PORTFOLIO
MICHAEL MASSU | EMERGING PROFESSIONAL
SELECTED WORKS 2018-2025
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON
MICHAEL MASSU
BACHELORS OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE
MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON
COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING & PUBLIC AFFAIRS
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WINEMAKERS LOFT
LOUIS DE GRENELLE WINERY - SAUMUR, FRANCE
THE WINEMAKERS LOFT ENHANCES THE GUEST EXPERIENCE AT LOUIS DE GRENELLE WINERY THROUGH OPEN SPACES AND OVERLAPPING FLOOR PLATES THAT FRAME VIEWS OF THE CENTRAL COURTYARD, CREATING OPENNESS AND CONNECTION. LARGE GLASS PANELS MAXIMIZE NATURAL LIGHT, WHILE A MATERIAL PALETTE OF LIMESTONE, PORCELAIN PANELS, AND MULLEONLESS CONTINOUS GLASS PANELS BALANCES TRANSPARENCY AND PRIVACY. THE PROGRAM INCLUDES A RETAIL AREA, EXHIBITION SPACE, CAFÉ, PRESENTATION ROOM, AND GUEST SUITE, OFFERING A SEAMLESS BLEND OF MODERN DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY FOR AN IMMERSIVE AND MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE.
INTEGRATIVE STUDIO 1
ARCH 5671 | FALL 2024
PROFESSORS: BART SHAW | GREG IBANEZ
LOCATED IN SAUMUR, FRANCE, THE WINEMAKERS LOFT IS DESIGNED FOR THE RENOWNED LOUIS DE GRENELLE WINERY, WHOSE HISTORIC BUILDINGS SURROUND THE SITE. THE LAYOUT INTEGRATES WITH ITS CONTEXT, WITH AN OPEN-ENTRY COURTYARD LEADING TO THE RETAIL AREA AND EXHIBITION SPACE, WHERE WINE TASTING AND ART APPRECIATION COEXIST. THE SUNLIT CAFÉ OVERLOOKS THE COURTYARD, WHILE THE PRESENTATION ROOM HOSTS TASTINGS AND EVENTS. ELEVATED ABOVE, THE GUEST SUITE PROVIDES PRIVACY AND PANORAMIC VIEWS, CREATING A HARMONIOUS BALANCE OF OPENNESS AND RETREAT.
LOFT - LOUIS DE GRENELLE VISITORS CENTER - SAUMUR, FRANCE
POWER SPINE HEARNE, TEXAS
THE POWER SPINE EXPLORES THE POTENTIAL OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN WITHIN THE TEXAS TRIANGLE, A REGION KNOWN FOR ITS DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND RAPID GROWTH. FOCUSING ON ENERGY GENERATION, WATER CONSERVATION, AND FOOD PRODUCTION, THE DESIGN INTEGRATES SOLAR, WIND, AND GEOTHERMAL ENERGY TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS AND PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY. AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THREE RURAL COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE TRIANGLE REVEALED THEIR DISTINCT “SUPERPOWERS”— THE ABILITY TO GENERATE ENERGY, CONSERVE WATER, OR PRODUCE FOOD—INSPIRING A DESIGN THAT SUPPORTS THESE STRENGTHS. WITH A FRAMEWORK BUILT AROUND NINE KEY PRIORITIES IN FOOD, ENERGY, AND WATER SUSTAINABILITY, THE PROJECT DEMONSTRATES HOW ARCHITECTURE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A MORE RESILIENT AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE.
ADVANCED STUDIO 1 - HKS
ARCH 5670 | FALL 2023
PROFESSORS:
CHAD PORTER | ANDREW LANE | DIEGO B.
