Course: Praxis 2, Carnegie Mellon University Year: Spring 2024, 14 weeks
Co-taught by Matthew Huber Carnegie Mellon University, Special Faculty mzh@andrew.cmu.edu
Professor Azadeh Sawyer Carnegie Mellon University, Track Chair BPD asawyer@andrew.cmu.edu
Jeffrey Davis Carnegie Mellon University, Adjunct Faculty jdavis@andrew.cmu.edu
Completed in collaboration with Connor Gates and Claire Laux.
Over the past 50 years, Sursum Corda has seen a lot of changes. Because of the recent shifts in housing developments, the local community of families with young children, students of all ages, as well as larger community-based groups seek a place to gather and learn from one another. A new library on the northside of the neighborhood hopes to serve as one large “resource hub” that not only brings awareness to site context and material resource use, but also local intellectual ones.
To further this purpose, we named the library after John C. Hirsh, an academic professor at Georgetown University who led a 20-year mentoring program providing literacy tutoring to children in Washington D.C. His work exemplifies community engagement, which our project aims to emulate.
Sketchbook design iterations for massing and communication of program.
The parti of the green space. The because of this to encourage market space
To keep it the re-circulating control and mitigate space is a floor
Exterior Rendering
the project was heavily influenced by the conditions of the site which is around 20,000 square feet of underutilized The site offered a challenge with its topography, sloping about 7 and half feet from the north to the south. It’s this topographical change that we saw potential in creating a form that would “open up” towards Sursum Corda a welcoming and inclusive environment. Additionally, we believed that combining the function of a library with a would benefit and strengthen our idea of resource sharing within the project.
most inclusive space, the market hall was embedded into the site. This required excavating some of the earth and the material into the design of the facade. The excavation led to the creation of several rain gardens, which help to mitigate stormwater runoff and provide a natural habitat for native plant species and pollinators. Above the market floor mainly dedicated to connecting and circulating the community to the floating library programs above it.
Rendering + Water Collection Site Process Diagram
All of the programmatic characteristics are finally sheltered by a large roof canopy supported by this structurewhich we studied through small models. This canopy serves the dual purpose of collecting and directing water throughout the site and the surrounding neighborhood. It also provides the building and the south plaza with some shade and a more thermally comfortable walkway along New York Ave.
We explored the interior occupant experience through virtual reality models as well. Scan the QR Codes for a 360 Image.
To create the illusion of a “floating” concept, the primarily mass timber building, which is made from yellow pine, is anchored to the site using large glulam columns that come to a point in the market space. Unlike conventional materials such as concrete, this material sequesters carbon, is renewable, and is locally sourced around the Washington D.C. area. Structurally, to avoid the need for additional glulam members on the outside edges of the building, the project uses tensioning cables to balance the loads and demasses the amount of timber needed.
Process Study Models +
Above:
Section Model (0’-1/4” = 1’-0”), Handcut and constructed with basswood.
co-VERGE REFUGEE AND GRADUATE STUDENT HOUSING
Site: Central Oakland, Pittsburgh, PA
Course: Design Studio 3, University of Pittsburgh Year: Spring 2021, 14 weeks
Co-taught by Chris Guignon University of Pittsburgh, Adjunct Faculty cguignon@gbbn.com
Emily Pierson-Brown University of Pittsburgh, Adjunct Faculty e.pierson@perkinseastman.com
Completed in collaboration with Han Bui Graphics and renderings produced by myself
This project was selected to be featured in HAAARCH!!! in 2022, the University of Pittsburgh’s annual showcase of architecture projects and research.
To strengthen community growth and a sense of belonging within the neighborhood of Oakland, we developed a space that promotes refugees, graduate students, and local residents to meaningfully interact with each other while also employing passive design strategies for urban living. co-VERGE is a lowrise, high-density social housing project that utilizes porches to strengthen our notion of community.
This program includes space for City of Asylum, a Pittsburgh-based organization that protects endangered literary writers and artists and celebrates creative expression.
Above: Ground Floor Plan
Below: Site Section
Our design places an emphasis on shared space to develop an environment that focuses on the coexistence of multiple groups. The inclusion of an artist’s in-residence program through City of Asylum was to promote their mission of building a just community.
The opportunities created are intended to link social sustainability with environmental sustainability—bridging the full array of cultural, social, and emotional diversity within Central Oakland.
View from interior courtyard.
INITIAL MASS
massing to accommodate for views, sun exposure, and prevailing winds
01. NOTCH main entrance from site forces to define central courtyard
02. CARVE pedestrian derived from
06. SHIFT
07. SLOPE surfaces management
05. CONNECT residences to develop community ties
pedestrian circulation paths main entrance
surfaces for rainwater management
03. INSCRIBE private courtyard space based on circulation patterns
04. DEFINE porches and community centers to promote connectivity
08. OPEN sight-lines into spaces below and allow sunlight penetration FINAL MASS
RAINWATER MANAGEMENT
Sloped roofs direct rainwater to underground cistern for harvesting via permeable surfaces
Passive design principles were also implemented to create a climate-responsive design.
