Cora Blackford Portfolio 2023

CONTACT

(314)379-4487 cora_blackford@ku.edu

CORA BLACKFORD EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Master of Architecture Certificate of Historic Preservation Certificate of Service Learning

Expected May 2024 Lawrence, KS

SKILLS

SketchUp

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe InDesign Revit Enscape Lumion

HONORS

Webster Groves Lion’s Club Scholarship (2019)

University of Kansas Merit Scholarship (2019 - Current)

NFSF Scholarship (2021)

University of Kansas Study Abroad Scholarship (2022)

Summa Cum Laude

WEBSTER GROVES HIGH SCHOOL St. Louis, MO 2015 - 2019

EXPERIENCE

HERNLY ASSOCIATES

Architectural Intern Lawrence, KS May 2022 - current

Produce schematic drawings and construction documents in Revit, write nominations for National Register Projects, and write tax credit applications.

LANMAR SERVICES Austin, TX 2018 - 2020 (summers) Architectural Intern Operated a laser scanner and assisted in the documentation of buildings through the conversion of laser scans to BIM models.

MCKNIGHT CROSSINGS CHURCH OF CHRIST St. Louis, MO May - August 2021

Seasonal Building Custodian

Performed custodial duties and general building upkeep.

INVOLVEMENT

UNIVERSITY OF KANASAS ARCHITECTURE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM Mentor

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE

STUDENTS

HAWKS FOR CHRIST

Member

VOLUNTEER

Fall 2022Lawrence, KS

Lawrence, KS 2019 - Current

Member Lawrence, KS 2019 - Current

MCKNIGHT CROSSINGS CHURCH OF CHRIST St. Louis, MO 2013 - Current Assist in the organization and execution of activities for children and set- up for various events.

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Pages 3-10 Pages 11-18 Pages 19-24

HAVEN

Spring 2022 Spring 2021 Spring 2022 2

THE RETREAT AT LEDROIT PARK PLAZA

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PROFESSOR THOM ALLEN FALL 2022

The goal of this project was to develop buldings that address the lack of affordable housing in the city of Washington D.C. The site is located along 4th St. NW and V St. NW, an area in D.C’s Ledroit Park neigborhood that is in need of increased density. Programmatic goals included providing a mix of afforable and market-rate housing for a target group of people (in the case of The Retreat, primarially families), retail, community hubs, office space, and any other public or private spaces that were deemed necessary through neigborhood analysis.

The design process began by studying and understanding the needs of the neighborhood, as well as anayzing case studies of buildings that provide solutions to affordable housing in similar scenarios.It then moved into master planning the proposed development as a whole, and finally moved into designing specific builidngs to be located on designated sites of the master plan.

The studio kept in contact with the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) throughout all stages of the design process.

1. USE THE CRITICAL AXIS OF THE REVITALIZED ALLEY AS A GUIDE. BUILDING PLOT MIMICS ANGLE ACCORDINGLY.

2. EXTRACT BUILDING VERTICALLY FROM ITS ANGLED PLOT.

3. CONTINUE TO MIMIC THE ANGLE IN A SERIES OF PUSHES AND PULLS, CREATING DYNAMIC TERRACING LEVELS. 4. INTRODUCE SYSTEMS FOR MITIGATING LIGHT (LIGHT SHAFTS AND LOUVER SYSTEMS)

The Lawrence Transit Nest is situated in a compact site within downtown Lawrence, Kansas. The al transit center with retail, a small grocery store, offices, and temporary boarding units for visiting sented some challenges, it is located right where it need to be to provide the easiest experience Lawrence.

The Lawrence Transit Nest features a clear devision of public and private, with an open-air first level Vermont Street. Slotted floor-to-cieling windows on the first floor allow for fun shadows and a controlled system completely wraps the building on the second and third floors. This plays into the “nest” theme privacy, as most of the exterior walls on these floors are window-walls.

goal of this project was to create a multimodvisiting professors. Although the size of the site prefor travellors coming to and from downtown level and entries on both Eigth Street and controlled indoor/ oudoor feel. A vertical louver theme and allows for sun control and some

THE LAWRENCE TRANSIT NEST

OF KANSAS PROFESSOR GREGORY CRITCHLOW FALL

UNIVERSITY

CORNER SECTION

DETAIL MODEL

This section slices through the corner of the Transit Nest facing Vermont Street and the adjacent building. By doing so, the detail of the building can be best shown.

