Selected WorksUniversity of Kansas

M. Arch I

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 4

Chicago Maritime Museum

The journey through this maritime museum reveals many thresholds as one progresses through the building. Attempting to enhance the point of arrival, we provided a space which enriches speculation and anticipation. For example, one would be able to get a glimpse of the large gallery through a dynamic window, but would have to wait for the experience. This structure maintains a low profile while expressing abstract references to displacement—the principle of voyage.

The forms arose by displacing straightforward components in order to actively engage with land and sea. Displacement became the theme to solve the programmatic issues. The goal is achieved through spatial manipulation of breaching the coastline; vertically folding of volumes to mimic the displacement caused by boats and buoyancy; as well as by creating a centralized plaza to balance positive and negative space. The arrangement of

the buildings responds to the diverse desires of visitors by providing choice of direction. In cooler climates there is a circulation path that allows the viewer to roam through space internally. In winter, the transparency of the outer skin allows the occupant to be able to experience the external environment without contact. In addition to responding to a cooler climate the arrangement of the buildings and berms allow the wind of the lake to rise over head.

B

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 6A

Program Sq Ft

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 8

Building Efficiency

Sustainability is a major element of the building. Along with using local materials, the building is depressed five feet below grade. This thermal massing will provide the building with thirty percent more efficiency throughout the year. The green roof above the auditorium will reduce storm runoff and provide a low maintenance roof membrane. Using a double glazed skylight system with a central air passageway, hot air will be trapped and forced out at the top. Another benefit is a large amount of natural lighting floods the whole building. Attention to manageable details that may otherwise be overlooked will provide cost efficient alternatives, and offer means to conserve the environment.Miesian steel wide flanges support the roof and run down the walls to bring the loads to the ground. Central loads are brought to the ground by delicate thin columns which are positioned to provide unobstructed views throughout the spaces. Space between the wide flanges provides slivers of light that dance off the planar surfaces of the program. The wide flanges connect directly in line with each other through each separate building; as do the addition and subtraction of masses, which further develops the concept of displacement and engages the user in an experience that will rejuvenate the mind.

Estimated Cost Budget

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 10

Models

Artwork

Sketching is a great way to promptly communicate ideas. In architecture, ideas are visions in the designers head, these ideas are subjective to the way the communicator describes their visions. A sketch visualizes the idea for the collaborator, providing a shared visual experience that can be questioned and polished. Sketching is superior to computer modeling in the schematic design phases. This is due to the speed of gathering concepts and refining them. People feel like they are part of the design process from the start and are more inclined to brainstorm, rather than critique. Also, sketching is a way of thinking. By grabbing a pencil and paper, we get past the apparent idea and create a process that can be built upon, finding superior solutions. This is where the design team can be creative before countless hours are spent at a computer.

This drawing and figure sketch was done while attending East Central College in 2005. I attended the this school for two years taking classes in history and art in hopes of finding what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing. It was then that I reconfirmed my childhood dreams of becoming an architect. I have taken the skills I learned here and applied them to architecture. The semester after receiving my Associates Degree, I transferred to the University of Kansas to pursue my Masters in Architecture, where I am in line to achieve in the spring of 2010.

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 12

Parking Facade ProjectTo solve the problems presented in class, I initially determined that the structure needed to be not only used, but experienced by the public. I wanted the pedestrian to notice and be curious by the structure all while performing the desired function. In result, I pulled the ‘portico’ out to the street and gave it a more connected feel. I did this by making the facade ‘grow’ out of the street, and sprout into the slats that skin the face. I made the columns look more natural by alternating them with natural trees. Next, I incorporated a light diffuser/rain shelter into the natural ‘tree columns.’ In plan, the canopy ‘trees structures’ overlap each other, and funnel rain runoff into the green space adjacent to the street. The ‘tree branches’ are connected to each other by a transparent synthetic material to diffuse and scatter the light. Finally, I integrated bicycle parking in the front by the green space. As a result, the parking spaces out front were removed, and the space is more inviting—my ultimate goal.

1018 Baltimore StreetKansas City, MO

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 14

Music Center SOHO

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 16

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 18

The goal of this third year project was to break down what makes a great place? I created a place that people are attracted to by addressing the sociability (1), uses & activities (2), access & linkages (3), and of course comfort & image (4). (1) People are social when they have a welcoming environment that will inherently cause them to interact. Our instinct draws us to natural environments where we feel safe. The program was set to intertwine all different walks of life. Offices were placed in the upper two levels to bring men and women alike in business attire to pose as positive role models for the children in the

classrooms. There is an art gallery on the third level to display local work for the community to be proud of, as well as an auditorium for a mix of performances for all ages on the main level. All of these spaces are connected through an open atrium with a waterfall to act as a natural environment to blend out the hustle and bustle surrounding the building. (2) This multi-purpose facility in the crossroads of a diverse group of people will cause many ethnicities to come together and build a tighter community. Surrounding SOHO’s artsy commercial district is the tourist driven Times Square; the ethnic specific Chinatown, Little

Italy, and Little Germany; the relaxed upscale dining of Greenwich Village; and the business minded Financial District. This landmark building will provide a meeting point for New Yorkers, thus revitalizing the area bringing money in and property values to increase. (3) This stretch of Houston Street is more of a boulevard than a street. The unusual open area is frequented by foot traffic as well as mass transit users. The translucent double skin glass panels offer many sight lines for the user to become familiar with their surroundings. The continuity of sight makes the spaces readable, and convenient to navigate. Even at night people will feel safe do to this beacon of force illuminating the streets. (4) This

attractive postmodern arts center is surrounded by traditional 1920s New York architecture. This juxtaposition of form provides the user with inherent questions which provides a ‘get away’ for the brain. Helping them suppress the stress of the big city. The attributes mentioned are integral to making an average space become a great place. A place that will help revitalize an ever changing city through bringing the community together will reduce crime and improve the environment through proper sanitation—holding the users accountable for making unselfish decisions. Architecture must be proactive in its approach to provide a healthy environment for the body and soul.

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 20

AutoGrill I-70

BOB DE FRIES

LEAF 22

A

B

C