Works in Pages

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[DS]_ Design Studies

1. Ephemeropolis

2. CHIP_Solar Decathlon 2011

3. Broad Museum

4. Rec_cen

5. SCI_Arc Library

6. 4th St. Infl l

[VS]_ Visual Studies

1. Embellished Facade

2. Worm Wholes

3. Papaya

4. Sound Box

5. Sketches

[AS]_ Applied Studies

1. Craftsmanship in Milan

2. Professional Practice

3. CHIP’d DD

4. Communications

5. ABS

6. Fiberglass

[CS]_ Cultural Studies

1. Iacchetti

2. Urban Studies With Bergman

3. Digital Tectonics

4. Boundaries

5. Levittown

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[DS]_ Design Studies1. Ephemeropolis2. CHIP_Solar Decathlon 20113. Broad Museum4. Rec_cen5. SCI_Arc Library6. 4th St. Infl l

[VS]_ Visual Studies1. Embellished Facade2. Worm Wholes3. Papaya4. Sound Box5. Sketches

[AS]_ Applied Studies1. Craftsmanship in Milan2. Professional Practice3. CHIP’d DD4. Communications5. ABS6. Fiberglass

[CS]_ Cultural Studies1. Iacchetti 2. Urban Studies With Bergman3. Digital Tectonics4. Boundaries5. Levittown

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Reinhabitation surrounds us. Habitation is transient. Entropy

reins, yet we fi ght it. In an era that is consumed with stalled

construction, a rising interest in the reinhabitation of these struc-

tures has begun to defi ne itself on paper and in the digital. Stalled

construction projects offer a unique starting point; foundations

and structures are there, the extent of their level of completeness,

varied. Enclosures can be full, partial, or non-exsistant.

An unfi shed painting...

Reinhabitation seeks to build upon these skeletons, using their

anoniminity to fuel an intervention of new formal strategies. Of

current interest is the morphosis of construction scaffolding into

linked monocoques, from which they are dispersed through and

around the donor structure. The intention is to clearly make a new

intention of architectural organization in a plated structure, that

does not limit itself to said plates, while revealing itself,

eccentrically, as an imposter. A contradiction of means of

construction, programatic organization, and formal strategy,

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e·phem·er·al _ [ih-fem-er-uhl] _ adjective

1. lasting a very short time; short-lived; transitory.

met·trop·o·lis _ [mi-trop-uh-lis] _ noun

1. any large, busy city.

2. a central or principal place, as of some activity.

Downtown Los Angeles has been rediscovered. A creative

captial is emering. Cross disiplinarian relationships are forming. The

scene is ever changing. Abandoned buildings are fi nding new life,

skid row is dancing with the yuppie. The opportunity for a creative

hub has emerged. Situated in the heart of the historic core,

Ephemeropolis rearranges the skyline of DTLA. A plated tower

rises, stretching itself from Spring to Main, atriculating a new cross

grain path for pedestrians. Articulated strucutral pods reinhabit

the plates, redefi ning path, portal, and place. Ephemeropolis is

a nesux for the creative; alternative education for the curious; a

temperorary home while passing through; a fi rst offi ce; a constant

source for the impermanent.

Summer 2011

Michael Rotondi

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dark ro

om

print center

kitchen

artist

game design

fashion design

architects

urban designersphotography

chefsonline business HQ

social media

non profits

cons

ultin

g fir

ms

prod

uctio

n co

mpa

nyfilm

tech

firm

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envir

onm

enta

l firm

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magazines/p

ublishingadmin services

music industry

sleeping pods

storage

bathrooms

conference

gallery

dog park

comm

unal area

Theater

classrooms

computer lab

stud

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pace

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plan strategies indicating Hub and Site

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low change rate

medium change rate

high change rate

education fl oor plan

hostel fl oor plan

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offi ce fl oor plan

plan @ 15’

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frontage on main st.

main st. and 6th st.

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HIP

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1 S

olar

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Solar Energy is one of the fastest- growing industries in the U.S.,

with California leading all states in market growth. The Compact

Hyper-Insulated Prototype, or CHIP, is a new, affordable net zero

home built just for them by the SCI-Arc/Caltech team. Solid design

backs CHIP’s unconventional and cutting-edge appearance.

Durable vinyl retains the insulation which has been placed outside

the structural walls to eliminate drywall and expand the interior

space. CHIP uses an array of solar panels that are designed to

maximize solar power output at the lowest possible cost to the

owner. Inside CHIP, the space is designed for maximum fl exibility.

CHIP’s design eliminates unnecessary rooms and walls,

transforming it into one continuous open space organized by

ascending levels. This allows the homeowner a lot of freedom in

using the space as they wish.

Spring 2011

Dwyange Oyler

Wes Jones

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Cabling Strategies

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North Elevation

South Elevation

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The primitive here, was invoked as a strategy for mantaining

manageability over complex formal investigations. A 1/2 scale

system of cubic aggrigation (Octree) A 3D fractal of a building

with relentless use of the grid, Pushing the cube to its potential

as massing volume to ornamental detailg. Homogenization and

repetition make for a muted building. Expressive yes, but obscure

architecturally. Systems emerge for organizing space within our

particular set of constraints. The cube produced overall organic

qualities: Cascading, erosion, spanning and bifrication. Physical

anti ailiasing, bridging and defi ning the volume of the building.

Physical and Graphic Aliasing, Stupid shapes make life easier.

Cubes are fast. They are easily replicable, and manipulated by

both digital and analogue media. Strict adherence to the grid was

an organizational parameter . through algorythmic agrigation, we

were interested in utilizing these expeditious primitives to derrive a

Contemporary art museum that accomodates programatic needs

and preents a sort of architectural investigation.

Fall 2010

Marcelo Spina

Teammate_

Tyler McMartin

octree nugget

geometric intrusion

enclosure

circulation

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The typical formal conditions of Recreation Centers are

generic and do not offer opportunities which challenge or enhance

programmatic values or user engagement. This project, through

the basis of programmatic organization, seeks to challenge the

genericism of rec centers. Driven primarily by a strong desire to

have a clearly defi ned and distributed program allowing for visible

and logical understanding of function, the building disperses

activities and zones along the site edges. The interior implication of

this organization are a visible understanding of program

surrounding a central void. The circulation through this void

becomes a highly visible affair, with those circulating able to see

and watch those engaging in activities, and vice versa. The major

formal interest and direction is derived from the interaction

between the user and the viewer. implication of the circulation

is carried through the extrior, where the pressures exerted by its

growth are expressed within the buildings deformed roof and walls.

This second orgranizational system intices the user to enter.

Spring 2010

Ramiro Diaz-Granados

development of wood module

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program volumes formal intervention

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The development of an addition to Kappe Library contained

four critical points of focus; circulation, enclosure, program, and

structure. The extension is to double the size of the current library,

providing space for archiving, digital media viewing, and generous

reading spaces. Being sited above the existing library, a unique

opportunity arose in differentiating itself from the binary, open or

closed system of the building beneath the extension. Beginning

with an exploration into the circulation of the space, itself inspired

by a sailors Bowline knot, the project developed into a volumetric

intersection, where horizontal planes morph into vertical planes.

The points of morphology refl ect pivotal points within the library,

the main location being the new entrance, where all the volumes

collide into one another. To further differentiate itself from the rigid

linearity of its sponsor building, the circulation is skewed, a subtle

difference that is easily noticed when walking through, begining

with the entrance to the extension, a volume protruding the east

wall of the library.

Fall 2009

Dwayne Oyler

development of circulation

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circulation development

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PLAN @ + 34’

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site plan

PLAN @ + 20 ’

PLAN @ + 44’PLAN @ + 34’

section

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The premise of lightweight is a site specifi c intervention that

explores the sectional space of a body occupying an urban void.

Attention was focused on understanding the intervention as a

wholistic body and in a striated sequence of parts. Through

developing certain degrees of facility for moving between these

two poles of seeing, an exploration of spacial effects is created,

exploring radical vs. gradual elevation changes and more

importantly, a manipulation of the intervention to form strong

relationships between its body and the situation surrounding it.

The 4th street bridge site is bound to the north by the incline of

the automotive bridge, to the south by a multistory building

relegated to storage. The site has minimal frontage along its only

street face and is immediately adjacent to a tunnel. Thus, the focus

of the intervention was to elevate the user from the street level

to the roof, at a incline that was in tension with the incline of the

roadway.

Fall 2009

Dwayne Oyler

sectional diagrams illustrating relationship between form and sight lines

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inser t process photo









inser t final model photo



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transverse section

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longitudinal section

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As a shift away from the paradigm of the ‘continuous envelop’,

this class will focus on the frontality of the Facade, the highly deco-

rated semblance of buildings. With: cornices, windows, frames,

doors, brise-soleils, canopies, balconies, as the elements that

converge in the facade, we will revisit them formally and will build

up a vocabulary of artifacts that enhances the building’s face. This

class will work in collaboration with the University of Buenos Aires

in Argentina, we will research case studies from prominent build-

ings in Argentina and will extract architectural elements that will act

as the platform for research. The fi nal output of the class will be

exhibited at UBA, University of Buenos Aires.

Spring 2011

Florencia Pita

Teammate_

Linda Yang

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Fall 2010

Florencia Pita

Teammate_

Giovanna Orozco

Architects can no longer afford to be intimidated by the puritani-

cally moral language of orthodox Modern architecture. I like ele-

ments which are hybrid rather than “pure,” uncompromising rather

than “clean,” distorted rather than “straightforward,” ambiguois

rather than “articulated,” perverse as well as impersonal, boring as

well as “interesting,” conventional rather than “designed,” accomo-

dating rather than excluding, redundant rather than simple, vestigal

as well as innovating, inconsistant and equivocal rather than direct

and clear. I am for messy vitality over obviious unity. I include the

non sequitur and proclaim them duality.

Robert Venturi

Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture

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“Analogue technologies of reproduction work through imprints,

traces, and transfers. The image may shift in scale or value, but

its iconic form is maintained throughout. Internal hierarchies are

preserved. A signifi cant shift occurs when an image is converted

to digital information. A notational schema intervenes. “Digital

electronic technology atomizes and abstractly schematizes the

analogic quality of the photographic and cinematic into discrete

pixels and bits of information that are transmitted serially, each bit

discontiguous, and absolute - each bit “being in itself” even as it

is part of a system.’ A fi eld of immaterial ciphers is substituted for

the material traces of the object. Hierarchies are distributed, value

is evened out. The ciphers differ from one another only as place

holders of code.”

