Shayla Thomas Architectural Portfolio
Shayla Thomas Phone | 443-388-4434 Email | shayla.thomas.2018@gmail.com
Table of Contents
01
02
RÉVITALISER LE VIEUX PORT DE MONTRÉAL
04
07
EMBRACING COMMUNITIES
RADICAL WELLNESS
08
03
THE F LINE
05
WORK EXPERIENCE
STITCHING COMMUNITIES
SYMBIOSIS IN THE CITY
09
06
MISCELLANEOUS WORK
ARTIST RESIDENCE
01 Révitaliser le Vieux Port de Montréal Ile Sainte-Helene o rt Mo ntre al P
Pont d
es Iles
Site nt
Po
SITE MAP
ENTRY VIEW
Fleuve Saint-Laurent
Old
The influence of the design was to draw a connection to the visiting circus which acts as a very popular attraction while also creating a connection with the surrounding environment. The use of the ellipses in the design of the building related to the circular footprint of the circus tent. The circular patterns of the pedestrian pathways are to act as a link to the two buildings. The arch formed by the two buildings act as a framing device and viewing point to see another popular tourist attraction, the Montreal Biosphere which is a museum dedicated to the environment in Montreal. Visitors can travel up the walkway and experience the view like never before. The urban design of the pedestrian pathway mimics the “current” of everyday life, where the patron may not be sure where they are going, but they will have a grand experience.
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la C
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de cor
AUDITORIUM SECTION
0
10
20
30
40
Form Developement
Programming
Forces Applied
Rehearsal/ Back of house Public Access/ Theaters Administration Storage
Amphitheater
Children's Playground
B
Cirque du Soleil
A
B
A
Communal Plaza
SITE PLAN
SITE SECTION
Auxiliary Theater Administrative Wing Resturant
Main Symphony Hall
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10
20
30
40
100
LEVEL 1
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5
10
15
20
50
NORTHEAST ELEVATION LEVEL 2
LEVEL 3
LEVEL 4
SOUTHWEST ELEVATION
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5
10
15
20
50
02 The F Line
0' - 7" 0' - 1"
0' - 4"
1' - 8 7/16"
In the wild, ferrets live in prairie dog tunnels and prey on the smaller rodents so to emulate their habitat in the wild, a tunnel system was that they can explore was created. Since their enclosures are usually multi-leveled, the tunnels that incline and decline to simulate the level changes. The nodes were incorporated to create destinations for the pets since they like to explore and hides things. The nodes are in the shape of a dodecahedron so that there are flat surfaces to attach the tubing to and to allow multiple connections. The structure is made of transparent and opaque materials that will be able to withstand the weight and teeth of the ferrets. I took inspiration for the layout of the tunnels system from the maps of subway systems since they are the human version of prairie dog tunnels hence the title: “The F Line”. The stops on the subway are represented by the dodecahedron.
SECTION A
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
B
03 STITCHING COMMUNITIES Located in the heart of college-town Tallahassee, as an attempt to provide safer pedestrian travel for the community, a bridge inspired by the connection of the human body was proposed. The footprint of the bridge mimics a human neuron with its branching pathways. The expanding and contracting gateway structures on the deck of the bridge were inspired by the ribcage. The ribs gradually come together until making a complete circle in the middle of a bridge, just as a community comes together.
A
B
A
SITE PLAN
DECK VIEW
CONCEPT DIAGRAMS
SKETCH MODELS
FAÇADE DEVELOPMENT
04 ENHANCING COMMUNITIES The task at hand was to create a community center for the city of Tallahassee, working in a group of three. Inspired by the live oak trees of the site, the concept of emphasizing the human connection with nature was developed. As individuals, each member created a concept diagram and sketch model that was able to meld cohesively to establish the program and form of the building. The group’s goal was to have all the communities of Tallahassee (FAMU, FSU, TCC, and the local residents) to feel welcomed in this space which is why clean looking materials of wood and stucco were chosen for this structure. The materials create a “blank slate” for all people that enter this space because they are not colors affiliated with any of the nearby schools. The façade was developed by abstracting the live oak root system and canopy shape. The mimicry of the roots are to symbolize strength and support, while the canopy symbolizes security and shelter and these were qualities of a community that the group wanted to invoke in the design since the town can feel very separated between the sub-communities that occupy it.
