Addie Benson - Undergrad Architecture Portfolio

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Addie Benson

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry...� ~ Maya Angelou

Table of Contents Commercial Design Solution

Hands for Hope

Spring 2012

3

Fall 2011

5

Less Is More House

Fall 2011

9

Ludoteca Trastevere

Spring 2011

13

Analytique

Fall 2010

19

University School Renovation

Spring 2010

23

Studio Apartment

Spring 2009

27

Furniture Design

Fall 2012

31

Art: Acrylic Paintings

2012

33

Creations with Crochet

2012

35

Commercial Design Solution

3

Spring 2012

Purpose - provide a branding and communications company with a layout talored to their needs within a leased space Goal - given the company’s spatial requirements, develop design solution to help the company select the best space to lease Skills - space planning, FF & E selection, meet strict space requirements Accomplishments - designed creative spatial layout in a limited area

Hands for Hope

5

Fall 2011

Purpose - in a team of 3, develop a solution to provide accessible education to South Africa’s “Lost Generation” Goal - respond to design challenge with a cultural appropriate response Skills - critical thinking, group cooperation, systems thinking Accomplishments - develop solution and approach to provide education by creating both stationary and deployable learning systems. Chosen as a finalist in Southwest Region of the Interior Design Educators Council 2011-2012 Student Design Competition

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Less Is More House

9

Fall 2011

Purpose - design a one person home in no more than 240 square feet Goal - understand construction process by designing a home with strict requirements from the planning stages through the finishing stages Skills - site evaluation, construction documentation, wholistic design concept Accomplishments - creatively met spatial requirements while providing all necessary housing ammenities for one person to make a home within the defined living space

11

Ludoteca Trastevere

13

Spring 2011

Purpose - create a child care and learning enviornment, “ludoteca,� that is reflective of a Roman neighborhood, yet modern and progressive Goal - design a transformational space for multiple uses, primarily as a luoteca Skills - space planning, hand and computer rendering, FF&E selection Accomplishments - designed a flexible space that serves as a ludoteca by day and civic space for community members when the facility is not in use as a lucoteca

Seeing within and without: There is a physical and metaphorical transparency between the Ludoteca and the neighborhood of Trastevere. Space and voids in the plan indicate the required program and courtyards. This creates the feeling of a Roman neighborhood within the Ludoteca without mimicking traditional courtyards. This Ludoteca redefines the “Roman experience.�

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19

Analytique

Architecture History III - Fall 2010

Purpose - analyze and critique a modern building and compare it to an older building Goal - analyze and critque the New Norwegian National Opera and Ballet

by Snohetta Architects with the Barcelona Pavilion by architect Mies van der Rohe Skills - critical thinking, knowledge of architecture history Accomplishments - understanding the influence that existing architecture has on new architecture

New Norwegian National Opera and Ballet (NNNOB) - Barcelona Pavilion: Similarities 1. Ascension - one must move upward to access the interior.

2. Columns - unique columns are used structurally and decoratively.

3. Cantilevered roof - roof serves as a focal point and in the NNNOB, the cantilevered roof is accessible.

4. Water - NNNOB rests on a bay and the Barcelona Pavilion has two reflective pools of water.

Barcelona Pavilion (personal photo)

21 New Norwegian National Opera and Ballet

University School Renovation

23

Spring 2010

Purpose - redesign school building to better fit occupent’s changing needs Goal - provide a design that reflects current and growing goals of the School of Social Work at the U of A Skills - space planning, hand rendering, FF&E selection Accomplishments - succefully designed creative spatial layout within the tentant’s existing area to fit the needs of students, faculty and staff

25

Studio Apartment

27

Purpose - design an apartment for a young professional Goal - provide public spaces for entertainment and private spaces for the tenant Skills - space planning, Accomplishments - provided an open yet private floor plan that s flexible and not restricting in the small amount of space provided

Spring 2009

29

Furniture Design

31

Fall 2012

I took the Furniture Design course offered by the school of architecture with hopes of better understanding the furniture creation process, as furnishing is very important in the final design of a space. I gained not only knowledge of furniture design and construction, but also practical skills that helped me to understand how different pieces and materials fit together to create a larger entity, a complete body of work. I used both new and recovered wood to create this table.

Art: Acrylic Paintings

33

2012

I enjoy expressing my creativity through different mediums. One of my creative outlets is painting. During the summer of 2012, I had the opportunity to showcase my paintings at a local cafe. The series below, entitled “Americana,� is my tribute to American women of different backgrounds. Each may look different, have different values and come from different heritages and cultures, but what unites them is the fact that they are all American women. The flower series is about personal growth.

Creations with Crochet

35

2012

Crocheting is another medium by which I am able to express my creativity in several ways. I enjoy finding patterns and recreating and personalize objects that I would like to use for myself or sell at craft fairs, such as the pink ribbon pin and pumpkin hairbows below. I also enjoy creating my own patterns, such as the “girly razorback” to the right. The skills of analyzing existing work in order to enhance one’s own work transcend all genres of design.

I respect and feel blessed to have studied and understand so many different disciplines. All of them have led to my decision to continue my education in order to obtain my masters of architecture so that I can work to become a practicing architect. To sustainably restore and renew existing buildings is what I want to do, and it is what I love.

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love.. . pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” ~ Maya Angelou

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