Steven Moussa Portfolio by Steven Moussa

STEVEN MOUSSA

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

ARC 575 ARC 651

Covenant House Drop in Center

ARC 452

Lahaina Cultural Center

Hope Culture Church

Embodied Elgin High-rise

01 COVENANT HOUSE DROP-IN CENTER

Covenant House Illinois provides youth (ages 18-24) experiencing homelessness with “shelter and safety, trust and community, and a better tomorrow”. The concept for a new drop-in center facility for the organization is resiliency inspired by nature. Even in difficult conditions, beauty still emerges. The motif of pushing through is implemented throughout the design from a dramatic entrance between two brick walls to a dual use communication stair and light well pushing through the the building to allow light to flood in.

Site Axonometric

Site Plan

West Elevation

Material usage for the drop-in center includes brick that conveys a stability and safety to the building while also respecting the neighborhoods immediate context. Additionally, a white metal screening is employed to contrast the brick and allowing filtered light into the space while maintaining privacy for the youth. The light pushing through the holes of the screen also reinforce the concept of resiliency.

Longitudinal Section

02 LAHAINA CULTURAL CENTER

In 2023, Lahaina, Hawaii suffered a tragic fire that flattened a large portion of their city which intensified previous challenges of the gradual loss of their culture. Establishing a center to house their rich culture and provide revitilization for the city and its people became critical.

Three Steps of Organization:

1) Connect Lahaina’s most prominent cultural elements, the Banyan Tree and King’s Pond

2) Respect the street walls of Canal Street and Front Street.

3) Organize the plan radially with the building’s cultural elements located in its branches.

The connection of the Banyan Tree and King’s Pond encourages users to experience best natural elements.

Open Public Space

Enclosed Public Space

Teaching Space

Office Space

Support Spaces

First Floor Plan

Longitudinal Perspective Section

Transverse Perspective Section

Sustainability Diagram

North Elevation

03 HOPE CULTURE CHURCH

Problem Statement: Societal norms give and expectation that Churches and Christians are to be perfect and when that standard is not met, people distance themselves from Christianity.

Concept: The goal of Hope Culture Church is to convey a sense of honesty and admit a brokenness of the people while pointing to Jesus as the Healer and Comforter.

Longitudinal Section

North East Elevation

Material Choices:

Travertine intended to evoke contemplation and quietness as it is seen in the sanctuary and the prayer garden.

Corten steel was used to clad the building exterior for its durable characteristics, but also because of the story the material has gone through in that it has rusted and aged but now carries a

Wood is employed as its beautiful wood grain ornaments the interior but also because of its ability to perform in tension as it acts as the stitches that hold the building together from the small scale and to the large scale.

Glulam Quad Column

Double Glazing

Concrete Foundation

Corten Steel Cladding

Concrete Lintel Vapor Barrier

Glulam Beams

Concrete Footing

Wall Section

04 EMBODIED ELGIN HIGH-RISE

Problem Statement: Elgin Lacks a livliness and activity compared to other cities of a similar scale. This is due to a discrepancy of aesthetic values between the city and the people and a lack of activated public gathering spaces.

Concept: Embodied Elgin aims to create a monument to the city that brings harmony to the industrial roots of the city and the artistic interest of the city.

FoxRiver

Festival Park

Site Plan

The exterior plaza for the buiding is the natural ending place for Spring Street as it is an activated public space for the city that frames views to both Festival Park and the Fox River while providing critical commericial space.

The terra cotta louvers perform as a sustainable feature for the building, protecting it from direct southern and western sun, while also acting as the ornamentation for the building.