architecture portfolio - gina fantoni

20132013

Gina Fantoni

003

Table of Contents

004. Intro

Self-Assessment

Statement of Beliefs

008. AP 111

Project 1 - Analysis - Edouard Manet, Blue Venice

Project 2 - Folly

Project 3 - City Project

022. AP 118

Project 1 - City Poster

Project 2 - Athenaeum

Project 3 - Disaster Relief - Haiti

036. AP 211

Project 1 - Boston Public Library Case Study

Project 2 - Poetry Vehicle

Project 3 - Poet’s Retreat

Project 4 - Williamstown Public Library

054. AP 212

Project 1 - So-Il Architecture Case Study

Project 2 - Sculpture Gallery

Project 3 - Pointe Saint Charles Metro

072. AP 311

Project 1 - Richard Meier Case Study

Project 2 - Montpelier Performing Arts Center

090. Misc

Sketching School

Summer Design-Build

NUVA Thailand

104. Appendix

Writing Sample

GPA

Transcript

Intro AP 111 AP 118 AP 211 AP 212 AP 311 Misc. Appendix


004

Self Assessment

Before beginning classes at Norwich, I was able to explore the

world of architecture in various ways. As a kid, I took studio art

classes where I played around with watercolors, oil paints, and

acrylics. Later on, in middle school, I was first introduced to

architectural drafting. From there, I was convinced that I wanted

to be an architect. In high school drafting and design classes I

was able to hand-draft and blueprint my design for a two-thousand

square foot shingle-style home as well as design a drafting chair

and a detached garage with the aid of AutoCAD and Photoshop. These

exercises were my first real exposure to graphic design.

It was, however, just before my senior year in high school

when a lecture at the Boston Architectural College’s Summer Pro-

gram changed my personal ideologies concerning architecture alto-

gether. A professor at RISD presented her humanitarian work in

Mexico which exhibited an economy, sensibility, and sensitivity I

had never before seen in architecture. It was from that intense

revelation that I entered Norwich. Looking back on the work that

I produced during my first year, it is clear that I was whole-

heartedly dedicated to developing as a designer. I was, however,

not confident with my hand-drawing skills.

005

Judging from the sketches and the synthesis drawing that I

produced in comparison to my hand-drafted mylar drawings, I felt

more comfortable representing my ideas through modeling and draft-

ing than I did through sketching or rendering. I feel that the op-

posite is true now. This past semester, I produced a large volume

of sketches and I found it very helpful to work through designs

with quick renderings. From looking at my rendering abilities, I

feel that I have expanded my artistic repertoire and I feel en-

tirely more confident with my hand-drawing skills.

I also feel that I have gradually worked towards becoming a

humanitarian architect by developing through my studio projects a

base level of knowledge and skills which I will be able to take

with me in a potentially rural, foreign, or even disaster-stricken

environment. I have incorporated rigorous solar studies, explored

different materials and construction techniques as well as econom-

ical solar shading designs all with the idea of maintaining a lev-

el of affordability, practicality, versatility, and relevance. I

feel every bit as enthusiastic today as i did at the beginning of

architecture school when it comes to design and the possibilities

within the realm of architecture.



006

Personal Architectural Beliefs

I believe that architecture is a language. I believe that, de-

spite the apparent differences from one region to another, archi-

tecture possesses the power to subtly communicate the basic needs,

hopes, and goals which relate people the world over to one an-

other. Architecture is the universal fact that people need shel-

ter. It is the idea that everyone needs a space to be alone. It

is the fact that people want to share their passions with family,

friends, and sometimes even strangers. Architecture gives people

a reason to travel and a desire to explore. Architecture helps to

define us.

I find meaning in architecture in its ability to transform the

patterns of daily life. With the ability to establish beloved, sa-

cred spaces, a thoughtfully-designed space can alter the way peo-

ple relate to their community, to one another, to nature, to the

rest of the world. It is an underlying commonality between people

of all cultures and walks of life. The fact that humans all in-

teract with the built environment in one way or another links us

together in the world of architecture. It thus posseses a certain

power over our societies. It establishes a sense of identity and a

sense of pride within subsets of cultures.

