PORTFOLIO
Architecture
SAMUEL CLAY 2022
CONTENTS 02
12
FREEHAND I
22
UNHAPPY HIPSTER PROJECT
08
MIDCENTURY MODERN PROJECT
FREEHAND II
18
TINY HOUSE PROJECT
24
KITE WORKSHOP
Freehand Drawing I Fall 2020 As my journey began at City College of San Francisco, I learned the basics of freehand drawing from the Freehand Drawing I course, instructed by Paul Nowicki. We began with line drawing, using light and heavy pencil weights, moving towards shading and perspective. I completed “Man Walking up The Stairs” piece on 70 lb 18 x 24 inch paper with graphite pencils.
Freehand drawing of a Walter Segal home
My final drawing in Freehand Drawing I was of a doorknocker. I wanted to challenge myself by rendering a dramatic human figure with a metallic-looking surface. I did not complete the drawing.
Ground perspective rendering, looking North
Delineation and Rendering Spring 2021 “Midcentury Modern” project
In my second semester, I learned delineation and rendering in the course instructed by George Lin. The class taught me how to produce aerial rendings and ground renderings using SketchUp rendering software, Podium, google earth, and photoshop. During the “Midcentury Modern” project, I decided to render the Farnsworth house, placing it in a new site in San Francisco.
Top image: Looking West, Bottom image: Looking East
Canopied under the roof, looking Southeast
Hipster Redesign view 1
Delineation and Rendering Spring 2021 “Unhappy Hipster” project
Hipster Redsign view 2
During the “Unhappy Hipster” project, I updated the interior program of the Farnsworth House, relocated to San Francisco; into a botanical nightclub museum full of lights, art, and movement.
Original Design view 1
Original Design view 2
Frame from Animation Video
Video Animation At the end of the Spring 2021 semester, I created a video animation of the new Farnsworth house with Unreal Engine’s Twinmotion. Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/ QHiTvUX-h0Y
Architectural Graphics Fall 2020 Tiny house Project
Big Idea
The Architectural Graphics class, instructed by Michelle Nermon, is one of the first architecture courses of the program at City College of San Francisco. We began with hand drafting, understanding scales, and other drafting tools. In the second half of the semester, we shifted to SketchUp. For the first time, I began modeling in 3D architecture software. Our final project was designing a tiny house with SketchUp software, creating a narrative for the house, and presenting floor plans, sections, elevations, and rudimentary “money-shots.”
My tiny house is meant for a family of two to four. My design is primarily for essential workers employed in San Francisco who cannot afford the “affordable housing” (avg. rent $1,600 per month). A tiny home construction operation will drive the Bay area economy by drawing more people to the region, and employing new workers to build the tiny homes (contruced with local and sustainable materials). With a smaller square footage comes less rent, which incentivises people to move into tiny homes than traditional-sized homes. My home design can be rapidly assembled and disassembled for efficient relocation, if necessary, or when the economy is more supportive of a higher volume of workers in the San Francisco area, families will want a concrete living situation in larger homes. Additionally, introducing my tiny homes within the bay area will limit commuting emissions, and overall establish a climate friendly solution to the housing and job crisis.
Tiny House floorplans and sections Layout 2020
Interior view from kitchen Layout 2020
Freehand Drawing II Spring 2021 The subsequent course of Freehand Drawing I, Freehand Drawing II, taught me how to render drawings with color. I completed hand renders with Prismacolor pencils on 8.5 x 11-inch paper.
Architecture Studio II Fall 2021 “The Kite Workshop” project
The Concept
A team effort
My goal is to create a multipurpose community center located at the Golden Gate park Stanyan entrance, providing numerous activities for international tourists, skateboarding teens, families with young children, and travelers. My team and I want to transform the existing site while preserving its distinct natural features, like the slope, trees, and walkways. The program requires a community kite workshop, lobby, community kitchen, conference space, exhibition room, maintenance, admin open office, and a break room. We decided to add programs such as a cafe, library, garden, and library. To utilize the space in a welcoming and unobstructed fashion, my team organized four buildings, which contain several programs. We recognized integration with the landscape, interactivity and playfulness, mimicry of surrounding landscapes, and incorporation of nature as themes of our design process. I am responsible for designing a space to include a library, conference, admin office, and maintenance space. My philosophy to preserve the site began with building above the slope, recognizing its importance in the architecture. My design should reflect the unique hippie, flower children culture of the Haight while bringing the community together.
Residential Conext
Site context and Views
Before thinking about the design too much, I wanted to know more about the site. Who exactly was in the area? What kinds of buildings were there? How the area was used? Haight street facilitates venues of businesses and, the periphery was residential. All types of People come from around the city to visit the Haight every day.
After researching views, I discovered that Twin peaks is visible from Stanyan Street. Since trees and the natural slope of the sight obstruct views of the street, it is important to understant what other views are available.
Concept Model “Preservation” is the inspiration of this model. The shell is made from Hexcel packaging paper and allows sun and rain to filter through the structure. I want to preserve the site’s environment. The space permits shelter while allowing the climate to integrate with the center.
I experimented with SketchUp extensions through the community center project. First installing sandbox tools, my extension manager quickly filled with Shape bender, Curviloft, Slicer 4, Weld, and Twilight2. I began throwing long sheets of Hexcel paper on the ground and find interesting layers to model later.
My final model brings together playfulness and preservation. I created a series of frames to support an accessible roof, then weaved paper to mimic the Hexa paper and its effects. The material is symbolic of weaving the community together. I decided to add a lookout extension to my exterior mold, which allows people to walk below and on top of it. Wire rings represent a walkway that meanders around the site.
Facing Southeast, model without skin
Facing East
Frames creating a contour raise the building from the ground and support an accessible roof for exploring and relaxing. The roof offers a high vantage to observe the beautiful surrounding Haight area, Center, and onwards into the park. I wanted to preserve the landscape with my building, not touching it or digging into it, and add value to this often un-walked glade. The overall shape is improved to allow more accessibility and a meandering path through the building. Instead of placing a lookout ramp in the garden area, I’ve decided to include it on the roof. Hoops frame a trail that also flows around the site and interacts with the other buildings on site. Facing West, Lake Alvord
Facing North
Facing North
Facing South
Facing East, Toward Stanyan Street
Facing West, Toward Alvord Lake
SAMUEL CLAY 326 18th ave San Francisco, CA 94121 Phone: +1 (415) 342-9584 Email: sam03.clay@gmail.com