GEO LOCATION - IMPORTANCE OF HEARNE SITE SITE PLAN
HISTORIC SMALL TOWN URBAN CORE, HEARNE TX
DESIGN CONCEPT
ENERGY YIELD
PROGRAM
THE MASTER PLAN FEATURES TWO COMPONENTS LINKED BY THE SPINE BRIDGE ABOVE THE RAILROAD STATION. ONE SIDE HOUSES THE GEO EXPRESS STATION, GEO NESTER RESIDENCES, AND A COMMERCIAL STRIP MALL, WHILE THE OTHER SUPPORTS FOOD PRODUCTION. INTEGRATED GEOTHERMAL ENERGY FARMING POWERS BOTH THE SITE AND THE CITY, PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
DESIGN FOR ECONOMY
DESIGN FOR ENERGY
PIXEL HOUSE
(3D PRINTED TINY HOME)
IN THE CONTEXT OF AN INTERNATIONAL WORLD EXPO FOCUSED ON HYBRID FUTURES, THE TASK WAS TO DESIGN A TINY HOUSE UTILIZING 3D CONCRETE PRINTING (3DCP) AS THE PRIMARY CONSTRUCTION METHOD. THE HOUSE, LIMITED TO A 400-SQUARE-FOOT FOOTPRINT, NEEDED TO PROVIDE A FUNCTIONAL AND COMFORTABLE LIVING SPACE WITH ESSENTIAL AMENITIES. THESE CONSTRAINTS ENCOURAGED INNOVATIVE ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS AND THE EXPLORATION OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL DESIGN ELEMENTS. PIXEL HOUSE EMBODIES A FUTURISTIC APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE LIVING, MERGING ORGANIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES WITH ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. THIS INTRODUCTION SETS THE STAGE FOR A DETAILED EXPLORATION OF ITS INNOVATIVE FEATURES AND ITS POTENTIAL TO REDEFINE THE FUTURE OF TINY HOMES.
ADVANCED STUDIO 2
ARCH 5670 | SPRING 2024
PROFESSORS: SHADI NAZARIAN | NEGAR ASHRAFI
TERMITE MOUNDS (PRECEDENT)
INSPIRED BY TERMITE MOUNDS, THE DESIGN UTILIZES NATURAL VENTILATION STRATEGIES TO REGULATE INTERNAL TEMPERATURE. TERMITES CONTROL AIR PRESSURE AND CLIMATE WITHIN THEIR MOUNDS THROUGH STRATEGICALLY PLACED OPENINGS THAT ENABLE PASSIVE COOLING AND HEATING. THIS PRINCIPLE IS APPLIED TO CREATE A SELF-REGULATING ENVIRONMENT, REDUCING THE NEED FOR MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND ENHANCING ENERGY EFFICIENCY.
DESIGN CONCEPT
THE DESIGN INTRODUCES THREE DISTINCT MODULAR BLOCKS, EACH FEATURING VARYING OPENING SIZES TO OPTIMIZE NATURAL VENTILATION. A RETRACTABLE WINDOW SYSTEM POSITIONED BETWEEN THESE BLOCKS ENABLES USERS TO MANIPULATE AIRFLOW BY ADJUSTING OPENINGS THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE. THIS CONFIGURATION CREATES PRESSURE DIFFERENTIALS THAT ENHANCE AIR CIRCULATION, ALLOWING OCCUPANTS TO REGULATE INDOOR CLIMATE AND MAXIMIZE THERMAL COMFORT WHILE REDUCING RELIANCE ON MECHANICAL SYSTEMS.
ROBOT PLACEMENT & TOOLPATH
THE ALEUTS (MAPING MIGRATIONS)
INSPIRED BY THE CULTURE AND LIVING PATTERNS OF THE ALEUT TRIBES, THIS CULTURAL CENTER IS LOCATED ON UNALASKA ISLAND WITHIN THE ALEUTIAN ISLAND CHAIN. THE DESIGN TRANSLATES EXTENSIVE STUDIES OF ALEUTIAN LIFE, WHERE WATER SERVES AS THE PRIMARY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM FOR GOODS AND SERVICES. CENTRAL TO THE PROJECT IS MAPPING THE MIGRATION ROUTES OF THE ALEUTS, WITH THESE MOVEMENTS INFORMING THE ARCHITECTURAL FORM AND SPATIAL ORGANIZATION, OFFERING VISITORS AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE THAT CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF ALEUTIAN LIFE.
