Berlin - Germany

Site - Ebertstasse

Pariser Platz

Reichstagsgebaude

Leipziger Platz

Site Plan

Spaziergang Musik

The prompt for the 114th annual John Stewardson Memorial Competition was to design a “transformative space of separation and connection” along a section of the Berlin’s Ebertstrasse where the Berlin Wall used to stand.

The collapse of the Berlin wall ended an era of cultural isolation and began an era of unity. Nations that were once separated now coexist in peace. This newfound freedom for exchange of cultures and ideas was ampli�ed by the increasing popularity of the Internet, which narrowed the gap between nations even further.

In today’s world of social media, our ability to understand and interact with other cultures is unprecedented; this design intervention is intended to create a space that uses social media to create an environment of cultural enrichment/uni�cation.

The Spaziergang Musik (“music walk”) is inspired by street performers in cities such as New York and Paris. The space uses the social media platform SoundCloud (an application created and headquartered in Berlin) to connect users with songs that are uploaded by musicians around the world.

The space contains three main “performance spaces” which will play cultural tunes from various regions throughout the world. Soothing low key melodies will play during the day, but in the evening the tones will become more vibrant, to re�ect Berlin’s vivacious nightlife. Each performance space contains an interactive LED display screen, which displays animations (music video’s/maps) concurrently with the music. Bu�er spaces (2 in the site plan) in between each performance space prevent noise overlap.

Software : Rhino, Vray, Adobe Suite

114th Annual John Stewardson Memorial Fellowship in Architecture - 201510 Days - January 2015

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neXuseXCHANGE

A model for a closed loop, renewable, energy exchange program for the State College Community and beyond.

Produce an estimated

To be accessed by

to create

for

Which can be used to harness

20,000+ tons of

Organic Waste STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH ORGANICS RECYCLING CENTER

BIO-FRIENDLYTRACTORS

ZIP-CARSSC RESIDENTS CATA/MEGABUS

ORGANIC MATERIALS PROCESSING

+EDUCATION CENTERCENTRE COUNTY FARMERS

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BIOGAS

The Nexus Exchange was inspired by the current research being done by the compost-engineering program at Penn State. The site program includes an Exchange Center and Transit Hub. Site users bring biodegradable material to the Exchange Center where it is used to produce energy in the form of biofuel and electricity.

With the Center County Transportation Authority changing to methane bio-fuel as a standard fuel source for all county busses, this center would provide a local and central refilling point that utilizes local recycled resources in order to fuel the busses. Electricity produced by the process would fuel Zip-Car stations for visitors dropped off at a relocated Mega-Bus stop. Users dropping off compost would then be reimbursed via Bus passes, Methane/Propane tanks,or Zip-Car discounts.

Conceptually the building evokes energy, movement and speed, a gesture to the transportation hubs such as the Trans World Flight Center by Eero Saarinen as well as the iconic 1950’s American gas station. This connection is made via a ruled surfaced roof, whichis supported by hyperbolic columns. These columns make the connection of how the energy the user deposits in the ground is then changed and returns back up to supply the building via HVAC, electrical, and Plumbing.

Site PlanN

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Contextual Site Plan

STATE COLLEGE BOROUGH ORGANICSRECYCLING CENTER

ORGANIC MATERIALS PROCESSING +EDUCATION CENTER

DOWNTOWN STATE COLLEGEFARMERS MARKET

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3000 tons

12+ Local Farmers

1100 tons

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NEXUSEXCHANGE

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ZIP CAR CHARGING

TERMINAL

CAFE AND WAITING

FORUM

EXHIBITION

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MAIN

ZIP CAR CHARGING

CATA BUS

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Level Two Plan 0 5 15 30 45

Walkable Green Roof

Ruled Surface Structural Grid

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Classroom

Office

Lobby

Interior Rendering of Secondary LobbyInterior Rendering of Secondary Lobby

Interior Rendering of Secondary Lobby

Interior Rendering of Terminal

CPA CPA CPA

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SITE

Broad Street

College of Arts, Media, and DeisgnCAMD

College of Preforming ArtsCPA

Site PlanPhiladelphia,PA

MEDIA

PERFORMING ARTS

FINE ARTS

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programsSeparate the programs into

the program with the

Philadelphia University of the Arts Student Union BuildingFeatured in the Penn State Architecture University of the Arts ExhibitionSpring 2013

Primary Software Platforms: Rhino/Grasshopper

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Section BB

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Level Two 0 124 24 36

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1- Auditorium2- Cafe Seating

Level One

1- Lobby2- Cafe Seating3- Auditorium

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Level Four 0 124 24 36

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1- Media Lab2- Student Lounge3- Library

