CAITLIN HUTTON “GOOD DESIGN IS A LOT LIKE CLEAR THINKING MADE VISUAL.” - Edward Tufte
CONTACT caitieh5428@gmail.com 814.777.6630 435 West Nittany Ave., State College, PA, 16801 SKILLS 3D MODELING Rhino Revit Maya Blender 2D GRAPHICS Photoshop Illustrator Indesign Hand drawing Painting EDUCATION Pennsylvania State University Bachelor of Architecture - Spring 2014 Sede di Roma Architecture, Photography - Spring 2013 State College Area High School Spring 2009 Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts Architecture Major, Music Minor - Summer 2008
[Projects] 4
THE FOOD CONNECTION North Charleston, South Carolina
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NEW MEDIA CENTER Harlem, New York
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COLLAGE LIBRARY Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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MACRO STRATEGY The maps to the left depict the available fast food and corner stores in and around the North Charleston area, as well as the layout of neighborhoods, and plot that could be converted into urban grow sites. The colored portion is the extent of “The Neck” which is the area affected by the food desert crisis. There is only one grocery store option in this area, a ‘Save-A-Lot’ which neither has the volume or variety to properly feed a community. The surrounding communities have a much higher concentration of food options than North Charleston does. The black and white areas are accesible from the Neck by vehicle only (if you are carrying groceries) which is why the color saturated portion of the map constitutes a food desert.
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These fabric collages and this oil pastel and pencil drawing are representations of the foot and bicycle traffic that I observed while studying the site. Many people used the empty lot as a thoroughfare. The site is located between the Naval Base (which now houses many offices) the Chicora-Cherokee Neighborhood, three smaller neighborhoods, the North Charleston Public Library, a pawn shop, and fast food. After studying the site it became clear to me that since so many people cut through the lot that I would need to address these invisible paths and incorporate them into the design. The yellow dots on this map indicate walkable destinations, neighborhoods, the navy yard, the waterfront park, etc. and the red dots indicate the railaway system that I propose as a mobile market and transportation vein to bring people from downtown Charleston to the North Charleston Food Connection and to the airport or shopping center up north.
THESIS STATEMENT
Socioeconomic segregation is affecting American health and wellbeing, specifically pertaining to the overwhelming lack of architecture that enables access to nutrition and exercise. Architecture can break down the compartmentalization of food distribution that has lead to the over processing of food, and the environmentally detrimental agribusiness model by localizing access to organic food, educating by example, creating a sense of ownership of this process within the community, and encouraging physical interaction.
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This preliminary storyboard that takes you through the site. The linear nature of the roof structures and the garden patches and paths evoke an aesthetic similar to that of woven sweetgrass baskets. The roof will be extended to unify the buildings and bring connectivity to the site. As you arrive either from the train station or Rivers Avenue you will experience the site as a progression. From growth at the greenhouse, to cooking and harvesting skills at the teaching kitchen and community center, to tasting at the restaurant and finally selling at the marketplace. You will have a comprehensive and emmersive experience in a community based healthy food system. This will truly be a place of growth both physically but mentally and spiritually as well.
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PL
GROW
UL U PT G RE
NI
C
EAT
SELL
DISTRIBUTE
ND OU GR AY
SC PIC
LEARN/COOK
PA R
SE
N
DE
AR
K CO N
DA RY
Y AR IM
PR
COMMUNITY GARDENS
41,000 ft
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GREENHOUSES
RESTAURANT AND BAR
7,000 ft
27,000 ft2
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LOCALLY DRIVEN
TEACHING KITCHEN 7,000 ft2
COMMUNITY CENTER 4,000 ft2
It was very important to design the buildings around the natural axis/paths of circulation between North Charleston neighborhoods. It was just as important to align the designed programmatic elements with a natural counterpart. For example, the community center is across from the playground, the Restaurant is across from the park, and the Artisan market is across from the sculpture garden.
FARMER’S AND ARTISAN’S MARKET
MOBILE MARKET/TRAIN STATION
32,000 ft
48,000 ft2
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COMMERCIALLY SUPPORTED
Visual and physical enfilades connect the program in a linear progression. From the growth of food, to the education, the act of eating, and finally the selling of food products, the program connects
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The walls will be concrete cast in a wood formwork, to provide a massive contract to the lightness of the roof system. The roof system will be supported with a steel frame and columns. They will collect water through the slats of their reclaimed wood cladding, underneath which is a metal mesh on top of either metal or structural glass panels depending on how much light is required for the related program. North Charleston’s “Sustainable Warehouse” is a neighboring resource that would be a perfect fit for construction needs.
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SITE ANALYSIS Visitors are encouraged to have moments of solitary reflection, as well as social connection. The pop-outs are varied in size and shape to facilitate this. The louvers that line the main stairwell direct your view inwards [to the core] on the way up, and outwards [to Harlem] on the way down. Conceptual models proved we were dealing with a tricky dichotomy between the personal and the social reflection spaces. The solution came in the form of a puzzle. Elements of the program are interlaced with the all important views (both inward and outward) providing a cohesive and theraputic experience through architecture.
BUILDING TYPE New media art will never stop changing and advancing. It is inherently variable. What will remain constant is the journey one takes while experiencing art (in any form). Escapism through art is made constructive by the opportunity to reflect with one’s self and others as part of the experience. Harlem, New York has a very successful history of expression through art. We aimed to contribute to the continuation of that history with this New Media Art Center.
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PITTSBURGH, CENTRAL NORTH SIDE A project for the community; a library that reflects the vibrant patchwork aesthetic of the pittsburgh culture. A new breed of library that engages patrons on a personal and tactile level.
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This is a community of home libraries - a collection of microcosms within which are thousands of worlds made possible by literature. Users archive their own books, they lend and borrow from their neighbors. The items and their eventual location will be screened and catalogued upon submission. This library will be a medium through which people can connect and share. It will humanize mediashare, and will literally bring the community together.
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The library is based on a module of squares that vary in scale and arrangement. This design allows for growth over time, flexibility, and community ownership. It is an ever evolving collage with endless possibilities.
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