Studio iII : Care Center for Tortured Victims
Sharon Roe : Fall 2006
creating order from chaos
This was the final iteration of a process that first asked to create order from chaos. Then to be able to find the tectonic qualities inherent within our creations and apply them in a way to create more than utility or order, but a place of significance.
By finding thoughtful moments in previous iterations, the design process became a method to frame the intangible nature of significant order. Reading volumes between the lines, using materials and light to imply varying levels of depth and transparency, became a cornerstone to the design. Developing spaces that were held by both a physical and conceptual boundary proved to provide a strong sense of place and continuity.
finding place in between
An established order creates a confined system. It is in that constriction that creativity is able to surface in a purposeful and meaningful way. Beauty can be identified as a moment that defies and complements the vocabulary and rhythm of order. After establishing guiding principles, ordering the elements of program became extensions to serve the outcome.
Creating a place where temporary residents feel safe but not confined is reflected in the relationship between open and intimate spaces; private and public areas within the program layout. Partially functioning as a community center, this open yet secure space allows victims in recovery to interact with the public when they feel ready. Across a courtyard, in a section that is more like a home than a clinic, they can rely on other residents and staff for support. Made aware of a different perspective, so different than my own, and thinking critically through every design decision was the greatest lesson of this project.
Studio iV : mixed use intervention
Walid El-Hindi : Spring 2007
interlocking program variation
By taking a more vertical approach to Mixed-Use programing, the design incorporates retail and office space beyond the ground floor up into the floors above. This interlocking of the commercial program with the residential units allows for a greater possibility for interaction in a live/work cooperative.
extended fenestration
The division of fenestration is independent from the program, passing beyond floor plates, lending a dynamic facade expression of the building from floor to floor. This effectively changes the appearance of the facade and communicates to those below if a commercial program is open. From within it allows for unique opportunities to light and view, varied from unit to unit.
The open layout of the project site on the side street engages the neighborhood as small courtyards on the ground floor allow opportunities for social gatherings and interactions between the neighborhood and vendors solidifying a sense of community identity.
Studio i : calhoun sailing school
Janet Laderie : Spring 2006
metaphor for sailing
The sailing school program required a building that could offer a variety of amenities to serve the community in both the summer and winter seasons. The plan began to take shape after an in-depth site analysis of climate patterns and seasonal usage. Conveying the essence of sailing became an influential element guiding the design. The prow of a ship offers a wide view from a fixed point much like the confined space of glass enclosed landing of the stairway, the open view from the far reaching roof cantilever, or the shade from triangular canopies. A large deck opens up in the summer months while it is dedicated to aquatic recreation and instruction.
warming house
In winter, a sense of enclosure and protection from the elements became a driving element in design. While many of the spaces are converted to storage, focus is shifted inwards with the partially buried warming house. Restrooms and a place to sit and change in and out of gear remain open during winter. It is a needed place of refuge after spending time outside exposed on a frozen lake. With the changing of the seasons comes a change in activity around the lake, and for all times of year the Sailing School serves as a base of operations at the edge of a large community lake.
Studio ii : plan-less house
Matt Kunterod : Summer 2006
using light to create place
Beginning with a process of shaping light and volume to inform programmatic relationships; the plan-less house was not an arrangement of rooms, but of places informed by light. The desire for a certain experience relative to perception of void, mass and light informed the placement of a room.
light rendered plan and section
Spaces within the house, defined by adjacent areas of light and void, inform the possible program of that space. Working continuously between model and rendering opened an informative dialogue of design based on the perception of space. Alterations were driven by the desires for what the experience of perceived space ought to be.
undergraduate work
University of Minnesota : 2006 - 2007