Arch_Design_Build_Portfolio_2016

“We find beauty not in the thing itself but in the patterns of shadows, the light and the darkness, that one thing against another creates.”

Jun’ichiro Tanizaki, from In Praise of Shadows

Umbra = latin for Shade / Shadow. Also a phantom or shadowy apparition.

82 = Light modulating boxes.

A project that explores the modulation of light, shadow, and pattern.

A mosaic tapestry of shadow.

A light modulator.

A space that captures the ephemeral, fleeting, poetic characteristics of daylight.

Architecture 2840: Arch Design + Build Studio Summer 2016 College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL Studio Professor: Mark A. Pearson Construction funding provided by the College of DuPage Foundation Resources for Excellence Grant Program.

UMBRA 82

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am truly fortunate to be able to make architecture with my students! The Arch Design + Build Studio began as a simple desire to teach a studio that explored the intersections of design and making, giving students a hands-on experience of constructing a designed structure. Now with this second design build project complete, I have an even deeper appreciation for the power of teaching Architecture through experiential building projects.

I cannot thank the College of DuPage Foundation enough for funding this project. Your generous support of both design + build projects has enabled us to provide a transformative learning experience for our students. Without the ‘Resources for Excellence’ grant program, we simply could not have provided this experience for our students. THANK YOU! Thank you to my Architecture colleagues, Jane Ostergaard and Ted Kulinski, who have supported and encouraged this endeavor. Thank you to my wife and family for their continued support and enthusiasim.

I would also like to thank the College of DuPage Administration for continued support, and for allowing us to create and experiment on COD’s main campus. Special thank you to Donna Stewart, Dean of Business and Technology for your strong advocacy for our program. Thank you to Dr. Ann Rondeau, Dr. Joe Collins, Dr. Jean Kartje, and many others who have helped champion this project. We hope that we have created a structure that will be enjoyed by the entire campus community.

Special recognition to Bruce Schmiedl, Director of Facilities Planning and Development, for your ongoing support and enthusiasm. Your help establishing a strong relationship with the DuPage County Building Department was an invaluable asset to our success.

Thanks also to Mark Rose, our talented shop supervisor. Your expertise helped to keep the students safe and the construction process moving smoothly. You helped “save” the architects numerous times when our drawings didn’t quite work like we thought, and demonstrated the valuable skill of problem solving to our students!

Most importantly, I would like to thank the seven dedicated students who signed up for this challenge.

You approached this project with hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm. Your teamwork and attitude made this class the most enjoyable experience that an instructor could ask for. Thank you for all of your extremely hard work. I am exceptionally proud of what we have accomplished together!

Mark A. Pearson, AIA, LEED AP Professor of Architecture September 2016

STUDY 01: MULTIPLES

The intent of the first design study ‘MULTIPLES’ was to encourage students to work in teams, and produce a large variety of ideas, concepts, and approaches. Multiple ideas, multiple approaches, multiple tests and explorations were the themes of this study.

These are first studies, and as such they are not quite ready for the world to see yet. Their value, however, is in the ideas that are being explored. These are first ideas, tests, and explorations. They are points of departure, beginning concepts that still need to be rigorously developed, questioned, and refined. Somewhere in these initial sketches, however, is a thread of what the eventual project will become.

At the conclusion of this first study, a group voting technique using sticky dots was utilized to identify which schemes were to be developed further. Some schemes were combined, some concepts were to be developed as is, and some very good ideas were eliminated, as is always necessary in the design process.

STUDY 02: SYNTHESIS

SYNTHESIS The combining of elements into a single or unified entity.

A complex whole formed by combining.

The process of combining objects or ideas.

To put together or combine.

From the previous study and critique discussions, the three following schemes emerged and were developed with greater focus and depth.

SCHEME A: Light and Shadow This scheme is an exploration of light and shadow. The design concept is to create a gathering space that is a mosaic of shadow and pattern, which will move throughout the day to enrich the space.

Undulating boxes create a rhythmic roof and wall pattern that gives the space a dynamic presence.

This scheme was ultimately selected for construction, but the design was further developed to include a staggering of the form, opening it up to the south side which was determined to be too enclosed in this initial version.

STUDY 02: SYNTHESIS

SCHEME B: Folded Roof This scheme is an exploration of a folded roof form with a sculptural presence. The scheme is long and linear, creating a space with a simple, staggered bench below a dynamic roof form. The design concept explores engaging the artistic context of the MAC with a sculptural object that marks the site. Views from many vantage points, coupled with the movement of the form, will enhance the presence of the pavilion.

This scheme also included several variations, all exploring the dynamic roof form concept. These variations tested alternate orientations on the site and experimented with repetition.

STUDY 02: SYNTHESIS

SCHEME C: Trapezoidal Curve This scheme is conceived of as a series of furniture pieces; twelve trapezoidal benches that can be arranged to create a sinuous form. Each bench varies in seat height and roof height, creating a rhythmic formal presence for the structure. This scheme has strong potential for the way in which it can be infinitely reconfigured on the site, although the intent is to pick one configuration and bolt the pieces together. A herringbone wood trellis creates a shadow pattern with an organic character that compliments the curvilinear form of the plan.

