cortez CROSBY
landscapes + cityscapes
University of Florida Bachelor of Design in Architecture
cortez CROSBY
landscapes + cityscapes
contact
734 E. Michigan Street Unit #109 Orlando, FL 32806 phone: 864.706.1208 e-mail: cortezcrosby@gmail.com
contents
Newnan’s Lake Cultural Complex Folded Light
Stepwell, Interpreted
interlude
landscapes
Recreating Place in San Martin
United States Courthouse* Graphic Design*
Spoleto Center for the Arts
Pueblo County Judicial Center*
*Includes professional work completed while employed at DLR Group
postscript
cityscapes
Woven Urbanscapes
RECREATING PLACE IN SAN MARTIN STUDY ABROAD - GUADALAJARA, MEXICO
DATE: Summer 2006 | COURSE: ARC 4323 - Arch. Design 8 | PROFESSOR: Alfonso Perez-Mendez
The presence of water in San Martin, Mexico, serves as a catalyst for social interaction. At several locations along the existing canal, it is normal for families to picnic, play, and wash clothes. The canal and the water it brings are two of the life driving forces in this town, supporting utilitarian and social funtions. With this in mind, the project revives the site of the existing church in San Martin and establishes a civic territory that celebrates the presence of water. During the process of drawing and analyzing the ground, an emphasis was placed on the presence of land within the water, as opposed to water within the land. As a result, the movement of water through the site has become an active element in the architecture; water carves the ground, defines the place, and holds the church.
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SITE PLAN 1. promenade 2. bull ring 3. portal 4. plaza 5. public restrooms 6. entry hall 7. chapel 8. baptistry
Promenade and portal
Plaza
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Situated on the site of the former church and an adjacent lot, the project consists of three programmatic elements: a new church, public restrooms, and plaza space. The space is activated by the everyday use of the church and restrooms, in conjunction with the seasonal use of the existing bullring. A promenade connects the two bullring entrances, negotiating the threshold between the bullring and the church plaza. Framing a view towards the landscape, the project establishes a visual and physical relationship between the bullring, plaza, and the church.
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SECTION 1. entry hall 2. upper entry hall 3. confessional 4. choir 5. chapel 6. prayer room 7. altar
Entry hall
Conceived as an object suspended in the landscape, the church appears to hover over a vast reflecting pool. Its form is influenced by its relationship to the landscape. While a raised entry extends across the water towards the plaza, the ground plane folds down towards the reflecting pool where it is held by a monolithic rock. This rock pierces through the chapel floor as the altar. The roof plane peels away from the ground plane, opening the church’s form towards the landscape.
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The chapel space dominates the plaza-facing faรงade. With large punctures and screening elements, this faรงade relates the interior of the church to the exterior plaza, visually distinguishes the primary worship space from the rest of the church, and allows diffuse and refracted light to enter the chapel. Chapel interior
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STEPWELL, INTERPRETED
DATE: Spring 2005 | COURSE: ARC 2304 - Arch. Design 4 | PROFESSOR: Nina Hofer
Using the traditional Indian stepwell structure as a conceptual generator, three goals were established early in the design process: to provide a vessel for the collection of water, to create a communal center for surrounding villages, and to celebrate the presence of water in the landscape. During analysis of the desert surface, careful consideration was given to how one might mark the desert surface. The process proceeded with the synthesis of an element that could mark the land and withstand the harsh desert environment. This element evolved into the entry for the stepwell, marking a point at which people from the surrounding landscape congregate and water collects.
Surface studies
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Entry into the stepwell occurs along a sloped strip of land. A canopy element folds out of the earth and spans the entry procession to provide shade and collect rain water. Delving fifty feet below the desert surface, the stepwell houses several programmatic elements linked by stairs, ramps, and walks. Spaces designed for socializing, sleeping, bathing, and praying are organized around a sculptural wall which extends the full height of the stepwell. The wall celebrates the entry of water into the stepwell and registers the passage of time.
