Devon Duffin Portfolio

DEVON J. DUFFIN

Masters of Architecture - portfolio 2017 student work

DEVON J. DUFFIN UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SAN ANTONIO 2017 MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON 2012 BACHELOR OF SCIENCE, POLITICAL SCIENCE MINOR OF ARCHITECTURE

CONTENTS PROJECTS SAN PEDRO CREEK: OFFICE + RESIDENCE San Antonio, TX P.1 A NEW GROUND PLANE Wan Chai, Hong Kong

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HOUSING FOR THE FLAT CITY: AGGREGATE HOUSE San Antonio, TX

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MAGGIES CANCER CENTER San Antonio, TX

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BUILT WORK CHAIR + TABLE P.25

SAN PEDRO CREEK: ARCHITECTURE OFFICE + RESIDENCE

PERSPECTIVE

The San Pedro Creek has mostly been forgotten about as a creek since its transformation into a drainage ditch in the early 1900’s. Bexar County and the City of San Antonio Are investing in a rehabilitation project for the creek, mirroring the Riverwalk in the heart of San Antonio. This project aims to take advantage of the expected changes and help to redensify the mostly vacant downtown San Antonio. The site of 202 Delarosa street was chosen for this project for its prime choice of historic vacant buiildings with the Arana and soon to be vacant Metro Health building, sitting on the western shore of the creek.

“Many times mistaken for a drainage ditch, modest San Pedro Creek is a functional but unsightly creek that runs through the historic Westside of downtown San Antonio. In attempt to reconstitute its life-giving qualities, reflect on its rich history and create a sense of place, Bexar County and the San Antonio River Authority, in coordination with the City of San Antonio have undertaken the San Pedro Creek improvements Project.”

-Creek project design team.

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3/32" = 1'-0" Level 2

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3/32" = 1'-0" Level 1

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2” STANDING SEAM METAL ROOF

NOM. 2”X6” WOOD PURLIN 10: DOUBLE C STEEL COLUMN 10” x 10” CUT SHAFT 2”x10” RECLAIMED JOISTS

BATT. INSULATION

1” EMBEDED WELD PLATE

BATT. INSULATION

5/8” PLYWOOD SHEATHING

6” MIN. SLAB

5/8” GYPSUM WALLBOARD

1' - 10"

3/4” LAG BOLT

EXTERIOR ALUMINUM CLADDING

ALUMINUM WALL PANEL

10” DOUBLE C CHANNEL STEEL COLUMN

0' - 6"

3/4” PLYWOOD DECKING

4” BATT. INSULATION 8.75”x18” GLULAM BEAM 1/2” STEEL GUSSET PLATE

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DETAIL 4 =3/4" = 1'-0"

DETAIL 2 3/4" = 1'-0"

2' - 3"

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DETAIL 1 =3/4" = 1'-0"

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3 A103

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1” ANCHOR BOLTS

1” EMBEDED WELD PLATE 1' - 10" 0' - 6"

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3/4” GUSSET PLATE

6” MIN. SLAB

2 A103

2' - 3"

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SECTION 1 NORTH WALL 3/8" = 1'-0"

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FINDING NATURE: THE NEW GROUND PLANE •DEAN’S AWARD - BEST THESIS PROJECT•

HONG KONG HARBOUR

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HONG KONG HARBOUR WAN CHAI DISTRICT

When examining urban centers considered the least “natural”, one city consistently remains near the top, Hong Kong. Hong Kong displays a set of conditions found few places in the world. Factors such as population density and building density contribute to Hong Kong’s consideration as one of the least natural urban centers.

Coupled with the ad hoc pedestrian circulation system of cat walks that have arose from the expanding roadways and an increasing amount of car ownership.

Hong Kong becomes the prime example of a city that requres a “new ground” in order for pedestrians and cyclists to reclaim their city.

New Ground Plane Attaching buildings

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WHY THE 14TH FLOOR? With the sheer height and volume of buildings the inhabitants of the city are compacted in area and elevated vertically.

FINDING NATURE: A NEW GROUND PLANE

When viewing the population in elevation from the heighest floor to the ground floor, the average number of people are on the 14th floor. At any given time their are more people closer to the 14th floor than the ground.

The effects of the environment on health have increasingly been researched in scientific disiplines. While health has directly been related to the medical and scientific fields of study, environment remains the responsibility of the designer. Research has repeatedly show a direct correlation between humans in contact with nature, holding positive mental states and recovering quicker from illness. As the designer how do we indentify which principles in nature trigger healing? How do we capture and incorporate these principles into a design in a meaningful way?

As Hong Kong vehicle ownership endlessly expands so does the roads. The city is in the midst of construction planning to remove already crowded sidewalks to make room for more vehicle traffic.

If a created space has the capacity to do psychological, physcal, and social damage or possibly healing to its inhabitants, should that not be at the forefront of design research? Unknowling creating an environment that is conducive to anxiety or stress is equally damaging to its occupants as knowingly doing so. If there is potential to create a healthier environment would that not be a desirable practice?

