Austa Thomas austathomas@gmail.com 106 Cedar Ridge Drive Monaca, Pa 15061 724-777-8448
i
architecture portfolio
ii
Master of Architecture, Savannah College of Art and Design Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Kent State University
1
SCAD
KENT
Vertical Farm - Thesis Project The Flats - Riverfront Park Cultural Center - Collabrative Design Studio Micro-housing Urban Loop + Sidewalk Park
3 9 11 15 17
Cleveland Lakefront Gastronomy Center Biomimicry Research Pavilion Winery Ferry Terminal Urban Infill
19 23 25 27 29
Art & Photography
31
2
vertical farm urban agricultural center
Harmonious in Nature - Architecture Towards an Ecological Urbanism Graduate Thesis Project- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
view from Allegheny River
3
In the midst of the city of Pittsburgh’s wave of reurbanization, in conjunction with its population growth, expanding arts, technology, and medical fields, the city is opening up to new ideas and new innovations, making it the prime location for the futuristic proposal of a vertical farm based on its historical industrial and agricultural context. The intention of this thesis is to unite the existing tones of the context of the city of Pittsburgh, to generate a balanced urban direction. The architecture aims to unite both ends of the spectrum, creating an appropriate sustainable program to suit the industrial spirit of the city while incorporating a more ecologically nurturing agenda. This thesis was realized upon my conscious observation of statistical evidence and personal experience of America’s industrial cities in the 21st century that do not sustain themselves let alone positively contribute to the overall environment. Developing a humanistic, sustainable program for a smarter city needs to address this issue. There is unrealized potential in architecture that not only provides shelter and enclosure but utilizes systems that serve multi layered functions to positively contribute to the way we live and what we need to keep on living.
site
4
10
20
40
80ft
4
A
5 1
6
4
8
2
2
7
UP
3
3 2
1
2
UP
level -1
level 1
1. water observation/collection 2. green market 3. underground garden 4. service/systems base
1. beehouse 2. workshop 3. public space/indoor garden 4. restaurant 5. kitchen 6. holding 7. service/distribution 8. indoor farmers market 9. packaging
North Elevation
East Elevation
5
9
B
2
1
2 3
4
2
1
1
3
4
5
4
UP
4 4 7 8
5
UP
level 2 1. second level entry 2. gallery 3. service/systems/mech 4. commercial/retail 5. cafe
level 3
level 4-8
1. public farming modules/ indoor public garden 2. service/systems/mech
1. observation corridor 2. workers lounge 3. service/systems/mech 4. controls laboratory 5. systems monitoring 6. nursery 7. grow space 8. airlock
South Elevation
West Elevation
6
6
This architecture aims to create a city wide change on the basis of ecology, culture, economy, conviviality, sustainability, agriculture, and community. The architecture evokes a energetic vibration in the market oriented Strip District along the Allegheny River bank through its motion, form, and aesthetic. The vertical farm of the future will aim to replace traditional farming that generates run off polluting our waters while producing organic sustenance in a pesticide and chemical free environment through the use of hydroponic farming. The building creates a surplus of oxygen through photosynthesis, energy through plasma arc gasification, and cleans grey water for reuse. Multilayer benefits of this architecture lend itself towards a smarter ecologically minded urbanism. view from Smallman St.
indoor public garden/farming modules
section A
inside BeeHouse
7
section B
The social structure of the honey bee lends itself to a natural hierarchy, a community of participants working towards a survival goal, the unifying collaboration of specific roles makes for a strong colony. Conceptually driven by this hierarchical nature of the Bee, this thesis hopes to inspire and realize the immense importance of this life breathing insect. Creating programmatic spaces that mix humans with this precarious insect will raise awareness and peak interest in ecological agendas. The Beehouse is a bee hive observation public space aimed to generate a greater understanding of an often time feared insect. Statistics show that 1 out of ever 3 bites of food we eat comes from the pollination of honey bees and other insects, yet each year the population of the honey bee is decreasingly by roughly 30%. Without addressing this issue the world may find that the extinction of this insect more problematic than we anticipate.
