collected works portfolio
DESCRIPTION
This portfolio contains three projects from graduate school at the University of Kansas and four projects from my undergraduate education from Miami University in Oxford, OH.TRANSCRIPT
Allison
COLLECTED WORKS PORTFOLIOALLISON C. WILKE
SkillsGeneral Construction, Metal Work, Welding, Wood-working
Revit, AutoCad, Sketchup Pro, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Hand Drafting, Sketching, Water Coloring, Acrylic Painting
Experience
Studio 804 - Designer - August 2015- Current
Lawrence Group - Architectural Intern - May - August 2015, May - August 2014
23rd Street Brewery - Waitress - Sept. 2014 - May 2015
Steinkellers - Waitress - Sept. 2013 - May 2014
Forney + Architecture - Architectural Intern - Dec. 2012 - March 2013
Activities
Intramural Indoor and Outdoor Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, BroomballTriathlons, Running Races, Rock ClimbingVolunteer with Saint Vincent dePaul Society
EducationUniversity of Kansas - Master of Architecture: May 2016Current Cumulative GPA: 3.96ARCH 609 KU/HNTB Sports Studio Competition Winner
Miami University, Oxford - Bachelor of Arts, Architecture: May 2014Cumulative GPA: 3.59Association of Licensed Architects Student Merit Award Awarded for exhibiting professional achievement.Potter/Maxfield/Wertz Award Awarded for excellence in design.
University of Applied Sciences, Rosenheim - Semester Abroad, Spring 2013
Visitation Academy, St. Louis - High School Diploma: May 2010
Reference
Dan Rockhill - KU Distinguished Professor - (785) 393-0747. [email protected]
Alex Ogata - KU Adjunct Professor - (816) 694-1747. [email protected]
John Weigand - Miami University Department of Architecture, Chair - (513) 529-4903. [email protected]
Jane Ann Forney - Architect - (314) 640-4447. [email protected]
Regan Henry - Associate Professor, Miami University - (513) 716-4437
Murali Paranadi - Associate Professor, Miami University - [email protected]
CONTENTS
03 Eighth Street DiversionThe objective of this project was to create a master plan and a new mixed use development for an area in downtown Lawrence, Kansas. The mixed use development called for a variety of programmatic elements, so I was challenged to propose a solution that provided the right amount of square-footage for each program as well as a building that worked well with my master plan solution and strategies.
04 Fairplay CabinThis project was a competition within my studio to design a Net-Zero Cabin for a client in Fairplay, Colorado. The client desired a cabin that would fit aesthetically with their chosen site, be able to comfortably house guests in the spring, summer and fall months, as well as generate its own energy. The project required me to think creatively about sustainable strategies, as well as how I could integrate them realistically into a building.
05 Guastavino VaultThe Guastavino Vault study was my final project for my Geometry and Architecture class. I was very fascinated by the Guastavino Vault’s ability to span great distances as well as carry tremendous amounts of load, given its thickness. Instead of using masonry tiles and mortar, I decided to test the vault’s capabilities with alternate materials. I also wanted to demonstrate that the vaults could be created from varous sorts of tiling and could spring from many configuration of ribs.
06 Der Neue OstbahnhofThis studio involved an in-depth analysis of a city of our choosing. I researched an area called Haidhausen in East Munich, Germany. The goal was to understand the genius loci of the place before designing a build-ing that the city needed. I determined that the current East Train Station in Munich did not fully serve the area functionally or aesthetically and decided to redesign a new train station in its place.
07 Message in a BottleThe original goal of this project was to create a sunshade to reduce the glare coming into the freshman studio. My partner and I developed a sunshade using only recycled materials from around our university. Although our design was not selected, it challenged the rest of our studio to use recycled materials as well. My partner and I turned our prototype sunshade into a chandelier that still hangs in the atrium of the architecture building.
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02 New Minnesota Timberwolves ArenaThis graduate level studio was a competition between teams of four to design an innovative NBA arena to enliven the downtown Minneapolis area. At the end of the semester, each team worked with a marketing team from one of Kansas City’s sports architecture firms to present our projects to a panel of reviewers. I am proud to say that our design was chosen as the winner.
01 1200 Pennsylvania LEED Platinum (Pending) ResidenceStudio 804 is a design-build program for Master of Architecture students at the University of Kansas. It is a year long program in which 18 students, along with their professor, Dan Rockhill, design and construct a building with high energy efficiency, good construction techniques as well as a clean, contemporary aesthetic. This year’s project is located in East Lawrence, Kansas.
1200 Pennsylvania Residence 01
1200 Pennsylvania Residence
Studio 804 is a year long, comprehensive educational design-build opportunity for graduate students who are entering their final year of the Masters of Architecture program in the KU School of Architecture, Design & Planning. During each academic year students enrolled in the full-time class design and construct a building of great technical sophistication, energy efficiency, and design quality. This year marks the 21st year of the program, and this project will attain our ninth LEED Platinum Certification.
