“A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on. Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.� - JFK
Alexander Carolan Work Volume 2015-2017
Ecology Center Ledges State Park
Interlocking House Fort Worth
Other Work Drawing
952 270 7760 carolan@iastate.edu
Ecology Center Ledges State Park is a hidden gem located in central Iowa. The rolling hills, formed millions of years ago by glaciers moving across the Great Plains, carved a channel, later named the Des Moines River. The resulting valley is covered in a thick forest of hardwoods and evergreens with only a dirt path piercing it. At the end of this dirt path, students discover the Ecology Learning Center, built to support 80 students. It creates a new learning environment for the Ames education system. The building exists to unite traditional classroom learning with nature. With the mixed use of indoor and outdoor settings, teachers are encouraged to adopt a hands on learning style. Students gain a deeper understanding of their surroundings in this real world setting.
Entry From Parking Lot
Des Moines River
Site Locatio
Usable space
Walls Floor Plans
Path To Lost Lake
Bridge
Overlook
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Ecology Center Site Plan
Scoring the earth with intersecting walls defines the site location. Facing true north, a compass pattern divides the functional space into quadrants.
Quadrants are subdivided to meet spatial requirements. Volumes are divided between public classrooms overlooking the river and private spaces. The natural contours of the land determine location and size of the volumes.
Wanting to harmonize interior and exterior spaces, subtraction creates innovative classrooms, inviting teachers to use the natural environment in their teaching. Every classroom has an adjacent exterior space.
Recessed stairs and benches lower the viewer’s perspective, bringing them closer to nature.
Ecology Center Diagrams
Roof Plan
Walls/Windows
Base/Floor Plan
Ecology Center Axonometric
Ecology Center Model
1- Entry 2- Classrooms 3- Outdoor Classrooms 4-Central Meeting Area 5-Offices 6-Kitchen 7-Female’s Restroom 78-Male’s Restroom 9-Mech 10-Courtyard
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Floor Plan 1/8”=1’
Section A 1/8”=1’
Ecology Center Section & Floor Plan
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Northwest 1/16”=1
Northeast 1/16”=1
Southwest 1/16”=1
Southeast 1/16”=1
Ecology Center Elevation
Ecology Center Outlook Rendering
Ecology Center Courtyard Rendering
Part Two
Part One
Topography
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Interlocking House Located in Fort Worth, Texas the Interlocking House is nestled in the heart of the cultural district. It is adjacent to world renowned structures including the Kimbell Art Museum by Louis Khan, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth by Tadao Ando and the Piano Pavilion by Renzo Piano. With art energizing this trending area we found inspiration in our client’s favorite artist, Frank Stella. His work creates the feeling of movement in two dimensional paintings. We wanted to bring that feeling to life in a three dimensional depiction. With the client’s personalities in mind, we created a shelter embracing a central courtyard. The porosity of the structure created a protective exterior shell with soft interior chambers flowing to a secluded courtyard. Privacy was of the utmost concern. “Architecture can't fully represent the chaos and turmoil that are part of the human personality, but you need to put some of that turmoil into the architecture, or it isn't real. “ -Frank Stella
Interlocking House Site Plan
Public Spaces
Private Spaces
Outside Spaces
1/8”=1’
Interlocking House Floor Plans
Stair Section Master
Stair Section Reading Room
Stair Section Office
Stair Section Kitchen
Stair Section Library
Stair Section Living Room
Stair Section Dining
Interlocking House Axonometric
Section 1/16”=1’
18’
9’ 6”
8’ 6” 4’
Zero 0’
Section 1/8”=1’
Elevation 1/16”=1’
Interlocking House Section & Elevation
Interlocking House Entry Rendering
Other Work Future City