RM

THE BITTERNESS OF POOR QUALITY LASTS LONG AFTER THE SWEETNESS OF A CHEAP PRICE IS FORGOTTEN

-BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

C O N T E N T S

LARGE

EXTRA LARGE

ZACK STREET INTERVENTION 70

MEDIUM

CLOTHESPIN MUSEUM 32BOUTIQUE HOTEL 48

SMALL

BOATHOUSE + PUBLIC POOLS 4BITS + PIECES 12INTERACTIVE FURNITURE 24

MIXED-USE WATERFRONT TOWER 60

ARCH ITECTURAL PORTFOL IOR ICHARD M EACHAM

B O A T H O U S ET A M P A , F L O R I D Acore design 3 I fall 2011 I 9 weeks I professor: levent kara

B O A T H O U S E+PUBLIC POOLSLOCATIONDOWNTOWN TAMPA, FLORIDA

SITE AREA52,000 SQ. FT.

BUILDING AREA100,000 SQ. FT.

Located on the Hillsborough River directly adjacent the Tampa Museum of Art, this project is informed by the intense num-ber of local site forces. Illustrated as vector lines, the intensive site analysis developed the formal qualities of the boathouse and its adjacent support functions. A series of study models diagramed existing vectors to under-stand the relationships between the various omni present site conditions. The boathouse portion of the program is treated as a jewel. This concept was developed by aligning the boathouse with the museum and separating the support functions from the boathouse within its own geometry. The project, locat-ed on the downtown Tampa river walk, had to maintain a public right of way along the edge of the Hillsborough River. The colliding spatial geometries between the two build-ings are where the pools have been sited. They serve as publicly dynamic in-between spaces that connect the urban core with the river. The goal was to discover the inher-ent forces within the site and integrate the architecture within them. This was first stud-ied two dimensionally and then modeled.

Sketch Model Scale 1/16” = 1’

Sketch Models Scale 1/32” = 1’

7

The project seeks to provide an architectural interpretation of the tension between the forces of the museum with that of the river’s edge. The rectilinear nature of the museum conflicts with the hard diagonal edge of the Hillsborough River. Located on the south side of the project is Curtis Hixon Park. This is one of down-town Tampa’s most successful public spaces. By aligning the boat-house with the museum and placing a reflecting pool below it, the project provides an inviting gesture for pedestrians to discover the boathouse as they walk along the river. The project embodies a sense of architectural tension between the boathouse and the sup-port functions located to the north. The support functions have also been divided to provide a path for pedestrians on the river walk.

SECTION A

SECTION B

P R O G R A M1- river walk 7- offices2- boathouse 8- café3- weight room 9- event space4- recreation pools 10- locker rooms5- diving pool 11- boat launch6- reflecting pool 12- mechanical

1

222

3333333

44

55

6

7777777777777777777777

88889999

101000

11

11221212222122112112111112112121222222

7777777777777777

The intent was to encourage public en-gagement with the project because boathouses are often only used by elite rowing teams. This boathouse is intended for public use and there-fore creates a resting place along the river walk. The resting place is accompanied by a portion of the river that has been designed for swimming and wading. On the north side of the river walk resting place is a diving pool with different levels to leap from the landscape into the pool below. The 3 large walls that come out from the ground anchor it to the landscape and are imagined to be living walls reducing the air temperature and providing a more comfortable space as a result of the vegetation growing on them. The walls canti-lever the structure over the river so that the event space on the ground floor will feel as though it is a part of the river for anyone inside of it.

SITE PLAN

AAAA

B

B

9

Final Model Scale 1/16” = 1’ 11

B I T S + P I E C E SDIGITAL TECTONICS FOR A SYSTEMICALLY INTEGRATED FUTUREmaster’s project I fall 2013 --- spring 2014 I 28 weeks I critic, chair + professor: mark weston

B I T S + P I E C E SDIGITAL TECTONICS FOR A SYSTEMICALLY INTEGRATED FUTURE

INTENTEXPLORE ROLE OF THE DIGITAL AGE WITHIN ARCHITECTURE

INSPIRATIONNATURAL LIVING SYSTEMS

GOALSALGORITHM�S AS A DESIGN TOOL +DESIGN OF DESIGNING PROCESS +INTEGRATED ARCHITECTURE

As a result of the developments in computer tech-nology, our built environments are experiencing significant changes. Advances in computation and computer aided design, coupled with a rapid adoption of industrial techniques centered on robotic fabrication, have provided the ability to use complex algorithms as a design tool. We can use this computing power to create architec-ture that performs like a living system. One of the goals for this work is to envision a design pro-cess that produces performance based ecologi-cally integrated architecture. I refer to this as liv-ing system architecture. Rather than autonomous architecture that separates itself from its surround-ings, the goal is to integrate architecture within its environment. Whether in a dense urban set-ting or a wide open prairie, architecture should be a part of the larger living systems where it is located in order to obtain a sustainable human condition. This research explores: digital fabrica-tion techniques, emergent design, computational

methods and the use of algorithms as a design tool for obtaining a sustainable human condition. Through digital fabrication I rapidly prototyped concepts and tested them within the elements. The design concepts are informed by local site specific living systems and perform within the in-herent material properties they are composed of. The ultimate goal for this work was to develop a design process for establishing a sustainable human condition full of abundance and growth rather than a world of limits and restrictions. The work seen here on these two pages are initial studies of the digital design process.I had to begin by learning how to use the tools that would enable me to achieve my design inten-tions. The studies that follow in this section of the portfolio are a series of investigations into what it means for architecture to perform like a living system. How can computer scripting allow us to design within a determined set of rules and/or relationships? Is it even possible? I believe that it is. Designers are always creating rules for them-selves and software like Grasshopper is a tool for visualizing those rules. It allows you to instantly see the consequences of your design decisions. Today, like never before, we have the abil-ity to test and re-test design concepts within the computer at ever increasing speeds. How-ever, the process does not and should not end there. We must bring these concepts to life. Rapid prototyping makes that possible. The work here attempts to rapidly prototype many ideas and concepts with the intent of develop-ing a design process that will help to create an ecologically integrated built environment.

