laurel johnston's portfolio
DESCRIPTION
Work from 2008 - 2012 Undergraduate and Graduate level studios at Kansas State UniversityTRANSCRIPT
An architect’s aesthetic is fundamentally influenced by his or her view of life.
I choose to view life with a lightness of being inspired by words attributed to
Crowfoot (1830-1890), chief of the Siksika First Nation, “What is life? It is the
flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It
is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”
These words ground my architectural aspirations to design buildings that do
not simply sit upon the earth, but are a part of the earth, within and upon it. I
wish my designs to arouse an appreciation for the simple beauty of life.
Residential, mixed-use, civic, and academic design best represent my
architectural avocation. However, it is important to me that I am also involved
in the greater issues of the day – such as low income housing and the full
spectrum housing needs of the aging population. It would be the ultimate in
job satisfaction to join a team of inspired architects dedicated to working their
collective imagination to create innovative, quality-of-life solutions for these
vulnerable people.
My passion for architecture translates to my desire to significantly impact the
built environment in a positive fashion. To stay true to my goals, I design to be
responsive, respectful, & relevant.
Statement of Intent
Laurel [email protected]
Wildcat Winery
Fabrication Lab
Galileo’s Lab
Italian Sketches
Glass Fusion
Basilica of Saint Mary
Library
ProcessPlansExterior Renderings & Construction ModelInterior Rendering
Site Plan, Parti, & ProcessDiagrams & ProcessExterior Renderings, Laser-cut Model, & SectionsSection & Floor PlansSection Perspective3D Wall Section & DetailsInterior RenderingInterior Rendering
Site PlanDiagrams & Site PhotosDiagram, Perspective, & Lower Floor PlanUpper Floor PlanSketch & SectionsSections
Castiglion FiorentinoCastiglion FiorentinoFirenzeRoma
Graphite Pencil on Canson Paper
Murano Glass Duomo di Firenze & My Hand
Process & Basswood ModelBasswood Model
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Nestled in the Flint Hills of northeastern Kansas, the Wildcat
Winery was designed to preserve the essence of a previously
untouched native tallgrass prairie. The structure is set deeply
into the hill to minimize visual impact and to allow variation
of sunlight permeability for the fermentation, production,
and storage of wines. Structural walls, made from local
limestone, extend beyond the building to give order to the
exterior spaces and to foster an intimate relationship between
the winery and the landscape. The tasting room orientation
and sensitively sited winery blends with the surrounding
grasslands and takes advantage of the panoramic vistas and
the beauty of this unique site.
Wildcat Winery
Konza Prairie, Manhattan, KS3rd Year, Fall 2010, Thom AllenAutoCAD, Illustrator, Revit,3ds Max, & Photoshop
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In design, section, and elevation, the careful placement of the
library’s interlocking architectural masses come together in a
spatial dialogue of form and function. The immense overhang
at the front entry makes the library appear larger than
its actual size to give the building a suitable civic presence
within the city of Dallas, Texas. At the same time, the
overhang provides residents rain-free drive-through access
to the library and its book drop-off slot. A double height
lobby welcomes patrons into an engaging interior organized
into sections, each dedicated to specific activities. The library
features a community conference room, accessible even
when the library is closed, and a café with its own secluded
courtyard. Expansive glass curtain walls set back at the ends
of each rectangular form provide controlled natural daylight
to the interior. The leaf patterned fritted glass further shields
the books from intense sunlight and abstractly recalls the
foliage of the surrounding environs. The power and expressive
richness of the cleanly detailed building harmonizes with the
local vernacular yet stands out as an intended city landmark.
Library
Highland Park, Dallas, TX2nd Year, Spring 2010, Richard HoagHand Drafted and Hand Built
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Basilica
Basilica of Saint MaryMinneapolis, MinnesotaSpring 2008Graphite Pencil on 16”x20” Canon paper
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Glass Fusion
Duomo di Firenze & My HandCastiglion Fiorentino, Italy - Glass Sculpting Class4th Year, Study Abroad, Spring 2012Clay, Plaster, & Murano Glass
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Italian Sketches
Castiglion Fiorentino, Firenze, & Roma, Italy4th Year, Study Abroad, Spring 2012Graphite Pencil, Pen, and Charcoal in Sketchbook
View from the Main Loggia
View
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My spring 2012 semester at the Santa Chiara Study Center in Castiglion Fiorentino gave me a true appreciation for old European architecture. I experienced Italy not as a tourist but as a design student. Hours spent sketching the buildings, spaces, and urban content of Italy allowed me to really see and intimately relate to its various venues.