Stan AllenFrom Object to Field

1997

Spring 2010

Kelly Bair

Teammate_

Jane Suthigoseeya

graphic diagram illustrating growth, characteristics, and distribution of the Papaya

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papayaIndigenous to various tropical locations,

Papaya reins as the superior fruit, in both

nutrition and medicinal purposes. Papaya

grows directly from the stem of a

branchless tree at consistent pace. Able

to grow year round, due to the climate of

its growing locations, papaya farming is a

lucrative business, with Brazil leading world

production of the fruit. Many different vari-

eties of the fruit are available, with Hawaii

leading the way in genetically altered fruits

that have a higher resistance to rotting. Sizes

can vary from half pounds to twenty

pounds, and the shape can be either

cylindrical or pear shaped. With hints of

Mango, Banana, and Peach, the flesh of the

fruit is delicious. Little know to the public,

papaya seeds are a main component in

powered meat tenderizers because of its high

concentration of papain.

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pounds, and the shape can be either

cylindrical or pear shaped. With hints of

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fruit is delicious. Little know to the public,

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concentration of papain.

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longitudinal section and family diagrams

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“The fi rst place anyone looks to fi nd geometry in architecture is

in the shape of buildings, then perhaps in the shape of drawings

of buildings. These are the locations where geometry has been on

the whole stolid and dormant. But geometry has been in the space

between and at either end. What connects thinking to

imagination, imagination to drawing, drawing to building, and

buildings to our eyes is projection in one guise or another, or

processes that we have chosen to model on projection. All zones

of instability. I would claim that the engaging questions of

architecture’s relation to geometry occur in these zones.”

Robin EvansThe Projective Cast: Architecture and Its Three Geometries

Cambridge, Mass: MIT, Press, 1995.

Fall 2009

Dwayne Oyler

development drawing and plans

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sections and elevations

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exploded axonometric of selected 3D form

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sitting on a wall along the water, looking into town, realize how

alive with movement town is. not literal people movement, but

laundry fl uttering in wind, as well as canvas tarps over porches and

balconies, fl ags, some wind instruments, quite captivating, when

all layered on top of one another and mixed up...

there is such a difference in campo life here. people fl ock to

them to play futbol or what. the campos here are always bustling,

and are a great size. tallest surrounding building, 5 stories. little

church and a plaza large enough for a small futbol fi eld, yet small

enough to let your children out. this really feels like a living room...

in the middle of the hike, at Corniglia, the americans are so easy

to spot because they are not wearing speedos and the girls in

bikinis are fake. i just heard “i wonder how far it is for them to get

to their nearest home depot...”

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Lamborghini. Within that word is a power so great, grown men fall

to their knees. If it’s elegance and sensuality you want, look elsewhere.

It’s lines are fi erce and aggressive, encapsulating a brutality that cross

town rival Ferrari could never achieve. In fact, send your thanks to Enzo

Ferrari, for if it were not for his faulty clutches, used in the very farm

tractors Ferruccio Lamborghini produced, the only rival Lamborghini

would have is John Deere. With the help of ex-Ferrari engineer Giotto

Bizzarrini and the infamous Gian Paolo Dallara, Lamborghini sought to

out race, out class, and out Italian Ferrari in the only way possible; a

better car.

Forty-eight years have passed since the fateful day of the failed

clutch, and Lamborghini resides in its original building. The birthplace

of the companies two current models, the Gallardo and Aventador, the

assembly of both exotics is quite anti-climatic. Robots and mechanized

assembly lines are non-existent. With the exception of some specialty

tooling, the assembly of both the Gallardo and the Aventator are done

with the ten digit hands of the proud Italians that work there. In the case

Summer 2011

Elena Manferdini

Illaria Mazzoleni

Teammate_

Steve Chien

of the Gallardo, though, it’s Italianness is questionably

diluted by German owner, Volkswagen Audi Group. This

is not to insinuate that the car in any less lust worthy

or less nationalistic. VAG has brought to the table a

plethora of valuable electronic software and systems

manufacturing allowing the Italian beast to be itself

more reliably. In addition to electrical systems that work

consistently, VAG has allocated the manufacturing of the

Gallardo frame to it’s robotic German brethren, allowing for

swift and precise fabrication. After a quick submersion in

paint, the frame is shipped back to its homeland (of heart,

not material) for fi nal assembly. It is here the Gallardo

spends the next 3 days, being manually pushed through

25 stations. Everything is done by hand. Imbued within

this is a carefulness for detail and a respect for both the

car and the owner. It did not matter that a majority of the

parts being installed bore the iconic 4 rings of its owner.

In the case of the Gallardo, it appears that the sum of the

parts is greater than the parts themselves.

Though sharing the same building, the Aventador

is more dominantly Italian. An evolutionary design that

carries that DNA of the sci-fi Contouch, the Aventador

becomes a slightly softer, sinuous affair upon assembly. It

may still receive parts from Big Brother, but the Aventador

is a decidedly in-house affair. From its carbon fi ber

monocoque passenger cell to its aluminum chassis,

the Aventador is premier in 21st Century automotive

technology. Its heart, a clean sheet 6.5 liter 12 cylinder

fi ghting bull, was also designed and is fabricated in

house. As with the Gallardo, robots are an endangered

species, only available to use when a task exceeds

human capabilities. With Italians, that is rarely the case.

The only time the Aventador leaves its coddled birthplace

is to visit its paint maker. An affair that takes more than a

day, the Aventador is scrubbed, sanded, fi lled, sanded,

primed, sanded, and painted. The obsession of detail

here goes so far as to only allow one person to paint

the exterior of the panels, while another Italian paints

the interior, assuring a consistent coat of paint. Final

assembly parallels that of the Gallardo, though more time

consuming. Seats and full leather lined interiors are all cut

to order from fl awless hide. Colors? Your choice. Try to

even fi nd one they won’t produce. Similar to the Gallardo,

that Aventador progresses through the assembly line in a

time logged by days, not hours. The penultimate moment

for any assembly associate is the last stop on the line.

It is here that both the Gallardo and the Aventador start

for the fi rst time. With virgin V-8’s and V-12’s revving

and coughing, the supercars are tested both in house

and on public roads. It may seem like the perk of the

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job, for who would not want to drive their creation, but

it is the last measure to ensure the car is assembled

to the strictest of standards. Anything less, and not

only would the company suffer, but the country as well.

Lamborghini embraces both the most innovated use of

materials and technologies with the care and emotion of

hand assembly. It doesn’t matter if the car speaks a little

German. Really, who isn’t impressed by

the multilingual?

Fiery horses or raging bulls are not the only focus of

the Italian engineers. To the common observer, Dallara

holds no importance. Yet, Dallara remains at the forefront

of design and racing pedigree. Instead of tamed road

going cars, Dallara focuses on chassis and automotive

development for Formula 3, Indycar, Grand-Am, GP2

and LeMans. These cars are engineered to be dominant

machines, their monocoque bodies calculated to take

loads to the tenth. The manufacturing of these carbon

fi ber shells begins with the engineers, who study load

calculations and aerodynamics to make the cars as

strong and as slippery through the air as possible. The

cars are modeled to completion in 3D, allowing the

engineers to test them in a virtual environment. This

modeling is a huge asset for Dallara, for the fi eld of racing

is highly competitive and the digitization allows for a lower

cost of development. To further evidence the success

of computer modeling, Dallara has built an in house

simulator. Here, drivers can test out the dynamics of their

car before hitting the track. A crash on the simulator is

free; a crash in a prototype is worth millions.

After a thorough evaluation and digital simulation,

production begins on the prototypes. Similar to the

experience at Lamborghini, the factory remained free from

major digitization that large-scale manufacturers employ.

Instead, a 5-axis mill cuts molds for the vacuum former.

Using extremely high-density foam, carbon fi ber and

resin are baked in an oven that doubles as a vacuum

chamber. The molds are

two-piece affairs, allowing for easy reuse. All other

assembly is done by hand. There is an importance to

hand assembly here, both for emotional and practical

reasons. By piecing the car together by hand, the

assembler can not only pick out imperfections, but can

most likely assemble the car with more care. Furthermore,

the development of a fully automated assembly system

is cost prohibitive. There is simply not enough volume to

satiate the needs of robots and thank goodness for that.

A large part of the Italian culture is emotional, and I could

not envision a place like this with the cold heart of a robot.

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Dallara embodies evolutionary through digitization, yet still

crafts by hand.

The exchange of both practices and technology

between automobiles and architecture is both prolifi c and

infant. Though always sharing a similar design process,

stemming from global ideas to detailed manufacturing,

it was not until the digitization of design and advanced

fabrication techniques, such as the monocoque, that the

two fi elds began to form a symbiotic relationship. Both

fi elds allow for computerized manufacturing for speed and

accuracy of production, yet still rely on hand craft with

small batch items and exotic designs. The R&D in carbon

fi ber and lightweight technologies currently spearheaded

by Audi, Toyota, and BMW will undoubtedly play a role in

building techniques and material applications, as already

seen in Greg Lynns carbon fi ber hammock chair. It seems

only a matter of time that the idea of customization of both

architecture and cars reach a new level. Imagine ordering

a monocoque from your local dealer and outfi tting it as

you see fi t. Economically viable only on a global scale,

like that of an automobile, this has potential to afford a

mass produced architecture with global outreach. The

reciprocity between the automobile and architecture

worlds is integral to their growth and evolution of the fi elds.

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“The notion of tectonics as employed by Frampton -- the fo-

cus on architecture as a constructional craft -- constitutes a di-

rect challenge to current mainstream thinking on the artistic limits

of postmodernism, and suggests a convincing alternative. Indeed,

Frampton argues, modern architecture is invariably as much about

structure and construction as it is about space and abstract form.”

