First Year Portfolio by Christopher Slater

Christopher J. Slater First Year Portfolio 2008

Manifesto: What is architecture? What is the role of an architect? What is good architecture? The role of an architect is to design the way a person interacts with a building on several levels. Architects do not only design buildings but design peoples reactions to the buildings. From how they look to how they function. The first and largest impression of a building is visual; the building must be “beautiful”. The way a building looks is what the common person sees when they see a building. If a building is “ugly” they might not ever see the perfect floor plan, or design. The opinion of how a building looks is extremely important and is one of the most difficult parts of architecture. The sense of sight can bring up a wide array of emotions and feelings to a wide array of people, so what the building looks like is extremely important. It can look warm,

cold, plain, busy, creative, unimaginative, and the list goes on. While the architect may think that function is the most important part it will leave far a less but more important impression. Conversely a building cannot be all show and no go. A building must be “Functional”. Without good elements of design no matter how beautiful a building is it will not fulfill its function. A building without function is useless other than visual appeal. The element of function also plays a role in a person’s opinion of a building. This is the way that the person physically interacts with the building itself. Does it hinder life or improve it? One of the roles of the architect is to design buildings that improve life. Buildings that intrigue their occupants but make life simpler. One aspect of function is “simplicity.” If a building is busy and chaotic it will subconsciously transfer to ones own life. The building must be simple

not confusing or complicated. So that while being interesting it is simple at the same time. A building should be apparent what it is and not try to mask itself to look like something else. Although a building should not fit into the stereo types of what that should be. An architect cannot only design a building for this moment in time because even by the time the idea has been completed the world is a completely different place. Architects must also design a building that is “Timeless”. The designer often designs for right now, buildings that were built for a time in the past are now considered “out dated” and “out of style.” The architect must always create a structure that will have function and evoke a positive reaction for years to come.

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Manual Representation A1 Opening Project

A2 Kit Of Parts

A3 Bonsai Pavilion

Digital Representation A1 Jacobs House

A2 Museum Gallery

A1 Opening Project

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Initial Study Models.

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Study model interiors

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My first assignment in my Manual Representation class focused on creating an opening in prescribed wall in a museum gallery. Through this project we were forced to confront issues about what is an opening weather it is a window, a door, or something different all together. My inspiration for my design was the work of Tado Ando and the windows in Ron Champ. My concept was focus, and diffusion. While the large angled walls focused the occupants view they also defused the light through out the room. It then created a concave convex, relationship with the exterior that made the architecture visible but not fully understood until both sides had been explored.

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Exterior photos Axon (Left)

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A2 Kit of Parts

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Entry Perspective

In the Kit of Parts Project we were given a very specific kit of parts and a program simmilar to the barcelona pavillion. Along with the parts we were also given a very specific rule system for placing our components. Throughout the project we incorperated a word to describe the narritive of the project. My project was centerd arround diolouge, how the structure talked to and interacted with the occupant.

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A3 Bonsai Pavilion

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The Bonsai Pavilion project was our final project in our manual representation class. It was a culmination of all of the technical skills we had learned throughout the semester and our final design project. The program of the building was to house the Larz Anderson Bonsai collection at the Arnold Arboretum. Along with this project we were given a specific sight in the Arboretum for out pavilion to be located. The sight dictated to us was a terrace located along a major path way

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held up by a twelve-foot rock retaining wall. Enabling us to take advantage of the current landscape and use subtractive space. Located near a Maryann Thompson Architects learning pavilion. For inspiration I researched many different traditional forms of Chinese and Japanese architecture, as well as gained inspiration from the Bonsai themselves. Key elements in my design were asymmetry and balance.

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Initial Three Concepts: Section, Subtraction, Circulation

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Concept Revision 1: Improved Circulation and storage

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Third Revision: Circulation and Overlap

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Final Revision

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Preliminary Perspectivs

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Final Drawings

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Sectional Diagram

Excevation Diagram

Circulation Diagram

Opposit Sight Plan

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Digital Representation

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A1 Jacobs House

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Exploded Axon

Detaled Axon: Showing all three Major Elements: Wood, Brick, And glass

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A2 Museum Gallery

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The Museum gallery project was our first major design project in our digital representation class. It incorporated all of the skills that we had learned up until that point The Program of the space was to create two separate gallery spaces for the two paintings on the right. As well as create a staircase connecting two spaces. The program of the space was extremely restrictive along with a self-imposed requirement to limit direct sunlight on the paintings, required abstract

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and creative solutions. The idea behind my space was to create a very massive solid stair that lead the viewer through a meandering path that would foster curiosity, and exploration, as well as enable intimate, contemplative spaces to view the paintings.

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1st Floor

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2nd Floor

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2nd Floor

1st Floor

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