Tara 2024 Portfolio

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PROJECT INDEX This portfolio is a culmination of experiences compiled during my undergraduate and graduate course work in architecture and urban planning. Each project is organized under into themes that describe the focus of my education and illustrate particular interest paths I have followed.

They explore a wide range of topics such as creating spaces for communities to gather and building coalition between groups that have disparate goals.

PUBLIC-INTEREST DESIGN

STUDIO HODGEPODGE Hermit Crab

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URBANISMS OF DISSENT Lip Service

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COUNTRYSIDE COLLECTIVES Productive Coexistence

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CIVIC ATMOSPHERES DemoCreative

20-21

FABRICATION & INSTALLATIONS

REPRESENT STUDIO Park(ing) Day

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STATELESSNESS STUDIO The World is Your Home

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FABRICATION Second Spine

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PLANNING & SYSTEMS THINKING

DOW FELLOWSHIP Coalition Development

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DETROIT RIVER STORY LAB Story-Telling Workshop

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Ellen Donnelly’s

STUDIO HODGEPODGE Hermit Crab: Sew Warren University of Nebraska - Spring 2020 Sew Warren is a mixed-use community building constructed within the shell of an existing structure located along East Warren Avenue in Detroit. The building includes a sewing trade school, a community workshop space, an affordable boutique, and artist-in-residence style living. Designed to bring back the trade of sewing, the school and community classes will help give the public the skills they need to jump start a new industry in the once thriving Morningside district. The goal after completing classes is for community members to eventually start

their own business in tailoring, fashion design, upholstery, etc. The form was inspired by the intricate curves/folds of fabric used for sewing. In order to draw light into the dense shell, curved sawtooth windows are oriented North that mimic the curves of the exterior. Each floor features strong, frosted plexiglass strips that allow light to seep all the way to the basement floor. The building works in conjunction with the program to promote the idea of making good, quality products by hand and repairing what you already have versus throwing items away.

Left: Light Diagram, Right: South Elevation, Next Page: Perspective inspired by vintage travel posters

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SEW WARREN MARKET ANALYSIS For Frank Ordia’s Valuing Real Estate Class DEMOGRAPHICS Mixed 1.7% Black 88.8%

Other 3%

White 8.1%

RACE OF RESIDENTS

High School/GED 60.7%

Latinx 1.4%

Higher Degree 22.2%

< High School 17.1%

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

Employed 46.5%

Not in Labor Force* 43.4%

Unemployed 10.1%

EMPLOYMENT *Individuals not recognized by Bureau of Labor Statistics as part of the labor force (this could include both employed and unemployed) census.gov

HOUSEHOLD TYPE Single Female (Family) 38.2% Married (Family) 23.9% One-Person Household 22.8% Single Male (Family) 10.7% Other Non-Family 4.4% *stats from statisticalatlas.com which pulls data from the US Census Bureau *Further Research from Day, Miranda, Shelby Howard, Kyle Marcelis, Steve Nelson, and Joe Rashid.

“Restorin’ East Warren.” University of Detroit Mercy Master of Community Development Program, December 2017.

CURRENT BUSINESSES

COMMUNITY NEEDS

FINANCING (ABBRV.) Acquisition Cost $42,500 + Intervention Cost $2M = Total Cost $2,042,500 Possible Funding Opportunities Community Revitalization Grant (Michigan Strategic Fund) Grants from Private Donors Commercial Mortgage $542,500 @ 5.8% Fixed for 30 years Principle/Interest $3183.14 Wayne County Tax Rate 2.553% Property Tax $51,775/ yr Facilities Tax Exemption: Up to -50% for 1-12 Years -$25,887.50/yr

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$1M $500,000

Above: Process Models Below: Process Section Perspective

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THIRD FLOOR

SECOND FLOOR

BASEMENT

GROUND FLOOR

Left: Floor Plans Right: Exploded Axon

SEW WARREN INSTRUCTION MANUAL

05 ROOF

04 THIRD FLOOR

03 SECOND FLOOR

02 GROUND FLOOR

01 OUTER SHELL

00 BASEMENT

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Anya Sirota’s

Urbanisms of Dissent Lip Service University of Michigan- Fall 2023 The Urbanism’s of Dissent course was part of the final Propositions studio before students embark on their thesis semester. This studio traveled to Paris, France and the surrounding region for a week of field-work where we met with climate activists, artist communes and others looking to explore new ways of living and working in our current changing climate.

