kallie sternburgh march i portfolio
DESCRIPTION
Portfolio for Grad school!TRANSCRIPT
[email protected]+001-517-420-1155
No design can exist in isolation. It is always related, sometimes in very
complex ways, to an entire constellation of influencing situations and
attitudes. What we call a good design is one which achieves integrity
– that is, unity or wholeness – in balanced relation to its environment.
The reason good design is hard to come by is that its creation
demands a high degree of emotional and intellectual maturity in the
designer, and such people are not found too often.
-George Nelson
“
“
INDEX OF CONTENTS
>> For Mennesker Pavilion
>> XYZ Kunster Residencies
>> Folkets Kultur Huset
>> House of Interference
>> UrbanSHED Scaffolding
>> Typewriter Museum
>> Paralelf™ Shelving Unit
>> FractiMod™ Educational Toy
>> Sponge-Angle Floor Mop
>> Carbon Fiber Tripod Chair
>> Likki Bag
02
04
06
08
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
>> Identify Baltimore Thesis
>> YUL-MTL Competition
>> MICA Shelter Project | Research
>> MICA Shelter Project | Design
>> MICA Shelter Project | Build
>> Penn Daw
>> Metro West Vienna
>> MICA Commons II
>> Innovation Units
>> Select Drawings + Paintings
24
26
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
“For Mennesker,” is a pavilion designed “for the people” of
Copenhagen, with a public agenda rooted in civic service. The
collection of these units function together as a whole for the
annual Architecture and Design Days and the CODE Fair in
the summer, serving as an international display space for
FOR MENNESKER PAVILIONDanish design. As the pavilion functions as one cohesive
space during the summer, the design also breaks down
into sub-pavilions that separate during the off-seasons and
service local programs and alternative urban destinations.
Each sub-pavilion out of four is designed with a specific
function and social service for different parts of the city.
Each self-equipped with its own powersource (Solyndra
tubes) and deconstructable parts, the pavilion showcases as
a sustainable model because of it’s efficiency of materials
and it’s re-use towards alternative afterlife programs.
02 For Mennesker Pavilion « Architecture
x
Site Section. Pavilion entrance facing South-west. Color coordinated civic bench design assigned to advertize urban off-season programs
The Lifecycle of the pavilion
The XYZ Kunster Residencies is a housing project for
the artists in residence in Christianshavn, Denmark.
Located near campus of the Royal Danish Academy of
Art and Architecture, the site is an ideal location for
creative minds to be living and working. This system
of rowhomes is designed for artists and designers to
showcase their work, and is intended to be flexible,
XYZ KUNSTER RESIDENCIESintegral, and adaptable to the various social groupings
and diverse living habits of different people. Three
different dwelling floorplans are designed: each
variation enabling an ideal combination between work
and live integration, and public versus private space.
The front of each rowhome functions as an individual
space for the exhibiting artist, and in turn gives the
dweller the freedom to express their individuality
by customizing their “front door” of their home with
materials, color, or art. The typical monotony of the
same repeated unit is now solved by allowing visual
variety, and the tenants personal license to customize
their spaces. The residency offers ultimate flexibility:
for working and living and for lifestyle changes.
04 XYZ Kunster Residencies « Architecture
x
XYZ KUNSTNER RESIDENCIES KALLIE STERNBURGH
scale 1:500
bedr
oom
1
bedr
oom
2
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livin
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om
wea
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bath
room
front
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ndar
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bedr
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livin
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om
wea
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bath
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seco
ndar
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oom
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bedr
oom
2
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itche
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livin
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om
wea
ther
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bath
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seco
ndar
y liv
ing
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laun
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bedr
oom
1
bedr
oom
2
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ng/k
itche
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livin
g ro
om
wea
ther
lock
bath
room
front
stu
dio
spac
e/re
tail
seco
ndar
y liv
ing
room
laun
dry
EXTERIOR FACING NORTH-EAST & PUBLIC FACING FACADES Backyard space is designed to entice pedestrians on Arsenalvej street. Acting as a publicly accessible space, the yard also available to the artists for open exhibition space during optimal weather.
OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC, EXHIBITION, & STUDIO SPACE Backyard studio space is open for the public and gives the artist the ability to reveal their creative process
FRONT ENTRANCE, GARDENS, AND SOUTHERN FACING LIVE SPACE Users can enjoy the southern daylight on the more private side of the rowhome. The front and primary entrance into the live sub-unit space is
also quieter and near the canal.SITE PLAN The rowhomes are designed on the site with optimal northern and southern light conditions considered.
INDIVIDUALITY IN LIFESTYLES
HOUSING DESIGNED FOR ARTISTSDesigning for a creative client is especially difficult when being confined by the rigidity of a row-home dwelling. Usually where the constraints of extreme density and uniform materials usually limit the user’s freedom of individuality and expression, the system of a row-home typology should not inhibit the freedome of its users. This system of rowhomes is designed specifically for artist, and it shall be flexible, integral, and adaptable to the various social groupings throughout the buildings’ lifespan. In additional to social heterogeneity, visual contrast was also considered an important objective to enrich the experience of the site, creating a diversity that breaks free from the monotony of a traditional row-home, and creating an individual environment that is unique to Christianshavn.
PROBLEM
HOW CAN INDIVIDUALITY BE ACHIEVED DESPITE A HOMOGENOUS ROWHOME TYPOLOGY?
