Merritt Heilman

Occupiable Effervescence Food Preservation and Interiors: A Case Study What is the recipe which allows a space to transform, yet remain familiar?

Merritt Heilman

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Avondale Library sits on Reading Road in the Avondale neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio.

It is one of the city’s many Carnegie funded Libraries, constructed in 1913.

Avondale Library in Relationship to UC

The interior is a blend of the building’s original elements and finishes and a more recent renovation’s changes.

Avondale Library Existing Plan

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There are a few for reading and walls are lined book shelves in of the five main

tables the with three spaces.

Existing Principles

Proposed Concept

Symmetry

Hierarchy

By adding the new idea of suspension, but maintaining the original design priciples, hierarchy, symmetry, and datum, the space should maintain the

Datum

feeling it had when first constructed, but will have a completely different look and experience.

Suspension

Key Plan

Proposed Section A Added spiral stair suspended through the existing double height space.

Suspended book cases in the proposed double height stacks space.

Key Plan

Proposed Section B At the top of the spiral stair, patrons can sit, read, and enjoy a unique view of Avondale.

The reading rooms below offer mulitple seating options bouncing different colors through the space.

Key Plan

Proposed Section C The first floor of the library has been punctured through to create a reflective jar to store the library’s books. The screen of fluted glass creates a light capturing haze over the books as the patron enters the room.

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Proposed First Floor Plan

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Entry

South Reading Room

South Reading Room

North Reading Room

North Reading Room

Looking at Entry

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Proposed Second Floor Plan

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Second Floor

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Proposed Basement Plan

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First Floor of Stacks

Stacks

Stacks

How to make Occupiable Effervesence: The site must first be analyzed.

Identify driving design principles of the existing space.

Once these elements are clear, incorporate the suspension element appropriate for the existing program.

Use materiality to let light deep within the space and to bounce off of adjacent objects. Create layers of translucent materials to alter the quality of this light.

Furniture and fixtures should allow the light to penetrate deeper into the building, allowing it to pass through and reflect off of these surfaces.

Incorporating all of these ideas and principles will yield a space which emulates the experience of pickled or fermented foods.

Merritt Heilman merrittheilman@gmail.com 614.769.1976 LinkedIn