The Transit Nest is constructed of CLT. It has a gravel roof and a concrete spread footing foundation. The materiality, scale, and assembly of the building is displayed in the basswood section model.

LEVEL 2 PLAN

0 1 5 10

LEVEL 3 PLAN

0 1 5 10 0 1 5 10

DETAIL

waterproof membrane (0.25”) CLT end cap

3 ply CLT (4.125”) rigid insulation (3”)

OSB cap gravel screening system tie rod

3 ply CLT (4.125”) anchor plate rigid insulation (3”) screening system CLT end cap window wall

window wall

CLT end cap

CLT floor (1’ 2”) anchor plate screening system

3 ply CLT (4.125”) rigid insulation (3”) CLT end cap wood panel drop cieling air supply duct window wall

CLT connector

CLT floor top layer (2.75”) CLT connector CLT floor layer( 2.75”) CLT floor layer( 2.75”)

rigid insulation (3”)

CLT floor layer( 2.75”)

3 ply CLT (4.125”)

rigid insulation (3”)

3 ply CLT (4.125”) rigid insulation (3”)

CLT connector expansion joint finished concrete floor (1”) unfinished concrete slab on grade (4”) expansion joint

concrete wall foundation pea gravel

(Photo taken by Jackson Bonttty, 3rd year M.Arch, at the University of Kansas)

HAVEN

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PROFESSOR CHAD KRAUS DIRT WORKS STUDIO SPRING 2022

Dirt Works studio is a third year design-build studio focused on direct, hands-on engagement with places, materials, and communities. In Spring of 2022, the studio had the tremendous opportunity to partner with the Good Work, a non-profit organizatin with a mission of providing housing to individuals suffering domestic volience, to create a comfortable and sustainable home while competing in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decalthalon.

During my time in the studio, I assisted in conceptual development, conducted energy analysis, and played a large role in managing specifications for the project and constructing a physical scale model of the home.

Strawberry Hill, previously called Splitlog Hill, was named after a wealthy Native American mill owner named Mathias Splitlog, who built a manor here in 1870. Although Splitlog’s manor no longer stands, this home falls within the historic environs of the property, requiring more attention to the neighborhood’s context.

The site is on a narrow lot, unique to the region but characteristic of the neighborhood, and backs up to I-70. The proximity to I-70 presents significant challenges, such as noise and air quality, but also significant opportunities, such as remarkable, unobstructed views to the downtown Kansas City skyline.

The design of the home - Haven - values all aspects of sustainability. In order to compete in the U.S. Dpartment of Energy’s Solar Decathalon, Haven had to be net zero. By refining the

design using energy analysis softwares such as cove.tool and tally, the studio was able to produce a net positive outcome for the home.

In order to produce the most accurate enrgy consumption and generation results, many facors had to be analyzed. These factors include: - solar heat gain - environmental impact of materials - thermal mass - energy consumption of appliances and electrical fixtures - water consumption - natural ventilation

O N T E X T A B O U T H A V E N

(Graphic created by a member of Dirt Works Studio)

CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT

The conceptual design of Haven draws from the historic fabric of the neighborhood as well as archetypal ideas of home. Nearly every child draws home the same way: a square with a triangle on top, a front door, rectilinear windows, and a tree in the front yard. This iconic image of home is reflected in the front facade of this project to help children and adults struggling with recent trauma settle into their newplace of refuge, without it feeling disorienting, institutional, or transient. This facade, with its simple gable form, also assimilates with the existing historic character of the neighborhood. An emphasis on wood creates an atmosphere of warmth and security, furthering concept of home and community.

A pervious paver driveway allows for multifunctional use of the reduced outdoor space posed by the narrow lot. This space can be used for parking, outdoor dining, or anything in between. A large set of full-height windows, complete with a bifolding louver system, merges outdoor and inddoor space while still providing the choice of privacy.

(Photos taken by Jackson Bonttty, 3rd year M.Arch, at the University of Kansas)

QUINDARO COMMUNITY CENTER

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

PROFESSOR FARHAN KARIM

SPRING 2021

This project spurred from Professor Karim’s studio noticing Quindaro, Kansas’ rich history and recognizing the need for community development as the first step in revitalizing the community and preserving its history.