XFIXED PARTITION WALLS
YCONJOINED UNIT VARIETES +VARIETY SETBACKS + SITE PLACEMENT
SEMI INTEGRATION
FULL INTEGRATION
LOW INTEGRATIONwork
work
work
live
live
live
ZVARIETY WINDOW, BALCONY, & SKYLIGHT APERTURES
3 m1 m 5 m
scale 1:100 cmy1 unit low integration
section A-A front elevation / NE facing
bedroom 1
bedroom 2
dining/kitchen
living room weatherlock
bathroom
front studio space/retailsecondary living room
ground floor plan
studio exhibition spacesecondary living room
second floor plan
laundry
3 m1 m 5 m
scale 1:100 cmy2 unit semi integration
bedroom 1
bedroom 2
dining/kitchen
living room weatherlock
bathroom
ground floor plan
second floor plan
section A-A
laundry
front studio spacesecondary living room
studio exhibition spacefront terrace
back elevation / NE facing
3 m1 m 5 m
scale 1:100 cmy3 unit full integration
bedroom 1
bedroom 2
dining/kitchen
living room
front studio spacesecondary living room
weatherlock
bathroom
laundry
studio exhibition spacesecondary living room
ground floor plan
second floor plan
section A-A back elevation / NE facing
FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS-THE HOLISTIC WORK/LIVE ARTIST -The holistic artist/ultimate work-live environment-THE 3+ FAMILY MEMBER DWELLING -loft studio space can transform into additional bedrooms with adequate lighting -plumbing equipped in loft studio space can also be transformed into additional bedrooms-INTERIOR PERSONALIZATION -Prefab dimensions between two sub-units allow for ultimate flexibility and personalization for the users -Light wall between the live and work space, allows a fluid, open space for acoustics, light, and circulation -If alternative material is desired, users have the free ability to customize-UNIT SUBDIVISION -Two sub-unit spaces may be divided entirely, each sub-unit is equipped with an entrance door and proficient lighting conditions because of its uniform north/south axis
FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS- THE SEMI INTEGRAL WORK/LIVE ARTIST -Setback of the work unit from the street makes it a much more private environment for the worker, optimal for the artist who is characteristically messy or prefers little disturbance from the public street -Connection aperture to the living room and the studio space allows for a fluid transition, yet allows for the optional sliding door to close off the work space from the live space- THE COLLEGE STUDENT -The family with a college student who moves back home into the house -Allows environmental freedom for the 20+ year old-THE PARENTS/IN-LAWS MOVE-IN -Allows for flexibility for extended family care and proximity, while still allowing privacy between members -The units are each equipped with their own entrance door, plumbing, and access to adequate light
FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS- THE LOW INTEGRAL WORK/LIVE ARTIST -The units are compositionally arranged with the work sub-unit closest to the main public street (north-east facing ) -Designed for the workers that enjoy a more public display of their work and process; the exhibitionist -Designed for the worker who also prefers a separation between working and living- THE LANDLORD/TENANT RELATIONSHIP -Sub-units can be subdivided into separate units completely, divided by the weather-lock located in the core of the entire rowhome -Each sub-unit is equipped with its own entrance access, plumbing and daylight- THE RETAIL SPACE -This specific work/live relationship is set close to the public street and is separated from the private live space
front, semi-private communal space
residential units back, public communal space
street treeline Arsenalvej street futbol �eldsprivate/front pedestrian path
windblock treelinealong canal
canal
LATERAL WIND
SITE SECTION Showing thresholds, windbarriers, and relationship between public and private accessibility
INDIVIDUALITY IN MATERIALS
PERSONALIZATION Can be achieved in the choice of roof tiling material, variations on sliding shade screens, plants and vegetation, and personal art and sculptures
XYZ KUNSTNER RESIDENCIES KALLIE STERNBURGH
scale 1:500
bedr
oom
1
bedr
oom
2
dini
ng/k
itche
n
livin
g ro
om
wea
ther
lock
bath
room
front
stu
dio
spac
e/re
tail
seco
ndar
y liv
ing
room
laun
dry
bedr
oom
1
bedr
oom
2
dini
ng/k
itche
n
livin
g ro
om
wea
ther
lock
bath
room
front
stu
dio
spac
e/re
tail
seco
ndar
y liv
ing
room
laun
dry
bedr
oom
1
bedr
oom
2
dini
ng/k
itche
n
livin
g ro
om
wea
ther
lock
bath
room
front
stu
dio
spac
e/re
tail
seco
ndar
y liv
ing
room
laun
dry
bedr
oom
1
bedr
oom
2
dini
ng/k
itche
n
livin
g ro
om
wea
ther
lock
bath
room
front
stu
dio
spac
e/re
tail
seco
ndar
y liv
ing
room
laun
dry
bedr
oom
1
bedr
oom
2
dini
ng/k
itche
n
livin
g ro
om
wea
ther
lock
bath
room
front
stu
dio
spac
e/re
tail
seco
ndar
y liv
ing
room
laun
dry
bedr
oom
1
bedr
oom
2
dini
ng/k
itche
n
livin
g ro
om
wea
ther
lock
bath
room
front
stu
dio
spac
e/re
tail
seco
ndar
y liv
ing
room
laun
dry
EXTERIOR FACING NORTH-EAST & PUBLIC FACING FACADES Backyard space is designed to entice pedestrians on Arsenalvej street. Acting as a publicly accessible space, the yard also available to the artists for open exhibition space during optimal weather.
