2016

ROBERT MARCALOW

DESIGN PORTFOLIO

ROBERT MARCALOW GOOD DESIGN IS PRACTICAL, EXECUTABLE AND BEAUTIFUL. My design work bridges the gap between the ROBERTMARCALOW.COM wildly imagined and the physically realized. I RMARCALOW@GMAIL.COM design what can be built, emphasizing innovative 413.824.9978 methods, iteration and experimentation. My projects implement complex digital tools but also lay knowledge and manual technology. Where they combine - the manually parametric - is my area of focus.

YEAR

2015

WORK/SCHOOL SELFEMPLOYED

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR: UMASS AMHERST

AIA SCHOOL MEDAL CERTIFICATE OF MERIT

INTERN: SITELAB ARCH.

PROJECT

MANUAL

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS (BUILT)

2014 RA: CNC ROUTER RESEARCH @ UMASS

p.14

LIGHT SKIPPER LAMP

p.22

WMAIA SCHOLARSHIP

DIGITAL FABRICATION EXPERIMENTS p.26 NEW HAVEN BOATHOUSE

2013 2011 2010

p. 04

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS

M.ARCH: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST

PARAMETRIC

p.32

AUTONOMY HOUSING SELF-EMPLOYED

BA: ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN PITZER COLLEGE

p.38

1

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS (BUILT)

GILL, MASSACHUSETTS TIMBER FRAME LIVESTOCK BARN

{built}

2016

This 2300 square-foot barn is the built realization and expansion of my graduate thesis project (p.13). A modern update on the traditional banked barn, the building folds the land and forms a functional, layered space. A durable heavy timber frame ensures multiple generations of use and re-purposing. Gabion retaining walls form outdoor space. A wood solar screen keeps spaces cool in summer.

04

structure roof ceiling accentuate site section

existing house and new barn

existing site

tear and fold

frame and gabion retaining walls

PERSONAL LANDMARK

This barn is the first large-scale design/build project I have undertaken. I designed all aspects, including (with consultation) the joinery, electrical system and foundation. I hired all external subcontractors and laborers, marked and cut the joints, and supervised assembly and construction. The barn is scheduled for completion early in the spring of 2016.

more seams

slab and retaining walls

PLANS

0

2

4

8

16

loft

HAY AND STORAGE

GABION RETAINING WALLS

ground

STALL

SHOP

WORKING

STALL

PADDOCK

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS (BUILT)

06

ANIMALS

PORTICO

power wash to accent texture

deep grooves create relief

fasten to inside of standard formwork

BOARD FORMED CONCRETE

One prominent foundation knee-wall served as a canvas for material experimentation. Highly textured, board-marked concrete references and balances the board and batten siding above and brings intrigue to an otherwise blank surface..

LOCAL MATERIALS & MANUAL METHODS

The local white pine timber frame employs traditional joinery, shaped largely with hand tools. The heavy timbers ensure longevity and permit large spans, lending flexibility to the space.

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS (BUILT)

08

JOINTS ash wedges ash pegs

stop-splayed wedged scarf

mortises and tenons in wall

ELEVATIONS

east

south

SECTION

metal roof polycarbonate clerestory

engineered trusses

board over batten siding

awning flaps

large picture windows

solar screen

2� pine flooring (100 psf)

custom post brackets

poured in place foundation

continuous slab floor precast concrete piers

0

2

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS (BUILT)

4

10

8

16

solar screen wraps around building

north

DURABLE & FLEXIBLE

west

assembling a large scarf joint

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS (BUILT)

12

EMERGES FROM THE LANDSCAPE

2 GILL, MA

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS

{thesis} STORAGE/WORKING

ROOF SLOPE COLLECTS WATER & SHEDS SNOW

2013

SPACES FOR DONKEYS AND PEOPLE

PARAMETRIC ELEMENTS IN A STICK FRAME LIVESTOCK BARN

A parametric siting process locates a small livestock barn near a rural home through multiple runs in an optimization algorithm. The structure and skin use manual, low-tech construction methods to achieve parametrically designed form and function. The resulting tools and processes require no digital fabrication equipment, only standard carpentry tools.

