Old Design Portfolio by Caitlin Alev

CAITLIN ALEV

DESIGN PORTFOLIO A.B. DEGREE, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY 2010 ARCHITECTURE + URBAN STUDIES

M.ARCH CANDIDATE, UC BERKELEY 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE PIXELATED GARDEN HOUSE

2-9

PLASTER CASTING MACHINE

10 - 13

CASE STUDY: BEAVER MEADOWS ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

14 - 15

TARGET POP-UP RETAIL STORE

ALASKAN SKI CABIN

SUBMERGED KAYAK CENTER

18 - 23

CORRUGATED CARDBOARD MODEL & HAND DRAWINGS

24 - 25

YVES KLEIN ART MUSEUM

OCTAVIA, THE SPIDER-WEB CITY

HOLE FOODS: GROCERY STORE + OFFICE HEADQUARTERS + PARKING GARAGE

28 - 33

NEW VISITOR CENTER AT ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

34 - 37

PRINCETON TOWNSHIP GREENWAY PROJECT

38 - 39

UNFOLDED FIRE STATION ANNEX

40 - 47

THE PIXELATED GARDEN HOUSE Junior Independent Work, Princeton University, Fall 2008 I began this design studio with the concept of a pixelated garden, in which plants are grown in raised planter boxes that are subdivided into 3-ft squares. I also used the concept of the matrix on a larger scale to form the site of my house, taking groups of smaller pixels to form a larger 12-square matrix. Each of the 12 larger gardens has a different identity and affects the house inhabitants in a unique way, whether by providing fragnant smells or medicinal cures. I reinforced these separate identities with distinct color schemes; each type of garden has plants of one particular shade. In deciding where to place my actual house, I wanted to maintain the powerful image of the colorful grid, so I raised each garden in order to place the living structures beneath them. Therefore, some of the gardens actually become the ceiling structures of the living spaces beneath, while other gardens act as vertical stepping stones so that even the roof gardens can be accessed by the inhabitants. The idea of the grid is also applied on an even larger scale to form a settlement that is made up of different variations of the original pixelated garden house. This settlement also includes communal spaces in which inhabitants can interact with their neighbors. Software used: Autodesk AutoCAD & 3D Studio Max, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator

VEGETABLE GARDEN

HERB GARDEN

MUSICAL GARDEN

VEGETABLE GARDEN

BOTANICAL GARDEN

MEDICINAL GARDEN

BOTANICAL GARDEN

MOONLIGHT GARDEN

BUTTERFLY GARDEN

AROMATIC GARDEN

ZEN GARDEN

SITE PLAN WITH DIFFERENT GARDEN TYPES

AROMATIC GARDEN SKIMMIA

SNAPDRAGON

THALIA

FRAGRANCE

HONEYSUCKLE

PEROVSKIA

PETUNIA

BEAUTIFUL SIGHT

PANSY

PEONY

POPPY

ZINNIA

BEAUTIFUL SIGHT

GAILLARDIA

INDIAN PAINTBRUSH

LANTANA

SALVIA

VINCA

BEAUTIFUL SIGHT

HIBISCUS

HOLLYHOCK

MARIGOLD

MILKWEED

QUEEN ANNE’S LACE

SUNFLOWER

ENTERTAINING SIGHT

DILL

MINT

OREGANO

ROSEMARY

SAGE

THYME

DELICIOUS

DIANTHUS

HOSTA

HYACINTH

LAVENDER

BAPTISIA

CARYOPTERIS

DELPHINIUM

FORGET-ME-NOT

CHRYSANTHEMUM

DAFFODIL

LILY

ORCHID

BEE BALM

CARDINAL

CELOSIA

BLACK-EYED SUSAN

CONEFLOWER

BASIL

CHIVE

ROSE

BOTANICAL GARDEN (BLUE) GERANIUM

BOTANICAL GARDEN (ORANGE)

BOTANICAL GARDEN (RED)