OPEN FOR THE PUBLIC, EXHIBITION, & STUDIO SPACE Backyard studio space is open for the public and gives the artist the ability to reveal their creative process
FRONT ENTRANCE, GARDENS, AND SOUTHERN FACING LIVE SPACE Users can enjoy the southern daylight on the more private side of the rowhome. The front and primary entrance into the live sub-unit space is
also quieter and near the canal.SITE PLAN The rowhomes are designed on the site with optimal northern and southern light conditions considered.
INDIVIDUALITY IN LIFESTYLES
HOUSING DESIGNED FOR ARTISTSDesigning for a creative client is especially difficult when being confined by the rigidity of a row-home dwelling. Usually where the constraints of extreme density and uniform materials usually limit the user’s freedom of individuality and expression, the system of a row-home typology should not inhibit the freedome of its users. This system of rowhomes is designed specifically for artist, and it shall be flexible, integral, and adaptable to the various social groupings throughout the buildings’ lifespan. In additional to social heterogeneity, visual contrast was also considered an important objective to enrich the experience of the site, creating a diversity that breaks free from the monotony of a traditional row-home, and creating an individual environment that is unique to Christianshavn.
PROBLEM
HOW CAN INDIVIDUALITY BE ACHIEVED DESPITE A HOMOGENOUS ROWHOME TYPOLOGY?
XFIXED PARTITION WALLS
YCONJOINED UNIT VARIETES +VARIETY SETBACKS + SITE PLACEMENT
SEMI INTEGRATION
FULL INTEGRATION
LOW INTEGRATIONwork
work
work
live
live
live
ZVARIETY WINDOW, BALCONY, & SKYLIGHT APERTURES
3 m1 m 5 m
scale 1:100 cmy1 unit low integration
section A-A front elevation / NE facing
bedroom 1
bedroom 2
dining/kitchen
living room weatherlock
bathroom
front studio space/retailsecondary living room
ground floor plan
studio exhibition spacesecondary living room
second floor plan
laundry
3 m1 m 5 m
scale 1:100 cmy2 unit semi integration
bedroom 1
bedroom 2
dining/kitchen
living room weatherlock
bathroom
ground floor plan
second floor plan
section A-A
laundry
front studio spacesecondary living room
studio exhibition spacefront terrace
back elevation / NE facing
3 m1 m 5 m
scale 1:100 cmy3 unit full integration
bedroom 1
bedroom 2
dining/kitchen
living room
front studio spacesecondary living room
weatherlock
bathroom
laundry
studio exhibition spacesecondary living room
ground floor plan
second floor plan
section A-A back elevation / NE facing
FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS-THE HOLISTIC WORK/LIVE ARTIST -The holistic artist/ultimate work-live environment-THE 3+ FAMILY MEMBER DWELLING -loft studio space can transform into additional bedrooms with adequate lighting -plumbing equipped in loft studio space can also be transformed into additional bedrooms-INTERIOR PERSONALIZATION -Prefab dimensions between two sub-units allow for ultimate flexibility and personalization for the users -Light wall between the live and work space, allows a fluid, open space for acoustics, light, and circulation -If alternative material is desired, users have the free ability to customize-UNIT SUBDIVISION -Two sub-unit spaces may be divided entirely, each sub-unit is equipped with an entrance door and proficient lighting conditions because of its uniform north/south axis
FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS- THE SEMI INTEGRAL WORK/LIVE ARTIST -Setback of the work unit from the street makes it a much more private environment for the worker, optimal for the artist who is characteristically messy or prefers little disturbance from the public street -Connection aperture to the living room and the studio space allows for a fluid transition, yet allows for the optional sliding door to close off the work space from the live space- THE COLLEGE STUDENT -The family with a college student who moves back home into the house -Allows environmental freedom for the 20+ year old-THE PARENTS/IN-LAWS MOVE-IN -Allows for flexibility for extended family care and proximity, while still allowing privacy between members -The units are each equipped with their own entrance door, plumbing, and access to adequate light
FLEXIBILITY FOR THE POTENTIAL USERS- THE LOW INTEGRAL WORK/LIVE ARTIST -The units are compositionally arranged with the work sub-unit closest to the main public street (north-east facing ) -Designed for the workers that enjoy a more public display of their work and process; the exhibitionist -Designed for the worker who also prefers a separation between working and living- THE LANDLORD/TENANT RELATIONSHIP -Sub-units can be subdivided into separate units completely, divided by the weather-lock located in the core of the entire rowhome -Each sub-unit is equipped with its own entrance access, plumbing and daylight- THE RETAIL SPACE -This specific work/live relationship is set close to the public street and is separated from the private live space
front, semi-private communal space
residential units back, public communal space
street treeline Arsenalvej street futbol �eldsprivate/front pedestrian path
windblock treelinealong canal
canal
LATERAL WIND
SITE SECTION Showing thresholds, windbarriers, and relationship between public and private accessibility
INDIVIDUALITY IN MATERIALS
PERSONALIZATION Can be achieved in the choice of roof tiling material, variations on sliding shade screens, plants and vegetation, and personal art and sculptures
The ultimate designers of space are the people who engage
in it: Space, people, and culture and symbiotically related. It is
the participation of the every day person who truely activates
culture, and in this theory, space is generated to serve as an
open scaffold for the people and for their fluxuating needs.
