PORTFOLIO
By Casey Lavin
BIOGRAPHY
Hello, I am Casey Lavin. I am a fourth year student at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo majoring in Architecture and minoring in Construction Management. Through growing up in San Diego and moving to San Luis Obispo for college, I have developed a deep love for the ocean, mountains, and all things outdoors. I aim to apply these aspects of nature and community to my architectural designs to bring a similar joy to those who occupy the space. I believe architecture has the power to shape how people interact with their cities, communities, and immediate surroundings. In my professional career, I aspire to design spaces that positively serve the public and connect communities. I am inspired by infrastructure designed for the human, rather than the car, and look forward to working on projects in the future oriented towards creating walk-able and bike-able infrastructure paired with accessible public transportation. This portfolio reflects the projects I have developed throughout my past four years at Cal Poly. In each project, although the programs and site were chosen by my professors, I aim to connect my values of community and nature interaction into my personal project response.
COPENHAGEN HARBOR HEALING
Fall 24’ | Copenhagen, Denmark
Description
In the late 20th century, harbor baths were beginning to be constructed as an incentive to clean the industrialized and contaminated harbors of Copenhagen. The construction of harbor baths healed both the environment and community of Copenhagen by providing spaces for locals and visitors to connect with each other through a natural environment.
Cold plunging and saunas have served as a healing ritual for Nordic people throughout history. By plunging in a body of cold water immersed in nature, people experience a natural flush of adrenaline and a feeling of rejuvenation. In Finnish culture, saunas are described as a “Church of Nature” and a space for healing through nature. As harbor baths actively heal the canals of Copenhagen, the environmentally rooted activities they provide simultaneously heal their visitors. Through structures and baths intertwined in Copenhagen’s natural marshy flora, I aim to design a biophilic harbor bath that nurtures a healing connection between nature and visitors.
Site Circulation Diagram
Section Looking East
Section Looking North
Experiential View 1: Entry Sequence
Experiential View 2: Sauna and Plunge Pool
PORTLAND URBAN FOOD HUB
Winter-Spring 24’ | Portland, Oregon
Designed in collaboration with Jack Andriola
Description
The Portland Urban Food Hub aims to create a space in the Pearl District of Portland where people can pause their busy day to find peace among food, gardens, and community. With the Pacific Northwest College of Arts directly to the east, the North Park Blocks to the south, and the Broadway corridor to the north, Portland Urban Food Hub creates a green central space for each community to relax and rejuvenate. The garden-filled roof-ground connection pulls users away from Portland’s urban street level and up onto the green roof, pausing and disconnecting their busy lives and bringing them to a peaceful state regarding their farming, cooking, and dining experience.
Integrated Focus Area: Elevation, Plan, Wall Section
FLOOR PLANS
View 1
Experiential View 2
Experiential
Section Model: Perspective View
Section Model: South Elevation
Section Model: Green Roof Corridor Detail
Section Model: Interior Section Looking West
CAL POLY WELLNESS CENTER
Fall 23’ | San Luis Obispo, California
Description
The Cal Poly Health and Wellness Center is centered around providing a space to nurture community, gathering, and connection for students on the Cal Poly Campus. Located just west the of Cal Poly student housing, the Center is home to a 24 hour urgent care, counseling center, peer mentor and tutoring center, nutrition center, and food pantry. The Center is divided into an east and west wing hosting the private programs associated with health, and a central core in the middle creating community spaces to foster wellness. The Cal Poly Health and Wellness Center provides students a space on campus, to relax, learn, and find joy within their busy school day.
Form Diagram
Full Building Section: Looking East
Exploded Program Diagram
EXTRUDE
2046 JOHNSON: MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSING
Spring
23’ | San Luis Obispo, California
Description
2046 Johnson is a multi-generational housing project, home to a mother, father, grandmother, international student, and two adult-children. Each structure on the property is a balance of opaque mass and voids in the wall directing the users towards spaces for privacy or family gathering respectively. Each void opens into an indoor-outdoor gathering space such as kitchen, dining room, or living room. This allows the parents, grandmother, international student, and children to each have a private structure while still being connected to one-another through shared outdoor spaces.
Physical Model: North East Perspective
Physical Model: North West Perspective
Physical Model: Detail
DESIGN VILLAGE: ENVISION
Spring 22’ | San Luis Obispo, California
Designed and built in collaboration with 12 students
Description
Design Village is a tradition within the Cal Poly College of Architecture and Environmental Design where in the Spring quarter, first year architecture majors design and build a structure to carry a mile to the Poly Canyon and inhabit for two nights. In 2022, the theme was “Eternity”. A team of eleven students from my studio and I designed and built “Envision”. Envision is a set of three individual pods that stand together in a line to frame and direct views of Poly Canyon. Each pod sleeps two people, allowing a maximum of six people to sleep overnight. In response to the “Eternity” theme, the team and I aimed to minimize the environmental impact of the project. The structural frame of Envision is built solely by wood, and the enclosure made of retired sails donated by the Cal Poly Sailing Team and gardening tarp donated by the Cal Poly Horticulture Unit. Rather than sitting directly on the grass of Poly Canyon, each pod of Envision sits on two 2x6 ‘s which elevate the pod above the ground.
