ARCH + DESIGN

KELLY OLSON CHAPTER ONE - STUDENT

BRANDING ARCHITECTURE BUILDING AN IDENTITY

ICON, INFILL AND CREATIVE WORKSPACE Iconography, infill and the creative workspace were the primary focus in the design of this mixed use building for a leading creative advertising agency on a corner lot in downtown Santa Monica. The program challenges contradictory modes of the physicality of place and material and the ephemerality of image.

As an overall image the building’s black glass facade with large notched corners for exterior space present a bold image of individuality in the context of neighborhood. Connection at the street level was also an important aspect of the project as it places the company in a position of interaction within community not just a corporate building that the community happens around. The ground level draws people into the site with a dramatic corner cantilever under which there is a cafe and open air gallery space . The first level also allows pedestrians to wander off the sidewalk through the site diagonally as alley access in Santa Monica is growing in importance for access to parking and businesses.

This building attempts to break down the conventional “pancake” style office space by intentionally charging a mid-level link space that serves the floors directly above and below. The visual connections created through a central courtyard and mezzanine balconies further encourage the feeling of unity on a limited site that requires upward building. Outdoor spaces occur on every level to take full advantage of the mild weather and ocean views of the beachside community.

Office layout on each floor expresses creative collaboration through furniture layout and flexibility of space while also respecting the situational need for privacy.

The physical and functional identity of the building expresses the values of the organization, its outward representation and internal operation. The strategies developed create a workspace where creativity is nurtured while the overall objective to create a symbol within the community is still apparent.

FLOOR PLANS

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

OUTDOOR SPACE

OUTDOOR SPACE

GALLERY CAFE

1

LEVEL 3

1

1

DN

! " #

UP UP

$ %

RETAIL

LINK SPACE UP DN

Santa Monica Blvd

D1

FLOOR PLANS

LEVEL 4

LEVEL 5

ART STUDIO

LINK SPACE

1

1

OUTDOOR SPACE

DN UP UP

DN

INDOOR/OUTDOOR SPACE LINK SPACE UP

D1

D1

LINK SPACE

INDOOR OUTDOOR SPACES

LINEAR TOPOGRAPHIES TRANSITIONING FROM URBAN FABRIC TO NATURAL TERRAIN

CONNECTIVITY Two sinuous pathways are explored in this project that derive their beginnings from two separate streets from the low residential area, and grows to encompass the museum and institute programs. The second pathway is held at a horizontal level from the city, while the topography gently rises on either side, creating a canyon like space that emphasizes the hillside. At the juncture of these two paths the Museum mediates between the levels creating a large outdoor theater space that allows movement from the museum to the second pathway which continues toward the park.

STRIATION IN THE LAND

+58’ +38’ +20’ +0’

DIAGRAMS

PROGRAM DIAGRAM

RESEARCH INSTITUTE SCULPTURE MUSEUM RESIDENTIAL UNITS

STORE/RESTAURANT PARKING

CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

VERTICAL: PATH TO PARKING TO MUSEUM DIAGONAL: PATH TO MUSEUM VERTICAL: PARKING TO RESIDENTIAL UNITS

PED PAR ESTRIA KING N PA TH

STRUCTURAL DIAGRAM

PED E PAT STRIAN H

FLOORS PLANS Residential: 1 small unit 2 medium unit 3 large unit Museum: reception gallery spaces bookstore dining cafe

4 5 6 7 8

Research Center: 9 reception 10 administration 11 office 12 conference 13 library 14 stacks 15 reading room 16 workroom 17 classroom 18 event space 19 20 21 22

storage restroom parking exterior path

1

1 1

22

22

22

2

2

21

3 21 2 3 4 5

6

7 8

19

20

9 11

10 13

15 12 14 17 16 18

15

EXPERIENCING THE PATHS

PEDESTRIAN PATH

VEHICLE ENTRANCE

MAIN GALLERY SPACE

ENCODING MATTER INVESTIGATING HIERARCHIES Initiated by a study of absence of hierarchy in certain natural systems swarm behavior, ant colonies, surface tension and mitosis - a series of multi agent algorithms were generated as a tool to create architecture.

The algorithms produced recursive, self-organizing results interpreted to meet the design needs of a tower. Structure and program were determined from the algorithms and a third algorithm helped to make the leap from abstract agent organization to a physical form. The resulting tower is a network of primary and supporting structure with a variety of space relationships and scale.

INFLUENCE OF NATURAL SYSTEMS

AGENT A GENERATES AGENTS A AND B AND SEEKS STRUCTURE AGENTS

AGENT A UNITES WITH AGENT A TO FORM A CONTINUOUS SPACE

AGENT B GENERATES AGENT C AND SEEKS AGENT A

A B C

AGENT C TRANSFORMS AGENT A TO D WHEN AWAY FROM STRUCTURE D

ALL AGENTS GEREATE ONLY ONCE

ANT COLONIES ORGANIZE STRUCTURE:

GROWTH BY MITOSIS DETERMINE PROGRAM:

SWARM AND SURFACE TENSION FORM GEOMETRY:

A self-organizing network of structural lines was derived from the simple agent behavior found in ant colonies.

Rules of the individual ant show how the presence of pheromone affects their displacement and ultimately leads to the formation of routes connecting their nest and various resources in the environment. By inverting the geometries, structural “agents” are deposited along common paths which stabilize or dissipate to create primary and supporting paths.

