Architecture and Design Portfolio by Samantha

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

PORTFOLIO

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE Comprehensive Thesis | PG. 06 - 13 |

OF CONTENTS

HIDING DENSITY ON 16TH Design Thinking on a Urban Scale

| PG. 14 - 19 |

SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND Research & Culture

| PG. 20 - 25 |

STRIN - ERGY Architectural Theory Art Installation

| PG. 26 - 29 |

MISCELLANEOUS WORK

Additional Selected Projects

| PG. 30 - 33|

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

01

Location: 13 17th St N, Minneapolis, Mn 55403

Instructor: Andrew Blaisdell | Team: Individual | Studio: Arch5202| Year: 2020

Bridging The Divide is a response to The Hennepin Lyndale Crossroads Coalition’s goal of providing a greener, more pedestrian-friendly experience for visitors and residents along the Hennepin-Lyndale intersection in Minneapolis, MN.

The Hennepin Lyndale Crossroads Coalition comprises eight different institutions and civic spaces, as well as Green Minneapolis, MnDOT, and the city of Minneapolis. Some stakeholders include The Basilica of St. Mary, The Walker Art Center, Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association, and Dunwoody College of Technology.

The Dunwoody Underpass is located beneath I-94 and is currently used as 195 overﬂow parking spots for the surrounding area. From early on in the design process, uniting the surrounding community emerged as a driving concept. The utilization of a makerspace will bridge either side of the underpass by bringing together the art and culture of the surrounding area while increasing the communities’ interaction with the site. The layers of physical transparency through the building and the administrative spaces will encourage inquisitiveness in passersby. Additionally, providing a barrier-free work environment later developed into driving concepts throughout the design process. Both ideas inﬂuenced form by providing sightlines through critical programmatic adjacencies and equal opportunities for people of all abilities to create and thrive within the makerspace.

Bridging The Divide is working to combat the current conditions of the Dunwoody Underpass through the implementation of a makerspace. This makerspace will unite the surrounding communities and institutions by providing a barrier-free environment with altering transparency to fuel curiosity and provide a greener, more pedestrian-friendly route.

Awards: BWBR Prize Finalist

SITE LOCATION: 13 17TH ST N, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55403

LOT SIZE: AREA: 83,916 SQ FT

ZONING: OR3 INSTITUTIONAL OFFICE RESIDENCE DISTRICT

PERMITTED USES:

VERY HIGH DENSITY MIXED USES DESIGNED TO SERVE THE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS

MAX HEIGHT: NO MORE THAN 6 STORIES

EVERYDAY:

-50,000 VEHICLES

-8,100 TRANSIT TRIPS

-1,500 WALKERS -730 BIKERS PASS THROUGH THE DUNWOODY UNDERPASS

Clean activities like 3d printing, textiles, and laser cutting would happen within the central work area. People of all knowledge levels can use this area, whether non-disabled or not.

Activities like CNC routing, woodworking, and ceramics would occur in the more heavily ventilated makerspace across the courtyard.

The courtyard space honors the gap between the roadways above while providing much-needed light access within the makerspace. This division allows for a cleaner and quieter work environment as well as smaller groups of collaboration. A leading objective of this makerspace is to provide an environment without barriers and to give the users the freedom to innovate and collaborate while learning from each other and the staff.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

Congestion

Due To Large Quantities Of Vehicles Traveling Beneath The Underpass, The Hennepin-Lyndale Ave. Intersection Is Known For Extreme Congestion.

Pedestrian Route

The Area Surrounding The Underpass has been Largely Overlooked Due To A Large Amount Of Trafﬁc, The Pedestrian Conditions to Become Unsafe.

Code to Coalaltion breakdown video

Underutilized

The Space Below The Underpass Has Been Used As Parking For The Surrounding Institutions And Civic Spaces. Trespassing

Due To The Space Below The Underpass Being Ignored And Underutilized This Has Allowed For Trespassing And Panhandling To Take Place.

1 ENTERANCE

2. LOUNGE AND PIN- UP AREA

3. TEXTILES SPACE

4. CLASSROOM

5 ADMINISTRATION OFFICES

6. ‘CLEAN’ MAKERSPACE

7. STORAGE

8.RETAIL SPACE

9. EVENT SPACE

10. COURTYARD

11. ‘DIRTY’ MAKERSPACE

12. KILN ROOM

The general layout of the Makerspace is interwoven into the existing structure beneath the underpass. The embracing of the structure allows the passage of light from above. Additionally, this conﬁguration facilitates sightlines through the space to fuel curiosity and inspire creativity for the occupants and pedestrians traveling beneath the underpass.

Connections would be reinforced with the surrounding institutes and civics spaces using the makerspaces to create or use the event space to host events their current facilities cannot handle. Additional connections are formed by the Walker Art Center loaning pieces of work that are implemented throughout the site. Additionally, the different schools in the area could allow their students to come and use the makerspaces as a place to create. With the coalition’s goal of utilizing unused spaces, the Basilica and MCTC have come together to offset the need for parking away from the makerspace’s parking lot over to the MCTC parking garage, just to the east of the Basilica. This collaboration would compensate for the 90 parking spots in the makerspace’s parking lot.

