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Archi te c t ure & D e si gn Po r t fo lio 2015 Dy l a n J o h n sto n
C O NTEN TS
Grey Nuns Motherhouse
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Mapped Ground
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House Analysis
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Pompidou Metz
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Salvage Build
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Tokyo Replay Center
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Paper Folding
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Construction Detail
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Photography
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GREY NUNS MOTHERHOUSE A Masterplan to adapt Concordia University’s Faculty of Fine Arts Department on a landmark heritage site in downtown Montreal.
With Alex Chan + Neil Yan.
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Photo credit: Claude-Philippe Benoit, 2008.
An Urban Artifact
— Concordia University’s acquisition of a large landmark site in downtown Montreal accelerated plans to migrate its Faculty of Fine Arts Department to a new location in the downtown core. The heritage-designated Motherhouse site was acquired through the Grey Nuns, also known as the Sisters of Charity, who were a Roman Catholic institution founded in 1738. The Sisters vacated the 150 year old site in 2013, leaving behind the complex, including a centralized chapel and basement crypt containing the remains of former Sisters. The aim of this project was to adapt the Motherhouse site into an appropriate Faculty of Fine Arts complex which would infuse the public spaces of the city with that of the institution.
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R e d eve l o p m e n t S t ra t e g y Strong geometric volumes containing new public and institutional program were added to the site in an effort to decentralize the existing motherhouse co m p l ex a n d c h a p e l . H e r ita g e considerations took a backseat in lieu of creating a functional and relevant site which could serve as a public anchor point for the downtown area. On the southern half of the site, the primary entrance stairs to the chapel were been removed in favour of a ceremonial ramp down to the crypt space underneath the chapel. The ramp offers a separate entrance for public visitation of former Grey Nuns members which is autonomous from the rest of the complex. A large triangularprism hosting large public lectures protrudes into the grounds from the basement below. On the northern half of the site, large workshop and gallery spaces were carved out underground and protrude upwards into the motherhouse grounds. A large space for performances opens up towards rue Ste Catherine to create a public space within the institution. Two large steel and glass atriums puncture through the length of the motherhouse facade, bridging the two halves of the site together and creating vital ciculation points for the complex. Studio spaces , clas srooms , and administrative of fices occupy the traditional spaces within the motherhouse walls. The centralized chapel has been reconfigured to serve the institution as a repository for creative work.
Left: Physical model of motherhouse site with proposed changes and additions. Opposite: Figure-ground, downtown Montreal, QC. Red: Motherhouse complex. Blue: buildings owned by Concordia University. Existing blue buildings on motherhouse site demolished to open up the site to the public.
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RUE STE-CATHE RINE
Site Plan E
Entrances FAUBOURG TOWER
02A
01 02B
A
Faculty/Admin Entry
B
Creative Therapy Entry
C
Student Entry
D
Crypt Entry
E
Public Entry
03B
C
C
03A
05
04
03C
Y RUE GU
RUE SAINT MATHIEU
Program Distribution
06 07
03D
C 08
09 11
10
A
12
13
A
14A
15A
15A
16
14B
C C 17 18 19
21
20
B 22
24 D B 23
RENÉ LÉVESQUE BLVD
1
Black-box/Performance
2
Student Gallery
3
Workshop
4
Student Lounge
5
Kitchen
6
Eating Area
7
Cafeteria
8
Outdoor Seating
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Chapel Repository
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Office
11
Classroom
12
Lockers
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Computer Lounge
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Atrium + Circulation
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Co-op Gallery
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Admin Offices
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Office
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Crypt Entry Ramp
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Large Lecture Hall
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Computer Lab
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Washrooms
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Creative Art Therapy Room
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Gardens
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Outdoor Theatre
Geometry
Program
Ovoid
Black-box
Cube
Atrium
Cube
Workshop
Prism
Lecture Hall
Arc
Gallery
Blob
Repository
Funnel
Crypt Entrance
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Overall view of motherhouse model. Large workshop areas and gallery spaces underground puncture through to the surface.