Thus, Folkets Kultur Husen is a collection of spaces that serve
Primary Path
PEOPLE
SPACECULTURE
Mobius Connectivity of People, Culture, & Social Spaces
Site Map Primary Path Secondary Spaces
Programmed Spaces
Folkets Kultur HusenPeople: The True Generators of Culture
the current and changing processes of the people of Denmark.
A primary path weaves itself throughout the culture house as
an extension of the urban street. And then people experience
exhibitions and secondary programmed spaces as they would
engage at a pace of street storefronts.The culture house is
polycentric, not monocentric; the thresholds between public
and private activities are intertwined and blurred in between.
The intent is for people to “derive” or to naturally wander
and get lost in the space as they discover new moments.
The occurance of the every day becomes significant, while
giving citizens the opportunity to participate in the exhaulted
‘‘showcase’’ of what true culture is.
Front Elevation
06 Folkets Kultur Husen « Architecture
x
Front Elevation
HOUSE OF INTERFERENCEThe Interference Music House is a gallery space designed
for the exhibition of sound, music generators, and art.
Located in the historic Potato Row district of Copenhagen,
the design of the gallery, inspired by Danish composer,
Per Nørgård, is in respect towards his theory of music
phenomenon and interference. His method of composing
music celebrates the act of the listener and in identifying
alternate patterns within combined rythms. He explains
his use of the concept as follows: “For me, something
between’ or ‘intermediary’ interference, means, amongst
other things, that what is most important is not manifested
physically. As is well-known, ‘subjective’, non-electrically
produced tones come about when two oscillators
each produce their own wave.” Space: experientially,
sequentially, and materialistically, all conjoin, align,
and misalign into a balanced harmony. Alignments and
misalignments can also occur with light, with form, with
people, and in urban contexts. The objective of the space
is to frame and take notice of the nuances of interference,
to accentuate the everyday occurrences that overlap into
interwoven harmonies. The space intends to celebrate this
eclecticism and communicate how collective events can
make up a whole, and also serve as a centerpiece for the
arts and music in this residential district.
08 House of Interference « Architecture
x
Composition Analysis on Per Nørgaard’s “Per Salo”
URBAN SHED SCAFFOLDING
Urban Shed International Design Competition challenges
designers to conceptualize a cutting-edge sidewalk shed to
protect pedestrians, improve the pedestrian experience, and
make New York City even more attractive for generations
to come. More than 6,000 sidewalk sheds flank New York
City’s buildings and construction sites. They span more
than 1,000,000 linear feet and typically remain in place
for nearly a year. While these sheds protect pedestrians
from construction debris and support other construction
structures, they undermine the beauty of the architecture
that hides behind. The design of this scaffolding integrates
flexibility, tensile capacities, structural integrity, and light.
Made out of steel tubes, couplers, and polypropylene
sheets, the scaffolding constructs together and tessellates
into a supportive structure and beautiful aesthetic design.
As the design can be easily assembled at different fixations
throughout the city, the scaffolding expands and contracts
as it is needed.
10 Urban Shed Scaffolding « Architecture
Module kit of parts Expandable and collapsable model studies
Broadway street elevation
x
TYPEWRITER MUSEUM
The Typewriter Museum is a building showcase that
commemorates the legacies of old and forgotten
technologies. The typewriter, what was once the
single technological advancement that perpetuated
telecommunications to a new level, today is abandoned
to its contemporaries: the telephone, the computer, and
the Internet. This museum is a space located in the heart
of Baltimore city that brings attention to the invention
the typewriter and the legacies of the of the “QWERTY”
keyboard. The design of the module is made in such a
manner to encapsulate the materials of lost technology.
Because the display of history and the past in a museum
usually becomes a flattened gallery experience, the design
of the museum facade intends to bring both old and new
techologies into a hybrid wall facade. The module is
designed in a manner to perform both as masonry unit
as well as function with cavities to make use of recycled
E-waste material for insulation. The wall of the museum
thus also becomes a public discussion about future
technologies and about the commodity of modern electronic
waste and its future uses.
12 Typewriter Museum « Architecture
x
project was to transform one standard 4 x 8 foot plywood
sheet into two identical module units that could stack and
configure into various furniture arrangements. The design,
made out of a standard dimension of wood also influenced
the choices in form and cuts in the material. Graphic
The Paralelf™ shelving unit design is a collaborative
project (with Kailie Parrish) that takes the precedent of
IKEA’s flatpack furniture and innovates the idea of a unit
that can built upon itself, customized, and built at home.
Using the concept of the module, the objective of the
instrustructions were provided to allow users to easily
assemble themselves, with minimum supplied fasteners
and unnecessary tools. Both modules of furniture have
multiple assemblies that can adapt to the aestetic and
choice of the individual user.
14 Paralelf Shelving Unit « Design
™
Instructional handbook design for DIY self-assembly
x
geometry, fraction addition, fraction subtraction,
building methods, and teamwork. Parents can be
rest assured that the product will last and can grow
with their children for years to come. FractiMod™
also functions as an integrated piece of interior
design, having the ability to pack and stack into a
small ottoman or chair. The design of FractiMod™ is
also “adult-friendly,” appealing as a modest looking
toy that the entire family can enjoy.
FractiMod™ is a collaborative toy design for learning
children, site tested at Port Discovery in Baltimore,
Maryland. The availability of usable educational tools for
kids are challenging in the toy market because of the lack of
interactive engagement and “play” appeal offered. Children
(arguably the most difficult client to design for) necessitate
products that are functional, appealing, safe, fun, durable,
gender versatile, and adaptable as they grow and mature.
