Architectural Portfolio

Madison Contat 2021-present

Contents Commons of Nourishment Hlauleka Institute The Public Party Palace Co-working Tower Prototyping Center Live-Work Housing TPS Aerospace Academy

Commons of Nourishment Instructor Sandhya Kochar 2023

Located in the Chicago area, and more specifically in a historically redlined neighborhood, the program of a culinary institute was an interesting starting point for this project. Efforts are being made through the constant addition of affluent businesses to help the area, but the people living there are not being given the opportunities to keep up with the gentrification. Therefore, I wanted to provide a commons of nourishment that would address an issue of cultural appropriation and historical erasure of contributions of minorities that is prevalent in western societies. My commons would provide platforms to learn about the cultures that are important to it’ s people through cooking and dining, rather than assimilating them to one food cuisine that society deems as the most high-end.

CLASSROOM

CLASSROOM

CLASSROOM

DINING KITCHEN

GARDEN

GARDEN

DINING

OUTDOOR DINING DINING

KITCHEN

GARDEN

KITCHEN

LOUNGE

MAIN ENTRY

GARDEN

DINING

KITCHEN GARDEN

DINING

KITCHEN

DINING KITCHEN

DINING

KITCHEN OUTDOOR DINING

DINING

OUTDOOR DINING GARDEN

DINING

GARDEN

In the ground floor plan, you can begin to see the different kitchen, dining, and living scenes. These varying spaces were created to promote different types of learning environments. The spaces change typology from floor to floor to also accommodate to different cultures.

I incorporated two interior/exterior locations on the east and south facades to draw people into the space.

On the second floor (left), it can be seen how I rotated components of a typical nine-square grid which created holes in the floor plates to connect and view other spaces. In the third floor plan (right), the unique dining settings were placed on the exterior and in between strips of gardens and outdoor lounge spaces.

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The big stairs on the southeast corner of my building became an extension of a park that is located to the right of the site.

The section cut of the model, as well as the section below, display the numerous types of scenes the program offers, from people lounging on the stairs, to people dining in different ways, to people tending to the gardens, and people learning in the kitchens.

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Hlauleka Institute Instructor Maged Guerguis 2023

The idea for this project was to start initial plans of a continued curriculum for recently graduated students of the Hlauleka School located in Mozambique. The Hlauleka Institute of Technology would offer programs such as nursing, carpentry, welding, plumbing, and electrical engineering. My design allows for the campus to learn from their users because of the simplicity. Over time, the students and professors can add character to the buildings, making them feel more like their own and giving them more life. In turn, the users can also learn from the buildings’ systems being exposed by using it as an example in the classroom. From the project I have learned that even if a design is simple, you can still formulate beautiful moments within the space.

The site of the schools in Chokwe, Mozambique are located directly within a flood plain. Therefore, I decided to form the campus around raised pathways which are connected by courtyards with French drains below them. These efforts would hopefully aid in avoiding flooding directly on the site. The diagrams on the right show different phases of the campus being constructed. These were intentionally created so that the institute could get started as soon as possible.

The whole site plan (top) includes the master plan of the Hlauleka Secondary School (high school). I placed the parking and landscaping of trees on the left side of the institute to help provide separation between the two schools. I left space to the right of the campus so that it could expand in the future if enrollment numbers and interests grow in different programs.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

PHASE 1 CLASSROOMS

FLOOD PLAIN

Single Classroom 40 SM (gross) (4) Total New Classrooms

PREVAILING SUMMER WINDS WORKSHOP*

420 SM (gross)

PREVAILING WINTER WINDS LABORATORY

98 SM (gross)

Wai�ng Room 62 SM (gross) Clinic 124 SM (gross) Clinic Toilet 85 SF (gross)

Soccer Field 6,730 SM

- 87 AZM

5

6

N

ZM

ZM °A - 64

°A

21

40

er

1-

Boy's Toilet/ Showers 118 SM (gross) Girl's Toilet | Showers 118 SM (gross)

HEALTH FACILITIES*

SPORTS FIELDS

E

y2

mb

ar

December 21

nu

epte ch/S Mar

Ja

EXISTING BUILDINGS

RESTROOMS

11 3 9

1

4

7

8

S

1

N

10

1

12

2

3

W

3

1

MASTER PLAN AT GROUND LEVEL ZONING CONCEPT

PHASE 2 RECEPTION

ACADEMIC

14.5 SM (gross)

OFFICES

Single Offices 15 SM (gross) (4) Total Offices

ADMINISTRATIVE/SUPPORT

CONGREGATIVE/SHARED SPACE

MEETING | CONFERENCE* 38 SM (gross)

CLASSROOMS

ATHLETIC

Single Classroom 40 SM (gross) (8) Total New Classrooms

AGRICULTURE/FARMING

WORKSHOP*

420 SM (gross)

LABORATORY

98 SM (gross)

SITE PROGRAMMING

HEALTH FACILITIES* Wai�ng Room 62 SM (gross) Clinic 124 SM (gross) Clinic Toilet 85 SF (gross)