14

TWIST TO COVER ENTRANCE

ANGLE ROOF TO MOVE AIR PAST HAY

BLEND SIDING TO VENTILATE HAYLOFT

the site

SITING

PARAMETRIC SITING ANALYSIS EVALUATES THOUSANDS OF SITING OPTIONS FOR A SET OF DEFINED PARAMETERS

STRUCTURE RATIONALIZE A WARPED ROOF SURFACE TO UTILIZE OFF-THESHELF ROOFING MATERIALS AND CREATE A PARAMETRIC JOBSITE CUTTING SYSTEM

SKIN

MANUAL FABRICATION SYSTEM FOR A PARAMETRIC OPEN SKIN SYSTEM TO VENTILATE HAYLOFT

SITING highest concentration

This design process explored the potential to use a mathematical approach to siting. A genetic solving algorithm in Grasshopper tested thousands of potential rectangular sites and optimized for three variables (below), eliminating those that did not match five constraints. Constraints and criteria were selectively removed in four distinct runs to look at more flexible options. All the runs were overlaid and the area with the highest concentration was selected for the final building site. CRITERIA

Run #1

Run #2

Run #3

Run #4 BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS

16

DISTANCE TO HOUSE > 50’

ORIENTED TO HOUSE AXIS

specified distance CRITERIA ELEVATION CHANGE > 3’

IN VIEWSHED

N-S ORIENTATION

IN ROAD

IN TREES

maximize slope IN HOUSE

viewshed

orient in line with house

HARD CONSTRAINTS

existing house

final siting at highest concentration from algorithm

site model

STRUCTURE

MAPPING PANEL DEFORMATIONS

The barn roof uses standard building materials to achieve a complex twisted form that directs air and rain, and covers the barn entrance. The final form was mapped in Grasshopper according to the limitations of the metal roofing panels so that no custom metal cuts are required. The angles for the birds-mouth cuts at the tops and bottoms of the rafters were mapped onto two rotating cut guides with customized stops to produce perfect markings. A carpenter sets the stops to the correct rafter number, lays the tool on the board and marks it, making the cuts using a standard circular saw. analyzing deformations in paper roof components

standing seam metal roof

unrolled

stock 4’x8’ sheathing folded

custom-cut rafters

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS

18

intersection of spheres centered at adjacent corners defines bending path

warped surface shares topology with flat stock

COMPLEX SURFACE WITHOUT COMPLEX CUTS

rafter seat cut tool

rafter top cut tool

SKIN

The final project uses no digital fabrication methods at all, but produces a complex parametric surface with a simple set of straight cuts. A series of cut and bent strips of horizontal siding approximate a doubly curved surface, transitioning smoothly from 6� siding into 3� siding over an angled intersection. Each piece is ripped to a specified length then nailed up to the beginning of the rip. Blocks nailed to the studs push the cut end out as far as possible and receive nails from the outside. The resulting surface allows air to circulate into the hay loft in the barn. early concept model

sketch

A A

NO DIGITAL TOOLS REQUIRED, ONLY A LIST OF CUT LENGTHS

BARN FOR TWO DONKEYS

20

RIP LENGTHS: 67”, 69”, 71”, 72”, 72”, 71”, 70”, 68”, 66”, 63”, 59”, 55”, 51”, 46”, 41”, 36”, 32”, 28”, 24”, 21”, 18”, 15”, 12”, 9”

3” SIDING

MANUALLY PARAMETRIC

TRANSITION

6” SIDING

3

LIGHT SKIPPER LAMP

{thesis} surface roughness pools of light

2014

GENOMIC GENERATIVE FORMFINDING

CNC-ROUTED FOAM FORMWORK, PAPER, ROUTED WOODEN BASE

Light striking a textured surface at an oblique angle inspired this fully parametric lamp design. Parametric software endlessly adjusted three variables and tested for a set of fitness parameters. After 30,000 lamp iterations, 24 were offered for final selection. Fabrication utilized CNC-routed molds and a handforming process.

22

surface 50% lit

natural condition inspires concept

desired characteristics

BULB HEIGHT CIRCUMFERENCE & POSITION AT 5 HEIGHTS

SURFACE ROUGHNESS

# OF POOLS OF LIGHT

APPROACHING 50% LIT

BASE WIDTH

user-defined variables

SURFACE ROUGHNESS

finding the most fit individuals (in red) (Octopus for Grasshopper)

GENETIC ALGORITHMS

The user-defined variables of the lamp are adjusted at random and the resulting snapshots are evaluated for three characteristics by a genetic solver algorithm. The parameters of the best lamps are re-entered into the algorithm with slight variations, resulting in an increasingly ‘fit’ generation of lamps. Because there are three evaluation criteria, multiple lamps can be fit equivalents. The user must select the final design by intuition.