Post visit, I chose to dive into one of the few remaining industries that produces in and near Paris—the cosmetics industry—and its impact on the planet. I spent several weeks diving into the ways the local businesses and corporations source and produce their makeup. While they have made some strides towards sustainability, in the end a lot of their efforts come across as mere lip service. The onus to reduce consumption is often thrust on

the consumer and doesn’t offer much room for growth in the corporate realm. I wanted to explore how activist urban strategies on an underutilized site such as the Petite Ceinture could inspire larger systemic changes to how we deal with waste and production in an urban environment. Building on the existing boutique makeup laboratory concept that is sprinkled across Paris from the 12th to the 17th arrondissements, the Lip Service Laboratory stands as a new catalyst for sustainable production in the city. The Laboratory serves as an public hub for the upcycling of cosmetics packaging, functioning as a small scale sorting and processing facility.

The site doubles as a manufacturing facility, using modern crafting methods and mass customization to repurpose this refuse, while also serving as an arena for public discourse around upcycling and the environment

Below: Field Notes From France Trip, Next Page: Makeup Production and Where Ingredients are Sourced

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BOUTIQUE LABORATORY

L’OREAL CORPORATE

URBANISMS OF DISSENT

CEINTURE X PETITE ACCESS

PARIS X

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URBANISMS OF DISSENT

PARIS, FRANCE

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BOUTIQUE LABORATORY

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L’OREAL HEADQUARTERS

17ème ARRONDISSEMENT

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Above: Ideation Collage of Site Adjacencies and Products; Below: Experiential Perspective of Laboratory

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WASTE FROM 1 TUBE OF LIPSTICK

3 Grams of Lipstick

33 Grams of Plastic

LIPSTICK WASTE STATISTICS PER YEAR | PARIS, FRANCE

Above: Calculations of Makeup Waste Per Year in Paris; Below: Interior Perspective of Production Space

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Kathy Velikov and Jon Rule’s

COUNTRYSIDE COLLECTIVES Productive Coexistence University of Michigan - Winter 2023 The focus of the Countryside Collective studio is to develop alternative visions of rural living and address the context of living in a time of climate uncertainty. The first project of the course was an exercise to begin imagining how different agricultural activities, living spaces, and circular environmental systems can interact with each other. This project acts as a starting point for a team project later in the semester that will develop an integrated rural housing complex in Port Austin, Michigan.

This design combines five different items: vertical farming, a bathroom space, earth conditioning systems, concrete and roof.

My goal was to reimagine what vertical farming might look like in a domestic place of healing; in this iteration the bathroom becomes a spa like environment with space to create skincare and a heated pool for relaxation at the end of the day. The exterior shell consists of a green roof and heated green wall (based on historic fruit walls) that provide an optimal growing environment.

Below: Process Diagrams, Next Page: Render of Bathroom Space

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Kathy Velikov and Jon Rule’s

COUNTRYSIDE COLLECTIVES TOS Collectives University of Michigan- Fall 2022 STUDENTS: TARA GREBE, SYDNEY SINCLAIR, AND OLAF SUNLEAF

TOS Collectives seeks to bring a new industry to Port Austin, MI, and provide a new model for productive landscapes coexisting with multi-family housing. Our project aims to do this by introducing an equitable housing ownership model that exists collectively on our site with artisanal cheese production. Our goal was to provide a comprehensive line in Port Austin, from local raw agricultural products to production through artisanal cheese production. Additional programs include a restaurant and mercantile space to sell onsite products, community support spaces such as a gym and sauna, and public-facing

production spaces where visitors can learn about the cheese-making process. In order to emulate the traditional cheese cave vernacular, we have built berms around our cheese production spaces to provide the optimal thermal environment for cheese making and create create occupiable outdoor collective spaces.. From the berms extends our row-house-style condo units provide ample space for residents while providing much-needed density in the area.

The critical demographic we have identified for on-site housing are multi-generational families and farm workers who have lost their farms to climate change.