DESIGN STUDIO IV
ARCH 4557 | SPRING 2022
PROFESSOR:
AMANDA RENEE
ABSTRACT LINE DRAWING
THE ABSTRACT LINE DRAWING MAPS THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS’ STRATEGIC LOCATIONS AND ALASKAN TIDAL INFLUENCES ON THE ALEUT TRIBES’ MIGRATION. SOLID LINES REPRESENT ISLAND CONNECTIONS, DASHED LINES MARK HUNTING ROUTES, AND WAVE-LIKE CURVES ILLUSTRATE TIDAL WAVES. CIRCULAR MARKERS DENOTE ISLAND LOCATIONS, FORMING THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DESIGN’S SPATIAL CONCEPT.
ISLAND CONNECTION
HUNTING ROUTES
TIDAL WAVES
ISLAND LOCATION
PRIMARY LINES - CONCEPTUAL MODELING
PRIMARY LINES FROM KEY MIGRATION ROUTES WERE MODELED TO EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOLID AND VOID SPACES. THESE CONCEPTUAL STUDIES ESTABLISHED A DESIGN LANGUAGE THAT REFLECTS MOVEMENT AND SPATIAL FLOW.
PRIMARY / SECONDARY/ TERTIARY- ADVANCED MODELING
SECONDARY AND TERTIARY LINES ADDED DEPTH AND HIERARCHY, SHAPING MODELS THAT BALANCE MASS AND VOID. THIS PROCESS INFORMED THE FINAL DESIGN’S LAYERING, EMPHASIZING INTERCONNECTED PATHWAYS AND SPATIAL COMPLEXITY.
ABTRACTED FINAL MODEL
THE FINAL 3D MODEL COMBINES LINEAR ELEMENTS AND VOIDS TO CAPTURE THE RHYTHM OF MIGRATION. ITS ANGULAR FORMS AND LAYERED COMPOSITION GUIDE THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN, REFLECTING THE MOVEMENT AND FLOW OF ALEUT LIFE.
FLOOR TO FLOOR CIRCULATION
ATLANDIS (UNDERWATER EXTREME HABITAT ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION)
IN A FUTURE WORLD WHERE LAND HAS BECOME SCARCE AND SEA LEVELS CONTINUE TO RISE, ATLANDIS EMERGES AS A SELF-SUSTAINING CITY BUILT WITH ARCHITECTURAL PRECISION TO THRIVE ON WATER. DESIGNED TO MEET HUMAN NEEDS WITHIN A TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED ENVIRONMENT, THE CITY IS ENCIRCLED BY A REFUGEE RING THAT PROVIDES SHELTER AND SUPPORT FOR DISPLACED COMMUNITIES.
ATLANDIS INTEGRATES SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS TO MAINTAIN ITS CLOSED-LOOP ECOSYSTEM. TRASH COLLECTION DEVICES HARVEST PLASTIC AND DEBRIS FROM FLOODED AREAS, COMPRESSING AND TRANSFERRING THESE MATERIALS TO 3D PRINTERS THAT PRODUCE HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE ON DEMAND. WAVE ENERGY GENERATION PROVIDES ELECTRICITY, WHILE DESALINATION SYSTEMS CONVERT SEAWATER INTO DRINKABLE WATER. FOOD SECURITY IS ENSURED THROUGH VERTICAL FARMS AND FERTILIZED FARMING ZONES, CREATING A BALANCED AND RESILIENT HABITAT.
MORE THAN JUST A CITY, ATLANDIS REPRESENTS THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY—A FLOATING WORLD WHERE INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY, AND COMMUNITY CONVERGE TO PRESERVE LIFE IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE.