The far majority of this city travels by foot. With removal of the sidewalks, where do the people go? Up.

It is the designer’s endeavor to research and apply these findings in order to create an environment that can best aid inhabitants in relieving stress and anxiety.

There currently exists an extensive but random assortment of catwalks streaming from tower to tower in Hong Kong.

Yet, to reach ones destination, several floor changes, and multiple direction and building changes must be made before completion.

1. THE STUDY OF BIOPHILIA

The New Ground Plane connects both ends of the city together. Financial district, Arts, Shopping, Trade, and Housing are all met by the new plane.

“It is becoming increasingly clear the biophilic elements have real, measurable benefits relative to such human performance metrics as productivity, emotional well-being, stress reduction, learning and healing.” (Kallert, Heerwagen, Mador, 2008). There have been several experiments that conclude that the presence of a natural environment provides a measurable benefit to human beings. Roger Ulrich conducted an experiment in which he examined patient revovery records from a specific hospital over a nine year period. This hospital had two wings of recovery rooms, one facing a view of deciduous trees, the other facing a brown brick wall. Ulrich noticed the patients recovered almost a full day faster and the nurses records indicated the wing with the natural view had four times fewer negative comments vs patients with the other view.

With the knowledge of man evolving in nature and a studied link of its healing properties to which people are exposed, the question arises, why the evidence of biophilic principles is not expressed in mainstream design? Architect’s hold a great power, through design they cultivate culture and control atmosphere. People are exposed to constructed artificial environmments for long hours daily. what unplanned damage is being wrought exposing people to unengaged design?

Why the 14th floor?

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2. TESTING THE MIND If the environment can have an effect on its inhabitants, in either a positive or negative way, the question then becomes; how can one test and identify these principles? By subjecting people to “biophillic” and non-biophillic stimuli, a test can be recorded using a mobile electro-encephalogram (EEG). This tool is one of the many which can help identify a peson’s emotional state. The differences in brain mapping of the relative high-beta wave in the temporal lobe can be useful when assessing participants’ stress.” (Choi, Kim, Chun, 2014).

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3. PRINCIPLES & PATTERNS

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The Voronoi pattern is one of the most reoccuring patterns in nature. Example: Dried mud, Giraffe hair color, Insect wings

Expanding hexagonal pattern.

Random generation

Voronoi pattern 2

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WOOD DECKING

23'6"

35'1"

PLANTER BOX BELOW DECK 5' 1/2"

UTILITY DECK

4.5” O.D. SCHD. 40 T.S, TOP & BOTTOM CHORD 41'6"

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MODEL PIC

MODEL PIC

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SAN ANTONIO 2040: NEW HOUSING MODELS FOR THE FLAT CITY

Early conceptual massing

“The metro areas in Texas are all going to boom, we don’t need to compete for growth, its going to happen.”

-Mike Frisbie, director of the San Antonio transportation and Capital improvements Department.

One million people will move to San Antonio in the next 25 years, a demographic influx will bring the population of the city from 1.4 million to 2.4 million by 2040. It will also add 500,000 jobs and require 500,000 units of housing.

All of this growth in a city that already added 430,000 people in the last ten years, Where will these people go?

Where will we locate the jobs? where will we build the housing?

If current growth trends hold, the growth is set to take place at the suburban periphery: between the years 2000-2010 the growth rate outside of Loop 1604 registered 233%, while the growth rate inside Loop 410 stood at a modest 1%. During the same time period, growth of the Inner City limped in at -3%. These trends represent a historical pattern of concentric growth, one that began in the late nineteenth century with the advent of the electric streetcar, and continued throughout the twentieth century with the introduction of the automobile, the construction of the federal interstate system, and the introduction of the metropolitan ring-roads. A continuation of this

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pattern would double the size of San Antonio’s footprint by 2040, from 500 square miles to more than

1,000 square miles. The negative financial impact of this scenario would be severe in a city and state that already struggle to meet annual obligations towards public infrastructure. The ecological consequences, particularly as they relate to carbon emissions and water supply, would be equally daunting.

STUDIO The studio explored the new form of the 500,000 units of housing, set to be built in the next twenty-five years. The location, design, construction and financing of these units will make an indelible impact on the physical, ecological, social and financial landscape of the next San Antonio.

What will these units look like formally? Where will they be built? At what density? What will be their relationship to existing urban fabric?

-Exerpt from “San Antonio 2040”

(studio produced reseach book)

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Spatial diagramming

Outdoor space

Stair Corridor

Living space

Garage/Laundry

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Some of the highest total land value exists along the Fredericksburg corridor. In between these cost spikes exist areas of oppurtunity for residential development. Just outside of the downtown region and within the 410 loop, endures aging suburbs that have have been subjected to decay.

These depreciated neighborhoods offer a great value for development and repopulation.

SITE FINDING Some of the highest total land value ecists along the Fredericksburg corridor. Between these cost spikes exist areas of oppurtunity for residential development. Just outside the downtown region and within the 410 loop, endures aging suburbs that have been subjected to decay.