Bee Egress Tube
Wood Frame Honeycomb Glass Moisture Retardant Concrete Wall Air Layer Wood Stud Frame Gypsum Board Hardwood Floor Subfloor 8� Concrete Slab on Grade Compacted Crushed Stone Rigid Insultation French Drain T-Type Retaining Footer
BeeHouse Wall Section
8
the flats
Calavon riverfront park
The design of The Flats, a riverfront park along the Calavon River in Apt, France, generates a functional and efficient communal space for the community and visitors alike.
Calavon Riverfront | Apt, France
5
10
20
Historically the riverbank site has bore witness to massive destruction by seasonal flooding which obliterates everything in its path, therefore the design of this space remains flexible to account for this annual occurrence.
40m
Parking Zone
riverfront park retains 280+ parking spaces
I
Creating more fluid vehicular and pedestrian circulation patterns in and around the site dismisses the complexity of the existing condition. Formalizing areas for parking while still keeping the constraints informal allows for maximum retention of existing parking for the city. The introduction of a pedestrian focused zone creates an open public space that can be transformed to suit the desires of the city. At either end of the park, natural ecology is encouraged without human intervention.
Section I
9
pop-up park
public cafe
II
III flexible space designated for pedestrian usage but remains open for overflow parking. seasonal programming transforms the space from a public cafe area for mobile food vendors to a pop-up park, or a general outdoor location for city gatherings.
portion of the riverfront devoted to ecological conservation. intentionally unprogrammed to allow for natural hillside erosion, weathering, and expansion overflow for influx river flow patterns.
Ecology Zone
The River Flat Zone
Section II
Section III
10
Cultural center history museum | Archaeological Research CENTER Historic Ruins of La Recoleccion | Antigua, Guatemala International Collaborative Design Studio
The Cultural Center of Antigua, Guatemala, is comprised of an archaeological research center & a history museum, designed in a collaborative academic studio setting amongst 16 members of graduate students at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), in conjunction with 9 members of the graduate students at Universidad Del Istmo (UNIS) in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The historic ruins of La Recoleccion are situated directly north of the project site with the downtown portion of the city is less than 2 miles east.
SCAD + UNIS
5
10
20m
gallery
market service
W.C.
gallery
W.C.
kitchen
UNIS
Archaeological Research Center
SCAD
History Museum
restaurant
La Recoleccion
Historic Ruins
Museum Building 2
11
La Recoleccion Ruins
courtyard
dark gallery
gallery
gallery
lobby
W.C. shop/cafe storage
administration courtyard
12
gallery
W.C.
Museum Building 1
1979 UNESCO
1776
Capital leaves
City
rthquake 1773 Ea
Thorough the investigation of the rich culture of the historic city of Antigua, the design of the museum by the SCAD team was driven by the concept of the timeline of the city. From its conception, to its demise of reoccurring earthquakes, to changes in political power, there were pivotal environmental, political, religious, and cultural moments in time that altered the reality of the current city. Utilizing these moments as place markers within the circulation of the building created the opportunity for displaying physical pieces of the historic context of La Recoleccion, that lie in ruins from an earthquake, adjacent to the site. These momentous exhibits allow the user to connect the time, place, and culture of the content of the museum in one contiguous procession from start to finish. The city of Antigua is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which emphasizes the historic relevance of the city as it is characterized by a specific architectural aesthetic. Strict building regulations are actively enforced making it difficult for global modernity to play a role in the local architecture. Taking these stringent laws into consideration, the studio collectively developed a custom set of design guidelines to follow that were respectful and conscious of the existing laws. Reviewing the existing guidelines and regulations were vital to maintain an appropriate design for the city.
