of cascading water with the pieces all coming together at a single point. The design makes the connection to the waterfall running beneath the historic Fallingwater.
The second joint is meant to reflect that of the forest and the weaving of the trees that inhabit it. This helped to further connect our facade to the site.
Education Pavilion Interior Perspective
Education Pavilion Exterior Perspective
This project focuses on designing a movie theater for a Film Festival, located on a site in Ann Arbor. The design process began with a site visit to Cranbrook Academy, where we studied Eero Saarinen’s campus design and intricate brickwork. Inspired by this visit, we created plaster casts to explore natural patterns and textures, which informed our conceptual approach.
The next phase involved a precedent study of global movie theaters, including my analysis of a cinema in Cahors, France. These studies provided valuable insights into materiality, tectonics, and contextual integration. The theater design process emphasized mapping and measuring the site context. I worked closely with a group to construct a 1/16” scale MDF site model using CNC technology and woodworking techniques. The project needed us to adhere to Michigan building codes, including zoning, setbacks, and egress requirements. This required us to create templates that addressed the program, zoning, site design, environmental design, life safety, and accessible design.
Drawing upon my precedent, my proposal features two contrasting masses: a brick structure housing theaters and restrooms, and a wood/glass structure containing circulation and public spaces, including a café/bar. A courtyard with brick paving and trees echos the rhythm of the mass timber structure, creating a welcoming transition from street to building.
Site Plan
Movie Theater Physical Model
Movie Theater Physical Model
Daytime Winter Render
Nighttime Summer Render
The project required the design of a lakeshore site and building for a new Nature Center in Hueston Woods State Park in Oxford, Ohio. It emphasized analysis and response to the site and its environment, with a design that consumes as little energy as possible. Solar orientation, natural lighting, and ventilation strategies are used to warm, cool and illuminate the spaces. This Nature Center provides a memorable, visceral and educational experience to visitors, while supporting the health and wellbeing of its staff.
My design is formed from a process of shifting and rotating masses while looking at geometries that lie within nature. The design aims to portray the Nature Center as if it materialized out of the hillside. Each major mass of the building represents one of the three main program functions, while allowing for remarkable views out towards the water and the forest beyond. An overhead view of the building reflects the shape of a bird’s wing creating a dynamic structure.
A key feature of the building is the long glass box that appears to cut through the three masses. The glass serves as a circulation path while dividing the material and functionality of the building. It guides a visitor through the space and lets in an abundance of natural light. The material on the north side of the glass is concrete that helps to ground the building into the landscape. The south side is made up of wooden materials to make it appear lighter as it cantilevers over the hillside. In addition, the service areas, such as closets, bathrooms, and elevators, are located on the north side of the building.
Creation of massing forms for the program to inhabit
The masses respond to the site through their extension and movement towards the water
The slight rotation of the masses gives way to a dynamic form and creates a connection between the three
The final form reflects that of a bird’s wing, allowing for an active relationship between the site and the building’s function
Nature Center Physical Model
Nature Center Physical Model
The project focuses on conceptual projects set in a fictional future. As a class, we analyzed film and media to craft dystopian or utopian narratives and designed architectural solutions to surreal scenarios. Emphasizing emerging construction methods, I explored materials, details, and layered construction. I referenced my understanding of structural systems to develop a design that is both innovative and feasible for construction. In addition, I utilized new representation techniques, graphics, and image editing to further develop my skill in software such as Rhino, Illustrator, and Photoshop.
My proposed bridge for a flooded Vancouver serves as a multi-functional infrastructure piece, integrating transportation with civic, cultural, and ecological functions. Envisioned as an “inhabitable bridge,” it connects the city across its inundated terrain, while addressing the community’s evolving needs. The bridge is more than a mode of circulation; it acts as the city’s vein, offering essential services, fostering community interaction, and supporting ecological restoration.
To address increased population desity in unflooded areas, the bridge incorporates adaptable spaces, including a public park, markets, gardens, and outdoor sports facilities. Cars, now obsolete due to limited land, give way to streets designed for active transportation and social engagement.
The bridge also implements natural and native vegetation, restoring lost greenspaces and fostering biodiversity. Its innovative structure supports vertical expansion, allowing additional levels to accommodate future urban demands. By combining resilience, sustainability, and multifunctionality, the bridge redefines infrastructure as a lifeline for the city.
From Car Corridors to Community Hubs
Community functions are pulled to the street, transforming existing roads from car-centric corridors into vibrant spaces for housing and communal activities.
The project consists of the fabrication of a wooden mallet to later be used in the construction of Japanese Joinery. Each mallet was to be crafted to fit only the person handling it. Each student first selected the types of wood to use, then selected the construction method. I wanted two types of wood that complemented each other well, so I selected a beech wood and a cherry wood. The week-long design process included several desk critiques providing valuable feedback from our instructors and classmates.
I wanted to create a mallet that felt natural in one’s hand, or an extension of one’s arm. I selected wood that had unique grains or patterns that I could play off of, specifically in the fabrication of the mallet head. Here, I drew attention to a knot and shaped the head to match it, while also centering the handle underneath. For the handle, I laminated three pieces of wood together with the middle piece being the same wood as the head. This allowed me to make another connection between the head and handle to give the appearance of the two fusing together. The natural curve of the handle from the top to the bottom allows for the hand to easily grip the mallet in two places and perform different types of strikes. Each side of the head has a strike angle that is specific to where one holds the handle. This makes the mallet adaptable to many uses.
The goal was to hand-build a piece to fit perfectly in its user’s hand, then apply this lesson of designing for the user into larger architectural builds. The experience had a specific focus on materiality and detail issues, setting us up for the development of future projects.
Wedged mortise and tenon joint
Smooth shellacked and waxed surface
Front strike angle for power strikes
Indent in which to naturally rest the thumb
Curved handle allowing for an easy grip
Laminated handle that creates a bond between handle and head
Back strike angle for precision striking
Uses complementary woods to create a synergy of materials