ROOFTOP VIEW 2
PHYSICAL MODEL
05 Symbiosis in the City This project was entered into the Timber in the City competition. Using a combination of different types of timber including bamboo, southern pine, and glulam. Integrating and welcoming people to the building was prioritized so, the building was positioned build on the existing paths of transportation. Multiple wood types were utilized to create the double facade as well as some exposed structural elements to entice visitors to come inside. The form is mean to mimic multiple form working upon one another to create a unique and substantial experience for visitors as they walk in and out of the structure, ergo "Symbiosis"
VIEW FROM ENTRY
SKIN
STRUCTURE
MEZZANINE
CORES
MASSING
MARKETPLACE
06 Artist Residence This style of home located in Northwest Detroit, MI was created in response to climate change and economic inequality throughout the United States by explore alternative materializations, spatial configurations, and models of living. The prototypes were created as a result and are located based on its position in relation with the Artist Walk, an neighborhood initiative that has shares a street with this intervention. These homes were designed to be accessible for artists, of any kind, from Detroit, a place where they can display their passions right on their doorsteps. The homes were also rematerialized as being made of hempcrete to for natural insulation while providing an aesthetic interior finish and wooden shakes to protect the biomaterial from the elements.
VIEW FROM ENTRY
SITE MAP
MODEL OF PROTOTYPE 1
PROTOTYPE VARIANTS
LONGITUDINAL SECTION
TRANSVERSE SECTION
06 Radical Wellness Radical Wellness is a multi-family housing project, collaborated on with three individuals that prioritizes the mental & physical wellness of its residents, a provision that is seldom made in low-income housing. By facilitating growing, exercise, and quality food, the project builds community and breaks away from the rigid individualism typically seen in multi-family housing. Through a number of community terraces, several bridges are created between residents that builds trust and a sense of home. Programmatically, we took inspiration from the Vietnamese housing typology called bahay na bato, where a ground-level market sits below the housing of the family who manage it. In furthering the mission of promoting wellness, the structure is built with mass timber for its low carbon output and positive physiological traits.
NORTH FACADE
STRUCTURE EXPERIENTIAL COLLAGE
ANALYTIQUE COLLAGE
FORM
LONGITUDINAL SECTION
FACADE
WALL SECTION
TRANSVERSE SECTION
FLOOR PLANS
AERIAL VIEW
08 HMC - Harbor UCLA Hospital Centered on Humanity, Sustainability and Exceptional Care, the new Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Redevelopment Program will consolidate medical services into new facilities on the 72-acre campus. The program ensures HarborUCLA Medical Center complies with Senate Bill 1953, which takes effect in 2030 and requires all California hospitals to be structurally resilient in the event of a significant earthquake. Assistance was provided in the form of updating and correcting construction documentation to ensure accuracy before deadlines as well as the creation and updating of interior renders for client meetings.
LOBBY WITH ART FROM LOCAL ARTIST
MED SURGE
NICU
09 Magnetic Growth Created in a design-research seminar course that explores alternative material formations beyond the current petrochemical reality. Material resilience was explored as well as their intersection with the statement: if architectural forms can self-care while being entangled in the space of their local ecology. Magnet Growth was a group collaboration on investigating the intersection of the effects of magnetic fields on plant growth as well as making the construction waste stream more cyclical. Magnetic powder, sawdust, and glycerin were the main ingredients casted into form work to create the wall panel system that was subsequently hand sewn together with basic needle and thread.
PORTION OF WALL SYSTEM
FULLY REALIZED WALL SYSTEM
RENDER 1
RENDER 2
JOINING DETAIL
Thank You For Your Consideration
shayla.thomas.2018@gmail.com
443-388-4434