007

With that power in mind, I behold architecture as a life-al-

tering artform. A sensetive architect has the power to drasti-

cally change the course of someone’s life. I read about Shige-

ru Ban’s disaster relief efforts in Turkey and was blown away. I

found it incredible that his paper shelters were the only struc-

tures the earthquake victims felt comfortable in after the devas-

tating earthquake. What more does a person need than a comfortable

shelter after a terrible experience like that? Architects have the

ability to not only create structures which provide shelter, they

can create structures which have a sensetivity to the needs and

feelings of human beings.

I hope to use architecture as a way to better life for other

people. no matter what we are all just a bunch of primal beings

with similar needs. I relish the nuances in culture and lifestyle

which manifest themselves in architecture. I hope to practice in-

ternationally on projects which are concerned with anything from

disaster relief to small-scale, rural community development proj-

ects. I hope to gain an understanding of the universal hopes,

needs, and feelings of mankind and I hope to employ architecture

as a means of bettering the global community.

Fall 2009



008

AP 111

009

Professor D’Aponte

Professor Van Aalst

Professor Schaller



010

Project 1

Analysis - Edouard Manet, Blue VEniceAnalyze a given painting using three various design principles such as line light, pattern, tex-

ture, color, etc. Represent the three most important design principles of your painting in three

two-dimensional presentations. combine elements from these analyses into a synthesis drawing.

Manet created a distinct relationship between objects in this painting which are in motion, and

objects which are still. He also used very subtle implied lines and a skillful juxtaposition of

light and shadow. It was clear to me that line, light, and motion were the three aspects of the

painting which were most noteworthy. It was important to highlight the way Manet employed hard

vertical and horizontal lines with the buildings in the background. Also, with regards to line,

the poles read as vertical members yet include an element of horizontality which communicates

directly to the horizontal lines of the boat. The light comes from the top left corner of the

painting and filters lazily like the water throughout the painting. The boat, unlike its light

environment, casts deep shadows and seems to ignore the bright sunshine which every other object

reflects. The top half of the painting - the buildings in the background - read as entirely stat-

ic while the boat and water dance across the canvas with nothing but the poles to stop them.

AP 111 Fall 2009 Professor D’Aponte Professor Van Aalst

011Professor Schaller Project 1 Analysis Edouard Manet - Blue Venice



012

Project 2

FollyTake from the synthesis drawing completed in project 1 and use certain forms and patterns to com-

pose a three-dimensional model. From this preliminary model, extract a cross-section and expand

it into a larger model which should contain one removable piece. From this model, continue de-

veloping various iterations in concordance with your assigned duality. The folly generated will

serve as a gallery space in which your original painting from projct 1 will be displayed. People

should be able to view the painting from above as well as at eye-level. The final iteration is to

be constructed in wood.

I was intrigued by the swooping forms generated in my synthesis drawing. I took a piece of card-

board which was in the general shape of one of those forms and I rolled it to mimic the vertical

forms which were also present in that synthesis drawing. From there, I tried to include as many

of the fractal, triangular pieces as I could in order to layer the model as thoroughly as Manet

layered his painting. From there, I chose to expand the vertically swirling pole form. I worked

through several different ideas and iterations via model and found that my assigned duality of

center/edge was best represented with a central void surrounded by ascending triangular forms

which implied a sense of continuous motion just like the painting. My removable piece was intend-

ed to act as the central axis from which everything spiraled. I intended for the painting to be

hung from the removable piece so that it could float along throughout the space freely as if it

were lazing about on a river.


013Professor Schaller Project 2 Folly Edouard Manet - Blue Venice



014 AP 111 Fall 2009 Professor D’Aponte Professor Van Aalst



018

Project 3

City ProjectAnalyze a second painting and use it to establish a language which your group will use to ra-

tionalize the organization of a city which - once constructed - will house all of your follies.