Walking from the basilica’s grass-covered corner toward the makerspace, you are confronted with the monolithic bridge pierced by a pitched skylight that slices through the bridge's gap seeking recognition and light.

Top Left Form parti diagram

Samantha Christner

Top Right- right Lounge and pin- up area render

Top Right- left Event space and retail entry render

Bottom Exterior render from Basilica of St. Mary

This Makerspace will bridge either side of the underpass by increasing the communities’ interaction and use of the site. The transparency of the façade allows the occupant to engage with the street while also providing the passerby glimpses of activity in the interior. This connection invites the outsider to discover the different programmatic spaces within without being physically in the Makerspace.

Beyond the retail area is a lowered event space along the pedestrians’ path of travel. This descent into the event space gives a sense of approachability to both the public traveling along the windows 5 feet above as well as to the occupants within the lowered space.

HIDINGDENSITY ON 16 TH

02

Location: 2308 16th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55404

Instructor: Molly Reichert| Team: Individual | Studio: Arch4204| Year: 2019

This studio aimed to understand the history and future of Minneapolis urbanism by studying the newly proposed Minneapolis 2040 Plan and the missing middle housing type. ‘Missing middle homes’ are called ‘missing’ because many have not been built since the 1930s, after becoming illegal, and ‘middle’ due to the multiple housing units within the structure but are more modest in scale than large apartment complexes. The Minneapolis 2040 Plan will expand opportunities to increase the housing supply, meaning more housing types, especially in areas that lack choice and access to transit, employment, and goods and services. To combat the pushback from Minneapolis residents concerned about the future of their neighborhoods. This project explores the implementation of housing density on the urban scale utilizing research on the history of Minneapolis urbanism, the city’s current conditions, and the projected future of Minneapolis urbanism.

The current site is overgrown and underutilized in the South Philips neighborhood. The proposed plan is to reinvigorate the existing structure and location to integrate it into the surrounding area with a detached ADU. An Accessory Dwelling Unit is a smaller yet self-sufﬁcient dwelling occupying the same lot as the principal single-family home. Alleyway garage access allows for a division between the principal and ADU. Above the garage is a single-bedroom home with maximized natural lighting. This cozy space overlooks a central shared courtyard between the Accessory Dwelling Unit and the principal structure.

Shifting forms maximize the livable space above while prioritizing the shared outdoor space below

The existing neighborhood conditions are ideal for the implementation of an ADU to maximize housing density.

Maximizing the livable area while following the Minneapolis zoning code regulations for an Accessory Dwelling Unit, the upper ﬂoor is shifted over the garage towards the alleyway and expanded towards the principal structure overlooking the shared outdoor space. The implementation of an ADU above a garage will not alter the hierarchy of the current urban fabric of single-family homes with detached garages along the alleyway.

The level of privacy and security increases as you travel up the accessory dwelling unit.

An ADU’s secondary nature allows the urban fabric to retain its existing hierarchy.

The surrounding neighborhood’s current conditions inspire the exterior cladding. The stone patio is a midway point connecting the principal structure and ADU. This space aims to create a shared space that fuels a sense of community between the two homes.

1. GARAGE

2. STORAGE

3.KITCHEN

4. LIVING ROOM

5 BATHROOM

6. BEDROOM

7. CLOSET

8.LAUNDRY

The garage has bike racks and shelving for non-essentials and seasonal items to maximize storage. As a result of the shifting forms of the upper-level space along the stairs, there is additional storage space. The open kitchen and living room concept allows for continued connection between spaces.

Upon entering the ADU living space, you are greeted with a light-filled open-concept kitchen and living space. This natural light is brought in through the multiple windows and a skylight above the kitchen. The natural wood flooring leads towards the rest of the area, with a bedroom along the rear wall and a bathroom and laundry between. With tall ceilings and natural light-filled rooms, you’ll experience a sense of space and airiness looking out above the outdoor space below.

03 SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND

Location: Khartoum, Sudan

Instructor: Andrew Blaisdell | Team: Individual | Studio: Arch3202 | Year: 2018

In collaboration with the Oak’n’Na Foundation, this studio focused on developing a school for the blind and visually impaired in Khartoum, Sudan. Visual impairment remains a signiﬁcant public health concern in Sudan, with about 600,000 people of its population being visually impaired. Although more than 75% of visual impairment in Sudan is due to avoidable causes, many of those who are visually impaired cannot receive the healthcare they need because they come from poverty.

This school for the blind strives to redeﬁne the livelihoods of visually impaired adults by fostering their economic freedom and seamless integration into the workforce. This space aims to empower the already creative individuals with vocational skills like artistry, crafting, and jewelry making. Equipping them with the tools necessary to create this enables them to contribute meaningfully to society and unlock previously unimaginable opportunities.

