LAURA B. ROBIN // ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

ACADEMIC

PROFILE

PUBLICATIONS

BOMBAY BIOSCOPE (BUILT)

AHMEDABAD HOTEL (BUILT)

MASTER’S DISSERTATION

MOTION BLUR AQUATIC CENTER

PNEUSPACES (BUILT)

ELEVATED LANDSCAPES

THE NEW SCHOOL OF BALLET

LOUISIANA CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUMLUMIÈRE ÉPAULÉ

LANDSCRAPER

SUKKAH 4.0 (BUILT)

WANGJING SOHO (BUILT)

PROFESSIONAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

PROFILE

Laura graduated with a Masters degree in Architecture with minors in Studio Art and Urban Planning from Tulane University in 2013. She has studied in the United States, Italy, and China and has as-sisted in the design for numerous projects of various scales and typologies both in the United States and Asia, including Wangjing Soho for Zaha Hadid Architects in Beijing, China and the Ahmedabad Hotel for Studio Symbiosis in New Delhi, India. Laura’s interest lies in digital fabrication and form finding in building construction.

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PUBLICATIONS

Laura’s design work, hand drawings, and research has been seen in various aca-demic publications including:

The reVIEW--a compilation of notable student design work from 2009-2011 at Tulane University.

Sicily LAB--a publication by Marcella Del Signore and Antonino Saggio documenting a series of urban interventions in Gioiosa Marea, Sicily, by students of the Nitro-Sicily Lab.

Elevated Landscapes: Caochangdi /Grassland Village--a pamphlet including a body of research documenting the unseen rooftop landscape of the urban village of Caochangdi in Beijing and various design proposals for urban agriculture interven-tions.

Grey Box Artists: Wang Qingsong, Xia Xing, and He Yungchang--a book compiled by a group of students at B.A.S.E, under the direction of Mary-Ann Ray and Robert Mangurian, documenting three prominent chinese artists living in Ai Weiwei’s Grey Brick Compound in Caochangdi, Beijing.

In addition to the work selected for printed publications, her design work, models, and drawings have appeared on the gallery of notable student work on the Tulane School of Architecture’s webpage.

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GREY BOX ARTISTS: WANG QINGSONG, XIA XING, and HE YUNCHANG

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GREY BOX ARTISTS: WANG QINGSONG, XIA XING, and HE YUNCHANG

Ahmedabad Hotel Landscape

For Doubletree HiltonLaura Robin + Shaique UddinNovember 2013-April 2014Studio Symbiosis

Ahmedabad Hotel is located in the historically and culturally rich city of Ahmedabad, India. The program requires a full service five star hotel with 200 rooms, flowing out in a seamless curve in the section of the building emphasizing rippled inte-gration with the landscape. Seamless waves flowing on the facade inform the ar-ticulation of the buildings dramatic interior spaces and landscape. The landscape features a streamlined trajectory with a pixeled gradient of green that emerges at the periphery of the building, further articulating the rippled concept of the building.

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* Rendering by Pinchuang

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STREAMLINESSTREAMLINED LANDSCAPE EMERGES FROM BUILDING FORM

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PROGRAM BLENDING

BUILDING CONCEPT

FUZZY BOUNDARY

GUESTROOM FLOORSstandardized room size required

larger foot print

SERVICE / BOH FLOORS

PUBLIC FLOORS

BLENDING BY INTERLOCKING WAVES HARMOIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BUILT & LANDSCAPE STANDARDIZED ROOM FLOORS FLOW OUT IN A SEAMLESS CURVESEAMLESS INTEGRATION

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ELEVATION

PLAN

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ELEVATION

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200COMPLETE UNFOLDED ELEVATION

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Bombay Bioscope

For Nida MahmoodLaura Robin + Rajat SodhiOctober 2013India Fashion Week 2013; Spring/Summer Collection 2014

The Bombay Bioscope dress was designed by Laura Robin and Rajat Sodhi in Collaboration with Nida Mahmood for the 2014 Spring/Summer collection of In-dia Fashion Week 2013. Part of a collection celebrating 100 years of Bollywood cinema, it was showcased among a series of garments featuring line-art wire framed constellations, three-dimensional triangulations, and angular crystallized forms. The finale dress, comprised of 688 metallic polycarbonate laser cut trian-gles, was modeled digitally using Rhino 5.0 + Maya and assembled by local tailors.