There must be a clear, major path throughout the city which figuratively links all of the follies

and engages them with the landscape of the city. There must also be serveral minor paths. Every

design decision must link in some way to the analyzed painting.

A major element which we analyzed in Sharon Booma’s painting “blue divide” was balance. we an-

alyzed how the painting also juxtaposed various geometric forms and patterns. From here, we

sketched a basic shape of our city and then, by analyzing the geometry present in the painting,

began assigning locations for each of our individual follies. We constructed the landscape in

a manner which was organized by chaos and order. We began with a chaotic, monumental form, and

constructed the landscape in a progressively more ordered, rational way as the city proceeded.

Our eyes were drawn to the dark, chaotic smudge in the middle of the painting and generally fol-

lowed a path down and around the left side until finally resting at the calm, understated, ratio-

nal block of green at the bottom. We mimicked this by starting with a dominant form, leading the

viewer around in a horseshoe shape towards the highly ordered, rational blocks.


Sharon Booma - Blue Divide

019Professor Schaller Project 3 City Project Sharon Booma - Blue Divide

021Professor Schaller Project 3 City Project Sharon Booma - Blue Divide

Spring 2010



022

AP 118

023

Professor D’Aponte

Professor Arnold

Professor Cox



024

Project 1

City Poster

Research your assigned city and compile a poster with original diagrams describing the historic

growth of the city, population density, the organization of the city, etc. The poster should pres-

ent your interpretation of the fabric of the city as well as major attractions and significant

districts. This poster should be a total graphic representation of the city’s composition and

identity.

The fabric of istanbul is comprised of various threads. The city contains an innumerable amount of

historical sites which predatedate Byzantium and the Ottomans. I was fascinated too that the city

spans the continents of Europe and Asia. I wanted to highlight how historically rich this city is.

I also wanted to show that the Golden Horn possesses a truly breathtaking skyline by layering im-

ages of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. I wanted the poster to reflect the complex layering

of historical mosques, baths, schools, and markets along with modern-day shops, restaurants, and

hotels which cater to the ever-present, ever-curious tourist.

AP 118 Spring 2010 Professor D’Aponte Professor Arnold

025Professor Cox Project 1 City Poster Istanbul, Turkey



026

Project 2

Athenaeum

Using a kit of parts, design a gathering space within the city analyzed in project 1. This space

should work within the fabric of the city and should represent the identity of the city. There

should be a major gathering place for outdoor concerts or festivals, as well as a smaller, cov-

ered gathering area, a small interior gallery and facilities.

I selected my site based upon the fact that it was surrounded by a diverse array of all that Is-

tanbul has to offer. There are historical baths, the Palace of Sultanahmet, several universities,

as well as a myriad of shops, restaurants, and hotels for tourists. On the site that I selected,

there is pedestrian access as well as two bus stops. I drew lines from the surrounding streets

and found that they converged on my site in a specific location. From there, I sketched a series

of hills, birms, and ramps which flowed into the existing flat landscape. I constructed overhangs

for the necessary indoor spaces in a way which focused attention on the large, central green. I

then employed columns to serve as cues for leading people through the site.


027Professor Cox Project 2 Athenaeum Istanbul, Turkey



028 AP 118 Spring 2010 Professor D’Aponte Professor Arnold



032

Project 3

Disaster Relief - Haiti

Design a relevant intervention for disaster relief in Haiti. The goal of this intervention should

be the relieving of some issue you have researched which was caused by the earthquake in January

of 2010. This intervention should be designed with the current cultural and political conditions

of the country in mind. The issues discussed could range anywhere from sanitation, healthcare,

housing, transportation, etc.

After several discussions as to the current needs in Haiti, our group found that adequate hous-

ing was the issue we felt most pressing. We devised a transitional shelter system which used a

simple kit of parts. The user would need a specially-constructed joint which would be attached to

a tree, pole, existing building, etc. which would then support framework on which a facade could

be hung. We surmised that one might start out with a tarp for immediate shelter and then transi-

tion to a more permanent skin. We felt that stressing the idea of connecting a shelter to a tree

in Haiti would serve the shelter structurally since a tree can sway in an earthquake unlike the

current masonry-style buildings which readily collapsed.


