Undergraduate Architecture Portfolio

undergraduate

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO Hannah Powers University of Florida

2020-2023

contents

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flotation- library

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fluidity- boathouse

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sequence- desert

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horizon- bridge/tower

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skyscape- door, window, stair

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Design 6 | Spring 2023

Design 5 | Fall 2022

Design 4 | Spring 2022

Design 7 | Fall 2023

Design 3 | Fall 2021

.01flotation a study into malleability, buoyancy and twisting

Design 6 (Spring 2023) Professor Martin Gold Savannah, Georgia A library.

A community center.

An auditorium.

A park.

A space.

Flotation challenges the very definition of architecture with it’s tensegrity structure and independent facade. Beginning as a comparison of chaos and order, the concept for this design grew into an exploration of how opposite systems can coexist with each other.

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taking a breath...

Although the skin itself seems to be a chaotic being, the program inside of it is very regular and can be floated around each floor- thus maintaining the malleability as it relates to the interior program. The skin perforations allows the first and third floors to remain in an open-air environment while the necessary indoor programmatic spaces can be accommodated in walled-in rooms.

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The interior of the construct serves to juxtapose the overarching skin in order for visitors to fully visualize the twisting motions while inside. Each floor has their own column grid for floor support and the columns on the 3rd floor are extended tensegrity struts which are rigidly mounted to the floor. The column grid works to rationalize the form of the skin and establish a regulated rhythm throughout each floor while also serving as a point of order for spatial organization.

interior view on the top floor

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facade and structure detail

explanation in detail...

The twisting form is achievable due to a dual-system made up of a perforated malleable facade which is able to float over the ground due to the tensegrity nodes acting as an anti-gravity space frame throughout. Tensegrity refers to the structural composition of struts and cables in such a manner that it can be self-sustainable given that the cables are in pure tension and attach onto the struts- which are in compression. This structure- though at first glance seems disarranged, is built upon a methodical and orderly system of strut and cable attachments which when organized as a network of nodes is able to structure any form. Tensegrity is a structural system which is already inherently malleable and buoyant.

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.02fluidity

translating fluidity and boat construction into design Design 5 (Fall 2022) Professor Mark McGothlin Gainesville, Florida The construction methodology for boat-making involves a delicate process in order to ensure buoyancy and speed efficiency. Therefore, the design of the roof uses these same qualities to create it’s own means of flotation as well as allow for the fluid movement of light through it’s cavities.

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hand-drafted first floor plan

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construction methodology...

The main guidelines for the design was to create a facility that could house the needs of the UF Crew team (for practices) and the East Gainesville community.

The design and construction of the roof directly relates to how crew racing shells are made, with precise attention to detail and a need for buoyancy. The roof features an array of skylights, which are scaled to the five different sizes of boats which would be stored here. From a visitors viewpoint the roof also has a floating appeal due to it’s large overhang with only a series of V-columns supporting it on the outside.

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hand-drafted transversal and longitudinal section

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the charrette...

The process of the project began as a design charette of different forms with plans and sections and eventually evolved into axonometric drawings to better understand circulation, program and proportions.

The final design takes inspiration from the overall shape of the first axonometric drawing while the idea of lighting (later to be used in the roof) can be seen in the latter. The roof was created after analyzing successful elements in the charette sections (ideas of flotation, buoyancy, opening) and later evolved to include the scale of the crew boats.

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charrette plans and sections examples

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responding with light...

The skylights, as previously stated, are scaled to the size of the boats held in the storage center. Because of this, as the sun goes through its daily cycle the skylights reflect these scaled beams of light onto the ground of the first floor, entry and boat storage. Each skylight features a unique angled skylight shaft which causes the width of the light beams to vary. This creates a sense of fluidity as someone ventures throughout the design, beginning with the roof form and continuing to the reflection of this form with light beams on the floor.

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canal and outlook view

entry view

hand-drafted longitudinal elevation

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.03sequence how can architecture aid research facilities?

Design 4 (Spring 2022) Professor Michael Montoya Gainesville, Florida How can architecture help research?

How does design change to support the physical needs of others?

How do site barriers inform the design’s physique?

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basswood model render with technical section showing panel mechanics

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assessing the program...

This construct aims to provide a space for researchers studying the effects of aging as well as elderly patients. In order to accomplish this the design takes form in multiple levels with the bottom providing a sanctuary for individual research and the top overlooking the existing park creates a space ideal for housing patients. In doing this, the patients are able to receive adequate sunlight and have their own resting space without the typical hospital-feel. As one side of the construct overlooks the park the other side sits directly next to a energy plant. Because of this, there are precisely placed textile panels which aim to provide sun-shading as well as create a sound barrier.

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longitudinal section

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site plan

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working with site restrictions...

The selected site for this project sits in the heart of a healthcare district but also runs into the previously explained issues of bordering the energy plant. This is not the only site conflict- the design also had to physically incorporate at least one of the parking garages. To do this, the construct propagates itself off of the far right parking garage and turns a corner as it continues to grow away from the garage. Rather than view these site qualities as “restrictions” the design aims to grow from these and create features rather than lose characteristics to them.

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.04horizon in collaboration with Elizabeth Belflower

designing for the next 100 years

Design 7 (Fall 2023) Professor Karla Saldaña Ochoa Battery Park City, New York How can we... foster a community that will sustain and evolve with society for the next 100 years, prevent flooding in Battery Park City (New York) using nondestructive methods and predict the future of residential, office and retail spaces?

tree canopy density

projected stormwater flooding (2050)

projected high tide flooding (2050)

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environmental analysis in exploded view

the issues...

