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ITERATIONS 2010-2012
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AAA
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73
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BLAKE VILLWOCK
82b
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E K A L B KCOWLLIV
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Primitive hut 4
drift 10
new Zealand nsG 18
double overhead 22
Menomonee crossing 30
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where is the threshold between man and nature? The mythology of the primitive hut can be understood as both conceptual and material apparatus. It is not just an artifact that can be unearthed physically, it is also an intellectual quest. No inquiry regarding the nature of dwelling and what it means to build can be done without a critical examination of the basic elements that comprise a structure – foundation, wall, aperture, door, threshold, and roof. This project explores these architectural elements in the service of magnifying and hiding nature.
The natural threshold between forest and water’s edge can be expanded and enhanced through architecture.
Primitive hut: a device for dwelling and observing ProGrAM Residence, Studio siZE 2500 ft2 LocAtion Ottawa Lake. Kettle Moraine State Park. Wisconsin 4
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The narrative of building unfolds from the primal claiming of space, the campfire. From here, distinct formal and material acts are composed in close accordance to the natural threshold. A structural corten steel wall that runs the entire length of the residence doubles as storage space for firewood on the outside and books on the inside. In this architectural gesture, the hut is understood as the conceptual home of knowledge as well as physical home of the incarnate self. 6
The procession through the architecture is designed as a viewing device for calculated experiences of the landscape. This camera is oriented towards the lake and culminates in a dramatic 20 ft x 20 ft operable window-wall.
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Awards 1st Prize Department of Architecture Design Awards. 2012 Publications Studio 2131: School of Architecture and Urban Planning Design Magazine. Fall 2012 Exhibits Mandel and Spancrete Student Awards. Gallery of Architecture and Urbanism. Milwaukee. 2012 8
An aperture for moon-viewing crowns the home as a window to the cosmos. Here, the physical and spatial intermesh with the literary and intellectual study of nature and its cycles.
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can public and intimate space coexist? At what point can furniture become spatial? Using the left-over, unprogrammed space of colleges and universities, a scaled-down architectural insertion breathes a new sense of discovery and gathering often vacant in these learning landscapes.
drift: Public Seating dEsiGn tEAM Adriana Arteaga, Ian Kearns, Blake Villwock, Grace La (Faculty) coLLABorAtors KI, Shoto Corp, American Excelsior siZE 220ft2 stAtus Completed in 2011 10
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As sand dunes are formed by wind movements, the overall form of DRIFT is conceptually carved by the currents of students rushing from class to class. Crosssections reveal peculiarities where bodies can settle and stay awhile. This informal landscape of flexible seating supports an evolving ergonomic relationship to technology as well as new potential for intimate collaboration within larger public environments. 13
Utilizing a simple comb and blade system, the form was tested against progressive digital modeling as well as hand-modifications. The resultant design expands the role of surface, texture and function through a woven interplay between hard and soft; structure and infill. 14
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Foam Seating
Paddle Spacers
Plywood Blades
Linear Lighting
A system of linear lighting and power outlets are housed within the comblike structure of DRIFT. At the scale of the room, the architecture serves as a lantern, creating focus and interest in a normally sterile and awkwardlysized space. The softness of surface and illumination foster an intimate and informal place for rest and conversation.
AwArds 1st Prize Department of Architecture Design Awards. 2011 Featured in University of Wisconsin Innovation & Research TV Commercial. 2012 PuBLicAtions Contract Magazine. New York. Fall 2012 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Design Ideas: The ‘Drift’ Bench. Milwaukee. July 7 2012 ExhiBits DRIFT. Discovery World Science and Technology Museum. Milwaukee. 2012 American Insititute of Architects Convention. Monona Terrace Convention Center. Madison. 2012 DRIFT. Gallery of Architecture and Urbanism. Milwaukee. 2011 American Insititute of Architects Convention. Monona Terrace Convention Center. Madison. 2011 Design Entrepreneurs: Whats Next. New York City. 2010 International Convention hosted by Metropolis Magazine 16
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what is the form of discovery?
artifact.01
test.03.3.3 aggregate
partition
opportunity!
