SECOND YEAR PORTFOLIO JENNIFER GREIG
NC STATE COLLEGE OF DESIGN
JGREIG@NCSU.EDU
949-480-7426
DECEMBER 2017
DESERT MESA
CHARLESTO
ON STEPWELL
DESERT MESA
IDEATION To start of we traced over a picasso drawing and discovered light and shadow relationships, major lines and shapes. After several iterations, I became enamored with the circles and squares present that rotate in on itself and used that concept to start designing a topography for my site.
We learned how to draw topography maps and played with paper reliefs to finalize our site design. The topography evolved from bristol models to chipboard ones cut by hand.
DEVELOPING LANDSCAPE/BUILDING RELATIONSHIP
After developing the topography, it was time to configure which spaces to build on and which ones to consider as sacred. I had a deep canyon to the north side that I deemed as sacred, and decided to build on the southermost part and work with the rotational concept of my diagram. I designed to have a rotational procession through the landscape into an intimate canyon ending up at my two floored building with views to the distant sacred space.
FINAL MODEL
The procession commences on the botom right corner with some stairs. There is a circular columnade, functioning as a wall of rhythm and meter, which decreases in height until reaching the building. It guides one down some steps into a canyon with horizontal elements that play with shadow and light. The building is placed into the earth at the same angle as the adjacent mesa with a staircase leading to a more intimate space or to the view of the whole procession on the second floor.
FINAL DRAWINGS
CHARLESTON STEPWELL
WALKING AND MAPPING CHARLESTON, SC
The project started with a field trip to Charleston, South Carolina. In groups we collected information of public/private spaces, building height and number of storys, vegetation, predominant views, footprint of historical marshes, etc. Our precinct was largely private residential with a large public park at the south side and surrounded by water. Our site is located on an angled intersection, that reorients to a brick lined picturesque street leading to the park. This street is characterized by south facing porches, play of shadow and light by the canoping trees and historicaly used to be under water.
IDEATING Our project consists of designing an art museum that related to the character of Charleston in a new way. Water, creating a public space in a largely private neighborhood, south facing porches and reorienting pedestrians towads the brick lined street became my focus. I fell in love of creating a stepwell type of space but elevated, due to the area been known to flooding, and a public space for pedestrians to be rewarded to explore at their own will with sitting steps, floating stairs over water, and a play with light and shadow.
DETAILS + MEASUREMENTS
After establishing my site topography with an elevated reflecting pool, it was time to detail the building. My building became enveloped in a series of mass-based pannels that mimmick the south facing porches with small apertures where light can come in. These mass-based panels also hold the different floors inside the building with horizontal elements connecting to the membrane wall of light. This wall of light consisting of longitudinal pannels which also block the strong southern sun, yet still feel connected to the outside by a viewer looking out to the reflecting pool, sitting steps, and palmtree. The cubical volume is rotated to sit over the public street and allows for views to the water. The threshold to the water and entrance into the museum became important as well. Approaching, the water is at head height, there is a series of steps allowing the user to come in contact with the water at hip height. Then the stereotomic feeling stairs lead the user to walk “over water� on a set of floating stairs over the water feature to a square plattform whcih reorient the user to enter the museum.
FINAL MODEL
FINAL MODEL
JENNIFER GREIG
NC STATE COLLEGE OF DESIGN
JGREIG@NCSU.EDU
949-480-7426
jANUARY 2018