Sloped roofs to shed rain and snow, effective window placement to maximize cross-ventilation, photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, and the inclusion of deciduous trees offer shade in the summer are just a few examples of strategies utilized.
SALVAGED STUDIO
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
PROGRAM
Site: Chateau, Pittsburgh, PA
Course: Praxis 1, Carnegie Mellon University
Year: Fall 2023, 14 weeks
Co-taught by Professor Sarosh Anklesaria Carnegie Mellon University, M.Arch Track Chair sanklesa@andrew.cmu.edu
Professor Jonathan Kline Carnegie Mellon University, Studio Professor jkline@cmu.edu
Completed in collaboration with Mackenzie Sorton Graphics and renderings produced by myself
After the construction of State Route 65, the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Manchester and Chateau became divided, resulting in significant challenges for the Chateau community, including disinvestment, restricted accessibility, and abandonment.
Through the adaptive reuse of an existing system of underutilized warehouses, we intend to create an artist-in-residence program to provide makers and researchers the opportunity to cultivate creativity and enhance the dialogue and exchange with each other and the local community. Our aim is to use making to form a nexus for collaboration and connection–bridging the gap between Chateau and Manchester–allowing the community to engage and participate in the creative process through transformed materials.
Collages as a way of expressing ideas for intervention Collage
Our Artist-in-Residence Program aims to positively re-establish Chateau’s neighborhood identity. By repurposing and revitalizing existing structures, we’re encouraging a celebration of Pittsburgh’s industrial heritage while reimagining a vibrant and sustainable future for the community.
By approaching our intervention as a palimpsest—a framework wherein our proposal is built upon existing elements, we sought to preserving fragments of it to facilitate a just transition in urban regeneration.
These notions helped us to develop a program centered around the exchange of ideas, the care and protection of community members, collaboration among local neighbors, and fostering learning and creativity.
Collage depicting the site’s “wicked problems”
FORM DEVELOPMENT
Revitalizing Creativity
Through adaptive reuse, an artist residency emerged within an existing network of underutilized industrial buildings, transforming the space into a vibrant hub for creative expression.
Creating Spaces for Activities
The center of the warehouse block was a metal structure, and it was deconstructed to open up the ground plane and create a collaborative, outdoor space. The materials from the deconstruction can be transported to our neighboring site to be transformed into materials for the artists.
Occupying Voids
Voided structures were introduced to add light throughout the spaces. They also serve as the baseline for the circulation, collaboration, and studio spaces.
Creating a Canopy
A roof canopy connects the voids and serves as a nucleus of the site, designed with an awareness of environmental factors.
Elevating the Ground Plane
The major circulation naturally rose to the third floor so the community could interact with the artists and the light shining through the void.
Approach into primary void, which serves as a community exhibition space.
Salvaged Studio cultivates a community engaged in transition design, where artists utilize industrial waste as a medium of making. This demonstrates the potential of waste not only to the Chateau community but also to similar inner-city neighborhoods and Rust Belt cities. By repurposing these remnants that have defined the region, they aim to celebrate and breathe new life into the unique character of the region. The public engages in the artists’ work, and together, the artists and the public create a culture in which waste is never unused, but instead salvaged for a new life.
Final Physical Section Model
Physical Model Exploration
Voided structures were introduced to add light throughout the spaces, and a roof canopy, designed with an awareness of environmental factors, was added to connect the voids and serve as a nucleus of the site. The major circulation naturally rose to the third floor so the community could interact with the artists and the light shining through the void.
Physical Concept Study Model
COSMOLOGICAL WALL-MAKING
CASE STUDY OF THE WEST BANK BARRIER
Site: West Bank, Palestine
Course: Unreasonable Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University
Year: Fall 2024, 14 weeks
Taught by Professor Tuliza Sindi Carnegie Mellon University, Curator for Public Programs and Director of Publications and Special Faculty tsindi@andrew.cmu.edu
This project is set to be included in an forthcoming publication (Spring 2025) titled Inventory of Unreasonable Wall-Making through the PJ Dick Traching Grant.
Landscapes, when formulated by humans, are not static, but become constantly shaped and reshaped by the movements of people, resources, and ideas. The dynamic nature of landscapes reveals how histories, identities, beliefs, and social values converge and evolve. Mobility is intrinsic to the conception and formation of human landscapes in cosmological terms, as it shapes its physical and social outcomes, and dictates spatial and material access and constraints.
Through spatial practice, whether in the formal sense or not, practitioners embed ideologies of mobility that govern belonging and non-belonging.
This study examines the West Bank Barrier in Palestine as a space for protest and resistance. Since its construction in 2002, it has transformed into a site where artists, both local and international, challenge its presence through graffiti.
CASE STUDIES
MATERIALITY AND CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS
Site: Various Locations
Course: M + CS, Carnegie Mellon University
Year: Spring 2024, 14 weeks
Taught by Professor Jeremy Ficca Carnegie Mellon University, Associate Professor jficca@cmu.edu
These short drawing exercises centered around conventional construction methods and buildings that utilize some unique adaptions to standard practices. I studied four, canonical works of architecture and created these wall section isometrics from found construction details, drawings, and photography.