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Drawings — Top Left: South elevation of the historic motherhouse facade with proposed changes. Left: Perspective view from rue Saint Mathieu. Below: North/South section through site. Right: Section through chapel. The former chapel has become a repository space for the creative work of the institution. Top Right: Overall view of workshop areas and interconnecting spaces.
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MAPPED GROUND An interactive earthquake map of Kathmandu, Nepal.
With David Perl + Nam Hoang.
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An Urban Emergency The settlements of the Kathmandu Valley are among the oldest civilizations in ancient Asian history. Centuries of autonomous development in fertile lands contained by the Himalayas created a region known for it’s vibrant culture and strong religious underpinnings. Today, Kathmandu presents an interesting paradox: it is one of the world’s least urbanized countries, yet it is among the fastest urbanizing. Over the past several decades, the valley has realized some of the fastest growth and transformation of urban morphology on earth.
Above: Interactive earthquake map of Kathmandu, Nepal. Layers can be pealed off to reveal the affected city underneath. Exhibited at the Center for City Ecology, Toronto, 2015.
Left: Data layer. Earthquake vulnerability. Darker areas represent urban fabric at greatest risk; lighter areas represent fabric at least risk.
Poor urban planning and lack of proper infrastructure to handle swelling development has resulted in a fragmented city. Poor building construction and lack of vehicular access to many areas leave the city vulnerable in the event of a disaster. In 1934, an 8.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Kathmandu Valley, damaging 310,000 homes and killing 17, 000 people. If an earthquake of the same magnitude were to hit the Valley today, it is estimated that 50% of the regions buildings would fall, and 10-15% of the populace (about 112,500 people), would be killed.
Left: City Layer. Satellite imagery. The dense city of Kathmandu, Nepal.
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HOUSE ANALYSIS Architectural analysis and addition to Shigeru Ban’s Picture Window House.
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Above: Grade-roof sectional isometric. Graphite on paper 24x36�. 12
Above: Wood and plexiglass model. 1:100.
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A Lens The Picture Window House frames different views of the landscape through a fifteen-meter open span and sliding glass doors which open the home completely to nature. On the second level, an elongated washroom acts as a major circulation space to four bedrooms, also serving as a communal washroom. Large panes of glass in the bathroom look out into the adjacent woods.
Plans: Bathroom Addition Variations Exterior
A. Fully closed. Maximum interior space for use during cold
Interior
seasons.
Exterior
Water, Mirrors and Revolving Doors An addition to the communal washroom on the second floor which follows the thesis of the house was created. A series of revolving mirrored-glass doors open the bathroom space to the landscape. Doors can be rotated into different positions to create spaces for showering, changing, or to simply open or close the space in different ways. Mirrored glass refracts light and reflections of the landscape into the washroom.
B. Fully closed. Maximum exterior space for showering and bathing
Interior
outside during warmer seasons. Exterior
C. Fully open. Mirrored glass refracts light and images of landscape
Interior
inside.
Exterior
D. Open and closed. Revolving doors create private enclosures for
Interior
showering and changing.
Above: Photographs of the Picture Window House, Shizuoka, Japan. The living room frames a view onto Pacific Ocean; large glass windows in the washroom above look onto nearby woods.
Above: Concept model. Revolving doors rotate into various positions to change the configuration and function of the washroom.
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POMPIDOU METZ A scale recreation of a contemporary art gallery in Metz, France.
With Hugo Wong and Troy Whalen.
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Above: Final model. 1:750 laminated wooden-veneer recreation of Centre Pompidou Metz.
Above: Physical and digital iterations required to create the final model.
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Process Several iterations of physical and digital models were required to create the final model. Starting with a basic wire-frame created from welded steel rods, a general shape of the structure was made. Nylon fabric was stretched over top of the wire-frame to create the natural contours of the structure. A digital model was created from measurements taken at 1� intervals on a grid underneath, and used to CNC cut a mould from several layers of OSB. The mould was glue laminated together, refined by hand, and then used to heat-press six layers of wooden veneer strips to create the final scale model. 17
Above
Opposite
Top Left: Drilling holes at one inch intervals into an MDF base to create a grid of reference points for measurements.
