AIM
ali mcbride prof. angela bracco arch 133 | spring 2015 california polytechnic state university, san luis obispo aimcbrid@calpoly.edu
born in the heart of silicon valley, california, ali grew up surrounded by innovation and knowledge. ever since she was a young girl, the idea of architecture appealed to her and she dedicated her schooling to preparing herself for architecture school. now, she is proud to call herself an architecture student at california polytechnic state university, san luis obispo and is more than willing to dedicate the rest of her life to what she loves. to ali, architecture is more than just a job, it is a passion and a way of expressing herself in a unique way. when she is not doodling in her sketchbook, she is riding horses, listening to music, and exploring the world around her.
motion studio
international dwelling
design village
c o n t e n t s
Design Village 2015
Group 225: Ali McBride, Craig Chao, Chelzea Furtado, Donnie Lemley
Site Analysis: The Design Village competition takes place in Poly Canyon, located to the north-east of the core of Cal Poly, just past the PCV apartments. The site is hilly but open, with little vegetation besides grasses and a relatively dry climate. It is inhabited by horses, snakes, and other small plains animals.
-35*
Concept: A foldable bamboo pod with a sail adjustable to the angle of the sun.
shadows 8 am
shadows 12 pm
shadows 4 pm
adjustable sails foldable frame
adjustable legs
Materials Cut List
1 in. x 200 ft. Bamboo
3/8 in. x 5 in. Galvanized Hex Lag Screws
2-1/2 in. Plain Steel Weldable Surface Hinges
3/8 in. Galvanized Hex Nuts
1 in. x 72 in. Square Steel Tubing (1/16 in.)
1/4 in. x 4 in. x 12 in. Steel Plate
3/8 in. Grommets
20 sq. yds white fabric
Reflection: While my group worked extremely hard to come up with a flawless design, ultimately, Design Village ended up being a complete disaster. As we were building, our plans started to fall apart as personal issues pulled each of my group members away from the project. We began to make small mistakes which when combined, caused our project to fail. In the end, only half of our project made it to Poly Canyon...barely. Despite the failure, I still believe that my group and I learned a lot from this project. Clearly, sometimes simpler is better. We were trying so hard to execute an extremely detailed design in such little time that we sacrificed quality. Next time, we need to take into better consideration the allotted time. I also gained valuable experience in working with a group that did not necessarily get along. In the beginning, we were all happy to collaborate but as things began to fall apart, people started blaming each other. Only two members showed up the day of installation, further driving us apart. I realize now that what kept us together were the very small but important fun times we had. What makes a good team is not only hard work and dedication but a personal bond between everyone. Otherwise, it is almost impossible to be successful. Overall, this project wore greatly on me. I plan to move on completely and forget about the trauma, only retaining the small lessons that I learned. Never again, Design Village. Never again.
International Dwelling Forest Refuge | Satoshi Okada
Site Research + Analysis: Forest Refuge is located in Narusawa, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, at the base of Mount Fuji. The site is heavily forested and steep. Because it lies at the heart of Aokigahara National Forest, the architect, Satosohi Okada, had to design around various environmental restrictions.
form finding
public private
site area
shadows 8 am
open land area
shadows 12 pm
built area
shadows 4 pm
1. living room 2. patio 3. kitchen/dining 4. entry
5. tatami room 6. bathroom 7. loft 8. bedroom
first floor
ground floor
renders
forest re fu g e “a shadow in the trees”
satoshi okada house
in
mt.
fuji
n a r u s a w a y a m a n a s h i j a p a n 2 0 0 0
a l i m c b r i d e a s
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render by alex roman
mt. fuji
“i always think about what kind of architecture is best for each particular site, and believe that each building should have an individual form suited to the surrounding environment.”