routing

forming

removing mold

BEST “GENES” PRESERVED

generation 1 lamps BEST FIT

gen. 2 gen. 3, 4, etc

controls A B C

LIGHT SKIPPER LAMP

24

final lamp

BEST FIT

E

GENOM

GENOME

GENOME

FULLY PARAMETRIC PROCESS

HAND FINISH

4

{built}

DIGITAL FABRICATION EXPERIMENTS

2013

LASER CUTTER AND CNC ROUTER FABRICATION FOAM, PAPER AND CEMENT FOLLIES

Five quick design and fabrication projects explored the 5 categories of digital fabrication as outlined in Lisa Iwamoto’s Digital Fabrications: CONTOUR TESSELLATE SECTION FORM FOLD The projects served only as subjects for material and process experimentation. All projects were modeled completely in Grasshopper for Rhino, then cut using digital fabrication tools and assembled.

26

light passing through a thin section of the contoured foam surface

RAPID FABRICATION FEEDBACK

CONTOUR

CNC router cutting curves respond to the slopes and shapes of the surface. • curves gather in steeps and spread vin flats • draws focus and detail to steep sections • resulting texture is dynamic • CNC-routed in foam

original surface

isocurves on surface

normals along isocurves

deflect curves proportionally to slope

final cutting curves for CNC manufacture

TESSELLATE

Small reciprocal frames interlock and approximate a larger surface. Each individual piece supports another in a rectangular structure. • frames are staggered so grid is continuous • approximates a bell-shaped surface • laser cut and assembled without adhesive

tiled rectangular pattern

DIGITAL FAB EXPERIMENTS

28

offset lines

...new threedimensional form

extend to intersect

transform original shape into a...

pattern applied

extrude from surface

notch and fabricate

no adhesive or fasteners

SECTION

Repeating cylinders intersect a freeform, tapered tower, creating curved, non-planar sections. • three ribs support petals • scores parallel to bending increase flexibility • laser cut from card stock

cylindrical sections are bent in place

original form

semi-cylindrical sections

intersection edges

resulting panels

support ribs

final structure

unrolled for fabrication

FORM

The faces of a geodesic dome are equilateral panels tapered toward the dome’s center - a perfect forming exercise! • angular exterior, round interior • openings vary by aspect • molded in foam cut on a CNC router • laser cut base resists outward thrust

rockite in CNC-routed form

geodesic dome DIGITAL FAB EXPERIMENTS

30

extruded to center

subtracting a sphere

resulting solid panels

openings vary by aspect

pieces placed into a solid form

final form with codes ready for fabrication

FOLD

Folding creates three-dimensional structure from flat stock. This project superimposed a Voronoi diagram onto a highly textured surface. • curved side accurately represents surface • angled side approximates surface • thickness relates to position • laser cut and assembled with adhesive

fold and fasten with tab

original surface

project voronoi pattern

offset vertices, connect with lines

solid digital model

unroll and manufacture

5

NEW HAVEN BOATHOUSE

NEW HAVEN, CT

{studio} DOWNTOWN NEW HAVEN

2013

BOATHOUSE, LOCKERS, EVENT SPACE, CLASSROOM, ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITIES

A large boating facility provides urban New Haven with long-deprived access to the waterfront, encouraging community involvement in rowing and sailing activities. Three blocky, sail-shaped masses overlap and create paths through the building onto docks, decks and terraces. Curving overhead beams allude to the curved early massing model ribs of a ship.

32

SITE

LONG ISLAND SOUND

locus map

sketches

COMMUNITY WATERFRONT ACCESS

The boathouse rests near Long Wharf, at one time a critical port. Isolated from downtown by a major interstate highway, the site is neglected and oddly serene. The boathouse provides a safe space by the water for those coming from the downtown in search of nature and exercise.

NEW HAVEN BOATHOUSE

34

CARVE OUT SPACE FOR COMMUNITY

models

section

LARGE SPACES AND DYNAMIC GEOMETRY Large glulam beams and Cross-Laminated Timber decking achieve a wide uninterrupted roof span in the event space. The tops of the bearing walls arch upwards, producing an expansive, subtly curved interior space that draws the eye forward toward views of the bay.

NEW HAVEN BOATHOUSE

36

PLANS

CATERING KITCHEN WOMEN MEN EVENT STORAGE

0

EVENT SPACE

ROOF PATIO AND TERRACES

KITCHEN

RECEPTION EXEC. OFFICE

MGR.

CLASS ROOM

second

MEN’S LOCKER ROOM

TRASH

MECH. WMN’S LOCKER ROOM

LONG WHARF DR.