Top Left: Trimming excess material off the OSB mould.
Top Right: Stretching nylon fabric over steel wire framework. Bottom Left: Sewing the nylon fabric onto the framework. Bottom Right: CNC cutting an OSB mould in several layers from a digital model created using measurements from the initial model.
Centre: Glue-laminating CNC cut layers. Top Right: Refining the mould by hand. Bottom: Heat-pressing wooden veneer strips onto the mould in layers to form the final model.
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SALVAGE BUILD Re-envisioning the studio workspace for architecture students at Carleton, using reclaimed parts and found objects.
Project team: Adriel Yu, Alex Chan, Clement Gosselin, Macy Laporte, Roy Salibi.
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Re-creating An Architecture Studio The use of drafting tables declined every year in architecture studios at Carleton. By third year, most students abandoned the drafting table completely, preferring instead to work digitally on a laptop or in the computer lab. As a result, the studio environment became cluttered with unused drafting tables. This design-build project aimed to create a more efficient working environment in the studio with the following goals: 1. Generate a more useful working table using parts from leftover drafting tables. 2. Find a more compact solution to keep some of the drafting tables for the students that still use them.
Above: Sketches to inventory available parts from existing drafting tables.
Below: A studio full of unused drafting tables, inventory of a typical student’s tools, disassembly of a drafting table for parts.
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Working Table + Storage Unit
Above: Working prototype made from drafting table parts, found objects, and plywood.
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Exploded Axonometric 3/8" WHITE PLEXIGLASS
3/8" CLEAR PLEXIGLASS
1/2" PLYWOOD
1/2" STEEL ROD
2” RECTANGULAR STEEL TUBING (FROM EXISTING DRAFTING TABLE)
1/8" SHEET METAL (FROM EXISTING DRAFTING TABLE)
3" STEEL HINGE
STEEL CLASP LOCK
2" STEEL PIPE (FROM EXISTING DRAFTING TABLE)
3/4" BIRCH PLYWOOD
1/4" STEEL BRACKET
1/8” STEEL BRACKET (FROM EXISTING DRAFTING TABLE) MILK CRATE
1/8" WOOD SCREW
2" RECTANGULAR STEEL TUBING (FROM EXISTING DRAFTING TABLE)
2" STEEL CASTER W/ LOCK
1/4" CARRIAGE BOLT W/ NUT
Drafting Board A
Combined
Drafting Board B
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Suspended Drafting Table
Above: A working drafting table prototype was made from CNC cut plywood and found parts. The drafting tables were suspended on rails which were previously used for partition walls. Drafting tables could be used and then stacked away at either side.
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Exploded Axonometric
1/2” CARRIAGE BOLT (W/ NUT) 2” STEEL ROLLER (FROM EXISTING STUDIO PARTITION) 1/8” STEEL ROLLER ASSEMBLY 1/4” CARRIAGE BOLT (W/ NUT) 3/4” BIRCH PLYWOOD (MITERED 45°) 3/4” BIRCH PLYWOOD
3/4” GROOVED BIRCH PLYWOOD (MITRED 45°) 3/4” BIRCH PLYWOOD (MITERED 45°)
1/8” NOTCHED STEEL ANGLE (FROM EXISTING DRAFTING TABLE)
1/4” WOODEN DOWEL
3/4” BIRCH PLYWOOD
1/2” STEEL ROD
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TOKYO REPLAY CENTER Competition entry for a new multimedia center in downtown Tokyo.
With Nam Hoang
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The Mixing Chamber. Media rooms hang above convention spaces like stalactites. 26
Sm M
Multimedia Room Cluster: Different sizes of rooms accommodate various groups of users.
Above: Perspective view of the Replay Center.