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NEWNAN’S LAKE CULTURAL COMPLEX DATE: Fall 2005 | COURSE: ARC 3320 - Arch. Design 5 | PROFESSOR: Ira Winarsky
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Site plan
SITE PLAN AND SECTION 1. entry plaza 2. entry pavilion 3. auditorium 4. outdoor event space 5. amphitheatre 6. artifacts exhibit 7. educational pavilion 8. research laboratory 9. canoe exhibit 10. reconstructed Timucuan Indian village 11. Newnan’s Lake
Site section
Newnan’s Lake is the site of archaeological excavations which have resulted in the discovery of over 85 prehistoric, Native American canoes. This project proposes a cultural complex that highlights the preservation of the canoes and other Native American artifacts. Sited on a peninsula at the lake’s western edge, the complex consists of 7 pavilions. Taking on the organization of a traditional Timucuan Indian village, the complex has a radial organization with a public space at its center.
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ARTIFACTS EXHIBIT 1. entry 2. exhibit space 3. bridge 4. outlook 5. monumental stair
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Framed by the Auditorium to the north and a view of the lake to the south, the Entry Pavilion serves as a gateway to the complex. Beyond, visitors circulate via an elevated walkway that connects the pavilions and delineates a sunken amphitheater. Marking a sectional shift in the visitor’s experience, the larger Artifacts Exhibit Pavilion spans a monumental stair that leads down to a reconstructed, Timucuan Indian village. Shaded by deep overhangs, the pavilion is enclosed by a highly transparent envelope that allows extensive daylighting.
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CANOE EXHIBIT 1. entry passage 2. entry 3. exhibit space 4. canoe display armature 5. outlook 6. event platform
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The Canoe Exhibit is conceived as a crystalline structure hovering above the lake’s surface. With a torqued plan that responds to sun and wind patterns, the structure has a transparent envelope that flares out over the lake to enhance the visitor’s sensation of floating above the water. To reach the pavilion, visitors traverse a bridge that only allows controlled views of the lake. The main exhibit space displays the canoes in a delicate armature system that allows the interior to blend with exterior. Large roof overhangs allow for extensive glazing and maximized daylighting. A series of outlooks allow visitors uninterrupted views of the surrounding lake.
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FOLDED LIGHT
DATE: Fall 2004 | COURSE: ARC 2303 - Arch. Design 3 | PROFESSOR: Nancy Clark
The construct consists of three distinct planes: the monolith, the filter, and the light field. The qualities of each plane were carefully studied to establish a dynamic relationship between the three in which construction, articulation, and proportion play important roles. The project gains complexity from a series of folds, reveals, and apertures that emphasize the characteristics of each plane and generate a series of phenomenological moments.
Portal
Passage
Field
Portal
Filter
Stair
Field
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SPOLETO CENTER FOR THE ARTS DATE: Spring 2006 | COURSE: ARC 3321 - Arch. Design 6 | PROFESSOR: Karl Thorne
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This project proposes a permanent headquarters for the Spoleto Festival, a cultural celebration of various art forms. Sited at the corner of Broad and King Street, the design includes an auditorium, artist’s studios, exhibit space, administrative facilities, and a courtyard. The building is conceived as two distinct, yet porous volumes that are connected by a glazed Great Room. The transparency of this space establishes a strong visual relationship between the city, street edge, building interior, and rear courtyard. The Great Room, acting as an entry hall, functions similarly to a sideyard, a critical component of the city’s architectural vernacular.
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First floor
North elevation
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PLANS 1. breezway 2. courtyard 3. Great Room 4. gallery 5. administrative 6. auditorium lobby 7. auditorium 8. artist’s studio 9. void
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Street approach
Courtyard & entry
In the same manner as the traditional sideyard, the entry sequence draws visitors from the street edge, through a compressed space, and into a rear courtyard where the entry is located.
