gina fantoni - architecture portfolio 2013

Gina Fantoni

Norwich UniversitySchool of Architecture & Art

Fall 2009 - Fall 2012

Intro

AP111 AP118 AP211 AP212 AP311 AP312 AP411 Misc

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Table of Contents

004. Intro Self-Assessment Statement of Beliefs

010. AP 111 Project 1 - Analysis - Edouard Manet, Blue Venice Project 2 - Folly Project 3 - City Project

024. AP 118 Project 1 - City Poster Project 2 - Athenaeum Project 3 - Disaster Relief - Haiti

038. AP 211 Project 1 - Boston Public Library Case Study Project 2 - Poetry Vehicle Project 3 - Poet’s Retreat Project 4 - Williamstown Public Library

056. AP 212 Project 1 - So-Il Architecture Case Study Project 2 - Sculpture Gallery Project 3 - Pointe Saint Charles Metro

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056. AP 212 Project 1 - So-Il Architecture Case Study Project 2 - Sculpture Gallery Project 3 - Pointe Saint Charles Metro

074. AP 311 Project 1 - Richard Meier Case Study Project 2 - Montpelier Performing Arts Center

092. AP 312 Summer Design/Build - RAE(v) Solar House

096. Misc Sketching School NUVA Nicaragua NUVA Thailand

Intro

AP111 AP118 AP211 AP212 AP311 AP312 Misc

Appendix

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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.

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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.

Intro


Appendix

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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.

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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

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Appendix

AP 111

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Professor D’AponteProfessor Van AalstProfessor Schaller

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Appendix 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 Professor Schaller Project 1 Analysis Edouard Manet - Blue Venice

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Appendix 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.

AP 111 Fall 2009 Professor D’Aponte Professor Van Aalst Professor Schaller Project 2 Folly Edouard Manet - Blue Venice

015AP 111 Fall 2009 Professor D’Aponte Professor Van Aalst Professor Schaller Project 2 Folly Edouard Manet - Blue Venice

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Appendix


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Appendix 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.

AP 111 Fall 2009 Professor D’Aponte Professor Van Aalst Professor Schaller Project 3 City Project Sharon Booma - Blue Divide

Sharon Booma - Blue Divide

021AP 111 Fall 2009 Professor D’Aponte Professor Van Aalst Professor Schaller Project 3 City Project Sharon Booma - Blue Divide

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Appendix

AP 111 Fall 2009 Professor D’Aponte Professor Van Aalst Professor Schaller Project 3 City Project Sharon Booma - Blue Divide

023AP 111 Fall 2009 Professor D’Aponte Professor Van Aalst Professor Schaller Project 3 City Project Sharon Booma - Blue Divide

Spring 2010

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Appendix

AP 118

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Professor D’AponteProfessor ArnoldProfessor Cox

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Appendix 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 Professor Cox Project 1 City Poster Istanbul, Turkey

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Appendix 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.

AP 118 Spring 2010 Professor D’Aponte Professor Arnold Professor Cox Project 2 Athenaeum Istanbul, Turkey

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Appendix


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Appendix 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.

AP 118 Spring 2010 Professor D’Aponte Professor Arnold Professor Cox Project 3 Disaster Relief Haiti

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Appendix

AP 118 Spring 2010 Professor D’Aponte Professor Arnold Professor Cox Project 3 Disaster Relief Haiti

On January 12, 2010, Haiti experienced a cata-strophic 7.0M earthquake that left nearly 1,000,000 people without shelter. The major problem with their homes was the lack of structural reinforce-ment and an abundance of non-flexible, concrete

block constructions.

Haiti Relief:

In developing these Transitional Structures, we addressed a few different problems that we discovered about Haiti. After seeing photographs of abundant tents and the general lack of sturdy structures, we decided to focus on cre-ating a transitional house – one that could be built quickly for immediate shelter and then could gradually become a more permanent fixture. Out of this, we designed joints to make the construction of the frame efficient and easy. The transitional function is created through the use of different skins that are changed after time and in harmony

with available materials.

