M I C H A E L A THOMPSON
ABOUT ME This portfolio is a compilation of work that I have generated between my third and fourth year as an Interior Design student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Architecture. It displays a progression of growth in the design techniques and abilities that I have developed over the last few years. Each project has provided me with an opportunity to cultivate spaces that fuel positive interaction between users and lasting experience. Through the utilization of research, critical and conceptual thinking, planning, diagramming, and software skills, I strive to produce conscious design focused on user experience and impactful spatial harmony.
CONTACT INFO: 402-639-7882 mkerrithompson@gmail.com https://issuu.com/mkerrithompson 2116 South 91st Street, Omaha, NE 68124
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CONTENTS
4 12 20 22 28 32
ENDANGERED LANGUAGE ALLIANCE INSTITUTION
FOURTH YEAR - 1.5 MONTHS - INDEPENDENT
AUTISM CENTER OF NEBRASKA LEARNING FACILITY
FOURTH YEAR - 2 MONTHS - COLLABORATIVE
MEMORIAL FOR LOST & ENDANGERED LANGUAGES
FOURTH YEAR - 2 WEEKS
SUB HUB
THIRD YEAR - 2 MONTHS
ELEVATE
THIRD YEAR - 1 MONTH
CUTTING EDGE LUX
THIRD YEAR - 2 MONTHS
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ENDANGERED LANGUAGE ALLIANCE INSTITUTION FOURTH YEAR 1.5 MONTHS PROFESSORS: DR. PETER OLSHAVSKY SOFTWARE USED: RHINO REVIT ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR ADOBE INDESIGN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
Humanity is facing a massive extinction of languages. As this happens, a unique constitutive view of the world is lost. With every language that dies, humanity loses a vast quantity of social, cultural, scientific, ecological, medical and historical knowledge. We lose testimonies to centuries of unique experiences of love and life.While languages are alive and in constant flux, their loss is not new, but it is at an unprecedented rate. This rate needs to be slowed, stopped and even reversed. This is the agenda of the new ELA in London, UK. Endangered Language Alliance in London, UK studies, documents, preserves, exhibits and teaches minority, endangered and dormant languages. Building on cultures’ collective memories, histories, and stories, the ELA empowers these communities to shape their own futures. Every language tells a story. Whether it’s the story of a culture that once was or hopeful tomorrow that will be, language is at the heart of how we connect with others on the topics that matter. As one moves through this space, they will be met with an opportunity to share their story, hear someone else’s story, explore the story, discuss the story, and so on. This institution will not only be a place where the story of language is persevered, it will be a place where everyone has the chance to create their own story.
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FLOOR PLANS LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2 A
A
OPEN TO BLW
SUBLEVEL
THE MIX
THE MIX
A DN
+1.5” FT
OPEN TO BLW
B UP
+1.5” FT
B DN
B
B A
A
A
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MASSING STRATEGY
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PHASE 1
PHASE 2
PHASE 3
PHASE 4
HOLD THE EDGE CONDITION OF THE SITE & SPAN THE MASS BETWEEN ITS SURROUNDING CONTEXT
DIVIDE THE MASS IN TWO TO CREATE COHESIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUILDING & LANDSCAPE
EXAGGERATE THE BUILDINGS’ EDGE CONDITION TO MAXIMIZE VIEWS & EXTEND MASSING TO SUBLEVEL BELOW TO JOIN THE BUILDINGS’ LEVELS ABOVE
ADD & SUBSTRACT TRANSPARENT MATERIALITY OF BUILDING TO ALTER INTERIOR EXPERIENCE
SPATIAL PROGRAM LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2
11 1 SUBLEVEL
3
3
9
10
2
KEY
8
5 4 3
6 7
1
BEGIN THE STORY - LOBBY
2
PRESENT THE STORY - GALLERY
3
HEAR THE STORY - SHORT FILMS
4
CHANGE THE STORY - SURVEY STATION
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RESEARCH THE STORY - MEDIA CENTER
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EXPLORE THE STORY - RESOURCE STATION