This year’s project is located at 1200 Pennsylvania Street in East Lawrence, Kansas. It is a single family residence featuring a courtyard, expansive kitchen and living room, two bedrooms and two baths. At the end of the fall semes-ter, we have constructed the structure, infilled external rigid insulation, vapor & air barriers, as well as attached part of our rainscreen to the southern and western faces.
Each person carries specific roles in the project. In the beginning of the semester, we worked hard to find compa-nies that could partner with us for portions of our project. We are a non-for-profit corporation, and we rely on the partnerships and donations of many companies so that future generations of Studio 804 students can continue to enroll in the program. Companies are often willing to work with us, not only because of the tax break that they re-ceive, but because they can advertise their products first hand to a group of 18 future architects. Additionally, Studio 804 projects are widely published and our projects offer the chance for companies to showcase their products.
My initial role in the project was to design and order the windows and exterior doors for the residence. It was a huge undertaking, as we needed around 500 square feet of glazing for the project. Throughout the rest of the semester, I was involved in multiple other construction related projects. Several classmates and I experimented with concrete with the hopes of pouring concrete countertops in our kitchen and bathrooms. A colleague and I designed and fabricated a steel support system for our sliding barn doors that occur on the western and southern facades of the residence. She and I also designed and are in the process of installing a truss that will cantilever over our front porch and hold up our standing seam roof. We were responsible for several more design details throughout the house as well.
KU | Graduate Studio | Fall 2015
1200 Pennsylvania Residence Axonometric Drawing
SiteworkOur building site is located within the Historical Environs of the John and Mina Madson House at 1200 Delaware Street. This influenced several of our early design decisions - the gabled roof lines, the sizes and proportions of the windows, the barn door tracks, the standing seam roof, and many more that enabled our house to compliment the local fabric of East Lawrence. During the first week on site, we immediately bit into our contingency. A house that previously stood on our lot was demolished by caving in its foundation and basement walls, along with a decent amount of waste. Before we could even begin construction, we spent $5,000 removing around 2,500 cubic feet of material.
12TH STREET
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HOUSE1627 SQFT (GROSS)
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GARAGE352 SQFT (GROSS)
SITE INFORMATION:
RS-5 ZONING DISTRICTLOW OR MEDIUM DENSITYSINGLE FAMILY HOUSING
SET BACKFRONT - 20'SIDE EXTERIOR - 20'SIDE INTERIOR - 5'REAR - 25'
MAXIMUM BUILDING COVERAGE OF SITE - 50%
MAXIMUM IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE OF SITE - 75%
MINIMUM OUTDOOR AREA - 240 SQFT
MAXIMUM HEIGHT - 35'
DRIVEWAY MAXIMUM WIDTH - 12'
OFF STREET PARKING FOR TWO VEHICLES
COURTYARD
SITE PLAN 116"=1'-0"
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As soon as our professor, Dan Rockhill, saw that this lot was for sale, he immediately purchased it. The property is a lot and a half located on a corner, which is an extreme rarity in East Lawrence. It is located within walking distance of the Lawrence Downtown area, and has prime access to transit and schools, earning us LEED points. We took advantage of our lot size by implementing a courtyard space into our design, which as become one of our main selling points. The kitchen, the living room, and the master bedroom overlook the private, sunny outdoor space. Aside from its personal uses, it includes a bioswale, which functions as our on-site water retention basin. Water collected on the majority of the roof is funneled down under the concrete sidewalk into the bioswale.
1200 PENNSYLVANIA SITE PLAN
Pouring the Slabs After filling in the huge hole where the previous house had been, we set to work grading the site and finding an eleva-tion at which our entire 2,000 sf slab would sit a few inches above ground. Next, we laid and leveled gravel, set up form work, and installed rebar. We poured the garage slab first so that we could learn the process of screeding and finishing the concrete before moving onto the main form. The main house is an “L” shape, and we split it up into five separate sec-tions in order to keep the concrete manageable. We poured the kitchen first, along with the guest bedroom and master bedroom, and came back the next day to infill the living room and vestibule slabs. We tied each slab together with rebar and later cut in expansion joints.
