AUSTIN FERGUSON
UNDERGRADUATE PORTFOLIO
MANIFESTO
It’s already been done.
Architecture is composed of continually evolving designs and ideologies. Architects should strive to have a vast knowledge of the history of architecture and the ideas of past designers in order to realize their relevance to present day problems. Innovative and efficient designs result from the direct manipulation and morphing of these previous ideals.
You can’t just have a good idea.
A professor instilled in me that architects must strive to go beyond good design. To make the design a reality, they must develop a knowledge and understanding of how systems interact and affect one another. I passionately endeavor to learn about the many different components within a project and how their integration into the design provides a stronger overall solution.
Don’t force your hand.
Process drives design. Constraints impel architects to produce effective schemes that meet community and environmental needs. As solutions are found for individual problems, a design develops into a series of integrated solutions; then, with some give and take, derives a holistic piece. Every component of a design serves a purpose, and its purpose dictates the articulation of the design.
Architecture is a service profession.
Architecture impacts everyone’s life. Architects, with their extensive knowledge and understanding of the built environment, must benefit those challenged by the environment around them. Architectural solutions are not something bought off a store shelf; rather they are the result of critical thinking and service to those in need. Architects are directly responsible for the improvement of their community and its citizens.
SCALE + SCOPE
ABSTRACT COMMERCIAL COMMUNITY CULTURE EXPERIENTIAL MASTER PLANNING PRIVATE REPURPOSE RESIDENTIAL RURAL URBAN
SPRING 2014
IWASA HOUSE FALL 2014
SPRING 2014
POP - UP TENT
CITY ROOTS BATHHOUSE
36 22 SPRING 2014
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FALL 2013
WAR + PEACE MUSEUM
(RE) - PRESENTATION
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WAR+PEACE MUSEUM WHAT IF [ a museum did not contain any artifacts? ]
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WAR+PEACE MUSEUM Fall 2013 | ARCH 3530 | Professor Nicholas Ault Piazzale S. Francesco D’Assisi | Genova, Italy Austin Ferguson | Grace Goldman | Katie Johnson
This was a group project completed during my study abroad with Clemson’s School of Architecture in Genova, Italy. Living and learning in Genoa gave me the unique experience of working on a project where I was entirely removed from my element in terms of site, culture, and social norms. The end result of the project was to create a combined memorial and museum for the people of Genova that would represent war and peace. We were required to curate the museum and decide what pieces would be used to represent the themes of war and peace. My group decided to challenge this specification by not using any art in our museum, but instead create places through the manipulation of architectural space to present the ideas of the project. An initial idea that would create a poetic solution through an abstract and unconventional process.
“A museum is a place where one should lose one’s head” - Renzo Piano
The project began with a simple analysis of the site on a micro, meso, and macro scale. Our analysis included not only physical relations, but also the historical and cultural context of the site which formed six individual themes. The analysis was composed in the form of an analytique that were then combined into a complex layered image. These three images would provide the basis for creating geometries that would define our building. SPATIAL ANALYSIS
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THRESHOLDS
DETACHMENT AND CONNECTION
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
WALL AS A BARRIER
NATURAL VS. ARTIFICIAL
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TENSION
SUBTRACTIVE VS. ADDITIVE
GRID
A 3m x 3m offset grid is formed through the analysis of spatial geometries. This grid regulates all circulation paths and defines the interior spaces. At every grid intersection is placed a column that is used to symbolize man. Every column is identical, but the treatment of the columns in each space dictates the themes of war and peace and their affect on man.
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DOWN
UP
N
DOW
UP
UP
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 0
LEVEL -1
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WAR
dark, bearing down, broken and suspended columns, confusion, ambiguity, mirror creates feeling of an infinite environment
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soft glowing light, full double height columns, water on the floor to symbolize peace, man’s affect on peace, rippling, reactive
PEACE
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The transitions between spaces are arranged so that a visitor is not able to preview or catch a glimpse of what they are about to experience until they have fully entered the space. Leaving the peace space, visitors will enter the courtyard of columns which serves as the memorial. A single column is missing to represent the absence or death of man due to the struggle between war and peace. It is a subtle intervention that is not necessarily meant to be immediately noticed.
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(RE)-PRESENTATION WHAT IF [ a house could function without a roof? ]
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(RE)-PRESENTATION Spring 2014 | ARCH 3510 | Professor Bo Garland Farnsworth House | Plano, IL Austin Ferguson | Chase Freeman Mies van der Rohe stated that if he could have, he would have made the Farnsworth House a floating box in the woods. Located along the Fox River in Plano, Illinois, the Farnsworth House is one of Mies’ most famous works. He creates a strong connection between the occupant and nature by utilizing glass on all sides of the house. However, Edith Farnsworth wrote about several post-occupancy problems in her diary. Our manipulation of the roof intends to solve this problems while simultaneously strengthening Mies’ aesthetic and ideal of the house being “almost nothing”.