Spring 2011

Dwayne Oyler

Wes Jones

Teammate_

Solar Decathlon

11/2" = 1'-0"NORTH WALL SECTION

11/2" = 1'-0"SOUTH WALL SECTION

'10 11/2'

1/2" '10 11/2'

1/2"

T.O ROOF17'-4"

SOLAR ENVELOPE18'-0"

MODULE SPLIT10'-3"

MODULE SPLIT10'-3"

A1

FIRST LEVEL1'-9"

A4

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0 1000' 2000' 0 100' 200'1"=1000'VICINITY MAP

1"=100'LOCAL SITE MAP

LEGEND:

POTOMAC RIVER

CONSTITUTION GARDENS POND

WASHINGTON MONUMENT17TH

ST S

W

TIDAL BASIN

KUTZ BRIDGE

POTOMAC RIVER

INDEPENDENCE AVE

JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

MLK MEMORIAL

14T

H S

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OHIO DRIVE

FDR MEMORIAL

ARLINGTON

MEMORIAL

BRIDGE

23R

D S

T S

W

REFLECTING POOL

SOLARDECATHLONSITE

DECATHLETE WAY

TIDAL BASIN

EVENT TENT

EVENT TENT

OHIO

DRIVE

OSU

MASS NY

GHENT UMD UH

CALG TONG UIUC

TENN PARS FIU

PUR MIDD APPST

FLA NJ

NZ VA

ONE WAY CONSTRUCTION VEHICLETRAFFIC

OHIO DRIVE

CHIP

FDR MEMORIAL

APPROXIMATESHUTTLESTOP

PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC

A1

1. TRUCK ROUTE PENDING APPROVAL

2. CRANING OPERATION SUBJECT TO CHANGEAWAITING SITE CONDITION INFORMATION

A4

3

3. REFER TO O-101 FOR SITE OPERATIONSPLAN DETAILS

1. TRUCK STAGING AND CRANING LOCATION

N N

LINCOLN MEMORIAL

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A

B

C

D

E

LOT NUMBER:

DRAWN BY:

CHECKED BY:

COPYRIGHT:

CONSULTANTS

NONE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGYSOLAR DECATHLON 2011

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OFARCHITECTURE

[email protected]://solardecathlon.sciarc.caltech.eduwww.chip2011.com

SCI-ARC / CALTECH

RF

#402

DATE: 03.22.2011

SUBMISSIONS:

CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

TEAM SCI-ARC / CALTECH

960 EAST 3RD STREETLOS ANGELES, CA 90013

1200 EAST CALIFORNIA BOULEVARDPASADENA, CA 91125

COMPACT HOUSE, INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

CHIP 2011

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERSBURO HAPPOLD CONSULTINGENGINEERS, INC.9601 JEFFERSON BLVD. STE BCULVER CITY, CA 90232.TEL: 310.945.4800

EXTERIOR SKINTHE VINYL INSTITUTE1737 KING ST, STE 390ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314.TEL: 571.970.3400

BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONRJC BUILDERS, INC.3509 W 6TH ST.LOS ANGELES, CA 90020TEL: 213.388.9327

REVISIONS:

CONSTRUCTION DRAWING SET 03/22/2011

DESIGN DOCUMENTATION SET 11/23/2010

3/25

/201

1 12

:42:

28 P

M

G-101

SITE MAP

GENERAL SHEET NOTES

REFERENCE KEYNOTES

SHEET NOTES

L103

A1

L103

A3

4' 8'0 2'

0 1/2' 1' 2' 4' 8'0 2'

0 6" 1'3"

0 6" 1'3"

4'0 2' 8'1/4" = 1'-0"WEST RAMP AND PLATFORM PLAN

1/4" = 1'-0"EAST RAMP AND PLATFORM PLAN

3" = 1'-0"RAMP DETAIL

1" = 1'-0"RAMP SECTION

1/4" = 1'-0"RAMP SECTION

3" = 1'-0"RAMP DETAIL

1'-7"

4'-81_4"

2'-7

1 _ 4"

5'-2

"

6'-6

1 _ 2"

2'-5

"

4'-111_4"

5'-1

1_ 4"

5'-3 3_4 "

5'-0"

2'-4

1 _ 4"

4'-1

01 _ 2"

8'-41_2"

2'-7

"3

'-0

"

3'-113_4"

31_2"

3'-113_4" 3'-113_

4" 3'-113_4" 3'-113_

4" 3'-113_4" 5'-23_

4"

5'-0

1_2 "

4'-0

"

3'-0

"

4'-10"5'-4"

5'-4"

5'-5

"

4'-41_2"

1'-41_2"

4'-41_2"

5'-0"

CLR

4'-0

"

4'-0

"

4'-0

4'-0

"

4'-2

3_4 "

4'-0

1_ 4"

4'-0

1_ 4"

4'-0

1_ 4"

4'-0

1_ 4"

4'-0

1_ 4"

4'-0

1_ 4"

4'-1

"

29'-5

1_ 2"2

9'-5

1_2 "

1-1/2"

1. GRATE SUNKEN INTO RAMP STRUCTURE

2. 2" X 2" STEEL ANGLE BENT CLOSED 5 DEGREES

DIVISION 05 - METALS05 05 23 FASTENERS

1/4" STEEL PLATE05 05 23.10C12 X 30 STEEL05 12 23.B4

B1 B3

C5

A1 A3

C5L-103

B5L-103

B5

1

05 05 23.B7 1/4" LAG SCREW

05 12 23.H37 5" X 3" X .1875 STEEL TUBE

2" X 2" X .3125 STEEL TUBE05 12 73.L693" X 2" X .1875 STEEL TUBE05 12 73.L263

05 12 36.A128 2" X 2" X .3125 STEEL ANGLE

STEEL DECK GRATING05 53 00

1/2" LAG SCREW06 05 23.B2

05 73 00 DECK RAILING

DIVISION 05 - WOODS, PLASTICS,

1/4" LAG SCREW06 05 23.B7

2" X 6" REDWOOD DECKING06 15 13.A1

AND COMPOSITS3/8" 3.5" LAG SCREW06 05 23.B1

DIVISION 08 - OPENING

SOUTH BI-FOLD (4 PANEL) DOOR:08 35 13.13 NANAWALL

DIVISION 07 - THERMAL AND

BATT INSULATION07 21 16.A10MOISTURE PROTECTION

2X8 HANGERLU28

06 16 23 PLYWOOD SUB FLOOR

05 12 23.B4

05 12 23.H37

05 12 36.A128

05 53 00

05 12 36.A128

2

05 12 36.A128AND GROUND TO ACCOMMODATE SLOPE TRA-NSITION

05 12 73.L69

06 15 13.A1

05 23.EZ GRATE SADDLE CLIP

4

3. 2" X 2" STEEL ANGLE FASTENED TO EDGE OFDECK TO FORM 2" ADA WHEELCHAIR GAURD

05 05 23

05 73 00

05 23.EZ

05 53 00

05 12 23.H37

05 12 36.A128

05 12 23.B4

05 05 23.10

05 12 73.L6906 15 13.A1

05 73 00

4

5

4. JACK ASSEMBLY FOR ADJUSTABLE RAMPHEIGHT

5. ROLLING ASSEMBLY FOR ON-SITE MOBILITY

6

6. 36" HIGH CONTINUOUS HAND RAIL

3

05 12 23.B4

05 73 00

05 12 36.A128

05 73 00

05 23.EZ

4

5

05 12 36.A128

06 15 13.A1

7

05 73 00

05 12 73.L69

05 12 23.H37

05 12 23.B4

05 12 73.L69

05 53 00

08 35 13.13

06 16 23

05 12 36.A128

06 15 13.A1

05 12 73.L69

05 05 23

05 12 36.A128

06 05 23.B1

ALLOWS CHANNEL TO FORM CONTINUOUS

N N

07 21 16.A10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A

B

C

D

E

LOT NUMBER:

DRAWN BY:

CHECKED BY:

COPYRIGHT:

CONSULTANTS

NONE




SCI-ARC / CALTECH

RF

#402

DATE: 03.22.2011

SUBMISSIONS:






CHIP 2011




REVISIONS:



3/25

/201

1 12

:43:

14 P

M

L-103

RAMP DETAILS

GENERAL SHEET NOTES

REFERENCE KEYNOTES

SHEET NOTES

11/2" = 1'-0"NORTH WALL SECTION

11/2" = 1'-0"SOUTH WALL SECTION

0 1' 11/2'

1/2" 0 1' 11/2'

1/2"

T.O ROOF17'-4"


MODULE SPLIT10'-3"

26 31 0005 14 13

07 21 13.B406 16 00.D1006 11 00.G14LU28JOISTHANGER07 21 16.A10

06 18 13.A10

32 05 19.1307 21 13.B4

06 16 00.D6

06 48 13

09 64 1906 16 23

07 21 16 A1006 16 00.D10

06 19 1306 11 00.F1

1% SLOPE ROOF

06 11 00.F2

06 16 2307 21 16.A1006 11 00.G3

LU28

06 11 00.L6LSSU210

05 05 2306 11 00L.606 11 00.G7

08 52 00

06 43 00.C2

26 31 00

05 14 13

05 50 00

05 12 69.K6

06 16 00.D10

LU28

06 11 00.G14

06 18 13.A12

06 05 23.B0

26 31 00

07 21 16.A10

06 18 13.A10

06 16 00.D6

06 16 00.D10

06 16 00.D6

07 21 13.B4

13 31 00.A1

13 31 33

06 16 00.D606 16 2309 64 19

06 11 00.G7

08 35 13.13

06 15 13

LU2807 21 16.A10

06 11 00.G7

05 05 23

06 11 00L.6

05 05 23.A3

06 05 23.B1

08 52 00

07 31 00 CT

MODULE SPLIT10'-3"

A1

FIRST LEVEL1'-9"

A4

DIVISION 07 - Thermal and Moisture

BATT INSULATION07 21 16.A10METAL GRATINGS05 53 00

DIVISION 05 - METALS05 05 00 ALUMINUM RAILNG

SHEET METAL (FALSE PANELS)05 50 00METAL GRATINGS05 53 00

DIVISION 26 - Electrical26 31 00 PV Panels

2" ALMINIUM TEE, 2" ALMINIUM ANGLE05 14 13

2" OR 3" RIGID INSULATION07 21 13.B4

DIVISION 06 - WOODS, PLASTICS,

FRAMING- RAFTERS06 11 00.G14

PLYWOOD- EXTERIOR WALL SHEATING06 16 00.D6PLYWOOD- UNDERSIDE AND06 16 00.D10

EXTERIOR GRADE FINISH PLYWOOD06 48 13

PLYWOOD- EXTERIOR WALL SHEATING06 19 00.D6

4X10 LAMINATE VENEER LUMBER06 18 13.A10

DIVISION 32 - EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS32 05 19.13 GEO-TEXTILE GROUND COVER

-06 11 00.F1-06 11 00.F2

-06 19 13

DIVISION 09 - FINISHES

NORTH WINDOW ASSEMBLY08 52 00

-06 16 23

FRAMING-4x8 BEAM06 11 00.L6

2X8 HANGERLU28ADJUSTABLE HANGERLSSU210

05 05 23 1/4" STEEL PLATE

FRAMING- FLOOR JOSITS06 11 00.G7

1-1/2" ROUND RAIL06 43 00.C2

DIVISION 08 - OPENING

FLOORING MATERIALS09 64 19

SOUTH BI-FOLD (4 PANEL) DOOR:08 35 13.13

3/8" 3.5" LAG SCREW06 05 23.B1

3/8" 3.5" LAG SCREW06 15 13

6X10 LAMINATE VENEER LUMBER06 18 13.A12

10" LAG SCREW06 05 23 B0

AND COMPOSITIONS

ROOF SHEATING

Protection

NANAWALL

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A

B

C

D

E

LOT NUMBER:

