select works: 2001 - 2013

michael brotherton

As demographics continue to reinforce the trend toward urbanization, cities are growing in size and their physical fabric is becoming increasingly dense. The particular settings of urban living, both physical and social, encompass a wide spectrum. While some New Yorkers live in relative isolation at the top of a high-rise residential building on the UES, others are residing in a Brooklyn loft with six roommates.

This Madison Square Park proposal seeks to catalog the spectrum of urban living and stratify it across vertical and horizontal planes. From the short weekend stay to a year-long lease, it encourages interaction among residents to create a unique experiment in housing.

URBANxiety: residential hotel

‘CLOSE QUARTERS’- Interaction 3

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FROM ISOLATION TO INTERACTION :Fracturing the Dwelling Unit

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INTERACTION 4

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SHIFTING BOUNDARIES: As floors progress down to ground level, private spaces shrink and are replaced by semi-public and public space.

ISOLATION ZERO

INTERACTION 1 1.1

INTERACTION 2 2.1

FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE CITY:Interaction 1

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FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE CITY:Interaction 1

At street and subway levels the public interaction has reached its peak. Hurried straphangers rushing to work and fitness buffs working out at the gym bring a voyeuristic atmosphere to the cafes, retail spaces and small public amphitheatre.

IMMERSED IN THE CITY:INTERACTION 4

The 2011 Parsons Design Workshop (DWS) was a project for the New York City Dept. of Parks which consisted of the design and construction of locker and changing rooms on the existing pooldeck at Highbridge Park in Washington Heights, Manhattan.

Personal involvement in the project was the role of construction manager, and as such contributed design advice relating to budget, scheduling & constructability as well as day to day management of a team of 11 students.

SPLASH HOUSE: parsons DWS

The two month construction schedule and massive budget constraints made scheduling and identifying scope the crucial component. By isolating the critical path and material lead times, Phase I of Splashhouse was completed within the deadline.

The problem of crowd management when the pool closes twice a day was solved by designing sliding wood doors on the locker room wall. When the pool closes the doors stack together, both creating an alternate exit as well as exposing the locker room to discourage loitering.

RENDERING FROM MEZZANINE

VIEW FROM MEZZANINE (BUILT)

burlesque theatre

This project entailed the design & finish selection/fabrication for a burlesque theatre in Las Vegas. Brought onto the project during construction, I was responsible for designing many of the finishes & furniture as well as quick renders for visualization studies. The process involved a fast & rigourous production of SKs in order to meet the theatre’s deadline for a New Year’s Eve opening.

As a fast track project the bulk of the reclaimed finishes were sourced and altered at Hecho Inc.’s Brooklyn shop before being shipped to Vegas for final fit & installation. In addition to making shop drawings for fabrication in Brooklyn, SKs for installation had to be designed & drawn to account for various unknown field conditions.

Audemars Piguet ExhibitionAs a traveling exhibit celebrating the Swiss watch manufacturer’s 40th aniversary of the Royal Oak series, the fabrication of the structures was an excercise in precision, much like the preocess of creating the watches they displayed.

Ironically enough time was the enemy of this project. From receiving the conceptual sketches to final install the timeline spanned under three months.

The life of the project while in New York resembled that of an iceberg: 95% of it’s existence was in a cold, dark DUMBO warehouse, while it’s time in the sun limited to four days in the Park Avenue Armory.

Personal involvement was as a freelance fabricator, and conceptual design credit belongs to artist Sebastien Leon Agneessens and fabrication design rests with Situ Studio/Situ Fabrication.

spa & fitness structure

This project entailed the design and construction of a spa & fitness structure on the property of an existing residence in Paradise Valley Arizona. Personal duties on the project included glazing details as well as handling much of the construction administration.

desert residence

The desert residence is a primary home for a couple in the Cave Creek neighborhood of Phoenix. The long concrete wall interupted by vertical windows sets a datum on the exterior for approaching guests as well as for the interior bedroom wing. My involvement on this project included the building of physical models to get the intial design ideas across to the client as well as the working drawings up to the 30% CD set.

© Openshop 2012

07 November 2012

CONCEPT PRESENTATION

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PROJECT STRATEGY

BASE BUILDING

To prepare for the new addition, the base building will be modified only as necessary for connection to the new spaces. This will focus primarily on the removal of unnecessary openings, creation of new connections and preparation of the existing exposed areas for a new finish surface.

NEW ADDITION

The new addition will consist of a straightforward structure and skin combined with a storefront (non-structural) glazing solution to minimize cost and expedite the construction process. As the design evolves, sky-lighting and windows will be integrated to meet additional day lighting needs.

SCREEN

The final layer of the new design is a screen, implemented to unify the facade and provide an iconic image for the revitalised DO&CO facility. The dual function of this screen will also mediate the eastern exposure to create a more sustainable and energy efficient building.

food service addition

The feasibility study for a 6,000 sf addition to an airline catering facility near JFK consisted of a conceptual design and proposed budget/schedule. As project manager I solicited & compiled contracts from consultants in addition to rendering work and general coordination.

The evolution of this design began with precedents ranging from Jean Prouve rockers to comtemporary lawn furniture.

Its early conception saw studies in mechanization to achieve a state of gliding, yet the effect was ultimately provided through the pliability of a leather sling fastened to a rigid bent & welded steel frame.

steel & leather sling

The client’s desire for an industrial aesthetic to complement their Gowanus apartment coupled with a low budget led to the exploration of salvaged materials. A multitude of 4” aluminum tube offcuts were found and mechanically fastened with threaded rod and surfaced with polycarbonate sheet, sanded to a matte finish.

tube top

As the shift towards thoughtful design continues to gain favor in China, there will be a re-evaluation of the hastily conceived structures that house the world’s largest population. Instead of continuing the trend of demolition and reconstruction, reappropriations that take advantage of chinas labor & manufacturing resources create engaging environments that enhance the experience of both host and agent. The Parson’s campus will act as this agent to allow China the lens to envision possibilities for the future.

reSURFACE: parsons campus shanghai

SITE: PARSONS SHANGHAI

EXIST. CREATIVE CLUSTERS

SITE: PARSONS SHANGHAI

EXIST. CREATIVE CLUSTERS

As the shift towards thoughtful design continues to gain favor in China, there will be a re-evaluation of the hastily conceived structures that house the world’s largest population. Instead of continuing the trend of demolition and reconstruction, reappropriations that take advantage of chinas labor & manufacturing resources create engaging environments that enhance the experience of both host and agent. The Parson’s campus will act as this agent to allow China the lens to envision possibilities for the future.

reSURFACE: parsons campus shanghai

SITE: PARSONS SHANGHAI

EXIST. CREATIVE CLUSTERS

SITE: PARSONS SHANGHAI

EXIST. CREATIVE CLUSTERS

The Parson’s campus is the first phase in a plan to bring other departments of The New School to Shanghai and acts as the first node of an adventitious root system, spreading within the existing building stock. Initial buildings are the studio and dorms followed by the library and shop. PV panels provide not only power but shade and shelter from the elements and circle the existing soccer pitch.

LIBRARY BALCONY LOOKING TOWARD THE DORMS