The Binding Library
Winter Park, Florida
Design 6 | Spring 2023
Professor: Judi Shade Monk
Winter Park, Florida, nestled just north of Orlando, is renowned for its charming atmosphere and a vibrant mix of high-end boutiques and fine dining establishments. These thriving businesses not only contribute to the local economy but also enhance the cultural fabric of the community. As Winter Park attracts visitors seeking upscale shopping and gourmet dining experiences, the city has become a magnet for tourism. To further enrich the community and attract a broader demographic, the addition of a library would be highly beneficial.
EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE
The Binding Library serves as a hub for education, community engagement, and cultural exchange. It would provide residents and visitors alike with a serene space for learning, exploration, and intellectual growth, fostering a sense of community and contributing to Winter Park’s reputation as a well-rounded and culturally rich destination.
FLOOR PLAN 2
FLOOR PLAN 3
The Binding Library offers a welcoming space where everyone can pursue their interests and activities freely. Key features of the library include an auditorium, a business center, the Polly Seymour Bookshop, the Cultural Cafe, several study rooms, and, of course, the library itself.
INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE: WITHIN THE ATRIUM
Metaphors of a Book
Not only do the main elements of the library contribute to the comfort and structure of the library, they also replicate parts of a book and create metaphors to tie the library into the city.
The main feature is of the dramatic Y-shaped columns that interlock with the diagonal wood beams which reference the binding along the spine of a book. These large columns then frame the park and the historically segregated community of Winter Park as to acknowledge the events and stories of the past. These stories can then can be brought together within the library, a safe space for all.
The 2nd floor consists of holding the majority of books within the library. Specialty/seasonal collections of books would be placed along the northern side, beneath the mezzanine. Here when books are taken light seeps within the space.
Lastly, the sides of the building are flushed with horizontal sunshades. Due to Florida’s heat and amount of sun, this shading device protects the books and adds to the comfort within the library. When glancing at the facades, however, the tilted panels flutter like pages of a book.
Liminal Vista Cedar Key, Florida 02
Design 5 | Fall 2022
Professor: Karla Saldana Ochoa
The Nature Coast, a central part of Florida’s Gulf Coast, is a reservation of Florida’s natural communities and wildlife. Protected by state and federal governments, the coast line and surrounding areas have remained protected from tourists and exponential residential growth that is seen throughout the rest of the state. Within these areas, the wildlife corridor has been essential in providing shellfish (crabs, oysters, scallops) to around the country, and is continually monitored by scientist to promote healthy growth and conservation.
By acknowledging the importance of Florida’s ecosystems, Liminal Vista provides labs for biologists to study the environment. It also engages the community to safely partipicate in the care, growth, and value of Cedar Key.
project done in collaboration with Daniel McNeil
RENDER WITH DANIEL MCDNEIL
Presence
The facilities are surrounded by the delicate marshy lands with which a fragile ecosystem occupies it. This architecture allows you to become immersed within the nature so that you can experience and observe the landscape through touch, sight, and hearing through a new lense.
Study
The two labratories work together analyzing two different aspects of the gulf coast. The more eastern facility, designed by me, focuses on the water quality of the estuaries. This means that the labratory needs to be able to collect water samples and analyze their pH levels, temperature, turbidity, and potential HABs. The western facility, designed by Daniel McNeil is more focused on fish populations within Cedar Key. Inbetween them, a sensory boat dock provides easy access to the waters. These facilities would help with community engagement and the overall protection of this sensitive coastal area.
RENDER WITH DANIEL MCNEIL
SOY CUBA
Independent Location
Design 3 | Fall 2021
Professor: Stephen Belton
Soy Cuba, a soviet era film, compiles four vigenettes on pre-revolutionist cuban lives. This project analyses the social dynamics within the film, specifically between the shepherd, the dyad (the shepherd’s children), and the director, Mikhail Kalatozov. A 3/8th scale model with a hollowed plaster core, further explains how the shepherd’s reliance on the agriculture, is seen through the eyes of the director and the shepherd’s attempt of keeping the loss of the land from his children. The model focuses on the itinerary of each character through various thresholds and specific apertures of light.
THE SHEPHERD THE DYAD
THE OVERSEER
THE SHEPHERD & OVERSEER
The Shepherd
The main character in one of the stories within Soy Cuba is a struggling sugar cane farmer. His narrative is compelling; initially successful in producing a large crop, his fortunes turn when his land is sold without his knowledge. With minimal dialogue, the farmer’s emotions are conveyed through a series of still camera shots. Through a diagrammatic montage, I analyze the poignant scene where the farmer pleads for a good harvest, captured across four camera shots, his prayer duration, and the exchanges of glances between his crop and the sky.
In translating these movements into a physical 3D model, I aimed to evoke a sense of grandeur between earth and sky. The stair’s suspension from above highlights the precariousness of the situation, while the lighting illuminates the farmer’s journey downward.