Battery Park City (located at the southern end of Manhattan) has faced a multitude of flooding issues, most stemming from hurricanes and other severe weathers. Because of this, the Battery Park City Authority released a Battery Park City Resiliency Plan which aims to create a more resilient coastline using a range of destructive methods including terraforming and permanent flood barriers. Under this plan one of the largest parks, Wagner Park, will be demolished and rebuilt as a concrete commercial space. This plan would destroy the original intent of the park which was to create a public lawn space that grants an unobstructed view of the Statue of Liberty.

Therefore, we decided to propose our own solution which saves Wagner Park while still preventing flooding. To do this we designed with the mindset that rather than shying away from flooding and weathering we would accept these occurrences and use them to our advantage.

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the dual-system solution...

The Anti Bridge describes a dual-system involving a pedestrian bridge as well as a retaining gabion wall. The pedestrian bridge allows users to access areas beyond the park and dips in elevation to provide a clear view to the Statue of Liberty. The pedestrian bridge also features concrete panels folding inwards and outwards as the bridge folds around the park and a series of V-shaped copper-clad columns for support. The gabion wall is a natural retaining wall which has a 3-layer filtration system embedded within it. The larger gabion portion acts as layer one and is able to block larger particles from passing through it before hitting layer two which is a collection of smaller rocks or gravel which sits on the other side of the wall. Below layer 2 is a French drain system with a geotextile fabric on top of the perforations as a final means of sifting any particulates out of the collected water.

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section through bridge

three-layer gabion wall

crete panel

weathered copper-clad

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Residential: Market Rate Workshop: Flexible Entertaining and Conference Spaces

Residential: Ultra-luxe Workshop: Technology Hub

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Residential: Affordable Housing Workshop: Gym

Retail: Open Pantry 1. Check-Out Desk 2. Breads and Pastries 3. Produce 4. Meats 5. Dairy 6. Refrigerated/ Freezer 7. Non-Perishables

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tower section perspective

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on the horizon...

How can we predict society’s needs in 100-years? How do we create architecture that can sustain this near future as well as evolve with it?

Such as the bridge is designed to withstand a 100-year flood, the tower is designed to meet the needs of society for the next 100-years. The program of the tower was loosely stated to be spaces for retail, residential and offices. The tower attempts to encapsulate how areas may be used in the future in addition to how the spaces may interact with each other.

The tower is designed to be a living-working community, so each space is programmed to support human welfare. Retail floors are envisioned to be open pantries, pharmacies and other public benefit spaces. Whereas residential levels embrace the concept of co-living, with most being 1-2 bedroom apartments that share a community kitchen and living room. As the recent epidemic has showed us, offices have become inferior with many people opting to work-at-home.

Therefore, offices spaces are converted into community workshop floors with each floor housing a unique program ranging from woodworking to technology hubs.

Workshop Block

The tower structurally functions as two separate buildings with the negative-space atrium being the connective piece. The atrium is a vessel for light as well as water and continues the acceptance of weathering (started with the bridge) by being a sculptural representation of erosion from it’s form as well as the large mass of shale rock located at the bottom of the atrium which the atrium’s water would erode overtime as society continued to evolve.

Retail

Residential Block

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section through the tower and bridge

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looking into the atrium from the rooftop

art studio workshop looking through the atrium to two residential floors

view of the Statue of Liberty from the bridge

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.05skyscape

an analysis of cloud architecture and atmospheric systems

Design 3 (Fall 2021) Professor Nicolas Rabinowitz What is architecture meant for the sky?

How do we, inhabitants of the ground plane, celebrate the world above us?

Are we ever allowed to see the sky’s beauty vis-à-vis?

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charcoal study of cloud movement

cloud section and edge analysis

designing for the sky...

Unlike the world of architects and designers, the sky only has one creator behind it’s magnificent architecture: nature. Therefore, when designing a hot air balloon facility (whose very purpose is to bring people closer to the sky), nature should remain at the heart of the design. To do this, understanding how clouds are formed and following the already-natural elements of the site become crucial design elements.

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isometric cloud drawing

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plan/reflected ceiling plan, section and axonometric hybrid drawing

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understanding edges...

This drawing is a combination of four different methods: plan/reflected ceiling plan, section and axonometric. This help understand the model on a variety of different axes and also allows us to see the inhabitable spaces in relation to the sky.

The reflected ceiling plan shows the shadow of the above cloudscape while the other components of the drawing show how the cloud edges inform the fabric facade.

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exterior model images

materiality...

The very threads of this construct work to push the concept of delamination, deconstruction and layering. The primary structure is composed of wood and metal wire with soldered joints but the facade materials are mostly fabric-based including burlap and yarn. These fabrics have a range of constructed and deconstructed moments. There are certain areas where the yarn is able to weave and grow through the burlap but also where the yarn seemingly rips the burlap fabric open. The overall form attempts to be a creation of this construction process as well as a means of supporting it. The yarn also is able to use the regular primary structure in order to latch on and begin to delaminate from yarn to singular pieces of thread.

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interior model perspectives

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“[architecture] is based on wonder” -Daniel Liebskind

Hannah Powers (813) 957-0803 hannah.powers@ufl.edu