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Programmatic elements are organized around the Great Room. Two gallery spaces occupy the lower levels of the western volume with two levels of artist’s studios above. Above, the artist’s studios enjoy expansive views from private balconies, while a series of operable screens allows light levels to be adjusted within each studio. The eastern volume, resting upon a bar of administrative spaces, is occupied by an auditorium and lobby space. With floor-to-ceiling glazing behind its stage, the auditorium presents concert attendees with spectacular views of Charleston’s skyline. Great Room
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Upper gallery
Auditorium lobby
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SECTION 1. Great Room 2. gallery 3. auditorium 4. artist’s studio 5. administration 6. breezeway
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WOVEN URBANSCAPES SITUATIONS OF SURFACE, INTERACTION, AND SHIFT
In Collaboration With Adam Pollock DATE: Fall 2006 | COURSE: ARC 4322 - Arch. Design 7 | PROFESSOR: Nancy Clark
Massing concept
Located in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, the project seeks to simultaneously preserve and rejuvenate the historic fabric of this quickly changing area. Covering three blocks situated along the Westside Highway and overlooking the Hudson River, the site is bounded by 14th St., Washington St., and Gansevoort St. to the north, east, and south, respectively. The immediate context is relatively small in scale, with buildings ranging from four to eleven stories in height. The character of the place is unique, with a programmatic complexity that has intensified over the years. The main design objective is to mark the place as a cultural landmark, bringing density to the Meatpacking District and maintaining its character and scale. The design centers on three urban rooms: the Civic Room, the Playscape, and the Garden Room. Situated along the High Line, these rooms torque the form to create volumes around which circulation and programme are organized.
Site organization and concept
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Ground level
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Promenade level
The Civic Room gathers multiple programmatic layers and civic elements. Anchored by an aquarium with its supporting components, this room is further activated by an event space, and two public lawns. The Playscape is covered mostly by the Public Promenade, an elevated park that spans the three block site. As an urban interior, this room marks a shift from the northern public domain to the southern private domain. It features a large aquatic playscape that can be converted into an ice skating rink during the winter months.
1. aquarium 2. event space 3. aquarium gift shop & cafe 4. media screen lawn 5. sculpture lawn 6. aquatic playscape / ice skating rink 7. gallery 8. green space
9. hotel lobby 10. commercial space 11. condominiums 12. athletic center 13. office space 14. the High Line
sky garden
aquarium
elevated promenade
restaurant
athletic center
media screen lawn
public roofscape
sculpture lawn
hotel
office space
retail / commercial
condominiums
parking garage
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The Garden Room collects programme of multiple scales. Skinned by a glass roof, this urban room organizes itself around a covered garden, a conservatory, and subterranean programme. Surrounding cafes and retail spaces are conceived as transparent volumes that allow people to filter from the street into the interior covered garden. Adjacent programmatic elements such as the hotel lobby, private residence entry, and parking garage are oriented towards the street. The architecture responds to the linearity of the High Line by layering and weaving through the three blocks of the site. Taking on a ‘mat building’ typology, the project houses multiple programmatic elements within one expressed and articulated form.
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hotel roof deck hotel room event space gallery space covered garden subterranean program 7. conservatory 9
8. aquatic landscape / ice skating rink 9. athletic center 10. the High Line 11. aquarium 12. event space 13. roof garden
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Facade study
The first layer is a sculpted Public Ground which holds hardscape, water features, green space, and subterranean programme. The second is a transparent, multi-story volume which holds a majority of the commercial programme. Above, the High Line marks a shift in density as office, residential, and recreational programme become interwoven. The fourth layer exists as an urban roofscape that is activated by both longterm and short-term participants. Programmatic volumes from the third layer push up and extend through the roofscape, allowing programme to become folded, intermingled, and juxtaposed. Combined with transformations and shifts in the building’s form, this layering of programmatic elements encourages unique interactions, both direct and indirect, to occur between inhabitants.
