Portfolio of Academic Design Work Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Architecture B.Arch 2011-2016
First Semester
CONCEPTUAL EXPLORATION designing by hand
PROJECT - Mars: Earth v2.0 The premise of this project was that we may some day colonize Mars and in the process develop new cultural and artistic tendencies based on the landscape and environment of this new world. We were to explore the possibility of a new architectural language independent from those preexisting on Earth. Using aerial photographs of Martian landscapes as a starting point, I began to create models, such as those to the right, in order to begin to define my own Martian architectural language.
DESCRIPTION This piece was my first basswood model. It is
> Oblique perspective shot of the bass-
wood model. 6in cubed, 1/8in basswood and glue
derived from a set of hand drawings that I created in order to analyze the architectural characteristics of the Martian landscape. The concept is that this
> Orthogonal views of three facets of
the model.
six by six by six model is a slice out of the three
dimensional space described in my drawings, reduced down to axonometric terms.
> Interior shot Views like these aided in interpreting the architectural possibilities of this proposal.
First Semester
DESCRIPTION In a project such as this, the relationship be-
> 24in x 24in, 1/8in basswood and basswood
rods on chipboard base
tween ground and architectural form is critical. This model begins to take the abstract concepts I developed previously and apply them to a physical situation. Specifically, this model describes the manner in which my architectural language would deal with a sloping site (as my aerial photograph was of a Martian landslide). At the base struts extend out into the landscape, embracing it and integrating with it, forming a foundation from which the structure immerges.
> 18in x 18in, graphite on mat mylar This is one of my original analysis drawings. I attempt to describe the ‘static energy’ in the Martian landslide that exists in fault lines and slip planes. This drawing also shows the gradual entropic morphing of a regular grid, which eventually resolved into a new order (top to bottom), reflecting the manner in which the landslide destroys flat ground to create a new formal order in the landscape.
Third Semester
DIGITAL POSSIBILITIES
of polygonal modeling and manifold geometry
PROJECT - Redesigning the MiSci The MiSci is a science museum located in Schenectady, NY. For this project we were instructed to develop a design concept for an addition/rebuild of the MiSci Museum based on the requests of the museum board. As per our section coordinator, the design of the building was based on a study of the phenomenon of light.
DESCRIPTION Since lighting is very essential in the design of a museum, before we began design work our professor
> Render of final site design Rendered in Autodesk Maya using MentalRay render software
had us complete a series of light studies. Through iterative experimentation with different surfaces, light
> Early study model
frequencies and lighting angles, I arrived at a final
Folded taskboard cut with a CNC laser cutter. This model was constructed and lit in order to explore the lighting effect I was attempting to reproduce.
light study which I would use to drive the design process for my museum. The digital models of my final design were created in Autodesk Maya, a polygon-based modeling software. I used continuous surface manifold geometry to develop the form.
> Interior render of final design This final rendering was post-processed in Adobe Photoshop. It illustrates the lighting effect that I desired to create based on my earlier light studies
Fourth Semester
STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT
meeting practical program requirements AND design goals
PROJECT - Residential College The project brief for this semester was to design student housing for five hundred students plus faculty and guests. The thesis given to us for this project was that students would be put into clusters of twenty four based on a shared interest, thus allowing them to pursue learning outside the formal academic setting during their free time. The site was an actual piece of land owned by our school which was up for development.
DESCRIPTION These are a few of the graphics we used to describe the parti of our design. Many as-
> Pull-out schematic section and floor plan of a
typical cluster
Colored to show program usage. Generated by exporting linework from Rhino 3D model to Adobe Illustrator.
pects of this design were atypical to norma-
> Section drawing axially through building
tive housing design. For example, the student
The two walls of solid building mass frame an interior area composed of suspended walkways and rooms. This is the ‘dynamic use’ section of the building where students are free to program space as they see fit in order to pursue their cluster’s collective interest.
rooms were oriented vertically, in order to free up floorspace and to create a unique
living experience where space was used efficiently but also allowed for more dynamic usage.
> Pull-outs of typical cluster These graphics describe the sectional organization of a typical cluster.
Student Rooms
Student Rooms
Hallway Common Areas
Lounge Lounge
Hallway Fire Stair
Fire Stair
Fourth Semester
> Photograph of study model Taskboard, basswood and acrylic sheet with foam core base. 1:16 scale.
> Photograph of model facade in elevation White taskboard fenestration and blue-tinted acrylic helped simulate the material effect of the facade.
> Photographs of model interior detail This mock-up of the interior suspended rooms and walkways aided in finalizing our design for this part of the building.
