Scott Penmanselected work

ii design02 Smithville Master Plan + Municipal Complex08 Analogous Structures10 Origami Chair14 Armenia Wellness Centerpractice22 Flippin Elementary School26 Garvan Treehouseresearch38 HCI + Digital Design42 Digital Play

iv design

02 Many small towns in northeast Mississippi were founded due to the presence of economic or natural resources. Under the dual weight of a struggling economy and a lack of continued need for those resources, some are facing extinction. In order to cope, many are relinquishing the small town way of life in favor of growth and urbanization. While one town may not be able to stand on its own, however, a network of them offers more hope. Using the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway as a literal and ideological backbone, small towns can avoid both decay and the demand for expansion by using regional networks and neighboring cities’ resources.

map of Tennessee-Tombigbee region, highlighting towns ^proposed inter-town bus system ^

proposed Highway 25 scenic byway ^Smithville with distance radii >

Smithville Master Plan + Municipal ComplexProfessor Frances Hsu | Fall 2011

04 On April 27, 2011, the town of Smithville was devastated by an EF5 tornado. In its effort to rebuild, Smithville offers the opportunity to re-define what it means to be a small town in 21st century America. Instead of tying itself to a single resource or interstate, it can instead connect itself to several different networks and assets. A redeveloped Smithville will connect to the waterway, the railroad, and the highway, creating a strip of social and commercial activity that will help draw immediate attention to the town and secure its ability to survive even when one resource is depleted.

diagram of existing / destroyed buildings ^aerial perspective >

site model >plan of development focus >

06 Following the master plan came the design for a municipal complex that comprised a civic center, library, and fire station. Concrete walls provide the strength and solidity expected of a civic building, while a wooden screen helps soften the image for public interaction.

Another iteration of the design proposed a generalized approach to retrofitting row houses. First, the bearing walls of the row house are strengthened and reconfigured into an adaptable new format that will withstand the strength of storms. Next, the interior partitions are constructed. Finally, the facade is built using a grid of clear glass, frosted glass, and metal panel. The exact arrangement of the panels is left to the individuals conducting the retrofit.

lasercut plaster and paper model of civic center ^digital collage study ^

row house retrofit diagram >interior perspective of civic center >

08 Society’s techniques of modern construction follow tried-and-true methods and practices, refined through centuries of work and development. Often overlooked, however, are the structures and methods available in nature, where research and development extend back countless millennia. The construction methods of nature are often modular, and thus they overlap with the properties of brick construction. Parametric modeling of linear, planar, and volumetric systems reveals common ground between these seemingly disparate subjects and offers insight into new possibilities for brick construction.

wall manipulations ^bamboo cell structure + arch model >

bone structure + void model >

Analogous StructuresProfessor Caleb Crawford | Spring 2011

10 The only constraint in the creation of this chair is that the material used cannot exceed half of a 4’x8’ sheet. Folding solves this dilemma by maximizing the use of a material’s surface area and planar strength. Additionally, folding provides an easy way to model iteratively with little cutting or other manipulation needed. The final product uses folded steel, drawing a direct connection to the original size and shape of the metal. In order to achieve the folded edges, the metal was scored using a circular saw and bent into place using a series of clamps.

early paper model studies ^cut + fold diagram >

construction photos >

Origami ChairProfessor Ernest Ng | Spring 2010

12

photos of constructed chair ^constructed chair in use >

14 An existing but poorly-maintained gym in Yerevan, Armenia called for a massive renovation and expansion. Studies into both the social and material culture reveal a history of bricolage and piecemeal architecture; this, along with budget constraints, led to the requirement of phased construction (starting with partial demolition of the existing structure). Overlapping and juxtaposition physically enhances this layering, drawing the complex qualities of intersected spaces to the forefront of the design.

diagrams of overlap strategy ^iteration of Boolean intersection modeling ^

ground level plan >exploded axonometric highlighting first stage >

Armenia Wellness CenterProfessor Jane Greenwood | Spring 2012

UP

DN

UP

UP

16 The center serves as more than a gym, acting as a location for rest and recuperation alongside physical excitement and action. Different programmatic areas of the facility are connected visually, physically, and audibly, offering diversity in both privacy and experiential quality.

interior perspective of second-level pool area ^section >

second level plan >exploded axonometric highlighting second phase >

DN

DN

UP

DN

UP

18

exterior perspective of west entry ^axonometric views of successive phases >

exterior perspective of east entry >

20 practice

22 Flippin Public School’s existing elementary buildings have reached the end of their usable life. High repair and utility costs, a disconnected layout, and the lack of a secure perimeter have resulted in a campus that is no longer efficient to operate. Consolidating the program of these buildings into a new structure provides multiple levels of security for the school. Connecting the new building to the existing middle school allows for efficient use of overlapping program and helps establish clear circulation patterns across the campus.

interior and exterior sketches ^diagrams of campus showing building consolidation and circulation >

interior views of entry, library, and hallway >

Flippin Elementary Schoolmodus studio | 2013 - present (under construction)

100’

100’

100’

100’

PRE-K

K-2

3-4CH

OOL

MID

DLE

SCHC

CAFE

TERI

AAA

HIGH SCHOOLGYM

GYM

GYM

ADMIN

INADMI

100’

24 A welcoming, administrative “front door” orients guests and ensures that all visitors have to check in at the office before entering campus. The layout of the building encircles the campus’ existing green space, forming a protected courtyard. Additionally, the centrally-located PE facility (which has completed construction) can serve as a safe room in the event of a natural disaster.

axonometric of building program ^exterior aerial rendering >

exterior rendering of entrance >

PESPECIAL ED.KINDERGARTENGRADES 1-2GRADES 3-4ARTMEDIAMUSICLIBRARYADMIN

PESPECIAL ED.KINDERGARTENGRADES 1-2GRADES 3-4ARTMEDIAMUSICLIBRARYADMIN

26 Garvan Woodland Gardens is a University of Arkansas-owned botanical garden located in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The garden will play host to three “tree houses” that will provide an interactive and playful educational experience for children. Each of the houses will teach visitors about a separate topic: insects + pollination (entomology), plants + forest (ecology), and birds + flight / adaptation (ornithology).