BUTTERLY GARDEN

HERB GARDEN

MEDICINAL GARDEN WORMWOOD

YARROW

CURES ILLNESS

PHLOX

TUBEROSE

BEAUTIFUL NIGHTFALL

POND & WATERFALL

MASTERWORT

WATERLILY

SOUNDS

CUCUMBER

LETTUCE

PEA

WATERMELON

NUTRITIOUS

PEPPER

RADISH

SQUASH

STRAWBERRY

TOMATO

NUTRITIOUS

ROCKS

SCOTCH MOSS

SNOW-IN-SUMMER

WHITE SAND

WOOD SPURGE

CALMING

DEVIL’S CLUB

ECHINACEA

GINSENG

PINK LADY SLIPPER

STONEROOT

ARTEMISIA

GARDENIA

IRIS

MOONFLOWER

CAREX

COLUMBINE

GOOSEBERRY

HUCKLEBERRY

LOTUS

BROCCOLI

CABBAGE

CELERY

CORN

BLUEBERRY

CARROT

EGGPLANT

CANDYTUFT

HENS & CHICKS

LACE FERN

WILD INDIGO

MOONLIGHT GARDEN NIGHT BLOOMING NIGHT SCENTED JASMINE STOCK

MUSICAL GARDEN

VEGETABLE GARDEN (GREEN CROPS)

VEGETABLE GARDEN (COLORFUL CROPS)

ZEN GARDEN

LOCATION(S) WITHIN SETTLEMENT

MUSICAL

VEGETABLE

BOTANICAL

HERB

BOTANICAL

AROMATIC

MOONLIGHT

ZEN

BUTTERFLY

PLAN OF GARDEN TYPES

FLOOR PLAN

ORIGINAL HOUSE DESIGN

SETTLEMENT PLAN

LONGITUDINAL SECTIONS THROUGH SETTLEMENT

RENDERING OF THE SETTLEMENT

PLASTER CASTING MACHINE M.Arch Studio, UC Berkeley, Fall 2010 For this project, we were asked to create a plaster casting machine using found items. I began with simple plumbing pipes, which I cut in half to provide more possibile configurations. Since this was a casting “machine,” it had to be mechanical in the sense that the casts could be easily replicated over and over again. I permanently fixed one half of a pipe to the center of a wooden board, so that I could place the other pieces around it to create a variety of casting options. I attached velcro strips to these other pieces, and using all the possible configurations, I placed the other side of the velcro strips in the corresponding locations on the board. This created an abstract grid of points surrounding the central pipe. These points can each be “activated” depending on the particular cast. Therefore, even when the machine is not in use, we can still read the casting possibilities through this grid of velcro strips. Software used: Autodesk AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator

HALVES

WHOLES

CAST #1

CAST #2

CAST #3

D C B A

ELEVATION

SECTION A

SECTION B

SECTION C

SECTION D

EARLY PLASTER CASTS - STUDY MODELS

FINAL PLASTER CASTS

CASE STUDY: DRAWINGS & MODEL Junior Independent Work, Princeton University, Spring 2009 Beaver Meadows Administration Building Taliesin Associated Architects, 1964-67 As background research for a design studio on national park visitor centers, I researched and analyzed one of the Mission 66 projects: the Beaver Meadows Administration Building in the Rocky Mountain National Park. These are the drawings and physical model that I created as part of the case study analysis. Software used: Autodesk AutoCAD

SECTION THROUGH THE ENTRANCE LOBBY

SECTION THROUGH THE DOUBLE-HEIGHT AUDITORIUM

EAST ELEVATION OF THE AUDITORIUM AREA

FLOOR PLAN - GROUND FLOOR

FLOOR PLAN - UPPER FLOOR

TARGET POP-UP RETAIL STORE Computing & Representation, Princeton University, Fall 2008 We were asked to choose a retail company and create a temporary â&#x20AC;&#x153;pop-upâ&#x20AC;? retail store for them that would be constructed in an urban environment. I chose the Target Corporation and created a sort of urban lava lamp that employed heavy use of their trademark red and white bullseye logo through animated materials on the LED facade. These are three still renderings that are part of the animation that I produced to showcase my design. Software used: Autodesk 3D Studio Max, Adobe AfterEffects & Photoshop

