SELECTED WORKS | 2021 - 2022
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA - CHAMPAIGN
Architecture 572
Spring 2022
Atlanta, GA
+Owen Balk
Midtown Atlanta has one of the largest concentrations of single parent families in all of Georgia. Paired with a significant percentage of the population falling within the 18-35 year old demographic and only having a high school education it became clear that our design would focus on this user group. Our proposal provides a space for young adults looking to move into a new phase of their lives. Through the use of mass timber structural systems and a careful consideration to the site’s context and demographics, this project creates an inviting and dynamic educational experience. The design proposes three distinct buildings to form a district, with classrooms, workshops, and instructional spaces to reach out to those seeking new paths. Additionally, the project is connected to Peachtree Street, across the existing MARTA station, with an elevated walkway, providing public open space for the greater area. These programs provide the community with a space to grow, learn and transition towards a more independent life.
This project showcases the capabilities of mass timber construction, utilizing all IBC types currently available: Type IV- A, B and C. The Type IV-C building, on the southwest corner, is a fully exposed girder and panel system. The Type IV-B, on the east side of the site, contains the residential program on the upper floors and community spaces on the lower floors. We utilize a girder and panel system for levels one and two which transitions to a purlin, girder and panel system at level three. This transition allows levels 4 - 12, dedicated to short-stay housing, to have a point-supported grid system.
Lateral Systems
Type IV A - CLT Shear Wall
Type IV B - Concrete Cores | CLT Shear Wall
Type IV C - Timber Moment Frame
Level 4 - 12
Level 3
This building is the central hub for activities for residents as well as the general public. The program within is dedicated to those elements necessary to help young adults transitioning to independence. These spaces include art galleries, work shops, and a top floor community greenhouse, all of which share the goal of providing spaces for people to not only develop new skills but display and celebrate their achievements. Additionally, by celebrating wood construction with the fully exposed mass timber structural system, the design creates an inviting space that fosters a positive educational atmosphere.
The lower floors are dedicated to an Urban Marketplace and community spaces and floors 4-12 have 79 short-stay apartments, split between 2-bedroom, 1-bedroom, and studio layouts. The point-supported system allows for not only an efficient layout of structure and room size, but also the application of prefabricated panels on the facade. The overall design highlights the benefits of different mass timber systems within the same building type, while also creating separate dynamic spaces.
The lower levels serve as public space, while levels 4-18 are a hotel that will generate the necessary revenue for the proposed programs across the district. A key feature is the double-height pool space on the first floor. This area contains a hybrid timber and steel cable structure integrated with the MEP systems. Additionally, the use of acoustic dowel-laminated timber (DLT) showcases innovative possibilities of mass timber. This holistic approach to design is a key element to the overall methodology for this project, which serves to demonstrate the uniqueness and flexibility of mass timber construction.
Architecture 575
Fall 2022
Chicago, IL + Owen Balk
Located in the South loop of Chicago at 850 Michigan Avenue, this project is the proposal for a 9 story Jazz Center. The central focus of the design revolved around the intimate theater in the round located on the 5th and 6th floors. The decision to move the main hall up to these levels helped create a large gathering space on the ground floor and stretch the East elevation upwards to compete with the other Michigan Avenue facades. To assist with circulation, this project uses a series of elevator banks and an architectural escalator. This system brings patrons underneath the belly of the main hall and provides views out towards Lake Michigan through the curved glass facade. The intention was to celebrate the destination and the journey towards the main hall.
The design strategy for this project heavily focused on working with both a variety of scale and mediums. The images to the left highlight conceptual facade studies to the final pull apart sectional model. The model making process utilized handmade, laser cut, 3d printed and vacuum formed pieces in order to experiment with materiality and scale. This extensive study led to the final iteration of the facade and numerous key features within the structure.
Jazz can be seen in two different lights, the Suit and Tie formal Jazz and the Smokey Bar Jazz. With this in mind, our project provided not only two separate Jazz Halls, the formal Main Hall and the Rooftop Bar, but also two separate paths for circulation. Both of these paths provide a unique experience that celebrates the journey towards the destination.
To draw people into the project a glass facade was used on the East Elevation which allows for clear visibility both outwards towards Lake Michigan and inwards towards the Main Hall and Lobby.
ALUMINIUM CAP SEALANT IGU
INSULATION
MALE CONNECTION
SILICONE
FEMALE CONNECTION
Architecture 474
Spring 2021
New York, NY
New York has become a city dominated by towering skyscrapers and a fast pace lifestyle that puts people and nature at risk. This sanctuary strives to protect the diminishing natural beauty of the Hudson River while also exposing and educating the people of New York to the environment.
The Hudson River is a defining natural element of New York City and over the past several decades the water quality and natural ecosystem has degraded due to man made pollution and waste.
The goal of the Hudson River Nature Sanctuary is to provide a space that can start to alleviate these issues. The green roof will be the defining element of this project and it provides a natural habitat for hundreds of indigenous wildlife and fauna while also helping clean the air and water.
The interior space consists of classrooms, laboratories, and exhibition halls with the purpose of educating people about the natural beauty of the Hudson and how to make New York a greener place to live.
Architecture 573
Fall 2021
Chicago, IL + Ayusmita Deka | Srishti Agarwal
This project serves as an extension to the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. The existing museum is seen as a resource for residents of the city that come from all backgrounds and it was our goal to expand upon this idea. The driving concept behind this design was to create a building that not only adapted to the ever changing climate of Chicago, but provided ample flexible spaces for all to use.
Basement
Lead: Professor Aaron Brakke
Team: Adam Czapla | Efrain Araujo | Nick Oyasu | Yoonah Noh | Zach Twohey
The Siebel Center for Design is a cutting edge interdisciplinary design center. Our team was tasked with aiding in the design of a 10’ x 60’ mural that would span the main hall of the building.
This project heavily relied upon the use of parametric and data driven design tools such as Rhino and Grasshopper. Early on we decided that a key element would be the idea of a moire effect. With this in mind we utilized a series of digital fabrication techniques such as 3D printing, CNCing, and vacuum forming to name a few to bring the digital design into reality.
Integrated with the physical elements of the mural, another team of students worked to create an interactive graphic that showcases innovation at the University of Illinois. The visual to the right highlights the idea of certain nodes that are formed by the varying density of the modules and these would call out important information from the innovation graphic.
Independent Woodworking
The skills and design philosophies for woodworking are key in the way that I approach architecture. A key influence of this process is the architect and wood worker George Nakashima. The art and precision of Japanese Joinery provided a design method that proved to be highly informative.
This table and coaster set expresses the natural beauty of wood working. The live edge of the table highlights the organic nature of the piece which is then accented by the rectilinear form of the coasters.
Architecture 401
Fall 2022
Graphic Design is a crucial tool that all designers utilize. Arch 401 was a class dedicated to studying and practicing standard techniques in graphics such typography and color theory. Over the course of the semester we worked on 8 projects that each focused on a particular skill and technique.