ALGOR I T HM I C E X P E R I M E N TAT ION

15

MATERIAL + FABRICATION STUDIES

17

I N S P I R E D B Y T H E D R O PD E S I G N I N G W I T H T H E L E F T O V E R W A S T E

Inspired by the drop, I began design-ing with the left over waste I had cre-ated from my previous studies. Studies that were aiming to eliminate the con-cept of waste, but producing a lot of it. However, the production of waste in construction did more than create a per-sonal call to action to eliminate it. The left over waste became a design tool. I was so inspired by the beauty in the left over pieces I began to analyze them. They presented a concept to me that I had previously not considered pursuing. The concept is based on an aggregate system of construction. This concept falls right in line with my design research. An aggregate is a collection of particulars into a whole mass. Essentially, it is a liv-ing system. This was evident in my previ-ous interests in beehives and the hexa-gons they are composed of, but was not realized at that time. The beehive and its ability to take on many different con-figurations from the same hexagonal ele-ment is the ideal embodiment for what is meant by living system architecture. The architecture of a beehive is always re-sponding to the environment with regard to performance needs. It maximizes the building material based on a simple set of rules and relationships with the local ecology to make it one of the most effec-tive examples of architecture in nature. It is essentially a naturally bonded aggre-gate. Bonded aggregates like concrete

are very common in construction, howev-er I was seeking something “other.” I was interested in an aggregate that was more closely related to sand dunes, one which has spaces between the particles. My re-search was about performance based in materiality and is related to the beehive and its ability to support and sustain life. The next step of my design process was to discover a way to make this system performance based. This would involve

more iterations and research into aggre-gate systems of design. I began by first taking inspiration from a piece found in the drop pile. I then took the digitally drawn piece and added notches to its geometry. The piece was then laser cut from paper several hundred times to ex-periment with the system and see what else I could learn from it.

1.0 (above)Making use of the dropped pieces from the earlier experiments to create a concept model was a serendipitous moment. It was a moment that brought together all previous work into an aggregate concept for the installation that follows.

1.1 (previous page)Typically the drop from laser cutting is thrown away. However, I was so inspired by the left over pieces that I held on to them. At the time, I was unaware of how much they would infl uence the fi nal outcome of my research.

19

1.2 (above)This graphic conceptualizes the installation as a waterfall spilling over from the bal-cony above. The original idea was to have the installation begin on the ground below and build up and over to the second fl oor. As I began building I discovered that I would not have nearly enough pieces to accomplish this and the size of the installation was reduced.

1.3 (right)Interior perspective showing what I wanted the installation to look like. This image is intended to depict an installation constructed entirely of glass panels. The space is fi lled with refracted light and dangerously beautiful.

1.4 (next Page)The pavilion concept emerges from the development of left over pieces joined with the aggregate concept that the pieces embody when sitting in a pile.

My research leads to a proposal for a pavil-ion. It is mostly in the conceptual stages, leaving it full of possible interpretations for future devel-opment. The pavilion concept model demon-strates an aggregate system that relies entirely on the arrangement of and relationship between components for stability. It is the relationships be-tween each piece that provide it with rigidity. I established a very simple rule for assembling them together and then broke the rule when nec-essary to change direction or support another piece. Still in its conceptual stages, the material for this pavilion was not predetermined, but af-ter assembly and discussion was imagined to be a metal panel with some sort of special flexible hinge down its center line. This would create a faceted multidirectional living system of intercon-nected relationships. To better understand and develop the aggregate concept, I chose to leave this as it is and pursue an installation that would potentially help to further my research of aggre-gates.

21

After completing all of the research for my thesis document, I have learned that the future of our built environment will start to behave much more like a biological or-ganism. It has to in order to sustain itself. This installation was crucial to discover if I could accomplish what I set out for. Un-fortunately, I feel it still falls short of what it means to design and build a living sys-tem architecture. The digital tools I had to learn, and the time it required to do so, took away from the development of a single project. The research is much more invested in developing a design process for creating a living system architecture. As a result, I am extremely excited for the future of my design endeavors. My deci-

sion to pursue research on the impacts of digital technology as it relates to archi-tecture has helped me to develop a meth-od for establishing a performance based ecologically integrated architecture. This research establishes that whether in a dense urban setting or a wide open prai-rie, architecture should be a part of the larger living systems where it is located in order to obtain a sustainable human condition. When these more effective performance based conditions are met, we can obtain a truly sustainable condi-tion full of abundance and growth rather than a world of limits and restrictions.

1.5 (left)Perspective looking down the side of the installation from the second fl oor balcony.

1.6 (above)The installation was angled for optimum shadows and lighting conditions during presentation at 4pm on April 4, 2014.

1.7 (right)Myself under the installation at dusk.