As learning and playing have often become separated
16
Module unit possibilities. The graphic shapes also perform as a design teaching tool.
FractiMod Toy Design « Design
x
modes in education, integrated “play AND learn” tactics
must become the new objective for product design for
children. FractiMod™ is the perfect new hybrid toy for
kids to learn their basic fractions, but in a more interactive
manner. The FractiMod™ fraction set comes in great eye
popping colors, cushioned with three inch thick foam
interiors, and washable covers. So kids can play with
their fractions, and learn them too! The versatility of the
games can teach kids as they grow about color, counting,
The Sponge-Angle™ Floor Mop is a re-design concept for
the familiar household cleaning tool, the Swiffer Wetjet.
Getting the extra grime and dirt off the floor has always
been a difficult task for people with physical restraints. The
Sponge-Angle™ Floor Mop is designed with the physically
inhibited in mind. With a molded plastic cover specifically
added for the physical aid of a “helping foot,” getting the
extra grub is now easier and simpler, using the ergonomic
physical aid of the lower body, rather than bending down
and scrubbing with the upper body. The mop, made with
easily detachable parts makes cleaning up messes simple,
easy, and safe for all to participants. Now, no one has an
excuse for not being physical capable to clean up that floor!
Design innovation sees fit that products do not exclude
user groups from doing what needs to get done.
SPONGE-ANGLEFLOOR MOP
™
18 Sponge-Angle Floor Mop « Design
First prototype design and user testing
x
20 Carbon Fiber Rod Tripod Chair « Design
Carbon Fiber rod Tripod Chair
The Carbon Fiber Rod Tripod Chair is a product re-design
that integrates new materials and fabrication techniques.
Using an unconventional material for chair design enables
new possibilities in form details, joints, and the production
process. The objective for this chair was to explore new
opportunities for a lighter-weight chair that required less
material parts and assembly. The use of 1/2 inch thick
carbon fiber tubes is also made with pultrusion fibered
joints, making the chair pin-joint free! The joints, made
during the production process out of fibers and resin,
extend off the tubes and connect to the base ends of the
legs. The chair is activated into a seat when the three
fiber cords are in tension, creating a rigid form that can
withstand the weight of a person sitting. The chair when
inactive folds up into a thin, collapsible form. x
22 Likki Bag « Design
LIKKI BAG
The Likki Bag design is an innovative design solution that allows women carry their Ipad or small laptop computers with new style and elegance. As typical Ipad cases are soft shell, and difficult to take out on the street, Likki Bag is a fashion item that integrates utility and durability for the working woman.
LIKKI BAG
The Likki Bag design is an innovative design solution that allows women carry their Ipad or small laptop computers with new style and elegance. As typical Ipad cases are soft shell, and difficult to take out on the street, Likki Bag is a fashion item that integrates utility and durability for the working woman.
24 Identify Baltimore Thesis « Architecture
As cities today face the growing challenges of globalization,
individual urban spaces seek new design solutions to define
themselves within its city identity as a whole. However, what
exactly is the identity of the city? And how can it be defined?
The “identify baltimore” project seeks the core of how we
define a particular space and how we can coexist within
them without branding.
Cities Gone Flat: A Global ConditionToday, cities across the globe have found themselves in
an urban identity crisis. As we move forward in the 21st
century and as we find our cities with struggling economies,
public infrastructure, social services, or lack thereof, we
must ask ourselves: who are our cities designed for and
how are they defined? As globalization and internationalism
is bringing more competition to global markets, it has
become a contemporary trend to “brand” a city, or to re-
design the city based on its perceptual appearance. Tourism,
telecommunications, and the Information Age have driven
cities to a competitive re-definition of it’s image in context
IDENTIFY BALTIMOREREDEFINING THE SPATIAL IDENTITY SOURCE OF THE CITY
“B MORE”
“BAWLT-MORE”
“BALTIMORE IS BETTER”
$275,000.002001Faith Popcorn
“THE GREATEST CITY IN AMERICA”
Mayor O’Malley
“BELIEVE”
$2,000,000.002002Baltimore City
“CRABTOWN”
2005Baltimore Crabtown Project
“THE CITY THAT READS”
1987Mayor Kurt Schmoke
“THIS IS BIRDLAND”
2009Baltimore Orioles
“NICKEL TOWN”
1866Named after Baltimore City’s financial frugality after the Civil War
“THE CITY OF FIRSTS”
Name because of Baltimore’s leading history of “firsts” in the U.S.
“FIND YOUR HAPPY PLACE”
$500,000.002010Visit Baltimore
“CHARM CITY”
$500,000.001975Bill Evans
“QUEEN CITY”
1960John Goodspeed
“BALTIMORE IS BEST”
1976Floraine Applefeld
“MOBTOWN”
1812Coined after riots in city after U.S. declared war with Great Britain
“CATCH THE SPIRIT”
1996Mayor Kurt Schmoke
GET IN ON IT
$500,000.002006Landor Associates
BALTIMORE CITY SLOGANS,BRANDS, COSTS, AND DESIGNER
with the rest of the world. As a result, what we see today
is what we could call an “urban pandemic,” where cities
are becoming a part of one giant popularity contest,
attempting to redefine themselves, rebrand themselves,
develop slogans, to advertise. Cities now capitalize on
their hotel bookings, airport food, and miniature figurines
of buildings and mascots that are more likely to be found
on the streets today than an active public square. Yet,
branding cities make them flat: a 2 dimensional image;
and cities, unlike products, cannot be experienced like
a bottle of Coca-Cola. True, holistic spatial identities
in cities recognize that slogans, logos, and brands are
merely labels that only interact at the surface.