FrameworkFraming the exterior walls was the next huge step in the project. One of my best friends on site was in charge of the framing plans and ordering lumber, so I helped her during the construction documents phase. We received all of our lumber, excluding the glu-lam beams, from a local company in Lawrence. Our exterior walls are 2x6’s, which when com-plete with 2 inches of rigid insulation and blown-in insulation, will attain an R-value of 30. Our 2x10 rafters with 4 inches of rigid insulation and blown insulation in the stud cavities will have an R-value of 45. The framework definitely included a lot of teamwork. We constructed each wall laid down on the slab, piecing studs together with the top and bottom plates. We “squared” the walls by pulling dimensions diagonally from opposite corners. When both dimensions matched, we sheathed the studs with 1/2” OSB to lock the studs in place. Some walls took over half of our class to stand up, and in some cases, we had to use rollers to move them into place. Once they were plumb, we tempo-rarily supported them to the ground with long 2x4’s. As adjacent walls were stood up, we locked the top plates together using smaller 2x4’s. After double-check-ing plumb-ness and square-ness of the walls, we nailed in the second top plates, extending them past the corners to secure separate walls together. Next, we installed 2x10 ceiling joists, rim boards, and finally the 2x10 rafters and 2x12 ridge beams.
Barn Door TrackOne of the main design elements that ties our house to East Lawrence are the exterior sliding barn doors that act as solar protection for the windows. We decided to use a 3x3 steel angle to support the barn door track. That steel angle had to be held out 2 inches from our wall to allow the rigid insula-tion to continue behind the track, so we designed supporting brackets to attach back to the studs. It was impera-tive that the pre-drilled pilot holes in the steel were perfectly level to one another so that when we bolted the 3x3 angle in place, it would continue across the western facade in a straight line, stretching across the vestibule to tie the two gable-end forms together. After the barn door track was installed by bolting through the top of the 3x3 angle, we covered the track with galva-nized aluminum flashing. We also had to figure out how to bring the drainage plane out past the steel brackets when the batons for the siding were installed, and we did this by piecing in more insulation between the brackets. Finally, our black VaproShield drainage plane could be applied over the face of the insulation, achieving positive drainage.
Barn Door Track Detail(Not to Scale)
Completing the Envelope
After the framing was finished, our class applied several more layers to the walls to insulate and seal the building. First, the walls were slathered in a coating of Prosoco, which is a roll-on water and air barrier. This is the butterscotch-colored material in the pictures to the bottom- left. A similar product was applied in all the window and door openings. Next, the insula-tion was applied. The roof is insulated with 4” OSB-faced Hunter Panels, and the walls are covered with 2” foil-faced Hunter Panels. Pictures to the left also show us applying Ice and Water Shield to the roof, which is the roofing under-layment which ensures that the building is water-tight. We started at the eave, working our way upwards towards the ridge, overlapping the strips of Ice and Water Shield as we went, to allow for positive drainage. We applied a similar system to the walls, although the black fabric called Vaproshield (upper-right) is more of a breathable fabric, which allows the layers beneath to dry out when they get wet.
Allison
SidingOne of my favorite parts of our project so far is our siding because it brings so much warmth and character to the house. Originally used as train trestle wood in the Pacific Northwest, it will now wrap our entire house, tornado shelter and garage, and will hopefully be featured in our interior as well. I helped to figure out the layout for the siding; we had to determine the board width, thickness, angle cut, and spacing that would enable the coursing to line up with the tops of the windows, the roof eave, and the sill flashing. The arrangement and securing of the wood has been challenging so far. The first step is turning the corners. Using a transit, we marked on the vertical batons where the coursing needed to land in order to line up with our 6’-8” window datum line. Then, we had to check to make sure the batons were perfectly level and in line with one another horizontally and square to each other because any imperfection would reveal itself in the construction of the mitered corner. We assembled template corner pieces at the top, middle, and bottom of the wall and made sure the corner tips lined up perfectly using a plumb bob. Next, we removed template pieces from one face of the wall and replaced them with a perfectly straight jig that met the remaining template pieces. From there, we were able to attach the siding pieces, knowing that they would turn the corner in a straight line. After opposite corners were construct-ed, we ran a chalk line between the courses and infilled the middle of the wall. As we assembled adjacent corners and the middle of the walls, we were careful to select boards that were similar in color and grain to the ones down the same line of coursing. The goal is to make each course to appear to be one board. I believe we have been successful, but we have only completed a few facades so far.
Installing WindowsFrom the beginning of the semester, my main job has been to design and order the windows for the project. We ended up purchasing commercial windows from a Kansan company called Peerless to help contribute to our contemporary look. They were very excited and eager to work with us and will use our project as a showcase for single family residen-tial projects. Each room in our house was designed with natural daylight and cross ventilation in mind, as well as providing the best views to our courtyard space. We would have liked the operable win-dows to be a thinner height, because I believe it would have worked better with our aesthetic, but we found that, with this system, any operable windows smaller than 28” in height could not have been operational. Even though we had to com-promise aesthetics slightly, the windows perform very well. They have a total U-value of 0.20, which is extremely low for the United States. Although this does not actually earn us LEED points due to our window to floor area ratio, we have the peace of mind that we have installed a good product. The actual installation of the windows has been challenging. We had to design our own sill panning system, but we are confident that we will drain water suc-cessfully from the base of the windows. Each 6’-8” window is also about 300 lbs a piece, so moving them around was dif-ficult. We locked each piece together by sliding them into place once in the rough opening and screwing them to a trim piece that encircles the header, jambs, and sill. We are currently working on the flashing of the heads and jambs, using a peel and stick flashing tape to ensure that water cannot slip through. We will cover the tape with galvanized aluminum flashing, which will be mostly concealed by the VaproShield, and finally, we will apply backer-rod and sealant.