13
rthquake 1717 Ea
Antigua is ded 1523 Foun
DRIP EDGE WATERPROOFING CONCRETE ROOF
.07m POLISHED CONCRETE SLAB NOISE DAMPENER CONCRETE STRUCTURE CONCRETE SLAB FOOTING
Typical Clerestory Wall Section Detail
WOOD VERTICAL SLAT CLERESTORY EXPANSION JOINT
Entrance of Cultural Center Poured In Place Concrete
Stucco Santo Domingo
Vertical Wood Louvers
Curtain Wall
Materials Index
Building 2 Transverse Section
Cultural Center Courtyard
14
micro-housing thoroughfare | urban loop 5th & Olive Street | Los Angeles, California
The current downtown population living in Los Angeles is one-tenth of the daytime influx population. The 200,000 people that occupy downtown Los Angeles during the work day mostly commute in and out. The area stands to gain better economic stability if these 200,000 people discovered more of the area beyond business hours. The absence of affordable housing remains as the most integral dilemma prohibiting the downtown users from living amongst the urban landscape, thus a microhousing complex is proposed for the young emerging professional who’s basic needs can be met through 300sqft of multifunctional living space. Focusing on the livelihood of the people drives the intent of the program beyond the microhousing complex. At the ground level an urban path is generated through a variety of retail, service, and fine dining options made available to both the emerging professionals inhabiting the building, as well as the plethora of diverse occupants of the surrounding neighborhoods. Offering multiple programming opportunities throughout the interconnected mass creates a canvas for the multitude of demographics to interact with one another. Retaining outdoor public and private space keeps the user groups ever evolving, while maintaining a fluid distribution of utilization. 5th st. facade
15
micro unit plan
built-in multi-use furniture
interior of micro unit
16
urban loop + sidewalk plaza Los Angeles, California
The Urban Loop is a prototype design to act as precedence in the downtown center of Los Angeles for future development. This loop runs parallel along Hill St and Grand St connecting the historic Pershing Square at the southern end to Grand Park at the northern end. The loop is designed to improve the walkability of the city streets. The two streets are redesigned to include bike lanes, landscaped medians, on-street parking, and the introduction of the Sidewalk Plaza. The plaza absorbs two+ existing on-street parallel parking spaces to create an extension of the sidewalk for public seating, or for outdoor restaurant seating; however the focus can be morphed to suit alternative functions. Excess rainwater drains to the softscape elements of the sidewalk plaza which filter into the vegetation. Commuting by way of walking and biking has the potential to extend the time that people stay downtown while allowing more paths for exploration and discovery. Existing biking lanes are located on more remote street ways. Proposing bike lanes within the urban loop can refocus the type of transportation within the downtown canvas.
site urban loop sidewalk plaza parking green space/parks vacancy - future development
17
urban loop street redesign + sidewalk plazas
sidewalk plaza within urban loop
18
gastronomy center business park | office building Cleveland Lakefront District | Cleveland, Ohio
The design of the Cleveland Gastronomy Center proposed for the Burke Development District in conjunction with the Cleveland Lakefront Revival Masterplan was inspired by both new and existing programmatic offerings of the Lakefront District. These facilities cater to sports, education, & entertainment but lack connection to the growing identity of the city being a new food and restaurant capital. The design incorporates 5 floors of office space, includes ample outdoor greenspace for football tailgating, educational facilities for instructional cooking classes, & filming studios for live audience cooking shows, as well as a restaurant, indoor farmer’s market space, & storefronts. The entirety of the design is centralized around the green on site growth & production of food, energy, & water redistribution.
West entry
19
West Elevation
winter sun
summer sun
m living ach i
+ nutrients
u istrib tion ed
grey water r ne
As a part of the food cycle within the building, a portion of the raw materials can be grown on site, yearround, through the use of a hydroponic system. The water is supplied from the living machine grey water, nutrients are added, and the solution is pumped to the top of the hydroponic towers. The nutrientsaturated water trickles down the hollow column, directly watering the roots of the produce growing on the face of the column.
North Elevation
20
East Elevation
South Elevation
Lobby
Demonstration Kitchen
kitchen restaurant
restaurant service lobby
UP UP
demo kitchen retail
Ground Level
retail
21
retail
This capstone project was designed in collaboration with my peer, Taylor Boyle, following the guidelines set before us as participants in the Integrated Design Challenge in fulfillment of our fourth year design studio. Taylor and I selected and designed the mechanical systems, plumbing systems, structural systems, materiality, construction details and all other operations necessary to design a complete building.