3 Spaces Intertwined
A plaster armature acts as the datum of the varying thresholds that connect the three narratives.
The director’s space entangles itself around the armature, allowing for a unique perspective of the shepherd and the dyad. The space builds onto the identity of the director allowing him to be the watchful eye, the shadowed presence, and an omnipresent figure to the scenes around him.
The luminous, potentially aflame structure pays homage to the crop ignited by the shepherd. Its brilliance permeates adjacent spaces, symbolizing an inescapable act, one that the shepherd cannot conceal and will linger as a haunting presence.
The dyad’s isolated space represents the way that they are kept unaware of the issues that their father, the shepherd, has taken on.
Year 2100
Gainesville, Florida
Design 4 | Spring 2022
Professor: Clay Martin
In Florida, the profound effects of climate change are anticipated to manifest as heightened sea levels, seasonal flooding, intensified hurricanes, and uncomfortably high afternoon temperatures. By the year 2100, a transformative shift is expected to reshape our world and perspectives. This initiative is dedicated to addressing these challenges by establishing a novel college within the University of Florida.
The design process involves a meticulous examination of found objects on the site, creating purposeful forms to house these objects, and then integrating them in a collage-like manner to shape the buildings. Above shows five of those found objects: a screw, lighter, beer bottle, corona bottle cap, and metal bracket.
AXONOMETRIC SITE COLLAGE
In envisioning Gainesville and Florida’s future 80 years from now, climate change emerges as a dominant force influencing urban development strategies. The overarching concept revolves around mitigating the impacts of rising sea levels, soaring temperatures, and the heightened frequency of extreme weather events. A central proposal entails elevating the college campus above ground level, with a substantial connecting bridge at the top. This bridge offers the potential to construct enclosed walkways, facilitating movement between various campus buildings without exposure to outdoor elements as well as an active learning and study space for students.
MODEL PHOTO
Urban Renewal
29 West 35th Street, NYC
Design 7 | Fall 2023
Professor: Donna Cohen
Nestled in the shadow of the Empire State Building, the office edifice at 29 West 35th Street is gradually succumbing to economic decline. The aftermath of the 2020 pandemic has reshaped the landscape of New York City’s business operations, with a notable surge in remote work flexibility among employees. Consequently, two pressing issues have emerged: a surplus of vacant office spaces and a burgeoning housing crisis.
Responding to this evolving scenario, the City of New York introduces the City of Yes initiative. This endeavor streamlines the rezoning process to concentrate on fostering affordable housing, supporting small businesses, and advancing sustainability. To address these pivotal objectives, the project envisions a substantial portion of the units designated for non-family residents, the conversion of a parking garage into a market space, and the transformation of significant sections of the office building into vertical urban farming spaces, community gardens, and green roofs..
Transformation
At looking at the existing site, 29 West contained three main elements: an unused office building (left), neglected and rundown brownstones (middle), and a large 5 story parking garage (right). Considering the effects of demolishing buildings, this project aimed to retain as much as possible, and only took out the middle buildings. The office building and parking garage are transformed to fit the growing and changing needs of NYC. On the right, the collaged perspective, depicts the garage as the Empire Market, as it sits on the same axis of the Empire State Building across the street.
Affordable Housing
New York City is one of the most expensive cities to live in, and a significant factor to the high cost of living is the cost of housing. Affordable housing is crucial within Manhattan so that it can relieve financial burdens, provide economic divserity, and promotes social equity (not gentrification). 29 West provides affordable housing by having a larger quantity and ratio of smaller apartments. This also meets the current needs of NYC, as studio, 1, and 2 bedroom apartments are in high demand but not in supply. In total there are 163 apartments at 29 west. With 20 being 2 bedrooms, 66 beings 1 bedrooms, and 77 studios. 28 of these studios are lofted apartments, which are situated on the 5th and 6th floors, where the floor levels are larger than the rest of the building.
Small Businesses
In addition to residential units, 29 West also offers a diverse range of commercial spaces. Given the substantial square footage of the office building, rather than repurposing it for residential purposes due to insufficient natural light, 50% of the structure is dedicated to vertical urban farming. Furthermore, a significant portion of the garage area has been transformed into the Empire Market, a unique blend of flea and farmers markets. The vertical farm plays a crucial role in the market by supplying and selling crops grown within the confines of 29 West. Diagrams from left to right: Urban Farming + Empire Market, Green Roofs + Park, Sunlight Analysis for a Year Period.
Sustainability
29 West 35th Street embodies key principles of sustainability. Utilizing sustainable materials, such as terracotta paneling arranged both horizontally and vertically to adorn the exterior, the building not only showcases modern design but also pays homage to New York City’s architectural heritage, where terracotta has been a prominent feature in many buildings. Moreover, the integration of a spacious park atop the former garage and the inclusion of green roofs scattered throughout the structure’s stair-like form further enhance its eco-friendly profile.