DRAWN BY:

CHECKED BY:

COPYRIGHT:

CONSULTANTS

NONE




SCI-ARC / CALTECH

RF

#402

DATE: 03.22.2011

SUBMISSIONS:






CHIP 2011




REVISIONS:



3/25

/201

1 12

:40:

19 P

M

A-311

WALL SECTIONS

REFERENCE KEYNOTES

202

101

201

1/4" = 1'-0"PLANS

4' 8'0 2'

5'-0

3 _ 4"

6'-9

3 _ 4"

2'-1

11 _ 4"

7'-1

1 _ 4"

11'-0" 1'-11"

3'-0

"9

1 _ 4"

6'-7 1_2 "

5'-9 1_2 "

3'-0"

5'-11"

111_

2"

9'-10"

1'-0"

7'-1

1 _ 2"

3'-6

1 _ 4"

1'-3

3_4 "3'-1

3_4 "2'-8

1_2 "

1'-8

"

4'-0

"

5'-3

1_4 "

2'-111_2"

21'-4"

18

'-6

3 _ 4"

12'-1

01_4 "

3'-0

"

12'-51_

4"

18

'-4

3 _ 4"

11'-01_4"

2'-7

"5

'-0

"5

'-8

3 _ 4"

10'-33_4"

31_2"4"

1. SEE SHEET L-102 FOR DECK DETAILS

1. DIMENSIONS (ON THIS SHEET ONLY) DRAWN TOPARTITION WALLS ARE TO FACE OF STUD.

A1

301

A4

C4

A-213

A

31

A-213

2

1

1

A2

D4A4

C1

A-213

A3

D3

A-211

2

301

BATHROOM

401

DRESSING

402

LAUNDRYROOM

202

KITCHEN

201

101

LIVINGROOM

A-301

A2

A-202

A1

A-202

C1

A-201

C1

A-201

A1

UP

A-301

A2

DECKAREA

102

302

GROOMING

RAMPDOWN

RAMPDOWN

UP

C

DINING

FOF +10'-1 1/4"

FOF +7'-1 1/4"

FOF +5'-1 1/4"

FOF +2'-7"

FOF +1'-7"

FOF +1'-7"

B

501

BED LEVEL

1

FOF

FOF

FO

S

FO

S

FOF +2'-7"

FOF +2'-7"

2

2. SEE SHEET L-103 FOR RAMP DETAILS

EXIT

ENTER

2. THE GRID "B" IS THE LINE OF ROTATION FORROOF.

4R@

7 1_2 "=30"

3T@10"=

30"

4R@

71_2 "=

30"

3T@10"=

30"

C.1

FOS

FO

S

FOF

3. THE GRID "C.1" IS THE AXIS OF ROTATION FORCANTILEVER EXTERIOR ENVELOPE.

3. LINE OF OVERHANG CABINETS ABOVE, TYP.

4. LINE OF REMOVABLE CABINETS, TYP.

REF

DW

A-302

C3

A-302

C3

5

5

5. =LINE OF ELEVATION CHANGE, TYP.

3

4

N

1

31 2

FO

SFO

S

FO

S

A

C

B

FOF

FOF

FOF

C.1 FOS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A

B

C

D

E

LOT NUMBER:

DRAWN BY:

CHECKED BY:

COPYRIGHT:

CONSULTANTS

NONE




SCI-ARC / CALTECH

RF

#402

DATE: 03.22.2011

SUBMISSIONS:






CHIP 2011




REVISIONS:



3/25

/201

1 12

:39:

02 P

M

A-111

PLAN

GENERAL SHEET NOTES

REFERENCE KEYNOTES

SHEET NOTES

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A

B

C

D

E

LOT NUMBER:

DRAWN BY:

CHECKED BY:

COPYRIGHT:

CONSULTANTS

NONE




SCI-ARC / CALTECH

RF

#402

DATE: 03.22.2011

REVISIONS:






CHIP 2011

BURO HAPPOLD CONSULTINGENGINEERS, INC.9601 JEFFERSON BLVD. STE BCULVER CITY, CA 90232.TEL: 310.945.4800

3/25

/201

1 12

:42:

01 P

M

G-001

PROJECT COVER

PROJECT INFORMATION:PROJECT NAME: CHIP 2011

LOCATION: NATIONAL MALL, WEST POTOMAC PARKWASHINGTON DC

OCCUPANCY: R-RESIDENTIAL

CONSTRUCTION TYPE: TYPE V

BUILDING DESCRIPTION: NEW SINGLE STORY MODULE DWELLING

MAX BUILDING HT: 18'-0"

DESIGN TEAM: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE960 EAST 3RD STREETLOS ANGELES, CA 90013

CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY1200 EAST CALIFORNIA BOULEVARDPASADENA, CA 91125

PROJECT MANAGER: REED FINLAYCOMMUNICATIONS MANAGER: ELISABETH NEIGERT

CHIP’S ARCHITECTURAL CONCEPT IS DRIVEN BY THE TWO SIDES OF THE SUSTAINABLE LIVING EQUATION:ENERGY PRODUCTION AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION. CHIP’S DESIGN IS BOTH RESPONSIVE TO THE SUN INITS ORIENTATION AND MASSING, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY EXPRESSING THE PERFORMATIVE DUTIES OF ITSENVELOPE WITH RESPECT TO ENERGY CONSERVATION.

THE MOST SINGULAR FEATURE OF THE DESIGN IS CHIP’S UNIQUE EXTERIOR ENVELOPE STRATEGY: A SKINAND INSULATION ASSEMBLY WHICH TURNS CONVENTIONAL WISDOM ON ITS HEAD, WEARING ITS THERMALPERFORMANCE “ON ITS SLEEVE”. SEPARATING THE STRUCTURAL MEMBERS FROM THE INSULATING LAYER,AND WRAPPING THE INSULATION ASSEMBLY IN A FLEXIBLE VINYL MEMBRANE, GIVES CHIP A AN EXTERIORENVELOPE WITH THE EXTREMELY HIGH R-VALUES NECESSARY FOR A NET-ZERO HOUSE, AT ASIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED COST, WHILE INDEXING THIS PERFORMANCE IN ITS PHYSICAL APPEARANCE.

CHIP’S MASSING BEGINS AS A PRIMITIVE BOX, WHICH IS THEN FACETED IN SEVERAL DIMENSIONS: FIRST, INORDER TO NEGOTIATE BETWEEN AN OPTIMAL ROOF ANGLE FOR YEAR-ROUND SOLAR ENERGYCOLLECTION, AND A COMFORTABLE, VAULTED INTERIOR SPACE. FURTHER FACETING OF THE PRIMITIVESHAPE SHRINKS AND TORQUES THE PLAN TO MINIMIZE THE BUILDING’S FOOTPRINT ON THE EXTERIOR,WHILE ACCOMMODATING THE PROGRAMMATIC NEEDS OF THE OCCUPANT ON THE INTERIOR.

CHIP’S FLEXIBLE, STEPPED INTERIOR ADOPTS THE ETHIC OF DOING-MORE-WITH-LESS, ALLOWING A SINGLE,CONTINUOUS VOLUME TO PERFORM IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO SERVE THE OCCUPANTS DAILYNEEDS. THE PROGRAM IS DIVIDED INTO A SERIES OF PLATFORMS WHICH ARE TERRACED UPWARDS ANDINWARDS, FROM MOST PUBLIC TO MOST PRIVATE. THE DISTRIBUTION OF PROGRAM FROM NORTH-TO-SOUTH, AND HIGH-TO-LOW, FACILITATES THE OCCUPANTS’ DAILY RHYTHMS: A PROGRESSION DOWNHILL INTHE MORNING, -BED/GROOM/DRESS/EAT/LIVE/WORK- AND VICE VERSA IN THE EVENING.

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS DESIGN SUMMARY

THE HVAC AND WATER SYSTEMS MAXIMIZE ENERGY SAVINGS OVER A TYPICAL YEAR OF OPERATION INCALIFORNIA WHILE LEVERAGING THERMAL SYNERGY BETWEEN THE TWO SYSTEMS. IN THE HOUSE’SDESIGN CLIMATE, THE LARGE MAJORITY OF HVAC LOADS ARE MANIFESTED IN COOLING LOADS. THE COREOF THE SYSTEM IS A THERMAL STORAGE WATER TANK THAT ACTS AS BOTH A THERMAL MASS AND A HEATTRANSFER MEDIUM. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH HEAT CAPACITY OF WATER, THE THERMAL MASS EFFICIENTLYEXTRACTS HEAT FROM THE HVAC SYSTEM WITH A MINIMUM OF ENERGY USE. IN ADDITION, THE HEATEDTHERMAL MASS PREHEATS THE DOMESTIC HOT WATER, THUS MAXIMIZING THE COMBINED EFFICIENCY OFTHE TWO SYSTEMS. IN ADDITION, THE HVAC SYSTEM MAKES USE OF SIMPLE, CHEAP, YET COST-EFFECTIVETECHNOLOGIES THAT REDUCE ENERGY USE BY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CALIFORNIA CLIMATE.ECONOMIZERS AND WHOLE-HOUSE FANS SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE COOLING DEMAND IN THE SUMMERAND IMPROVE OCCUPANT COMFORT AT MINIMAL COST AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION.

DESIGN NARRATIVE

CHIP'S STRUCTURAL DESIGN STRIKES A BALANCE BETWEEN THE UNIQUE GEOMETRIES OF CHIP'S MASSINGAND THE DECATHLON'S AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS. AS WITH OTHER DESIGN ELEMENTS IN THEPROJECT, THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN SEEKS TO ACCOMPLISH ITS OBJECTIVES (A SIMPLE MODULARASSEMBLY WHICH ENABLES THE APPEARANCE OF A SEAMLESS UNIFORM BUILDING) IN A ROBUST, LOW-TECH FASHION, USING AS MANY ELEMENTS FROM TYPE V CONSTRUCTION AS POSSIBLE. ADDITIONALLY,WE HAVE WORKED IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR CONSULTANTS AT BURO HAPPOLD TO REDUCEREDUNDANT AND UNNECESSARY STRUCTURE FROM TYPE V ASSEMBLIES WHERE POSSIBLE IN ORDER TODELIVER A LIGHTER, MORE EFFICIENT BUILDING. THE RESULT IS A UNIQUE PROJECT WHICH USES EVERY-DAY CONSTRUCTION METHODS TO LOWER THE OVERALL COST OF CONSTRUCTION AND TRANSPORT,WHILE ENABLING A STABLE PLATFORM FOR THE PROJECT'S OTHER ENGINEERING AND DESIGN ELEMENTS.

