Dwelling for WriterSwanson : Studio II

p. 3

Reconstructing the Islamic MuqarnasLevine : Studio III

p. 11

Reading Pavilion Mckay : Digital Media

p. 15

Algae Research Field Station Filson : Studio VI

p. 23

Barcelona Studio : TopotypesCo : Studio VI

p. 31

CentrepointeCo : Studio V

p. 19

p. 4

Dwelling for WriterStudio II

Instructor : Liz Swanson

The design of the dwelling experiments with surface geom-etries as the diagram for separating public and private spaces. The initial surface studies are used to experiment and generate different conditions of spaces. Orthogonal surfaces act regulate and terminate aggregated and repeated curvilinear surfaces. The house is organized around a single surface separating public and private spaces. Secondary orthogonal surfaces regulate the access from semi-public to the private living space and the curvilinear surfaces act as direction of flow for the users.

Surface Studies

private

public

publ

ic

livingliving

working

meeting

working

meeting

galle

ry

galle

ry

Design Diagram

p. 6

B

A

12

3

4

5

6

1 Gallery2 Archive3 Meeting Space4 Work Space5 Garden6 Residence

Section B

Section A

p. 8

p. 10

The Islamic Muqarnas is a geometric form derived from the repetition of the squince in the design of early dome struc-ture. These repeated structural elements transformed into dynamic and geometric patterns. The design studio focused on analyzing these muqarnas to re-create these forms. The muquarnas followed very specific rule systems to create a dome structure based off two geometric shapes: the rombus and the sqaure. The structure relied on the connection of the corbel in the interior structure that creates the dynamic spatial qualities. The final design of the studio was to create a Hammam (Islamic bath) based on the analyzation of the muquarnas that often lacked natural lighting so the program needed to introduce a new natural lighting system while retaining the privacy of the bath program. The design of different rooms of the hammam design was articulated by the use of different natural lighting system found on the higher levels of the structure to retain the privacy of the rooms.

Reconstructing the Islamic MuqarnasDesign Studio III

Fall 2009Instructor : Richard Levine

p. 12

The Islamic Muqarnas

The initial research of the project was to discover the importance of the squinch, a technique used to change the square plan of the muqarnas to the circular plan of the dome. The repetition of the squinch stepping up to the dome formed the basic structural rule of creating the muqarnas.The geometric plan can often be com-bined and changed as long as the struc-tual rule remained to allow loads to transfer. The final hammam design considers the varying pattern to com-bine a series of muqarnas patterns to form the connection between the differ-ent room programs.

p. 14

The project is designed as a pavilion located in front of the Lexington Downtown Library. The project deals with the manipulation of geometries to create a new public space. A simple “pull” operation was applied two parallel surfaces to create a varying meeting condition. The same “pulling” operation was applied to the grid material system to create the distortion of boxes on a curved surface.

p. 16

Pulled PavilionDigital Media

Fall 2009Instructor : Mike Mckay

Design Diagrams

Material Method

p. 18

p. 20

Centrepointe is the center point stie for the city of Lexington, and holds the important site for representing the culture of the city. Lexington faces a continuous problem of suburban sprawl and decentralization; where inner city is no longer a place for living. The project considers a new living center for the center point of Lexington to provide a variety of housing types and re-creating the city center as the driving force of culture

CentrepointeStudio VFall 2010

Instructor : Angie Co

movement : individual

space of an individual

expansion of space from interaction

approximation based on expansion

movement : group dispersal : group

Process Diagrams

volumes generated fromapproximation and expansion

Material Study

movement : 2 people

p. 22

dispersal : individual

Circulation Apartment Living Cluster Viewing Unit Cluster

Studio Living Cluster Suburban Housing Cluster Leisure

Program

Gallery + Observation DeckPublic Area + Park Individual Garden

p. 24

The proposal of the Algae Energy Research Field Station considers the solution to the large volume of carbon dioxide which is produced annually with 56 operating coal plants in the state. The state of Kentucky consumes over 1,900,000 Billion BTU of energy each year and coal produces 51% of the states energy requirements.The field station will use the carbon dioxide produced by the coal plant to cultivate algae and reduce the level of carbon dioxide released into the environment by the coal power plant.

p. 26

Algae Energy Research Field StationStudio IV

Spr ing 2010Instructor : Anne F i lson

CO2

overflow

cultivation

Algae Cycle

drying

biomass

recoverysunlight

Kentucky Utilities currently operates 3 coal generators at the Dix Dam power plant, which can produce 1/5 of the states need. 15,000,000 short tonnes (1.4×1010 kg) of coal is used at the station annually, producing over 100,000,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Center for Applied Energy Research proposed the design problem to reduce CO2 emissions through algae cultivation. The proposal required a algae bioreactor that was low cost, modular, and easily installed on the dix dam site. In addition, a research and visitor center was necessary to test and exhibit the research produced at the site.

CO2

Dix Dam Site

Site

Coal Field

Coal Plant

Coal

p. 28

18”

6”

10”

10”

15”

6”

The design of the algae field unit exceeds the the initial 1885 cubic inches presented by CAER and eliminates the need for structural support by using a double helix form. The design also looks closely at the Venturi effect to allow algae flow to pass through the upward sections of the algae unit.