In order to create a structure that could withstand future earthquakes and other natural disasters, we wanted to in-corporate a tree into the frame to replace one of the four posts. This would allow the entire structure to bend and sway, mimicking natural the flexibility of the tree while the roots would act as a footing, providing more strength

and structure.

Transitional Structure

After the frame is constructed, a tarp can be tied around it for immediate protection. The tarp is only a temporary wall used for protection from the elements and privacy. The tarp

is meant to be used for the first couple of days after the disaster.

Later, the bottle wall can be used to provide a more stable and protective wall. The wall is made up of a series of bot-tles that are strung together with wire. The wire is wrapped around a frame to form closely knit columns. From there, the tarp can be reused and weaved in between the bottle col-umns. To add extra support, more wire can be fastened hori-zontally. This bottle wall is still a temporary skin that would be used for only a few weeks at most. Then, the gabion cages would be employed for greater structural integrity, privacy,

and security.

Gabion cages have been used for many years to create stur-dy and effective walls. A Gabion cage is a cage made of wire that is filled with various materials. The filling is used to give the basket form, weight, and structure and can include any item around the devastated area, including ruble, empty bottles, rocks, etc. The baskets are then stacked on top of each other and eventually plastered over. This wall would

be the permanent wall for the frame.

After the disaster, this frame can be put together quickly and easily with surrounding timber and the pre-made joints. The frame can be used to make stable shelters that can be used for anything from houses, medical centers and even schools. While it can be built to stand alone, it can also be built with a tree to capitalize on the tree’s flexibility in case of another

earthquake.

Emergency Skin

Structural Temporary Skin

Permanent Skin

The Frame

Our Solution

The Problem

037AP 118 Spring 2010 Professor D’Aponte Professor Arnold Professor Cox Project 3 Disaster Relief Haiti

Fall 2010

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Intro

AP111 AP118 AP211 AP212 AP311 AP312 Misc Appendix

AP 211

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Professor SaganProfessor SawinProfessor Schaller

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Intro

AP111 AP118 AP211 AP212 AP311 AP312 Misc Appendix 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 Professor Sawin Project 1 Case Study - Boston Public Library

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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.

AP 211 Fall 2010 Professor Sagan Professor Schaller Professor Sawin Project 2 Poetry Vehicle 043

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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 Sawin Project 3 Poet’s Retreat Montpelier, VT

045AP 211 Fall 2010 Professor Sagan Professor Schaller Professor Sawin Project 3 Poet’s Retreat Montpelier, VT

AP 211 Fall 2010 Professor Sagan Professor Schaller Professor Sawin Project 3 Poet’s Retreat Montpelier, VT 046

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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 Sawin Project 4 Williamstown Public Library Williamstown, VT

051AP 211 Fall 2010 Professor Sagan Professor Schaller Professor Sawin Project 4 Williamstown Public Library Williamstown, VT

AP 211 Fall 2010 Professor Sagan Professor Schaller Professor Sawin Project 4 Williamstown Public Library Williamstown, VT 052

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Spring 2011

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AP 212

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Professor Van AalstProfessor SawinProfessor Kredell

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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 Professor Sawin Project 1 Case Study So - Il Architecture

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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.

AP 212 Spring 2011 Professor Van Aalst Professor Kredell Professor Sawin Project 2 Sculpture Gallery Naum Gabo - Linear Construction No. 4

061AP 212 Spring 2011 Professor Van Aalst Professor Kredell Professor Sawin Project 2 Sculpture Gallery Naum Gabo - Linear Construction No. 4

AP 212 Spring 2011 Professor Van Aalst Professor Kredell Professor Sawin Project 2 Sculpture Gallery Naum Gabo - Linear Construction No. 4 062

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AP 212 Spring 2011 Professor Van Aalst Professor Kredell Professor Sawin Project 2 Sculpture Gallery Naum Gabo - Linear Construction No. 4 063

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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.

