Carly Bodenhausen 2023: Portfolio

I am a master’s student at Kansas State University studying interior architecture and industrial design. My love for design is fueled by art, travel, exploration, and detail. I believe that a humancentered approach is of utmost importance and that creating with the intention of the user’s well-being generates purposeful work. I love contributing creative energy in any way possible and utilizing that passion for others. Besides architecture, I enjoy other creative outlets such as rug tufting, drawing, movies, and fashion. I like to be outside as much as possible, and I take delight in bird-watching as an outdoor hobby. I am loyal to my inner circle and family and I love to be around them, however, I also quite love alone time as well. All of my pastimes inspire my design process, along with the desire to have an authentic and meaningful design vision.

website: carlybodenhausen.myportfolio.com

UO STUDENT UNION

In this semester-long capstone project, a great emphasis was placed on design development through research-related content. This includes extensive precedent research, theories research, and qualitative research. With the recent 2016 development of the ERB Memorial Union at the University of Oregon, the team was able to examine its strengths and weaknesses and develop a refined program most related to gaps needing to be filled post-pandemic.

In the end, the program focused on restoration, socialization, mindfulness, and academic development through self-actualization.

view of biophilia lounge view in greenhouse study

view of community garden view in biophilia lounge

STARLING BIRD SUPPLY

Tasked to design a retail space of choice, Starling Bird Supply emerged from the inspiration of the fluidity and motion that takes place in the sky. With the concept of murmuration, which is a swooping mass of thousands of birds whirling in the sky with expanding entities, a complex and layered system was designed to create circulation and separation of space. With consideration of materiality, signage, and programming of retail space, Starling Bird Supply was conceptualized.

view of activity space view of retail space

TUBULAR

The driver of this piece is the idea of a floating accent chair. Something that does not adhere to one spot, and that flows within a space through the continuous and simple form. Accent chairs are not the most commonly used pieces of furniture in a household, and are often showcase pieces that sit and look pretty more often than being sat on. The design emulates this notion while maintaining attention to ergonomics as well. The form of the chair will hug the shape of the human body while the aquarium tubing will expand and contract to each user’s weight. In addition to this, it will not act as a chair to lounge in or to sit in for long periods of time, but rather a mold that will satisfy the user for the time being. The design of the accent chair has a primary focus on form, as there are no visible connections and a minimalistic approach to finish.

view of aquarium tubing

view of side profile

view of weave view of connection

KOMPAN HEADQUARTERS

Tasked to design for Kompan’s headquarters, a playground equipment company, the framework of 12,000 square feet was given to develop an innovative solution to standardized office design. Influenced by the concept of embracing one’s inner child, the headquarters welcomed the use of color, additive mass, and integration of unique materiality. After extensive research on the history of office design, Kompan’s strengths hold true to a balance of public vs. private workspaces, lounge and relaxation opportunities, pin-up and collaboration spaces, and a variety of conference settings.

ADJACENCY STUDY

open office seating private office space elevator entrance quiet room breakroom / cafe maker space collaboration space reception VR / classroom outdoor patio restrooms lounge conference room non-adjacent convenient adjacent

view of side profile view of mezzanine

perspective view view of stair

ANDREA’S DESK

Asked to address a targeted issue through the design of a family of furnishings, take a deeper look into the functional and contextual factors of furniture design, and investigate how design can create happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives, this semester long project took shape. With processes such as prototyping, metalworking, woodworking, welding, and CNC programming, an elegant form of a drafting table and stool was designed and brought to life.

detail of material detail of connection

MOONFLOWER PENDANT

Assigned to design and build a lighting product with a focus on the topic of biomimicry and other inspirational methods, the Moonflower Pendant took shape. In better understanding these topics, in-depth examinations of precedents, research on the natural world, material considerations, ergonomic reflections, and other forms of analysis helped form design decisions. The emphasis for this project focuses on the use of prototyping to reflect the creative ideas and goals.

pendant in context pendant in context

THESIS RESEARCH

Through one semester of research for my design thesis, I have approached the subject of single-parenthood and cohousing through multiple facets. I have learned the difficulties faced by single parents and how design can address these issues. I have learned about the current issues surrounding housing affordability through current literature aimed at addressing this problem. I have learned about the history, development, and current state of cohousing typology in the United States, and I have learned about a critical design framework that can address the unique needs of single-parent families within the context of cohousing. With one semester to go, I aim to leverage my knowledge of the subject into the design of a coliving complex based in Kansas City, Missouri.

COHOUSING AS A SOLUTION FOR OVERCOMING THE ADVERSITIES

OF SINGLE-PARENTHOOD

ABSTRACT

As the divorce rates in the United States continue to rise, the adversities faced by single parents and the detrimental impact on parent and child well-being become more visible. Dowd (1999) states that one in every two single mothers live below the poverty line, half of the impoverished children are of single-parent families, and the single-parent family income accounts for only 40% of the average income of twoparent families. More recently, Stack and Meredith (2018) underlined the claim that single parents are at substantial risk for financial impact and psychological misfortune and that the necessity of support for social circumstances must be acknowledged. Moreover, it is important to consider the utmost need for environmental and emotional support for single-parent children. Downward emotional spirals, difficulties at work, and deteriorations in the quality of relationships with children are all potential outcomes of a temporary, unsupported, or absent home life (Dowd, 1999). It is evident that there is an urgent necessity for sustained affordability, support, and stability within the single-parent community, and it is believed that cohousing is a part of the solution.

As a unique housing typology comprised of multiple living quarters organized around shared amenities, cohousing promises support through social interdependence without suppressing sense of privacy and autonomy. Since the inception of the concept in the 1960s, the benefits of cohousing were well explored in the literature: sense of community and mutual support, pooled and shared resources, space, and time, regulated schedules

and sense of order, sense of security while maintaining independence, and an overall sense of belonging. Considering single parent families are held to a higher set of responsibilities with severely limited resources, there is a need for collective, participatory, sustainable, and mindful characteristics of an environment. Consequently, the advantages attained by co-housing typology appear to be a great fit. Based on this premise, this research investigates the ways in which an evidence-based approach to affordable cohousing design can sustainably benefit the health and well-being of single-parent families while cultivating a sense of community and support.

Data is collected through a series of semi-structured interviews with 16 single parents from various racial, cultural, educational, and financial backgrounds. Key interview points identified in the interview roadmap include sense of privacy, security, and safety, neighbor relations, support, and socialization, childcare, storage issues, affordability pertaining to rent, resources, and bills, individuality and expression, access to greenspace. Transcriptions were interpreted in accordance with the iterative thematic analysis method outlined by Braun & Clarke (2006). Based on the findings, a critical framework will be developed to address the unique needs of singleparent families within the context of cohousing typology. It is expected that the findings will help designers develop a new understanding of the needs of the very vulnerable single-parent population, and kindle motivation to test the utility of cohousing for this group as well as other vulnerable groups in an age where housing affordability is among the top social concerns.

PERSONAL WORK

I enjoy staying hands-on in my free time, and with this comes an assortment of experimental media. I am passionate about trying new things, which has accumulated to a handful of hobbies. These are a few of my pieces that I take pride in due to testing the waters with different forms of expression and effort in execution.