THE EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA At the conclusion of the previous study, the class selected a project to pursue. We debated, discussed, and ultimately voted on our next course of action. We then spent the next week developing the design as a group. During this time, many important design and detailing decisions were made that contributed to the ultimate success of the project.

One constant teaching challenge in a design studio is the process of design development. Taking an idea from an initial sketch into a refined work of Architecture is a skill that takes students time to master. As an educator, I am interested not only in the final product, but how the design studio arrives at that solution.

How a design project develops is critical for design excellence. It is important to understand how a design concept evolves, and what is explored and tested along the way. Often, the first study has a fragment of something that will eventually become important, but in this early beginning it is often just a hint at something greater. Great design requires a rigorous design process to move a project from that initial spark into something of value.

Taking a closer look at the process of development for this project, a certain logic begins to appear. The initial studies, even in their diagrammatic state, are exploring something important, namely the idea of a repetitive geometric roof pattern with shadows. In these studies the idea is born, but the process doesn’t end here. It takes a great deal of design development work to move the project from an unrefined idea into a build work of art.

Looking backwards, you can easily trace the thread of the idea all the way through. The challenge for the designer, of course, is that the creative process often only makes sense in reverse. Or as the author E.L. Doctorow says about the writing process “Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” The Architectural design process is like that too. In real time, it is impossible to see the end of the journey. But looking back at the process reveals the embedded logic that is often present, the strands of thought that link the studies together. For a designer, an awareness of how we work creatively is crucial for producing work that is authentic and meaningful.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

What this illustration fails to address is that simultaneously in the studio, other unique schemes were also being pursued in the same manner. Some of these included roof forms and shadow patterns. As these other ideas evolved, they of course began to influence this scheme. A good studio is a fertile ground for ideas, students all influencing each other, allowing for cross pollination to occur.

This final design scheme is a gathering space that is intended to be enjoyed by the entire campus community. The pavilion is an exploration of light, shade and shadow, defined by a mosaic of shadow and pattern which moves throughout the day to enrich the space. Eighty-two undulating light boxes create a rhythmic roof and wall pattern that gives the space a dynamic presence, and captures the ephemeral, poetic characteristics of natural daylight.

FINAL DESIGN

FINAL DESIGN

June 21 10:00am

March / September 21 10:00am

June 21 12:00pm

March / September 21 12:00pm

June 21 2:00pm

March / September 21 2:00pm

June 21 4:00pm

March / September 21 4:00pm

FINAL DESIGN

BUILD, JUST BUILD This studio is based on the simple idea of design and making. The premise is that connecting students with building enhances the learning experience, and fundamentally changes the design process.

In this class we learn by doing. We think while building. We design knowing that we must build. We solve problems with our hands. We solve problems in the shop. We consider the poetic and the tectonic simultaneously. We think about materials and connections. We work as a team. We work as a design office. We draw details, and build mockups. We learn about the limitations of our drawings. We pay attention to details. We understand scale through full size prototypes. We have deep conversations about real world issues. We have conversations that would not normally occur in a design studio. We have a client, and consultants, and a budget, and codes, and regulations…….. and we make real things.

All of this allows for an unparalleled and engaging learning experience for our students, our future Architects.

Through this process we hope that we have created a beautiful space that will be enjoyed by the entire campus community.

CONSTRUCTION

CONSTRUCTION

CONSTRUCTION

INSTALLATION DAY

INSTALLATION DAY

INSTALLATION DAY

UMBRA 82

UMBRA 82

UMBRA 82

UMBRA 82

UMBRA 82

PROJECT LINKS: PROJECT VIDEO: https://youtu.be/hxbFLAx_R8s CONSTRUCTION TIMELAPSE: https://vimeo.com/176524037 DESIGN + BUILD STUDIO BLOG: http://codarch-designbuild.blogspot.com/ FLICKR PHOTOSETS: Design: https://www.flickr.com/photos/maparch/albums/721576717877467 Construction: https://www.flickr.com/photos/maparch/albums/7215767289990981 Final Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/maparch/albums/72157669838470343 THANKS TO: College of DuPage Foundation, RFE Grant Program Karen M. Kuhn, Executive Director, COD Foundation Barbara Abromitis, Director of Grants, COD Foundation Kristen Kepnick, COD Foundation Dr. Ann Rondeau, College of DuPage President Dr. Joseph Collins, Vice President of Accademic Affaris, COD Dr. Jean Kartje, Special Assistant, Accademic Affairs, COD Dr. Donna Stewart, Dean, Business and Technology Division Kris Fay, Associate Dean, Business and Technology Division Bruce Schmiedl, COD Director of Planning and Development Jim Stran, DuPage County Building Department Steve Cyrier, DuPage County Building Department Jane Ostergaard, COD Architecture Ted Kulinski, COD Architecture Mark Rose, Construction Shop Supervisor, COD Architecture Heller Lumber Company All images © College of DuPage Architecture, 2016

SPECIAL THANKS

College of DuPage Architecture Design + Build Summer Studio 2016