[ Design Portfolio ]
Benjamin Waldo University of Minnesota BDA Architecture BA Urban Studies
2-5: Wall Swell | Spring 2012 architectural design and fabrication 6-9: HydroLogic | Fall 2011 master planning/urban design 10-13: Israels Plads | Spring 2011 urban design/landscape architecture 14-17: Oragami Wayfinding | Fall 2010 design/hand Craft 18-21: Community Design Group | May 2012-Present professional Experience/planning 22-23: Sketchbook: Process and Observation all images in this portfolio are by or representations of work by Ben Waldo unless they indicate otherwise.
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[Wall Swell System]
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Material Limits: Wood BDA Design Workshop University of Minnesota Spring 2012
wall system|passage
full-scale structural test brackets | dovetail lap joint
Wall Swell worked with the possibilities and potentials of wood as a material when applying digital fabrication technologies. Model iterations at a small scale resulted in the development of a bracket typology which allowed for easy assembly of a strong interior wall system without adhesives or other fasteners. Aesthetically, the system reflects the form of musculature or a sheet of music.
conceptual floor plan
process concepts and models
.5 scale wall section
scale: length: height: build time:
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1’=6” 8’ 2.5’ 45 min
[HydroLogic]
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ReStitch Tampa Competition Extracurricular Project w/Veronica Keefer, B.Arch Fall-Spring 2011
tampa city overview
Diagram by Veronica keefer
current runoff
current transit system
implementation phases
Diagram by Veronica keefer
post-mod runoff
proposed transit system
master plan
canal view
This ideas competition aimed to revitalize the City of Tampa by reintegrating the river into the physical and cultural fabric of the city. Our team came up with a radical design which focused on hydrology; Water-based infrastructure became a tool for placemaking, economic improvement schemes, connectivity, transit, ecological resiliency, and storm mitigation. living streets
t ee r st
m ea r st
or j ma
r jo a m
al n ca
l na a c
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[Israels 1
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Plads
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Urban Design Studio Danish Institute for Study Abroad Copenhagen, Denmark Spring 2011
israels plads|plan view
ampitheater/ open plaza
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water/play feature
outlook/ longview
section cut 1 pre-existing parking garage
Playful form and program in the contemporary Scandinavian Style bring to life this once bleak public space in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark. By generating new sight lines and greater connectivity, this redesign of Israels Plads puts the space back on the mental map.
israels plads|perspective
Model Scale = 1:500
[ Oragami Wayfinding ]
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ReMapping the City BDA Design Workshop University of Minnesota Fall 2010
map, unfolding
map, compact map, flat
The “Pop-Up: Get Out� Map combines oragami form with hand drawn in ink images to highlight four minneapolis neighborhoods. The interactive quality of the map as well as the unique element of craft make it a tool for encouraging the casual explorer. Birds eye perspectives respond to the urban form and are given greater depth by the oragami shape.
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N ale ei d n gh Ly bo rh oo d
Dis tri ct
Historic Mill
n tow y k Din
Ce da r-
e sid r e Riv
via alamos: ciclovia|lima, peru
[ Villa
El Salvador
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Community Design Group Assistant Designer Project: Lima, Peru Summer 2012 - ongoing
combined transit station ciclovia/pedestiran plaza
This ongoing project intends to bring a dignified pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to a slum district of Lima, Peru called Villa El Salvador. The district is home to over 400,000 residents, 67% of whom fall beneath the poverty line. My role in the project has been to create visualizations and renderings.
regional trail|hopkins, mn
[ Hopkins Ped/Bike Plan ]
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Community Design Group Assistant Designer Project: Hopkins, MN Summer-Winter 2012
route planning/station areas community engagement, hopkins
This pedestrian and bicycle plan for Hopkins, MN, a suburb of Minneapolis aims to increase ridership and network connectivity through a robust network of ped/bike facilities which will interact with the coming lrt train. my roles included narrative writing, visualization, site visits, community engagement, route planning, and gis mapping.
from top left counter-clockwise: duomo plan view|santa maria novella|facades, copenhagen|active nashville
[ sketch
asylum, columbia|Logia dei lanzi |st john’s the devine|michigan ave, chicago|mpls mills|columbia library
sample
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