Moving ForwardIn the Spring semester, we will still have quite a bit of work to do. On the exte-rior, we need to finish the siding, install our standing-seam roofing, weld trusses that will cantilever over the front porch and terrace entrances that will support a roof, construct our bonfire pit and do all the landscaping for the project. We just ordered our solar panels that will almost entirely cover the southern side of the roof of the main form. On the interior, we still need to com-plete almost everything: frame walls, install HVAC units, construct our kitchen cabinets and other furniture, hang sheet rock and install fixtures, appliances and lighting.
I feel very fortunate to take part in this awesome studio experience. Through-out both my undergraduate and gradu-ate careers, I have learned how design conceptually. Now, however, I am confident that I can design buildings that are realistic; that truly work and are thoroughly detailed to maintain the aesthetic my future clients and I desire.
Please be sure to check back with me in the Spring of 2016 for an updated portfo-lio of this project.
MINNESOTATIMBERWOLVES02THE NEW NBA ARENA FOR THE
In this competition studio, teams of four worked together to design a replacement NBA arena for the current Target Center in Minneapolis, home of the Minnesota Timberwolves. In order to design such a complex building type, our studio attended lectures and executed several projects that enabled us to understand programmatic requirements, calculate sight lines and develop accurate space plans. After we grasped these basic concepts, we began design.
Our team developed three key concepts that we implemented into multiple scales of our project. First, we believed it was crucial to demonstrate innovative design for the new arena. The Target Center was in dire need of changes and we wanted to spark fans’ excitement and support for their team. Addition-ally, in order to surpass the restrictions of the extremely small site, we would need to be creative. Sec-ond, we established several unique opportunities for 24/7 Branding. For stadiums and arenas, this is highly important to the client. Lastly, we strove to create a Destination: Minneapolis, meaning, a place where locals as well as tourists could gather for a huge variety of events. We wanted to create a place where people would truly want to be and an arena that the citizens of Minneapolis would be proud to call their own.
KU | Graduate Studio | Spring 2015
MINNESOTATIMBERWOLVESTHE NEW NBA ARENA FOR THE
Target Field
Warehouse / Hennepin Ave
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Ramp B
From the beginning, we worked to under-stand the existing pedestrian and traffic flow surrounding the Target Center. We analyzed how we could improve the new arena’s relationship to the street: how it could retreat to allow for more pedestrian space, how it would be viewed from differ-ent parts of the city, and how the service vehicles would best be accommodated. (Figure 1) We studied the main entry-points to the site during large and small events. A large percentage of patrons arrive by Lite Rail to the west, so this helped to determine our main entry. (Figure 2) The most impactful outside element for the arena is Minneapolis’ Skyway System. City-dwellers use this suspended walkway system especially throughout the cold months to navigate through the city. This system passes right through our site, link-ing to two of the biggest parking garages in the downtown area. Over 8,000 people pass through that skyway daily on their way to work, and we saw this as a huge branding opportunity. We decided to do something special with this space. (Figure 3)
One of the most challenging aspects of the design was the narrow site. This is one area where our innovative design came into play. Figure 4 on the right demon-strates a seating bowl parallel to the site, but we found that by rotating the bowl, we could accommodate 17% more side-line seats than our competitors, which was a huge win for our client as well as our fans. (Figure 5)
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PARKING RAMPS
THOUGHT PROCESS
4 5PARALLEL BOWL ROTATED BOWL
TARGET FIELD SECTION
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EAST | WEST
DOWNTOWN SECTION
Rotating the bowl offers even more than additional sideline seats. Where the building corners meet the site boundary, the edges are cut away to reveal spectacular views towards downtown Minneapolis and Target Field. (Figure 6)
As a fan, no matter the seat, one would always have a direct visual connection with the downtown atmo-sphere. The views from within the stadium celebrate Minneapolis’ architecture, culture, and spirit. This sort of connection will render the arena an essential part of the downtown fabric. The arena truly becomes a destination for Minneapolis.
NORTH | SOUTH
The last major advantage to the “rotated bowl” strategy was the opportunity for public space. Our design promotes a wide range of activities, both indoor (in our large atrium space) and outdoor, in our 17,000 square foot plaza that has the ability to extend into the streets beyond. The plaza encourages food trucks, farmers markets, concerts, and much more. This space is conveniently located on the east corner of the site, where the majority of game day pedestrians and Lite Rail passengers would arrive.
