AREA SACRA MUSEUM
FALL 2022 (YEAR 5)
ROME, ITALY
TOKONOMA PODS
SUMMER 2022 (BUILDNER COMPETITION)
TOKYO, JAPAN
WIPPLE FAMILY FOREST
EDUCATION CENTER
SPRING & SUMMER 2022 (UDBS)
HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
NEW CARNEGIE LIBRARY
FALL 2021 (YEAR 4)
GREENWOOD, ARKANSAS
DERMITECTURE
SPRING 2021 (YEAR 3)
ARTWORK / GRAPHIC DESIGN
The aspirations that guided the design of the Area Sacra Museum were to provide relief from the busy city life of Rome while educating the public about the significant sight of Area Sacra. Largo di Torre Argentina is a recently recovered site of Rome’s ancient city that was once built over during the Middle Ages. The site now appears as a sunken landscape of ruins that is often overlooked by passers-by. How does one introduce a museum to bring life back to the site?
The design occupies the existing eastern wall that borders the site. The structure is composed of a bulked scaffolding system with metal grating that formulates the walking paths and display areas. The façade is created with a series of horizontal louvers that provide ventilation and views to the site. A skylight system framed by the structure is also utilized to highlight the displays and create a soft lit ambiance.
One enters through the existing medieval tower at the south end of the site and then transitions down into the museum or up to the observation deck. Once in the museum, the visitor is guided by the horizontal louvers to the different displays. The soft light from above lights the paths as the visitors move past the research facility in the existing wall to the main display where they can step even further down into the ruins. At three points of the promenade there are opportunities to move out of the museum on the elevated path and meander through the ruins of the four temples of Area Sacra—away from the business of the city and back in time to Ancient Rome.
In traditional Japanese architecture, the tokonoma is the focal point of the tatami room—an alcove with a sacred atmosphere. Within the beautifully shadowed recess, objects of importance are put on display to be viewed in admiration. Similarly, these meditation pods aim to capture the sanctified nature of the tokonoma by placing the user in a position of significance and encouraging them to focus inwards on their well-being.
The structure of each pod is composed of dimensional lumber joined together with traditional Japanese joinery—displaying the culture’s prestigious woodworking craft. From the exterior, the structural members form a framework around the plywood shell to honestly expose the interior space and formulate trust and understanding with the passersby. Covering the plywood shell are adhesive acoustic panels, which are typically utilized in cargo vans for insulation and noise cancellation. With the panels layered like shingles, they act not only as waterproofing, but also as insulation and sound proofing. The material partially reflects the surrounding environment allowing it to adapt to a variety of different locations in the Tokyo area.
Upon entering through the bifold door of the pod, the user is greeted with the genkan where they can relieve themselves of their shoes and belongings. The user then enters the sacred area. The delicate light trickling down from above is met by the still darkness of the alcove—a perfect unity. One rests in the tranquil shadows of the space, away from the chaotic world that awaits them outside, finally finding reconciliation with oneself.
In this UDBS studio, we were tasked to carry on the design work for the Wipple Family Forest Education Center that will be built at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I was assigned to focus on the unique triangulated NLT roof of the design, which involved full scale construction modeling as well as exploring options for the roof’s structure and terminations. The research was guided by the aspirations that the roof would be an education tool to display mass timber construction and that the majority of its parts could be constructed at the Fay Jones FAB Lab by students. With this in mind, the design evolved into a roof system composed of workable NLT panels that would span across concealed steel beams. This idea soon led to designing the composition of these panels which would allow for insulation, electricals, and ease of installation.
Moving forward during my summer internship with the UDBS studio, I was assigned to carry forward with the work that I had started. This involved exploring different roof forms that would provide optimal shading, drainage, and construction, all while meeting the aspirations of the project. This process was progressed through physical and digital modeling. By studying different roof forms and forming structural systems we were able to construct it at a 1” = 1’ scale. During the internship, we were able to visit the site and speak with the benefactors behind the project do further progress the design for the studio.
A1 - spatial element, drainage contributor
A2 - drainage contributor, spatial element
A3 - spatial element
A4 - lighting component, drainage contributor
C1 - lighting component
C2 - spatial element, drainage contributor
C3 - shading component, drainage contributor
C4 - spatial element, drainage contributor
C5 - drainage contributor, lighting component
E1 - lighting component, drainage contributor
E2 - drainage contributor, spatial element
E3 - spatial element, shading component
E4 - shading component, drainage contributor
E6 - drainage contributor, shading component
B1 - lighting component, primary drainage
B2 - drainage contributor, spatial element
B3 - drainage contributor, lighting component
D1 - lighting component, drainage contributor
D2 - drainge contributor, spatial element
D3 - lighting component
The form of the library consists of two main volumes and 3 voids that create the courtyard and breeze ways to provide natural light and ventilation into the building. The southern bar is then rotated to address and pay homage to the veteran’s memorial to the east. The large slanted roofs of the building are meant to resemble vernacular barn structures that are native to the rural greenwood area.
The sequence of spaces involves the use of compressed thresholds that connect and frame each program. A monochromatic exterior and interior is applied to showcase the timber structure, allowing it to stand out as a sculptural element throughout the building. The ground floor is connected to the main roadway and courtyard by large glazing, allowing passing observers to visually feel the sense of community and activity in the library. Zenithal light is utilized in the main reading spaces to separate visitors from the exterior and provoke strong imagination and creative thinking.
As global temperatures continue to rise, built environments and communities are becoming more susceptible to overheating. Overheating can lead to excessive energy consumption in buildings and health problems in people. DERMitecture aims to eliminate these problems by incorporating biomimicry research into an innovative facade system that can provide buildings and their inhabitants with passive cooling.
DERMitecture is derived from the natural process of sweating through human skin. When the body is overheated, the brain sends signals to activate the sweat glands, which release sweat from the pores of the skin. This sweat creates a moisture layer on the skin that aquits internal heat through evaporation--this is what cools the body.The natural form of the skin is observed as small divots, which helps hold the sweat for efficient evaporation. Both the form and the cooling process of the facade system was evolved by this research.
The overall system is composed of individual pores or units, which are organized on a grid--allowing for a wide range of aesthetic opportunities and glazing configurations. Foam-based aerated concrete is the main material of each pore for its light weight and porosity to hold more water for evaporation. Rain water is collected on site and distributed by a computerized compressor through a system of pipes. With a 360 degree misting nozzel at the center of each pore, water is evenly dispensed on the facade for efficient cooling processes.