ALASKAN SKI CABIN Computing & Representation, Princeton University, Fall 2008 This project called for a design of a ski cabin prototype as part of an Alaskan heli-ski resort. These are renderings of my design, which features an interesting material palette consisting of three distinct colors of wood paneling. Software used: Autodesk 3D Studio Max, Adobe Photoshop

SUBMERGED KAYAK CENTER M.Arch Studio, UC Berkeley, Fall 2010 In this project, we were asked to design a kayak center adjacent to the existing Pier 14 in the San Francisco Bay. I had two main objectives: first of all, I wanted to offer a new experience that was different from that of the existing pier. Additionally, I did not want to ruin Pier 14â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful 360 degree view of the bay, especially since the kayak center demanded a great deal of square footage. My initial instinct to solve both of these objectives was to submerge the program underwater. I thought the most interesting part of our site was the water itself, and I did some analysis of the changing tide levels throughout the seasons. Then I oriented the six main bodies of program relative to the tide levels, depending on programmatic needs (i.e. since the workshop is frequently occupied, I raised it a few feet above the highest tide so that it always receives sunlight, regardless of tide). I wanted visitors to become intimately aware of how dynamic the bay is, so many of the program cells and the pathways react to the changing tide levels. Some float up and down with the tide, in which case they are only accessible at certain times. Others are fixed, and the pathways float up and down relative to these fixed bodies. As a result, the circulation patterns are constantly changing with the tide level. My project seeks to acquaint visitors with the dynamic power of this body of water -- after all, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that what the sport of kayaking is all about? Software used: Rhinoceros 4.0, Autodesk AutoCAD, Maxwell Render, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator

SITE PLAN 1/128” = 1’- 0”

FLOATING

FIXED

SLANTED

UNDERWATER

MOVES UP AND DOWN ON GUIDE POSTS

SECURED IN PLACE WITH WOODEN PILINGS

ANGLED ROOF IS SOMETIMES PARTIALLY SUBMERGED

VOLUME IS ENCLOSED BY ACRYLIC AND STEEL

high tide

low tide

These diagrams show the different types of structure in my project, and how those structures each react to the changing tide levels.

CIRCULATION AT HIGH TIDE +0’

MAIN LEVEL - FLOOR PLAN

MEZZANINE LEVEL - FLOOR PLAN

TAKEN 10’ BELOW HIGH TIDE

TAKEN 4’ BELOW HIGH TIDE

EXHIBITION STORAGE

CNC RM

MATERIALS

GIFT SHOP

BREAK ROOM

DN DN

WORKSHOP LOBBY / EXHIBITION AREA

FINISHING RM

ADMIN OFFICES

CIRCULATION AT FLOODING TIDE -2’

TOOL RM

CLUBHOUSE

UP DN

TRAINING RM

CAFE AREA

SHOWER RM

PADDLE STORAGE

KAYAK STORAGE

LOADING AREA

CIRCULATION AT EBBING TIDE -4’

STORAGE OFFICE

UP DN

VIEWING PLATFORM

CIRCULATION AT LOW TIDE -6’

VIEWING PLATFORM

LONGITUDINAL SECTION - A HIGH TIDE +0’ LOW TIDE -6’

LONGITUDINAL SECTION - B HIGH TIDE +0’ LOW TIDE -6’

LONGITUDINAL SECTION - C HIGH TIDE +0’ LOW TIDE -6’

CROSS SECTION - D HIGH TIDE +0’ LOW TIDE -6’

CROSS SECTION - E HIGH TIDE +0’ LOW TIDE -6’

CROSS SECTION - F HIGH TIDE +0’ LOW TIDE -6’

These sections show how the building reacts to the changing water level. The heavy dashed lines indicate those structures that float up and down with the tide, and the tide itself is indicated by the solid gray poche.

