Connor Shanahan | Selected Works 2024

CONNOR SHANAHAN

SELECTED WORKS 2024

Architecture is not static; rather, it is in continual dialogue with the ever-changing site and societal conditions surrounding it.

Throughout these select works, each project negotiates between site, materials, and the experiential qualities of the architecture to respond to a specific narrative and explore the possibilities of the built environment.

1 DATA_FIELDS 2 BRIDGING BOUNDARY 3 CHI-M.A.D.E. 4 EVERYDAY MONUMENT 5 PUBLICATIONS

05 15 25 35 41

SENIOR DESIGN STUDIO

DATA_FIELDS spatial applications of digital landscapes

LOCATION_ _Digital COLLABORATORS_ _Sophia Allen _Kyle Guenther _Mircea Nastase INSTRUCTOR_

Infrastructures such as algorithms, the “cloud,” black boxes, and artificial intelligence support extractive activities to obtain power and control within society, oftentimes under the guise of technological advancement and modern convenience. Thus, contemporary technologies are not neutral; we must reconsider their implications in our lives and become aware of the predetermined logic of our machines and processes.

_Mitchell Squire DURATION_ _Fall 2023

2023 KOCIMSKI SUPER REVIEW FINALIST 2024 SUBSTANCE DESIGN FORUM FINALIST

These technologies have fueled Silicon Valley’s tech giants, which require the outsourcing of data storage, leaving smaller communities, like the Des Moines metro area, to bear the weight of these decisions. These data centers engage architectural conventions to plan, extract, and build physical manifestations of the “cloud” on the earth. As material mining continues to extract physical resources to construct the seemingly non-physical “cloud,” corporate interests and big data continue to overpower the aspirations, land, and resources of less dense communities and repress underground data infrastructures that operate today.

Modern human civilization has continually operated under the belief that technology will save us from ourselves and our actions. Given that contemporary systems were created by individuals with their own biases and coupled with the anonymity of modern technology, it becomes difficult to ensure that these systems designed to improve our lives will not harm our futures. This investigation aims to reframe our relationship with data to embrace our virtual identities that are gaining more presence in our physical world.

05

Manifesto of current datascape. Capitalist interests overpower the land and resources of smaller communities and repress underground data infrastructures that operate as the seemingly intangible cloud.

DATA_FIELDS

Manifesto of futurity investigating the human experience and its relationship with technology if the invisible data undergrounds were exposed.

07

The black box algorithm is one of the most threatening extractive technologies for its extractive anonyminity.

Hybridization proposes worlds that expose technological infrastructures prompting aspects of out physical realities.

DATA_FIELDS

Hybrid performance set design representing the physical world and digital infrastructures that operate within it.

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DATA_FIELDS

As our physical and virtual identities become increasingly fused, engaging our bodies to reconnect our presence in the hybrid landscapes we occupy becomes imperative. Performance is then used as a means to explore the potentials of the human body in virtual landscapes.

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DATA_FIELDS

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HOUSING STUDIO

BRIDGING BOUNDARY cultural residency center

LOCATION_ _Chelsea, NYC COLLABORATOR_ _Mircea Nastase INSTRUCTOR_ _Bosuk Hur DURATION_ _Spring 2022

2022 AIA IOWA EMERGING PROFESSIONALS COMP. 3RD PLACE

For those visiting Chelsea, the Highline appears as a spectacle of urban renewal: a once deteriorating railroad that now enhances life for Chelsea residents. From the Highline, tourists gaze in awe at the wealthy lifestyle that is perpetuated through the continuous development of the area, shielded from the local community below.

Thus a vertical boundary is created, one that distances tourists from local Chelsea communities. We propose an architectural intervention that redefines the Highline into a platform for cultural experiences. The elevated park that once served as the divide separating low and high lifestyles is now used to connect tourists to cultures that would otherwise be left in the shadows of high-rise development.

By integrating local culture into the Highline, we blur the boundary between culture and tourism by connecting public and private space. Chelsea and the surrounding area are home to plenty of artists and craftspeople within the local community who have lived there for years, know what it has been through, and serve as an example of what the city represents. Because of the exclusivity of galleries in Chelsea, local artists and craftspeople face challenges in showcasing their work, which reflects their life and experiences in the community. An architectural intervention can provide cultural residencies that allow these artisans to create their work and connect to visitors of the Highline in a singular building.