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The house was built too airtight creating a vacuum in the house during the winter when the fire was going. Condensation collects on the windows during the summer since cooler air is unable to escape
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?
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6
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1
2
3
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1. PORCH 2. STUDY AREA 3. LOUNGE 4. WARDROBE 5. PORCH 6. DINING ROOM 7. KITCHEN/CORE 8. BEDROOM
The division of the roof into sections of louvres was derived from the proportion of interior spaces established by Mies’. Our resulting louvre organization is then influenced by the same De Stijl and Suprematism movements that influenced Mies’. The most frequented areas of the home have louvres oriented so that they follow the sun all day to allow for constant sun light.
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pins
gear system gear chain pull rod
gear cover gutter louvres
3” 1.5”
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3” 1.5”
Lip overlap on louvres to prevent water leaks
Foam insulated louvres for climate control and to provide sloped surfaces for runoff
35 degrees is the maximum angle that still provides for some overlap
Lip provides additional protection against sudden rain when louvres are partially open
Gutter catches all rainfall and drains it off building
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POP-UP TENT WHAT IF [ the boundary between city and farm was broken? ]
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POP-UP TENT
Spring 2014 | ARCH 3510 | Professor Bo Garland Austin Ferguson | Evan Arriaza | Justin Harrison This small project was for an AIA Small Project Practitioners competition. The competition called for a solution to the monotonous, identical pop-up tents that can be found at farmer’s markets and tailgates. Even though the project objective was only looking for an inexpensive and creative response, we wanted to design a tent that could serve multiple functions for a farmer. Local farmers struggle to survive in a competitive market dominated by large farming corporations. Any process or piece of equipment that could cut down on the amount of work the farmer has to complete allows them to grow their business and to be successful. Therefore, An attractive and eyecatching tent would help to draw customers and function as advertisement for the farmer. Our tent would serve as a catalyst for an increase in the farmer’s clientele while providing residents in the city with fresh, locally grown produce.
SYSTEM (FRAME + SKIN)
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WHEAT (FRAME)
CORNUCOPIA (SKIN)
THE ENTIRE SYSTEM COLLAPSES FOR CONVENIENT CARRYING
FRAME POINT TO BASE
PIN SPLICE AT FRAME
POCKET JOINT AT FIN
SLIP CONNECTION AT CORNER 99째
PIN CONNECTION TO CONNECT FRAME TO BASE
FIN TO FRAME JOINT
Our tent is a two-part system composed of a framing structure and a skin. The skin achieves its form by being stretched over the frame, while the fins of the frame are flared out through tension in the skin. A symbiotic relationship is created between the two components.
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1:4 scale model constructed using intended materials
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Tyvek (9’ x 17’) $30 Recycled 4 mil plastic sheeting (10’ x 25’) $11 Nylon Thread $7 Lumber planks (4” x 1/4” x 8’) $152 String $5 Clips $4 Metal Rod (8’ x 3/16”) $6 PVC Pipes (3/4” x 12’) $9 PVC Pipes (1/2” x 10’) $25 Screws (#8 screws x 50 count) $6 Metal pipe/plate $20 Hinge joint $7
TOTAL $246
MATERIAL COST BREAKDOWN
Scaled mock up models and hands on experimentation with the materials provided insight into how the materials would interact and the optimum configurations of both the frame and the skin
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CITY ROOTS BATHHOUSE WHAT IF [ private settings were exposed to the public? ]
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CITY ROOTS BATHHOUSE Spring 2014 | ARCH 3510 | Professor Bo Garland City Roots Urban Farm | Columbia, SC AIA SC Merit Award
City Roots is an urban farm located in the heart of Columbia, SC. Surrounded by an airfield, abandoned industrial buildings, and a residential neighborhood, the farm provides a distinct departure from the adjacent context. The existing farm covers just less than three acres of land and is located on the site of a former laundry company that polluted the top soil of most of the farm. While some of the land is unfit for growing, the farm makes most of its profit from the production of microgreens. This project undertook the master planning the expansion of the farm to an adjacent site while each student in the studio was assigned an element of the master plan to further develop. I chose to pursue the design of a new bathhouse for City Roots.
EXISTING SITE
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The bathhouse could become a landmark for the farm much like a windmill or a silo on a traditional farm.
I started the project by researching the idea of permaculture and the various systems that would need to be incorporated into the design. City Roots is an organic farm that strongly believes in permaculture, which is a movement that promotes sustainable architecture and regenerative, self-maintained agricultural systems. I intended to utilize systems that would not require additional plumbing or electricity through the site. The use of biowaste, greywater recycling, and solar water heaters will help to further the ideals of permaculture on the farm, as the workers strive to make the farm an example of environmental responsibility.
composted biowaste provide
greywater run off used for
natural nutrients and soil for
irrigation of plants and trees.
plants.
60% of biosolids
greywater accounts
are land applied
for 70% of
rainwater harvesting and solar
nationally.
residential waste
heater for shower.
water solar gain helps to break down solid waste into nutrient rich biowaste.
prevent resources from being wasted during daily activities.