RENDERING OF LOBBY INTERIOR

1/8” CARDBOARD MODEL & HAND DRAWINGS Introductory Design Studio, Princeton University, Spring 2007 As a starting point, we were given an abstract geometric painting (Theo van Doesburg’s 1878 painting entitled “The Cow”) and were told to create a chipboard model that had a section slice identical to the painting. I then selected a small detail (size: 1” cube) from within the larger model, enlarged it, and added general programmatic elements such as places to stroll, sit, and recline. These are photographs and drawings of the resulting enlarged model.

YVES KLEIN ART MUSEUM Computing & Representation, Princeton University, Fall 2008 We were asked to design a new museum in Nice, France to display the artwork of legendary artist Yves Klein. These are renderings of my design, which tries to create an optimal atmosphere for displaying his paintings and sculptures. I also used a color palette intended to complement â&#x20AC;&#x153;Klein Blue,â&#x20AC;? a particuarly brilliant shade of blue that he invented and used extensively in his work. Software used: Autodesk 3D Studio Max, Adobe Photoshop

OCTAVIA, THE SPIDER-WEB CITY Computing & Representation, Princeton University, Fall 2008 TThese are renderings of my interpretation of Octavia, an imaginary city described in Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities.” Calvino describes Octavia as the fragile ‘spider-web’ city: “There is a precipice between two steep mountains: the city is over the void, bound to the two crests with ropes and chains and catwalks. You walk on the little wooden ties, careful not to set your foot in the open spaces, or you cling to the hempen strands. Below there is nothing for hundreds and hundreds of feet: a few clouds glide past; farther down you can glimpse the chasm’s bed. This is the foundation of the city: a net which serves as passage and as support. All the rest, instead of rising up, is hung below: rope ladders, hammocks, houses made like sacks...trapezes and rings for children’s games, cable cars, chandeliers, pots with trailing plants.” Software used: Autodesk 3D Studio Max, Adobe Photoshop

HOLE FOODS: GROCERY STORE + OFFICE HEADQUARTERS + PARKING GARAGE Advanced Design Studio, Princeton University, Fall 2009 Our design problem was to create a building that included a grocery store, the company’s office headquarters, a parking garage, and complementary spaces such as restaurants. While analyzing grocery store design, I found a circulation study done by the Wharton Business School, which showed that instead of wandering down aisles, people prefer to stay in the open space around the perimeter of the store, a space they nicknamed ‘the racetrack.’ The diagram above represents the study’s conclusion about how people move through a grocery store. I used this study as a starting point and placed my main programmatic elements around the perimeter of the building (the odd shape stems from the given site). I worked off of this perimeter band and implemented a series of concentric rings of program (through eventually the rings become too small to be functional; at this point, I left a central void in the building). A system of concentric rings means that each layer has a very long interface where it touches the adjoining layer, and to take advantage of this opportunity, I created a system of short-circuits that allow people to move across this interface in a variety of ways. Some of the short circuits are circulation-based, providing a passage for people to move between layers. Other short-circuits and programmatic “islands” that house communal spaces and serve to partially fill up the central void. These islands act similarly to the circulation short-circuits, since they too overlap between layers and can serve as a passage. Software used: Autodesk AutoCAD & 3D Studio Max; Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator & InDesign; Rhinoceros 4.0

RENDERING HIGHLIGHTING SHORT-CIRCUITS

CHECKOUT

BAKERY CUSTOMER SERVICE

BULK STORAGE BULK STORAGE

CART STORAGE

GROCERY STORE PARKING GARAGE

LOADING DOCK

OFFICE HEADQUARTERS

OFFICES WASTE STORAGE

COMPLEMENTARY SPACES

SALES AREA

GROUND FLOOR SITE PLAN

SHORT-CIRCUITS BETWEEN RINGS & LAYERS (HUMAN SCALE) SHORT-CIRCUITS BETWEEN RINGS & LAYERS (AUTOMOBILE)

CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

PROGRAMMATIC DIAGRAM

CONCENTRIC RINGS SHORT-CIRCUITS BETWEEN RINGS & LAYERS ISLANDS AT CENTRAL VOID

FORMAL DIAGRAM

GROCERY STORE PARKING GARAGE OFFICE AREAS

I.T. ROOM

OFFICE HEADQUARTERS COMPLEMENTARY SPACES

LOUNGE

CONFERENCE ROOM B RECEPTION

CONFERENCE ROOM C

COPY ROOM

CONFERENCE ROOM D CONFERENCE ROOM A

LOUNGE

CEO OFFICE

CFO OFFICE

EXECUTIVE RECEPTION CGO OFFICE

PROGRAMMATIC DIAGRAM

SIXTH FLOOR PLAN

CONCENTRIC RINGS

SHORT-CIRCUITS BETWEEN RINGS & LAYERS (HUMAN SCALE)

SHORT-CIRCUITS BETWEEN RINGS & LAYERS

SHORT-CIRCUITS BETWEEN RINGS & LAYERS (AUTOMOBILE)

CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

ISLANDS @ CENTRAL VOID

FORMAL DIAGRAM

“SHORT-CIRCUIT” CONNECTIONS

INTERVALS

L STITCH

JAGGEDY HOURGLASS

HOCKEY STICK

ZIG ZAG

ZIG ZAG ZAAAG

ZIG ZAG

SLOW AND STEADY

ZIG ZAG

HOURGLASS

BANDAID VERTICAL STITCH

DEAD END

BOOMERANG

S I XTH F LOOR F I F TH F LOOR F OUR TH F LOOR THI R D F LOOR S E COND F LOOR GROUND F LOOR

S I XTH F LOOR F I F TH F LOOR F OUR TH F LOOR THI R D F LOOR S E COND F LOOR GROUND FLOOR

“FLOATING ISLAND” OVERLAPS

HORIZONTAL TRIPOD

T TIME

KETTLE WITH A SPOUT

VERTICAL TRIPOD

DOT

HORIZONTAL STITCH

FAT ZIG ZAG

BLOCK W/OUT BOUNDARIES

INVERTED HOURGLASS

FLOATING MATRIX

TINY BLOCK

BACK AGAINST THE WALL

RESULTING STRIATIONS IN THE RINGS/LAYERS

DIAGRAMS OF OVERLAPS & CONNECTIONS BETWEEN LAMINATED RINGS/LAYERS

DIAGRAM OF SHORT-CIRCUITS

DIAGRAM OF ISLANDS

EAST-WEST SECTIONS

NEW VISITOR CENTER AT ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Junior Independent Work, Princeton University, Spring 2009 Our studio began with the study of the Intracoastal Waterway, a manmade channel that runs the length of the Texas Coast. Each student in our class chose a specific portion of the coastline: in my case, the area near Aransas Pass. Here lies the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, home of the elusive whooping crane and a popular destination for serious birdwatchers. Our studio assignment was to reinvent the idea of the visitor center, so I wanted visitors to truly experience the refuge in all its glory, rather than just looking out of the air-conditioned car window as they drove through. Therefore, my visitor center becomes a journey on foot; visitors must hike along the coast, moving between different bird blinds as they travel along. These bird blinds provide a relatively luxurious interior space, a place to rest and relax before continuing on in the harsh outdoors. Above is a site plan showing the location of each of the elements of my visitor center: launching pads to take the ferry across the bay, observation towers, and of course the bird blinds, each of which are adapted to fit the topography of their exact location. Software used: Autodesk AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, ArcGIS

WEDGE SHAPED BIRD BLIND The broad viewing platform with vertical windows creates an optimal environment for observing whooping cranes

ALT. AXONOMETRIC

DETAIL OF BIRD BLIND VIEWING PLATFORM

AXONOMETRIC DRAWING

I built a quarter scale model of an interesting detail located at the endpoint of the viewing platform of one of the bird blinds. The materials I used are different types of wood; the different types represent the relative luxury of the interior as compared to the rough exterior, which almost blends into nature.