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1

Current condition: Highline as cultural barrier 2

Proposed condition: Highline as cultural platform

BRIDGING BOUNDARY

3

01_Box

02_Program

03_Open

04_Extrude-Extract

05_Circulation

06_Refine

1 / Street view expressing the dynamic nature of facades to reflect interior activities. Variations in types of glazing are strategically placed to display public markets, educational facilities, and semi-private studios 2 / Highline proposal diagrams 3 / Conceptual massing diagram

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Auditorium

Collaborative Studio

Highline Market Connection

Interior Market

Rooftop Patio

Artist Residency

BRIDGING BOUNDARY

Exploded isometric highlighting programmatic zones

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1

2

3

4

1 / 1 bedroom residential unit 2 / Collaborative studio bridge interior 3 / Public gallery 4 / Perspective walking south on Highline 5 / Level 07 collaborative studio plan 6 / Level 05 residncy plan 7 / Level 03 Highline level market plan

BRIDGING BOUNDARY

5

6

0

40

80 FT

7

21

1

A B C

L M N

D E F G H

2

O P Q

I J

R S

K

T

3 Detail Key A / Argon filled double pane window

L / 1/2” Engineered wood flooring

B / 2-3/4” sliding wood panels with

M / 1/4” acoustic foam pad

1” gap

N / 1” ligthweight concrete

C / Steel anchor rod fixed in place

O / 2” metal decking

D / Mullion detail per manufacturer

P / Mullion detail per manufacturer

E / Aluminum pan flashing at sill

Q / R-7 closed cell spray foam min

F / Exterior track for operable

1.5”

panels per manufacturer

R / 12” R-9 batt insulation

G / 1/8” flashing gap @ 12” O.C.

S / W 12 x 72

H / Track anchor bolt

T / 1” gypsum board

I / Anchor bolt fixed to C-chanel J / Channel fixed to structure K / Track head cover seal

BRIDGING BOUNDARY

1 / Day + night renders of residential tower expressing the functionality and materiality of the operable panels 2 / Residential studio unit isometric 3 / Residential operable panel detail 4 / A prominent connection between Highline and ground levels is designed to create a cascading stairway that leads tourists down with access points along the way to the interior market and public programs. The sectional quality expresses the juxtaposition between public and private spaces.

4

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INTEGRATED DESIGN STUDIO

CHI-M.A.D.E. museum of architecture + design

LOCATION_ _Chicago, Illinois COLLABORATOR_ _Jamileth Sarceno INSTRUCTORS_ _Rob Whitehead, FAIA _Rod Kruse, FAIA DURATION_ _Fall 2022

Chicago’s history of architecture and the environment can be summarized by its continual negotiations of access: access in terms of not only physical barriers but also educational and economic access. In a city known for its redlining and segregation serving the economic and political elite, these equity divisions describe an issue that Chicago has wrestled with for generations. In contemporary times, these issues may seem less explicit; however, when surveying who has access to enjoy and learn from the “sustainable” buildings that are popping up throughout the city, it is often wealthy business people who are the primary occupiers.

Throughout this project, we seek to define sustainable architecture as it relates to environmental performance and within its social and urban contexts. We argue that architecture is not truly sustainable unless everyone in the community has equitable access to learn and enjoy it.

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Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Constructed: 1999 Accessibility Notes: travel required over unevenstone plaza to enter; elevator significantly seperated from main staircase for vertical circulation to exhibits

Lincoln Park Conservatory

Constructed: 1892 Accessibility Notes: 1955 renovation created accessible lobby; unable to access Fern Room on circulation flow due to only stairs at both entrances

Lincoln Park Zoo

Constructed: 1868 Accessibility Notes: interconnected accessible pathways that connect through exhibits; many recent renovations to update exsisting structures

Chicago History Museum

Constructed: 1932 Accessibility Notes: central staircase as main vertical circulation with elevator hidden aorund corner; circulation on each floor not obstructed

1

CHI-M.A.D.E

2

1 / Site plan of Lincoln Park. Analyzing the chain of cultural institutions and “building in the park” typology as basis for massing and programmatic organization 2 / Main plaza perspective. Division of programs creates an engaging and accessible central plaza for outdoor exhibitions and public engagement.