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PRESERVE THE STORY - RECORDING STUDIOS
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TEACH THE STORY - CLASSROOM
9
DISCUSS THE STORY - CONFERENCE RM
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EXPERIENCE THE STORY - CAFE
11
REMEMBER THE STORY - GIFT SHOP
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SECTION AA
RESOURCE CENTER
LOBBY
CONFERENCE ROOM CAFE
GALLERY DARFUR VOICES COLLECTION
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HIMALAYAN VOICES COLLECTION
JEWISH VOICES COLLECTION
SECTION BB
CONFERENCE ROOM
CLASSROOM
RECORDING
RESTROOM
RESOURCE CENTER
SHORT FILM THEATER
GALLERY
9
LEVEL 1 OPENING TO SUBLEVEL GALLERY
GALLERY
10
RESOURCE & MEDIA CENTER
CAFE
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AUTISM CENTER OF NEBRASKA LEARNING FACILITY FOURTH YEAR 2 MONTHS - COLLABORATIVE PROFESSORS: VANESSA SCHUTTE & BRANDEA MORTON SOFTWARE USED: RHINO REVIT ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR ADOBE INDESIGN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
The purpose of this project was to design an academic institution for The Autism Center of Nebraska that would cater to the needs of its staff and students at all levels between pre-k and 12th grade. Three of my peers and I formed a team that held four core values at the center of our design process: Individualization, Inspiration, Versatility, and Safety. As we carried out our design of the facility, these four factors acted as driving forces towards creating a successful learning environment for students and a productive teaching environment for educators. Based on our research, we found that children with Autism tend to be susceptible to distraction and sensitive to stimulating factors of their environment. In addition, they are likely to struggle with wayfinding and acclimation of their environment. In designing an institution that would cater to students with special needs, my team focused on the implementation of strategies that would minimize these frequently had issues. This was accomplished by dividing the facility into task-oriented spaces, simplifying wayfinding, cultivating spaces of familiarity and consistency, and using a careful selection of color, materiality, and light that would not be overstimulating to the senses. In designing with educators in mind, we developed a spatial layout that would allow for ease of transition between spaces and an all-inclusive factor within each classroom that would make it possible for teachers to have all the resources they need in order to make each teaching experience as seamless as possible. In designing for the community, we ensured that this institution would be a safe place to gather on a regular basis for school activities or public events. Not only do the three designated entrance points simplify wayfinding for students, they also assist in securing the facility at all times so that every user can feel at ease. Between the interior and the exterior, we designed for a total of 182,323 square feet.
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EXTERIOR VIEW
13
LEVEL 1 PLAN - GROUND FLOOR ACCESS
B
TREETOP VILLAGE
RR
MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL
RECEIVING
OFFICE
KITCHEN/ FOOD PREP
WALK-IN COOLER WALK-IN FREEZER
POOL STORAGE
GYM STORAGE
OFFICE
SENSORY GARDEN
POOL
OFFICE
RECEPTION
LOCKER ROOM
PUBLIC ENTRY
GYMNASIUM LOCKER ROOM
STORAGE
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
RR
OBSERVE
NURSE OFFICE
NURSE RR
STUDIO CUSTODIAL
PLAYGROUND
STUDENT ENTRY
BUILDING STORAGE
STAFF RR
DEESCALATION
STUDENT STORAGE
EGRESS STAIR
STUDIO
RR
MOTHER’S ROOM
OBSERVE
EGREE STAIR
UP STORAGE
A
BLACK TOP
RR
MULTIPURPOSE STAIRS
OBSERVE
STUDIO
INTERACTIVE PLAY
STUDIO
OBSERVE
OFFICE
BASKETBALL COURT
ART STORAGE
OFFICE
PRINCIPAL OFFICE
RR
SECRETARY OFFICE
LIFESKILLS
PHYSICAL THERAPY
OFFICE
OFFICE
CONFERENCE
14 B
RR
STORAGE
MUSIC
ACN BOARD MEMBERS OFFICE
STORAGE
UP
STORAGE
STUDENT ENTRY
A
SECTION AA
SECTION BB
15
LEVEL 2 PLAN - GROUND FLOOR ACCESS
RR
STORAGE
OBSERVE
STUDIO
MECH.
