TABLE OF CONTENTS
NORDSTROM TOWER
1-10
308 + MULBERRY ST.
11-16
NIAGARA FALLS CENTER
17-22
CINCINNATI HYPERLOOP
23-26
HELSINKI FINLAND LIBRARY
27-30
SHOE LAMPS
31-34
IV. ALLEGRO CON BRIO
35-36
URBAN CONDITION
37-38
COMPUTATIONAL MANIPULATION
39-40
1
NORDSTROM TOWER
Project Location:
Seattle, Washington
Project Brief:
Nordstrom is interested in expanding its brand beyond department store retail. The new concept will build on the Nordstrom core principals of excellence in customer service and apply it to a “branded lifestyle� living community. The first of this experience will occur in a mixed-use tower situated on a site between Stewart St. and Pine St. of downtown Seattle. Water views, proximity to the retail core , and downtown amenities make this site an ideal location. The program consist of 150,000sf of retail, a 160 key hotel, and 20 floors of condominium with a floor plate efficiency of 75-80%.
Project Abstract:
The approach to the Nordstrom Tower involved an intense study of the city of Seattle. By viewing the city as a series of points of constraints we begin to see the city as a swarm. A swarm that is constantly reacting to both the natural and urban landscape. In the design of the Nordstrom Tower I attempt to represent how the of point of the city react to the natural constraints of the city, the shoreline and mountain ranges. As a result Nordstrom would be getting a tower, similar to there brand, that is avant-garde but also respect the historical precedent of the city.
Parti Sketch:
2
static swarm
static swarm
suggestive landscape
3 suggestive landscape
swarming: a number of similar geological features or phenomena close together in space or time. by exposing the swarm that in this case is downtown seattle we can began see the collectic nature of the city
in a site plan of points we begin to see density in a new light. the site becomes a hybrid of both vertical and horizontal points of density
drape: to adjust into graceful folds or attractive lines. draping the city creates a solid fabric that hangs off the points of attraction. in this case the points of attraction are elevation and density
a new topography is generated separating its self from the natural landscape
4
COND 25% 1
ELEMENTS OF CONCEPT
maximum site constraints
HOT R E 9 CO C O VA L
taper top to allow more views for existing context
slice corners for entrances
apply protective solar screen on faces exposed to direct sun path
5
RETA FOOD EN 50,000
DOMINIUMS: 25 FLOORS, 1BR, 50% 2BR, 25% 3BR
TEL: 160 KEYS S T A U R A N T , ONFERENCE ROOMS O N C I E R G E ET PA R K I N G
AIL: 150,000SF D & BEVERAGE TERTAINMENT 0SF PUBLIC SPACE
19TH FLOOR CONDOMINIUM
13TH FLOOR HOTEL
3RD FLOOR HOTEL
1ST FLOOR RETAIL
6 GROUND FLOOR RETAIL
study model A
7
section-A1-
study model A
study model B
study model B
photovoltaic glazing
exposed steel structure
operable screening panel
operable photovoltaic panels
solar screen mesh panels
detailed section
8
mid level condominium
south retail entrance 9
10 1st floor retail
11
308 + MULBERRY ST.
Project Location:
Cincinnati, Ohio
Project Brief:
The Over the Rhine district of Cincinnati Ohio is an intact 19th- century urban neighborhood. The neighborhood is in the process of recovering from several decades of neglect which has lead to poor housing conditions, and the loss of a significant portion of its housing. The goal of this project is to in fill a voided bock between Seitz St. and Mulberry St. with a two unit town house. One unit should accommodate a single bedroom flat, while the other should accommodate living arrangements for a small family.
Project Abstract:
I viewed this as an opportunity to explore modern means of historical in fill, an issue that is prominent in many of America’s older cities. How can historical communities build while preserving the past as well as meeting the amenities of the modern community member. By observing several example of town houses in ruins I was drawn to the beauty of decay, corroded metal, weathered concrete, and crumbling brick. A result of the aging process that unfortunate eroded the Italianate architecture style that dominates the existing neighborhood. I attempt to create a town house that represents the past and future of the Over the Rhine neighborhood through the use of a selective material pallet that represent the present state of neighborhood.