STRUCTURAL DESIGN SUMMARY

BOTTOM OFFRAMING

9 1/2"


GRADE LEVEL0"

MODULE SPLIT10'-1 1/4"

A

S-301

A4

H

S-503

BC

06 11 00.F19

06 11 00.G14

06 11 00.G706 18 13.A10

06 18 13.A8

06 18 13.A7

06 11 00.L1

06 18 13.A8

06 11 00.L1

11

11

11

2

06 18 13.A10

05 05 23.I0

06 18 13.A12

05 05 23.A3

05 50 00

23

06 18 13.A10

05 05 23.A3

06 18 13.A12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A

B

C

D

E

LOT NUMBER:

DRAWN BY:

CHECKED BY:

COPYRIGHT:

CONSULTANTS

NONE




SCI-ARC / CALTECH

RF

#402

DATE: 03.22.2011

SUBMISSIONS:






CHIP 2011




REVISIONS:



3/25

/201

1 12

:54:

20 P

M

S-301

FRAMING SECTION

GENERAL SHEET NOTES

REFERENCE KEYNOTES05 05 23.A3 3/4" A307 BOLT05 05 23.I0 1/4" STEEL PLATE05 50 00 METAL FABRICATIONS06 11 00.F19 2X6 RAFTERS @ 16" O.C.06 11 00.G7 2X8 JOISTS @ 24" O.C.06 11 00.G14 2X8 RAFTERS @ 24" O.C.06 11 00.L1 4X406 18 13.A7 4X4 LAMINATE VENEER LUMBER06 18 13.A8 4X6 LAMINATE VENEER LUMBER06 18 13.A10 4X10 LAMINATE VENEER LUMBER06 18 13.A12 6X10 LAMINATE VENEER LUMBER

3/8" = 1'-0"C1 SECTION FACING EAST

1 1/2" = 1'-0"A1 MODULE CONNECTION AT RIDGE BEAM 1 1/2" = 1'-0"A4 RIDGE BEAM CONNECTION TO WALL

0 4' 6'2'

0 1' 1 1/2'1/2" 0 1' 1 1/2'1/2"

SHEET NOTES11 SHEETED23 3/4" WELDED STUD

[AS

]_C

HIP

’DD

0 1/2' 1' 2'

0 1/2' 1' 2'

06 05 23.J29

06 05 23.J29

07 21 16

13 31 33

06 16 00.D6

06 16 00.D10

06 11 00.G7

05 05 23.I0

05 05 23.A2

06 11 00.L6

07 21 16

06 16 00.D10

06 11 00.G7

06 11 00.L6

05 05 23.A206 11 00.G7

05 05 23.I0

06 16 00.D10

07 21 16

06 16 00.D10

06 43 00.C2

2" = 1'-0"FLOOR SECTION

2" = 1'-0"FLOOR SECTION

1/2" = 1'-0"PV MOUNTING DETAIL

0 4' 8' 16'

26 31 00

26 31 00.A1

05 05 23.A1

05 05 23.A2

05 12 69.K6

05 50 00

13 31 33

07 21 13

06 16 00.D10

06 05 23.E7

06 11 00.G14

06 05 23.J29

07 21 16.A10

06 16 00.D6

06 05 23.B0

06 11 00.A01

06 11 00.L6

06 05 23.J29

06 16 00.D10

06 11 00.G7

06 16 00.D10

06 11 00.L6

06 11 00.G7

A1

C1

B4

DIVISION 05 - METALS

05 12 69.K6 2" STEEL PIPE2" STEEL HALF BATTEN PIPE CLAMP05 50 00

DIVISION 06 - WOOD, PLASTICS, AND

06 05 23.E7 1/4" LAG SCREWLU28 2X8 JOIST HANGER06 05 23.J29

2X8 FLOOR JOIST06 11 00.G7

DIVISION 07 - THERMAL AND

07 21 13 RIDGED INSULATIONBATT INSULATION07 21 16

DIVISION 13 - SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION13 31 33 CONTINUOUS VINYL COATED

DIVISION 26 - ELECTRICAL26 31 00 PV PANELS

IRON RIDGE ALUMINUM EXTRUSION26 31 00.A1

FRAMING RAFTERS06 11 00.G144X8 FRAMING BEAM06 11 00.L6

05 05 23.A1 3/16" 24X2 HEX BOLTS1/4" 20X1-1/4" HEX BOLTS05 05 23.A2

06 16 00.D6 1/2" PLYWOODUNDERSIDE AND ROOF SHEATHING06 16 00.D10FRAMING RAFTERS06 11 00.G41-1/2" ROUND RAIL06 43 00.C2

10" LAG SCREW06 05 23.B0

BLOCKING06 11 00.A01

05 05 23.I0 1/4 STEEL PLATE

COMPOSITES

MOISTURE PROTECTION

POLYESTER MEMBRANE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

A

B

C

D

E

LOT NUMBER:

DRAWN BY:

CHECKED BY:

COPYRIGHT:

CONSULTANTS

NONE




SCI-ARC / CALTECH

RF

#402

DATE: 03.22.2011

SUBMISSIONS:






CHIP 2011




REVISIONS:



3/25

/201

1 12

:41:

04 P

M

A-321

DETAILS

GENERAL SHEET NOTES

REFERENCE KEYNOTES

SHEET NOTES

Parties Involved_ Elisabeth Neigert Fei Yang Reed Finlay Brain Zentmyer Scott Davis Ann Epstein Doug Caldwell

Dwayne Oyler Melany Hunt Phil Lee Richard Murray Wes Jones Anders Fuentes Valentin Florescu Wilson

Chang Andrew Gong Ben Kurtz Cole Hershkowitz Ka Suen Sam Jones Adam Dunn Catherine Caldwell Chuy

Le Geoffrey April Hyungbin Im Michael Piscitello Mike Nesbit Paul Cambon Robert Gilson Giovanna

Orozco Harris Silver Jaques Lesec Jane Suthigoseeya Joel Ochs Lanna Semel Nathan Meyers Rachel Perez Bitan

Rinaldo Perez Robert Cardenas Hima Hassenruck-Gudipati Judy Mou Richard Wang Sara Ahmed Zeke Millikan

[AS

]_C

omm

unic

atio

ns

Looking back at the Fall of 2010 reveals the competitive nature

of the team. Embracing the idea of a soft exterior, the studio

sought to both embellish and control the degree of softness the

exterior exhibits, and soon, a tufting strategy arose to the fore-

front. It became clear, though, this articulated soft facade had no

counterpoint, since no other proposals had been presented. That

blight was soon corrected. The studio split in half, with each team

tackling their proposals at full scale on the fresh mock up. Through

the weeks of October and November, each team worked endlessly

to learn to manipulate the fabric exterior, producing the wanted

effects. It was not long before the house procured this Jekyll

and Hyde attitude. Half of the house, seemingly inspired by the

triangulated surfaces of a jet fi ghter, pointed to both the horizons

and the sky, its fabric skin taut against an auxiliary frame. It was

a seriously impressive feat to achieve such tightness and control

with the fabric. Typically, fabric carries with it small irregularities that

create creases, crinkles, or ripples when pulled taught, especially

Spring 2011

Ann Epstein

Teammate_

Solar Decathlon

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those fabrics that are inelastic in both directions. This

condition, or the tectonics of the fabric, did not affect

the puffy side, though. Their scheme, which employs

a soft exterior, illustrates a new idea in the expres-

sion of a house’s insulation. An early problem was the

articulation of the fabric on the skin. When fl at against

the insulation, those small imperfections stood out as

glaring disobediences to the intention. However, once

the skin was tensioned through a tuft, the disobedi-

ence disappeared, as the fabric reorganized itself to

the new condition. In the end, the puffy side remained

victorious through its true intentions, and clear logic in

both tectonic and material. The team has now come

together to embrace and lust after the puffy side,

with many visions of its possible fi nal iteration being

subjected to the scrutiny of an infl ux of new students.

2011 promises to be a phenomenal year.

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Make your own CH:IP 2011

it’s a pull toy!

it’s a football!!

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Make CH:IP your own! Parties Involved_ Elisabeth Neigert Fei Yang Reed Finlay Brain Zentmyer

Scott Davis Ann Epstein Doug Caldwell Dwayne Oyler Melany Hunt Phil

Lee Richard Murray Wes Jones Anders Fuentes Valentin Florescu Wil-

son Chang Andrew Gong Ben Kurtz Cole Hershkowitz Ka Suen Sam

Jones Adam Dunn Catherine Caldwell Chuy Le Geoffrey April Hyungbin

Im Michael Piscitello Mike Nesbit Paul Cambon Robert Gilson Giovanna

Orozco Harris Silver Jaques Lesec Jane Suthigoseeya Joel Ochs Lanna Se-

mel Nathan Meyers Rachel Perez Bitan Rinaldo Perez Robert Cardenas Hima

Hassenruck-Gudipati Judy Mou Richard Wang Sara Ahmed Zeke Millikan

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In the world in which we live, there is a limited supply of natu-

ral resources. Traditional energy sources (oil, coal, gas) are fi nite.

These sources are rapidly increasing carbon dioxide emissions,

which leads to global warming. We are in a critical time in which

society needs to make a conscious choice to switch to a more

sustainable way of life. The design, construction, and mainte-

nance of buildings have a tremendous impact on our environment

and our natural resources. All around the world, a huge amount of

buildings are being constructed with many more to be done. The

challenge will be to build them smart with a minimal usage of non-

renewable energy, minimal production of pollution, and minimal

cost of energy dollars. Other important issues in building include

increasing the comfort, health, and safety of the people who live

and work in them. Indeed, buildings consume many of the natural

resources and are responsible for many problems.

Usama Mohamed Ahmed El FekyToward Applicable Green Architecture

Fall 2010

Jeff Landreth

Illaria Mazzoleni

Teammate_

Linda Yang

Liz Von Hasslen

Kyle Von Hasslen

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1.2 Site Analysis: Solar and Shading

WINTER SOLSTICE 8 AM

WINTER SOLSTICE 12 PM

WINTER SOLSTICE 4 PM


FALL EQUINOX 8 AM

FALL EQUINOX 12 PM

FALL EQUINOX 4 PM


SUMMER SOLSTICE 8 AM

SUMMER SOLSTICE 12 PM

SUMMER SOLSTICE 4 PM

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The initial design proposed to test the structural potential of an

aggregate of catenary curves formed from resin-coated fi berglass

strand draped from a sequence of escalating heights. The form

of a staircase suggested the structure should support the weight

of a person. The treads were initially designed as a single sheet

of formed fi berglass fabric. This was abandoned as it appeared

unlikely that this surface would allow suffi ciently secure

connection points for the strands. A 1” thick grid of corrugated

cardboard strips was integrated into the proposal. The hanging

strands were abandoned in favor of a design in which the strand is

woven between two surfaces. The upper surface is a corrugated

cardboard tread laminated with a layer of fi berglass. The strands

are connected to a matrix of hooks below. This allows for a

network of strands in tension, that maintain rigidity once the resin

is set. The density of the strands allowed for a high amount of

weight to be distributed along the stairs, much like a balloon

framing system in homes.