THE DEN by AMERIPRISE A
UNITED HEALTH ATRIUM BRENDERING BY TEAM MEMBER
KEY: CIRCULATION TOILETS EVENT FACILITIES RETAIL PRESS
EVENT LEVEL
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THE DEN BY AMERIPRISEMEP SERVICE
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We sought to capture in-novative design, 24/7 branding and the concept of Destination Minneapo-lis in multiple areas of our design, from the larger pro-grammatic elements down to the details.
On the Event Level, we cre-ated a unique club called “The Den” as seen to the left. (Figure A) This club would allow fans to pump up the players as they ran out onto the court before games, at half time, and after a victory. Imagine the excitement and connection to the team this sort of envi-ronment could create for a Timberwolves’ fan.
We saw a huge opportu-nity for 24/7 Branding with our United Health Atrium, pictured on the left. (Figure B) As previously mentioned, 8,000 people pass through the site on a daily basis to get to work. The current Target Center’s Skyway System is only a dark cor-ridor weaving through the building. We thought, why not celebrate that skyway in a larger, open space? Now, city dwellers can grab their coffee in our Atrium on their way to work, stop at our “Overlook Club” for lunch, or purchase a huge variety of team merchandise in our team store.
Open to Below
Open to Below
Open to Below
KEY: BASELINE SUITESPARTY SUITES PRIVATE SUITES 3M TRIPLE STORY BASELINE CLUB
SUITE LEVEL 2
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CIRCULATION TOILETS LOGE BOXES LOGE BOOTHS
Open to Below
KEY: RETAIL CONCESSIONS
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Another innovative club is our “3M Triple Story Club” which connects our Club Level with both Suite Levels. (Figure C) This is a higher price point club that is a huge eye-catcher throughout the arena. It is the place to be if you’re looking to socialize and watch the game.
Our TCF Bank Party Deck, located on the roof of our arena, is a great example of our Destination Minneapo-lis goal. (Figure D) Not only is it a place to hang out be-fore and after NBA games, it can host a large variety of events, from wedding receptions, to birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs, to cor-porate events. These types of functions can generate revenue for the arena year round, which is crucial for the client. The Party Deck can even seat Twins fans on the north side of the deck, because it overlooks Target Field directly.
TFC BANK PARTY DECKDRENDERING BY TEAM MEMBER
3M TRIPLE STORY CLUBC
Our team presented this project to a panel of re-viewers as part of a competition, and our strategies to create an innovative design with 24/7 Branding opportunities that could create a true Destina-tion for Minneapolis played a large part in helping us win the competition. This portfolio only shows a small percentage of our final design, so please see additional work for the New Minnesota Timber-wolves’ Arena such as our Promotion Video and Final Booklet at http://issuu.com/wilkeac.
Lawrence Base Map
EIGHTH STREET DIVERSION03
MASTER PLAN PHASE
University of Kansas | Graduate Studio | Fall 2014
At the beginning of the project, each team documented and researched specific streets in down-town Lawrence, Kansas. The whole site spanned from Tennessee Street to New Jersey Street (from west to east) and 7th to 9th Streets (north to south.) Max and I looked at 9th street and fo-cused on specific buildings and landmarks that helped us understand the genius loci of the area
After the documentation of Lawrence, we looked at two precedents to see what strategies we could implement into our new master plan for Lawrence. The first one we looked at was South Georgia Street, Indianapolis, IN. The second precedent we studied was Southwest Montgomery Street, Portland, OR.
We studied multiple scales for each project and highlighted several main concepts. These in-clude: the methods of transportation, anchor points, parking, building typologies, green spaces, and urban break points. After we documented these concepts, we related them to the existing conditions in downtown Lawrence. See the next page for comparisons of Lawrence, Indianapolis, and Portland.
Note: all maps oriented North, varying scales.
Indianapolis Base Map Portland Base Map
After studying the transit options in all three cities, we realized that the major roads and railways circulated around the most popu-lated, dense parts of the cities. The downtown areas then were able to stay more focused on the pedestrian. We also noticed that each of our precedents, as well as Lawrence, have access to a river very close to the downtown area.
“Anchor points” is a term I came up with to describe the areas of a town or city that help you orient yourself. In Lawrence, we identi-fied the Anchor Points as Watson Park and South Park, although you cannot sense these areas while you’re on Mass Street. They’re too spread out. In Indianapolis, several buildings, such as the Convention Center and the arenas, as well as Monument Circle act as anchor points. In Portland, the anchor point is a long park spanning several streets.
We thought that looking at the parking density in parking lots versus parking garages would be helpful in order to condense the parking in Lawrence. In this case, the Portland example turned out to be more useful, revealing that with more parking garages, the need for parking lots would lessen, which would allow for more ground space and buildable area.
