Spring 2021 Process Book by Evan Ford

Spring 2021 Process Book Professor Andrew Hart - Design 4

Evan Ford

Contents 01

P 06-11

P 12-19

P 20-27

I memorial to the time we have lost and a memento to the time we have left. This structure serves as a monument in the environment of Laurell Hill Cemetery.

This form of ascension emphasizes the natural landscape of East Fairmount Park while creating a divine and holy experience for the visitor.

Enhancing the experience and cultural significance of The Dell Music Center this structure allows for communal and personal engagement with the soundings of its site.

Memorial / Monument

Juxtaposition + Ascension

Structural Sustinence

P 28-33

P 34-41

Serving as a reminder for the community to recycle and the impact their waste can make, this canopy transforms The Ruin from a polluted eyesore to an unprecedented environment of East Fairmount Park.

This house of peace emphasizes the beauty and historic value of the site’s natural features like Graffiti Rock. While complimenting the craft and sacredness of George Nakashima’s Peace Altar to create a divine experience for the visitor.

Lightweight Envelope

House of Peace

Preface For this semester, all of my studio projects were located in East Fairmount Park, Strawbery Mansion Philadelphia. After spending months traveling up and down this plateau I became very familiar and attached to the natural environment of this site. There are several monumental features across the landscape such as The Furness Stairway, Strawberry Mansion, The Dell Music Center, Temple Boat House, and Graffiti Rock. All of these monuments contribute to the rich historic value that we have uncovered from on and around the site. The first four projects of the semester were a series of two week charrettes that were intended to remain schematic, however, they were to engage the landscape and communities of Strawbery Mansion. After the series of charrettes, the final project was a five-week process of developing a more intricate and detailed piece of architecture while keeping with the goals of incorporating the residents of the site and the natural landscape. Each project began with a class site visit, these gave a fresh start to each project and ignited the design process for each of the new developments. While on site I found great interest in the natural rock forms and terrain of the site which will be referenced in several of my projects. Being on site also allowed for me to develop a very intimate relationship with the site and none of my projects would be what they are without them. Almost immediately after the site visit, I developed several Parti Diagrams for each project. This was the next step in my design process and served as a quick and efficient way of developing a concept for each design. I hope you find interest in the work displayed and enjoy taking a stroll through my process as a designer, thank you.

Site Map

3D Site Expirience

Memorial / Monument The first project was located within Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia. I was instructed to create a monument the memorializes something significant from 2020. I chose to memorialize the concept of time, something that is often overlooked, especially at a young age. If 2020 taught me anything it was to value the time I have with my friends and family before something as unpredicted as a virus steals that time. Early on I developed the form of a broken infinity to symbolize the theory of limited time, however, applying this to a form of architecture was struggling. My process began with a series of sketches along with a study model. After my form was developed I crafted a final board composed with everything needed to depict my concept and structure in an effective manner.

P 06

Project

Concept Sketches

P 08

Project

Final Concept Sketches

Final Board P 10

Project

Juxtaposition + Acension The objective of this project was to create a form of ascension up the site’s plateau connecting Kelly Drive and the Temple Boat House to East Fairmount Park and Strawbery Mansion. After being on site I found great interest in the natural Wissahickon Shist and knew I wanted to incorporate that into my ascension. My process began with a site visit and then directly transferred into a series of parti diagrams. After analyzing the diagrams I knew I wanted to develop a massive structure to contrast the massive slope I was carving into. I was greatly interested in the idea of traveling into the landscape without knowing or feeling like you were traveling through a tunnel. After developing my concept I completed a series of sketches to develop a form and later was able to create a composed board of my structure.

P 12

Project

Site Inspiration

P 14

Project

Parti Diagrams

Concept Sketches

P 16

Project

Final Drawings

Interior Perspective

Detail Section

Site Section

02 Project Site Map

P 18

Front Elevation

Exterior Perspective 1

Exterior Perspective 2

Stucturual Sustinence The goal of this charrette was to develop a vertical structure. Again, the site visit kick-started my design process and I was greatly inspired by the residents of Strawbery Mansion and Philadelphia, specifically their interaction and relationship with The Dell Music Center. I wanted to emphasize this relationship and provide a space for community members to enjoy when the music center is in and out of use. Early on I discovered that the decagon was a very musically sound form and allowed for great acoustics. Using this form I created pods with the ability to act independently and collectively as a whole. With an adjustable facade, community members can have both private and communal experiences with The Dell Music Center and the rest of East Fairmount Park. The development of this concept is depicted throughout several form sketches and diagrams.

P 20

Project

Site Inspiration

P 22

Project

Parti Diagrams

Concept Sketches

P 24

Project

Final Board

P 26

Project

Leightweight Envelope

The objective for this project was to create a protective canopy for “The Ruin”, a mysterious and overgrown structure in the center of East Fairmount Park that has acted as a community hotspot for years. After being on site I was taken back by the amount of litter and trash that surrounded such a beautiful structure. I instantly knew that if I were to protect this historic monument in any way it would be to save it from the damages of community trash consumption. This lightweight structure used recycled bottles to create a canopy above The Ruin acting as a reminder to the community of Strawberry Mansion of how impactful recycled waste can be. This would also allow for a covered and protected interior space within the ruin allowing for community members to experience this space in an entirely new way.

P 28

Project

Site Inspiration

P 30

Project

Concept Model

Final Drawings

Site Map

Final Model Photos

04 Project 33

Exterior Perspective

P 32

Interior Perspective

House of Peace The final project of the semester was to create a nondenominational house of peace for the community of Strawberry Mansion. I was also instructed to honor and utilize George Nakashima’s Peace Altar within my design. On site I had discovered “Grafitti Rock”, this is a monumental rock formation with carvings dating back to the 1800s. While sitting and spending time on this rock the experience was unmatched, the natural stream directly in front of the rock, the tree coverage, and ambient noise from surrounding highways all acted together to create a truly divine experience. Taking inspiration from this stone and many other rock formations on site I was fascinated by the layering effect of Wissahikon Shist and tightly squeezed spaces between them. I used this as inspiration for several of my concept sketches, models, and diagrams. I developed these into a structure that took inspiration from the shard-like forms of rock and the tight spaces between them. Graffiti rock and George Nakashima’s Peace Altar work together acting as both a boundary and place of meditation for the communities of Strawbery Mansion.

P 34

Project

Site Inspiration

Project

Parti Diagrams

P 36

Concept Sketches

Cocept Model

Experiencial Sketches

Project

Model Photos

P 38

Abstract Sketches

Final Board

P 40

Project

Thank you.

evandford303@gmail.com EDF005@students.jefferson.edu