KITCHEN

112 SM (gross)

N

1 CLASSROOM 2 LIBRARY 3 TOILETS/HANDWASH STATION 4 LABORATORY 5 KITCHEN/DINING 6 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 7 CLINIC 8 WORKSHOP 9 PARKING LOTS 10 SOCCER FIELD 11 PRODUCE/GARDEN 12 COMPUTER LAB

STAFF DRESSING 38 SM (gross)

DINING (gross) 350 SM

01 5

SPORTS FIELDS Soccer Field 6,730 SM

14.5 SM (gross)

Single Offices 15 SM (gross) (4) Total Offices

38 SM (gross)

CLASSROOMS

Single Classroom 40 SM (gross) (8) Total New Classrooms

WORKSHOP*

420 SM (gross)

COMPUTER LAB 75 SM (gross)

LABORATORY

98 SM (gross)

LIBRARY

Book Stacks 240 SM (gross)

EXISTING BUILDINGS

PHASE 3 RESTROOMS

RECEPTION

HEALTH FACILITIES*

MEETING | CONFERENCE*

Boy's Toilet/ Showers 118 SM (gross) Girl's Toilet | Showers 118 SM (gross) Handwashing Sta�on 11 SM (gross)

14.5 SM (gross)

OFFICES

Single Offices 15 SM (gross) (4) Total Offices

Wai�ng Room 62 SM (gross) Clinic 124 SM (gross) Clinic Toilet 85 SF (gross)

38 SM (gross)

CLASSROOMS

Single Classroom 40 SM (gross) (8) Total New Classrooms

KITCHEN

WORKSHOP*

112 SM (gross)

420 SM (gross)

STAFF DRESSING

COMPUTER LAB

38 SM (gross)

75 SM (gross)

DINING (gross)

LABORATORY

350 SM

98 SM (gross)

SPORTS FIELDS Soccer Field 6,730 SM

LIBRARY

Book Stacks 240 SM (gross)

GARDEN + COURTYARD

EXISTING BUILDINGS

RESTROOMS

Boy's Toilet/ Showers 118 SM (gross) Girl's Toilet | Showers 118 SM (gross) Handwashing Sta�on 11 SM (gross)

HEALTH FACILITIES* Wai�ng Room 62 SM (gross) Clinic 124 SM (gross) Clinic Toilet 85 SF (gross)

KITCHEN

112 SM (gross)

STAFF DRESSING 38 SM (gross)

DINING (gross) 350 SM

SPORTS FIELDS Soccer Field 6,730 SM

GARDEN + COURTYARD

N

RECEPTION OFFICES

MEETING | CONFERENCE*

N

Boy's Toilet/ Showers 118 SM (gross) Girl's Toilet | Showers 118 SM (gross) Handwashing Sta�on 11 SM (gross)

N

N

EXISTING BUILDINGS

RESTROOMS

6

20

MASTER PLAN AT GROUND LEVEL

N

1 CLASSROOM 2 LIBRARY 3 TOILETS/HANDWASH STATION 4 LABORATORY 5 KITCHEN/DINING 6 ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE 7 CLINIC 8 WORKSHOP 9 PARKING LOT 10 SOCCER FIELD 11 PRODUCE/GARDEN 12 COMPUTER LAB 0

1

5

5

6

10

11

3

9

8

4

1 7

8

1 8

1

1

1

1

1

10

8

1

3

12

2

3

12

2

For the organization of the campus, I placed the woodworking, electrical, plumbing, and welding workshops on the left. This way the noise from those classes could carry out to the soccer field that lies between the two schools. The administration offices, kitchen, and dining are at the top, again so the noise could carry out to the road, rather than disturbing the rest of the campus. The classrooms for the nursing and other programs are at the center to be the most accessible. The library and restrooms are at the back of the site since they are the most private and lowest noise levels.

As the raised pathways are orthogonal, I wanted to create a secondary form of circulation that could create more direct connections across the site. Therefore, I formulated the smaller, curved paths that link distant parts of the campus together.

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The Public Party Palace Instructor Ashley Bigham Partner Meg Wertz 2022

In the Soviet Republic, there was a building campaign in which public “palace” structures were the prime architectural image that defined their political regime. They were categorized primarily based on their program which we analyzed and then thought about with buildings in the United States. Here in the U.S. there is no history of such a large-scale building campaign, and more specifically such a public one. Using the history of the Soviet Union, we were tasked with discovering what infrastructure is missing in the United States.

My partner and I decided on a Sensory Palace. The Sensory Palace would be an interactive museum in which the architecture itself would provoke the senses.