STUDIO
COUNSELING
COMMONS
STAFF RR
DEESCALATION
OFFICE
RR
OBSERVE
STORAGE
STUDENT STORAGE
EGRESS STAIR DN
DN EGRESS STAIR
RR
STORAGE
OBSERVE
STUDIO STUDIO OBSERVE
RR
STORAGE
COURTYARD
GALLERY RR
STORAGE
DEESCALATION
OBSERVE
BUILDING STORAGE
STUDIO
SPEECH THERAPY OFFICE
STAFF LOUNGE STAFF REFLECTION SPACE GALLERY
STUDENT ENTRY
STAFF COLLABORATIVE/ IEP
STUDIO
CONFERENCE
MOTHER’S ROOM
STAFF RR
STUDENT STORAGE
EGRESS STAIR
RR
OBSERVE
EGRESS STAIR
UP GALLERY STORAGE
RR
OBSERVE
MEDIA CENTER
STUDIO
STUDIO OBSERVE
GALLERY
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STORAGE
UP
RR
STORAGE
STUDENT ENTRY
LEVEL 3 PLAN
RR
STORAGE
OBSERVE
STUDIO
MECH.
STUDIO
COUNSELING
OFFICE
EGRESS STAIR
COMMONS
STAFF RR
DEESCALATION
RR
OBSERVE
STORAGE
STUDENT STORAGE DN
DN
EGRESS STAIR
STORAGE
RR
OBSERVE
STUDIO
STUDIO OBSERVE
RR
STORAGE
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INTERACTIVE PLAY
18
MULTIPURPOSE SEATING
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MEMORIAL FOR LOST & ENDANGERED LANGUAGES FOURTH YEAR 2 WEEKS PROFESSOR: PETER OLSHAVSKY SOFTWARE USED: RHINO REVIT ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR ADOBE INDESIGN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
In our world today, there is a significant lack of language preservation. More than 3,000 languages have already gone extinct, while we continue to lose more every day. When a language dies, an entire culture dies along with it. This entails the loss of knowledge, communication, ideas and history. This memorial, located on the Tiber Island of Rome, Italy, is designed to honor the languages that have fallen and encourage the preservation of the languages in danger of being lost. Losing a language is like losing fragments of a foundation that was meant to support a larger entity. This idea was represented through the disintegration of the memorial’s structure over a period of time. Rainfall would act as the catalyst promoting the stone’s breakdown. As the condition of the seating is compromised, its functional purpose is rendered useless. This embodies the idea that once a language is lost, we can no longer gain anything from it. When runoff from the stone falls down onto the foundation, it would stain before reaching the drain. The mark that it leaves would represent the remnants of cultures left behind that will never again be understood without its associated language. As the structure deteriorates, the view of the memorial would be altered, thus creating a less stimulating visual experience as time goes on. This represents the constitutive views that are lost over time when we lose the languages that allow us to form those views. Once the stone has deteriorated entirely, all that would be left are voids in the foundation where the protruding stone structures once stood and a centralized structure that frames what is left around it. The voids in the foundation would no longer be affected by rainfall, instead they would catch it temporarily, capturing the very catalyst responsible for the stone’s destruction. These newly formed wells would then sit as a reflective reminder of the role that humans play in the loss of language.
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The variation in height found amongst the stone elements would be representative of the hierarchy that exists between languages today. As they level out over time, the hierarchy would be diminished. Ultimately, the lone-standing structure that frames the wells would represent how all preserved languages can allow us to frame the world around us.