10
20
40ft
Filming Studio
Architectural
garden living machine indoor farmer’s market water systems
DN
filming studio
Level 2
kitchen
22
audio/ visual
filming studio
biomimicry research pavilion
Kent State University College of Biology and College of Technology Kent State Campus, Ohio | Wetland Reserve This prefabricated, 800 sqft research pavilion is designed to ensure maximum sustainability through passive strategies to accommodate the energy, water, heating, cooling and lighting loads. The prefabricated design secures a tightly sealed envelope and eliminates construction waste. The south facing facade of the pavilion is primarily a double pane curtain wall that allows for operable control on the bottom most panels. This user control allows for the primary southwest winds to enter the space, circulating the air up and out through exhaust vents located along the peaked elevation of the roof. The hot waste air gathers in this elevated area naturally, passively venting and cooling the space. 5
10
20ft
Along front of the curtain wall is a system of louvers coated in a tinted photovoltaic film to collect solar energy. The louvers are also operable in allowing the user to control their positioning to either maximize or minimize the amount of direct solar penetration. Additionally, there are photovoltaic panels alongside the upmost portion of the southern roof extension. The eastern facade, which faces out to the wetland reserve, is highlighted by double pane bifolding glass doors which allow for uninhibited views, circulation, and an extension of interior space when fully opened. The western facade showcases a light shelf awning to both shade and provide daylighting in the afternoon hours. The roof of the structure has a hidden slope to allow for water collection which is treated on site and distributed in the pavilion.
23
24
winery
Chalet Debonne Vineyard | Madison, Ohio
The design intention for the proposed new facility at the existing Debonne Vineyard Winery in Northeast Ohio is to educate and engage the user. The entirety of the wine making process is put on display from the fermentation to the bottling of the final product behind a full length glass partition, paired alongside an observation loggia to allow for completely unobstructed viewing of the wine processing. Two tasting rooms are situated at an elevated level, reached by a ramping system creating an ease of movement between the two rooms intended to promote an abundance of social interaction. A restaurant on the ground floor boasts of four individual dining jewel boxes that overlook the vineyards. Additionally, these four extrusions flank the west facade to generate a viewport that captures the setting sun over the vineyards in the evenings to create a memorable visual dining experience.
25
ground level floor plan 5 10
20
40ft
B
bottling
processing
fermentation harvest entry observation loggia
barrel storage kitchen offices
tasting room
tasting room A
restaurant
information
shop outdoor patio/bar
entry
section A
section B
26
ferry terminal
Cleveland Department of Transportation | Cleveland, Ohio
1
2 top level: customs, restaurant, boarding
ground level: shops, boutiques
The city of Cleveland has realistically proposed a ferry route to Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada. Utilizing the vacant waterfront lot behind the Cleveland Browns stadium, this design proposal incorporates a ferry terminal in conjunction with a parking garage as components of a new urban park promoting the union of green space with the metropolitan scenery. The terminal is comprised of two structures interconnected with covered airwalks. Both building one and two house commercial boutique spaces amid the ground level. Elevated at the top level, in direct connection to the ferry boarding level, building one houses travel programming while building two is an upscale restaurant protruding out towards the lake with uninhibited views of the water. The urban park offers a new boardwalk for public docking, open green spaces, built up seating providing a new opportunity for relaxation and observation as well as ease of activity, all with additional future development in mind.
27
28
urban infill Theoretical Design
Intent: sectional investigations of space Objective: through sectional and analytical exploration, provide an architectural construct; a place that embodies your clients passions; residence Client: Individual who is both restrained and has an appreciation for occasional indulgence. passions include health and well-being, culinary arts Site: the client has acquired three connecting properties in a thriving metropolitan city. site is between two existing three story historic buildings
“moments in time� introduction to section drawings exercise in understanding the significance of displaying separate scenarios within a design through the utilization of a section cut; individual moments in time. use of sectional drawings to demonstrate specific architectural features.
29
In this first year design exploration, we were encouraged to experiment with forms that were visually appealing, to be translated into a functional program. This abstract exercise of analyzing possibilities through forms, surfaces, textures, and spaces inspired the methodology of understanding the process of design from a preliminary architectural viewpoint. This project set the precedence for my understanding of the design process. The final product wasn’t nearly as important as the process to get there,
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
Austa Thomas austathomas@gmail.com 106 Cedar Ridge Drive Monaca, Pa 15061 724-777-8448