DESIGN STUDIO II
ARCH 4556 | FALL 2021
PROFESSOR:
JOHN P. MARUSZCZAK
URBAN PROMENADE (DESIGN FOR RESILIENCE) 2687 N FIELD ST, DALLAS, TX 75201
LOCATED IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN DALLAS, THIS PROJECT SERVES AS A RESILIENT CULTURAL CENTER AND MUSEUM DESIGNED TO ADAPT TO TIMES OF CHANGE. EMPHASIZING ACCESSIBILITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE DESIGN FEATURES AN INVITING URBAN PROMENADE THAT WELCOMES PEOPLE INTO THE SPACE, BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE REALMS. STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED BETWEEN TALL APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND CORPORATE OFFICES, THE PROMENADE OFFERS A TRANQUIL ESCAPE WITHIN THE URBAN FABRIC, ENCOURAGING PEDESTRIANS TO INTEGRATE THE MUSEUM INTO THEIR DAILY ROUTINES. THIS APPROACH NOT ONLY FOSTERS A SENSE OF BELONGING BUT ALSO REINFORCES THE BUILDING’S ROLE AS A DYNAMIC HUB FOR CULTURE AND COMMUNITY.
DESIGN STUDIO
ARCH 3553 | FALL 2019
PROFESSOR: NARJES ABBASABADI
EARLY ITERATIONS
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
LATER ITERATIONS
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
PROFESSIONAL COLABORATION
BRANDING DESIGN INTEGRATION “FASTOP”
THIS PROJECT REDEFINES THE TRADITIONAL GAS STATION EXPERIENCE BY CREATING A COHESIVE AND MODERN MULTI-USE COMMERCIAL HUB. WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH A MARKETING AND BRANDING AGENCY, THE DESIGN STRATEGY INCLUDES A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO 12 LOCATIONS, INTEGRATING FUELING STATIONS, CONVENIENCE STORES, RETAIL SPACES, AND OFFICE UNITS INTO A SEAMLESS CUSTOMER-CENTRIC ENVIRONMENT. THE DESIGN FOCUSES ON EFFICIENT TRAFFIC FLOW, DISTINCT BRANDING, AND A HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL LAYOUT THAT ENHANCES BOTH VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCES. EACH COMPONENT— FROM THE PUMP LAYOUT TO THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE CONVENIENCE STORES AND OFFICE SPACES—IS CAREFULLY CURATED TO CREATE A UNIFIED IDENTITY ACROSS ALL SITES, TRANSFORMING THESE LOCATIONS INTO MODERN, HIGHLY ENGAGING COMMERCIAL DESTINATIONS.
INDEPENDENT DESIGN PRACTICE
COMPLETE BACKYARD POOL DESIGN
THIS OUTDOOR SPACE BLENDS FUNCTIONALITY AND LUXURY, FEATURING A MULTI-LEVEL INFINITY POOL, SHADED LOUNGE, AND FIRE FEATURES. EXPANSIVE PATIOS AND WALKWAYS SEAMLESSLY CONNECT RELAXATION AND ENTERTAINMENT AREAS, WHILE LUSH LANDSCAPING AND GLASS BALCONIES ENHANCE THE INDOOROUTDOOR EXPERIENCE.
INDEPENDENT DESIGN PRACTICE
BACKYARD POOL AREA REMODEL
THIS PROJECT TRANSFORMS AN EXISTING BACKYARD AROUND A PRE-ESTABLISHED POOL, CREATING A FUNCTIONAL AND LUXURIOUS OUTDOOR RETREAT. THE DESIGN INTRODUCES A PERGOLA-STYLE LOUNGE AREA, A BUILT-IN OUTDOOR KITCHEN, AND A FIRE FEATURE TO ENHANCE COMFORT AND ENTERTAINMENT. LUSH LANDSCAPING AND WOOD ACCENTS ADD WARMTH, WHILE STRATEGIC LIGHTING AND SEATING ARRANGEMENTS CREATE A SEAMLESS FLOW BETWEEN RELAXATION AND SOCIAL SPACES. THE RESULT IS A BALANCED, INVITING ENVIRONMENT THAT REDEFINES THE BACKYARD EXPERIENCE.