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The most helpful precedent in this study was Portland. They incorporated an element which I ended up using in my Phase Three site. They call it a “spline,” and it is basically a barrier that protects pedestrians from the street. It also acts as a planter, which really helps to liven up the street. Also, in a way, the splines become mini anchor points, because the visitors to the site recognize the area as a pedestrian friendly zone.
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The Building Typologies maps were helpful because they helped us relate Lawrence to our precedents even more, and it helped make sense of some of the other maps. The map for Lawrence also helped us realize how divided the private residences were from
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“Break points” are places where pedestrians can pause to rest. Unlike a sidewalk, they don’t push people though an area. They are places where people can meet, talk, sit, and enjoy the day. They offer protection from cars and bikes as well. We identified this portion of Lawrence as having no suitable break points, which is something we wanted to address in our master plan.
At the smallest scale, Max and I worked on a better connection between Massachusetts street and KU’s main campus. We developed what we call a “bike highway” that provided a safe, adequately wide, paved road for bikers. We would separate the bike highway from the street with elements like the spline and provide lighting so that the path could be used at night.This master plan also shows our how we extended Watson Park another block South.The Medium-Scale Master Plan shows the new proposed parking garages as well as the new anchor points. The anchor points visible at Tennessee Street and Rhode Island Street would act as gateways to 8th street, and gateways at 11th and 6th Street (not shown on this map) would provide an entrance to Massachusetts Street.
Master Plan Diagrams
Smallest Scale Plan Medium Scale Plan
8th Street Pedestrian Corridor
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This is a diagram of the new 8th Street Layout. We decided to shut down 8th Street to Pedestrian traffic only, which allows for a strong pedestrian thoroughfare from West Lawrence to East Lawrence.
Largest Plan Diagram
Large Scale Plan
The Large Scale Master Plan shows our addition of “Break Points” in red, and Spline - like elements in dark green. The purple area is where we originally thought our Phase Three building would sit, however, in Phase Three, I decided to move my building to the area shaded in orange.
Note: All Plans oriented North, varying scales.
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8th Street Pedestrian Corridor
The plaza shown in the middle of Massachusetts Street was our new proposed anchor point for the downtown area. Originally (as you will see in the site sections on the following pages) the plaza would have spanned across Mass. Street and we would have sunk two lanes of traffic beneath. It could have worked well with the natural topography of the site, but after our Master Plan review, it became clear that this was not the best option for Lawrence, and we moved the plaza to the west side of Mass. Street and added traffic calming elements at the intersection of 8th and Mass. in order to maintain the strong pedestrian link between East and West Lawrence.
Massachusetts N/S Section(Not to scale)
Massachusetts E/W Section(Not to scale)
Kentucky Street N/S Section(Not to scale)
Kentucky Street E/W Section(Not to scale)
8th Street E/W Section(Not to scale)
Model Photos
In this rendering, the gateway at 11th and Mass Street is shown. The gateway would span over the “bike highway” we
developed and would help orient and root the visitors to the area.
In this rendering, one of the new park-ing garages is shown. Each of the new
parking garages would only be three to four stories in height, but with enough structure to support two more levels, if
an expansion was ever needed. The garages would also be wrapped with a “green wall” which would enhance the
pedestrian experience on the street. The ground level would also have the opportunity to house retail stores near
the sidewalk.The parking garages that are placed
behind existing Mass. Street apartments would also provide a “back door” con-
nection to the residences.
This view shows the plaza that would span over Mass. Street. It would provide
a real anchor point for the downtown area as well as a safe pedestrian cross
way over the traffic on Mass. Street. The plaza would also provide views to up and down the street, which we antici-
pated to be an exciting view.
This rendering shows our idea to con-vert the fire station that currently opens up onto 8th Street into a community event center. The venue could be used for neighborhood meetings, block par-ties, and much more. The plaza in front of the station provides an additional “break point” while the event center is not in use.
This rendering continues to show the bike highway as it crosses over 8th street. Adjacent to the bike path, the car traffic street is lowered to duck under the pedestrian plaza anchor point. This idea was later altered after the Phase Two review, but the bike highway would look very similar to what is shown here.
We also included “Pocket Parks” in our Master plan that acted as break points. This park (between 7th and 8th on Mass. Street) would contain an area for adult exercise as well as a children’s play area and seating area.
MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT PHASE
On such a small site, the only way to include all of the programmatic requirements was to stack the program. I initially constructed boxes that were the same size as the correct square-footage and arranged them in a way that would draw user groups from all sides through the site. I wanted to create relationships between each program that would link the complex together to make a “whole” building. One of the early strategies was to create pathways through the site, placed specifically for certain users. I analyzed where exactly most users would be com-ing from, and this differed greatly for each facility that the building would offer. For example, I knew that the shoppers would most likely be coming from Massachusetts Street (east of the site,) so I placed the retail elements on the western side of the site to generate users’ inter-est for the rest of the complex. Also, I placed the “Youth Fitness Center” on the east side of the building because I knew that the users of that facility could be coming from the Lawrence Library or Watson Park, both to the west of the site. The Grocery Store, on the other hand, would be used by both West and East Lawrence patrons, so that wanted to be in a place where people in both locations could see and easily walk to. The Grocery Store was also the main attraction, because it would generate the most income for the complex, so I pushed it out on the corner of the site for all to see.
