Architecture Portfolio Andrew Sauers Philadelphia University
Path Design: Blue Bell Park Playscape: Blue Bell Park Nature Center: Blue Bell Park Steel&Wood Frame: Tech 1 Exercise Cabin: Visualization Competition Urban Transect: Philadelphia, PA Urban Pop-Up: Philadelphia, PA Art Therapy Center: Philadelphia, PA
About Me: GPA: 3.67 Age:21 Year: 3 Major: Architecture Program: C_ABE My Name is Andrew Sauers and I am a 3rd year architecture student at Philadelphia University. Aside from architecture, I I also play DII soccer at PhilaU. Some of my hobbies include painting, playing the piano, soccer, and socializing with friends. I also enjoy PhilaU’s close proximity to center city because of the vast opportunities it provides for me.
Path Design: Blue Bell Park The site for this path design was Blue Bell Park in Philadelphia, Pa. The goal of the project was to design a path that was ADA accessible and to control the sequence of viewpoints as you progress through it. At certain points, the path widens to accomadate moments of pause while in other points thhe path narrows which promotes faster movement. The topography had to be observed and calculated to ensure the path would work. A series of visits to the site led to a greater understanding of the land. Also, physical observations from the site led to abstract documentation that was used to provoke later designs in the park.
Tree Bark Abstraction
Tree Root Abstraction
Tree Age Abstraction
Density of Young Trees
Site Plan
Density of Old Trees
Playscape: Blue Bell Park
This is a playscape design located in Blue Bell Park in Philadelphia. The premise for the design was to mimick the growth of a tree through its tree section. Research was conducted to understand the behavior of tree growth and to incorporate that into the design. This playscape is meant for children to run through a maze-like unjulating structure of wood slats and bermed soil.
Through the sections, you can tell how the playscape acts as a labyrinth. Each layer of wall represents a seperate layer in a tree section. Where the layers get tight to eachother, the outer layer breaks allowing children to run through to the next one. This concept coincides with the inner-workings of a tree. When layers grow at different rates, the layers of a tree start to crack and break.
Interior Perspective Site Plan
Section A-A
Section B-B
Nature Center:
Blue Bell Park
This is a design for a nature center located in Blue Bell Park in Philadelphia, PA. The goal of the project was to create an engaging educational center for children to learn about the native species in the Wissahickon forest area. The design is based on the phenomenon of cellular diffusion on a micro-biology level. The center is really an extenuation of the path, and as you procede through the building, you encounter cell shaped rooms that hold different functions to fulfill programatic needs.
Entry Perspective
Interior Perspective
Learning Cove Perspective
Outdoor Garden Perspective
Steel&Wood Frames: Tech 1 Exercise
In this exercise, the objective was to learn the basic principles behind wood structures. The drawings were first created in autoCAD. Then from there, a physical model of wood frame construction was built. A basic understanding of joists, studs, and plates was achieved as well as how they interact.
Section
Elevation
Steel Frame Axon
Steel Frame Axon w/ Decking and Cross-bracing
In this exercise, the objective was to learn the basic principles behind steel structures. The drawings were first created in Rhinoceros. Then from there, a physical model of steel frame construction was built. A basic understanding of beams, columns, webbing, and foundations was achieved as well as how they interact.
Section
Elevation
This project was a inter-school competition where students had to design a cabin and its context. I choose to convey the story of two hikers that had just finished a long day’s journey and had finally reached their warm abode atop the mountain they’d been climbing. The design is two seperate enclosures that serve basic public and private functions for temporary stays. For this project, I received the excellence in photoshop award (1 of the five awards).
Cabin:
Visualization Competition
Exterior Sketch
Interior Sketch
Computer Model
Plan
Interior Perspective
Urban Transect: Philadelphia, PA
This project is an analysis of the transect between Market st., Vine st., 19th st., and 20th st. Based on documentation of qualitative and quantitative observations at certain points within the transect, a claim was made. There seemed to be a relation between the data collected and anxiety levels. It turns out that there are many different urban conditions that can affect a person’s anxiety at certain positions within the transect.
Transect
Stopping Points
Building Types
Anxiety Levels
Odor
Pedestrian Speed
Traffic Density
Cumulative
Urban Pop-Up: Philadelphia, PA
The design for this project was for an urban outdoor amphitheater along Arch st. in center city Philadelphia. This site has all the potential to be a thriving cultural hub. The arts are a primary part of the this community, but there is a lack of performing arts. The goal of this amphitheater is to promote street performance by providing an alternate route from the sidewalk that meanders you through the amphitheater. The amphitheater seating rises to a point on both ends which creates a landmark as well as two additional smaller performance spaces.
This physical model was built to show the lighting within the seating as well as the context and proportion on street level. The structure is a wood based system that alows light to shine through the slats to gently illuminate the performance areas.
Art Therapy Center: Philadelphia, PA
This design is a modular design that folows a reinforced concrete frame with infill panels. The goal was to create a richness of interior, a constantly changing perspective. This was theoretical exploration to create a building from the inside-out only confined by the dimensions of the site.
Modular Exploded Axon
Auditorium
Cafe
Bathroom
Art Gallery
Stairwell
Therapy
Office
Workshop
10’x 10’ Room Functions
Exterior Perspective - Day
Exterior Perspective - Night
Linework
Section Cut
Physical Model Progression
Interior
Shading
Drafted Section Components
Andrew Sauers Design