Spring 2010

Rob Lay

Matthew Melnyk

Teammate_

Sarah Blahut

Courtney Morris

Youngmin Im

Alan Silay

Steve Chien

Paul Stoelting

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Giulio Iacchetti is a self-made industrial designer who has

contributed much more to the profession than just household products.

Strolling up to his white offi ce, two icons let you know the body of a

creative resides within; a white Citroen 2CV and an old Vespa. Born

October of 1966, he pursued an education at Milan’s polytechnic

in Architecture. Since 1992, Iacchetti has run his own successful

Industrial Design fi rm exploring new typologies while maintaining an

active professorship at numerous institutions, both local and abroad.

Like a true entrepreneur, he made his own luck when breaking into

the fi eld. With a design for a door handle, Iacchetti set off looking for

local manufactures that would produce said design. Truth be told, the

manufacturer he chose was based on proximity, for it was the Citroen

2CV he was driving there. The rest is published history.

When fi rst looking at Giulio Iacchetti’s work, it comes across

as playful and simplistic. His designs are very intentional, and both

the lines and the concepts are boiled down to their essentials.

Biodegradable utensils? Well, not as simple as one thinks. The idea

Summer 2011

Elena Manferdini

Illaria Mazzoleni

of fl at, biodegradable, inset utensils was revolutionary

in 2001, enough so that MOMA New York added

“Moscardino” to his permanent collection and he, with

co-designer Matteo Ragni, won the Compasso d’Oro.

One of his most lasting pieces exemplifi es the intense

thought, conceptual development and social commentary

he is able to achieve in his work. To some, an interesting

juicer; others, though, know the real story. Shaped like St.

Peter’s Basilica with a copula as the squeezer is a blatant

commentary on the church squeezing money from born

and bred Italians. Though prominently of local appeal and

understanding, Iacchetti prefers those designs that have a

global audience, such as his line of

Moleskin products.

Iacchetti has not only contributed timeless designs to

the world of Industrial Design, but he was responsible for

re-invigorating professional collaboration and democratic

design. Unsatisfi ed with the behind closed door policies

of he and his peers, in conjunction with the high price for

design, he sought to begin a program where collaboration

was both cherished and allowed for affordable products.

Thus spawned the ‘Design alla Coop’ project. A total

of twenty designers created everyday products and

became so successful, the effort led to ‘Eureka Coop’.

For the fi rst time, products of design created for people

and their homes were distributed through supermarkets.

In 2009, the project won the Premio dei Premi. With the

profession once again collaborating together, the sky is

the limit for what they will contribute to the world of

design next.

GA: How has being in Milan shaped your work as

an industrial designer?

GI: I see two major elements that create a special

environment for designers in Milan. The fi rst is the strong

connection between industrialization and design. Through

the reality of industrialization, there arises a phenomenon

called district networks. The glass district is Venice and

the Veneto, marble from Tuscany, Automobile Design in

Turin, ceramic tiles in Modena. There are expertise and

masters of industry in all these districts. The other reason

why design in Italy is so successful is because Italians,

as a culture, as used to problem solving. We are living in

a society where instability is the norm. As Italians, we are

able to fi nd beauty within the limits of the resources we

have. After World War II, Italy was coming out of the war

without any resources, which only strengthened Italians

need to make something out of very little. An example of

this is not something from my own work, but from that

of my teacher and a designer whom I respect, Enzo

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Mari. Out of necessity, Enzo Mari would always produce

products that were simple and functional. He was one of

the fi rst designers to work under the philosophy of making

something of incredible beauty out of very little. This is

where the idea of Italian design as deliberate moves, free

from excess comes from.

GA: How was technology infl uenced your

design process?

GI: I am tempted to tell you that nothing has changed

from when I did the door handle to now. I still work solely

with hand drawings. I sketch by hand and then I pass

it to the people in the offi ce for them to implement in

Rhino. I am the originator of the sketch, though. When

designing by technology, using Rhino or 3D max, you

end up designing what you can, not what you want. This

is not an issue about being against technology. In fact

I love technology. It is just that I am able to draw either

on paper or on my iPad exactly what I want. Technology

has an advantage for production, though, because it is

very fast. All of these products done by Enzo Mari were

done in a time in history where there were no computers.

Doing a prototype of a complex shape would take a

model maker over a week to do, whereas now I can

have a 3D print of the model in a few hours. Also, for

instance, when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, I

was able to make a fl ag on my iPad that combined both

the Japanese Flag and the Italian fl ag to show our support

and unity as Countries. Because it was on the iPad, I was

able to email it immediately to the industry as a sign of our

support. Technology is just a tool, though, not the end of

design.

Three dimensionality is best left to be solved in your mind

and with your hand.

GA: Does the intelligence in design transcend

scale?

GI: I do not believe that scalarity is always possible.

Historically, industrial design used to look at architecture

for inspiration, but it seems we are now at a point in

architecture where architects are looking at objects to

infl uence their projects. There is a sketch that I really love.

It’s a coffee pot for Alessi, but the shape of the coffee

pot comes from the Duomo Novara. This refl ects Aldo

Rossi interest in the miniaturization of architecture into a

product. I am critical of the opposite fl ow of design, where

architects take an object and scale it up.

GA: What role does narrative play in your design?

GI: Everything that could be done has been done in

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design already. What we do now is make connections

from objects to objects, or objects to cultures. This is how

the narrative is created. There is a project I care deeply

about for its narrative. It is a sheet of stamps, and I took

out the shape of the cross from the stamps. The cross

is a very interesting symbol because there is no other

symbol that is both simple in form yet deeply passionate.

With the stamps, the design is about taking away rather

than adding. The person that is on the stamp is a judge

that has been killed. I know the place in Milan where he

was killed. I have a passion for places where history has

happened. By taking away 9 stamps on the sheet, it

symbolizes the loss of the judge and also illustrates the

sacrifi ce of this person for the wellness of the country. The

son of the judge called me personally to thank me about

this project. For me, the real ethic content of design is the

symbol of, rather, the evocative power of design and not

only the form. The concept comes fi rst, the form follows

that. The evocative power of the content is the most

important thing.

GA: What is the role of social ethic in design?

GI: Yes, social agenda is really part of design. In this

project by Enzo Mari, the point was to avoid the necessity

of a hinge. Installing a hinge on this bowl would have

been a bad job for a worker to do. The social agenda

of the object goes beyond the consumer to reach the

manufacturer. There is a fi ne line between social ethic and

socialism. Usually the designer is a left wing intellectual,

the concept and the message in the project has always

been a part of design. The problem is those fi rst so called

democratic designs had a price point that was out of

reach for most people.

GA: What is the role of politics in Design?

GI: Zero.

Th is map is displaying the disbursement of male age groups, 0-32, 33-37, and 37-84. Th is becomes an indication of where single males, married males , and married males with families reside within the city limits. Typically, families seem to located themselves on the periphery, whereas single men are more central.

By displaying the % of white populations, the diversity of Colorado Springs can be interpreted. Firstly, Colorado Springs is a very white city, with only one zone where it may be less than 73%. Th at zone is around central Colorado Springs, a place where I would assume is the lowest income bracket.

BY measuring the Median House Hold income, one can understand the socioeconomic map of Colorado Springs. Here, we can see that the lowest income bracket is surrounding downtown, where it is also the most diverse portion of the city. Th e highest income brackets are on the permitter of the city, indicative of families and commuting parents.

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Los Angeles as a city is a wonderful place, physically and culturally.

A melting pot of style, infl uence, and personality, it comes off as a no

bars, anything goes town. Creativity is king, pragmatics not so much.

How else would you describe a city whose only way of transport is the

car and is known better for Lindsay Lohan’s latest missteps than the

majestic orange groves that once rules this territory?

To appropriately pay homage to the clear materiality of LA, because

image is everything here, W2 becomes a statement of the fl uid ebb and

fl ow this city. Rising high from the ground, it becomes a pure statement

of rebellion against the sprawl of the city. The fi rst six fl oors within this

tower are retail mall, a place of Herculean history. Vertically from there

appears offi ces, a hotel, and fi nally, residential units that offer the world to

it’s inhabitants for a typically exorbitant price price of entry. W2 ushers in

a new era of town centers, because it becomes the town itself.

Fall 2010

David Bergman

Teammate_

Linda Yang

w1

crisped edge

geoffrey april

threads and needles

weight loss america

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office space

the contents of the world

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Architecture, thus far, has maintained a deep relationship with

tectonics in the sense that each has been infl uential in the others reality.

Though continuing in much the same way today, the introduction of

digital design and media has cemented a rift between the two entities.

Understanding the evolution of tectonic, through its varying defi nitions

and applications as the expression and realization of a construction that

is clear in its material intentions, the viral use of the computer in modern

design apparently threatens the basis for which tectonics survives,

specifi cally materiality. Though it can be evidenced as such, a more

appropriate assertion would be to evolve the defi nition of the tectonic, as

it is already malleable, to incorporate both the new form and materiality

that the digital age presents towards architecture.

Despite the dearth of material on the implications of digital design

in regards to tectonics, it is important to understand that digital design

is relatively new in respect to the standards of architectural design and

representation. Despite its infancy, two camps have clearly emerged,

defi ning both the virtual technology as a tool and the “concept of

Fall 2010

Todd Gannon

the virtual as that which is in dynamic tension with the

actual.”(Hayles, Gannon, 2) The former begins to allude to

digital design as a tool. Highly formalist, it is feared that its

lack of materiality, scale, and weight would compromise

tectonics. This is effectively assuaged by the realization

that “architecture will never loose its materiality,”(Picon,

115) and, more importantly, that “materiality can not be

specifi ed without reference to context…”(Hayles, Gannon,

6). Understanding that materiality and its consequences

occur at its realization, design and rendering through

digital means is no different than representation by hand,

for “even the best forms of architectural representation do

not correspond fully to reality.”(Picon, 115)...

It is easy to succumb to the seduction of virtual

forms, with their lack of gravity, structure, and scale.