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The pipes of the building are purposefully exposed on both the interior and exterior since they can provide the sound of water rushing through, as well as the condensation on them can be felt. The draping of the exterior was placed over the grid of pipes to create a visually stimulating structure. It also can become benches or play spaces through its droops and folds.

The bottom section is the same cut as our model and you can see how the ramp guides you across the whole building from the start so you immediately begin to interact with the structure. It can also be seen in both the section and model photo how the draping forms and can come down to be at a human scale at certain points.

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Co-working Tower Instructor Mike Baumberger Partner Madeline Bonanno 2022

Many office buildings define the character of our cities and are abundant within Columbus, Ohio. However, there has been a rapid rise in the demand for co-working spaces to serve the growing population of freelance workers.

Co-working spaces are often spatially and programmatically diverse in comparison to typical office floor plans and their success lies in the amenities and sense of community. Another component of success is the idea of an “expanded site”. It was important to consider the tower’s skyline presence as well as the surrounding street scape it touches.

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Contat Contat Rooftop Restaurant and Bar ROOFTOP RESTAURANT AND BAR LEVEL 35 Level 35

COWORKING Co-working LEVELS 25-34 Levels 25-34

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GYMand AND SPASpa Gym LEVEL 24 Level 24

COWORKING Co-working LEVELS 16-23 Levels 16-23

EIGHT VERTICAL TUBES

VARY HEIGHTS TO DETERMINE AMENTITY LEVELS

OVERLAY SKIN LEAVING SPACE FOR ATRIUMS FROM VARIOUS HEIGHTS

BEGIN TO TWIST TUBES

FULLY TWIST TUBES AND SKIN FOLLOWS

Bonanno

CAFE Cafe LEVEL 15 Levels 15 Presentation Spaces PRESENTATION SPACES LEVELS 13-14 Levels 13-14

Co-working COWORKING LEVELS 4-12 Levels 4-12

DAYCARE Daycare LEVEL 3 Level 3 StreetSTREET Level Amenities LEVEL AMENTITIES LEVELS 1-2 Levels 1-2

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Prototyping Center Instructor Erik Herrmann 2021

The site of this project is located on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhine, Germany. The prompt was to employ the two different program types that are found throughout the campus, storage/manufacturing and culture, and combine them into one building. The project uses a strategy of pyramidal forms to explore the relationship between such contrasting programs and their scales.

The main entrance to the building is on the side opposite of the street because it allows the front facade to face out towards landscape instead of hard scape. Placing the entrance there also creates an opportunity to develop new hard scape paths that reinforce the geometric forms seen in the structure. The paths taper towards the entrance to funnel people from other parts of the campus towards this building.

For the open archive and design studio spaces, I created occupiable shelving structures that reinforce the pyramidal shape. They work by having shelves on the outside to display chairs with a hollow interior that is large enough to occupy a studio. The shelves give the chairs a sense of hierarchy as they move upwards.

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As seen in the top elevation, the windows follow the pyramidal slopes of the roof through their triangular shapes. The section shows how the roof pitches, structure, courtyard windows, and shelves all tie together.

The forms lift everything off the ground and pull upwards creating verticality in the space. The structure under the roofs run in different directions to create a pinwheeling effect, guiding the user though the space.

The top exterior diorama is a direct reflection of the front elevation.

It shows how the windows peel up to begin to reveal the space inside and allow light to flood in. The bottom interior diorama is the view from the entrance. It displays how the interior walls do not go all the way up to the roof, allowing light to travel into different spaces. It also highlights the folds and creases that the shape of the roof forms.

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Live-Work Housing Instructor Bart Overly 2021

Located in Franklinton, OH, a suburb of Columbus, this project was driven by the concept of live-work housing. The area of Franklinton is on the rise as an arts district with more galleries, breweries, restaurants, and bars beginning to pop up in the area. Using this knowledge, the prompt was to create a new lowrise, high-density housing development for the city.

Ground Floor

Office Space Organization

Patio Level

Patio Entrances to Buildings

Roof

Roof Slope Types

The new community is adjacent to another recently built apartment complex, “River and Rich”. The curves of this project’s structure contrast the typical hard-edges of the surrounding residential buildings. Public patios were chosen for this community over private balconies to encourage interaction between the residents.

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This project employs different multi-family housing types. Each cylindrical section has a total of eight separate units. Each individual unit has at least two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, and living area.

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TPS Aerospace Academy Principals Dave Serra and Matt Clarkson 2023

During my time as a remote intern during the Fall 2023 semester, The Collaborative, Inc. (TC) was prompted with a project by Toledo Public Schools to redesign the exterior of their Aerospace Academy. The head of the project, Dave Serra, tasked myself and Jacob Nugent with creating numerous ideas that the client could then narrow down. As the existing building is quite bare, the only criteria was to try and include old plane parts that the school had available. The images on the right display one of my original ideas that Jacob and I worked together to model. The images on the left show an updated version after consulting with the client and Matt Clarkson.

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