architectural portfolio by Elise Mascitelli

ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO ELISE SELLS

2014

contents

architecture

bathhouse modern house competition mammoth museum threshold house

design-build

the toney house

01 02 03 04 05

bathhouse 01 architecture

exercise in context and atmosphere 2013 3

bathhouse

01 master studio Telluride, CO “As We Learn to Read the Land, We Learn to Hear Ourselves” Peter Stutchbury

The Colorado Master Studio was a one week design charette that took place in Telluride, CO. During the week, students were placed into groups of 4 and were asked to analyze site conditions and program with the intent of identifying specific connections to the surroundings. Our observations were then applied to a given program and carried out into designs under the guidance of three international recognized tutors, Rick Joy, Richard Lepistier and Peter Stutchbury. The week culminated in the final critique by the tutors. Our group’s inspiration was taken from water’s powerful presence in the valley where Telluride rests. Telluride sits in a box canyon nestled below peaks to her North, South and East. Water plummets down a 375 foot water fall at the head of the valley. Bridal Veil Falls, fed by a glacier filled lake 10,000 ft above, is the source for the San Miguel River below. The San Miguel begins its journey to the Pacific Ocean in Telluride. It is here where the river is its freshest, most youthful and most commanding. Our goal with the Bathhouse was to showcase water’s influence on Telluride canyon, the town, it’s residents and visitors. Telluride’s existence, orientation and survival are all in-part determined by water. The visual presence of Bridal Veil Falls accompanied by the sound of the river echoing between the canyon walls evokes a feeling of rejuvenation. Our group insisted on designing a Bathhouse whose architecture magnified water’s influence on the land, on the town and on the people.

END OF SKI DAY

entry rendering

bathhouse

01 point where river is heard and peaks come into view

busiest urban corner

path of least resistance

path of greatest resistance

strong up stream movement

first sketch of entry

EVALUATING SITE

final destination

birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view of canyon

The site rests on the Southernmost edge of

There are moments on site where either the urban context dominates or where the natural

town trapped between the river and the urban

environment dominates. The border closest the town, the North property line, is the highest

context. The town rises slowly towards the

point on the site. There the forest and the river seem irrelevant. Entering the middle of the

North, following the softer slope of the Southern

site, the town slowly begins to disappear behind the sound of the river and the towering

face. South of the river the mountains climb and

mountain to the South. At the furthest edge, the town vanishes and the movement of the

dominantly look back over the site.

river, the water fall and the steep slope of the canyon are all one notices.

section sketch through valley

bathhouse

snowy moon lit night

birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view of site

bathhouse

Overriding Concept: SUBTRACTED SOLID The inspiration for our concept came from observing how water moves and shapes Telluride. Water carves the valley out from the surrounding mountains. The erosion can be quick and violent and leave behind jagged scars. At other times, the erosion takes thousands of years to softly shape rock into smooth glass-like surfaces. As the river tears down the mountain side and winds through the valley bottom, it creates diverse tactile environments. The varying textures, forms, sounds and sensual experiences inspired each unique space in the Bathhouse.

solid concrete mass diagram Subtraction 1 PUSH

Subtraction 2 PULL

When the mass is pushed in, the concrete texture changes from smooth to rough

Our group envisioned concrete as our building material. Concrete can communicate a continuous solid mass and take on endless textures. We imagined a simple solid form being pushed, pulled and carved away by water to reveal a multitude of experiences articulated by different textures, lighting, sounds, smells and temperatures. Water was to remain the star of the building. Preserving a subtractive language was paramount to displaying subtracted SOLID

section perspective at entry

waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressive nature.

subtractions diagram

Subtraction 3 CARVE When the mass is carved out, the concrete texture changes from smooth to rough

bathhouse

river room

bath 1

bath 2

roof top bath

semi private bath

public bath

formal reception

entry threshold

entry procession

entry courtyard

reception

changing rooms

bath 3 bath 1 private bath

bath bath 2 bath 3 bath 2 2 semi private bath public bath

sauna plunge pool

longitudinal section 1

longitudinal section 2

section perspective at river rooms bath 4

sauna

roof top

plunge pool

bath 1

river room

roof top bath

covered bath

section perspective through baths

program continued In addition to the multi-sensual bathing experiences, the program called for a sauna and meditation room. The sauna room takes on a completely different personality. Instead of a wet atmosphere created by water and steam, the sauna is heated using coals allowing for the room to remain completely dry. It is kept at 158 degrees Fahrenheit. The plunge pool is the highlight of the sauna room. It pushes through the Southern facade and allows light to filter in. It is kept just above freezing and has a depth of 7â&#x20AC;&#x2122; allowing for a full-body plunge. In the winter months, the pool is fed by recent snow fall. The sauna room along with the plunge pool stimulate our bodies sensitivity to touch and extreme temperatures. Our group decided to call the meditation room, river rooms. There are three river rooms on the southern most edge of the building, closest and parallel to the river. The rooms offer no exterior views and remain mostly dark. The limited light that reaches the interior comes from tiny slights in the facade. These apertures capture and amplify the sound of the rushing water. While lying on a river rock bed, surrounded by darkness, the sound of the river becomes paramount. This space is truly meditative.