033Professor Cox Project 3 Disaster Relief Haiti

035Professor Cox Project 3 Disaster Relief Haiti

Fall 2010



036

AP 211

037

Professor Sagan

Professor Sawin

Professor Schaller



038

Project 1

Case Study - Boston Public Library

From the list of prominent libraries, analyze one with your group and compile a book of analy-

sis. This book should have a cover and binding which exibits the distinctive qualities of the

library itself. The analysis should be entirely non-verbal i.e. diagrams describing the internal

organization, the relationshp of the building to its site, the hierarchy of spaces, the struc-

tural systems, etc.

After a site visit, it was clear that the Boston Public Library was laid out in a very formula-

ic, rational way. The natural light typically comes from above and filters through the thick ma-

sonry facade. The hierarchy of space is alighted on a central axis, allowing the patron to enter

the building, passing straight down the dominant axis until they reach the grand lion staircase.

There, one proceeds into the reading room. This communicates the fact that the reading room is

the ultimate destination. We designed the cover of our book to communicate the importance of the

reading room to the overall composition of the library.

AP 211 Fall 2010 Professor Sagan Professor Schaller

039 Professor Sawin Project 1 Case Study - Boston Public Library

AP 211 Fall 2010 Professor Sagan Professor Schaller



040

Project 2

Poetry Vehicle

Construct a device, object, or container which will serve as a way to experience poetry. It

should be able to display six poems from any array of genres, poets, or epochs. The vehicle which

you design and construct must relate to the poems it houses and/or displays. The goal of this ob-

ject is to engage people with the poetry in a three-dimensional realm.

I was first intrigued by poems of the sea by various poets. I read several from Pablo Neruda

which especially sparked my idea for this poetry vehicle. I designed the three nesting rectangles

to fit the golden ratio, reminiscent of a nautilus shell which represented the maritime poetry I

had found. These panels were painted black on the back side so that the clear plexi looked col-

ored from above but when you looked at it as with water, it was actually clear. Only the back-

ground and the reflection on the surface provided the color. The letters of the poetry were in

white as if they were fortuitously-arranged specks of foam dancing on the surface of the water.

The panels slid back and forth over one another like waves to reveal more poetry beneath.

Professor Sawin Project 2 Poetry Vehicle 041



042

Project 3

Poet’s RetreatDesign a retreat for a poet on the open site behind the Langdon Street Cafe in downtown Montpe-

lier, Vermont. This retreat should include all the comforts of home, i.e. sleeping quarters, a

personal kitchen and dining room with private bathroom. There should, in addition to the poet’s

living space, also be a space in which people can gather for poetry readings. There should also

be a small informal gathering space in addition to this more major space. There should be in-

cluded some consideration of parking and exterior gathering spaces. You will have your own unique

constraints in which you can build. Your site will be divided by two converging buildable areas.

You may not build outside of this prescribed area.

My buildable area formed an off-center T. I wanted to accentuate the relationship of the site to

the river by canting the building on the site and subtracting space within the buildable area so

that the views were oriented towards the bridges on either side of the river. I also plunged the

large gathering area below ground so that poetry readings could be held in an environment entire-

ly devoid of distractions. When we held a poetry reading at the Langdon Street Cafe, there were

coffee machines and people coming in and out and it was almost impossible to focus on the poetry

itself. I took this idea and applied it to the poet’s living quarters as well, holding his space

aloft over the river so that he may commune with nature and separate himself from the hustle and

bustle of the communal spaces below if he so chose.