Mitosis is and very fast and complex process by which a cell separates determined by a sequence of events. The stages of this process of development and growth were mimicked to create methods for producing and organizing program specific spaces.

Type and location of program affect and are determined by the surrounding program and structural agents.

Behaviors seen is swarms of birds - seek, align, separate combined with the surface tension of a soap bubble brought the studies of abstract agent behavior to a physical form. The surface agents relate to each other as a swarm would while their individual arms expand outwardly from the program agent core. They connect and form stable bonds using minimal surface area modeled after the surface tension of a soap bubble.

EXTRACTED SYSTEM ITERATIONS STRUCTURE SYSTEM

COHERENT SYSTEM BEHAVIORS: By varying the parameters of the agent behavior, differect outcomes were reached.

1. Structure agents attract each other.

2. Structure agents weaken and dissolve when there are not a high enough count of other structure agents nearby.

STRUCTURE AND PROGRAM

3. Program agent A are attracted to structure agents structure.

4. Program agent B & C seeking each other while structure is seperating from them.

5. Program agent A transforms agent C into agent D when its distance is great from a structure agent.

STRUCTURE AND SURFACE

PROGRAM AND SURFACE

6. Surface agents are attracted to structure agents.

7. Surface agents are attracted to program agents.

8. Surface agents(spiders) connect arms with nearby surface agents.

TOWER

SURFACE AND STRUCTURE

GLAZING MESH

FLOOR PLATES

EXPLODED SYSTEM DIAGRAM

TOWER

OFFICES

TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN

COMMUNITY ROOM

LOBBY

PARTIAL SECTION

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

FURNITURE DESIGN AND FABRICATION

design by pierre chareau

MODULAR SCREEN DESIGN AND FABRICATION

KELLY OLSON CHAPTER TWO - PROFESSIONAL

RENOVATION AND RESTORATION OF A HISTORIC 1908 HOME USC JOINT EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

RESTORE AND EXPAND The JEP Program at USC is one of the largest service-learning programs in the country. Students at USC are offered the unique opportunity to combine academic coursework with experiences in the community surrounding the campus. The program is also open to volunteers within the school to organize groups for commnuity building and outreach. This popular program among students has been housed in one of the early buildings on campus since and was in desperate need for expansion. Although not a historic landmark recognized by the City of Los Angeles, it was the original George Bovard Residence built in 1908 for the president to the University of Southern California campus. The University wanted to improve the structure seismically and provide other system improvements including accessibility while adding a new basement space and outdoor courtyard.

The focus on the 1st and second floors was to restore the layout to the original house. After adding shear walls and other system improvements all wood molding, hardware, windows and doors were repaired or restored. Paint colors appropriate to the building era were selected. A dramatic change was restoring the building exterior color to a rich brown-red from white that was applied years later.

The house was lifted during construction and a new basement was dug out where a small crawl space was origianlly. This additonal space is the new location for students work and team meetings. Ramp and lift access to the 1st and basement levels were integrated into the design to have minimal visual impact. A lightwell at the north side of the building brings light into the basement space and a small outdoor patio for students to enjoy. Initial schemes for a much larger exterior patio were developed and may be a possible future project for the JEP house as they continue to grow.

BEFORE AND AFTER

MODULAR CLASSROOM MAXIMIZING ECONOMY, FLEXIBILITY AND EXPRESSION

SINGLE CONFIGURATION

The Los Angeles Unified School District solicited proposals for a flexible building prototype that could be adapted to a broad range of educational uses and school sites. Kaplan Chen Kaplan designed a building composed of individual modules that could house technologically advanced classrooms or be combined into larger gathering spaces or admisnistrative areas. The module’s exterior is comprised of shading panels and an operable window system while end walls house mechanical systems and built-in areas for media and other educational technology. A system of panels for the roof and adjacent outdoor spaces can support both landscape and rooftop garden spaces as well as a range of paver materials for circulation and play spaces.

COMPONANTS ROOF STRUCTURE COMPONANT Modular Roof Garden Skylights Solar Panels power overhead lighting when needed.

Structure allows for Stacking Pods.

CEILING COMPONANT Rainwater is collected in a water cistern concealed in the storage wall and reused in the fire sprinklers system and for site irrigation.

Skylights for natural daylight and solor powered overhead lighting are integrated into the ceiling componant that attaches to the roof structure.

Individual ceiling modules for varying room sizes.

STORAGE WALL COMPONANT Playful cubbies for organization also conceal the water cistern.

FLEXIBLE WALL COMPONANT Venting Shading Sliding wall to expand space to exterior or connecting Pod OPEN FLOOR PLAN Maximizes Layout Flexibility SCREEN COMPONANT Flexible Louvers for Light and Shade MEDIA WALL Video, Internet, Power PLATFORM COMPONANT Low impact on Site Flexibility on Site Grade Modular Surface for Hard paving and planting CIRCULATION COMPONANT Elevator Stair Ramp

CONFIGURATIONS AND SITE FLEXIBILITY

RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION Pods open up into large meeting spaces

STACKED CONFIGURATION For limited site area Direct interation between interior classrooms and roof garden Double height spaces.

CAMPUS CONFIUGRATION Outdoor gathering space in between pods.

GREEN WALL

MEDIA WALL

STORAGE WALL

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