AP 212 Spring 2011 Professor Van Aalst Professor Kredell Professor Sawin Project 3 PSC Metro Station Montreal, Quebec, Canada

065AP 212 Spring 2011 Professor Van Aalst Professor Kredell Professor Sawin Project 3 PSC Metro Station Montreal, Quebec, Canada

AP 212 Spring 2011 Professor Van Aalst Professor Kredell Professor Sawin Project 3 PSC Metro Station Montreal, Quebec, Canada 066

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Fall 2011

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AP 311

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Professor HoffmanProfessor Eichenlaub

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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 Project 1 Catalyst - In the Manner of Richard Meier

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AP 311 Fall 2011 Professor Hoffman Professor Eichenlaub Project 1 Catalyst - In the Manner of Richard Meier078

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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.

AP 311 Fall 2011 Professor Hoffman Professor Eichenlaub Project 3 Performing Arts Center Montpelier, VT

081AP 311 Fall 2011 Professor Hoffman Professor Eichenlaub Project 3 Performing Arts Center Montpelier, VT

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Summer 2011AP 312

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Professor SaganProfessor KredellProfessor Lutz

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Summer Design/Build Professor Lutz Professor Sagan Professor Kredell RAE(v) Solar House June 2011 - August 2011

Summer Design/Build StudioRAE(v) Solar HouseThis one thousand square foot house is a response to the design problem proposed by the US Depart-ment of Energy as a part of the Solar Decathlon competition. Since 2009, teams of students have been working on designing the ideal net-zero, affordable, and transportable single-family home with the hopes of submitting the design to the competition to be held in Irvine, California in 2013. This particular Summer, students picked up where the last group left off, framing interior walls and installing high-hat channels. While many plans had been finalized, decisions still re-mained regarding the design of the rain screen, the design of the sun shading system, the applica-tion of the solar array, etc.

I was able to interact directly with design decisions, learn various new skills, and take charge of learning and applying new technology to the project. I arrived with a cursory knowledge of car-pentry and was properly trained on all of the available equipment. Typically working with a part-ner, I was able to work on framing the interior walls on the east module, designing a proposal for the solar shade involving vines, building a deck for our workspace, designing and installing a flashing cap detail, installing high-hat channels and tar paper, and designing, testing, rip-ping boards for, staining and sealing boards for, and installing the rain screen. I also was able to learn the basics of land surveying. Towards the end of the summer, I took the responsibility of learning and monitoring the software for the climate tracking system.

095Summer Design/Build Professor Lutz Professor Sagan Professor Kredell RAE(v) Solar House June 2011 - August 2011

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Misc.

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Sketching SchoolNUVA NicaraguaNUVA Thailand

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Sketching School

Professor Leytham

San Juan, Puerto Rico - March 2010Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - August 2010

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Sketching School Professor Leytham San Juan, Puerto Rico - March 2010 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - August 2010

101Sketching School Professor Leytham San Juan, Puerto Rico - March 2010 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia - August 2010

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NUVA Nicaragua

Sembrando EsperanzasCentro de Naturaleza

La Finca de la HermandadSan Ramon, NicaraguaMay 2011

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Sembrando Esperanzas is a non-profit organization that works in the greater Matagalpa area providing assistance wherever necessary. The organization pro-motes a higher standard of living by supporting high school students with schol-arships so that they might finish their education, it provides funding and vol-unteers for women’s clinics specializing in rendering services to rural women with high-risk pregnancies, for educational enrichment programs for primary and secondary schools in rural communities, for community enrichment programs and activities, and for its own fully functioning library in the city of Matagalpa.

