Fresh Deodorant: Architectural Design Portfolio by Sophie Wojtalewicz

Fresh Deodorant

Studies of Duality, Complexity, and Contradictory Spatial Overlap

sophie wojtalewicz architecture portfolio selected works

Studio Design Projects table of contents

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5 Cover illustration: Hand and Object Drawings Architectural Design 2 Professor Nina Hofer, Spring 2018

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Wrap and Elevate: The Sky Circuit Design 7 | Fall 2020

Professor Judi Shade Monk Critics: Professor Donna Cohen, Professor Nic Rabinowitz, Mr. Adam Pollock 1 Pennsylvania Plaza Manhattan, New York Partner: Sophia Simmons [sophia.simmons@ufl.edu]

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Below: North Entrance Render

by Author

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Left: Mapping of Manhattan Island, New York

Above: Conceptual Render of Ground Floor Public Space

Above: Conceptual Renderr of Ground Floor Public Space

For initial site analysis, we decided to focus on different types of urban spaces, and identified the unique attributes that give each kind of space its distinct character as demonstrated in the vignettes. Our conclusion after the midterm was that every New Yorker deserved access to light and public space, and the right to view their own city from above. We studied different methods and nodes of transit throughout Manhattan island as our interest in the distinct kinds of parks and public space throughout New York City grew. After all, no two parks in New York are the same.

After conducting site analysis, our focus switched from the everyday New Yorker simply visiting our site, to the actual residents and professionals that would be using our buildings. A concept of an architectural sheath emerged: in the form of the retail, office, and commercial spaces creating a base that the residential tower would rise from.

Above: North Elevation

by Author

Below: Exploded Axonometric Detailing Program, Circuit, and Facade Organization

by Author

Above: Conceptual Process Vignettes

by Sophia Simmons

This programmatic organization ensures residents their right to see their city from above (since the apartments range from the 32nd floors to the top in both buildings).

Additionally, to provide adequate natural light while retaining interior privacy, perforated facade panels are placed throughout.

Performing the function of the sheath is the Circuit: a series of glass-paneled spaces that break through the facade and wrap around the building. Informally called the Snake, this circuit stays consistent with our themes of circulation, light and accessibility — especially since the circuits on both buildings connect and offer access to 1 Penn Plaza and branch out into open air public space above Madison square garden.

Since the snake also protrudes past the building faces, they offer excellent vantage points for everyone to enjoy.

As it spirals upwards, it forms the sheath for the residential and hotel spaces to rest within, before it turns into a strictly vertical component on its own.

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Above: Process Drawings of Tower Gesture

by Author Below: Street View Render

by Author

Urban Chasm: Orlando Dance Institute Design 7 | Fall 2020

Professor Michael Kuenstle Critics: Professor Mark McGlothlin, 24 N Rosalind Avenue Orlando, Florida Solitary Project

Above: Exploded Axonometric

Above: Exploded Axonometric of Facade Support and Panels

Below: Site Plan

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Below: Facade Assembly Study Model

Orlando’s urban organization is heavily car-centric, with the downtown area being one of few somewhat-walkable areas in the city. With several bus lines, cultural and scenic attractions, and restaurants, the part of Orlando surrounding lake Eola is one of the most pedestrian heavy areas around. Since any design within the chosen site would be not only interacting with pedestrians walking by but would also need to encourage other people to walk outside of their cars, it was apparent that the façade of the design would have to be broken into individual components that addressed a human scale. However, the façade also held a unique opportunity to both conceal and reveal the building’s interior where applicable – which would further interact with passing-by pedestrians.

Above: Street Render

Since the intervention would be a dance institute, it seemed fitting to produce the building gesture from abstracted forms of dancers.

Through studying the maneuvers and movements of different dances, the concept of “Pas de deux” or French for step for two, was discovered. Observing the layering of two dancers’ bodies and the movement communicated by the intersections between them allowed for more dynamic forms and introduced an element of duality. This concept of concealing and revealing seemed comparable to the fracturing and carving away of a rock, like the cave and spring systems scattered through Florida’s karst geography. This stereotomic emphasis inspired by karst terrain would not only manifest within the façade, but even within the building gesture as a spatial chasm.