23

I N T E R A C T I V E F U R N I T U R ED I G I T A L F A B R I C A T I O Nt e a m m e m b e r s : n a t h a n b a k e r , c a s e y g o n s a l e z , s a n c h e l l e l e e sketching in hardware I summer a 2013 I 3 weeks I professor: mark weston

I N T E R A C T I V ESMART SURFACED I G I T A L F A B R I C A T I O N

MY ROLEGROUP LEADERFACILITATOR OF DESIGN + DEVELOPMENT

PARTNERSNATHAN BAKERCASEY GONSALEZSANCHELLE LEE

SURFACE DIMENSIONS2 FT X 8 FT

The goal for this project is a simple one. Create a two feet by eight feet surface that is interactive. We wanted something soft and flex-ible. We considered paper, but quickly decided to use fabric instead. Our project did not begin as a bench, but it became one. We knew we wanted a surface that responded to a person’s proximity to it. So we set out on a design build project. The surface was cut with a CNC router. The arrays of circles are the locations for the tufts or “dimples.” The photoresistors detect changes in light and are the sensors for the bench. We fabricated our own buttons for the bench by la-ser cutting two different layers from plexiglas. They were then laminated together and spray painted. The sensor was mounted in the center after the button was stitched to the surface of the bench. We still didn’t know it was going to be a bench and were struggling over how to display it. We asked, “How do you hang a couch?” To which the answer was, “You don’t, you sit on it!”

CUSTOM MADE BUTTON

P H O T O R E S I S T O R S

C N C C U T S U R F A C E

BOTTOM HALF OF BUTTONTOP HALF OF BUTTON

D I G I F A B C U T S H E E T SC U S T O M M A D E C O M P O N E N T S

MOTOR MOUNT LASER F I LESURFACE CNC FILE

BEARING HOUSING LASER F I LE

BUTTONS LASER F I LE

GEAR LASER F I LE

The cut sheets on this page were all drawn in AutoCAD as the need arose, before being tak-en to the laser for cutting. After they were cut we still had a lot of work to do gluing and mounting the pieces we made to the motors, axles and bear-ings. When we couldn’t find what we needed, we simply made it. This is what digifab is all about. Identifying a problem then fabricating a solution.

27

The entire surface of the couch is con-trolled by an Arduino. It is an open source proto-typing board that uses a very primitive language of code. However, It is not something you neces-sarily have to be able to write yourself. A basic understanding of code is enough to initiate mo-tors on or off with a sensor. The picture on the far right shows the many circuits that had to be com-pleted for the wave motion to be created. You can also see the axles that rotate. While rotating the string that is attached to the button is pulled and winds around the axel simultaneously pulling on the surface. The Arduino is programmed to turn the motor on and off in a series. Through a basic code the Arduino detects which sensor has been activated. Once said sensor is activated, the Arduino turns on each successive motor mov-ing away from the sensor. This creates a wave pattern away from the sensor that was initiated. The intent is to make the person a part of the exhibit. With this by itself in a room it simply seems like a bench. Once a person sits down the sensor is activated, the Arduino responds and the wave is created. This surface could potentially help those that are bed ridden also. It could help with circulation by moving the surface under a person without causing any discomfort. There are twenty one circuits in all that correspond to the twenty one rows on the surface. Each row has five holes. Therefore, there are one hundred and five holes and yes, one hundred and five sensors that all had to be wired in a series. Running them in parallel did not work because of the voltage difference from sensor to sensor. We used an old power supply from a computer to give our motors the power they needed. A sample of the code can be seen on the last page of this section. It is only a small part of the exhaustingly long code.

ON

E

OF

2

1

CIR

CU

IT

S

29

I N T E R A C T I V E M E C H A N I C SB A S I C C A U S E A N D E F F E C T D I A G R A M

STEP 1 - light sensor in button is blocked, Arduino detects which oneSTEP 2 - motors immediately adjacent to row are simultaneously powered on pulling on button, then powered off to release tensionSTEP 3 - next row is activated in sequence creating a wave pattern STEP 4 - next row is activated