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artifact.04 test.03.3.5 structural study
test.03.3.4 formal exploration
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test.03.2.2 stack remnants
artifact.03
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tectonic artifact.01
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test.03.3.1 tectonic study
remnant
remnant
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test.03.3 aggregate
opportunity!
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architecture
test.03.3.2 tectonic study tectonic artifact.02
test.03.2.1 aggregate artifact
artifact.02
test.03.2 void study
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test.03.1 add water
test.03 section exploration
test.02 translucency
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test.01.1 aggregate
test.01 surface tooling
A three week exploration in material tectonics results in a constructed design using analog scripting. This non-automated fabrication process produced components with parametrically controlled variation. Unconventional structural connections, surface treatments and component patterns shaped this design for a sculpture gallery in New Zealand.
new Zealand national sculpture Gallery ProGrAM Art Pavilion LocAtion Queenstown, New Zealand 18
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Conventional architectural drawing is used to test the spatial potential of the material artifact. This reversed process of making-to-drawing fosters a freshness to the practice of designing architecture.
Publications Studio 2131: School of Architecture and Urban Planning Design Magazine. Fall 2012 Exhibitions Art in Architecture. BYOstudio private gallery. Milwaukee. 2011 Gallery of Architecture and Urbanism. Milwaukee. 2011 GritPatterns. BYOstudio private gallery. Milwaukee.2010 21
how can constraints become opportunities? As a cornerstone of university life situated in a historic Milwaukee building, a project gains momentum through particularities of its site and program. Parameters ranging from budget ($1000), structure (100+ yr old masonry and timber), codes, and schedule (6 weeks for design and fabrication) help to shape the design. Access to a hoard of reclaimed material allowed for intensive tectonic explorations and full-scale prototypes, a process critical to the end resolution of the project.
From the surfer’s lexicon of maritime terminology, Double Overhead is used to describe the measurement of a wave in relation to the surfer’s body. As a lighting structure for a small Milwaukee coffee shop, the title conjures visions of the nearby Lake Michigan shoreline.
double overhead @ Roast Coffee Co. dEsiGn tEAM Grit Tank (6 M.Arch students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) cLiEnt Roast Coffee Co. coLLABorAtors Design Fugitives, Wisconsin Built, Badger Rail siZE 195 ft 2 LocAtion Milwaukee stAtus Completed in 2010 22
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patron pattern swell
crest
trough
ripple break
trough
surf
barista pattern swell
acrylic
oak
pine
crest
birch
‘‘church’’
‘‘barn’’
steel
Inspired by the water kinetics of coffee-making, wood types are organized into a pattern expressive of movement and momentum. The elevations constrict and swell around critical exchange points between barista and patron. The elevation pattern on the barista side exhibit larger cells to allow for brighter task-oriented luminance levels. The parametrically-designed lighting structure glistens and undulates like the steam rising from the nearby espresso machine. 24
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A writhing light rail is populated by masscustomized components which lengthen to partition from noisy espresso machines and rise for transactions of coffee and conversation. 26
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Awards Finalist Bright Ideas Design Competition. New York. 2011 Sponsored by Inhabitat Magazine and Philips Electronics Finalist 2011 Mayor’s Design Award. Milwaukee. 2011 Publications Coffee Time!. Roast Coffee Co. Braun Publishing. Switzerland. 2012 Studio 2131: School of Architecture and Urban Planning Design Magazine. Fall 2012 Archdaily. Roast Coffee Co. September 13, 2011 Professional Lighting Design Magazine. A Question of Wavelength? Sweden. September 2011 SARUP in the City 3. Microcosm. University of Wisconsin Press. Milwaukee. 2011 Inhabitat Magazine. Grit Tank’s Eco-Lighting Installation Curves Through a Milwaukee Coffee Shop. New York. June 2011 Archilepsy Magazine. Design Fugitives. Volume 1 Issue 3. April 2011 Exhibitions Grit Patterns. BYOstudio private gallery. Milwaukee. 2010 Super Jury Biennial Design Symposium. Gallery of Architecture and Urbanism. Milwaukee. 2010 28
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how can architecture unearth historic rituals? For centuries, the urban street has been an avenue for art, sport, and gathering as well as transit. Great cities world-wide have often designated public space to facilitate this culture. Using the Milwaukee Public Transit System as a catalyst for siting, this Master’s Thesis carves and reclaims space for current pedestrian trends with respect to its past residents and rituals.