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1

Mass

Split

Elevate

Curve

Refine

Occupy

Education

2

Curation

Fabrication

CHI-M.A.D.E

1 / Conceptual massing diagram describing the division of education and exhibition programming and the integration into existing site conditions and circulation.

2 / Longitudinal section. To provide a more accessible museum and educational facility, the education program is spread over the low horizontal mass for abundant access, while exhibitions are located in the tower to create a unique circulation path and user experience.

Exhibition Exhibition

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3

7

8

3

6

4

5

4 2

2

Site plan in North Pond Park. A central plaza is created to connect the surrounding urban context to the park and provide space for outdoor exhibitions to create accessible educational and cultural opportunities for everyone.

[1] Exhibit

[5] Fabrication Lab

[2] Orientation Hall

[6] Archive

[3] Storage/MEP

[7] Classroom

[4] Office

[8] Assembly Hall

CHI-M.A.D.E

2

3

1

2

Level 5

3

1

1

2 2

4 3

Level 4

3

1

1

2

Level 3

0 1

3

1

40 2

Level 2

80 FT

31

1

1” ALUMINIUM COMPOSITE MATERIAL 5/8” OSB WEATHER BARRIER 3-1/2” RIGID INSULAION 2”x4” METAL STUD 2-1/2” CONCRETE METAL DECKING 1” ALUMINUM COMPOSITE MATERIAL W12x50 PURLIN

DROP CEILING CLIP CEILING TRACK

1 / Zoomed section of the doubleheight gallery with integrated building systems. Wall assembly details depict the gridded aluminum facade system 2 / Interior perspective of the 4th floor gallery. The double-height space accommodates a variety of exhibition types and scales and leverages the 5th floor to gain new perspectives of the exhibition and surrounding park context

1-5/8” CEILING FINISH L BRACKET ANCHOR BOLT HORIZONTAL ALUMINIUM LOUVER VERTICAL ALUMINIUM LOUVER THERMALLY BROKEN ALUMINUM FRAME DOUBLE PANE GLAZING

CHI-M.A.D.E

2

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URBAN DESIGN STUDIO

EVERYDAY MONUMENT design for community life

LOCATION_ _Rome, Italy COLLABORATOR_ _Kyle Guenther _Arden Stapella INSTRUCTOR_ _Consuelo Nuñez Cuiffa DURATION_ _Spring 2023

Everyday Monument encapsulates the current context of San Lorenzo while continually referencing the historic monuments that once served the contexts of their time.

While these monuments today are addressed in new ways, their presence is reestablished by their visual relationship to the contemporary site that serves the overall community.

This project’s approach to the site is centered around connecting the two existing archeological sites, the Aurelian Wall and the Sepolcro di Largo Talamo, around different typologies of public space. The linear park extending from the mausoleum creates an open area for recreational activities surrounded by two linear facades that frame the void. The piazza centered around the Aurelian wall contrasts the activity of the park and engages in the existing monument’s historical presence.

Conversely, the community center and mixed-use building establish themselves as permeable masses on the site and create varying levels of refuge in relation to the voids of the park and piazza. These masses are relevated on podiums to create an everyday monument that engages the San Lorenzo community in new ways.

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1

1 / Figure-ground site plan of San Lorenzo neighborhood. Solid and void relationships are describe public spaces.

2 / Exploded site isometric. An archipelago of forms creates an artifical landscape amid the entirely public ground level and enrich programmatic spaces above.

EVERYDAY MONUMENT RECREATION CENTER

2

COMMUNITY AUDITORIUM

FAMILY + YOUNNG PROFESSIONAL RESIDENCIES

STUDENT LOUNGES

STUDENT RESIDENCIES

CO-WORKING OFFICES

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1

1 / Approach perspective. The facade of the multi-use building acts as a backdrop to the public linear park in front.

2 / Aurelian Wall piazza. Public space continues from the park to a piazza framed by the building and historic Aurelian Wall.