Yet, when it comes time to realize a project, the gap

between the fl uidity of the virtual work and the weight of

reality is more evident than ever. A look at any of Frank

Gehry’s Catia designed buildings illustrates this discrep-

ancy, where the formal nature of the building has little

correspondence to its structural considerations. This

a-tectonic expression has been countered by some

who have sought to balance the line between form and

tectonics more delicately. A look at the entries for the

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Yokohama Port Terminal reveals entries which bridge

the gap between the new single surface form, and the

age-old defi nition of tectonics. The winning submission by

FOA is perceived as an application of both free form and

tectonics, revealing the “tension between the fl uidity of the

original design and the technologies mobilized to realize

it.”(Picon, 117) The uniform surfaces in the virtual realm

must be treated with a materiality, and specifi cally, the ne-

gotiation of its construction regarding seams and texture.

In this application, which in essence is a long span roof,

the fl exible surfaces are treated as slabs, yet adhere to

plan symmetry, yielding a “globally monolithic typology that

is locally fl exible for its transitions from slab to slab.” (Lynn,

3) Though a monolithic typology, the implementation of

a Beaux Arts organization allows for a reading of parts,

despite the free form section, undermining the formal ef-

fect of a single surface. This appears to be a concession

made in order to maintain functions within the space itself,

or space as we currently defi ne it. If space, though, were

to be redefi ned, would the redefi nition of tectonics

also ensue?...

Moving beyond single surface modeling, digital

design is challenging the static convention of space.

While single surface modeling and its blob revealed a

much greater interest in formal affect and atmosphere,

the forms were merely designed digitally, and realized

statically. The digital world had yet to coexist with the

physical world simultaneously. This coexistence, ren-

dered in physicality would display the new tectonic, one

in which the assemblage and incorporation of both virtual

and physical is apparent and its mutualistic symbiosis is

clearly legible. An attempt at such a relationship can be

seen in Diller and Scofi dio’s Blur Building for the Swiss

Expo. Justifi ed as an experiment in the “construction of

de-emphasis,” (Diller, Scofi dio, 184), Diller and Scofi dio

eschew traditional formal interventions, instituting instead

an architecture of atmosphere. Achieved through the

use of mist to blanket the building in a layer of fog, the

space becomes formless, deapthless, and scaleless,

while simultaneously reducing the reliance on the built

form as a decipherable system of understanding. Visual

and audible codifi cations replaced architectural cues,

and were to be controlled by not only the users of the

physical site, but users of the virtual website as well. It

was designed to have cameras monitor the weather, and

change the density of the mist accordingly, thus creat-

ing a responsive and adaptable system. This fl uid motion

system, though occupying both the virtual and physical

world, can not escape the notion of gimmickry. Regard-

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ity that they lacked, or as deep as having morphological

structures changing depending on user data, allowing for

an continually evolving volume. Semantics of the future

projection aside, it is the defi nition of tectonics that needs

to be redefi ned to incorporate the new digital realm, rather

than the digital realm adapt to an antiquated defi nition of

tectonics.

less, the mist is able to achieve what the blob is meant to

achieve, an ambiguous form type that slowly incorporates

its surroundings, yet because mist is immaterial, it lacks

any material affect that can implicate the future of built

morphopological form.

The embodiment of tectonics within the built

form, to date, has relied on the physical materialization of

form. The methods of construction and selection of mate-

rial are those responsible for the tectonic understanding

of the built form. However, as we approach an emphasis

on form and fl uid surfaces, either tectonics as an entity

has failed to materialize any greater understanding, or the

notion of fl uid surfaces has become static in the moment

of realization. Diller and Scofi dio experimented with the

coexistence of both digital and physical worlds of infl u-

ence and habitation, though the resultant was not solidly

grounded in architecture. Regardless, this illustrates the

future of tectonics as a mediation of both physical and vir-

tual worlds, much like the mediation of gravitational forces

or material changes. By developing tectonics within this

new confi ne, a whole new fi eld of architecture begins to

open up, as architects begin to think about the interaction

and mediation of the virtual and physical domains. This

tectonic could be expressed as simply digital projections

onto buildings that offer them a rendered dimensional-

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It is apparent that the current trend in architecture is based upon

theoretical innovation. Deformation, augmentation, scripting have all

become commonplace, where technical means and outputs are at the

forefront of design. The hyper-architects creating these formal scenarios

defend themselves and their forms, with technical processes and

evolution of past work becoming their only allies. How has the defi nition

of architecture been manicured so as to displace emotive and guttural

designs to sculpture? Furthermore, can architecture and sculpture exist

simultaneously in a built work? Lastly, why are those practicing under the

realm of spirituality and the metapoetic brushed aside like cigarette butts

on a streets edge?

Argentinean born architect Emilio Ambasz has done a

commendable job staying true to his ideologies and passions of form

and nature throughout his tenure, which began in the late 1970’s.

Not succumbing to come and go styles, Ambasz created a brand for

himself that is all but uniform and diffi cult to classify within the modern

movement throughout the 20th century. Filling architectural voids with

Spring 2010

Dora Epstein Jones

wonder, mysticism, and myth making, Ambasz uses

architecture as a medium for exploring space and time.

He focuses on a solution to boundary of a site, seeking to

create coexistence between man and nature. His highly

emotive and metaphoric forms are superlatively natural,

creating a catalyst in which environmental redemption

may take place. Emilio Ambasz truthfully has built upon

the precedents and ideals of the infl uential fi gures that had

preceded him, including those of Le Corbusier, Luis Bar-

ragan, and Giovanni Muzio, and has developed and built

upon his own ideals and values.

It has been noted that Emilio Ambasz’s work tran-

scends classifi cation. This is a dubious claim, for Emilio

can be classifi ed as a post-modernist. Even though his

works may not be in the same stylistic category, each is

capable of being classifi ed within the realm of the 20th

century modern movement. Infl uenced by artists, such as

Robert Smithson and Luis Barragan, Ambasz fl ourished

as a designer, turning to fables, rituals, mysticism, his-

tory, nature, and the artifi cial for insight to the world that

has been and the world to come. In doing so, Ambasz

sought to turn back to the primitive, as Le Corbusier

had done, prioritizing innovation over invention. It is in this

context that Ambasz was able to carry out his surrealist

development of the landscape, utilizing architectural meth-

ods, such as masses which give the illusion as to being

hollow in the center, within and around his constructions.

Ambasz’s structures are unusual because they rarely sit

on the ground. Rather, the earth is shaped around them,

enveloping them to create a womb like atmosphere

where nature and man can intimately react. This is the

scenario where the depths of Ambasz metaphors and

naturalistic declarations are most prominent and poetic

narration of form and myth climax.

Ambasz’s 1975 design for Casa de Retiro

Espiritual epitomizes his early postmodern philosophies.

Designed as a casual retreat from the surrounding world,

Casa de Retiro Espiritual was responding to the chaos

of the 1960’s and 1970’s. The retreat is reduced to the

utmost pure form; two vertical white walls situated at right

angles to one another with an ornate balcony at the top

overlooking the valley. The singularity of these elements

lends to a sense of ruin or reclamation by nature. This

creates mystery as to what lays beyond the walls, that

when approached, becomes highly emotive and spiritual.

A monumental staircase in triangular form descends into

a sunken patio, relaying the message of “eternal return.”

The exterior of this house is unmistakably infl uenced

by the work of Luis Barragan. Ambasz carried over the

use of planar white walls, however, increased their size,

encompassing his goal for the monumental and aiding

the illusion of a ruin. The stairs that Emilio Ambasz built in

order to ascend these large planar facades are extremely

delicate cantilevers that contain an uncanny resemblance

to those designed and used by Luis Barragan himself.

Contrasted to the monumental, planar façade, the

sunken interior is a free fl owing plan, centered around the

patio in typical Andalucían vernacular. Light penetrates

below through serpentine skylights, another compliment

to the surrounding nature. When below in the patio, the

view upwards is completely framed in, allowing only visu-

als of the clouds and sky above, similar to Luis Barra-

gan’s personal roof terrace. Aside from the metaphysical

aspects of the abode, Ambasz has created a remarkable

structure that contains misplaced pieces of a Roman

patio and a Japanese porch, which combine with new

concepts of space, fl exibility, and privacy to compose a

contemporary structure that is ingrained in the past. It is

here that the notion of man being an extension of nature

is sincerely understood.

Emilio Ambasz developed the belief that archi-

tecture should, “represent the internal and eternal move-

ment of an all encompassing planetary geology…refl ect-

ing local pulses, explosions, contractions, tempests, and

deeply welled mysteries.” To execute this belief, Ambasz

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enveloped by nature, for they reside under mounds of

earth and grass. The green roof that results from this

practice is an extension and abstraction of Le Corbusier’s

infamous roof garden. Instead of bringing the earth to the

roof, Ambasz has brought the roof to the earth, achiev-

ing a primal connection with nature rather than a place

in which nature can be admired. The exposed facades

that reluctantly ease out of the earth are the only ele-

ments which lend clues to the possible structures that lie

beneath the ground. They extend beyond the mounds,

giving illusion to a planar façade that is empty in the

middle, a typical style of western American architecture.

Two of the facades are circular, further enhancing the

notion of the structures embracing the earth. Large tree

trunks set at an angle support the facades, their lean

suggesting ruins or falling down columns. The vegetation

that is incorporated amongst the structures, whether it

be the tree trunks or the mounds of soil that cover the

structures, metaphorically express the strength of nature

and its attempt of revenge against that which is artifi cial.

This is a deliberate statement made by Ambasz, utilizing

“architectural geologies… [that] set forth the signs of

ceremony of reconciliation with Nature.”

Creating an intimate relationship between the

individual and their natural surroundings is diffi cult enough

used the Earth as a blank canvas, manipulating the soil in

order to create a total landscape bringing man and nature

together. Architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Le

Corbusier were known for their attempts at bringing man

and nature closer through the execution of the prairie style

or the use of the roof garden. Ambasz looked to them

and further evolved their ideas, seeking to not only bring

nature in, but to make it impossible to distinguish where

nature ends and man begins. When designing a private

residence in the heart of Montana, Ambasz brought the

landscape to life through the creation three separate

structures in eccentric seclusion that continually blend

themselves within the landscape, reinforcing the idea of

Earth as a garden. Through a fusion of surrealist imagery

and a post modern combination of western American

and ancient Greek infl uences, Ambasz creates a dramatic

composition of tension between nature and structure.

The tension expressed has undergone three decades

of refi ning, culminating in a serene quality, differentiating

itself from the tension created at Casa de Retrio Espiritual.

This is accomplished through his careful and thorough

use of natural elements like vines and tree trunks acting

as columns which bring nature into the façade, as well as

large windows that lighten the mass.

