TTU COA Second Year Architecture Portfolio - Solar Observatory

Bryce Boggs Portfolio Selected Work 2021-22

Education Texas Tech University COA & WCOE

08. 2019 -

BS Architecture & BS Civil Engineering

Work Experience Denver International Airport

06. 2022 - 08. 2022

Building Architectural Modeling Intern

Awards/Honors Czapski Family Scholarship

06. 2022 - 05. 2023

TTU College of Architecture

First Year Design Excellence Award TTU College of Architecture

Skills Rhinocerous, V-Ray, Adobe CC, Sketchup, Solid works

05. 2021

CONTENTS

01

Solar Observatory Visitors Center

Carving of Land and Light ARCH 2504 | Academic Work | Spring 2022

01

01 Solar Observatory Visitors Center Carving of Land and Light Site / Svalbard, Norway Instructor / Victoria McReynolds Second Year Design Studio / ARCH 2504 The design began as an extraction of elements from Villa Valmarana. They were simple extractions of the forms created by wall and façade boundaries. I found it to be quite powerful to remove the large central space and rather create two spaces that are acting in constant.

The goal of the building was to create an orchestration of forms that connect the user to the ground and the sky. Using large, cantilevered forms, the user is provided with unobstructed exterior views to the outside landscape. The merging of the two forms from the villa creates two distinct, yet conjoined spaces. The most prominent are the two spaces on the topmost level. Bound by interior walls, the spaces themselves serve as the solar hall. One framing the oceanic view, and one framing the mountainous landscape.

The placement of the building itself was a critical process. This process being, wanting to allow for 360-degree views of the site itself, while not obstructing views. Placing the building near the midpoint on the left side of the site allows for easy access to the space and also provides geographic advantages. The north side of the building sits on a much shallower slope while the south end lies on a much steeper slope.

Angular slices were cut through the building to allow light to articulate into the solar halls. This angle was decided by the maximum sun angle during the summer in Svalbard which is approximately 35 degrees. This light creates interesting shadow patterns within the interior space as well. As for lighting coming in through the façade, there was a different language of strategy used. The windows were framed by defining landscape interaction and relation to program. For example, the nestled café has large horizontal spanning glazing that is around the average height of a bar top (42”) that allows users to have a very intimate interaction with both the interior and exterior space. Each view that was framed has a similar approach to create a tension between interior and exterior. Electric lighting was observed through a series of photo studies. The studies demonstrated how light interacts with the space when coming from an interior source. This provided some unique views from the exterior while still providing a intimate interior space.

01

1. Precedent Begin with Villa Valmarana simplified floor plan that is a series of mirrored polygons.

2. Stack The geometry is arranged into a symmetrical 3 story building that is identical in plan to the previous diagram.

3. Mirror The second instance of the building is mirrored to create asymmetrical elements within the design.

4. Rotate The buildings are merged and rotated. The first building frames a mountainous landscape while the second frames the sea.

5. Open Views Trim various intersecting planes and frame the views with glazing. Angle roof slightly to accommodate snow.

6. Frame Use angled roof pannels to frame sunlight at its maximum angle and provide a unique interaction between earth and sun.

02

03

Programatic Function Y TR EN

The entire Solar Observatory Center is meant to encourage interaction with the space and the natural landscape. Having the lines blur between public and private space helps the drive this function.

While some spaces become much more intimate, such as the café area, public interaction and circulation is encouraged. Sprawling gathering spaces and spanning solar halls help draw the user to both the building and the landscape around them.

E AC SP

EXHIBITION SPACE

RESTROOM

AG OR ST E

R LA SO EA OR AR DO ING T OU IEW V

ES

FIC

OF EXHIBITION CAFE

E AG OR ST

Arctic Soil LAND SOLAR HALL

SEA SOLAR HALL

WORKSHOP

One challenge with designing in a location within the arctic circle is accounting for the soil conditions that are present. An approximately 3m thick active layer is present in Svalbard. That meaning, that it is constantly thawing and freezing depending on the time of the year. By building past this layer into the permafrost, as well as supporting the building far past the active layer, effects of settling can be minimized and the foundation can be much more solid to accommodate for this cycle of changes.

04

Framing Views

A prominent idea of this design was framing the views of the Norwegian landscape. With both the renders on the left and the diagrams on the right, it can be visualized how a person will interact with the spaces themselves. With the varying widths and lengths of apertures throughout the space, a different and unique view is created in every space that a person occupies. The bottom floor draws the user to the ground, encouraging them to view and interact with the ground. The top floor puts an emphasis on interaction with solar features. With this in mind, the middle floor draws a tension between ground and sky and mediates the forces the user experiences within the space.

05

06