Level Three

1- Media Lab2- Performing Arts Studio3- Office Space

Interior Rendering from Lobby

Interior Rendering from Media Lab

Finalist in the Penn State Architecture Annual Hajjar CompetitionSpring 2013 (1 week)

Primary Software Platforms: Rhino/Grasshopper AutoCAD Artlantis Studio Adobe Suite

The Up-Cycled Children’s Pavilion

Site PlanWater Collection Utilities

The prompt for the following competition was to design a sustainable children’s pavilion for a State College, PA elementary school. My pavilion is intended to be used as a tool for sustainable education and environmental enrichment. The design includes the pavilion as well as a garden for new plant

for drinking, and plant growth. The water used for drinking is stored in removable pickle barrel cisterns, and the water for plant growth is pumped to the new garden adjacent to the pavilion. The design empha-sizes the concept of water collection by exposing all water collection utilities on the interior and façade.

Exterior Rendering

Design Build: Transformable Wading Pool Spring 2011

The program for the project was to design a 3’ by 3’ by 6’ privatespace for our client that could be transformed into a public space. The client for the following project requested a space in which she could feel like she was at the beach. The private function of the space was to included a seat and shading for the client. The public function included wading pool, which could accommodate up to 3 guests. The project incorporates basic sustainability concepts such as material and water reuse. I individually consturcted the final design at full scale.

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Private Public

Full Scale Construction

Water Re-useWater can be stored in the water tank (labeled W) to be re-used. When closed, the water tank serves as a seat for the user.

Material Re-useReused materials include: Conduit, Tarp, Plywood,Door Hinges

Design Build: Penn State Centerfor Sustainability Terrace Spring 2011

For the following project all students enrolled in Arch 132 participated in the annual design build project. Our assignmentwas to design and construct a terrace in the Penn StateUniversity Center for Sustainability. Only recycled materials were used in the construction. I was part of a group who’s responsibility was to construct a table for the terrace. Our table was constructed mainly from recycled steel, and concrete with glass aggregate. All glass was taken from recycled bottles. Construction was a group effort, however the following hand drawn construction documents are a result of my individual efforts.

Section AA

Detail AB

Detail BB Detail BC

Detail AA

Front Elevation

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Gesture to ArtifactPresented at the 2013 AIAS QUAD ConferenceSpring 2013

Gesture to Artifact is a processing based 3D modeling interface that allows users to use hand motion to manipulate digital objects, and output their objects for digital fabrication.

When developing the interface I researched the motion capturing capabilities of the Microsoft Kinect. Using the Kinect’s skeleton tracking feature I was able to map the user’s hand location and use its coordinates as variables in my processing script.

The script I developed reads the user’s hand coordi-nates and uses them to deform the input object (plane or cylinder) (1). The interface allows the user visualize their object as it’s being deformed (2). It creates the illusion that the user is sculpting the object with their hands. The user also has control over other parameters associated with the deformation such as strength and range. When the user finishes the manipulation, the object is exported so it can be prepped for fabrication. No processing knowledge is necessary to operate the interface.

A grasshopper definition is paired with the application to create fabrication files for the user’s object. The object is fabricated by means of sectional contouring (2D section cuts are generated at a selected interval). The definition allows the user to select the material, contouring direction, and contouring interval. Through the processing-grasshopper workflow, the user to easily develop and fabricate multiple iterations.

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The processing script establishes a depth threshold for deformation. Once the users hand passes the depth threshold, the object begins to deform.

Depth Threshold

Deformed Surface

Kinect

Kinect Visi

on

Depth Threshold for D

eformation

Primary Software Platforms: Processing Rhino - Grasshopper

Hardware: Kinect

Interface Processing

The Gestural Modeling Interface was designed using the Processing programming language. The interface allows the user to select the input object (plane or cylinder), and manipulate other factors associated with the object deformation (strength, range). The input object is a mesh.

Manipulation Kinect

The object is deformed by hand motion detected by the kinect. The processing script detects the users closest hand, and uses it to deform the object.

Data Extraction Excel

When the user finishes the object manipula-tion, the resulting mesh coordinates are exported as an excel csv file.

Interpolation Grasshopper

The coordinates are read from the csv file and used to interpolate the object in Rhino/Grasshopper. The resulting geometry is a smooth NURBS surface, rather than a mesh.

Fabrication Laser-cutter

The object is then contoured and prepped for the laser-cutter through the grasshopper definition. The definition allows the user to control various factors associated with the fabrication (material, contouring direction, etc.).

Fabricated Artifact (Rear View)

Gesture Examples

Presentation at AIAS QUAD Conference

Fabricated Artifact (Front View)