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Motion +The Body as a Transient InterfaceAn Architecture of Place and Motion Explored Through Physical Rehabilitation

Masters DissertationLaura RobinAugust 2012-May 2013Tulane University

THESIS ABSTRACTThe human body is the interface of exchange between the body’s internal mecha-nisms, including the soul, memory, and intellect, and well as its orientation and interaction with the external environment. By understanding the body as a flex-ible boundary that is in a constant perceptual flux according to its relationship to external, three dimensional boundaries in our environment, we can under-stand and manipulate the way we perceive objects and the space that envelopes us. The objective of this thesis is to create three dimensional space in which the participant becomes aware of his/her transient body image through motion.

PROGRAMIn-patient physical rehabilitation center, fitness center, spa, and smoothie bar

SITEElysian Fields Ave. & Decatur St.,New Orleans, LA, USA

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Site located within coastal context Site Located within historic center Site Located within Faubourg Marigny

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KINESTHETIC DIAGRAMS

SPATIAL FORM: RECTILINEAR HORIZONTAL

SPATIAL FORM: NON-RECTILINEAR HORIZONTAL

SPATIAL FORM: SECTIONAL VERTICAL

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SPATIAL FORM: GEOMETRIC PROCESSIONAL FIELDS

TEXTURE: LINEAR TRANSITIONS

TEXTURE: GRID DISTORTIONS

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BODY BOUNDARY MAPPING

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SPATIAL MAPPINGS

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PATH FLUCTUATION

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MATERIAL LAYERING

LEVEL 01 PLAN LEVEL 02 PLAN LEVEL 03 PLAN LEVEL 04 PLAN

LONGITUDINAL SECTION

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21SITE AERIAL

[G][H][I][J][K]

THRESHOLD: INPATIENT RESIDENCESINPATIENT RESIDENCESDESCENDING STAIRCARDIO ROOMPANORAMIC VIEW TOWARD RIVER

BODY BOUNDARY DISPLACEMENT VIGNETTES[Below; A-K] Diagram transitions between active and private spaces and how materiality,form, and textures heighten motion perception in patients

UNFOLDED SECTION [Illustrates a continuous promenade through the program’s most active and private spaces]UNFOLDED SECTION [Illustrates a continuous promenade through the program’s most active and private spaces]UNFOLDED SECTION [Illustrates a continuous promenade through the program’s most active and private spaces]

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[A][B][C][D][E][F]

ENTRY: HYDROTHERAPY CENTERENTRY: FITNESS CENTERPOOL BUILDINGINDOOR TRACKCARDIO ROOMASCENDING RAMP

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HYDROTHERAPEUTIC CENTER

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SITE AERIALCARDIO ROOM

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INDOOR TRACK INDOOR TRACK27

MotionBLUR Aquatic Center

Under Professor Ammar EloueiniWanhao Cui + Laura RobinFall 2012Tulane University

MotionBLUR Aquatic center explores the concept of blurred perception through move-ment. The building’s layered composition of materials and fluid geometry locates the viewer in a perpetual state of flux. Private and public spaces are juxtaposed to create unexpected relationships and evocative multi-perspectival views, while a continuous promenade connects all major program elements throughout the building.