PRINCETON TOWNSHIP GREENWAY PROJECT Theories of Housing & Urbanism, Princeton University, Spring 2009 As a method of studying urbanism, we each picked a New Jersey town and were charged with the task of creating a ‘greenway’ for that specific town. This meant we first had to analyze the town and pick out significant features such as undeveloped land, public transportation routes, schools, hospitals, and popular hangout spots. We then had to figure out how to connect all of these features, or ‘nodes,’ with a greenway that both encourages outdoor activity as well as incorporates modern technology. This is my design for the Princeton greenway, which consists of a small urban loop (intended to blur the distinction between the university and the greater community) as well as a longer bike loop (that connects many important nodes and runs parallel to the river, canal, and tow path). Software used: ArcGIS, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator

PRINCETON TOWNSHIP

PRINCETON BOROUGH

LEGEND Urban Area Agricultural Land Barren land Empty State-Owned Land Forest Area Wetland Area Golf Course Other Recereational Land Water body

TYPES OF LAND USE

LEGEND NJ Transit Train Station NJ Transit Bus Station / Route Free Local Bus Station / Route Public Road System

TRANSPORTATION ROUTES

SHORTER URBAN LOOP

LONGER BIKE LOOP

PRELIMINARY LOCATION

FINAL GREENWAY LOCATION

SKIN

HINGING

HARD

SOFT

SOLID

MOVING

UNFOLDED FIRE STATION ANNEX M.Arch Studio, UC Berkeley, Fall 2010 In this project, we were asked to design an annex to an existing fire station in Berkeley, CA using the form of the fire engine as a catalyst for design. This building would house an additional fire engine, but more importantly, it would also serve as a public museum. When I began analyzing the fire engine, I was intrigued by its skin, so I started unfolding each of the surfaces. I found the process of unfolding to be especially interesting because it exposes interior space that was previously hidden. When placing my project in the site, I used the exact same logic that I had used with the fire engine. I first unfolded each of the buildings that bordered our site, and then I re-folded those individual surfaces in a new manner so that they would all fit within the site boundaries. In certain locations, I created new cuts and folds within a surface in order to make all spaces accessible (i.e. ramps and doors). Since I created the building through such a dynamic process, I did not want to lose the power of the fold. Therefore, certain surfaces still move according to a logic based on weather conditions and exhibition requirements. For example, if it’s cold and rainy outside, the building ‘closes up’ to protect visitors from the elements. Software used: Rhinoceros 4.0, Autodesk AutoCAD, Maxwell Render, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator

“CLOSED”

“OPEN”

HEARST AVENUE

HENRY STREET

SHATTUCK AVENUE

BERKELEY WAY

SITE PLAN 1/64” = 1’-0”

UNFOLDING THE SITE

A22 A20

A17

LABEL LEGEND: A23

A = TIPPING MAR ENGINEER ING OFFICES

A21

A19

A16

B = ORIGINAL SITE SURFACES C = TRIPLE ROCK BREWERY D = EXTENDED ORIGINAL SITE SURFACES A33

A18

A32

A24

A31

A30

South Side of Physical Model

A29

A26

A27

The diagram on the left shows how I unfolded each of the buildings that surrounded our site. I was able to unfold all of these surfaces without any cutting or overlapping, and the resulting diagram is the architectural equivalent of a bear skin rug. By folding only along the dotted lines of the existing folds, I was able to create an entirely new building that is wholly based on the site context.

A28

A25

A14

A13

A15

A11

North Side of Physical Model

A10

A7 A4 A6

A9 A3

A2 A5 A12

D7 B1

B2 D1 D6

D8 D5

PROJECT SITE

D10 D9 C2

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

1/32” = 1’-0”

COVERED GALLERY

OUTDOOR PUBLIC EXHIBITION AREA

FIRE ENGINE DRIVETHROUGH PATH

OUTDOOR GALLERY

FIRST FLOOR PLAN 1/32” = 1’-0”

LOBBY

MECH

FIRE ENGINE STORAGE C

EARLY STUDY MODELS

LONGITUDINAL SECTION - A

LONGITUDINAL SECTION - B

CROSS SECTION - D

CROSS SECTION - E