Parti Sketch:
12
ELEMENTS OF CONCEPT
bedroom
building envelope
dining room
kitchen
lavatory
living room
create single unit on bottom & family unit on top
N
FLAT
1st FLOOR
material palette
separate private and public zoning
cast in place concrete
create building sight lines from the street front to private courtyard
13 town house sun screen system
kitchen
down
lavatory
dining room
bedroom
down
down lavatory
closet
courtyard
courtyard
up
reading area
bedroom
living room
overlook
N
N
TOWNHOUSE 1st FLOOR
TOWNHOUSE
corten steel
re-claimed lumber
2nd FLOOR
14
group site model
15 group site model
first floor town house
16 lower flat
17
NIAGARA FALLS CENTER
Project Location:
Niagara Falls, New York
Project Brief:
Goat Island is the largest of a series of small island that divide the American and Canadian falls. The goal of this studio is to create an international welcome center on Goat Island to accommodate the large tourist industry. The program includes a information room, museum, educational rooms, theater, and building operation offices.
Project Abstract:
Goat Island is one of only a few places in the world were an observer can witness the true phenomena of nature powers. The roar of the falls, the plume of mist rising from the gorge, and the spectacular display of fragmented light dancing in the mist. A visit to Goat Island is both a physical and metaphysical experience that captivates ones attention to the overwhelming beauty of nature. I began to focus in on the phenomena of the fragmentation light. The light and the mist from the falls collide together creating a spectacular explosion of color. Observing the reaction between light rays and water molecules I observed constant reaction with a consistently unpredictable end. From this a drew a parallel to connection from this reaction to the human nature reaction the site itself.
Parti Sketch:
18
PARTI EXPLORATION 3
1 open to below 6
12
light passing through unimpeded
1st FLOOR
2ndFLO
light being deflected
light being deflected and defused
concrete slab radiant cooling system radiant heating system acoustic suppressant metal decking
light being refracted
19
stained plywood ceiling
3
3
3
3
3
6
8
open to below 4
5
6
6
6
open to below
6
2
OOR
7
6
2
6
5
6
2 open to below
3rd FLOOR
6
7
4th FLOOR
5th FLOOR
20
Theatre Space
21 Gallery Space
22 View from Niagara River
COMPETITIONS
23
CINCINNATI HYPERLOOP
Project Location:
Cincinnati, Ohio
Project Brief:
This project intends to build on what has already been constructed. The original Fort Washington Way was constructed between 1958 and 1961 effectively cutting off the downtown to the riverfront. What was to become Fort Washington Way had its origins in the master planning of the 1930s. Along with the roadway the entire riverfront was to be transformed into parks, stadiums, municipal buildings and apartments. These projects were to replace the now defunct industrial land. It wouldn’t be until the 1950s construction actually started. Over the years the mess of ramps, bridges, and lanes became ineffective and dangerous. At one time the one-mile stretch of road had 23 entrance and exit ramps. The current Riverfront Transit Center was completed in 2003 at a cost of $48 million in tax money from all levels of government. The roadway, stretching 8 blocks (3,740 ft), was intended to be used as a staging area for special event, charter, and school buses visiting the banks and downtown. Eventually it was to serve as the terminus for rail lines both that served the city as well as the state and country. Currently it is only used about three months out of the year, otherwise it is locked and slowly falling into disrepair. The projected 375,000 riders and 60,000 school children by 2010 failed to materialize. The new proposal will not only reconnect the downtown to the riverfront it will utilize the existing transit tunnel and prepare the city for the future. Green space will cover a portion of Fort Washington Way, as well there will be structures for retail and a visitors center. The structures and landscaped will work to lead visitors to the waterfront and newly developed areas. Fort Washington Way isn’t going anywhere and the best that can be done is to coexist with it. The proposal will seek to reference history by reconnecting the urban fabric, allude to the speed and scale of the current conditions, and anticipate the future with the intervention of hyperlooping.
24
1956 prior to construction
1961 post construction
Program and site zoning
Corridors from city to water front
exoskeleton structure
light concrete shell
structural elements
hyperloop tubes
25
Observation platform
Hyperloop speed comparison image source: http://www.b92.net/news/pics/
26
27
HELSINKI FINLAND LIBRARY
Project Location:
Helsinki, Finland
Project Brief:
The City of Helsinki arranged an open two-stage international architectural competition for the design of a Central Library. The competition looked for a contemporary library design. The aim is to create a vibrant and functionally versatile meeting place, as well as an energy-efficient and architecturally significant building. The Central Library will be located in the very centre of Helsinki, the Töölönlahti [“Töölö Bay”] area, on city block no. 2014 , a site significant in terms of both the cityscape and symbolically (Bing-map service, extract from the base map, urban fabric illustration). It will be part of a cohesive totality of public buildings together with the Finnish Parliament building, Helsinki Music Centre, Finlandia Hall, Sanoma House and Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. The Central Library will be a combination of personal cultivation, culture and entertainment. It will be a vibrant and functionally versatile meeting place, a house of literature in which the users are the focus. The new Central Library will be much more than a traditional library. It will be a dynamic entity comprised of the physical spaces, technology, library collections, staff, cooperation partners and clients.