aquarium
condominium
office
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PUEBLO COUNTY JUDICIAL CENTER* SCHEMATIC DESIGN
* Professional work completed in collaboration with Michael LeBoeuf (Lead Designer), Chris Getz, and Mark Wunderlin of DLR Group
chris getz
PROJECT ROLES: Exterior elevation and massing development, Digital modeling and rendering, Schematic Design and Design Development package submittal, Presentation graphics
The design seeks to create an architecture that not only ties the building to its place in time, but also to the layers of history and culture associated with Pueblo. With this in mind, the design team delved into ideas of regional materiality, imagery, and culture. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Pueblo County Judicial Building will be approx. 171,000 sq. ft., with five stories above grade and a partial basement. Initially, the courthouse will house 14 completed courtrooms, with shell space for an additional two. The building will also house the Clerk of Courts, Court Records, the Probation department, Court Administration, Training and Operations offices, and 16 judges with their attendant clerks. SITE ORGANIZATION AND URBAN DESIGN With a north-south orientation, the building seeks to engage its context at a broad scale. This orientation seeks to attain two goals: firstly, to anchor the west end of the 5th St. axis, using the rotunda as a termination point, and secondly, to recognize a diagonal axis that cuts across the site. The latter, which is the remnant of a rail line, could potentially become a pedestrian walk, linking the courthouse site with a public plaza to the south-east.
mark wunderlin MASSING
courts tower
The curved courts tower seeks to connect the building abstractly to the historic courthouse and public library, creating a “bracketing” of the Pueblo downtown area. The bent bar also reflects the termination of the 5th Street axis into the site. The second component of the building is the plinth that grounds the courts tower. Extending from the east where the public entry is located, it moves under the tower and turns up on the west side to become a tower of judges’ chambers.
rotunda
judges’ chambers
public entry
entry plinth
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SPATIAL ORGANIZATION A key organizational element of the interior spaces is an extension of the 5th Street axis. This axis extends into the rotunda, through the public elevators, and into the entry of the judicial chambers. This interior connection links the public and private realms on each floor and reinforces the building massing as an interior spatial experience. This axis also bisects the main public circulation, which runs the entire length of the courts tower.
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REFERENTIAL SPACES The rotunda uses the kiva, a ceremonial space typical of most Pueblo Indian cultures, as a unique precedent. The design interprets this idea of outer enclosure and inner sanctum, suspending a wood-framed pavilion within a glass cylinder. The form of this structure is reminiscent of the coke ovens sprinkled throughout this region of the country.
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entry rotunda elevator lobby sallyport judge’s chamber jury assembly first appearance center clerk of courts courtroom
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plans and section: chris getz, mark wunderlin
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East elevation
West elevation cortezCROSBY design portfolio
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UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE* DESIGN COMPETITION
* Professional work completed in collaboration with Michael LeBoeuf (Lead Designer), Steve McKay, Mike Lindsey, Mark Parrish, and Margot van Swearingen of DLR Group PROJECT ROLES: Project coordinator, Exterior elevation and massing development, Site design, Digital modeling, Plan development and department layout, Exterior materials selection, Consultant Liaison, and Presentation graphics
DE.PO.SI.TION
noun 1. The geological process whereby material is added to a landform. This is the process by which wind, water, or ice create a sediment deposit through the laying down of granular material that has been eroded and transported from another geographical location.
DEPOSITION While rooted in the principles of modern courthouse design and planning, the architectural language for this new courthouse is derived from the local context and geological conditions that are prevalent in and around Billings, Montana. Using geology as a catalyst allowed exploration towards an organic response for the building’s massing and visual organization. Deposition, the stratification of earth over a period of time, became a driving concept. This idea of layering began to inform decisions in the development of the architectural idea. As each layer of earth tells a story about its relative place in time, each building component has a relation to the one before and following. The inner layer is a skin of glass and metal that reacts to the programmatic elements within it. Clear glass is used to delineate significant public spaces, while more private spaces receive a treatment of glass mixed with copper panel. A folded, limestone enclosure reveals portions of this inner skin through a series of horizontal bands, providing daylight and views to interior spaces. Moving vertically, the upper levels begin to push outward, with the courts volume projecting the farthest. The cantilevered courts volume is a dynamic moment in the building’s massing, symbolically and physically enhancing the prestige associated with federal courts. The concrete plinth, contrasted against the suspended enclosure and courts volume, visually grounds the architecture.