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EXPOSURE became the driving theme for the bathhouse. The theme was instantly an interesting approach to such an intimate and private space not only because it is contradictory, but also because it would create a unique connection to certain aspects of the farm. Each restroom is opened up to the farm in some way while still retaining the privacy of the occupant. The shower for WWOOFing workers is located within the tower that is open to the sky. While visitors are unable to see inside the shower, they are able to climb to the stairs surrounding it to reach an observation deck at the top. The tower allows for visitors to view the entire farm from one perspective while also visually providing a connection to the farm from the adjacent residential and industrial areas.
1 CAMERA OBSCURA +private
+exposing exterior to interior
2 SLICE
+public +frames a view
3 BLIND +public
+sensitivity to the environment
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“The new architecture . . . must derive from a strict adherence to logic, to rationality.” - Giuseppe Terragni
SECT
INTER
E
ALIGN
SITE
W
ELEVAT
E
1.
2.
Two axes are intersected to create quadrants of public and private.
E X T R U D E
4.
A tower is extruded to become a landmark.
One row aligns with the site axis, while the other aligns East to West.
3.
The entire structure is elevated for compost toilet collection.
34° ANG
EXPOS
LE
5.
The roof is angled for optimal sunlight collection to power a small water pump and heater.
E
6.
The structure is exposed and creates a connection with the farm.
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The materiality of the project is a simple palette of WOOD, STEEL, and CONCRETE. The hope is that all the materials could be reclaimed from waste products or from the demolition of neighboring buildings for the expansions of the farm. The final product is a sustainable, yet a lasting landmark for the farm.
ROOF FLASHING 1” METAL CORRUGATION 1” WOOD SIDING 5/8” OSB SHEATHING FELT PAPER 2 x 6 FRAME | RAFTER RECLAIMED + POURED CONCRETE
WALL DETAIL 0’ 1’
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2’
REMOVAL SECTION A 0’ 1’
5’
BLIND
SLICE
CAMERA OBSCURA
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IWASA HOUSE WHAT IF [ precast concrete was non-Euclidean? ]
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IWASA HOUSE
Fall 2014 | ARCH 3510S | Professor Carlos Barrios Ashiya, Hyogo, Japan Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Sponsored Studio This project was part of a studio sponsored by PCI that focused on the utilization of precast concrete for innovative design solutions. The project was an introduction to the field of precast concrete through the transformation of a cast-in-place Tadao Ando residence into a precast design. The new construction method should not detract from Ando’s original design, but respect his ideas while subtly introducing my own approach. I chose to study Ando’s Iwasa House and explore the various approaches for the implementation of precast. The studio was challenged to find a design that could be produced efficiently through a limited number of pieces cast from the same or similar forms. One I was able to transform the original house into a precast construction, the next step was to introduce non-Euclidean geometry into the design. The entire project was an exploration of the potential of precast concrete and it’s use in non-traditional applications.
0’
5’
10’
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
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OVERALL MASSING
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
SEPARATION OF ADDITION FROM ORIGINAL RESIDENCE
ANTICIPATED LOAD BEARING PRECAST WALLS
RADIAL PANEL
STANDARD MODULE PANEL
MODULAR PANEL WITH BLOCK OUT FOR LINTEL
Most modules are formed at a consistent height of 10’. Long beds can be poured with headers inserted to achieve varying widths of panels. Block-outs can be added to the form for specialty pieces.
Standard modules come out to be 5’ x 10’ x 1’ with a ledger to provide a bearing connection for hollow core slabs.
Steel erector connectors help to strengthen the lateral connection between panels.
INTERIOR PANEL
LOAD BEARING LINTEL
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6
5 4
1.
Cast-in-place foundation poured on site. Larger foundations and vertical rod supports needed for free standing radial walls.
2.
Standard modules and precast interior walls installed on top of the foundation.
3.
Hollow core slabs lowered on to ledgers of first floor load bearing walls. Hollow core will have to be cur where it protrudes at window openings.
4.
Second floor modules installed along with modules containing block-outs for lintels above voids.
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Lintels lowered into place on prefabricated block-outs. Lintels will be load bearing and pre-stressed on elevations that contain load bearing walls.
6.
Hollow core roof installed last. Sealed for water proofing.
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2
1
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Each module has a volume of 47.5 ft2 and with an estimated weight of 7,125 lbs. Therefore a flatbed truck would be able to haul 6 full panels. Smaller pieces and other materials could occupy the remaining available weight on the truck to maximize efficienty of transportation.
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CURVED WALL HAS A LACK OF A TERMINUS
EXTERIOR BECOMES INTERIOR
WALL BECOMES ROOF
Precast cladding can be attached to waffle structure or integrated into the form. The kink in the ribbon is pre-stressed to provide tension pushing out and down to the ground.
PANEL TO PANEL WELD PLATES
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