Parti Model:
28
KILPAILUALUE COMPETITION AREA
helsinki music center
finnish parliament
finlandia hall
sanoma house steven halls kiasma museum of contemp art
new construction
green space
©
KILPAILUALUE COMPETITION AREA
helsinki music center
finnish parliament
sanoma house steven halls kiasma museum of contemp art
view corridors
street axis
©
29 3rd floor library circulation
ground floor circulation
30
FABRICATION
31
SHOE LAMPS
Group Members:
Individual
Project Brief:
The shoe lamp project was a series of four lamps that I built using only recycled materials. The body of the lamps are cast iron shoes I salvaged from an early 20th century horse drawn corn planter. The hardware of the lamps came from discarded lamps. The wooden bases were salvaged from the scrap pile of a local furniture shop. I took a more traditional approach to building the lamps by focusing on the rusted cast iron corn planter shoes. By minimizing and concealing connection points on the desk lamp and the table lamp they not only function as a lighting source but also act as a pure sculptural piece. For the spot light I wanted to conceal the lamp entirely so that instead of were as the table and desk lamp revile their function first and the sculptural is secondary I wanted to challenge my self to see if I could create the opposite. The sculpture recognized first and then the lamp second.
32
33
34
Group Members:
IV. ALLEGRO CON BRIO
Project Brief:
Allen Yoder, Xiaoyi Peng The IV. Allegro Con Brio is an exploration of music and digital fabrication. Much like the composition of piece of music, digital fabrication shares similar constructs as music. In a piece of music a composer construct the blueprints for musicians to follow in order to “make� the noted music come to life through the musicians instrument. Similarly digital fabrication relies on a specific set of direction to bring a design to fruition. The IV. Allegro Con Brio model is a manifestation of music and digital fabrication similarities. We started by selecting the IV. Allegro Con Brio by Beethoven. Xiaoyi and I recorded a short segment of the the piece using Voice Memos, an iphone app. Using a series of screen shots we were then able to create the image at the base of the page. We then used rhino to create a digital model from a image field map. Once the model was created we then exported the file to be printed off on a CNC router. The finished product ended up being a small instillation that begins to revile the rhythm movement of the IV. Allegro Con Brio in a physical manifestation.
model plan
front elevation right elevation
voice memos collage
35
36
Group Members:
URBAN CONDITION
Project Brief:
Individual As part of my initial exploration for the Nordstrom Tower, I implemented a study of the existing urban condition. I broke the city down into a mass field of points, creating a graphical representation of the city as a swarm. Similar to a flock of aukelt exhibiting swarm behavior prior to roosting, the city as a series of points becomes a very natural thing. In the case of the aukelt looking to roost each bird is affecting and is all so effected by the closes birds around it, creating a complex, efficient decision making community. I viewed the city of Seattle the same way, a series of individual structures and communities that directly effect the nature of the buildings closest to them which in turn affects the complexity of the Seattle cityscape. A model was created to represent the relationship of the individual components of the city. The digital model was created using rhino, the physical model was a series of passes of the CNC router. swarm
37 3ds max render downtown Seattle
38
Group Members:
COMPUTATIONAL MANIPULATION
Project Brief:
Allen Yoder, Alex Jaskowiak Contemporary architecture has nearly fully adopted computer conceptualize and produce. Considering this fact and our shared interest of computational design made the initial concept easy: computational manipulated geometries. Since our knowledge of coding languages of Python, C#, and C++ is limited, we used the popular Rhinoceros 3D plug-in “Grasshopper” - a generative algorithm program that uses a graphic interface to mediate between the design and raw code. By using this program, we wanted to exercise the simple function of mapping a non-uniform surface with a grid and then creating an “object tessellation” from this grid. To those who are well versed in the coding atmosphere of architecture, this assignment may sound elementary, but for us it was an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the interface and difficulties of realizing an algorithmic logic. In addition to creating the complex geometries, we intended on using the computational process to output a set of shop drawings that we could use for manufacturing the model out of any number of desired materials, in our case we intended on using colored mat-board. The architectural utility is more in our process and exploration rather than the resulting object.
grasshopper script
model iterations
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2.
3.
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6.
7.
8.
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10.
11.
12.
39
final model
process model A
process model B
process model C
40