As a volunteer with Norwich’s NUVA Nicaragua program, I was able to volunteer with Sembrando Esperanzas during May of 2011. One of the first tasks we tack-led was a small construction project just outside of the small town of San ra-mon where we were living with host families. The construction project was on a large coffee farm called La Finca de la Hermandad and the building was a nature education center for Sembrando Esperanza’s annual coffee camps. The camps offer support to families in the area who depend upon the brief but intense harvesting season as their main annual income. While their parents are busy working, the children are often left without adequate supervision and nutrition. The camps offer a hot, nutritious meal with plenty of enrichment activities to keep the kids engaged and educated. The camps were so successful that Sembrando Esperan-zas added this nature center for kids to learn about local flora and fauna.

By the time we had arrived, the first courses of adobe bricks were laid and cured. We were immediately consumed with hauling water from the reservoir in the jungle up to the site, machetteing bunches of hay for the adobe, tromping around and mixing the adobe in a huge pit, laying courses of adobe blocks, mixing con-crete for the patio, learning how bamboo can be fashioned into a substitute for re-bar, and how to avoid glitter attacks from some feisty kids.

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NUVA Nicaragua Sembrando Esperanzas El Centro de Naturaleza La Finca de la Hermandad San Ramon, Nicaragua May 2011

105NUVA Nicaragua Sembrando Esperanzas El Centro de Naturaleza La Finca de la Hermandad San Ramon, Nicaragua May 2011

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Intro


NUVA Thailand

Professor CoxNicole DiDomenicoSuvannee Promchan

Ban Phachan, Isaan Province, ThailandDecember 2010 - January 2011December 2011 - January 2012

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In December of 2010, the villagers in Phachan, Thailand were relying on a kitchen situated informally on the edge of the woods behind the community center to cook large group meals. The cooks would crouch on the ground to wash, chop, cook, and prepare the charcoal for cooking all while constantly fending off hungry dogs. After integrating into the village and getting to know the cooks, builders, and community leaders, We drafted plans based upon the village’s lo-cal, available materials, cultural beliefs, values, and way of life, and we made sure that the village would have a kitchen it could be proud of. With the plans approved, no one could wait to start building.

After months of deliberation on cost estimates, itineraries, etc. it was De-cember of 2011 and time to return to Phachan. Our first task was to raise the reinforced concrete columns. Before anything could start, the village elders composed three arrangements of five distinct and spiritually-significant leaves, and bound them to the columns as a blessing. At that moment, it all finally felt real. Not only had I worked tirelessly to design the kitchen appropriately, but I would be there to see it grow into a real entity. What’s more, it became strikingly clear that this kitchen meant as much to the village as it did to me.

From then on, we rose with the sun and returned to our Thai mothers all too late every night covered in concrete, mud, and paint. One day, questions arose concerning which walls were to use which type of blocks. I spoke to the foreman through several translators and developed a series of drawings to communicate to thai and English speakers alike just how each wall was to be composed. Before long, we had a kitchen and our van lumbered out of Phachan one last time.

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

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Intro


NUVA Thailand Professor Cox Nicole Didomenico Suvannee Promchan Ban Phachan, Isaan, Province, Thailand December 2010 - January 2011 December 2011 - January 2012

109NUVA Thailand Professor Cox Nicole Didomenico Suvannee Promchan Ban Phachan, Isaan, Province, Thailand December 2010 - January 2011 December 2011 - January 2012

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NUVA Thailand Professor Cox Nicole Didomenico Suvannee Promchan Ban Phachan, Isaan, Province, Thailand December 2010 - January 2011 December 2011 - January 2012

111NUVA Thailand Professor Cox Nicole Didomenico Suvannee Promchan Ban Phachan, Isaan, Province, Thailand December 2010 - January 2011 December 2011 - January 2012

Appendix

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Intro


Writing SampleGPATranscript

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Writing Sample

Professor Armstrong

Fall 2011

Writing Sample Professor Armstrong Fall 2011 Henri Lebrouste114

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Henri Lebrouste’s Bibliotheque Sainte Genevieve