1 22

CAUSE - photoresistor (light sensor) detects change in light anywhere on row

EFFECT - motors are turned on and off in a sequence to create wave pattern

3 34 4

NOT TO SCALE

const int analogPin0 = 0; const int analogPin1 = 1; const int analogPin2 = 2; const int analogPin3 = 3; const int analogPin4 = 4; const int analogPin5 = 5; const inanalogPin6 = 6; const int analogPin7 = 7; const int analogPin8 = 8; const int analogPin9 = 9; const int analogPin10 = 10; const int analogPin11 = 11; const int analogPin12 = 12; const int analogPin13 = 13; const int analogPin14 = 14; const int analogPin15 = 15; const int analogPin16 = 16; const int analogPin17 = 17; const inanalogPin18 = 18; const int analogPin19 = 19; const int analogPin20 = 20; const int analogPin21 = 21; const int motorPin0 = 33; const int motorPin1 = 34; const inmotorPin2 = 35; const int motorPin3 = 36; const int motorPin4 = 37; const int motorPin5 = 38; const int motorPin6 = 39; const int motorPin7 = 40; const int motorPin= 41; const int motorPin9 = 42; const int motorPin10 = 43; const int motorPin11 = 44; const int motorPin12 = 45; const int motorPin14 = 46; const int motorPin15 47; const int motorPin16 = 48; const int motorPin17 = 49; const int motorPin18 = 50; const int motorPin19 = 51; const int motorPin20 = 52; const int motorPin21 = 53int END = 0; int threshold = 265; int delayTime = 50; int dellayTime = 0; int STOP=50;voidsetup(){ //initializetheMotorpinasanoutput: pinMode(motorPin0,OUTPUTpinMode(motorPin1,OUTPUT);pinM ode(motorPin2,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorPin3,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorPin4,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorPin5,OUTPUT);piMode(motorPin6,OUTPUT);pin Mode(motorPin7,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorPin8,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorPin9,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorPin10,OTPUT);pinMode(motorPin11, OUTPUT);pinMode(motorPin12,OUTPUT);pinMode(motorPin14,OUTPUT);pinMoe(motorPin15,OUTPUT);piMode(motorPin16,OUTP UT);pinMode(motorPin17,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorPin18,OUTPUT); pinMode(motorPin19, OUTPUTpinMode(motorPin20, OUTPUT); pinMode(motorPin21, OUTPUT);}void loop(){intanalogValue0=analogRead(analogin0);intanalogValue =analogRead(analogPin1);int analogValue2 = analogRead(analogPin2);int analogValue=analogRed(ana logPin3);int analogValue4 = analogRead(analogPin4);int analogValue5=analogRed(anagPin5);int analogValue6 = analogRead(analogPin6);int analogValue7analogRead(agPi7);int analogVal- ue8 =analogRead(analogPin8);int analogValue9 =analogRead(analogntanalogValue 10 = analogReadanalogPin0);intanalogValue11=analogRead(nalogPin11);i nt aalogValue12=analogRea(analoPin12);intanalogValue1=analogRead( analogPin13);int analogValue14=analogRead(analgPin14);int ana logValue15=analogRead(analogPin15);if(anaogValue0>hre shold) {digitalWrite(motorPin0,HIGH);dlay(delayTime );digitalWrite(motorPin0,LOW);dlay(END); di gitalWrite(motorPin1,HIGHdelay(delayTi me);digitalWrite(motorPn1,LOW);dela y(END);digitalWrite(motorPin2,HIGH); delay(delayTime);digalWrit(min2,LOW);d elay(END);digitalWre(motorPin3,HIG)delay(de layTime);digitalWritemotorPin,LOW);delay(END);dig italWrite(motorPin4,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(m otorPin4,LOW);delayEND); digitalWrite(motorPin5,HIGH);delay (delayTime);digitalWritemotorPin5,LOW);delay(END);digitalWrite(motorPi n6,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin6,LOW);delay(END) digitalWri te(motorPin7,HIGH);delaydelayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin7,LOW);delay(END); digita lWrite(motorPin8,HIGH);elay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin8,LOW);delay(END) digitalW rite(motorPin9,HIGH);dela(delayTime); digitalWrite(motorPin9,LOW); delay(END);digitalWrite(motor Pin10,HIGH);delay(delayTim);digitalWrite(motorPin10,LOW); delay(END);digitalWrite(motorPin11,HIGH); delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin12,LOW); delay(END);digitalWrite(motorPin14,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digita lWrite(motorPin14,LOW); delay(ND);digitalWrite(motorPin15,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin15,LOW); dela y(END);digitalWrite(motorPin16,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin16,LOW); delay(END);digitalWrite(motorPin17,HIG H);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(moorPin17,LOW); delay(END);digitalWrite(motorPin18,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin18,L OW); delay(END);digitalWrite(motorn19,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin19,LOW); delay(END);digitalWrite(motorPin20,HIGH);de lay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin20OW); delay(END);digitalWrite(motorPin21,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin21,LOW); delay (END); } delay (STOP); if (analogValue1 > thresholddigitalWrite(motorPin1, HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin1,LOW); delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin0,HIGH);delay(dellayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin2,HGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin0,LOW);delay(dellayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin2,LOW); delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin3,HIGH);delay(delayTime); diitalWrite(motorPin3,LOW);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin4,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin4,LOW);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin5,HIGHdelay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin5LOW); delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin6, HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin6, LOW); delay(delayTimedigitalWrite(motorPin7,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin7,LOW);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin8,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin8,LOW);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin9,HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin9 LOW);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin10 HIGH);delay(delayTime);digitalWrite(motorPin10 LOW);delay(delayTime

ARDUINO CODE + OBJECT31

C L O T H E S P I N M U S E U MC H I C A G O, I L L I N O I Sadvanced design b I fall 2012 I 5 weeks I professor: mark weston

CLOTHESPIN MUSEUMA HOARDERS COLLECTION

LOCATION CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

SITE AREA6,000 SQ. FT.

BUILDING AREA32,000 SQ. FT.

When I was approached with this project I was very surprised. A hoarder that collects clothespins? This seemed very strange. A hoarder is someone who gath-ers or accumulates stuff. This hoarder happened to be obsessed with clothespins. They own countless numbers and varieties of everything clothespin related. There’s the common one shown on this page, but this person had big ones, small ones, colorful ones and everything and anything you can imagine. As the designer, I had to im-merse myself in this obsession to understand the object. It was necessary to first draw the object. This would allow me to understand its most basic function and design. How-ever, this was not deep enough. I needed to obsess over the object the same way the owner had been doing for years. I had to create a sanctuary for the collection. The owner is a billionaire that has no care for the costs associ-ated with creating a museum for their private hoard and was very pleased that I was so interested in them as well.