(Note: this project was completed while working with another student as a design partner. All images represent work that I myself completed solely or in direct collaboration with my partner)
Fifth Semester
SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL DESIGN
balancing the interaction between tourism and nature
PROJECT - Bali Ecomuseum The native Balinese have developed a system of farming and irrigation that has created perfect harmony between humans and nature - a system that ecologists call a hybrid ecosystem. This system, called
Subak, has allowed the island to consistently produce more rice than it is theoretically supposed to be able to. However, in the village of Bedulu and Pejeng in Gianyar Province, the Subak system is being destroyed by tourism and commercial interests. Our project was to develop our own master plan for an Ecomuseum (a museum where the collection
remains in its original context) that would both support the tourism industry and protect native ecology, as well as a specific architectural intervention for this ecomuseum based on the principles of fluid dynamics.
> Digital rendering of intervention Rendered in Rhino and post-processed in Photoshop. > Unrolled section of walkway Rendered in Rhino and post-processed in Illustrator.
> Diagrammatic site plan of intervention My intervention was a raised pathway which allows tourists to travel through the rice terraces without harming them. Each section diverts wind to passively cool visitors as they traverse the pathway. These elements also double as shade, signage or rain shelter. The modules were developed with the aid of Autodesk Vasari’s wind simulator tool.
> Site Analysis map Created using Ecotect climate analysis tools and GIS topographic data. This analysis was used to identify an advantageous location for intervention.
art exhibit
(emphasis on local art)
river pier
(space for art installation)
SECTION 2
art exhibit
(emphasis on local art)
festival cycle
SECTION 1
educational fins pergola-windca horizontal windc rain shelter
rice growing cycle and Subak system
Shallow Slope
foot
Steep Slope
Standing Water (part of year) Access to River River (flowing water) Pathway Pathway (dirt)
100 ft 1/4 mi
crest
Sixth Semester
ARCHITECTURAL KNOCKOFFS designing a museum for forgeries
DESCRIPTION This project was completed during a semester abroad af Tonji University in Shanghai. The thesis of the studio was to look at China’s culture of knock-off design, not in a negative light, but in the context of the productive possibilities of iteration and augmentation. We challanged the Western view that only total originality can lead to good design. The building itself is a “forgery” which borrows dirrectly from several existing buildings and typologies from around the world, combining them into a new whole which critiques the nature of tectonics and structure. Additionally, our site strategy provides a vast public space underneath the building which helps to link the economically booming riverfront to the south with the residential neighborhoods to the north.
500
Seventh Semester
Design Development Studio
taking a existing project through the DD phase
PROJECT - Chapultepec Cultural Center In this studio students find an existing building which has been designed through schematic design but never built and they take that project through the DD phase.
> Full view of final model Our final model was at a scale of 1:50 and was constructed with MDF for structure and taskboard, acrylic film and polystyrene foam for detail elements.
My partner and I chose One-by-Nine’s sumbmission to the Chapultepec Cultural Center design competition
> Interior render of atrium
in Mexico City, Mexico. Throughout the semester we
A great deal of our design effort went into articulating this atrium space. It was both the first impression of the interior and the main element in choreographing circulation.
continuously revised the design of the original building through the lens of building code analysis, structure,
material assemblies, and many other aspects, culminating in the production of a final set of construction
> Custom facade panel
documents.
This diagram illustrates the material assembly of the custom panels which we developed for our facade.
(Note: this project was completed while working with another student as a design partner. The digital rendering in this section is included to illustrate our joint design ideas, but was made by my partner, not myself. All other images represent work that I myself completed solely or in direct collaboration with my partner)
Assembly Second ment
Custom Panel Details
1:10 Detail of Individual Panel Internal Assemblies
Seventh Semester DESCRIPTION A 1:50 model (approx. 1ft to 1/4in) was required for this course. The section cut was made at a critical point which reveals structural assemblies and showcases key spatial relationships within the building. > Full view of section cut This cut slices through the center of the four-story atrium as well as the stacked spaces a the center of the building, including a sloped seating area, auditorium and raise platform with ceiling void for special exibition. > Close view of section cut We took great care in constructing this part of the model, as we wanted to showcase the unique spatial articulation of this two-story space.
> Full view of southern facade This part of the model took the most time to complete. We constructed each custom-shaped panel from polystyrene, using profile cutouts and a hot wire cutter and then assembled them as they would be in the real building. > Full view of northern facade This view is very important to the building as it is on the corner and faces a very lively part of the city including the main boulevard into the downtown area. This is the face of the building with interacts most with those outside.
Seventh Semester
DESCRIPTION
Name Name
LOGO
For our final submission we were required to
H1
H2
complete a set of construction documents.
H3
KEY PLAN:
NORTH
H4
> First and Fourth Floor Plans
H5
PRELIM 1
Generated using Autodesk Revit
#
01.01.10
Revision
Date
Inviting/Imposing
H6
Charultepec Cultural Center
UP
Mexico City H7
12/13/06 1 : 100
DATE: SCALE:
V6
> West Elevation and East Section
A04 - Level 4 1 : 100
V2
1
Level 4 Floor Plan
A104
Generated using Autodesk Revit Name Name
LOGO
1 A211
1 A211
> Structural Support Diagram
H1 UP
H1 UP
H2
Generated in Adobe Illustrator. We used this diagram to describe our scheme for supporting our floors and creating interior voids.