AP 211 Fall 2010 Professor Sagan Professor Schaller Professor Saw

043win Project 3 Poet’s Retreat Montpelier, VT




044

win Project 3 Poet’s Retreat Montpelier, VT 045




046

win Project 3 Poet’s Retreat Montpelier, VT 047



048

Project 4

Williamstown Public LibraryDesign an addition or intervention for the Williamstown Public Library which addresses its neeed

for more storage, more meeting rooms, and also more room for stacks. Also address the wishes of

the board of trustees whose wish is to maintain as much as possible the integrity of the origi-

nal, culturally-significant, building. Keep in mind the constraints placed upon the library by

its geographic location as well as the surrounding context of the town of Williamstown, Vermont.

Upon visiting the site, I was frustrated by the site on which the library sat. It sits at the

convergence of two very busy roads with constant through traffic. I began my process by setting

up walls to block out unwanted views, noise, etc. and which would allow for voids to accentuate

desirable views. I eventually devised a scheme with the original library serving as an entrance

and welcome center with a central, circular space for meeting space and storage in the basement

and for much-desired social space on the second floor.

AP 211 Fall 2010 Professor Sagan Professor Schaller Professor Sa

049awin Project 4 Williamstown Public Library Williamstown, VT




050

awin Project 4 Williamstown Public Library Williamstown, VT 051




052

awin Project 4 Williamstown Public Library Williamstown, VT 053

Spring 2011



054

AP 212

055

Professor Van Aalst

Professor Sawin

Professor Kredell



056

Project 1

Case Study - So-Il ArchitectureSelect an architecture firm younger than ten years old. From their portfolio, select a steel

structure and compile a series of diagrams describing the building. Note that you will have to

present the design ideology of the firm, the structural system of the building, the building’s

organization, etc. in an entirely graphical way. You will not be able to speak when presenting

your analysis of your firm’s building.

I found So-Il architecture on an AIA article announcing the top young firms of the year. One

partner is a young man from New York and the other is a young woman from China. Their work spans

the continents of North America, Europe, and Asia. They strive to create modern works with care-

ful attention to detail. Their works are simple and universal. I was especially intrigued by

their wedding chapel in Nanjing, China. At first glance it presents itself as not much more than

a roof structure mimicking a fallen leaf. Within, it is a wedding chapel with a long, cascading

promenade to a central stage all circumvented by rows of seating with organic voids allowing air

and views to the beautiful landscape. I analyzed the fact that the outer edges are the most pri-

vate and the interior stage at the center remains the most charged space.

AP 212 Spring 2011 Professor Van Aalst Professor Kredell Professo

057r Sawin Project 1 Case Study So - Il Architecture



058

Project 2

Sculpture GalleryChoose a sculpture from the list which you find personally intriguing. From analyzing this sculp-

ture, develop an interior space in which the sculpture will be viewed. From that interior space,

develop an exterior space which will serve as enclosure to your previously designed interior

space. Finally, develop a landscape in which your gallery will reside. Each successive layer must

accentuate the previous with the culmination occurring at the sculpture you selected at the very

beginning. These exercises will be done in rapid succession in order to develop quick decision-

making skills.

Naum Gabo’s Linear Construction No. 4 requires a very dynamic situation from which to view it. I

started by suspending it from a distorted hypar form which would receive shadows cast from the

sculpture and which patrons would have to proceed under in order to view the sculpture itself.

I then enclosed this in sweeping forms with a simple roof structure which allowed for gathering

space and which highlighted the dominant interior form. I then situated the entire building on a

lake which would reflect light and serve as a dynamic, shimmering boundary.


059r Sawin Project 2 Sculpture Gallery Naum Gabo - Linear Construction No. 4




060

r Sawin Project 2 Sculpture Gallery Naum Gabo - Linear Construction No. 4 061



062

Project 3

Pointe Saint Charles MetroAnalyze the borough of Pointe Sainte Charles in Montreal and then develop a design for the met-

ro stop in the middle of the neighborhood. The design should replace the temporary cabine which

houses merely the entrance to the metro stop below. The new intervention should include a large

gallery with two smaller private gallery spaces, a cafe, the metro entrance, private artist stu-

dios, as well as administrative space. All esign decisions should be engineered to work with the

history and culture surrounding the neighborhood of Pointe Sainte Charles as well as the greater

context of the city of Montreal.