T H E E X Q U I S I T E O B J E C TB E C O M I N G O B S E S S E D W I T H T H E H O A R D E R S C O L L E C T I O N

35

THE EXQUISITE OBJECT

TRANSFORMEDORIGINAL GRAPHICS ON 8.5” X 22” CANVASPHOTOSHOP MANIPULATIONS OF GRAPHIC

I began by taking what I had drawn and brought it into photoshop as a single layer. Through a rinse lather re-peat method, I arrived at the graphic to the right by layering the original graphic. The intent was to create an endless texture that would potentially become something else more than just a composition. It is de-rived from the three basic components of a clothespin. They are, Side A, side B and the spring. If you think side A and side B are the same, then you have not shared in the same obsession. They are very dif-ferent and no two are exactly identical. The next step was to turn the graphic into something three dimension-al. This lead me to the next step of the process. By taking the different layers I had created in photoshop and separat-ing them into different files. I was able to create the three dimensional construct on the next page. Each photoshop layer was laser cut from chip board. I then ar-ranged and laminated the layers to create a composition of altered, but still recog-nizable clothespins. These little spring clamps are wonderfully simple. Throughout this project I was consistently going back and forth between the computer and mak-ing things in real life. At this point, I was beginning to understand the obsession. They hold a beauty I was never aware of.

The next step was to take the construct to the left and further develop it. A portion of the construct (shown above) was brought into AutoCAD. This was then once again transformed into an endlessly repeating pattern. The intent was to create a three dimensional skin from a flat surface. The image below shows a portion of the cad file. The red lines show where the surface is cut, and the blue lines show where the surface was scored. This would later become the skin of the building shown on the next page.

STEP 1 STEP 2 STEP 3 STEP 4

S K I N S Y S T EM CONCE P TLASER CUT 18” X 32” STRATHMORE MUSEUM BOARD

SITE + CONSTRUCTS Y N T H E S I SF O R M G E N E R A T E D

After obsessing over clothespins for a couple of weeks, it was time to begin work on the building. The site is located in the heart of Chicago, Illinois. It is very small at roughly 6,000 square feet, has a very awkward geom-etry, a parti wall condition on the north side and has the added benefit of being right next to the elevated train line. This also meant that the cli-ent wanted the new museum to have a new e.l stop connection to the adjacent one that already exists. By taking the form of the construct I had created, I scaled and placed it to fit within the boundaries of the site. I then embossed it onto a piece of museum board and toned in various ideas about public and private spaces. Sketch models on the previous page show various ways to approach this diagram. However, the one I chose to move forward with is shown as another iteration on the next page. The intent was to con-ceptualize the clothespin function and parts. The museum has been designed to have two sides. A structural datum wall holds side A and side B together, providing different spatial experi-ences within the museums. The north side serves the more common functions found in a museum including: administration spaces, the auditori-um, the cafe, rest rooms, receiving and gallery spaces. The south side of the datum possesses the grand sense of arrival. It also has gallery spaces, but the objects on this side are expe-rienced in a different way than the north side. It is much more precarious and more circula-tory in nature with views of the passing trains.

C O N S T R U C T S T R A N S F O R M E DSKETCH MODELS CREATED FROM IDEAS IN CONSTRUCTS IMPOSED INTO THE CHICAGO SITE

SKETCH MODEL SCALE 1/32”=1’ 41

SITE PLAN

0’ 40’

W CHICAGO AVE

N F

RA

NKLIN

ST

BASEMENT LEVEL PLAN- main lobby

LEVEL 2 PLAN- access to e.l train

LEVEL 3 PLAN- café loft

LEVEL 4 PLAN- auditorium

LEVELS 5-9 PLAN- gallery spaces

P R O G R A M1- lobby 5- gallery space2- new e.l stop 6- auditorium3- office space 7- café4- conference room 8- restrooms

1

1

2

3

3

4

56

887

8’ 20’ 40’43

INTERCONNECTED STRUCTURE + DISPLAYB E A M S S U S P E N D E D B Y H U N D R E D S O F C A B L E S

As shown in the section perspective, the museum does not have any of the typical columns you see in most buildings. Instead, the datum wall acts as the primary structure and the skin is self supporting through a substructure condition. The floor plates rest on overhang-ing beams that penetrate the datum. The datum is heavily perforated and acts as a circula-tion threshold between the north side and the south side. It is also where the stairs, elevators and support functions are located. The clothespins shown on the cable to the left make up the majority of the collection. Therefore, a system was needed to display them that showed them for what they are. This lead to an interconnected multifunctional structural concept that sup-ports the beams within the datum wall, as well as a display wall for the millions of clothespins.

PROGRAM1- lobby2- receiving3- café4- auditorium5- gallery space

1

1

2

3

4

5

5

5

5

5

SECTION PERSPECTIVE 45

The train Station “dimple” provides views of the pass-ing trains for visitors. You can also see how the beams, cables and floor plates are working together. The floor plates are offset from the skin so that they are not as easily seen from the outside. The large glass slits provide sneak peeks of the collection from outside to entice people passing by to come inside. This mu-seum is not just about the clothespin collection. It’s about how they are displayed as part of the building and how the build-ing is a clothespin for the hoarder to add to their collection.

FINAL MODEL SCALE 3/32”=1’

BOUT IQUE HOTELT A M P A , F L O R I D Aadvanced design a I spring 2012 I 8 weeks I professor: dan powers

BOUTIQUE HOTELLOCATIONDOWNTOWN TAMPA, FLORIDA

SITE AREA22,500 SQ. FT.

BUILDING AREA100,000 SQ. FT.

The site of this project is in a unique part of downtown Tampa, Florida. It is where the old city grid meets the newer more com-mon grid. Too the south, the city grid aligns with the river. On the north side, the grid is aligned with the cardinal directions. This project is a time reference, expressing the old and the new grid. After site analysis, a concept revealed itself within the spirit of the place. The concept has two parts. They are shifting and shearing. Although they are simi-lar, there is a distinction for the purposes of this project. Shifting is defined as something that transfers from one place to another; to change in a systematic way. Shearing is de-fined as becoming fractured along a plane as a result of forces acting parallel to the plane. This concept was derived from the sketch on this page and explored three di-mensionally in the parti model. The sketch model was created after the program was applied. It was important to maintain this lan-guage throughout the project as a rule. By al-lowing the concept to carry through, visitors will feel the shift of the grid anytime they move through the hotel. The restaurant even over-laps the shift and literally shears from itself.