Gina Fantoni

December 5th, 2011

Professor Armstrong

History and Theory of Architecture III

Fantoni 1

Introduction - Born at the turn of the 19th century, Henri Lebrouste was an inventive

architect who represented the restrained classical ideals of antiquity while simultaneously

challenging the dogma of his contemporary architectural institutions. Born in Paris, this French

architect began his career at the prestigious Ècole de Beaux Arts. There, he dedicated himself to

researching classical ideals. This newfound classical knowledge led him to utilize proportion and

restrained detailing as his tools for creating beautiful, triumphant works of art.1 Although his

studies of Greek ruins ruined his relationship with the Ècole de Beaux Arts, Henri Lebrouste

adapted through these exercises an enlightened personal philosophy on civic buildings. From this

new ideal, Lebrouste was able to present Paris with spaces which could truly be treasured. He

designed for the average citizen with time-tested foreign principles.2 He created lovely and

successful spaces with an advanced knowledge and daring display of structure and materials

which still today serve the public as nobly and timelessly as Greek temples serve their populace.

Lebrouste possessed an iconic, scientific intimacy with classical design sensibility while

simultaneously challenging the accepted rules of civic structures and their traditional forms,

materials, and decor.

Henri Lebrouste’s Personal Philosophies on Architecture - Architect Henri Lebrouste

formed his ideologies upon attending the famous Ècole de Beaux Arts in Paris in 1819. There, he

participated in the Lebas-Vaudoyer workshop. This workshop expressly introduced him to

classical ideals of proportion and calculated restraint in detailing. The workshop also stressed

that design was to be employed as a public service which would represent the poise and decorum

of the nation and its people.3 As an architect and a representative of the ideals of the Ècole de

1 Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman, Architecture, from Prehistory to Post-Modernism (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986); 121. 2 Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman, Architecture, from Prehistory to Post-Modernism (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986); 121. 3 Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v., “Henri Labrouste (French Architect),” accessed March 26, 2011, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/327046/Henri-Labrouste/, 1.

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previously believed. He responded to this fact in his designs, choosing to modernize the ancient

buildings in a way which showcased the inherent functionality – humanizing the space rather

than deifying.8 His works decidedly reflect the industrial and mechanical nature of the physical

context with a restrained elegance in the usage of exposed structural elements and iconic displays

of structural materials such as iron in beautiful, delicate arches and columns.

These qualities are clearly displayed in his two best-known and critically acclaimed

commissions in Paris – the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève finished in 1851, and the Richelieu

branch of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France finished in 1868. Considered a trademark

example of 19th century architecture, the Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève was an opportunity for

Labrouste to express his refined, modernized classical ideas in a public program and

consequently, the project became a lauded magnum opus in its time representative of “the

Romantic School” and its Greek allusions.9 While limited by the constraint of a thin site located

on the square opposite the Place du Pantheon, Labrouste brilliantly completed a building with

sensible proportions and a functional circulation. The façade of the library is ornamented plainly

with clean, rhythmic arches and carvings of the names of prominent authors which were inspired

by the arches, décor, and proportions of the temples Labrouste studied during his time in Italy.10

This work of architecture is better known for the reading room whose lofty, barrel vaulted

ceilings are supported by delicate and decorative cast iron which was a revolutionary material at

the time. Throughout the building, classical detailing and careful attention to specific proportions

are kept in mind as the space remains as free of superfluous ornamentation as possible.

8 Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v., “Western Architecture: France,” accessed March 26, 2011, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/32952/Western-architecture/47405/National-and-regional-variations#ref489548/, 8. 9 Viollet le Duc, Eugène Emmanuel, Henry van Brunt, Benjamin Bucknall, eds., Discourses on Architecture (Boston: James R. Osgood & Co., 1875), vi-vii. 10 Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman, Architecture, from Prehistory to Post-Modernism (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986); 122.