PROGRAMUrban Retreat--Aquatic center, hotel, spa, restaurant + lounge, retail, and children’s daycare

SITENorth Robertson St. & Japonica St.New Orleans, LA, USA

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EXTERIOR SOLARIUM 33

SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE

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LEVEL 02 PLAN

INDOOR POOL

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CENTRAL PROMENADE 36

EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC

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LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS MOTION ANALYSIS ACOUSTICAL ANALYSIS

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INDOOR POOL, OPTION II

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Pneuspaces/Pneuforms

Under Ronald Rael of Rael San Fratello ArchitectsAlia Soomro, Kyle Ryan, Drew Hauck, Will Nemitoff, Thomas Ferrer, Logan Legett, Nicole Esser, Shira Latch, Meredith Zelenka, Robert Mosby, Laura Robin, Kayleigh Bruentrup, John CoyleFebruary 2013Pneumatic Architecture Workshop

Pneuspaces/Pneuforms is an exploration of inflatable structures, which have often been associated with mobility, movement, freedom, and escape, originating in the late 1960’s in France. In 1968, architects of the group Utopie organized an exhibition entitled Structures Gonflables at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, which exhibited an array of inflatable products including: furniture, sculpture, and environments. Utopie dreamt of a society built on air and created numerous visions of inflatable structures.

As part of a workshop directed by Ronald Rael of Rael San Fratello Architects, par-ticipants explored pneumatic structures that combined new methods of 3D mod-eling using Modo (from Luxology) to create engaging social spaces on the Academic Quad at Tulane University. The participants created two building-sized pavilions, il-luminated by dynamic lighting, which engaged the campus community after sunset.

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Elevated LANDSCAPES

Under Robert Mangurian + Mary-Ann RayLaura Robin, Allison Rodberg, + Brian SulleySummer 2011B.A.S.E Caochangdi

Elevated Landscapes: Caochangdi/Grassland Village is a publication produced by three students under the direction of Robert Mangurian and Mary-Ann Ray which includes a body of research documenting the roof scape of Caochangdi, an urban village near the 5th Ring Road in Beijing. The publication reveals a unique aspect of urban village life witnessed only by the few with rooftop access, and improves upon the existing rooftop infrastructure of urban farming and agriculture to create environmentally responsible solutions for dense urban areas. In addition to proposing urban agricultural solutions, Elevated Landscapes proposes various spatial solutions to facilitate a greater social connectivity between the roofs and the bustling streetscape.

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ROOFSCAPE INTERVENTION--HAND DRAWING

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The New School of Ballet

Under Professor Kentaro TsubakiLaura RobinFall 2009Tulane University

The form and organization of the New School of Ballet is inspired by an analysis of counterbalance and spatiality of movement in found in various executions in classi-cal ballet. The building is organized around a central void that extends from Level 01 to Level 10, providing a heightened compression and release of space at major programmatic transitions throughout the building. Each space has forced perspec-tive views through the central void at which they surround. The materiality of the building is composed of various layers of perforated metal and glazing, creating an ephermeral gradient according to one’s vantage point. Functioning as a lantern in the center of the project, light permeates all spaces from the heart of the building as material porosity becomes more concentrated as one approaches the perimeter.

PROGRAMBallet School, Theatre, Gallery, and Cafe

SITE82 Boulevard de ClichyParis, France ‎

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CORE ANALYSIS OF THE AN ARABESQUE EN L’AIR SEQUENCE CORE/RESISTANCE ANALYSIS OF THE A JETÉ À LA SECONDE

COUNTERBALANCE ANALYSIS OF AN ARABESQUE EN L’AIR SEQUENCE SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF THE A JETÉ À LA SECONDE

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BOULEVARD DE CLICHY PERSPECTIVE

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LONGITUDINAL SECTION

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Louisiana Civil Rights Museum

Under Professor Michael NiusLaura RobinSpring 2010Tulane University

The building mass of the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum is composed of interlocking interior and exterior volumes. Program components overlap and interconnect around a courtyard that opens to the community garden. On the ground floor the porosity of the mass allows multiple passages and views, inviting neighborhood circulation. The gallery space has a layered façade that screens the sun and perception from the exterior, pro-vides transparent circulation that allows a view of the city, and proceeds to walled and darkened spaces for specific exhibits. Outdoor spaces are stitched along the path of the exhibition, providing spaces for gathering and contemplation on each level of the building.