In researching bus ridership and stop amenities, the most unusual transit stop was discovered at the center of a 60 ft tall viaduct strewn across a great divide at the heart of the city. The Menomonee Valley has always carried great significance for the city of Milwaukee. This seemingly barren landscape was once the site for riceharvesting, an important ritual for the Menomonee tribe who first settled there. Industrialism transformed it into a hub of manufacturing and transportation. Many new residents, rituals, and routes have once again re-invented the area today.
Menomonee crossing: Master’s Thesis ProGrAM Urban Plaza, Bat Sanctuary dEsiGn tEAM Adriana Arteaga, Blake Villwock, Chris Cornelius (Thesis Chair), Francis Kéré (Faculty) LocAtion Menomonee Valley, Milwaukee 30
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The most significant program for the intervention is an exploratory journey from the transit stop at the top of the bridge, a space more closely connected to the current life of the city, down to the overgrown valley floor, a space more revealing of it’s past. Like the train car or canoe, the steel and wood architecture support the body’s journey, meshing new and old cultural events and rituals. The layered strategy of habitation addresses a variety of new natives: cyclists, runners, dog-walkers, families, fisherman, and children. At the base of the viaduct, a subterranean sanctuary for Milwaukee’s threatened bat population doubles as a surface for hiking and exploration. 32
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1. BUS SHELTER 2. REFLECTING POOL 3. BIKE PARKING 4. PISSIOR 5. NATIVE PLANTINGS 4
6. FIRE PIT
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The plan underneath the viaduct reveals a crossroads of foot paths, bike trails, and roads. Not unlike the ancient rice routes, an accessible reflecting pool and grand fire-pit offer a place of rest along the way. Native plantings accent a wooden landscape of benches, stairs and ramps. Modern restroom amenities, drinking fountains, bus shelters, and bicycle parking also offer a place of respite and community for travellers. d 35
AwArds 2nd prize Department of Architecture Thesis Awards. 2012 PuBLicAtions Today @ UWM. Learning from a Rising Star. May 2012 Studio 2131: School of Architecture and Urban Planning Design Magazine. Fall 2012 ExhiBits Mandel and Spancrete Student Awards. Gallery of Architecture and Urbanism. Milwaukee. 2012 36
E
A junction of diverse historical events, identities, and rituals, today the Menomonee Crossing becomes a hub for discovery, conservation, and recreation.
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A LITTLE ABOUT MYSELF Aside from my love of design and making things, I also enjoy exploring new places and rediscovering familiar ones. I’ve found the best tools for this are a sailboat, moped, and a good pair of running shoes. Thanks for letting me share my work with you.
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References Robert Greenstreet, Ph.D, R.I.B.A. Dean. University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning School of Architecture and Urban Planning 2121 E. Hartford Ave Milwaukee, Wi 53211 +1.414.229.4016 bobg@uwm.edu
Tom Jacobs, AIA Principal. Krueck + Sexton Architects Krueck + Sexton 221 West Erie Chicago, IL 60654 +1.312.787.0056 tjacobs@ksarch.com
Grace La Principal. LaDallman Architects Associate Professor. University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning 225 E. St. Paul Ave. Suite 302 Milwaukee, WI 53202 +1.414.225.7450 gla@uwm.edu
Neil Frankel, FAIA, FIIDA Principal. Frankel + Coleman Fitzhugh Scott Distinguished Visiting Design Critic University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee 727 South Dearborn Street Suite 412 Chicago, IL 60605 +1.312.986.0933 neil@frankelcoleman.com
Francis Kéré Chairman. KERE ARCHITECTURE Dipl.-Ing. Arch. Diébédo Francis Kéré Arndtstraße 34 10965 Berlin, Germany +49.30.78952391
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BLAKE VILLWOCK +1.414.412.2365 blake.j.villwock@gmail.com