M I C H E L L E R U S HUNDERGRADUATE PORTFOLIOUniversity of CincinnatiBACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE

UNDERGRADUATE PORTFOLIOUNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATIStudent Projects & Selected Works

THE GROVE & TREE HOUSEBOUTIQUE HOTEL & BAR

Pages 13 - 16

AFFINITY NIGHT CLUB &MT. ADAMS CULINARY INSTITUTIONPages 17 - 20

CULTURAL LITERARY CENTERLUDLOW AVENUE

Pages 21 - 24

DISASTER RELIEF SHELTERPORT AU PRINCE , HAITIPages 7 - 12PHASE 2

ZA’ ATARI REFUGEE CAMP , JORDANPages 1 - 6

PHASE 1

DISASTER RELIEF SHELTER

EUROPEAN STUDY ABROADWESTERN EUROPEAN TOURPages 25 - 28

CONTENTS

PHASE 1 :Our goal, through cultural inscription and programmatic versatility, is to build not simply a system of shelters, but a community.

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ZA’ ATARI REFUGEE CAMP , JORDAN Collaborative Senior Capstone Project

DISASTER RELIEF SHELTER

Syrian Civil War conflict has been testing the resilience of native families for the past three years. Close quarters and desperation are spurring domestic violence, depression, illness, and a decline in education in Za’atari, the world’s second largest refugee camp that houses almost 200,000 displaced Syrians. Values that were once priorities, such as education, have fallen in importance as survival has become the new focus. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) provides caravans for refugee families that serve as living quarters, shops, health clinics, and classro oms throughout the camp. While these structures serve to shelter, they are simple box forms that offer little opportunity for customization, programming, and transformation.

We have designed a structure that is quickly deployable, affordable, and highly customizable. We want the Za’atari refugee camp to utilize our shelters not only as homes, but as community drivers. We have developed supplementary kits that can transform the shelters into classro oms to increase educational enrollment, health clinics to provide more effective treatment spaces, and work spaces to maximize productivity among the entrepreneurial community. The prominence of the Mashrabiya panels, or intricate screens, relates back to the culture of the Syrian people. The panels are typically used on the upper half of the house, creating pressurized air circulation and draw fresh air through the home, resulting in passive co oling in a hot and arid climate.

Photographs not credited to myself, nor my studio, rather gathered from our research. 2

PHASE 1

Above are examples of how the space can transform to suit various functions.

ZAATARI REFUGEE CAMP

REDISTRIBUTION OF HOMESl i fe cyc le

This structure is designed to far exceed the intended stay of a Za’atari refugee. However, in the event that residents may be able to return home, the structures can be broken down and redistributed to other displaced victims of the Syrian conflict afflicting the Middle East.

If possible a family may disassemble the structures and take them back to their homes to be reconstructed while a more permanent residence is established given the destruction of war.

Flexible programmatic units may continue to operate as health clinics and small scho ol spaces in areas in need of such programs. These units may be assembled in compounds for larger scale clinics and scho ols.

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FLOOR BOARDSINTERIOR SCREEN PARTITION

RAISED STRUCTURAL SKIDS

EXTERIOR OPERABLE SCREEN

WEATHER RESISTANT / LIGHTWEIGHT EXTERIOR ENVELOPE

e x p l o d e d a x o n o m e t r i cUNIT ASSEMBLY

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FLEXIBLE PROGRAMMATIC DETAILS

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PHASE 2 :Smaller groups joined together as one larger group to collaborate on a single cohesive shelter to present at ICFF 2014.

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PORT AU PRINCE , HAITICollaborative Senior Capstone Project

DISASTER RELIEF SHELTER

When an earthquake strikes in Haiti , a family will begin to hear a low rumble off in the distance. The ground begins to shake. First, it’s just a slight tremble. A few plates fall off the table , pictures from the walls , etc. Then, in an instant, everything begins to violently rattle and tumble, like the world is a snow globe being carelessly tossed around in the hands of the universe. Do ors are gone, windows are shattering, ro ofs are collapsing, and cars are sliding around in the street like Hot Wheels. Once the shaking stops, it’s dark. The spotty electricity that the country was accustomed to having is a thing of the past. Nothing can be seen in the dark or in the dust. After a seemingly endless night of terror and pure chaos, the sun rises on a new day as if it doesn’t care that the country was turned upside down. Mountains of rubble populate the landscape in an eerily quiet scene of pure horror and unbelievability.

We came together as a group of eighteen strong, each with our own research from Phase 1 , to design one structure that could help change the lives of thousands in Haiti even if it’s as simple as giving them a more comfortable, “homey” experience for the few months following devastation. We were invited to present our research as well as a full-scale prototype of our design at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City , New York from May 17 - 20 , 2014.

Photographs not credited to myself, nor my studio, rather gathered from our research. 8

PHASE 2

Above are details of various connection points and exemplify the simplicity.

FREE - STANDING FURNITURE DETAILSf lex ib i l i t y & func t iona l i ty

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This structure is designed to far exceed the intended stay of a displaced Hatian family. However, , in the event that residents may be able to return home, the structures can be broken down and redistributed to other displaced victims of the Hatian disasters, or it can be repurposed into something different entirely

The free - standing furniture pieces that come packaged with a shelter are simple and basic, but are easy to assemble and can be moved around within the shelter to fit a family’s needs while still being customizeable. The fold-down beds can remain assembled (with the exception of the leg pieces) and stowed against the wall in order to save flo or space during the day or when the beds are not in use.

A Hatian family of 4 - 6 could easily construct the shelter (with the provided to ols and step-by-step instruction manual) in an estimated 5 - 6 hours without any need for professional expertise. The idea follows the same concept as a piece of IKEA furniture - that even a person with below-average construction intelligence and a lack of power to ols can assemble a shelter in a completely reasonable amount of time and without much of a headache.

