Willie Leidolf Student Portfolio
“The word, the right word, the apt word, it’s the opposable thumb of the mind. It is not important that I be noticed, but that my work be noticed. The engine of genius is endurance. Happiness; it’s a sales pitch. Doing right, the rock.”
During a ‘locally fabricated’ studio conducted by MASS Principal Architect and Montana native Sarah Mohland, vernacular construction, and sourcing were researched to combat what we dubbed ‘fast architecture.’ After this stage, we attempted our scaled-down physical manifestation of lo-fab and its potential. To do this, I focused on the historic vernacular architecture of grain elevators in rural Montana, constructed using a method called ‘cribbing,’ which is the stacking of 2x4s. To attempt to re-invent this inherently beautiful method more sustainability, I sourced waste wood 2x4 scrap from a local truss factory, stacked them in a gradient pattern, and dowel laminated the resulting wall to connect them without carbon-intensive metal fasteners, making it easy to reconstruct. Finally, to add interest and bring it into the 21st century, CNC technology to intensified the gradient and bring depth. The result was an easyto-understand, carbon-negative lo-fab partition wall/rain screen.
A consistant source of waste 2x4 material was identified at local truss manufacturing plant Kenyon Noble.
Palletes are collected and disassembled to use as a material source. Due the time needed to remove the nails, the locally sourced waste material is deemed unusable.
Once dimensions of our material was decided, parametric design was used to play with possibilities at a faster page. Eventually, this led to exploration of CNC milling technology.
A template was created that allowed for a factory-like production of standardized pieces of 2x4. In addition, precise holes were drilled to allow for dowel lamination.
Combined with wooden dowels, the stud cutoffs formed a ‘kit of parts’ that could be easily assembled without glue or fasteners to a degree of customability.
Once put together, the wall assembly was then drilled into plywood and placed back into the CNC to add aesthetic interest by playing with light and curves.
Rhino
Inspired by the life work of the late Yona Friedman and his vision of ‘mobile architecture’ this project sought to re-examine the way we look at our cities during a 4th year studio at which took place at the beginning of the pandemic. Taking inspiration from works such as Le Corbusier’s ‘Dom-Ino’ House and Kisho Kurokawa’s Nakagin Capsule Tower, the overwhelming scale of the program drove me to experiment with the concepts of modularity, ‘space frames,’ and pre-fabrication during uncertain times which called for flexibility.
My preferred method of communicating ideas throughout my education has always been the physical model. Apart from helping to formulating better sense of scale and spatial quality, the progression of study models towards a final product documents a tactile and clear design progression. The following images showcase design’s completed in various studios as well as an evolution in craft, playfulness, and construction.
Design + Build Revit, Plasma Cutter
The Bike Shelters were a design/build project conducted by Montana State University M.Arch candidates taking place over two semesters by team of students in the M.Arch program at Montana State University. The process entailed everything from physical hand welded details to permit submittal with the City of Bozeman. Every drawing shown has was to be reviewed by engineers, faculty, and the city and is currently under construction by the students outside of Cobleigh Hall on MSU’s Campus.
The project provides much needed bicycle storage on campus, as well as protection from snow without jeopardizing the safety and security of the student population. Throughout the project we managed to remain below the budget of 25,000 USD for materials, with each shelter costing an estimated 4,000 USD. If the shelters prove successful, the CD set will have continued use as a template for future structures across campus.
Master’s Thesis Rhino + Grasshopper, Adobe Illustrator
‘Orphaned oil wells’ are wells owned by oil and gas companies that have since gone bankrupt. These wells have been left largely uncapped, meaning methane is constantly released from the ground into the atmosphere via well pipe. This project works locally with the Well Done Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to capping these wells, to explore ways to move beyond the status quo to turn a negative into a positive. After several months researching, mapping and photographing the wells, an architectural solution was born.
Emphasizing place making and program, it was decided based on historical heating practices that a small portion of the well emission in Toole County, Montana could be transported and utilized as a power source. These emissions would then be stored in now abandoned grain elevators before powering carbon capture fans through co-generation. After being removed from the atmosphere, the C02 would be used to facilitate hemp growth before allowing the plants to redistribute the gas into the ground. The hurd of the hemp would then be used in hempcrete to sustainability cap the remaining orphaned oil wells. Finally, the byproducts of the hemp would be sold to provide economic incentive and transported via rail throughout Montana.
There are 2.15 million unplugged abandoned wells in the U.S. in 31
Combined, they emit 7.11 MMT co2e each year
That’s the equivelant of:
1.29 million home’s electricity use for one year
798 million gallons of gasoline consumed
1.54 million passenger vehicles drive for one year
7.85 billion lbs of coal burned
Highest Density of Orphaned Wells in Montana: Toole County
Hempcrete, a sustainable biocomposite, is used in favor of concrete to cap the wells. Utilizing hemp hurd as the binding agent, the mixture is more absorbant and crack resistant than concrete.
Waste methane is piped from Oilmont, Mt and stored within re-purposed grain elevators in Toole County
Stored methane is converted to electricity through cogeneration in order to power carbon capture fans
Captured carbon is distributed to greenhouses to facilitate the growth of hemp and the creation of hempcrete to cap remaining wells
Digital Workflow Rhino + Grasshopper, Adobe Illustrator + Photoshop, V-Ray
Within the Montessori education system exists an instilled importance of respect for the environment, self-reliance, and observation. These values are paralleled by the ecology of the Western homestead. By studying and manifesting traditional typologies, we can better learn to synchronize an educational facility with its surroundings in a way that is conducive to the installment of these values. When done successfully, a more sustainable built environment will be created.
Inspiration
Throughout my travels I’m constantly seeking inspirational images for future creative endeavors. The medium of photography is integral as it allows me to document vernacular methods of construction in my immediate built environment while practicing the art of composition. The following sample images of my photography portfolio manifest themselves in my design work whether it be through color palettes, lighting, or proportion.