Baltimore City’s Identity Crisis Baltimore is a prime example of a city that has
endlessly struggled for an identity that sticks. As the
city has been subjected to a new identity makeover
what seems to be every two years, names such as
“Crabtown,” “Charm City,” and “B -more” all show
the city’s persistent effort to find a transparent
image that is positive and local to its users. In fact,
Baltimore has paid numerous consultants and
graphic designers to re-brand the city, and not to
mention with a price tag at about a half a million
dollars with each revision. Each unsuccessful
attempt has proven that bumper sticker campaigns
26 Identify Baltimore Thesis « Architecture
are not enough. There must be a new way, a more
dimensional way to defining the city.
A Buried Resource: The Jones Falls RiverAs we try to locate the source of Baltimore’s true
character, we do not need to look any further than what
is hidden, buried beneath of us. The Jones Falls River,
what was once the a glorified resource that served the
entire city--once used for trade, commerce, power, and
technology--today is concealed and hidden from public
view. As the river itself powered the foundations of
Baltimore’s iconic development, the city defined itself
as a center for mills, factories, and the beginnings of
the Industrial Revolution. The river was a service that
represented the city in it’s most natural spatial form.
However, in 1911, a proposal was made to re-divert the
river into an underground culvert system. In attempt
to update the city with health advantages of a sewage
system, the burial of the river was celebrated, and
never questioned, as at the construction ceremony
Henry B. Jacobs proclaimed: “I have come to bury
the Jones Falls River, not to praise it!” In the 1950’s
an expressway was then built over top of the river’s
footprint: further burying the city’s natural resource
and dividing the city east from west.
Integrated Design SolutionsThe Jones Falls River is a viable resource that should
be revealed as an urban centerpiece of the city. Intead,
design should seek integrated urban infrastructure,
solutions that penetrate identity beyond the surface in
a socially and spatially engaging manner. The original
culverts that currently bury the river, shall instead, be
an urban destination. A proposed subway and pedestrian
bridge shall be services put in place of the original
conduits underground, and the Jones Falls River once
again can be resurfaced and announce its presence.
Urban space is restored. The void that was created by
the unnecessary traffic on the expressway now serves
more people, provides better public transportation,
and integrates greener spaces that coexists with the
infrastructure of the city. And lest we not forget that above
all, the city of Baltimore’s identity is finally restored.
People, services, and the original currented path of the
river is given the new right to the city. x
Washington Monument /
Mt. Vernon
Shot Tower
Penn Station
Chase Street
28 YUL-MTL « Architecture
YUL-MTL DESIGN COMPETITIONMontreal, Canada
YUL-MTL is an urban intervention and a design proposal
for the city of Montreal, Canada. The collaborative team,
Drew Suljak, David Lopez, Justin Duvall, Daniel Umchield,
and Kallie Sternburgh, examined the corridor between
Montreal’s airport (YUL) and the city center (MTL), and how
its path could be re-imagined based on different systems of
movement. As current city systems are overly dependant
on the automobile for transportation and on trucks for the
general exchange of goods, ground traffic has become
obscenely congested. As a result, our highways expand
as our failed systems contine to grow, further dividing
our cities with industrial waste edges and uninhabitable
spaces. So let’s get real: Property is valuable. Real Estate
is expensive, and the prices of gasoline are not going to
get any betterin the coming years. So let’s build a city that
restores the natural hierachy of pace, and provide spaces
that allows for uninterupted movement, while encouraging
elevated park-ways and new networks of pedestrian an
ecological paths. A new system must take root, with visible
infrastructure that pedestrians can enjoy as well! x
revolve around how to include such social considerations
– health and wellness conditions, issues of rape and
unwanted pregnancy, food and malnourishment, safety
and security, privacy, work stimulation and job creation
– and how solutions to those problems can somehow
mesh with required architectural considerations such
as energy consumption, passive design strategies and
water collection systems. Is it possible for a transitional
shelter to react to several needs instead of just one? We
hope to build a shelter that can provide some portion of
relief in multiple ways… a shelter that becomes a tool in
the rehabilitation process helping to achieve order and
balance in a way of life that made it through the trial of
disaster.
30 Design Build Transitional Shelter « Architecture
issues on the ground to see what other people and
organizations were proposing as the city had begun
transitioning into a complete rebuilding mode. The trip
allowed us to investigate various shelter construction
projects going on in Haiti today, and to observe fi rst-
hand the transition from emergency tents and tarpaulins,
to temporary housing, into new permanent housing and
communities.
In design, we discovered that the issues are more
complex than simply providing a new shelter option -
seemingly a reactive response without any clear-cut
considerations for the culture or the needs of the social
condition. Our principal design discussion continues to
In the Spring of 2011 at the Maryland Institute College
of Art (MICA), The Environmental Design Department’s
Design/Build class began investigating methodologies
used in disaster relief with the goal of designing and
building a prototype for a better transitional shelter. Our
project divided into two semesters – the Spring engaged
research and design while the Fall will focus on the
details and construction of a prototype.