October 27 ModelPhoto shows pathway into the complex
Anchors are the subconscious way of rooting oneself within a city. They stand out from their surroundings and help people orient them-selves. They often act as destination points and are visually interesting.
Anchors
The urban break is the spot to meet, sit, rest, eat, talk, or play along the promenade. They are smaller destination points. Break Points
“As you walk along you scan the landscape for intermediate destinations-- the furthest points along the path which you can see. You try, more or less, to walk in a straight line toward these points. This naturally has the effect that you will cut corners and take “diagonal paths” since these are the ones that often form straight lines between your present position and the point which you are making for.” - Christo-pher Alexander
Line of Sight
This mixed use building includes a variety of programs. Therefore, the building should reflect the uses and feelings of those spaces in its aesthetics. The“introverted”spaces are cozier. They are the places which people want to be in, looking out. The “extroverted” spaces are more open, and people often want to see the interiors while walking by.
The splines in the master plan and Phase III project link pedestrian streets together. They provide protection for walkers and add green-ery to the streets.
Spline
The main pedestrian path through the project follows an axis at a 52 degree angle to 8th Street. A diversion, or an interruption in this axis would actually make people more aware of the axis’ existence. The diversion also generates interest in separate pieces of the project.
Diversion
Space Typologies
Connection Diagram
Glass Roof + Mullions
Fixed Louver System
W 12x26 Beams
Columns: Alternating W 10x49 + W 10x33
Operable Louver System
Glass Curtain Wall + MullionsLouver Operating System + Curtain Wall BaseConcrete Planter Boxes
Steel Structure
Greenhouse Exploded Axonometric Drawing
Operable Louver System
DN
UP
1/16" = 1'-0"1 Level 1 - Callout 1
FD FD
DN
1/16" = 1'-0"1 Level 2 - Callout 1
FD
1/16" = 1'-0"1 Level 3 - Callout 1
1/16" = 1'-0"1 Roof Plan
Final Building Model1/16” = 1’-0”
Final Detail Model1/4” = 1’-0”
FAIRPLAY CABIN04
Miami University | Undergraduate Studio Spring 2014
The objective of this studio was to design a net-zero cabin for a client in Fairplay, Colorado. The future finished cabin will sit 10,500 feet above sea level in the Rocky Mountain Range and will host two to four guests in the spring, summer, and fall months. The project challenged me to research numerous efficient, sustainable strategies that would appeal to the programmatic and aesthetic needs of our client.
I integrated my cabin design to its locus by incor-porating site materials, framing key views of the mountain range and beaver ponds, and sinking the building into the ground. This allowed for easier access to geothermal heating and cool-ing. I relied on a greenhouse to collect heat from natural day lighting, which would then be stored and transferred with a phase change material. The bedrooms were sealed from the rest of the cabin, allowing for more comfortable temperatures in the cooler months.
I also researched and designed a system that could greatly reduce the daily water usage in the cabin. I diagrammed this in the sketch below:
The structure of the cabin relied on Glu-Lam beams confined by a tied arch system that anchored to columns, which formed an octagon. The curved roof and the octagonal shape of the cabin elimi-nated corners that would allow heat to escape. The stone and concrete wall composing the hallway were thermal masses and could help maintain the cabin’s stable temperature during the cloudy days.
GUASTAVINO VAULT05
Miami University | Geometry & Architecture | Spring 2014
The vault was designed to sit on a 5’0”x 8’0”x 5’6” concrete block wrapped by a staircase, allowing people to view the project from many angles. I developed the plan around the easiest place to climb onto the concrete. Once on the block, one could turn right and sit under the tallest vault or turn left and stand on the shallow-est. The vault demonstrates the Guastavino method’s versatility in plan, elevation, section, and detailing, confirming that these vaults can spring from any con-figuration of ribs.
The construction was achieved with triangular tiles instead of squares or rectangles, which indicates that the vaults can be constructed with any type of geometry that creates a tiling.The vault’s construction process closely resembled Guastavino’s, even though the tiles were cardboard and the mortar was glue. First, I set the bases to determine the length and height of each arch. ¬Using a chain to trace the catenary curves, I cut the forms for the temporary supports of each rib. Tacky Glue binded the edges of the tiles and Elmer’s Glue spread over the face of the ribs in order to place the second layer of tiles. After the glue was dry, the supports were removed. Next, I constructed guides for the vault-ed pieces. These half-catenary curves spanned to the midpoint of each vault. After gluing the voussoirs using no additional framing, I removed the guides. By completing those steps, a successful single layer Guasta-vino vault was executed. I repeated this process twice for the shallowest vault so that it could support the weight of an average person. Between each layer, contact cement helped increase the capacity of the vault. Finally, I screwed the imposts of the ribs into blocks of wood and tied steel cable around the perimeter of the blocks. This created a tied arch system, which greatly increased the capacity by constricting lat-eral load generated by the low angle of the vault.