Parti Sketch Model Scale 1/32” = 1’

S I T NH F I G

SHEAR ING

+

Sketch Model Scale 1/16” = 1’ 51

ROOM TYPES

3 ROOM SUITE 4 ROOM SUITE 6 ROOM SUITE

1 - master bed2 - full size bath3 - galley kitchen

1 - master bed2 - living space3 - full size bath4 - galley kitchen

1 - master bed2 - spare bed3 - living space4 - full size bath5 - galley kitchen

EXPER I ENCE DOWNTOWN FROM THE LUXUR IOUS ROOF TOP POOL AND BAR

1 1 12 2

2

3

3

3

4

4

45

1700 sq ft w/balcony900 sq ft w/balcony550 sq ft w/balcony

0’ 8’ 20’

SECTION A-A

D E S I GN D E V E LO PM EN T

STRUCTURAL SYSTEM HVAC SYSTEM FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM

WALL SECTION ROOF SECTIONWINDOW/MULLION CONNECTION55

GROUND FLOOR PLAN1- lobby2- bar3- restaurant4- kitchen5- laundry6- offices7- gift shop8- receiving

0’ 8’ 20’ 40’

2

3

4

5

6

67

8

A

A

PLAN LEVELS 2-51- green roof (lvl 2 only)2- three room suite3- four room suite4- house keeping

PLAN LEVELS 6-7-all four room suites

PLAN LEVEL 8-all six room suites

PLAN LEVEL 91- pool structure2- pool pumps3- storage

PLAN LEVEL 101- roof top pool2- hot tub3- sauna4- bar5- gym

PLAN LEVEL 111- mechanical2- chiller

0’ 8’ 20’ 40’

111

1 1

1

2

222

22

2

3

3 3 3

333333

4

44444 5333

57

SH IFTED + SHEARED DETAILS

The hotel expresses the concept in a few ways. Over all, the form of the hotel is very expressive of shifting and shearing. The southern half of the project appears as though it was pulled apart from the northern half. The cavity that is created forms the atrium. The atrium is capped with a roof top pool for the hotel guests to enjoy. The bottom of the pool is intended to be frosted glass, so that people within the atrium can see others swimming in the pool. This also produces a special lighting within the atrium. The intent is to make it feel as though you are in an underwater setting. The roof top pool also acts as a heat sink to draw out the heat that collects has it rises through the atrium. At night the roof top pool also creates a soft overhead glow. The image below shows a custom designed railing derived from the actual foot print of the project. It is intended to provide a unique facade to the build-ing, as well as some very interesting shadows. The second level provides a roof top garden for the restaurant to grow its own herbs and vegetables. It is designed so that any water that collects runs off into the planters below.

Final Model Scale 3/32” = 1’ 59

M I X E D - U S E WA T E R F R O N T T O W E RD O W N T O W N T A M P A, F L O R I D Aa d v a n c e d d e s i g n b I f a l l 2 0 1 2 I 1 0 w e e k s I p r o f e s s o r : r i c k r a d o s

M I X E D - U S E WA T E R F R O N T D E V E L O P M E N TLOCATION

DOWNTOWN TAMPA, FLORIDA

SITE AREA PARKING GARAGE213,250 sq. ft. 550,000 sq. ft.

RESIDENTIAL FUNCTIONS OFFICE FUNCTIONS500,000 sq. ft. 168,000 sq. ft.

MARINA FUNCTIONS RETAIL FUNCTIONS1,600 sq. ft. 84,000 sq. ft.

TOTAL PROJECT AREA1.3 million sq. ft.

Downtown Tampa, Florida is a very unique metro area. Tampa has a very large pop-ulation, yet hardly anyone lives in downtown. There are many theories as to why this is, but I believe it’s because people in this area simply don’t want to live in downtown. There’s not much incentive. Once you get there, the only way to get around effectively is to drive because walking is miserably hot with no shade to be found. Home to only a handful of skyscrapers that are rarely full of tenants, the area needs a building that makes people want to live there. This project aims to provide vertical living within immense suburban sprawl. The site is located at the intersection of W Kennedy blvd and S Plant avenue. The area pos-sesses an essence of tranquility and commerce. It is immediately adjacent to some of the tallest buildings in the downtown Tampa Bay area, but is separated from them by the Hillsborough River.

SITE ANALYSIS

This presents itself with many great opportuni-ties, as well as some serious challenges. It is an opportunity to draw some of the energy from across the river and connect it with the energy that encircles the bay area. The intent is to pro-vide a public space at the ground level, while si-multaneously providing a place for residents and businesses along the river. However, the river is not all glamour and poses a great challenge. Considering that the site is in a sub-tropical climate, storm water run-off must be taken very seriously. It is also imperative that the site help cleanse the river. Currently, it is essentially an elevated swamp next to the river. The site should be used in a way that provides a clean place for people and wildlife to live and gather next to the water’s edge. The models below show how these ideas were explored at the ground level before a building form was ever conceived.