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Left: Mapping of Downtown Orlando

Above: North Elevation

Above: East Elevation

Above: Gestural Studies, Composed of Bristol Paper

These four gesture models were based off the abstracted sketches of the dancers and, in the nature of Pax de Deux, each one represents different interpretations of duality – whether it’s a space that slopes upwards and folds over another, or two towers that barely touch one another. In these gestural studies, not only were the intersections between the two opposing elements intriguing, but the voids between proved just as fascinating. These voids, juxtaposed with carved away stereotomic masses, seemed to allude back to the concept of karst-inspired spaces. Therefore, the basic gesture of the model – which laid the foundations for the deep void of open air space that would inspire the poetics of the project – was first derived from abstractions of dance gesture.

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Above: Conceptual Entrance Render Right: Render Facing Sculptural Stair Below: Interior Render of Community Gathering Space

But even in the way that seemingly unbreakable, stereotomic rocks actually have layers and enclosed spaces within, so too did the façade of this building require a tectonic assembly. In addition, the tectonic layering helps to further address the pedestrian experience, as he or she may take approximately two paces per façade component or they may try to peer between the layers to the spaces within. Ultimately, the facade sought to mediate between the pedestrian’s experience from outside, and the user’s experience within.

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NOMAS Competition 2020: The Biome Advisor: Professor Michael Montoya | Site: Oakland, California

Team: Danielle Dottin, Eduardo Villamor, Sophia Simmons, Moises Villanueva, Joseph Dray, Erica Morrissey, Deandra Smith, Emily Bishop Principal Contribution: Renders, Conceptual Sketches, and Collaborating on the 3D Model

Above: Ground Floor Plan

by Emily Bishop Below: Urban Render

by Author

Oakland’s Cultural Biome fosters community ties and celebrates East Oakland heritage. Through integration of necessary food resources, honoring an extensive and diverse local culture, and sustainable measures, The Biome is a device for social discourse and growth and is understood as a natural ecosystem. Where an ecosystem can be divided into biotic and abiotic factors, so too does this architecture equally consider the people and culture as it does the structure and space. The primary spatial driver in this project is the Pearl, as it simultaneously attracts visitors and creates space for gathering and dialogue.

The building form was guided by the local art of Turf Dancing, as we were inspired by the dynamic forms and vibrant history of this improvisational and expressive dance form. The form, detailing, and translucent quality of the building evoke a sense of transparency from the exterior and safety & inclusion within.

The Pearl and occupiable roofs combat exclusivity by their functions as privately owned public spaces. Their adjacencies to all major massing components specifically gears them for intersection between different groups: residents, patrons, and other visitors.

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Below: Cultural Study Collage

by Erica Morrissey

Above: Conceptual Sketches of Facade and Gesture

by Eduardo Villamor and Author

Above Left: Interior Dome Render, by Howard Lan Above Right: Northwest Elevation, by Danielle Dottin

The apparent food desert drove the Biome to provide a necessary resource in the form of a food kitchen. Subsequently, visitors would interact with the architecture and the cultural celebration in the rear portion of the Pearl. The Pearl is powerful in its potential flexibility: it may be a place of rest, of discourse, of performance, or of assembly. Its form is in contrast with the rest of the project, though a language of carving softens the disparity between the Pearl and residential tower. The remaining masses serve more pragmatic purposes of residence, commerce, and retail.

The perforated, panelized screen functions as a complement to the gesture of the Pearl, shading for residents, and a solar collection apparatus.

The Biome is a mixed-use cultural center that addresses food security, celebrates a rich history, and provides spaces of intersection and discourse. It is simultaneously respectful of the past and forward looking.

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Above: Detail Section of Facade Assembly

by Moises Villanueva Below: Section Drawing, by Sophia Simmons

Above: Courtyard Render

by Author

Left: Exploded Axonometric Diagram

by Eduardo Villamor, showing: Commercial Spaces Floors (horizontal: facade assembly) Entire (horizontal: support and glass panels for dome assembly Residential Floors Ground Floor Columns Structure and Mullions Surrounding Context

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Float: Atsena Otie Hostel Design 5 | Fall 2019 Professor John Maze Critics: Professor Mark McGlothlin, Professor Peter Sprowls Atsena Otie Key, off the shore of Cedar Key, Florida Solitary Project

Above Left: View of Communal Hammock and Gathering Space, with Seahorse Key in the background Above Right: Conceptual Collages Below: Longitudinal Section

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Above: Transverse Sections, Showing Communal Hammock and Mixed Dorms

The start of this project consisted of heavy site analysis, with the subsequent understanding that we were building in cohesion with the natural landscape. We began with a site visit to Cedar Key, Florida, where a boat ride led us to the island of Atsena Otie - a wildlife preserve just off of Cedar Key’s shore line. The island, rich with its own human history from Native Americans inhabiting the area thousands of years ago, to the ruins of an old pencil factory and a 19th century cemetary both on the western half of the island. To better understand these dual studies, I extracted information relating both to the natural features of the island with its historical and cultural context. This information would ultimately reveal the form of the intervention.

