Agnes
Warneford - Thomson
509 Hunt Club Road, 30D, Blacksburg, VA 24060 8043855874 / agneswt@vt.edu
Education Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: B. Architecture, Fall 2010- May 2016, Minor in Public Urban Affairs Architectural Association of Architecture, London: Visiting School Diploma, Fall 2014 Saint Catherine’s School, Richmond, VA: 2006-2010
Experience Baskervill
Worked on financial, hospitality, community, and health care projects. Focused on a proposal for re purposing Richmond’s old trolley barn, and a renovation/extension to Richmond Hall of Union Presbyterian College.
Capital Projects
Updated existing plans for three buildings to suit future County needs. Acted as liaison between departments relocating, and Capital Projects, to finalize the new spaces. Developed space and furniture plans to optimize usage.
Virginia Tech
Help students with software issues and printing on plotters. Also instruct on how to use lab equipment: light kits, DSLR cameras (lenses, filters, flash), large format scanners, lasercamming, and 3D printing (estimates, pre and post processing).
Summer Studio
Completed the three month studio after my first year at VT in order to transfer into the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.
310 Rosemont
Assist customers whilst maintaining the store, balance stock between several locations, open and close, train new employees, and help with buying.
Portico Restaurant
Managed seating in a very busy restaurant, helped run food, and to open and close. Balanced online booking system with constant spontaneous diners.
Architectural Intern Richmond,VA / 2015 Henrico County Architectural Engineering Intern II Richmond, VA / 2014 Architecture Computer and Print Lab Assistant Blacksburg, VA / 2014Qualifying Lab, Blacksburg, VA / 2011
Sales Associate Blacksburg & Richmond,VA / 2012-
Hostess, Back waiter Richmond, VA / 2011-2014
Skills Digital: Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign), Rhino, AutoCad, Sketchup, DSLR Photography, Lasercutting, 3D Printing and processing, CNC Milling, Grasshopper, Revit, VRAY, experience with ABB IRB 6640, 3.2 meter robot. Analog: Watercolor, modeling, hand drafting/rendering, casting (metals and plasters)
Awards & Leadership International Contemporary Furniture Fair: Exhibited individual column and studio work at ICFF, NY 2015 ICFF Accolades Column was featured in Design Milk’s “Best of ICFF 2015” Permanent Exhibition My column is being exhibited permanently in front of the Lumenhaus, behind Cowgill Design Robotics Summit Hosted at Virginia Tech Research Design Facility, teaching assistant 2015, 2016 Presidential Campus Enrichment Grant Recipient 2010-2015 Alpha Chi Omega, VP & Chair of Chapter Relations and Standards Board 2012-2013, member
Table of Contents
1. A Study of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, UK 2. An Intervention for the Roundabout at Elephant and Castle, London, UK 3. Prototype Column 4. Thesis: Progress 5. Hostel in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland 6. Watercolors
Study of St. Paul’s Cathedral
View through the telescope at King Henry’s Mound
The beginning of my semester at the Architectural Association involved the study of St. Paul’s Cathedral. We were given terms to approach the study from and my term was edge. I began exploring the term by studying the influence that this ancient building has had on London. The influence that St. Paul’s had on the development of London’s urban fabric is palpable mainly in the small frame that is the City of London borough, but has a large influence beyond that. Buildings along the Thames have interesting setbacks correlating to whichever sight lines they are delicately building around. From this, I moved towards studying the spontaneous framing that occurs around St. Paul’s, in a one block radius. These moments are some of my most treasured In London, where I wandered around the Cathedral, keenly observing the small moments where the environment responded to its presence. By contrasting the spontaneous framing that occurs around St. Paul’s, with the protected view points that are many miles from the Cathedral, I aimed to capture how it’s influence has changed over London’s lifetime. Now, the influence of the Cathedral is distilled in a much smaller radius, but its legacy lives on at a larger scale through the laws protecting its influence as an Icon in the city.