Fantoni 2

Beaux Arts, Henri Lebrouste has been considered by scholars a romantic rationalist with a

passion like that of predecessor Jacques-Ignace Hittorff for the research and adaptation of Greek

and Roman classicism. Rationalism, as an architectural philosophy, stems from the theories of

Vitruvius in his famous work De Architectura and embodies the idea of formulating and

calculating architecture in a scientific manner.4 This quality of Henri Lebrouste and his

architectural taste was further enriched as he traveled to Rome in 1824 with the French Academy

where, for six years, he was charged with the task of calculating and measuring Roman ruins.

The sole purpose of this excursion was so he might find patterns in the laws of proportion of

Roman architecture so that these calculations may be used as formulas in contemporary French

architecture.5 In possessing a commanding knowledge of these proportions, architects of the

rationalist movement dignified architecture as an intellectual science rather than the practice of

inanely replicating patterns.

During his time in Italy, Henri stayed in the Medici Villa and toured a variety of cities

including Florence, Bologna, Milan, and Turin. It was about this time that Henri distanced

himself with the Ècole de Beaux Arts. In 1828, he decidedly divorced himself from the

institution after his controversial restoration of the Greek ruins of the Temples at Paestum.6 With

this experience, Henri formulated his own personal ideas even further, adapting his designs to fit

the context of its patron society.7 Henri received much criticism from the Ècole de Beaux Arts as

he researched the temples at Paestum and compared the layout of these ruins with those of other

temples and civic structures from ancient Greece. He surmised that in their time in

approximately 550 BCE, these ruins served as civic halls rather than places of worship as

4 Elizabeth Gilmore Holt, From the Classicists to the Impressionists: Art and Architecture in the 19th Century (New York: Anchor, 1966), 296. 5 Banister Fletcher and John Musgrove, Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture (Boston: Butterworths, 1987), 480-483. 6 Banister Fletcher and John Musgrove, Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture (Boston: Butterworths, 1987), 480-483. 7 Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v., “Western Architecture: France,” accessed March 26, 2011, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/32952/Western-architecture/47405/National-and-regional-variations#ref489548/, 8.


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Fantoni 4

The classical, approachable simplicity and restraint in the civic structures of Henri

Lebrouste are also seen in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France. Most notably, Lebrouste

succeeded in his designs for the Salle de Travail – the reading room – and the magasin – the

stack room – as these spaces displayed his ability to develop functional designs around the

everyday needs of the library while taking the opportunity to design with innovative forms and

materials such as iron and glass.11 Unlimited by a narrow site as with the Bibliothèque Sainte-

Geneviève, Labrouste thus worked uninhibited, freely displaying his design ideals in a bold use

of sinuous columns which blossom at the ceiling in fanned arches supporting open domes. From

these domes, light pours into the space creating – via the use of simple materials and classical

restraint – a divinely dramatic public space. The nine terra-cotta domes of the reading room, each

on pendentives and held aloft by four rows of graceful iron columns – again demonstrate the

unexpected use of materials representative of Paris and its industry celebrating simply and

elegantly the structural quality of the space.12 Thanks to his knowledge of classical architectural

ideology, Labrouste inspired generations of successive designers by melding metal and glass in

learned, delicate simplicity.

My Personal Views on Henri Lebrouste’s Architectural Philosophy - I personally

agree with several of the ideals of Henri Lebrouste. I believe that he was correct in his designs

for civic buildings. I enjoy the fact that he was careful in designing the space in regards to its

physical context. In his use of glass and metal, Lebrouste stayed true to the industrial nature of

Paris as it was one of the major world cities undergoing an industrial revolution during the 19th

Century. He made sure to not turn his back on the average city dweller with overly ornate and

unapproachable buildings. I personally agree that a civic building should be beautiful as well as

11 Marvin Trachtenberg and Isabelle Hyman, Architecture, from Prehistory to Post-Modernism (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986); 122.

12 Elizabeth Gilmore Holt, From the Classicists to the Impressionists: Art and Architecture in the 19th Century (New York: Anchor, 1966), 296.