Algae Unit high pressure low velocity

high pressure low velocity

low pressure high velocity

Section A

Section B

Section C

high pressure low velocity

high pressure low velocity

A

B

C

Supply Line

low pressurehigh velocity

low pressurehigh velocity

Return Line

p. 30

A B C

12

2

6

6

3

4

5

1 Exhibiton 2 Multimedia Rooms3 Auditorium4 Research Lab5 Meeting Rooms6 Algae Field

exhibitionauditorium

multimedia rooms

research

meetingoutdoor

Flow

Design Diagrams

lobby

Volume

exhibition auditorium

multimedia rooms

research

meetingoutdoor

lobby

Design Proposal

The Research Center separates the research and exhibition space as two tubes connected by the auditorium where the information is transfered between the researchers and the visitors. The volume of the space reacts to the flow of people moving past it, expanding in areas of high traffic flow and contracting in low traffic areas. Section A

Section B

Section C

p. 32

Research Entrance

MetalExterior Panel

Window Panel

Structural Frame

3

62

41 5

p. 34

1 Metal Exterior Panelling2 Flashing3 Dobule Pane Glass4 Window Panel Frame

5 Window Panel Connection6 Structural Frame

Window Panel Connection Detail

Exhibition and Multimedia Hall

Auditorium

p. 36

Barcelona Studio : TopotypeDesign Partner : Brad Ostendorf

Summer : Studio VIInstructor : Angie Co

The studio focuses on identifying and specific architectrual topotypes existing in Barcelona and understanding their tools and operations as the concept for design.Topotypes are biological specimiens of an organism from the type locality of that species. An architectural topotype is recurring spatial condtion in the city that in its organizatio, can take on multiple forms. The eight weeks studio’s task was to identify and catalog these topotypes to create the conceptual framework in which the architectural specimen can evolve.

p. 40

Casa Amatller Bifurcated Vestibule

Passatge de Sert Attached Passage

N

Passage de la PazAttached Passage

Passage de la Paz

Barcelona Topotye : Passage

Bifurcated Passage

The Passage is an architectural type found in European cities formed by the densely populated citiy centers. In Barcelona, the passage separates into two categories: the pass through passage acting as public connections between streets and the dead end vestibule forming new public spaces attached to the streets. Each category of passage contains specific operations attached to the basic topotyes which forms the conceptual framework for design.

p. 42

Our field for research is the city of Barcelona and the architecture that emerged from the specificity of urban development in the city.The studio began logging architectural types in the city to identify these architectural specimens

Casa Mila

Park Guell Sant Antoni Library

Casa Amatller Umbracle

In the Field : Logs

Passage : Operations

Pass through

Attached Passage

Attached Vestibule

Verticle Bifurcation

Parallel Passage

Attached Passage

Attached Vestibule

Verticle Bifurcation

Parallel Passage

Dead End Vestibule

p. 44

Passage : Operation

Prototype : Umbracle

The umbracle exists as a architec-tural topotype specific to the city of Barcelona. Created in 1883 as a pavilion for the Universal Exhibition and currently used as a shade house for the park. The operations of the passage topotype gather from the initial research experiments a new proto-type to create a continuous relation-ship between the roof structure and the internal circulation throughout the pavilion.

singular relationship continuous relationship

p. 46

Section A

Section C

Section B

new path

mansonry wall

rib structure adjusted to path

Playground areaRampRest areaprivate courtyard

Prototype : Passage

The protoype design uses the opera-tions of the topotype as concept for a youth housing and library in the Cerdà Eixample Grid. The proposal requires fifteen 90 sqaure meters housing units for youth and a 935 square meter library with an addi-tional 1200 square meter of public space. The passage operations creates the separation between the private housing units and the public library and forms a new connection between the carrer de sardenya and carrer de la marina. In additon, the design forms a interior public space only accessible through the library. This creates a public space for the public during the opening hours of the library and at the same time creates a public space only for residents of the block during closed hours of the library

park access

playground

basketball court

access + circulation park program

carrer de sardenya

carrer de la marina

carrer de sardenya

carrer de la marina

rest areadisconnected park

Library + public space

Residential

ResidentialLibrary

Public space

Passage : Operation

Program Axonometric

p. 48

public passage

library

residential unit

privatepassage

public passage

library

residential unit

privatepassage

p. 50

1

56

23

4

1 formed plastic exterior2 vapor barrier + 4” insulation3 structural metal plate4 gypsum5 existing concrete column6 gutter7 existing concrete floor slab8 double pane glass

1

8

7

14’

Workshop with Greg Romaine@Axis FacadeDesign Partner : Kyle McgrathProject Originally designed by Kyle Mcgrath

Actuations with Aeolab

proximity sensor

motion clip

power

analog in

digital

arduino

laptop

The Actuations workshop looked at working with arduino platforms to create a small scale interactive model. We quckly developed paper modules attached with a motion clip that created a “squeeze” motion when the proximity sensor sensed nearby objects.The model was designed as a prototype that may be created at a larger scale. The “squeezing” motion attached to the end of the model lifted the model to enlarge the covered space. In a larger scale, the model may react to a weight sensor to create a larger space when more people enter the proximity of the model.