program The bathhouse program consists of a variety of bathing experiences, unique rooms to stimulate user senses and service areas including changing rooms and formal reception. Bath 1 dominates the roof. It is public and entirely exposed to the elements. By sinking it down and elevating roof elements to create forced views, users are unaware of the surrounding buildings and are instead face-to-face with nature. Bath 2 is public and protected from the elements. This bath is illuminated from the skylights above. There are semi-private pods scattered throughout offering a multi-dimensional bathing experience. Textures vary where the semi-private volumes exist. Different from the smooth texture of the majority of the walls, the semi-private pods take on a rougher texture intended to mimic a subtraction from the main volume that has yet to be softened by the water. Bath 3 is private. This truly secluded, intimate bathing experience allows for quiet meditation. Each private bath is illuminated from a low window at the height of the ground, illuminating the water and allowing framed views out to the gardens.

roof plan

floor plan

bathhouse

entry courtyard

reception

changing rooms

bath 3 private bath

bath 2

semi private bath public bath

sauna plunge pool

longitudinal section 2

section perspective at river rooms bath 4

sauna

roof top

plunge pool

bath 1

river room

roof top bath

covered bath

floor plan

bathhouse

subtracted mass

section perspective at lobby

LOBBY + COURTYARD RECEPTION

GETTING WARM

After descending the path down away from the built environment, visitors are slowly transitioned from the town into the bathhouse. The exterior courtyard acts as a place for pause where visitors can reflect on where they came from and anticipate where they are going. The lobby is compressed and mostly dark except for the light reflecting off of the courtyard wall and shafts of entry procession

entry court yard

entry procession

lobby sketch

light coming from the change rooms and bath 2.

rendering of entry courtyard and lobby

bathhouse

subtracted mass

section perspective at baths

INTERIOR BATHS

WADDING IN

Baths 1, 2, 3 and 4 allow visitors to relate to water through touch. The water temperature remains between 68 and 73 degrees Fahrenheit. The warm water creates steam in bath 2 area and on the roof top deck in the winter months. Baths 1 through 4 allow visitors to be fully submerged either by swimming in the pools or feeling the steam deck serving bath 4

windows to bath 3

bath 4

private baths

roof top covered bath

slice model through

and condensation on their skin.

baths 1 through 3

rendering bath 2

bathhouse

sauna room and plunge pool The sauna room is reached by following the stepping stone path past baths 2 and 3 to the southernmost edge of the building. A vertical shaft of light guides visitors into the sauna room. This shaft of light originates from the plunge pool which punctures through the facade and allows visitors of the bathhouse to literally, step outside and plunge their bodies into frigid cold water. Our group imagined a passersby witnessing this cold water plunge and wanting to try it themselves.

extreme TEMPERATURES

rendering sauna room + plunge pool

bathhouse

INFINITY bath

bath 1, roof top bath rendering

bathhouse

mind at work

process page from sketch book

modern 02 house competition architecture

modern a moving target 2011

modern house competition

02 STAPLETON NEIGHBORHOOD, CO

In 2011 our studio decided to take part in a competition to design a Modern House in the Stapleton neighborhood of Denver Colorado. The competition was hosted by The Denver Architectural League. The project brief challenged designers to consider what Modern looks like today and more specifically it required them to devise an architectural response to the idea of Modern as a moving target. The clients/inhabitants were outlined as a husband and wife in their mid to late 60â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whose children, having just graduated college, were moving home. Designers were encouraged to consider social, economical and cultural circumstances and formulate a response that challenges what a Modern Home could be in our era. I chose to address the question of what modern living looks like today by making a social commentary on the status of families in our society. The subtle design decisions were purposeful. I decided to separate the living quarters for the parents and the children. This decision was based off our societies stigma attached to middle aged men and women living with their parents. The attitudes are most often negative. Most parents and 20 some things would prefer not to live together. By separating the floor plan into two volumes, I hoped to simulate this attitude. Additional design decisions including burying the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s volume and elevating the parents volume were intended to further distinguish the two forms. The main commentary is illustrated at the only point of connection in the home, at the dining table. I found this exercise to be nostalgic and wanted to offer a bit of optimism for the status of families today. Despite the challenges faced by many families, the dining table remains a place where differences aside, everyone comes together. The dining table acts as the threshold between the two volumes. It should be viewed as both the physical separation between the architectural volumes as well as a remaining social connection between the modern family.