Fantoni 5

sociable. If the space exists for the people, then the people should not feel intimidated. It should

welcome and nurture forward thinking as well as the open, uninhibited sharing of ideas. Lastly, it

should be comfortable as well as inspiring. I feel that Lebrouste took this idea to heart and

ensured that both of his major libraries remained beautiful, simple, approachable, practical, and

ingeniously innovative in the usage of materials and the unashamed celebration of the structural

systems which make the buildings possible. In celebrating the structure, Lebrouste similarly

celebrates the average citizen without whom the city would not function. I also find value, as

Lebrouste clearly did, in learning from successful past works of architecture. I agree with his

ideas of maintaining the successful employment of classical ideology. In this way, I believe that

his ideas are still relevant today. In some contemporary works of architecture, the designer

clearly abandons careful restraint in detailing his design and thus we are left with partially-

developed messes devoid of clarity and direction. These works exist to challenge the classical

standards in totally perverse ways. I believe that beauty lies in simplicity and elegant solutions

and thus, Henry Lebrouste could teach Frank Gehry a lesson in executing successful works of

architecture instead of minimally-developed and poorly-edited displays of architectural rebellion.

Conclusion - Prized as an advocate for classicism, romanticism, rationalism, and

adventurous employment of inventive structural and material systems, Henri Lebrouste is an

invaluable asset to the architectural community. His still-relevant ideals speak for the true

purpose of civic structures. He designed in a calculated and beatiful way. He said as much as

possible with as little as possible. His designs were the true epitome of elegance in that they were

not only functional and modest, but they were also beautiful and ingeniously innovative. Henri

Lebrouste defied that which he was initially taught. He defined his career around the idea that

civic structures are just those – they exist for the purpose of serving the general public. His civic

structures are designed with the idea that they should be approachable and distinctly attractive.

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Fantoni 6

He celebrated the spirit of the local civilization and the local context through structure and

materials while maintaining calculated proportions, clean adornments, and functional layouts.

Henri Lebrouste celebrated the local context through inventive uses of materials and structure in

a way which embodied archaic ideals of restraint and beauty while maintaining the integrity of

the essence of civic structures.

Fantoni 7

Works Cited

Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. “Henri Labrouste (French Architect),”

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/327046/Henri-Labrouste/ (accessed March

26, 2011).

Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. “Western Architecture: France,”

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/32952/Western-

architecture/47405/National-and-regional-variations#ref489548/ (accessed March 26,

2011).

Fletcher, Banister, and John Musgrove. Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture.

Boston: Butterworths, 1987.

Holt, Elizabeth Gilmore. From the Classicists to the Impressionists: Art and Architecture in the

19th Century. New York: Anchor, 1966.

Trachtenberg, Marvin, and Isabelle Hyman. Architecture, from Prehistory to Post-Modernism.

New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1986.

Viollet le Duc, Eugène Emmanuel, Henry van Brunt, Benjamin Bucknall, eds. Discourses on

Architecture. Boston: James R. Osgood & Co., 1875.


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GPA

Fall 2009 - Fall 2012

GPA Fall 2009 - Fall 2011120

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Cumulative Studio GPA AP 111 - Fall 2009 - A AP 118 - Spring 2010 - A AP 211 - Fall 2010 - A- AP 212 - Spring 2011 - B+ AP 311 - Fall 2011 - A AP 312 - Summer 2011 - B+ AP 411 - Fall 2012 - A

GPA: 3.74

Cumulative Norwich GPA Fall 2009 - 4.0 Spring 2010 - 3.91 Fall 2010 - 3.92 Spring 2011 - 3.53 Fall 2011 - 3.84 Spring 2012 - 3.81 Fall 2012 - 3.94

GPA: 3.85

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Transcript

Fall 2009 - Fall 2012

Transcript Fall 2009 - Spring 2012122

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Transcript Fall 2009 - Spring 2012124

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gina fantoni - architecture portfolio 2013

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