The structures in Montana retain a feeling of being

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to accomplish in the unpopulated forests and plains,

yet alone in the middle of a large, modern city, such as

Fukuoka, Japan. This, though, did not deter Ambasz, but

rather afforded him with an enticing challenge to which

his solution was extremely successful and revolution-

ary. Confi ned to a city plot bordering a park and a river,

Ambasz was posed with the challenge of creating the

same atmosphere of mythology, ritual, and coexistence

as seen in his other works. For his form, he chose a

stepped façade, creating a natural promenade, such as

early Egyptian stupas or Mayan temples. This promenade

was then covered with trees and shrubs, an extension of

Le Corbusier’s roof garden, which has the visual affect of

bringing the park up the front of the building. Here, locals

are not alienated from the vegetal kingdom, but rather co-

exist in harmony, inextricably linked to nature at all levels,

for each fl oor had gardens that acted as a retreat from

the modern city. Ambasz’s “Green over Gray” practice

was the pinnacle of creating an environmental culture in

which the capability to fuse ecological values with cultural

aesthetics in an urban theme was fi nally accomplished.

Nature has been reinstated, giving back the green that

has been taken away, while not jeopardizing nor restrain-

ing technological breakthroughs of the present or the

future.

Emilio Ambasz’s architectural career is littered

with revolutionary designs, each as diverse as the next.

He has capably built upon the ideals of the founding

fathers of modern architecture in a way that does not

alienate or devalue them. His strong dedication to his

revolutionary ideas culminated in strong juxtapositions of

the unfamiliar and exotic, a poet of the Earth, merely sug-

gesting what may come to be. His inexhaustible use of

metaphors, such as nature overtaking artifi cial structures

and the harmonic existence his structures retained with

their natural surroundings, resonate within our souls as we

each sense a deeper meaning of nature. Although not a

conformist to the modern movement, he does not dis-

regard past cultures, for it is intrinsic to use technologies

born by them, and he does not see technology as an

object to showcase, but rather a tool to achieve harmony.

His devotion to bringing nature and the individual together

has brought around a revolution of green architecture,

with the intent a reintegration of nature within our daily life.

While avant garde practitioners of the modern movement

concerned themselves with perfect forms of purity and

logic, creating sterile atmospheres that were purely stylis-

tic, Emilio Ambasz was on a search for a much deeper

meaning of architecture. Every one of his projects “seeks

to possess, at least, one attribute of the universe,” a goal

in which has thoroughly been achieved in each of his

works. It is important to understand that no other modern

architect sought to achieve such an intimate relationship

between man and nature, and the resurgence of nature

in everyday life, through the concepts of spirituality, tran-

scendence of time and history and myth. In this regard,

Emilio Ambasz stands alone and proud, as a true fabulist,

land poet, and spiritual leader.

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Suburban settlements are not modern phenomena to the twentieth

century. The settlement of land on the outskirt, or even beyond urban

developments, has been common practice for a multitude of

populations throughout history. This is not to infer, though, that essential

innovation within this suburban frontier has not occurred within a relevant

time frame. What is frequently referred to as Suburbia, in the present

day, is the product of the amalgamation of both Utopian ideals and

reactionary responses to social and political pressures within the

twentieth century. Occurring largely after World War II, this suburban

movement was implemented out of necessity, and gradually evolved to

create a new landscape, both socially as well as architecturally.

Suburban housing, prior to World War II, was limited to the

middle and upper class. The lower class, comprised of blue collared

workers, was relegated to tenant and row houses, where affordability

and proximity to employment were imperative. Automobiles, although

mass-produced, had not reached the lower echelon, and suburban

development entailed a family hiring a builder to construct the house

Fall 2009

Dora Epstein Jones

of their dreams. Factor in repercussions from the Great

Depression, and the emergence of a World War, and the

economic, as well as social, health of the country was

grim. The ensuing housing shortage intensifi ed with the

return of veterans from the war creating a national

dilemma. Rooms were being rented to entire families,

many of which were multigenerational. Those who did

have housing remained in suspense over its future. The

shortage was so severe, at one point Tom Martinson

recalls in his book American Dreamscape, that turning

down salaried defense jobs was a common practice, for

if families incomes increased, they would lose eligibility for

public housing, relegating them to the street. However,

with the signing of the Veterans Emergency Housing

Program and Federal Housing Act, builders and politicians

alike sought to rectify the crisis. The Veterans Emergency

Housing Program, developed under Harry Truman, was

an agenda that addressed the housing shortage by

creating a goal of one million new, low cost houses to be

built. In order to fi nance the program, the Federal

Housing Act was pushed through congress, and it

offered guaranteed loans to builders and later to

occupants with favorable mortgage terms. Thus, almost

inadvertently the premier housing scheme of the twentieth

century was created; small, economic, plywood boxes.

...In order to achieve the fi nancial and economic

goals of the housing program, an innovation in

construction technique was required. This is due to

the fact that, as Architecture for Humanity points out in

their book Design Like You Give a Damn, “ultimately,

the cost per unit of off-site manufactured housing made

most prefabricated dwellings prohibitively expensive for

those living in the economic margins.” Thus, inspired by

Henry Ford’s assembly line and infl uenced by wartime

construction practices, Levitt created his own assembly

team, which became a miracle of modern effi ciency and

standardization. Though not revolutionary in concept, its

application was thoroughly avant-garde, as Levitt brought

the construction to the site on a massive scale. Referred

to as “on site” construction, teams of specialized builders

complete specifi c tasks from house to house, much

like an assembly line worker. This allows for a greater ef-

fi ciency in construction, and Levitt was able to bypass the

Union through hiring his own workers as

subcontractors. This also allowed him to pay the

workers per house erected, rather than a salary resulting

in the desired consequence of increased productivity. In

designing the fi rst batch of houses, Levitt maximized the

geometry of the house to use a 4’x8’ sheet of gypsum

most effi ciently, and traded days of inclement weather for

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weekends or holidays. To further ensure a smooth and

well-coordinated construction process, Levitt purchased

materials from the factories, negating the need for a

middleman, effectively reducing overall cost. Levitt went

so far as to purchase stock in a California forest to ensure

constant and reliable wood as well as construct a nail

factory on site. While some may see this as eccentric,

this obsession for effi ciency allowed him to build a record

thirty six houses a day. This new building process, and

adaptations of it, quickly spread across the entirety of the

country, resulting in the now undifferentiated, continuous

housing developments.

Due to the effi ciencies in the construction process,

William Levitt was able to appraise his houses at $7500.

This extreme affordability completely transformed the

housing market, and its favorable public opinion resulted

in the tripling of the test pool, from 2000 houses to 6000

houses. The popularity and necessity was so great that

veterans were camping in front of the leasing and sales

offi ce days before the fi rst house went on the market. This

was quite literally, to them, a dream to come true.

The initial houses themselves, all variations of the

same Cape Cod, were a simple four-room layout, with

an area of approximately one thousand square feet.

Comprising of a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms,

and an unfi nished attic, the houses were the vessels of

necessity rather than objects of surplus. An essential dif-

ference in their construction, and an immensely important

factor in the affordability, was the lack of a basement. This

became yet another large cause of debate and almost

jeopardized the project, as Hempstead Township required

houses to have a basement. However, through protests

and thousands of veterans charging Hempstead Town

Hall, the requirement of a basement was amended and

foundation slabs were deemed acceptable for this ap-

plication. With all the foundation slabs being of the same

dimensions, differentiation among the houses was nearly

unperceivable. Varying setbacks, exterior colors, and

ornamentation were implemented, yet did little to disguise

identical interiors and exterior dimensions. In total for

the Cape Cod series, there were 5 variations of exterior

ornamentation that, in conjunction with varying window

and shudder arrangements, created a base line for a new

nostalgic language. Referring to what Robert Stern called

“Architecture with Memory,” Barbara Kelly in Expanding

the American Dream, illustrates that through the imple-

mentation of symbols that evoke Americas past, shud-

ders, artifi cial beamed ceilings, lattice fencing, et cetera,

a feeling of architectural comfort and stability is achieved.

Even the term Cape Cod, though applied to a house that

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does not resemble a Cape Cod, evokes within the owner

a sense of achievement and stability that was so desired

after World War II. These “Cape Cods [were] both radically

new and comfortably old.”

...From the start, Levittown was a town built by build-

ers, not architects. The fi rst series of Cape Cod’s were a

builders response to the housing shortage, and erected

in a manner emphasizing the immediacy of the situa-

tion. They were pure tools of inhabitation, affordable new

housing with a design approach focusing on construction

effi ciency and affordability rather than architectural design

or user experience. With the introduction of the Ranch

style, aesthetics and architectural language took a slightly

more prominent role, though they were clearly overshad-

owed by the economies of the development. Though

Levitt afforded the homeowner the opportunity to pick one

of fi ve styles, the differences were not architectural, but

purely decorative. Even the changes that the hom-

eowner could make to their house were mostly relegated

to the decorative aspect. Gardening, exterior colors, and

interior aesthetics have no infl uence on the massing of

the house, or an expansion. When the homeowners

did choose to expand, builders were ready with pre-

packaged kits and showrooms full of full-scale mock-ups.

Appealing to the consumer for its ease and effi ciency,

most homeowners purely shopped for an expansion that

fi t their needs. Interestingly, suddenly architects were not

necessary for housing citizens; it had now become the

privilege of the builder.

Although Levittown took away the privileges of

the architect, and substituted a knowledgeable builder, it

still merits a place in historical milestones in architectural

history and theory. Though architectural discourse is thin,

social context and the practice of building and shaping

of cities has not been the same since Levittown was fi rst

planned. Large-scale communities stretch for hundreds

of miles throughout the country and suburban planning

has reached other countries as well. Levittown was also

the fi rst time lower class housing was addressed on a

mass scale, a social problem that still plagues the world

today. Radical construction ideas coupled with econo-

mies of scale produced a development that, while being

extraordinarily profi table for the builder, sparked incredible

public interest that has sustained for decades. The drive

for evolution, stemming from both the people of the com-

munity and the physical houses themselves, are leading

to a dynamic community that, sixty years after it opened,

has created its own architectural narrative. Though not

as romantic as Classicism, Levittown is speaking to

the practical and occasionally gaudy conglomeration of

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masses intended to increase the livability of the house.

With each iteration, the houses create their own individu-

ality that is expressive of both the homeowner’s style and

need. To fi nd an original Levitt house is to travel back to a

time when four rooms was enough.

Levittown has evolved from a tract housing

development into a stable community, both architectur-

ally and socially. Arising out necessity for emergency

housing, it became the world example in new construc-

tion technologies, suburban planning, and community

life. It had no intention of becoming the poster child for

post war development, yet it fl ourished as such. There

are skeptics, who believe it was a pivotal change in the

social balance of society and that suburbia has ruined the

natural landscape. Though there may be merit to this, the

living conditions of millions of people have forever been

improved, yet unfortunately, mostly without architects.

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