10e x p l o d e d a x o n o m e t r i c

UNIT ASSEMBLY

Our project received raving reviews and countless hits of interest in partnerships.. We were featured in/on a number of articles and blogs, including the following:

http://www.core77.com/blog/ny_design_week/ny_design_week_2014_one_bo oth_two_kinds_of_relief_-_out_of_failure_university_

of_cincinnati_daap_capstone_26997.asp

http://inhabitat.com/live-the-best-green-designs-from-icff-2014/

disaster-relief-housing-u-o/

http://www.wcpo.com/news/education/univer-sity-of-cincinnati-architecture-students-design-

build-new-kind-of-disaster-relief-shelter

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Not all photographs on this spread are credited to myself. 12

Total material cost of the structure estimated $2,600 and was erected in less than four (4)

hours with a small team of five (5) people.

NEW YORK , NEW YORKMAY 17 - 20 , 2014

Jacob K . Jav i ts Center

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Cultural cues can be incorporated into any design in a beautiful and also abstract way.

BOUTIQUE HOTEL & BARTHE GROVE & TREE HOUSE

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This was a collaborative project with another student. We were to de-sign a “Boutique Hotel” that includes a small hotel bar and a few function spaces (which could be used in the event of a medium conference or small wedding reception). We drew inspiration from the American Syca-more Tree - native to Cincinnati and our site - and put a contemporary spin on the stylized naturalism of a grove of trees. The columns within our structural grid are the trees and the screen encompassing the building as well as the ro of/ceilings in certain spaces become the leaves and can-opy. The retail space, Achene, houses a cash wrap that resembles the seed pod of an American Sycamore (Achene). The hotel itself is known as “The Grove” while the bar is referred to as “The Tree House”.

Above is a detail I designed showing how the screen would connect back to the structure of the building.

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To the right is a photograph of a hand-crafted physical model.

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Catering to the needs of a strict program, such as that of a scho ol, can still be fun and reflective of the culture in which it will reside.

To the left are a few images of a hand-crafted physical model experimenting with ABS Plastic 3D Printing and the CNC Mill.

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The community of Mt. Adams is largely populated by young, environmentalist, fun-seeking adults. The site becomes part of the building and vice-versa in this culinary institution, as that is how students would want it. The scho ol is partnered with a supper club to which it supplies fo od and drinks. After hours, the scho ol closes down - with the exception of the glass library - and the supper club transforms into a night club, therefore catering to the young, chic, hip audience living near the site.

To the left are a few images of a hand-crafted physical model experimenting with ABS Plastic 3D Printing and the CNC Mill.

MT. ADAMS CULINARY INSTITUTIONAFFINITY NIGHT CLUB &

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Basic structural diagrams.

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1: demo kitchen/lecture hall

2: storage area/loading dock3: adm

inistration/offices4: general teaching kitchen5: pastry kitchen6: library7: lobby/stairs7: lobby/stairs

UP

UP

UP

UP

UP

UP

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4 5 6

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1: demo kitchen/lecture hall

2: storage/loading dock3: w

ine lab4: lobby/stairs5: student lounge area6: classroom

s7: restroom

s7: restroom

s8: general teaching kitchens

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1: drop-off area/loading dock2: lobby/drop-off space3: storage area/loading dock

UP

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A community is created by a group of people spending time together and sharing ideas. This literary center, located in the Clifton area, intends to foster one such community environment. It creates a versatile place in which the many living near Ludlow can all feel comfortable. It will be a place to meet and interact with neighbors and friends or simply take time to just curl up with a cup of coffee and a novel. The main subject of conversation can always be the visiting author and his or her works. There will be a wealth of other activities happening at this site including art shows, environmental/literary speakers, local musicians, etc. that will draw people out of their homes and into this place of fellowship.21

Working with the environment in building a structure can greatly reduce the building fo otprint and the amount of upkeep required later on.

LUDLOW AVENUECULTURAL LITERARY CENTER

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Collaged magazine pieces: inspiration for reading no oks.

December 21: no on.

September 21: no on.

July 21: no on.

TYPES OF ACTIVITIES

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The building utilizes Pilkington Optitherm™ S4 Plus Exterior Glazing. It features a very high light trans-mittance and low reflectance to give a neutral ap-pearance. This is an ultra low-emissivity, high ther-mal insulating, off-line coated glass. The effect of the low-emissivity coating is to reflect heat energy back into the building. The transparent coating also trans-mits heat from the sun and provides high light trans-mission to create a naturally lit, comfortable working environment.

It is used to enhance thermal performance in Insulat-ing Glass Units in conjunction with Pilkington Activ™ Neutral self-cleaning glass, so harmful chemicals generally used for cleaning will not be necessary.

The building also collects rainwater from the slanted ro ofs through a small gutter system and retains it in a sistern held in the basement; the grey water can then be used to fill toilets and water exterior vegetation.

READING NOOKS STAGE/GALLERY MEETING ROOMS

CAFE/RECEPTION PATIO/COURTYARD OPEN SPACE/SHELVES

diagrams made collaboratively as part of a group analysis of the program, and then used as a basis for my design 24

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I had the opportunity to travel abroad as a part of an extremely selective merit-based program with one of our design professors. We trav-eled for a duration of just over two months through eleven countries studying architecture, interior design, and landscape design. We spent a great deal of time studying the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau periods.

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WESTERN EUROPEAN TOURAUGUST - OCTOBER 2013

EUROPEAN STUDY ABROAD

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The sketches lining the top of this spread are a small collection of my best sketches from the trip.

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The photographs chosen for this section are all credited to myself and exemplify some of the most personally influential sites we visited.

THANK YOU.