With a solid commitment to inclusivity, this school will provide an array of resources tailored speciﬁcally to the needs of blind individuals, offering them the opportunity to develop their arts, crafts, and jewelry-making skills in an engaging and collaborative learning environment. This supportive atmosphere is where blind craftspeople can exchange knowledge, explore their creativity, and enhance their craftsmanship. By embracing its participants’ unique perspectives and talents, the project not only nurtures artistic expression but also encourages the cultivation of practical skills that can be applied in professional settings. One of the critical goals of this project is to facilitate economic independence for the blind craftspeople; the School for the Blind actively assists participants in marketing and selling their products locally and internationally.

Awards: BWBR Prize Finalist

TawfeqSalih Street

The surrounding neighborhood consists of multiple embassies along “embassy Road” and The Nile Valley School, which caters to applied-body students from nursery school to high school. Additionally, there is a youth house and a hotel; much of the rest of the surrounding area is a place to eat and shop. The nonexistent economic support from the surrounding community for people with visual impairments means that they must create it for themselves. This space aims to empower the already creative individuals with vocational skills like artistry, crafting, and jewelry making. Equipping them with the tools necessary to create enables them to contribute meaningfully to society and unlock previously unimaginable opportunities.

Using watercolor to explore the programic connections created within the space. The prominent colors are:

Magenta - an event space for fundraising

Red - the entry and retail space to market and sell the craftspeople’s products locally

Orange - the actual rooms to create in

Yellow - administration spaces to support the staff necessary for the school for the blind blue - classrooms to develop their skills.

QR Code to program disc study gif

Ahmed Makki Abdu Street

“Embassy Road”

Upon entering the School for the Blind, you are greeted with a three-story space that houses the stairs to the upper floors and the retail space and reception. On the first floor, the first two studios are open along the hallway with a sizeable open passageway to ease navigation with their remaining sight and auditory and tactile cues in their surroundings to orientate themselves. Across the hall is the classroom to offer a collaborative learning environment to begin their studies. Down the hall is a kitchen space for any student or administration.

The Second ﬂoor accommodated more towards admin and fundraising. The use of transparency through the building not only allows for light to pass through the core of the building but it also allows for a sense of conjunction between the administration and the occupants of the event space.

Finally, the third ﬂoor consists of a covered outdoor kitchen and gathering space for anyone to use.

The use of natural stone and stucco establishes an impression of empathy with the natural landscape of Sudan. The exterior of the studio spaces is transparent to fuel the curiosity of what is within the school for the blind. Additionally, using a perforated mesh fabric facade allows for sun protection and noise reduction.

The Entry space abounds with rammed earth, stucco, and stained concrete ﬂoors. Rammed earth raw material is abundant when using the soil from the construction site. The advantages include temperature and noise control, strength and durability, and low maintenance while maintaining natural beauty. The staining of the concrete ﬂoors is low maintenance and increases the school’s passive heating and cooling systems.

Bottom Right Interior collage render

The use of the jack-arch roof systems throughout the main studio spaces and event space allows for good heat insulation and water resistance.

STRIN - ERGY

04

Location: 818 Dunwoody Boulevard Minneapolis, MN 55403

Instructor: Cathrine Britt | Team: Jacob Larson & Laura Stene| Studio: Arch3103 | Year: 2018

Materiality: Acrylic yarn, Silver key ring, Black plastic zip ties

Tools: Yarn, Keyrings, Zip ties, Scissors, Wire cutters

Description: Brightly colored yarn woven through the railings of two separate U-shaped staircases, creating plains of color.

Intent: To energize this forgotten or banal space. With a focus on reclaiming elements of the quotidian, repetitive natural rhythms of life that have been hidden in the staircases of Dunwoody College of Technology.

Awards: Article in the Dunwoody College News

Everyday urbanism is the connection between our planned daily activities, which tend to be ignored, and our lived experiences. These familiar spaces are critical to culture and societ y. These in-between spaces are often repetitive and have the potential for new social arrangments that transform the repetitive natural rhythms of life.

The physical form and need to connect new floors dominated the overall experience of the stairs. In a greyscale staircase, we sought to create a newly discoverable experience. We were acknowledging the oppression of daily life to discover the potential for creative resistance and liberating power. The location of the installment was selected because of the unique design and visible markers of development over time. As the college campus expanded and additional space was needed, some of the original levels were subdivided, adding more floors over the years. The stairs had the opportunity to be an engaging space, but the builders’ only concern was connecting the different floors. The string installment is designed to engage and stimulate human experience. The contrasting bright colors visually energize the otherwise muted gray stairwell, creating a multidimensional space.

Top Right

We looked to social media to prove that we have disrupted social life and the perception of the banal and repetitive public space. We found that our concept challenged the conceptual hierarchy and changed the perspective of the urban residents.