RECEPTION WORKOUT/FLEX SPACE BOAT STORAGE

LOBBY

DOCKS

ground

8

16

32

64

6

AUTONOMY HOUSING

HOLYOKE, MA

{studio}

2013

AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LIVE/WORK STUDIOS, MAKER SPACE, COMMERCIAL SPACES

This mixed use affordable housing building rejects traditional mortgage models. Subsidized “Autonomy Blocks” create income for new owners through rental of an attached studio, offsetting mortgage costs. Arts and maker space facilities foster a lively atmosphere at the street level, drawing outside capital into a decayed urban core.

38

empty urban site was once a booming transit depot

HOME 1,2 or 3 bedroom unit

TOTAL SF OF PROGRAM

RAISE RESIDENTIAL

SPLIT TO CREATE COURTYARD

SHIFT UNITS & GLAZE PUBLIC SPACE

RAISE/LOWER FOR LIGHT IN ALLEY

INCOME rental sub-unit

VENTILATE

AUTONOMY THROUGH HOMEOWNERSHIP

MASSING IS MEANING

Faรงade and positioning indicate public and private space. Residential and administrative spaces occupy upper levels with more opaque faรงades, while public spaces are mostly glazed, providing sight-lines through the building.

solar tower (ventilation)

2-bedroom +studio units

envelope (internal) glazing

winter-garden (external) glazing

solar screen

3-bedroom +studio units

1-bedroom +studio units

live-work studio units

public space glazing

circulation

maker space

commercial and social spaces

AUTONOMY HOUSING

40

0

8

16

32

64

1 - LOBBY AND MAIL ROOM 2 - FAB-LAB LOBBY AND GALLERY 3 - MAKER SPACE 4 - MAKER SPACE RESTROOMS 5 - COMMERCIAL 6 - LIVE-WORK STUDIOS 7 - MECHANICAL

1 - Residences Lobby and Mailroom 2 - Fab-Lab Lobby and Gallery 3 - Fab-Lab 4 - Fab-Lab Restrooms 5 - Commercial 6 - Live-Work Studios 7 - Mechanical

(ALLEY)

8 - Apartments 9 - Studios 10 - Community Space 12 - Laundry 13 -

8 - APARTMENTS 9 - STUDIOS 10 - COMMUNITY SPACE 11 - OFFICES AND MEETING ROOMS 12 - LAUNDRY 13 - ROOF PATIO AND GARDEN

6

6

6

6

7

8

7

8

3

APPLETON ST.

PLANS

7 5

1

4

2

MAIN ST.

ground First Floor Plan 0

4

8

16

32

6

6

6

6

11

11

11

8

SECTION 0

4

8

16

5

Section A-A

8

9

second 32

Second Floor Plan 0

4

8

16

32

1 - Residences Lobby and Mailroom 2 - Fab-Lab Lobby and Gallery 3 - Fab-Lab 4 - Fab-Lab Restrooms 5 - Commercial 6 - Live-Work Studios 7 - Mechanical

13

8 9

8

9

8

9

8

third MAIN ST.

(ALLEY)

1 - Residences Lobby and Mailroom 2 - Fab-Lab Lobby and Gallery 3 - Fab-Lab

8 - Apartments 9 - Studios 10 - Community Space

8

BUILDING CAPITAL AND COMMUNITY

Commercial, arts and maker spaces on the street level draw traffic to the block at all hours of the day, creating a new focal point at the core of the city.

ELEVATIONS 0

8

16

32

1 - Residences Lobby and Mailroom 2 - Fab-Lab Lobby and Gallery 3 - Fab-Lab 4 - Fab-Lab Restrooms 5 - Commercial 6 - Live-Work Studios 7 - Mechanical

64

main st.

Main St. Elevation 0

4

8

16

32

alley

Alleyway Elevation 0

4

8

16

32

appleton st.

AUTONOMY HOUSING

42 Appleton St. Elevation

8 - Apartments 9 - Studios 10 - Community Space 12 - Laundry 13 -

solar tower

solar screens

PASSIVE COOLING AND VENTILATION

A tall solar tower with a perforated metal core creates a Venturi Effect, pulling air through the units and providing natural ventilation year-round. Solar screens on the southeast of the units provide midday shade in the summer. Glazing behind the screens enclose a winter garden.

MORE PROJECTS AND DRAWINGS AT ROBERTMARCALOW.COM

ROBERT MARCALOW robertmarcalow.com rmarcalow@gmail.com 413.824.9978