SKETCH MODEL SCALE 1/64”=1’SKETCH MODEL SCALE 1/64”=1’

SCAN OF MODEL

63

SITE PLAN1- residential entrance2- office entrance 3- retail

1

2

3

3

3

OFFICE PLAN LEVELS 2-8 PUBL IC GREEN SPACE LEVEL 9

ROOF TOP POOL LEVEL 50

The site plan shows a very small footprint for the tower to the east. This was done to allow for storm water to naturally seep back into the ground. However, because of the need for a parking garage, the west side of the site is mostly covered. All of the parking is elevated off the ground and below the garage has been programmed with retail. The residents will need a grocery store as one currently does not exist in downtown Tampa. The retail spaces form a U shape plaza for people to gather under the shade of the garage. Special care was taken to soften the edges of the site to make it easier for people to access the river. A marina was sited on the south side of the Kennedy bridge for residents to park their boats. There are also two large boardwalks that reach out into the river for people to access.

65

RESIDENTIAL FLOOR A RESIDENTIAL FLOOR B

RESIDENTIAL FLOOR C

THREE RESIDENTIAL FLOORS + UNITS Within the tower exists three distinct floor types for the resi-dents. This was done for a couple of reasons. This first reason was to establish a faceted building form that by its very essence would want to collect rain water. Most buildings just want to simply shed rain wa-ter and get rid of it as quickly as possible. I see rain as a precious resource that should not be wasted. The faceted facade collects rain water at each third level. This can be used to water the gardens located on each balcony, as well as any other uses the tenants may need. The second reason for designing three different floor types was to create diverse pocket neighborhoods. By mixing all three types of units, a sort of vertical suburb is created. A four level atrium is created over and over again throughout the tower. As seen to the right, residential floor c is a common space floor. It is intended to provide a place for peo-ple to meet or socialize and is large enough to house two pool tables.

There is to be a structure that will touch the ground as lightly as possible to not disturb the ecology. Open free democratic spaces on the ground plane will support this notion. Preservation and protection of the river will drive all de-cisions on the orientation and location of the various uses within the structure. This concept is intended to support and help the local ecology with the structure hovering above the ground plane wher-ever possible. This will allow people to move freely on the ground plane. By do-ing this, the development will provide individuals with a greater awareness of themselves and the other users. The inten-tion is to create a public green space below a mixed use structure that con-tains all the elements of an urban setting. One goal for this project is to develop a place that is unified and democratic. The objective is to accomplish this goal by creating spaces that are used simul-taneously by the various types of users. This is not to say that people will work were they sleep. The intent is to bring people together that use the develop-ment by attracting them to public spaces that they can all share. A sense of com-munity will be encouraged to develop through these spaces. Another one of the goals is to develop the site in a way that supports the local ecology. It should be a fluid relationship between earth, sky and water. This can be accomplished by providing the necessary landscaping both on the ground and on the structure that will help to mitigate flooding from storm water runoff, but still allow the areas retaining the water to be used.

2 BED 2 BATH CONDO UNIT

3 BED 2 BATH CONDO UNIT

4 BED 3 BATH CONDO UNIT

CONCEPTUAL SECTION

RESIDENTIAL

OFFICES

PUBLIC GREEN SPACE

LOBBY

ROOF TOP POOL

pocket neighborhoods within tower

RETAIL

PARKING

ZACK STREET INTERVENT IONT A M P A , F L O R I D Ateam member: Najat Qushmaq I advanced design c I spring 2013 I 14 weeks I professor: vikas mehta

Z A C K S T R E E TI N T E R V E N T I O NLOCATIONDOWNTOWN TAMPA, FLORIDA

PARTNER

NAJAT QUSHMAQ

SITE AREA2.2 MILLION SQ. FT.50 ACRES��

INTENTIONPROPOSE PUBL IC COND IT IONS WITH IN AND ALONG THE STREET TO FAC I L I TATE L I F E IN DOWNTOWN

Downtown Tampa, Florida is one of the quietest downtowns you will ever visit. It makes up a little less than 15% of the counties entire work-force and is home to less than 5,000 people. However, there are over one million people living in the county. So why don’t more people come to downtown to live, work or play? The block sizes average at a very convenient 200 feet x 200 feet, but it is not comfortable to walk around. There is little sense of place or community there and it is overrun with empty parking lots. So how do we get people there? This intervention seeks the answers to those questions and some of them are very basic. By first analyzing the downtown core and getting a sense of the place, we discov-ered a major opportunity. Zack street is located in one of the most heavily used parts of downtown and is just one block over from a major road-way that connects the area to the rest of the city.

D O W N T O W N T A M P A

A R E A O F I N T E R E S T

DO

WN

TO

WN

C

OR

E

AN

AL

YS

IS

73

CONNECT IV I T Y D IAGR AMO R I G I N A L S I Z E 1 2 ” X 2 0 ”

CONNECTING SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC SPACES

Currently there are a few successful pub-lic spaces along Zack street. The street connects the very popular Curtis Hixon park in front of the Tampa Museum of Art with Union station. Curtis Hixon is a very popular space for people who wish to simply be outside, as well as a concert and public events venue. At the far opposite end to the east, union station is barely used, but when it is used it is mostly by those who wish to take the Amtrak. However, this area has potential. Be-tween those two points, occurs the Sunday mar-ket. Every Sunday for a few hours in the morning they close down Franklin street on either side of Zack street and set up a market space. The inter-vention intends to facilitate this use and improve upon it. Currently it is not a very comfortable place for pedestrians because it lacks protection from the intense Florida sun. The intervention pro-vides spaces for merchants, as well as shade, shelter and seating for those who come by. Oth-er than that, the street is mostly used by people working at the courthouse or federal building. Through the analysis shown to the right, we dis-covered other opportunities. We were constantly trying to find ways to connect back to the rest of the city and provide a place that people would want to come to. The intent was to connect the already successful spaces and build on that. We wanted to create a series of nodes that would encourage people to promenade. This is not done very often in downtown Tampa because there is nothing to promenade for. Most everyone here just gets in their car and drives from a to b.