Straw Bale Social Housing Nogent-Le-Rotrou, France
Centre Palais de l’Alma, 2022
Paris, France
Daycare
Atelier Regis Roudil Architectes
Student Building in Braunschweig, 2022
Braunschweig, Germany
Gustav Dusing & Max Hacke
PETER BECKER COMMUNITY HEALTH
CENTER
MASTER PLANNING STUDY
Firm: RLPS Architects
Site: Harleysville, PA
Project Type: Continuing Care Retirement Community
Project Status: In Progress
Design Phases: Vision and Master Planning
Located in Harleysville, PA, this continuing care retirement community project focused on enhancing resident-centered care across Skilled Nursing, Memory Care, and Personal Care wings. The design prioritized functionality, comfort, and a sense of community. The Memory Care wing saw the addition of 12 beds, housed in a newly constructed 6,900-square-foot space with a secure courtyard and dedicated activity areas. These enhancements aimed to improve quality of care while fostering an inviting and supportive environment for residents.
I primarily focused on visualization efforts and assisted with the layout and planning of the Skilled Nursing and Personal Care wings.
Completed in collaboration with Dustin Julius and Max Winters.
SARAH REED SENIOR LIVING
MEMORY CARE RENOVATION STUDY
Firm: RLPS Architects
Site: Erie, PA
Project Type: Memory Care Community
Project Status: Renovation Proposal
Design Phases: Vision Planning
Sarah Reed Senior Living in Erie, PA, sought to expand its memory care offerings with a new 13-bed wing designed to provide residents with a safe and supportive environment. The main goal was to create functional spaces that foster comfort and independence. A key component was improving access to outdoor spaces as well as communal neighborhood conditions.
My primary focus was developing unit typologies and arrangements, as well as designing the overall layout of the 13-bed memory care wing. Additionally, my team and I worked on redesigning the outdoor terrace to create a secure and accessible community space, offering residents a safe opportunity to connect outside.
Completed in collaboration with Max Winters and Kristin Novak.
Sitting on a triangular site at the gateway to Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, the Mosaic Apartments offer inclusive, affordable housing specifically designed for LGBTQ+ seniors. This project was of particular interest to me due to my passion for its profound social impact, as it provides a safe and supportive community for an often marginalized group. The thoughtful integration of accessible design and communal spaces also sparked my interest in senior living, highlighting the importance of creating environments that promote dignity, connection, and well-being for aging populations.
This development is set to be the region’s first LGBTQ+ senior living facility and will contain 48 units of affordable housing. The project has several different funding sources including LIHTC and is slated for completion in the fall of 2025.
Completed in collaboration with Dan Rothschild, Nick Rebeck, Nickie Chenug, Walt Haim
Top: Fifth Floor Plan
Bottom: Forbes Ave. + Craft Ave. Elevations
During my work on the Mosaic Apartments project, I focused on designing the unit plans for all 48 apartments, making sure that each layout prioritized comfort, accessibility, and aligned with PHFA requirements. I was also involved in developing both the interior and exterior building elevations, as well as detailing building assemblies and reflected ceiling plans. In addition to design work, I also helped in preparing and delivering client presentations, clearly communicating the design vision and ensuring that it resonated with the client’s goals and the needs of the community. This project in particular truly sparked my passion for senior living, and helped me to me to explore how thoughtful design can enhance quality of life, foster community, and meet the evolving needs of aging populations.
LOUNGE
SECOND HARVEST
COMMUNITY THRIFT STORE
Firm: Rothschild Doyno Collaborative
Site: Sharpsburg, Pittsburgh, PA
Project Type: AIA Design Pittsburgh Awards
While at Rothschild Doyno Collaborative, I had the opportunity to lead the team organizing and editing the Second Harvest submission for the 2022 Design Pittsburgh Awards. In leading the team, I had my first taste of delegating tasks, organizing meetings, and efficiently coordinating between markups and edits. Second Harvest is a signal of a regenerating community building the ground work for a sustainable vision and vibrant hopeful future.
This project received the Social Impact in Design Award in 2022 from AIA Pittsburgh, as well as an Architectural Excellence Design Merit Award in 2023 from AIA Pennsylvania.
Completed in collaboration with Kim Rullo, Robert Tuñón, Nickie Cheung, Katie Johnston, Mike Gwin, and Dan Rothschild.
Photograph by Joe Wahy
Opening the Store
Once a photo lab that limited natural light into the interior, the renovated building allowed daylight to fill every corner of Second Harvest and created a warm, inviting environment for shoppers, staff, and volunteers.
“In the wake of a great loss for Sharpsburg, neighbors came together to respond to the closing of the community’s beloved thrift store. The former thrift store was not only an essential access point to affordable goods for the community’s residents, but it was also a place where locals frequented to meet one another. Concerned community members responded by forming a new organization, purchasing a property, and undertaking a major renovation to transform the existing building into a site that ensured dignity in the second-hand goods retail experience.
The pandemic struck but it only deepened the community’s commitment to bringing a welcoming space that served the essential needs of all Sharpsburg’s residents.”
Engaging Residents
The Sharpsburg Community Vision Plan guided the team to create a resilient, sustainable, and healthy home for Second Harvest.