Charcoal Wood Column Detail Study Center’s Courtyard just after the Snow Melted
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Looking Back at the Ponte Vecchio from the FountainPonte Vecchio Seen from the Uffizi Gallery
I sketched what I saw, and as I sketched the nuances that made the particular locale uniquely special revealed themselves to me. Sketching allowed me to observe the locals’ interaction with and movement through the space and to objectively evaluate the space for what worked and what did not work. With pen and paper, I put to memory my lasting impression of Italy – a viewpoint I can recall at will to enhance my own architectural designs.
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With its open-air, multi-level, mixed-use space carved into
the hillside, Galileo’s Laboratory interprets in a playful
way the intricate urban fabric of a small Tuscan hill town.
Zigzag staircases and piazzas culminating in the playground
rejuvenate a rundown part of Castiglion Fiorentino by
strengthening the stitch that connects the main road to the
Etruscan Tower. The underground section of the loose open-
air structure features a soothing water fountain, a sand fire
pit, and two sandboxes while the upper section features rocks
to climb and spaces to discover. The spaces are permeable
– whether below, upon, in or above, one is connected and
oriented to the playground and its natural landscape. The
large open-to-below area above the fire pit allows the stars to
be seen from within at night and during the day allows
the sun to stream to the interior creating a texture of lights
and shadows upon the old stone wall. The playground was
designed to evoke a sense of independence for its visitors
and to encourage the imaginative, creative, exploratory, and
meditative characteristics of the great Italian, Galileo.
Galileo’s Lab
Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy4th Year, Study Abroad, Spring 2012, Torgeir NorheimInk on 4 Sheets of 24” by 36” Vellum
A Playground for the Body & Mind
Site Plan
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Site Photos
Main Stitch with New Staircases Gradient Private - Slower - QuieterPublic - Busier - Noisier
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SiteMain StitchLow Pedestrian UseHigh Pedestrian UseHigh Car Use
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Perspective Looking in the Direction of the Arrow
Perspective Looking in the Direction of the Arrow
Geometry - Golden Rectangle
Lower Floor Plan
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Sketch Looking Down from the Arrow
Section BB
Section AA
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Sketch Looking Up from the Arrow at the Stairs
The fabrication lab was designed to give local residents of
Manhattan, Kansas access to clean workshops, building
material, and state-of-the-art tools. Two double height main
axes provide easy movement throughout the building as well
as a simplified means of transportation for large product and
work pieces. The workshops are situated along the north side
of the building to allow natural indirect light entry to the
workspaces. A light scoop, with kalwall windows facing south,
runs the length of the east-west axes. The kalwall diffuses the
harsh southern light. The light scoop’s plastered curved wall
guides the soft light into the main corridor and workspaces.
At night, the light scoop provides interest to the building’s
exterior as a warm glow from interior lights becomes visible
from the outside.
Fabrication Lab
Manhattan, KS4th Year, Fall 2011, Michael McGlynnAutoCAD, Illustrator, SketchUp,V-Ray, Photoshop, & Laser Cutter
Axial Parti
Sectional Process Sketches
Primary Axes on 1st FloorSecondary Axes on 2nd FloorVertical Circulation
Site Plan
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Structural Diagram Mechanical Diagram Forced Air Combined System with a VAVReinforced Concrete WallsPost-Tensioned Concrete Floor & Roof
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1. 1 1/4" Standing Seam Metal Roof 2. Roofing Membrane 3. Rigid Insulation 4. Weather Resistant Barrier 5. Post-Tensioned Concrete Slab 6. Air Space 7. Drip Flashing 8. 8" Reinforced Concrete Wall 9. AEPSpan Prestige Series Panel10. Metal Furring Channels11. 5/8" Gypsum Board12. 2" by 1" Metal Stud Wall13. Aluminum Curtainwall Mullion14. 5/8" Western Red Cedar Siding15. 2" by 4" Timber Batton16. Metal Z Ties17. Metal Soffit18. 1" AEPSpan Fascia Metal Panel19. Kalwall20. Plaster
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3D Wall Section & Details
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