EVERYDAY MONUMENT

2

3 / Section through community center and linear park. The extension of the mound to the podium of the community center defines the site as an entirely public space.

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PUBLICATIONS research, writing, + design

I discovered interest in the publications as a side effect of my architectural education. The process of research, writing, reflection,and documentation has become integral to the way I approach design. The publications I have contributed to vary in content and purpose, but all mark methods of design thinking that have broadened my creative practice.

StratAA Architecture Archive is an archival publication that collects, curates, and disseminates student work from the Department of Architecture. In my role as editor I oversaw the development and print of the publication.

DATUM is a student journal of A/architecture at Iowa State University that is a medium for critical academic discourse through the exchange of bold design and progressive ideas. Throughout my involvement I have contributed written and graphic pieces,collaborated on the publication design, and developed interest in design research.

DATA_FIELD Guide is designed as a guide to document field work and creative research at varying scales of inquiry as they relate to data extraction. Each chapter marks a phase of the research throughout the project, ranging from documenting extraction, extractive imaginaries, the data extraction process, and hybrid performance. This publication became an critical step to synthesize the range of creative research conducted.

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DATUM No.13 Collective, Contributor + Designer, Spring 2022

DATA_FIELD Guide, Editor, Fall 2023

PUBLICATIONS

StratAA Architecture Archive Layer 3, Designer + Editor, Spring 2024

StratAA Architecture Archive Layer 2, Designer + Editor, Spring 2023

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Please find a complete collection of my work at coshan.cargo.site

CONNOR SHANAHAN

coshan.arch@gmail.com (608) 556-3127 coshan.cargo.site

EDUCATION

ACHIEVEMENTS

Iowa State University

Substance Design Forum 2024 Finalist “DATA_FIELDS”

August 2019 - May 2024 / Ames, IA + Bachelor of Architecture Professional Degree, Spanish Minor + Studied abroad in Rome, Italy Spring 2023 + Cumulative GPA 3.93

Kocimski Super Review 2023

Honorable Mention “DATA_FIELDS”

AIA Iowa Emerging Professionals Competition 2022 Third Place “Bridging Boundary”

EXPERIENCE

Hansen Prize Competition 2022

Workshop Architects - Architectural Intern

Wells Precast Concrete Competition 2021

Finalist “Capstone Collective”

May 2023 - August 2023 / Milwaukee, WI

+ Developed schematic renderings of various higher education projects for client use + Created marketing diagrams, plans, and sections for firm portfolio and project interviews + Researched CNC workflows to better integrate technology in project development + Collaborated on design schemes and renderings for rooftop wellness garden

OPN Architects - Architectural Intern

Winner “Groove Heights”

Lightfoot Internship Scholarship Summer 2022, 2023

Iowa State University College of Design Dean’s List 2019-Present

May 2022 - August 2022 / Madison, WI

+ Created visuals for schematic design set of contemporary worship center collaborating on site design, material selection, and presentation materials + Collaborated with innovation team to integrate 3D printing into professional workflows + Developed presentation drawing set for commercial environmental branding proposal

SKILLS Digital

College of Design Recruitment Ambassador Jan. 2022 - Present

+ Presents the College of Design and the Department of Architecture to prospective students and their families through guided tours and information sessions

StratAA Architectural Archive - President + Co-Editor Sept. 2021 - Present

+ Designs and publishes an annual publication that archives and curates student work from the Department of Architecture

DATUM Student Journal of Architecture - Contributor + Member Sept. 2021 - Present

+ Contributed written and graphic material and collaborated on publication design for DATUM No.13 Collective and DATUM No.14 Supernatural

Design Studies 102 Teaching Assistant Spring 2022

AIAS Chapter Member 2020-2021

REFERENCES Bosuk Hur

Kelsey Dettmann

Anna Aversing, Assoc. AIA

Design Principal, Folio Architects Associate Professor of Practice Iowa State University bhur@iastate.edu

Designer, Workshop Architects kelsey@workshoparchitects.com

Associate Professor of Practice Iowa State University aversing@iastate.edu

Rhino Adobe Creative Suite AutoCAD Enscape Revit SketchUp

Fabrication Wood Working 3D Printing Laser Cutting CNC Routing Publication Printing