DER NEUE OSTBAHNHOF (The New East Train Station) 06
Miami University | Undergraduate Studio | Fall 2013
The“Identity of a City” Studio was an in-depth look into the phenomenology surrounding specific neighborhoods of our choosing. I selected a district in Munich called Haidhausen, and have been studying its relationship with its neighboring district, Berg am Laim, across the railroad tracks. These diagrams are the expressions of what I be-lieve are the most critical characteristics of the neighborhoods. My figure ground diagram reveals the density of Haidhausen’s buildings and helps recognize how they create very specific and intricate spaces. Berg am Laim’s built forms, on the other hand, are set back from the street and do not create such defined spaces. From the figure ground, you might also gather an understanding of the differences in building stock. Since Haidhausen was fairly undamaged from the World War II bombings, it possesses hundreds of residences, offices, and shops that vary mostly between Renaissance and Neo-Baroque styles. The section of Berg am Laim that I am studying started de-veloping around the 1970s and contains more contemporary designs.
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MUNICH URBAN STUDY
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3My third diagram exposes the heights of the build-ings across the two districts. Looking down at the model, the buildings with the dark-est opacities are the tallest. Looking into the model, you detect relationships between the buildings - how some overlook the entire area, and some sink very close to the ground. You would also notice that most of the build-ings on the Haidhausen side are only about fifty to sixty feet tall.
The second diagram repre-sents elevations of the build-
ings along a main street. On the Haidhausen side, the buildings are elevated with the street to
show their proximity, while Berg am Laim’s buildings remain on the ground to display their dis-
connect with the street.
The fourth and final diagram is a road and sidewalk map that
reveals the small amount of connection between the two
districts. Two main roads pass under the train tracks on the
outskirts of the neighborhoods, as well as two underground
pedestrian tunnels.
FINAL PROJECT
After spending four weeks reading about and researching Haidhausen, I had a good understanding of its history, people, and culture. I also learned about the area’s building stock, and I began to pick up on “rules” by which its architecture designs were created. In the weeks following, I investigated the ways in which the history and people of Haidhausen influ-enced its built environment. This research was concretized in the development of diagrams. These diagrams sought to expose characteristics of the built environment which I feel are important to the orientation and identification of the neighborhood, such as the clear, continuous horizontal separa-tion between rustication and stucco; the patterns in fenestration; and the buildings’ relationship to the ground and street level. Finally, with an understanding of the neighborhood’s history, community, and building stock, I chose to redesign the East Train Station with the intention to improve the site and its relationship to the city. The new design provides a connection between the Haidhausen side with the Berg am Laim side that did not previously exist. The entryway completes the circular plaza that is located on the other side of the street. In addition, the front facade provides a monumental end to a long avenue in Haidhausen.
Interior Courtyard Perspective
Level 31” = 40’0”
Level 41” = 40’0”
Roof Plan1” = 40’0”
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE07
Partner Work FIRST DESIGN SOLUTION
FINAL INSTALLATION Collective Studio Project
FINAL MODEL
Miami University | Undergraduate Studio | Fall 2012
One of our projects for this studiowas to design a sunshade that would reduce glare in the Freshman studio. In the beginning of the semester, our studio split into groups to come up with various design solutions. My partner and I came up with an idea to upcycle plastic water bottles we would collect from around campus and the local recycling center. This is shown on the page above. Although our design was not selected, it challenged our stu-dio to come up with a solution that would be very cost effective and sustainable. The design that our studio came up with involved recycling used banners that had previously hung around our campus. We cut the banners into strips and then weaved them through the old net that had once hung in the hockey arena. By weaving the banners onto the back side of the hoops in the net, the glare from the southern sunlight in the Freshman Studio was greatly reduced.
AQUAFINA CHANDELIER
When our design was not picked for the sunshade installation, my partner and I decided to transform the project into something new. During our initial design, we had noticed how sunlight transmitted through the bottles, so we decided to use this to our advantage. Our end product is a nine foot chandelier that is made entirely of recycled water bottles and trash bags. We in-stalled Christmas lights in the middle so that the chandelier shines brightly, especially at night.Today, over two year after its completion, the chandelier still hangs in the atrium of my Alma Mater’s architecture building. My partner and I intend to donate the chandelier to the town’s Recycling Center to thank their employees for their help in bottle collection.
PHASE 2