The day we visited Pointe Saint Charles just so happened to be the worst winter weather I had

ever experienced. I began designing this intervention with the idea that I wanted the user to be

able to enjoy sunlight and its radiant warmth no matter what the season. I ran with the idea of

creating light shafts which would carry light all the way down into the depths of the metro and

which would amplify the natural solar radiation in a way which would naturally heat the build-

ing in the winter yet which would not overheat the building during the short summer months. I

did numerous solar studies and with the idea of abruptly bending the light shafts like the ever-

present staircases in Montreal, I used the light shafts to define the spaces of the building. I

also established them as celebratory spaces in which you would either be ascending or descend-

ing. The major circulation is located in these celebratory light shafts while the support spaces

are located on the side of the site abutting the nursing home. I employed a rain screen to fil-

ter the light and also add a layer of interest and intrigue to the building.


063or Sawin Project 3 PSC Metro Station Montreal, Quebec, Canada




064

or Sawin Project 3 PSC Metro Station Montreal, Quebec, Canada 065




066




068




070

Fall 2011



072

AP 311

073

Professor Hoffman

Professor Eichenlaub



074

Project 1

In the Manner of - Richard MeierResearch the major works of your major architect with your group and compile a book of diagrammat-

ic analyses of three of his most significant works. The criteria which you employ to judge signif-

icance is entirely up to your group. These diagrams should describe notable commonalities or dif-

ferences within the separate works. From your research, you should also ascribe five main, guiding

principles which exist throughout your architect’s body of work. This research should be bound in

a book which reflects your architect’s style and design ideologies. Finally, construct a model of

one of the buildings you analyzed.

I was first intrigued by Richard Meier’s Athenaeum due to the fact that most of his major design

ideologies are represented in this building alone. I chose to analyze this building diagrammati-

cally looking at its unique circulation pattern. One proceeds from a boat up a long, straight

ramp into the building under an overhang. From there, the patron walks up a ramp where they ulti-

mately either turn into the auditorium or proceed straight down another long, straight ramp into

town. This building serves as a utopian gateway to a former utopian settlement. The composition is

mainly designed in plan and in elevation. Meier establishes a grid from his long pathway and then

cants that grid by five degrees to add interest and to establish a hierarchy within the building.

He also layers the facade in a way which filters light not only into the building but also out of

the building. This was something I found most interesting and we chose to represent this idea in

the presentation of our model by illuminating it from within.

AP 311 Fall 2011 Professor Hoffman Professor Eichenlaub

075 Project 1 Catalyst - In the Manner of Richard Meier




076

Project 1 Catalyst - In the Manner of Richard Meier 077



078

Project 2

Montpelier Performing Arts Center

Construct a performing arts center on the river in Montpelier, Vermont which represents the spir-

it of the city and which also contains a theater, an outdoor gathering area and necessary support

spaces. This building should comply with local building and zoning codes, and it should als commu-

nicate with the culture and significance of the site.

Inspired by the spirit of Montpelier, I wanted this performing arts center to serve as a means of

inspiration for any passerby. I wanted to engineer this building to be a space in which anyone

could express themselves freely in whatever means they felt personally relevant. I began with the

idea of establishing a grid as Richard Meier typically would but found my resulting forms too re-

strictive for the kind of open spirit I wanted for this building. I switched to the idea of lay-

ering which Meier typically displays with his facades and layered forms around the theater. These

forms were large and massive and led me to explore different materials. I found a firm in Vancou-

ver B.C. which developed a rammed-earth wall system for cold, wet climates. I employed this ma-

terial for its unique acoustical qualities, and also for the fact that voids and niches could be

carved within it. I took advantage of this quality and carved little spaces for people to sit down

with a guitar or a notebook and just explore their own creativity and that of those around them.