Below: Funding Diagram/Ownership Model (Tara’s work), Right: Site/Floor Plan (Sydney’s work)

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Above: Diagram of cheese making process in relation to plan, Below: Building Perspective (Sydney’s Work)

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Above: Section of Housing (design by team), Below: Exterior Site Perspective (Sydney’s Work)

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David Newton’s

INTEGRATE STUDIO Civic Atmospheres: DemoCreative IN COLLABORATION WITH EMILY KLEINSCHMIT University of Nebraska - SPRING 2021 Integrate is the final undergraduate studio at UNL and it serves as a way for students to venture into the realm of technical design.

The Civic Atmospheres studio explored the role of civic architecture in American society through a partnership with Lincoln’s public libraries. Public Libraries in the US have a long history of being places of community discourse and education. Our design aims to create a space that re-frames civic engagement and fosters creativity in a way that inspires local residents to become active in their community.

Left: (Emily) Exterior Render, Right: (Tara) Site Plan

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This goal comes through internally in a programmatic stripe organization; externally the undulating peaked roof follows the same pattern while emphasizing important internal spaces with clerestory daylighting techniques. Additionally, the white Corian panels on the East/West façades are a nod to traditional civic architecture, and in contrast the colorful Dri-design panels on the North/South façades are a play on creative spirit. The site is designed to shelter the building from street traffic and integrate community exhibitions/events outside.

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Dr. Zachary Tate Porter’s

REPRESENT STUDIO Park.ing Day: Urban Mirage University of Nebraska - FALL 2018 STUDENTS: LOGAN DOLEZAL, TARA GREBE, PATRICK PINEDA, & AUSTIN RIGGINS Lincoln PARK(ing) Day is traditionally the first venture into real-world design for 2nd year architecture students at UNL. Each year, the city of Lincoln allows architecture students to feature installations in parallel parking stalls. Our team of four worked together every step of the way, through the design process all the way to the installation construction. The city of Lincoln served as not only a backdrop, but we chose to mirror iconic moments of the city in our design.

Below and Right: Installation Images

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For the installation, our team stacked old shipping crates in a way that mimicked the city. Each crate was strategically placed at certain angles to showcase iconic landmarks through the mirrors placed inside. The usage of mirrors to reflect various lines of site allows the user to see the everyday in unusual ways. By using the crates as modules a sense of depth is created that engages the user and draws them into the space.

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Kevin Moultrie Daye’s

STATELESSNESS STUDIO Imagine the Pocketabilities University of Michigan - Fall 2022 At the beginning of this studio we spoke with Theodore Henderson (creator of the We the Unhoused podcast) about his own lived experience as someone formerly unhoused.

Through him I learned that many people provide food to the unhoused but there is little choice in what you can eat. The ability to cook your own food should be considered a basic human right. Design alone can’t solve the problem of food insecurity but it can provide dignity. This project seeks to give the agency that comes with owning a kitchen back to the unhoused who live within an urban environment. It provides a portable way to cook in an environment that

is not always conducive to cooking due to environmental and legal challenges. The design consists of a standardized PET felt pocket that when used in combonation with a public installation can provide amenities that supplement an outdoor cooking experience such as fresh produce, water, electricity, and social spaces. The pockets were made by hand needle-felting Polyfill, a relatively affordable material typically used for pillow filling that is made from the same recycled polyester as PET. By producing a design that can be handmade by a user or non-profit it allows more room for individual customization.

Below: Installation Image, Right: Green Wall Elevation, Next Page: Pocket Detail Drawings

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1/8" Hollow Recycled Plastic Wall 3/8" Irrigation Tubing Aluminum French Cleat Heavy Duty Velcro Nominal Wood Nailer 1/2" Needle Felted Polyfill (PET) Inner Pocket Growing Medium Drip Emitter Growing Medium

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PLANTER POCKET CONNECTION DETAIL N.T.S.

1/8" Hollow Recycled Plastic Wall 1/2" Needle Felted Polyfill (PET) 1/8" Fusing and Fabric Lining Aluminum French Cleat Heavy Duty Velcro Nominal Wood Nailer Electrical Box

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SCONCE CONNECTION DETAIL N.T.S

Top: Planter Pocket Below: Sconce Pocket

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Glen Wilcox’s

FABRICATION Second Spine Graduate School - Winter 2023 DESIGN: MACEY BOLLENBACHER, FABRICATION: TARA GREBE Second Spine is an adjustible floor lamp modeled after human proportions. Its kit-ofparts design allows each user to customize to their ideal height and the standardized 3D printed collars allow different attachments to be included to fit a user’s needs. Current attachments allow the user to hang a coat and place their keys as they walk in the door.

