LARA AKYUZ
PORTFOLIO: SELECTED WORKS 2023-2024
01 | A Spiral Up: Dance Studio and Performance Center (1-24)
01.1 Site Analysis (3-6)
01.2 Critical Reference Study (7-12)
01.3 Design (13-24)
02 | Timber & Tide: Wooden Boat Building School (25-42)
02.1 Critical Reference Study (27-28)
02.2 Design (29-42)
03 | Reading Amongst the Garden: Library and Urban Passageway (43-56)
03.1 Design (45-50)
03.2 Facade and Diagrams (51-56)
04 | Precedent Analysis: Tempietto (57-62)
03.1 Drawings & Diagrams (59-62)
A Spiral Up: A Dance Studio and Performance Center
Studio 04 | Spring 2024
Prof. William McIlroy
Boston, MA
The project encompasses a dance studio and performance center. Its central architectural concept revolves around a spiraling upward design, while a secondary concept involves creating a building within a building. The spiral design draws inspiration from the existing site, symbolizing growth, energy, and continuous movement that aligns with dance dynamics. Aesthetically, the spiraling form results in a visually captivating and dynamic structure. Functionally, the spiral layout influences circulation, lighting, and spatial experience. Additionally, the duallayered approach—consisting of an inner building enveloped by an outer shell—creates thresholds and facilitates circulation. Contrasting materials, such as steel columns and a curtain wall on the outside, possibly complemented by solid plaster walls on the inside, contribute to the overall architectural composition.
01.1|
Site Analysis
Lara Akyuz, Eric Pineda
Boston, MA | Corner Of Park Drive And Boylston Street
Fenway Stadium Old Sears Building Isabelle Stewart Gardner
01.2| Critical Reference Study
Lara Akyuz, Eric Pineda
Architects: Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects
Year: 2023
Location: Orange, CA (Chapman University)
Located within chapman university, the sandi simon center for dance transcends the boundaries of a typical building. Originally an orange-packing factory, this adaptive re-use project seamlessly blends history and innovation.
The exterior stands as a testament to the past, its original identity preserved. Stepping inside, however, the ground opens up. The original floor has been sliced, creating dynamic new spaces connected by a fluid circulation system. The structure hints at its old language, aided by contemporary elements that keep the building standing.
The building’s centerpiece is the performance area. Organic in shape, it embraces dancers with the warmth of wood, standing in stark contrast to the surrounding white canvas. This deliberate design choice is more than just aesthetics; it’s a symbolic stage, where tradition meets the bold strokes of artistic expression.
01.2.5 | Basement Floor Plan
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01.2.6
First Floor Plan
01.2.7
Second Floor Plan
02.1| Critical Reference Study
Lara Akyuz, Kira Berlin
Architects: Kengo Kuma & Associates + College Of Environmental Design UC Berkeley
Year: 2014
Location: Takinoue, Japan
Nest We Grow is a timber structure located in Takinoue, Japan. The design was made for the 4th Annual LIXIL International design-build competition in 2014.
The structure is inspired by the character of Japanese larch forests, and its grid pattern mimics the vertical spatial experience of these forests. It is made of locally sourced timber and is designed to be both elegant and rigid. The facade is clad in translucent polycarbonate sheets, which allow for natural light and ventilation while also providing protection from the elements.
Nest We Grow is intended to be a place where people can come together to store, prepare, and enjoy local foods. The interior is divided into different zones, each of which is dedicated to a different aspect of the food cycle. There is a storage area for fresh produce, a kitchen area for cooking, and a dining area where people can gather to eat and socialize. The structure also features a central tea platform with a sunken fireplace, where people can warm up on cold days or simply relax and enjoy each other’s company.
02.2| Design
Floor Plates
Form Extrusions
Division/Removal Of Spaces
Cut Facade
Void Spaces
Final Form
02.2.5 | Circulation Diagram
02.2.6 | Program Diagram
02.2.7 | Conditioned/Unconditioned Spaces
02.2.8 | Ground Floor Circulation Diagram
Rainwater Collection Diagram
STRUCTURE DETAILS:
6” X 6” GLULAM LARCH TIMBER
12” X 3” X 10” NOTCH
0,24” STEEL PLATES, 11” X 16.5”
3” X 10” GLULAM LARCH TIMBER BEAM
STRUCTURE DETAILS:
6” X 6” GLULAM LARCH TIMBER
12” X 3” X 10” NOTCH
0,24” STEEL PLATES, 11” X 16.5”
3” X 10” GLULAM LARCH TIMBER BEAM
Structure Details and Diagram
03 |
Reading Amongst the Garden: Library
and Urban Passageway
Studio 02 | Spring 2023
Prof. Jon Gregurick
New York, NY
Intersecting Stories: A Bookstore Reimagined
Nestled between the forms of existing structures, a new narrative emerges – a bookstore not merely defined by walls, but by the dynamic interplay of intersecting volumes. This innovative design transcends the notion of a singular box, instead embracing a spacious and interconnected environment that breathes life into the written word.
03.1.9 | Program Diagram
03.1.10 | Circulation Diagram
Precedent Analysis: Tempietto
Studio 02 | Spring 2023
Prof. Jon Gregurick
San Pietro, Rome, Italy
Completed 1502
The Tempietto (little temple) marks the traditional site of St Peter’s martyrdom. Commissioned by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, designed by Donato Bramante and built in the Doric order, the building perfectly expresses the balanced proportions and pure volumes of Renaissance architecture.
In Rome, Bramante was able to study the ancient monuments firsthand. The temple of Vesta at Tivoli was one of the precedents behind the Tempietto. Other antique precedents Bramante was able to study in Rome include the circular temple of the banks of the Tiber, Temple of Hercules Victor, believed at the time to be a temple of Vesta. However, circular churches had already been employed by early Christians for martyriums, like Santa Constanza, also in Rome. Bramante would have been aware of these early Christian precedents, and as a result, the Tempietto is circular.
The Tempietto was constructed from bearing masonry. The circular temple supports a classical entablature, and was framed in the shadowy arch of the cloister. It is the earliest example of the Tuscan order in the Renaissance. The Tuscan is a form of the Doric order, well suited for strong male gods (such as Hercules) so Tuscan was well suited for St. Peter’s. It is meant to mark the traditional exact spot of St. Peter’s martyrdom, and is an important precursor to Bramante’s rebuilding of St. Peter’s.
04.1.2 | Program Diagram
Diagram