School of Architecture Studio Building

CHICAGO, USA

Fall 2017

Another project I completed during my first semester of graduate study is the design of an architecture studio building; with a great hall that was the focal point of the design challenge.

The sight of construction being in a fully developed urban area created some challenges as well as great opportunities to integrate my design with the existing urban fabric. I was very interested in representing a protruding curved volume that is so abundant in the surrounding area; and I created an elliptical tower that is to act as a linchpin for the two public portions of the site.

First Floor

Second Floor

Third Floor

Another element that was very important was the procession; the experience that one would have as they proceeded through the interior space. With that in mind I explored the play of various volumes within the interior spaces and the idea of compressions and a release in to a grand space. I intentionally arranged for the grand hall to be located on the second floor so as to promote the ascendance one would experience as they proceed up the stairs to a grander space. Above all I wished to exercise a modest design behavior that promot-ed the continuity of the existing urban atmosphere. To achieve that I maintained the building materials that were abundant in the area as well as designing in the Georgian style that seems to be the very com-mon among the building that have stood there for generations.