DUENSER ERIC
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Undergraduate Selected Works 2020-2024
INFINITE INNOVATION STEEL MOBIUS STRIP
Location Program Year
Competition Awards
St. Louis, Missouri
Steel Innovation Center
4th Year Fall Semester
2024 ACSA Steel Competition 2nd Place 2023 Fall Earl Prize Nomination
Drawing inspiration from the extruded triangular form of the gateway arch, this project aims to create a new, unique geometrical form for the Mississippi riverside. Its toroidal, twisting shape is reminiscent of a three sided Möbius strip , nesting a center courtyard that looks over the site’s levee wall and out over the river. Its unique shape means that it only has one side since the walls rotate with the twist and subsequently continue to form the roof and floor. The seamless steel and glass panels account for the twist, fading in and out with the angled walls to effectively use daylighting. The glass paneling also reveals the unique structural supports required to hold up the long span cantilever while still retaining the building’s sculptural form. The over 100,000 square feet of program primarily focuses on the development of new steel and structural technologies. The structure, being a marvel of steel innovation on its own, seeks to inspire its researchers in their efforts towards said innovations.
The main entrance is positioned on the North side of the site, along with the ramped park which extends up to the courtyard. This effectively extends the Gateway Arch National Park further down the Mississippi River. The main entrance leads to the daycare and the museum of steel on the second floor.
The south side of the mobius is home to the steel fabrication bays, loading dock, and employee entrance. These connect via elevator and stair to the third floor, which houses the administrative offices, classrooms and meeting rooms. Both the thin and wide portions of the mobius are designed as longspan steel structures but in different ways.
MISSISSIPPI
SECOND FLOOR THIRD FLOOR
FIRST FLOOR
A) Spider Paneling Exterior
B) Spider Paneling Interior Component
C) Space frame and HSS Connection
D) Horizontal HSS to Caisson Connection
E) Decking, Girder, and HSS Connection
F) Vertical HSS Connection to Caisson
G) Caisson
1) Large HSS: 36 inch diameter
2) Space Frame: 2 inch diameter
3) Stainless Steel Panel: 3/32 inch thickness
4) Glass Panel: 3/32 inch thickness
5) Decking: 4 inch thickness
6) Beam: W10x45
7) Girder: W14X68
8) Medium HSS: 10 inch diameter
Location Program Year
THE PAGE TURNER
TWISTING BOOKSTORE
Downtown Champaign, Illinois Cafe and Bookstore 3rd Year Fall Semester
This project makes the most out of a uniquely slender site, by segmenting it into 5 equal pieces, mimicking the dimensions of the building next door. These squared extrusions are stacked on top of eachother, rotating out as the building leaves the withstraining infill. This “stack” resembles a tower of books, cantilevering over one another, and the horizontal louvers that cover the southern facade echo the shelving inside the building. Each extrusion has a central light well that looks down on the spaces below and doubles as bookshelves and seating with incredible views towards UIUC campustown and the Champaign train station.
SEGMENT
EXTRUDE
ROTATE
INSET
THIRD FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
FIRST FLOOR
CONTEMPORARY ODEON GREEKTOWN
CONCERT HALL
Location Program Year Awards Chicago, Illinois Performance Hall 3rd Year Fall Semester 2022 Fall Earl Prize Nomination
Positioned at the boundary of Chicago’s Greektown, this project cleverly combines the traditional elements of Greek amphitheaters and odeons into a more contemporary urban facade. I used the radial seating that these theaters were known for to dictate both the form and structure of my building, with an arcade of columns and arches that support the tiered seating above. This radial scheme is constrained within the rectangular boundary of the site and only breaks at the entrance and ticket booth to emphasize the corner location, as it welcomes visitors into the culturally rich neighborhood.
PARTI
URBAN CANYON MIXED
USE INFILL
Retail and Office Building
2nd Year Spring Semester
Location Program Year Chicago, Illinois
After analyzing the wind patterns of the site, a wind tunnel like effect was observed, commonly called the urban canyon effect . This is caused by the flat, vertical facades of the buildings, gridlike street layout, and predominant east to west winds. This project plays off the weather conditions, by curving and insetting the facade to match these prevailing winds. The canyon motif is further emphasized with an organic shaped light well that extends through all four floors. The southern facing facade also optimally uses daylighting with floor to ceiling glazing and horizontal louvers to prevent solar heat gain. These strategies combined prioritize sustainability in a forward thinking approach to mixed use urban development.
W24.7°
S71.6°
OF SOUND
RHYTHM ON RAILS A LIBRARY
Location Program Year Awards
Collaborators
Albany Park, Chicago, Illinois
Musical Instrument Library
3rd Year Spring Semester
2023 Spring Earl Prize Nomination
Elizabeth Tabisz
Located at the last stop of Chicago’s brown line in Albany Park, the Library of Sound stands as a cultural, creative, and performative launching point for the community. The unique site, positioned along one of the CTA’s train yards allowed for a unique programmatic and massing opportunity. A train from the yard was brought into the building to be used as a mobile performance space , allowing for musicians of any skill level to check out an instrument from the library, board the train, and play as it does on its daily commute around Chicago. The trains also guide the form of the building, segmenting it into repeating bays filled with a wide assortment of instruments. On the second floor, horn-like extrusions symbolize the trains pushing beyond the constraints of the yard and house the practice rooms, recording studio, and administrative offices. At the ground floor, the segmented bays create an incredibly permeable facade, allowing for events and community days to spill out of the building and onto the street. In doing so, the library not only serves as a dynamic cultural hub for Albany Park, but also cleverly reflects its unique musical offerings from afar.
SEGMENT
Rather than storing them in cases, instruments are displayed directly on the walls, inviting visitors to try them out. Cases, sheet music, and accessories are available at checkout.
Visitors can reserve individual and group practice rooms, as well as the recording studio above the main entrance. Classes and lessons are also offered in these spaces.
The train performance space has a scheduled performance along the brown line during cultural events and holidays, but can also be used as a performance space while stationed.
COMPLEMENTARY WORK ARTWORK & STUDIES
As a student at Mainstreet Art Center for over a decade, I was taught classical art theory based on the Dutch masters. Starting with still life charcoal drawings, I learned the importance of values, lights and darks, and composition. After this I began working on oil paintings, to learn color theory and brushwork. Finally, during my final few years before university I shifted my focus to pen and ink drawings with a heavy focus on architectural subjects to learn lineweights, crosshatching, and perspective. These skills gave me a strong basis that my architectural training has expanded upon. Included in this section is some of these works, as well as studies of various University of Illinois buildings.
Lichtenstein
Acropolis
Delta Upsilon at University of Illinois 2021
UIUC Mumford Hall Detail Drawings Study 2022