1. enclosure
2. courts volume
3. atrium
4. office volume
5. plinth
6. foundation
Building organization
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LEVEL 4 1. District Chambers 2. District Courtrooms 3. U.S. Attorneys
LEVEL 3 4. Magistrate Chambers 5. Magistrate Courtroom 6. U.S. Attorneys
LEVEL 2 7. U.S. Marshals
LEVEL 1 8. Atrium 9. Office Building Core 10. Probation 11. U.S. District Clerk
BASEMENT 12. Secure Parking
Program organization
Atrium - east elevation
TRANSPARENCY The proposed project site spans 26th Street, a major north-south artery through downtown Billings. Once built, the courthouse will interrupt this axis. To prevent a complete break in the urban fabric, the design addresses the interruption of 26th Street by maintaining transparency through the building along the axis. This solution suggests an implied connection from the termination of the axis, into the site, through the building’s atrium, and to the city beyond. The building’s 4-story glazed atrium sits along the axis. Citizens arriving at the courthouse enter the building at this point and transition from the scale of the city to that of the atrium. The atrium’s transparency allows the public to reference the city and context beyond as they move vertically through the building.
Atrium - west elevation
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atrium sections and rendering: mike lindsey
First level - Entry
Fourth level - Courts
plans: margot van swearingen site plan: mark parrish
BUILDING ORGANIZATION The atrium is the building’s main organizing element and referential space. On the upper floors, it is not only a spatial divider, but also delineates programmatic functions. A series of monumental stairs encourages pedestrian movement between floors and activates the atrium space. A key benefit of the building organization is the ability to maximize natural light levels in all spaces. As the atrium divides the building in two, it creates an efficient “loft” core for the support elements of the building. Elevators, stairs, rest rooms and equipment rooms are centrally located within the building footprint, forcing the office functions and court components toward the building’s perimeter. The building’s massing also creates eight exterior corner conditions, each with unobstructed views.
South elevation
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CONNECTION TO COMMUNITY With so few opportunities for people to gather in downtown Billings, it was imperative that this project address the neighboring park. The gesture of the courts volume projecting towards the park establishes an edge condition at the skyline.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE PARK Unique to the building massing is the expression of the courtrooms. Although a physical connection to the park cannot be established, the cantilevered courts volume gestures towards the park, visually and spatially linking the two. The position and scale of the courts volume creates an exterior room, with the glimmering envelope of the courts volume as its backdrop.
West elevation
renderings: Genesis Studios, vignettes: marina prater
The articulated ground plane creates a natural buffer between the courthouse and the street edge. Through a series of linear site elements and terraces, this green space allows the park to feel as if it extends onto the courthouse site. This porous space becomes part of the entry sequence into the building. This sequence defines a public realm that participates with the city and identifies the courthouse as a civic destination.
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GRAPHIC DESIGN*
ARCHITRAVE STUDENT MAGAZINE and DLR GROUP MARKETING MATERIALS * Includes professional work completed in collaboration with Michael LeBoeuf, Janice Poley, Lisa Rambo and Mark Wunderlin of DLR Group
D LR Group
Ar chitr ave
PRIMARY ROLES: Graphic conceptualization and execution
K-12 PROTOTYPE
SCHOOL DESIGN CHARETTE O C T O B E R 1 0 TH, 2 0 0 8
DLR Group
listen.DESIGN.deliver
The following work is a representation of graphic material created as an editor for Architrave, an independent student design magazine at the University of Florida. Also featured are pieces created while employed at DLR Group. Working within a framework of branding standards, each piece was crafted to convey the intended message, address the appropriate audience, and reflect DLR Group’s commitment to design excellence.
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