SITE PLAN
YEAR 1
YEAR 10
MATERIALITY SCRABO SANDSTONE: - POROSITY OF 20% - LOW RESTISTANCE TO DISINTIGRATION PORTLAND LIMESTONE: - POROSITY AROUND 10% - AVERAGE RESTISTANCE TO DISINTIGRATION
YEAR 20
BASALT STONE: - POROSITY OF 2% - HIGH RESTISTANCE TO DISINTIGRATION WHITE MARBLE - LOW DENSITY STONE OF 2.4 -2.7 - HIGH ABSORBENCY
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SUB HUB THIRD YEAR 2 MONTHS PROFESSOR: LINDSEY BAHE SOFTWARE USED: REVIT ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR ADOBE INDESIGN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
The goal of this project was to transform a suburban triplex located in Lincoln, Nebraska into a community “Sub Hub” that would provide the surrounding suburban residents with a solution to what suburbia lacks in comparison to city life. It would be a space where users would have the opportunity to gather with others or occupy time independently, sit down for a bite to eat or grab a quick wellness drink or pre-prepared meal on-the-go, wait for a food delivery service, rent a bike, pick up a postal package, or make the sub hub a part of your post-workout routine by utilizing the locker room amenities before enjoying what the rest of the facility has to offer. The sub hub would be located in a suburban neighborhood that contains a handful of residences that would be affordable for members of the millennial generation to purchase. As more of the houses in this area become available due to foreclosures, the neighborhoods are presented with the opportunity to be infiltrated by this generation. In order to make this opportunity more appealing to this age group, the sub hub was designed to serve as an infusion of urbanism into the area through its ability to promote community engagement, provide convenience, enhance lifestyle routine, and stimulate enjoyment. With its location being in close proximity to the Tierra Willamsburg Trail, the hub could be easily accessed by all members of the surrounding area without the use of a vehicle. Its walkability would combat the issue of suburbia lacking in the “anything you need is just around the corner” living experience that is typically offered in an urban environment. The design intent was to develop the sub hub through strong programming, manipulation of edge condition, alteration of transitions, and implementation of unity and variety. These design strategies not only allowed for maximization of the user experience within the space but also the cultivation of a more desirable living situation for the residents of the surrounding suburb.
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LEVEL 1 FLOOR PLAN 1. KITCHEN 2. PACKAGE PICK-UP 3. WELLNESS DRINKS & PRE-PREPARED MEAL PICK UP 4. COMMUNITY SEATING AREA 5. FAMILY RESTROOM 6. ELEVATOR 7. FAMILY RESTROOM 8. BIKE RETNAL PICK-UP
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LEVEL 2 FLOOR PLAN 1. MEN’S LOCKER ROOM 2. COMMUNITY SEATING 3. WOMEN’S LOCKER ROOM 4. BALCONY 5. COMMUNITY SEATING 6. ELEVATOR
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LEVEL 1
26
LEVEL 2
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ELEVATE THIRD YEAR 1 MONTH PROFESSOR: LINDSEY BAHE SOFTWARE USED: REVIT ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR ADOBE INDESIGN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
The existing site for this project is located in the heart of Lincoln, Nebraska, and surrounded by multiple paths of travel. Through research, it was found that there are nearly 150 religiously affiliated buildings in the Lincoln area alone, all of which are segregated by the various religions that the people of Lincoln adhere to. Elevate was designed to be a public interior environment that provides users of any religious affiliation with a space, in which they can encounter a spiritual and educational religious experience. This experience will allow for a possible break down of the segregation of religions through discourse fueled by the artistic interpretations and informational aspects of varying religions and their views on controversial “hot topics,” such as war, abortion, sexism, etc. I aimed to accomplish this intent through the manipulation of edge conditions, alteration of transitions and the implementation of ritual objects. The manipulation of the edge condition began with removing a portion of the second level in order to open up the public interior space. Almost all existing interior walls were eliminated for the same purpose. Lastly, the first-floor windows were positioned to align with the art panels within the interior space in order to capitalize on the opportunity for visual intrigue to draw potential users into the space. As for the transitions within the space, the ceiling height of the entryway and hallway space were lowered in order to create an intimate setting, typical of that found within a church. The first ritual objects implemented were the abstract interpretations of religious art that enhanced the spiritual aspect of the space. Next, came the implementation of a digital monitor screen that could be used to display related articles, views, and opinions on religious “hot topics” that would fuel discourse between users and enhance the educational aspect of the space. The firstfloor discussion tables and second-floor bench enabled users to gather in common areas to allow for this discourse to transpire. Lastly, the stain glass served as a focal point of the space.