In order to make best use of the diverse and otherwise organic site, the structures are aligned on a linear axis stretching down the main hill. Their placement connects physically varied and ecologically different zones, and their alignment encourages the visitor to look beyond the garden’s boundaries to the nearby boardwalk and additional gardens.

diagrams of project strategies ^axonometric site concept diagrams >site section diagram, showing axis >

focus attention on the significance of nature in human environments and personal lives

insects + pollination(entomology)

birds + flight / adaptation (ornithology)

plants + forest(ecology)

Garvan Treehousemodus studio | 2014 - present

ENTOMOLOGY ECOLOGY ORNITHOLOGY

28

diagram of wooden screen transparency ^interior renderings ^

sketches of form, structure, and skin >

The Gardens set strong examples for both materiality and form. Natural materials are paramount, with metal and glass included where appropriate. Verticality, transparency, and lightness are important characteristics of the garden architecture.

Each of the tree houses has its own educational topic. These themes drive both the form and the program of the houses. The design for the first tree house, ecology, “branches” at both the base and the top in order to accommodate different activities for visitors. A wooden screen with varying transparency provides a range of visibility, allowing parents to monitor their kids while still providing a sense of mystery and adventure.

30

model photos ^exterior rendering >

The tree houses will teach children about nature through interactive exhibits and structures. Children are encouraged to learn and explore by stimulation of their imaginations, rather than through plaques and pictures. The buildings themselves become interactive, and the children understand each of the topics from multiple perspectives. Learning will be fun, as kids are encouraged to explore and play throughout the whole site. The tree houses will use real, active examples to draw kids’ attention to the surrounding garden.

30

32 The treehouse has been a playful and exploratory design process, just as the project itself strives to be playful. The treehouse is scaled to the experience of a child, and while it is not required to be watertight, it does need to maintain both the feeling of a natural space and the resilience of a complete building.

As part of the fundraising effort for the treehouse, many of the renderings, sketches, and diagrams were compiled and printed on large display boards. To highlight the interactive and playful nature of the project, the boards were combined with a live-edge slab of oak to form a bench upon which kids could climb to get a closer look at the images.

interior renderings ^photos of wood slat mockup ^

back of display board, showing sketches and model stand >front of display board, with live-edge oak bench >

34 In the final iteration of the treehouse, the structure all but disappears. Its form is organic and yet foreign, transforming as the visitor explores the garden. The treehouse wraps tightly around a cluster of pine and oak trees, mimicking the curving path of the existing walking bridge and orienting towards the pond in the center of the site. The slats of the treehouse are close enough to afford children a sense of escape and privacy, and yet spaced widely enough to allow parents to monitor their kids safely.

plan diagrams showing tree house form generation ^interior rendering, showing the pond beyond the treehouse ^

exterior renderings >

36 research

38 My interest in digital technology formed the basis for my internship with Gensler Seattle in the summer of 2012. While there, I aided the firm with a project that incorporated parametric modeling of a large, perforated metal screen. This involved working directly with both designers and fabricators to compose buildable proposals.

I was also afforded the opportunity to conduct my own research, and I used this to explore the role of gestural modeling within the design environment. Using a webcam and Grasshopper, I constructed a setup that allowed basic, real-time gestural input to impact the Rhino modeling environment. I presented this research periodically to the office. For video demonstrations of the results, please scan the associated QR codes.

sample section of perforated metal screen proposal ^proof-of-concept video of the gestural interface >

HCI + Digital DesignGensler Seattle | Summer 2012

https://youtu.be/Bnr_dFNwhvA

40 After leaving Gensler, I have continued to pursue this human-computer interface strategy on my own time. My techniques for smoothing out the input from the camera improved greatly, eventually extending to the use of multiple cameras.

With the release of Leap Motion, the infrared-based depth-sensing device for desktop users, my user interface experiments became much smoother and more agile. Using Leap, I developed a system of controls that would allow a user to intuitively “fly” around a digital model.

diagrams of intuitive gesture controls ^proof-of-concept videos of the gestural interfaces >

42 My forays into human-computer interaction led to a research-based undergraduate thesis during my fifth and final year at MSU. Unsatisfied with my early, naive assumptions about gestural modeling, I sought a stronger theoretical foundation to ground my pursuits. This took me back to the basics: what it means to be playful as a designer. After defining this, I analyzed how it is both challenged and bolstered in the context of digital environments.

It is this overlap of design thinking and computation that drives my research. I intend to explore the possibilities of computational creativity, human-machine symbiosis, and artificial intelligence, leveraging what I learn from each branch to improve my understanding (and use) of digital design.

ink prints: playing with a given medium (courtesy of Matt Robinson) ^iterative intersection studies for Armenia Wellness Center >

outline of undergraduate research >

Digital PlayMississippi State University | Spring 2013

IntroductionAbstractBackgroundNeed for TheoryAcknowledgements

FoundationResolveModelPlay

Synthesis Design PlayDigital ResolveDigital Play