1. living room 2. patio 3. kitchen/dining 4. entry 5. tatami room 6. bathroom 7. loft 8. bedroom
form finding
public
shadows 8 am
private
first floor shadows 12 pm
ground floor
shadows 4 pm
ground floor
model site area
first floor
final poster layout:
open land area
built area
Reflection: International Dwelling was a fantastic yet educational break from the rigorous design and building processes of paraSITE and Design Village. I honestly think I got the most out of this project because it taught me more about the programs and proojects that we will have to do in second year. My precedent, Satoshi Okada’s Forest Refuge, also really taught me about the importance of site and how it can directly effect the design process. Before, I had just seen site as a platform for design and not necessarily the design itself. Now, I see that site, if analyzed and worked with correctly, can really add to a design. This project also gave me the opportunity to practice my presentation skills. I took note of my small habits and am working hard to fix them or alter them in a way that isn’t distracting. I learned that in the future, it is really important to know really well what you are talking about. It makes your speech much smoother and more interesting. Overall, this project was successful and I’m looking forward to doing more like it in the coming years.
Motion Studio
Site Analysis: The site is located by the Beef Unit off of the main Via Carta of Cal Poly campus. It is an open field next to a reservoir currently reserved for student research in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences.
Site Model
Motion Studies from the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Science
Barrel Racing
Gestural Models
Developed Gestural Models
Base form for final design taken from combination of gestural models
Motion Studio Final Review
event
reception
entry
presentation
N floorplan and programming
flow of movement
east section diagram
south elevation
final overall model
final structural section model
Reflection: Motion Studio was a fun experiment with art. I feel like while I had potential with my motion studies, I could’ve gone much further and developed some really interesting and unique forms. Still, I managed to find something I could work with and I am proud of. I came into Motion Studio assuming from rumors and words of friends that this project was going to be our first real architectural project. Therefore, I was very confused when we started looking at precedents of pavilions and installations, strutures I personally see as more artistic than architectural. However, I believe I made it work and combined aspects from both to create an event center for students in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences as well as the rest of Cal Poly. During review, I received fairly positive feedback. My critics liked the craft of my models and that I had shown my process but wanted to see more development. They also wanted to see a stronger connection between my motion inspiration, barrel racing, and how people interact and move with the space. Overall, I am happy with the result of this project and I think Iearned a lot from it. For the first time, I was proud of the craft and design of my final models. However, this is just the first step to designing a successful building and I know I still have a lot to learn. I am confident that in the years to come, I will continue to progress and surpass my own expectations.
Miscellaneous Charcoal Motion Study
when you give 24 architecture students charcoal, a big piece of paper, and music...
REFLECTION Nearly ten months after first stepping foot onto Cal Poly campus as an architecture student, I am in awe to find myself finishing my final portfolio of first year studio. This year has been a whirlwind experience, complete with the ups, downs, and everything in between. I can proudly say that I have given all my heart (and two fingers) to architecture - and I regret nothing. Fall quarter was a learning experience. I spent my nights trying to figure out what line weights were and why we had to draw a 12 foot line, completely unaware that these experiences were just setting my up for the real project: pier. The pier project gave me a clearer understanding the work that architecture requires as well as a core group of friends. Winter quarter furthered my learning but added a bit more of sophistication to my understanding. I now knew the basics of programming, drafting, and modeling and was given the opportunity to put these skills to the test. The new challange was incorporating these skills into design without losing the artistic and abstract thought process. And then came paraSite and Design Village, two projects that seemed to be their own quarter. These projects really tested my love for architecture. ParaSITE was going well until I ended up in the hospital. Then Design Village hit and...lets just say there was a reason we were nicknamed “Team Sad.” That was the first time I started to doubt whether architecture was really for me. But with the coming of International Dwelling and Motion Studio, I was reassured that this is where I want to be. Despite the trauma and hard work, I’ve never been the happiest anywhere but in studio. I would like to thank everyone for sticking with me through this crazy first year. I give a special thanks to my first year professors, Humberto Norman and Angela Bracco, for not giving up on me, even after it seemed hopeless to me and to the brothers of Alpha Rho Chi and my big and best friend Courtney for supporting me through the tough times. I am excited to see where this journey takes me in the coming years.