COST & ADACENCY FREDERICKSBURG

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I-10 1 04 INTERSECTION SE SE I-10 & 1604 INTERSECTION 04

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COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIA M A RESIDENTIA 410 1604 BETT BETWEEN EEN 410 AND N 1& 04 VACANT CITYC CENTER ACANT CI CITY I CENTER

$17 1 MILLION MI ION

UPSCA ECOMMERCIA UPSCALE COMMERCIAL OUTSIDE 1 04 &RESIDENTIA RESIDENTIAL OUTSIDE 1604

1 MILLION M ION $13 AGING A INNER RING G SUB SSUBUR SUBURBS UB UB BUR BU BURB UR U R AGING INNER RING SUBURBS MI

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$ 3.3 MILLION . M M MI ION

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AUSTIN HWY.

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FREDERICKSBURG

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BO RUR ND ND SUBURB UBU U BU U N BOTH RURAL ANDL SUBURBAN 1604 1604& I-10 I 10 0

VACANT C CITY N CCICENTER CENEE ER I 10 E

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INNER SSUBURBS U AGING GING INNERIIN RINGRING SUBURBS

RUR L RURAL UNDE E ELO E EDRURAL RU RUR L LAND UNDEVELOPED L ND

$3.3 Million $3.3 MILLION

$640,850.00 $640,850.00 ,850 $1.59 Million $1.59 MILLION

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$1.1 MILLION

$1.1 MILLION $

LO LD U DEVELOPMENT RURAL 0 O OU SOFD1604 OUTSIDE

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LL O 0. MILLION $10.8

LL O $2 MILLION

LL O . MILLION $3.3

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RURAL AREA

RURAL RAL AL AREA

AGING INNER A

SUBURBS CITY CENTER

AGING INNER RING SUBURBS

AGING INNER A SUBURBS

BROOKS CITY ITY Y

BROOKS BASE CITY BASE

$2.2$2.2MILLION MILLION

$3 $3MILLION MILLION $1.9$1.9 MILLION MILLION

$3.3 MILLION $ $3. $3 L $3.3 MILLION

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Total site Building footprint Number of units Unit types Unit 1 Outdoor Unit 2 Outdoor Unit 1&2 Indoor Units per acre

9,600 Sf. 5,100 Sf. 7 2 450 Sf. 250 Sf. 1,100 Sf. 35

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SECTION 3

WEST ELEVATION

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EAST ELEVATION

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PREFORATED STEEL

PREFORATED STEEL

INC PANELING 1

ZINC PANELING

WOOD DECKING

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BOARD FORMED CONCRETE

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MAGGIE’S CANCER CENTER

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“I just felt the building enveloped me in love...it’s bright, it’s light and the first thing you do is smile.”

Trudy McLeay, Maggie’s Centrer visitor

MAGGIES PURPOSE Maggie’s Cancer Center is a facility that provides free practical, emotional and social support to people with cancer and their family and friends. The plan to correctly address cancer care was set forth and named after Maggie Keswick Jencks and followed to completion by her husband. Maggie carried a strong belief that people should not “lose the joy of living in the fear of dying”. They have cleverly planned the centers within walking distance from NHS (national health Services) cancer treatment facilities, as well as having professional staff on hand to offer the support people need. Their Centers are places to find practical advice about benefits and eating well; places where qualified experts provide emotional support, places to meet other people, and places where you can simply sit quietly with a cup of tea. Since its founding in 1996 Maggie’s has opened 19 cancer centers across the UK and western Europe and a new clinic on the horizon in Hong Kong.

THE INTENDED The program and design must keep to the understanding that their clients are either about to or have embarked on the toughest fight of their lives and the emotional toll a diagnosis of cancer can take. In keeping with the intended client ailment, there is a likely possibility that the clients are also attending invasive treatment. To address this, the site must have an easily walkable adjacency to an oncology clinic as required by the founder. Furthermore, special attention must be paid to the aspect of ADA. In this line of programing the minimum requirement is not a sufficient landing point when addressing accessibility. Patients amy range physically from the appearance of perfect health to low mobility, weakened or wheel chair only. As stated by Maggie Jencks intention and visitors to the centers, people are seeking an emotional and intellectual enlightment. Attention must be paid to lighting, material and texture. It is undesirable for the project to carry thefeel of a medical facility. The feel could derive from design features, such as, flourescent lighting with a lack ofnatural light, uniform hung ceilings, vct flooring, medical equipment, medical personel. Even the small elementssuch as facility maps contribute to an environment of a large scale commercial building. The intention of Maggiesclearly states, they wish to distance themselves form the commercial hospital environment, to “bring people home”.

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Plywood Chair- made with Baltic Birch 1/2” plywood. Designed then cut by CNC, followed by lamination of legs and arm rests. Living joint incorporated into seat and backrest.

Cypress Table- crafted from Pecky Cypress, cavities filled with solar charging blue glow powder mixed into casting epoxy. table legs made from 4”x1/4” flat bar steel, cut and welded.

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DEVON J. DUFFIN

Masters of Architecture - portfolio 2017 student work