A Center for Entertainment
Tier 1 - Public Square
Tier 3 - Media Rooms
Tokyo Replay Center (TRC) is a new entertainment and leisure center in downtown Tokyo. Here users can rent ‘multi-media rooms’ for karaoke, watching films, playing video games, or viewing comics and anime. It’s a place where people can find the latest releases and the most desirable classics. An extensive menu of food and drink completes the experience.
At ground level the Replay Center opens up to the street becoming a main through-fare and meeting place for Tokyo’s Akihabara District. A large convention space, shops, and temporary installations are found here. Users can book multimedia rooms, purchase tickets for upcoming shows and events, or simply pass through.
Media rooms —the ‘raison d’etre’, are hung from the floor slab above like stalactites. Each room has access to a wealth of media: music, film, video-games, and anime can be accessed via online databases. This is a space for private interaction: users can explore the latest trends or nostalgically fall back on old ones.
Tier 2 - Mixing Chamber
Tier 4 - Presentation
The Mixing Chamber is ground zero. It is the inter-space between all surrounding programmatic elements and offers the most engagement and interaction between users. Kiosks, food stalls, reading areas, displays, and direct access to media rooms both above and below are located in this tier.
The presentation tier is the hosting space for venues and events. Large auditorium spaces become the place for concerts, shows, competitions, and large annual events.
TRC seeks to capture connectivity: it acts as a filter and facilitator for the sharing of countless memories, experiences , and emotional reactions to anime, movies, videogames, and music.
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L
Right: Perspective view of the Replay Center from the street.
+ 40.00m roof Tier 4 Auditoriums Pre-event space
+ 34.00m convention C
Bar Dance
+ 35.50m pre-function
Tier 2
+ 27.00m media rm. tier F
Mixing chamber + 23.50m media rm. tier E
Restaurant Food kiosks
+ 20.00m media rm. tier D
Shops
+ 30.50m convention B + 13.00m media rm. tier C Tier 1
+ 9.50m media rm. tier B
Public square
+ 6.00m
Convention
media rm. tier A
+ 0.00m CORE A
Above: Elevation view of the Replay Center.
CORE B
CORE C
convention A
Tier 3: Multimedia Rooms
Circulation Three structural elevators pierce through the building tiers vertically, moving users quickly to different destinations. Escalators move users between tiers slowly, allowing interaction between people and engagement with the building.
Right: Circulation between tiers. Escalators move users between tiers slowly, allowing eyes to gaze upon the surrounding building.
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PAPER FOLDING Paper-folded works: installations, sculptures, lamps, and experiments in form.
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Pendant Light at Makeshift Studio, Toronto. 30
Above: Paper Pendant Light at Makeshift Studio.
Below: Paper Totems.
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32
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Modular paper installation at Toronto Arts & Fashion Week, 2015.
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CONSTRUCTION DETAIL Technical wall-detail at grade: medium-density residential.
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W1 EXTERIOR
50
50
16
140
INTERIOR
13 11
KITCHEN
A01
01
F1
12
02
13 +100.00
FINISHED FLOOR LEVEL
4 03
14 19
04 05 235
06 07 08
15 16
09
FN1
STUDY
10
300
89
13
B01
1000
G1
89
50
100
70
2% SLOPE MIN
200
10
36
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CONSTRUCTION NOTES 01
16 PLYWOOD SHEATHING MECHANICALLY FASTENED WITH SCREWS TO 38 X 140 WOOD STUD
02
03
04
05
06
SILL PLATE TO CONCRETE FOUNDATION WALL VERTICALLY AND 400 O.C. HORIZONTALLY WITH #8 SCREWS
07
08
09
10
11
12
38 X 140 WOOD STUD AT 400 O.C. 38 X 140 WOOD STUD CANTILEVERED STUD ON 38 X 89 BOTTOM PLATE, FILLED WITH 50 SEMI RIGID
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A3 38
PHOTOGRAPHY ABROAD Photographs taken during my study abroad term in Australia.
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Thank you! —
Dylan Johnston +1 519 330 3104 dylanjohnston17@gmail.com www.dyljohnston.com