TABLE THRESHOLD

west elevation

modern house competition

02 more spreads coming soon see website for drawings

teaser page

mammoth 03 museum architecture

DEA peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice 2013 31

mammoth museum

03 douglas county, CO

The Comprehensive Studio challenges students to think beyond conceptual design and to practice â&#x20AC;&#x153;real-worldâ&#x20AC;? project considerations such as ADA, emergency exits, additional Code requirements, structural concerns and budget. The studio was an exercise in maintaining the elegance and clarity of our initial designs while incorporating real-world applications.

We worked in pairs for the 12 week studio. The project brief outlined a 32,000 SF Interpretive Center/Museum and a 6,000 SF Dig Observation Facility on the Lamb Springs Archeological Preserve, an actual dig site in Douglas County. In 1960 Charles Lamb discovered mammoth bones while plowing his field. The site was excavated and more fossils were discovered including tools used by pre-historic man. We were allowed to tour the site before starting our designs. The importance of these findings and the excitement of future discoveries guided my partner and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design decisions. DISCOVERY became a significant term throughout our project. The program consisted of two opposing dynamics. We derived the from these two distinct groups. Two boxes, each housing their respective program, took on a persona, materiality and nature relevant to their content. The idea of discovery shaped and informed the majority of our design decisions. Our ultimate goals was for visitors to feel the excitement and wonder felt by those uncovering the stories of our past. We imagined a visitor, a student, visiting the museum and witnessing archeologists finding the earliest known human fossils, or unearthing a new species. We wanted their experience to feel adventurous, unique and allow them the opportunity to witness history being unveiled.

DAY AT THE MUSEUM entry rendering

mammoth museum

03 more spreads coming soon see website for drawings

teaser page

threshold house architecture

exploring threshold 2011 37

threshold house

04 HIGHLANDS NEIGHBORHOOD, DENVER

Studio II took place in Fall 2011. The studio consisted of 3 projects, all residential but each with a unique site and context. The first project was located in the urban context of the Highlands Neighborhood. Students visited an empty lot on 32nd and Umatilla that they used as the site for their project. The site was a long narrow urban lot with spectacular views to downtown. The location’s true charm stemmed from the charismatic, historic neighborhood. The design challenge was “fitting” a residents, literally and figuratively, into the fabric of the neighborhood. I decided I wanted my project to acknowledge the existing neighborhood in some way. The existing homes nestle into a very organized grid. All the plots are long, narrow East to West facing properties. The houses are consistently tucked as far East, towards the street as possible. They stretch West to the same point creating a line at their backs that expands the entire block. The “threshold house” emphasizes the significance of that moment. At the core of the house, there is a void where you briefly pass from inside and outside. Pausing to look North and South, you are suddenly aware of the history of the neighborhood and the fabric the house is joining.

VOIDED THRESHOLD

south elevation

threshold house

04 more spreads coming soon see website for drawings

teaser page

the toney house designbuild

shelter a family 2012 43

the toney house

05 DESIGN-BUILD STUDIO BLUFF, UT â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want a home that my children will be proud to call their own and where we can grow together as a family.â&#x20AC;? Lorraine Toney

More than 2.4 million Native Americans live on or near tribal land. They face some of the worst housing conditions in our country. Over 40% live in overcrowded or dilapidated housing. Basic infrastructure, including water, sewer and roads, are often severely inadequate. DesignBuildBLUFF, a cooperation between the University of Utah and University of Denver Master of Architecture programs, gives architecture students the chance to design and build a new home for a deserving Navajo family. They do this with a focus on sustainability and respect to the unique social, cultural and environmental needs of the region. Students are encouraged to explore alternative building methods, unique building materials and innovative solutions. Between the summer and fall semesters of 2012, 22 University of Denver students built Lorraine Toney and her 5 children a home, 45 minutes South East of Bluff Utah on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The students spent the summer months in Denver designing the home. In the fall, they lived and worked in Bluff constructing their project form the ground up. Their meeting with Lorraine at the start of the project, drove much of the design. She asked for privacy for her bedroom, her own bathroom, separate boys and girls rooms, and most importantly, a large central area to do homework, cook, eat and be a family. Our groups goal was to give her just that. We also wished to create a home that was self-sustaining and could heat and cool itself with few additional sources.