PROGRAMCivil Rights Museum, Community Center, Library, and Cafe

SITEO.C. Haley Blvd. & St. Andrew St.New Orleans, LA, USA

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O.C. HALEY PERSPECTIVE

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GROUND FLOW CENTRAL ORGANIZATIONAL VOID VOID EXTENSIONS INTO INTERIOR STITCHED OUTDOOR SPACES

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O.C. HALEY PERSPECTIVELEVEL 01 PLAN LEVEL 02 PLAN

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LEVEL 03 PLAN LEVEL 04 PLAN

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O.C. HALEY BLVD. ELEVATION

ST.ANDREW ST. ELEVATION

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ST.ANDREW ST. PERSPECTIVE

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Lumière Épaulé

Under Professor David MerlinLaura RobinSpring 2012Tulane University

The spirit and form of Lumière Épaulé is inspired by the eight positions of the body in the Cecchetti Method. The series of movements are the foundation of line, composi-tion, poise, and balance in every execution of Classical Ballet. The generative process conceived to design the lamp’s form captures the essence of eighth position in the series, Derrière l’épaulé, which expresses its beauty through a torqued counterbal-ance around the body’s core. Épaulé’s performative function enables a variation in light quality and articulation when turned, resembling the subjective interpretation of the movement’s asymmetrical body line from various vantage points in the audience.

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GRAS

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DERRIÈRE L’ÉPAULE POSITION

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LandSCRAPER Charette

Under Professor Tiffany LinLaura RobinFall 2010Tulane University

The form of the landscaper retail space responds to the various speeds of move-ment surrounding the site. The branding and live projections located in the inte-rior of the space reveal themselves to the viewer as one experiences the space from different vantage points while in motion. As one descends from the promenade on the upper level, the materiality of the building becomes more porous to reveal the entry into the retail space. Once inside, all is revealed and the activity occur-ring on the streetscape is presented to the viewer from an additional vantage point.

PROGRAMRetail and Exhibition Space

SITEColli AlbaniRome, Italy

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RENDERED SITE PLAN

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SECTIONAL PERSPECTIVE69

Sukkah 4.0

2012 Competition WinnerMiles Kozatch, Kevin Michniok, William Nemitoff, Laura RobinSeptember 2012Tulane University

For seven days each year, following Yom Kippur, Jews are commanded to dwell in temporary huts during the festival of Sukkot. During the seven day festival, the congre-gation gathers in the spaces to eat, sleep, and pray together. Although the structures appear to be simple, strict guidelines must be followed in order for it to be considered “valid”. The structure must be made of two distinct components-- walls and a roof, ad-hering to strict rules about the method of construction, materiality, size, and porosity.

With a short timeline of four days, the structure was designed and con-structed using notched birch plywood panels that created a dynam-ic tessellated enclosure. Palm fronds were assembled to create a pat-tern for the roof, which allowed for views of the night sky in the evening.

SITEPocket ParkTulane Lavin Bernick CenterNew Orleans, LA, USA

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Wangjing Soho

Under Director Satoshi OhashiBianca Cheung, Ho-Ping Hsia, Laura RobinJuly 2011-January 2012Tulane University

Wangjing Soho, situated in a northeast residential area of Beijing, is an urban retreat midway between the city center and the airport. The form is comprised of three major office towers connected by a retail podium that forms a “pedestrian street” at the ground level and lower level.

Laura worked on various packages (retail interior design, signage, and facade devel-opment) with a team of designers in the design development phase of the project. Construction of Wangjing Soho is expected to be completed in 2014. *Renderings by Fronttop Digital Technology Co.

PROGRAMRetail and office block development

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* Rendering by Frontop LLC

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B01 RETAIL OPTION 01

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* Rendering by Frontop LLC

B01 RETAIL OPTION 02

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* Rendering by Frontop LLC

THE BEGINNING.