Our class received grant money to support travel costs
for further investigations in post-disaster Haiti – some
14 months after an earthquake took the lives of an
estimated 230,000 people. Five of us traveled over our
Spring Break to Port-au-Prince where we investigated
MICA ENV DESIGN / BUILD STUDIOResearch
IMMEDIATE STAGE (1-2 DAYS)This stage provides immediate housing for displaced peoples, an offer of quick relief. A family of five receives a full
package of materials for the first and second stages of building. A frame of steel C-studs, and an elevated second
tier of plywood floor and OSB walls with a corrugated metal roof are erected for an open-planned private shelter.
Community center is built simultaneously with the shelters. People have 224 feet² with a foot print of 160 feet².
TRANSITIONAL STAGE (1-2 WEEKS)The family earns additional personal space, occupying the second level as they build their first level gabion walls.
Filling the one hundred thirty five provided 18” x 24” x 9” metal cages with rubble from the disaster, the family
erects gabion walls around the ground level of their shelter within a week of start-up. The gabion design gives the
opportunity for privacy but also for a drain that retains rainwater that feeds into the
PERMANENT STAGE (ONGOING)Gabion walls act as a system of vertical gardens that tie communities together visually and productively. Gabion
surfaces are potentially plastered over for a more durable structure. Additional walls are planned and built by
communities as a flexible lining to create public/private outdoor space. Pathways between communities become a
thriving marketplace in the growing village.
12 “
1 inch = 2 feet
Exterior Skin Detail Plan
2 “
1”4”
Front Elevation Side Elevation
GABEDESIGN STRATEGIES:TRANSITIONAL SHELTER WITH GABION UNIT
SCALE1/2 INCH: 1 FOOT
0 ft 1 ft 2 ft 4 ft
12 ft
14 ft
18 ft
10 ft
15’ - 4”
Plan with Secondary Skin
A
10 ft
16 ft
A
B
B Second FloorFirst Floor
Section B-BSection A-A
9 “
3 “ gap
24”
18“
Gabion Unit Dimension Detail
The Second Skin Detail
Steel Wall Stud
OSB Shelter Skin
Steel Stud Extension
Exterior, Second Skin1 x 6 inch wood slats
GABE is immediate relief with potential for being a
permanent shelter. GABE is an easily constructed
“skin and bones” structure, with a load bearing
steel frame and a combination of wood and gabion
“skins”. Gabion construction converts endless piles
of hazardous rubble into an invaluable resource
in relief and rebuilding efforts. Easily assembled
and raised, gabion construction provides ongoing
postdisaster work stimulation for uprooted families.
AN AVERAGE HAITIAN
USES
15 LITERSOF WATER/DAY
1 LITEROF WATER / ENTRANCE
=
15 LITERS1 DAY OF USEFOR 3 PEOPLE ENTERING 5 TIMES
=12 “
10 “
8 “
12 “
10 “
8 ‘
WASHING HANDS AND
FEET
1 HAITIAN
= 240 LITERS TOTAL16 DAYS WORTHFOR 3 PEOPLE ENTERING 5 TIMES
The goal became to localize as much of the productive
capacity of the shelter as we could – keeping in
mind safety and welfare, but allowing for the shelter
itself to become a part of the culture in transition,
and eventually a permanent fixture in the local
community.
We began to simplify the concept relating it to
the human body… Structurally, human beings are
similar in their make-up. Where we differ is in
the maintenance of the bodies we are given – the
languages we learn, the foods we eat, the clothes
we wear. The metaphor we became attached to was
that we would develop a solid core of bones, but the
outward appearance could change.
So, in design our principal concern became the
development of a sound structural framework that
could accept different skins.
We designed a shelter that using a 2” lightweight
galvanized frame. This frame is pre-engineered,
and with some structural sheathing will withstand
aftershocks and intense winds. The metal frame is
set up on a series of pallets that make up the floor.
The pallets can be used in shipping the components
of the shelter and aid items, books, or clothing.
The sheathing goes on the interior of the frame,
simplifying the wall construction. The exterior of the
frame supports a welded wire mesh that could be
used for weaving any of various skins that could be
culturally significant, or could be recycled debris from
the disaster. The double wall here naturally forms a
ventilated air cavity to reduce the heat impacts of the
sun that also acts as a rain screen.
A gill system on the interior – essentially hinged
panels – allows for controlled interior conditions
and passive air movement. And a plywood sheathing
substrate to a corrugated metal roof offset with
rubber spacers will help insulate the sound of rain
hitting the roof during bad weather. A simple ridge
vent atop the roof helps ventilate the warm, stale air
from the interior. Several other hinged components
form fold-away table surfaces and shelving.
32 Design Build Transitional Shelter « Architecture
MICA ENV DESIGN / BUILD STUDIODesign
Our experience in Haiti made us realize that a pre-
packaged shelter, constructed in 12 hours, supplies
much needed shelter in quick fashion. But it does little to
support the local economy, or the needs of the displaced
citizens who consistently find themselves looking for
something to do.
What we like about our system is that it could still be
quickly constructed – a roof could be set up overhead
in merely two days time if the system was prototyped.
But with the need to skin the building given back to the
local circumstance, there is a possibility for a burgeoning
economy to help with the period of
34 Design Build Transitional Shelter « Architecture
MICA ENV DESIGN / BUILD STUDIOBuild
transition. A series of occupations could be developed
that collect and prepare materials. And a series of jobs
could be established for skilled “weavers” that use the
materials to fashion building skins. What typically takes
2 days to construct now takes two weeks to complete,
providing stimulus to the local economy, resourcing local
materials.