THE TEAM

group photo

the toney house

1 mile

Navajo Nation Reservat

ion

the toney house LAT. 37 7’59.96” N

Population: 180,462

LONG. 109 21’16.12” W

Median Age: 24 Labo r Force: comprise

d of 28% of the popu

lation

Median Household Inc

ome: $20,005

Unemployment: 42%

Poverty: 43% lives be

low the poverty rate

Education (for ages 25

+): 56% high school de

gree, 7% college degre

ALL ALONE

site information

the toney house

AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

panorama of site

REMINISCENT OF OLD

inspiration sketch

“We love being out here, removed from the distractions of a city. It’s quiet but we like it that way. Watching the sunrise and sunset are my favorite. Seeing the sun stretch across the land without interruption reminds me of how small we are but that we still have a place on this Earth.” Lorraine Toney

the toney house

private

public

single bar parti

utility box

private

utility box

single bar parti

diagram 2

diagram 3

diagram 1

CONCEPT PARTI The site for Lorraine Toney and her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house at first glance seems barren and blank. But it quickly became evident to our group that the lack

private

public

private

utility box

of objects in the foreground afforded dramatic expansive views to the distant valleys and formations. Our concept, therefore was derived

single bar parti

elevation diagram

section diagram

from sun orientation, views to the North and South and Lorraineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programmatic requests. Starting with a single bar orientated with its

READING THE SITE

site analysis

long axis biased to true North in order to take advantage of Southern sun in the cool winter months, we divided the bar into public and private spaces. We used boxes within the bar to separate the two. We anchored the private ends with a public center that we imagined as an opportunity to showcase the views to the North and South and be the heart of family activities.

CONCEPTUALIZING

parti diagrams

the toney house

North Elevation

Section Lorraine’s Room

Lorraine’s Bath

Living

Dining

Kitchen

Kid’s Bath/Laundry

Boy’s Room

Girl’s Room

SIMPLICITY Our goal throughout design development was to keep the floor plan and the form of the building simple. By doing so, we could focus on the quality of construction, the effectiveness of materials and the performance of the selfsustaining heating and cooling systems. The house provides privacy for each family member as well as achieves their desire for a large central gathering space. By keeping the private areas enclosed for the most part, the floor-to-ceiling curtain wall in the gathering space acts as the dramatic heart of house for which the family can be together.

Plan

the toney house

05 HEATING AND COOLING CONTINUED....

CONCRETE HOUSE

THE TONEY HOUSE

The majority of the exterior walls on the North, East and West elevations are built using 9” of concrete and 3” of insulation. In the summer months these walls act as a insulated barrier from the outside heat and wind. The bedrooms are surrounded by these walls keeping them a comfortable temperature and quiet. In the winter, the concrete walls and slab act as a thermal mass that at night radiates heat gained from the sun during the day. Other features keeping the house cool are the deep concrete window sills and the roof overhang which provide shade on the Southern facade. The summer sun simply

STAYING COOL

summer section perspective

does not reach the interior of the house. In the winter however, direct sunlight extends all the way into the house reaching the back wall. And

corrugated corten steel 3/4” exterior grade plywood sheathing

finally the central curtain wall can be opened to

top of concrete wall 10’- 0”

5/8” gypsum board

the home during the summer. On a cool night

1 x 6 wood nailer

top of window 7’- 0”

energy modeling

allow for cross ventilation through the center of

11 7/8” TJI at 16” or 24” OC

2 x 6 wood top plate

COMPARISON

self-sustaining heating and cooling

with a light breeze this area opened up acts as a

The average summer temperature from June

vacuum sucking any hot air out from the rest of

to August in this region of Utah is 94 degrees

the house.

with less than an inch of precipitation. The land exterior

is scorched by the sun during this time of the

interior

year. The very little vegetation that survives clings to the dusty earth but loses its battle to the unrestrained winds which kick up massive sand top of window 3’- 0”

storms and tear away at everything in their path.

3” layered concrete veneer

The average winter temperature from December

metal mesh 3” insulation board 6” layered concrete expansion joint 4” concrete foundation anchor bolt bottom of foundation footing -30”

to March is 25 degrees, again with very little precipitation. The Toney House was designed to handle these extreme weather conditions and stay an average 68 degrees year round. There are several design attributes that make that possible.

wall section

STAYING WARM

Northsection Perspective Model winter perspective

the toney house

HEART OF THE HOUSE

north elevation

BACK DECK

north perspective

the toney house

SESSION 1

digging + pouring the slab

August 2012

SESSION 2

first 24â&#x20AC;? of concrete wall

September 2012

walls go up, up and up

October + November 2012

SESSION 3 + 4

SESSION 5 + 6

December 2012

framing starts, roof goes on + interior is finished

GETTING OUR HANDS DIRTY

construction photos

the toney house

North Elevation Close Up

South Elevation

North Elevation

North Elevation Night

EVERY LINE DRAWN MATTERS

completion photos

the toney house

Kitchen

Lorraineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Room

South Elevation

Kids Room

Living Room

EVERY LINE MATTERS

completion photos

the toney house

FRIENDS FOR LIFE

last day on site