H2
UP UP
H3
KEY PLAN:
NORTH
H3
UP UP
H4
H4 UP 1 A210
1 A210
H5
H5
UP
UP PRELIM 1
#
UP
H6
> Wall Sections We used diagramatic wall sections to describe our materail assemblies for walls and custom precast panels.
01.01.10
Revision
Date
Inviting/Imposing
H6
Charultepec Cultural Center Mexico City
H7
UP
H7
DATE:
V6
V6
A01 - Level 1 1 : 96
1
V2
SCALE:
12/13/06 1 : 96
V2
Level 1 Floor Plan
A101
Name Name
Name Name
V6
V2
V3
LOGO
LOGO A 14 - Ro o f Pla n 1 4200 0
A 07 - Lev el ceilin g 3900 0
A 06 - Lev el 6 3400 0
A 05 - Lev el 5 2850 0 KEY PLAN:
KEY PLAN:
NORTH
NORTH
A 04 - Lev el 4 2300 0
A 03 - Lev el 3 1750 0
FLOOR 3
Typical scheme for spanning void with seating
PRELIM 1
A 02 - Lev el 2 1200 0
#
FLOOR 4
Typical scheme for spanning open void
FLOOR 5
Typical scheme for full floor PRELIM 1
01.01.10
Revision
#
Date
Inviting/Imposing
Date
Charultepec Cultural Center
Mexico City
A 01 - Lev el 1 600 0
01.01.10
Revision
Inviting/Imposing
Concrete Decking
Charultepec Cultural Center
Mexico City
Concrete V-Beam Concrete Waffle Slab
10/09/14 1 : 100
DATE:
A 00 - Level Gro u n d 0
SCALE:
Concrete Cantileve Suppot
12/17/14
DATE: SCALE:
Steel Truss Columns/Sheer Walls South 1 : 100
A0 0 - Lev el Basem en t -6000
1
West Elevation
V3
V2
V6
V1
A201
Structural Scheme
Name Name
Name Name
LOGO
1 A211
A07 - Level ceiling 39000
A1001
LOGO North Facade Detail Section
South Facade Detail Section
A06 - Level 6 34000
A05 - Level 5 28500
Sealant Insulation KEY PLAN:
KEY PLAN:
NORTH
A04 - Level 4 23000
NORTH
A03 - Level 3 17500
A02 - Level 2 12000
PRELIM 1
#
01.01.10
Revision
Date
Inviting/Imposing A01 - Level 1 6000
Concrete Slab
Vertical Section
PRELIM 1
#
01.01.10
Revision
Date
Inviting/Imposing
Metal Frame
Charultepec Cultural Center
Charultepec Cultural Center
Mexico City
Mexico City
Double-Glass DATE: A00 - Level Ground 0
SCALE:
10/09/14 1 : 100
DATE:
12/13/06
SCALE:
Horizontal Section
Section 1 1 : 100
1
A00 - Level Basement -6000
Section1
A210
Section Details
A402
Undergraduate Thesis Project
Architecture for the Anthropocene
finding a balance between humans and non-humans
PROJECT - Cyborg Geomancy The directive for our thesis projects was to try to deal with the issues of the anthropocene, the period of time where human activities have the greatest effect on global ecosystems. My response to this theme was to develop a grid over a landscape with allows human visitors to circulate
> Cell type: Interaction Activating a wide range of senses during interaction -- including taste, touch, and smell -- can greatly enrich the experience.
> Cell type: Media It is important that humans be able to do human things while visiting this landscape. Actual harmony is acheived when we can create music in the same space where flowers grow or animals feed.
through a natural territory without disturbing or disrupting it. At certain key points, humans are brought
> Cell type: Haven
down or “nature� is brought up into the grid to allow for
Havens for encouraging shy/endangered species to thrive can also be an opportunity for interaction.
intimate, face-to-face interaction. The hope it that this would allow humans and natural non-humans to occupy the same space harmoniously, rather than in a dominant-subordinate manner.
> Section of cell combination This slice through the entire grid shows how the cell types might be combined to create living experience.
Undergraduate Thesis Project
CIRCULATION - Adaptable Nodes One key feature of the grid is its ability to be restructure as programmatic and environmental factors change. This adaptability sets the grid apart from a zoo, which instead adapts its natural inhabitants to program. The circulation nodes are hung in the canopy of the grid, above the natural landscape below. There are two types of nodes (diagrammed to the left), each with three different configuration. Due to their lightweight plastic design, nodes can be hung or unhung using manpower and pulleys, and an individual node can be reconfigured without removing it from the canopy. (right: 1:100 & 1:50 scale models) Circulation nodes work in conjunction with media pods and interaction terminals, delivering visitors to these sites without disrupting the nature landscape below. The open-air, rope web design of the walls allow visitor so see and smell the park as they travel to a destination within the grid.
Undergraduate Thesis Project