079 Project 3 Performing Arts Center Montpelier, VT




080

Project 3 Performing Arts Center Montpelier, VT 081



082



084




086




088



090

Misc.

091

Sketching School

Summer Design-Build

NUVA Thailand



092

Sketching School

Professor Leytham

San Juan, Puerto Rico - March 2010

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - August 2010

Sketching School Professor Leytham San Juan, Puerto Rico - March 2010

093 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - August 2010



094 Sketching School Professor Leytham San Juan, Puerto Rico - March 2010

095 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - August 2010



096

Summer Design-Build

Professor Lutz

Professor Sagan

Professor Kredell

June 2011 - August 2011

Summer Design-Build Professor Lutz Professor Sagan Professor Kredell

097 June 2011 - August 2011



098

NUVA Thailand

Professor Cox

Nicole DiDomenico

Suvannee Promchan

Ban Phachan, Isaan Province, Thailand

December 2010 - January 2011

December 2011 - January 2012

NUVA Thailand Professor Cox Nicole Didomenico Suvannee Promchan Ban Phachan,

099 Isaan, Province, Thailand December 2010 - January 2011 December 2011 - January 2012

The villagers in Phachan, Thailand were relying on a kitchen situated infor-

mally on the edge of the woods behind the community center to cook large group

meals. The women would crouch on the ground to wash, chop, cook, and prepare the

charcoal for cooking. The ladies were constantly fending off the hungry dogs.

We took into account the village’s local, available materials, cultural be-

liefs in Feng Shui design, and we made sure that the ladies would have a kitchen

they could be proud of. After drafting, redrafting, and meeting with the cooks,

builders, and community leaders, no one could wait to start building.

After months of deliberation on cost estimates, itineraries, etc. it was

soon time to return to Phachan in December of 2011. Our first task was to raise

the reinforced, precast concrete columns. Before anything could start, the vil-

lage elders composed arrangements of specific leaves, with each representing a

blessing for the new kitchen and bound them to the columns. At that moment, it

all finally felt real. Not only had I worked tirelessly to design the kitchen

appropriately, but I would be there when it came to fruition. What’s more, I

could see that this kitchen meant as much to me as it did to the villagers.

From then on, we woke up at daybreak and went to bed late every night cov-

ered in layers of concrete, mud, and paint. Questions arose one day concerning

which walls were to use which type of blocks. I spoke to the foreman through

several translators and drawings to communicate how each wall was to be composed

and before we knew it, we had a kitchen.

This series of trips affected me deeply. My goal is to use architecture to im-

prove daily life within rural communities. Communities such as Phachan deserve

a chance to have a place to express their cultural identity – a special space

which inspires future generations to celebrate where they came from and to also

share that with the broader populace.



100 NUVA Thailand Professor Cox Nicole Didomenico Suvannee Promchan Ban Phachan,



102 NUVA Thailand Professor Cox Nicole Didomenico Suvannee Promchan Ban Phachan,



104

Appendix

105

Writing Sample

GPA

Transcript



106

Writing Sample

Professor Schrenk

Spring 2011

Writing Sample Professor Schrenk Spring 2011 Il Redentore - Venice, Italy



108 Writing Sample Professor Schrenk Spring 2011 Il Redentore - Venice, Italy



110 Writing Sample Professor Schrenk Spring 2011 Il Redentore - Venice, Italy



112

GPA

Fall 2009 - Fall 2011

GPA Fall 2009 - Fall 2011

113

Cumulative Studio GPA

Fall 2009 - A

Spring 2010 - A

Fall 2010 - A-

Spring 2011 - B+

Fall 2011 - A

GPA: 3.80

Cumulative Norwich GPA

Fall 2009 - 4.0

Spring 2010 - 3.91

Fall 2010 - 3.92

Spring 2011 - 3.53

Fall 2011 - 3.84

GPA: 3.81



114

Transcript

Fall 2009 - Spring 2012

Transcript Fall 2009 - Spring 2012

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Transcript Fall 2009 - Spring 2012

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