Quindaro, KS is home to ruins that were once underground railroad sites. It was once home to Quindaro Freedman’s School (a black high school) and Freedman’s University (later Western University). Quindaro remains a primarialy colored population.

The Quindaro area is situated in a food desert and is isolated socially and economically from the rest of Kansas City. The goal of the Quindaro Community center is to provide the residents of Quindaro a much-needed place to access food, work space, education space, and gathering space. These amenities will allow Quindaro residents to grow their stills, build small businesses, and more. It is a place where the current generation can create their own sttories while reminicsing on the past.

Missouri Kansas

DESIGN THEME: PATCHWORK QUILT

Quindaro, KS contains many bits and peices of fine history. This building connects that framework and provides a place for a new generation of history to take place in. These bits and peices of unique history informed the slicing spaces of the Quindao community center. Lines extended from spaces in the builidng plan point towards key elements crucial to Quindaro’s identity. These include the Vernon School (once an all-colored elementary school), the historic cemetary, and several ruin sites of buildings that once played a role in the underground railroad.

CEMETARY RUINS RUINS

KAW RIVER HUT

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PROFESSOR DAVID SAIN SPRING 2022

The Friends of the Kaw - a conservation group dedicated to preserving the Kansas River - recieved a donation of fourteen acres of land along their beloved river and surrounding area. The area is serene and only accessibly by the river. The group would like to sensitively develop the area into a river resource space and a primative campsite, including accomodations for an artist-in-residence.

This hut on the bank of the Kansas River is designed to house artists-in-residence as they document the river and its surrounding area. The requirements for the primative hut include: a maximum floor area of 160 sq. ft. and the ability for all materials able to be transported to the site via john boat.

This fast-paced project, designed collaboratively with a group of four peers, was completed in a building technology class. The hut is minimilistic, yet effieienct. It gracefully responds to the challenges posed by its unique site.

SECOND FLOOR

Roof Assembly

Exterior Wall Assembly

Interior Wall Assembly

Support Structure

HUMAN MOVEMENT

PATTERNS OF MOVEMENT

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PROFESSOR ANNE PATTERSON SPRING 2020

This project focused on a short spurt of human movement. I decided to capture myself walking through my front door, taking a sip of water, walking over to my mailbox, and checking for mail. This seemingly simple spurt of action contains more components than one may think at first. It involves opening and closing the door, movement of the legs, movement of the arms (with one moving up to sip the water), the water in the cup shifting to my mouth, and more.

In the drawing to the left, you see me in relation to the doors/ the mailbox. With this, you see a front elevation and a top elevation. The water in my left hand and my empty right hand are focus points and are studied through the blue and pink color patters. The change in position of the water cup can be studied from the top elevations.

This project taught me how to draw humans as simple geometric forms and study the intricacies of seemingly simple everyday movements.

MOVEMENT OF WATER AND LEVELS STUDY

This study focuses particularly on the cup of water in my hand as I move. It shows the placement of the cup as I lift it up and down, and how the water stays level even as the cup is angled. It also depicts the lowering water level in the cup as a drink some of the water.

Above is a drawing of the cup moving horizontally towards the mailbox and vertically towards my mouth and back down. The outline of the cup is extended to that its angle and relation to the other cup stages is more clear.

To the right is a physical model I constructed based on the drawing above. I used long bars projected through the floor plane to symbolize the cup’s movement. The angles of the bars relate to each other in a playful way, and one can observe the water level decreasing as the bars progress.

07 LUMINANCE

PERSONAL PROJECT SUMMER 2020

This Japanese-style luminaire was created wih the intent of shaping shadow. The wood frame mimics traditional Japanese lanterns. The simple and delicate structure gives a graceful feel and allows full emphasis to be placed on the light screens.

The removable and customizable screens each have differnetly colored patterns inspired by nature. When lit from within, the screens project colorful light patterns onto nearby surfaces.

Currently, the luminaire is lit by a bottom- mounted light bulb. The shadow effects could be customized even more by moving the lightbuld to the top of the luminaire and having it poject down, or simply by placing the luminaire in different areas and allowing it to cast onto different surfaces.