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SECTION AA
29
LEVEL 1 PLAN
A
30
LEVEL 1
A
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 2 PLAN
A
A
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CUTTING EDGE LUX THIRD YEAR 2 MONTHS PROFESSOR: MIYOUNG HONG SOFTWARE USED: REVIT ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR ADOBE INDESIGN ADOBE PHOTOSHOP
Cutting Edge Lux was designed to be a high-end dermatology clinic that caters to the needs of dermatology practitioners and patients. It is a teaching dermatology center where dermatologists can practice during and beyond their residency years. It provides spaces within the facility that encourage collaboration between practicing dermatologists and learning residents. It equally allocates space to treating cosmetic and medical dermatology cases in order to provide both types of patients with equally prioritized care. It is an environment where patients can feel comfortable, individualized, attentively cared for, and calm. It disguises the medical aspect of the facility through the subtle but effective implementation of biophilic design, visual cleanliness, high level of patient privacy, and high-end materiality and furniture. A complementary color scheme consisting of minimal colors works to accomplish visual cleanliness. Natural materials and organic forms are utilized throughout the space in the implementation of biophilic design, in order to create an environment that is calm and healing. Luxurious materiality and furniture is used to disguise the medical aspect of the environment. The anticipated outcome of the design is that all users be able to experience either an enhanced work environment, from the point of view of the staff, or an enhanced dermatology visit, from the point of view of the patients. Providing states with a standalone teaching dermatology center that is not part of a hospital will allow for more dermatologists to practice during and beyond their residency years. Designing a space that has a relaxed and luxurious ambiance, as well as a spatial layout that allows for an individualized treatment process, will provide patients with an environment where they are able to feel comfortable and encouraged to return to the facility for care when needed.
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In order to better understand what problems could be solved with the development of Cutting Edge Lux, I began the design process with an extensive research dive into the funding of dermatology departments within U.S. hospitals, available dermatology residency percentages, dermatology patient care, general patient care, and patient experience within a medical environment. Following this, I began to diagram my synthesis of this information and how it could inform the spatial layout of the facility, which I then began to explore by digitally modeling the space in Revit. The perspectives were then created from a combination of Revit renderings and Adobe Photoshop layering in order to achieve the desired saturation of the materials chosen for this project.
PLAN
7
9
5
10 6
11 9
8
7 3
12
SPATIAL KEY:
3
1. RECEPTION AREA
12
4
15
3. STORAGE ROOM 4. DRESSING ROOM
14
16 4 17
13 12
2. GUEST RESTROOM
17
6. PATHOLOGY LAB
17
12
5. TRANSCRIPTION ROOM 7. BODY TREATMENT ROOM
3
8. SCRUB ROOM 9. FACIAL TREATMENT ROOM
18 19
18
18
18
19
19
2 19
10. LECTURE ROOM 11. STAFF COLLABORATION SPACE 12. OFFICE 13. STAFF WORK STATION 14. WOMEN'S STAFF LOCKER ROOM
1
15. STAFF GENDER NEUTRAL RESTROOM 16. MEN’S STAFF LOCKER ROOM 17. PATIENT RESTROOM 18. PRIVATE WAITING ROOM 19. CONSULTATION & EXAMINATION ROOM
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RECEPTION AREA
34
CONSULTATION & EXAMINATION ROOM
35
STAFF WORK STATION
36
PATIENT DRESSING ROOM
37