Tone and texture represented the natural identity of the island: hammock forests, mangroves, and salt marshes. grids and reference lines represented the cultural and historical component of site analysis, as seen in the two axes of the design. The north-south axis points to and aligns with Cedar Key and its urban grid; meanwhile, the axis pointing southwest draws attention to the lighthouse on Seahorse Key, which lies in the same direction. The axial design manifests as a series of docks, welcoming arriving guests. At the north end of the building, a swimming dock with a neighboring space for drying off (using a mesh ground for drainage) allows guests to swim in the shallower and safer estuary that runs throughout the island.

Above, 1: Physical Model Photo, constructed with basswood, poplar, mylar, and plexiglass Above, 2: Conceptual Section Perspective Right: Site Plan and Program Guide

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Located in an expansive and open salt marsh, the structure opens with views and tables facing the southwest towards Seahorse Key, encouraging occupants to enjoy the daily sunset. A communal hammock, accessible to all the mixed dorms, hangs above the central gathering space - creating a soft and flowing overhead condition while making that boundary an occupiable space.

The structure does not include exclusively mixed dorm rooms - private dorm rooms and two family suites with an expanded bathroom between them are also available, allowing for a range of guests to visit. While the identification of the building as a hostel may seemingly indicate a lack of privacy and a communal nature, these rooms accommodate any guests that may prefer a more private setting. The shallow water and absense of a rip current within the estuary provides the availability of a swimming dock by the estuary and makes the activity of swimming safe for all ages. Throughout the design, the different spaces aim to welcome and be inclusive towards anyone seeking to explore the islands of Cedar Key.

Left, Above: View from the South Left, Middle: View from the Southwest, from aboard the boat Left, Below: Mapping, showing the axes pointing towards Cedar Key and Seahorse Key

Making through Dérive: the Ruins Project Design 3 | Fall 2018 Professor Kristel Bataku Critics: Professor Nina Hofer, Professor Donna Cohen Based off of a series of ruins from Petra, Jordan Solitary Project

Above: Site Mapping, abstracted from mapping of Petra ruins Below: Two watercolor edge condition studies

This project began with two seemingly unrelated parts that later joined together: creating a catalog of edge conditions defined by watercolor and ink washes, and analyzing a site plan of several ruins in Petra, Jordan. Eventually, we remapped the edges and boundaries of the Petra ruins using the catalog and derived spatial generation from the new mapping.

After producing the mapping, I extracted key moments and nodes of density and created relief models, experimenting with different conditions and opportunities. These models would ultimately inform the character of each key space in the final iteration of the project.

We began to look at the project as a large landscape system with interventions of built experience; while each space necessitated attention to development, the relationships between them within the system remained a priority.

Thus, I conceived the idea of a divided landscape, based on the shifted grid system between the east and west sides of the original Petra landscape and my subsequent mapping. This shift in the grid developed into a harder barrier, producing a vertical upheavel between the two landscapes and elevating the east.

Below: Catalog of Watercolor Edge Conditions

Above, Left: Physical Model Photo, constructed with bristol and mylar Above, Right: Physical Model Photo, constructed with brisocl and mylar Below: Unfolding Section Studies

For the final iteration, program requirements dictated the need of a place of commerce, a place of observation, and a place of gathering. Due to the divided landscape, I decided on a second observatory space as well. The spaces at the far left and top of the model photo constitute the places of observation, because of their vertical advantage overlooking the surrounding landscape. The other two spaces, being a place of gathering at the bottom and the place of commerce at the right, are situated with close proximity to avenues of accessibility and circulation. The spaces themselves are connected with these avenues, which carve out of the ground -- similar to the rocky canyon’s found within Jordan’s landscape.

Above: Conceptual bristol models, from selected moments in mapping

Above: Plan drawing overlaid with plan photo of final physical model

University of Florida School of Architecture Class of 2021