SUNDAY MARKETFRANKL IN + ZACK ST

SITE EXPLORATIONORIGINAL SIZE 16” X 32”

SITE EXPLORATIONORIGINAL SIZE 11” X 19” 75

TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART ON WEST END ENTRY TO ZACK STREET WEST END

ENTRY TO ZACK STREET EAST END TAMPA UNION STATION ON EAST END

77

"JUNK" MODEL

ABSTRACT REPRESENTATIONSORIGINAL SIZE 7” X 41” I ASSEMBLAGE MADE OF TOYS

I NTERVENT ION D IAGRAM

SECTIONAL RELATIONSHIPSEXISTING CONDITIONS SHOWN IN BASSWOODO R I G I N A L S I Z E 7 ” X 4 6 ” I S C A L E 1 ” = 1 0 0 ’

EXISTING CONDITIONS SHOWN IN BASSWOODO R I G I N A L S I Z E 2 4 ” X 4 8 ” I S C A L E 1 ” = 1 0 0 ’

MASTER PLAN 50’ 400’

By mapping the street with text and exploring op-tions through found objects, we created a language that would begin to talk about a sense of place. The previous pages also showed a com-posite section of the sort of activities and spaces we were intending to create. It is very common urban design 101 in some places, and extreme structural intervention in others. Both are components missing from downtown Tampa. The triangular faceted structure appears at the major nodes and becomes the ground-scape and landscaping in the between spaces. The “junk” model and intervention dia-gram really helped to look at the street in a new way. This is where the language we were developing became most ap-parent. We were particularly interested in the market area. This area is something that is common place in other major cities, but lacking in Tampa. Again urban design 101, so why doesn’t Tampa have this? The city is over 100 years old. Downtown is lacking identity and a sense of place this intervention provides that.

MARKET SECTION

81

G A T E W A YW E S T E N D

83

The intent of the intervention is to design a synoptic instrument that connects the east and west ends of Zack Street. It is synoptic because it is intended to provide many things that include: a sense of place, shade, electricity, water, seating, ground-scape and a way finding device between the two east and west nodes, etc. These two nodes within the Tampa urban core are gateways into the greater downtown area. Starting at the Hillsborough river front, Zack Street connects the river to the union train station. This project aims to facilitate the potential energy between the two ends. It does this by creating a barrier-free art promenade; whether the art be performa-tive or object based. Currently people do not promenade along Zack street because it is inhospitable for pedestrians. The inter-vention behaves as a symbiotic organism, utilizing the existing public buildings as a series of interconnected spaces that form pocket neighborhoods and comfortable street rooms. The vacant lots adjacent to the public buildings serve as opportunities to establish a contemporary Tampa vernac-ular. At either end of the street are gate-ways that evoke a sense of threshold and sense of place. The intervention also serves to protect the historic assets of downtown Tampa by celebrating them. There are al-ready a number of successful public events and features within Zack Street. This project reinforces these functions by introducing ur-ban design features that compliment them. Designing the market space will intensify its use and make it a more enjoyable ex-perience. The concept of an open market and generating more active businesses around Zack street is a simple one, but

A R E A I N R E D S H O W N I N D E T A I L O N N E X T P A G E

is currently not present. Intervening with a permanent structure to enhance the market space and create public nodes open and free for use by all is an effort to provide a safe public realm for pedestrians. It gives the right of way back to the pedestrians. By creating a microclimate street condition along the intervention it is a much more comfortable place to promenade. The in-tention is to create an urban backyard con-dition for the buildings along Zack street. The nearby churches are a great place to start creating comfortable street rooms. The intersection of Florida avenue must be re-designed to slow down traffic, allowing for smooth pedestrian movement from one end to the other. Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to take advantage of the many opportunities for initiating a comfortable public street edge that embraces arts and cultures. By expanding the art district to the firefighter’s museum we propose a con-nection and greater awareness of those

who protect our cities. In addition to the museum, a dedicated public library that supports and interweaves with the synop-tic instrument is created. The intervention also values the significance of the cultural heritage and provides an understanding of the downtown Tampa history while si-multaneously providing a contemporary vernacular seen on the next page. Once again the synoptic instrument has been transformed. This time it is transformed into a small neighborhood of mixed-use buildings that are affordable. The interven-tion interconnects many things along Zack street. However, the most important con-nection is the one it makes with the rest of the city. Bringing people into downtown is the most important goal. Cities don’t feel safe when there’s no one around, and when there’s less than 5,000 people living in downtown within a county of over one million people something major has to be done to make people want to move there.

85

RELEVANT SKILLS

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

PROFICIENT UNDERSTANDINGADOBE PHOTOSHOPAUTOCADGRASSHOPPER (rhino plugin)REVITRHINOCEROS

FOUNDATIONAL UNDERSTANDINGADOBE INDESIGNADOBE ILLUSTRATORADOBE PREMIER PROMICROSOFT OFFICESKETCH UPVRAY FOR RHINO

DIGITAL FABRICATION

3D PRINTINGCNC ROUTERLASER CUTTINGPROFICIENCY IN FABRICATION WITH RHINO + AUTOCADVOLUNTEER TEACHING ASSISTANT FOR DIGITAL FABRICATION CLASS SPRING 2014

designed and written byRICHARD MEACHAMrmeacham.arch@gmail.comstudio design portfolio I fall 2011 - spring 2014university of south florida, tampaschool of architecture + community design