That is why the community design concepts are ultimately
as important as the design of the shelter itself – the
ability to realize cultures in transition, how they change,
and how they adapt is critical to providing a solution for
transitional shelter that can evolve with the circumstance.
We could have proposed solar panels, but transitional
shelters typically have little need for power. A simple
battery station for cell phones can be
provided. We could easily add a water collection system
and filtration tank, but aid organizations usually are
quick to establish access to clean water tanks that can be
serviced by water delivery trucks. A small tank for hand
and feet washing would do the trick. We used the lessons
we learned from post-disaster conditions in Haiti – design
within reach with recognition of the services already
provided. This makes for a much simpler, and more
durable finished product.
A price point has to be met in order to make the
shelter competitive with the current model. Adding
intensive technologies or systems that can be
provided by other organizations inflates much of the
material cost. Initial estimates for our prototype are
coming in at about $2700 (US) dollars for materials.
Should the prototype be mass-produced, our price
point could be lowered to a more competitive $2000
(US) dollar range.
Our group is in the process of constructing the
prototype, which we hope to complete in the next
few weeks. Since we began our research, new
disasters have taken place. By mid-year 2011, some
355 disasters of various scales had occurred over
the globe, and it is anticipated that this will be the
costliest year of record to deal with the aftermath.
Japan had an earthquake and tsunami in March; New
Zealand had two significant earthquakes this year;
landslides and flashfloods in Brazil; and the United
States has had several severe storms and floodwater
events that will cost the government billions of
dollars in recovery funding.
What can a shelter do, beyond the simplicity of
providing a roof, to help people recover… to help
a region rebuild? We think this design is a start to
constructing a larger dialogue about this issue.
It does not intend to be the ideal design for the
universal condition – it simply provides a framework
for transitional growth. x
36 Penn Daw « Architecture
professional work
Penn Daw Housing Mixed-UseAlexandria, VA
Penn Daw is a 395-unit housing and mixed-use project
proposal for a site located in the outer skirts of Alexandria,
Virginia. The building’s unique massing was driven by the
simple planning principles to:
1. Establish a place that defines the area as a viable
destination 2. To connect through alternating methods of
transportation 3. To consolodate and make use of more
efficient, programmed spaces 4. By mixing program and
providing spatial variety 5. To fit to the existing context
where necessary.
As the building adapts to the scale of adjacent buildings and
townhomes, the clarity of space makes for a dense, yet, not
overwhelming architectural addition to the area. Given the
nature of such a center-less site, the new building proposal
challenges the defit notion of the area by defining a place
for residents and retailers alike. The idea of “returning the
space back to its users” invites a variety of functions, and
also provides a pocket plaza that will engage pedestrian-
scale activities in the center of the project.
x
38 Metro West Vienna « Architecture
Metro West ViennaHousing Mixed-UseVienna, VA
professional work
Metro West is a new residential, retail, and hotel
development proposal that will immediately create
a sense of place and offer a much needed urban
amenity that is missing in this NOVA market. The
basic planning principles established with the massing
of the building integrates a hardscaped plaza for the
public: allowing for pedestrian traffic, a civic center, as
well as a service oriented retail face with a welcoming
presence to the future development of Vienna, VA. Three
residential bars define a dramatic interior court, and
a pedestrian bridge is proposed to further engage the
public and residential spaces. The unique character of
the residential court in combination with the pedestrian
plaza will generate a unique urban space that will foster
a multitude of activities. x
professional work
40 MICA Commons II « Architecture
MICA Commons IIHousing Mixed-UseBaltimore, MD
professional work
The MICA Commons II building is the newest dormatory
for freshmen students at the Maryland Institute College
of Art. With 63 units and a total of 242 beds, the new
building is a welcome addition to the Bolton Hill
campus that will accomodate for the influx of talent
that comes to study each year. Being a ground floor
concrete podium building and 3 stories of stick above,
the rapid constructability of the project was imperitive
for the promise of beds for the incoming class next Fall
2013. Other programmed spaces include 2 studio work
spaces, a lecture hall, and a black box theater space
that can open up and spills onto a southern facing
courtyard and garden. The spaces provided in which art
students work and live offers a balance between privacy
and common, collaborative spaces. x
professional work
42 Innovative Units « Architecture
Innovative UnitsHousing Mixed-Use
Using Revit as a design tool for all phases of design,
the housing-mixed use studio at Hord Coplan Macht
Architects, initiated a system of standard housing
units that could be integrated during the early phases
of schematic design: with foresight into unit variety,
fair housing, and efficient unit count and planning.
Interior visualizations showed an even greater depth
of architectural vision with respect to ambient lighting,
1BR/1 BA-DENOPTION 1
STUDIOOPTION 1
2BR/2 BA OPTION 1
1BR/1 BA OPTION 1
fixture selections, and surface finishes that contributed
to the overall feel of the project. Each unit also had an
alternate modern interior design to attract a variety of
tenants that chose to live in the space. x
professional work
44 Select Drawings + Paintings « Art
SELECT DRAWINGS + PAINTINGS
Jyväskylä University AudtoriumJyväskylä, Finland
Kiasma Art MuseumHelsinki, Finland
Paimio Sanatorium,Paimio, Finland
St. Petri Church, Klippan, Sweden
Säynätsalo Town Hall,Jyväskylä, Finland