Focus on Frames
Focus on Framed
Contrasting urban frames with protected viewpoints
Capturing the experience around St. Paul’s (edge and boundary).
Combined drawing with Rachael Piper
King’s Cross - 16 minutes
Liverpool Street- 13 mi Paddington - 19 minutes
Piccadilly Circus- 8 minutes Bank - 10 minutes Charing Cross- 7 minutes
Waterloo - 4 minutes
Victoria - 19 minutes
Stockwell - 8 minutes
London Bridge - 6 minutes
Elephant and Castle
inutes
s
Elephant and Castle: Intervention Canary Wharf - 25 minutes
To create an icon for the E&C roundabout, I began with an intense study on flow through the area. This revealed issues in an extremely congested area through discovering what spaces were used, unused, and what obstacles existed. In order to be effective, the information had to be quantified, yet there was no way to accurately measure how people moved around the roundabout (which houses an underground station). In order to lend this study legitimacy, I studied the impact that the built and green environment has on movement through the area. The drawings following contain information detailing the height of buildings, their materiality, proximity to roads, dark alleys, how clustered trees may be, tree and shrubbery height, etc. The extreme congestion in the area begged to be addressed, and the areas that resisted foot traffic presented pick up points for a structure that could balance the areas density. What follows is a construct that poses the location to become more efficient, and a critical economic part of London. Currently the area is under utilized, however as shown to the left, it is extremely well connected to the busiest tube stations (which points to where commuters are most active). The blocks surrounding the roundabout as it is are effectively islands and the educational, business, and retail islands are connected by this construct. This diverts foot traffic from the residential islands. The structure contains areas programmed to relate to the three areas it connects in order to further activate the area.
Flow through E&C: influenced by built environment
capactity to stop
Flow through E&C: influenced by green environment
pedestrian crosswalk
stair access
BUSINESS
SHOPPING EDUCATION
Combined Flow: Studies identified successful pick up points for a connecting structure
sloped access
undergound station
trees
bus stop
Digital Prototype: Column
The studio I participated in fourth year focused on digital prototyping through 3D Printing, CNC milling, and programming of a ABB IRB 6640, 3.2 meter (and smaller versions) robot. Our studios work was chosen to exhibit at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York, and my column was one of four to be chosen for large scale fabrication and transportation. My design for the column emerged from a single line drawn within a rectangle, rebelling against its own form. Preliminary iterations were created in wood and Styrofoam. For longevity, I post processed the 8’x2x2’ column with fiber glass strips in the center, and copious amounts of epoxy. Currently, I am in the process of iterating my design with a different center of gravity and a more stable reinforcement. My column was chosen to be exhibited permanently outside of the Lumenhaus, behind Cowgill. However, due to the frequent 50 mph winds that we experience in Blacksburg, it failed. The new iteration is expected to be back on display by March.
Exhibiting at ICFF NY 2015
Thesis: A study of Third Spaces
In this context, a third space is separate entity from space one and two, but acts to connect them. It is a transitional space that belongs to nothing, but cannot exist independently. It is meant to disassociate and refocus the individual, serving as a relief and foil. The idea of third spaces came to mind after studying the spontaneous framing around St. Paul’s. Because of its status as an icon and mandated protected views, there are many interesting moments that have been created in the density surrounding it. Reflecting on that, I now consider these to be third moments. The image to the left is how I began my exploration. Chasing the question of how to create a third space, I studied how to relate spaces whilst maintaining the implied. A boolean difference maintains the presence of the sphere throughout the sequence, whilst slowly eroding the cubes form. When does a space become so large that it becomes its own entity?
90 degree: porous
45 degree: dense
Plan and section of columns
Site: Burke’s Garden, Virginia
Hostel in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland
Serving occupants for a few days at a time, the building acts to connect the visitor to the surrounding environment as much as possible. The entrance draws the visitor into the very core of the structure and even then, they see right through the building to the vistas behind. The excavated lower floor houses the dormitories, allowing weary travelers a protected retreat.