Welded steel provides stability at the base as two glowing lumineres guide a user’s movements upwards as they interact with the spine-like system.

This project was created for Taubman architecture’s master’s level fabrication class where students learn how to use many of the digital fabrication tools available to them.

In addition to the required tools, I had a desire to learn how to work with metals and weld. In our original design, the base was too flimsy and the final design consists of a steel plate and bent rod cage system that can change the height of the overall lamp to make it adjustable to the user. After trial and error it was constructed with spot welds.

Below: (Left) Process of welding the base, (Right) Finished product

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UM Graham Sustainability Institute

DOW SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIP Energy Equity Researcher’s Collaborative University of Michigan - 2022 WITH CLAIRE DOYLE, CAT DIGGS, CAROLINE LELAND, MOKSHA MENGHANEY, & PHONG HONG The Dow Sustainability Fellowship is a funded opportunity for graduate students work with a client to tackle sustainability through a multi-disciplinary lens. Our specific client was the Energy Equity Researcher’s Collaborative, a group of researchers from across many sectors of government, academia and the private sector. Our project supported the development of internal processes and infrastructure, helping the EERC form a cohesive coalition for facilitating standardized energy equity metrics.

To support the Collaborative’s organizational process development, we conducted one-on-one membership interviews with 20 EERC members to identify their shared needs and aspirations for the Collaborative. From there we produced two deliverables: a governance proposal and a network database prototype.

Our final findings were presented at the 2022 Dow Fellows Symposium. Below is a breakdown of our multi-disciplinary team and to the right is a diagram of our systems thinking approach.

Project Team Dynamics

Architecture

Our team came from 4 different colleges at the university and many of us were pursuing dual degrees

Comp. Epidemiology

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Urban Planning

Public Policy

Environmental Justice

2022

Fellowship Begins

In 1 year?

In 5?

Met Clients & Defined Scope

Do you see any barriers that are hindering successful collaboration?

What will make the Collab successful?

How have you been involved in the EERC?

Conducted 30 Interviews of EERC Members What resources can the Collab provide?

How do you think the Collab can best partner with BIPOC/Frontline communities?

Compiled Results into an Executive Summary

Created Recommendations

The EERC should refine its mission and values.

Identify and implement internal/ external trust building processes

The EERC should establish a governance structure.

From these findings we determined a need to redefine our scope

Governance Proposal

Network Database Prototype

Redefine EERC operations based on values, clarify member roles, & develop research ethics.

Recommend process to enable knowledge exchange and facilitate coordination with other organizations.

Dow Fellowship Ends

December ‘22: Dow Symposium January ’23: Final Report Complete

2023

EERC Starts Implementation

Must diversify membership, begin establishing governance, execute process for product development.

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Maria Arquero de Alarcon’s

Detroit River Story Lab Storytelling Workshop University of Michigan- Fall 2021 IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DOSSIN MUSEUM AND DETROIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY This multi-disciplinary elective focused on using new methods of representation and storytelling to engage community members about complex histories. The course focused on the historic Belle Island and its role in the past, present, and future of Detroit.

The semester long workshop culminated in community engagement event at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, through a partnership with the Detroit Historical Society. Teams of two worked together to dissect themes on the island ranging from infrastructure to governance. Our team focused on the regimes of occupation, ownership, and management on the island throughout history.

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The goal was to untangle the complicated power structure and turn it into a more digestible exhibit. Five categories emerged—Public Agencies, Non-Profits, Foundations and Funds, Community Groups, and Activist Groups—with public agencies having the largest stake in the island and activists the least. At the event we invited visitors to write where they saw themselves in this structure; we learned the current governing body does not always allow room for local opposition to be heard on such a public site. This experience left me wondering... In what ways can planners collaborate to offset this power imbalance and lift up community voices?

Left: Power Structure Diagram Right: Dynamics Collage Below: Event Installation

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