Julia Wattick by Julia Wattick

JULIA WATTICK Architecture Design Portfolio E: jmwattick@gmail.com W: juliawattick.com P: 412.715.6193

I aim to create spaces that are both aesthetic and functional when approaching a design problem. I believe that as a future architect, I should aim to enhance cultural, environmental and social experiences for people. To improve these areas, a range of knowledge across fields is required; which is why I try to make connections between all that I have experienced and learned in order to better myself as a designer.

Table of Contents

Resume ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Student Union ................................................................................................................................... 6 Design Build ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Polyculture Institute ...................................................................................................................... 14 Community Design. ....................................................................................................................... 18 NCMA Competition ..................................................................................................................... 20 Recreation Center ........................................................................................................................ 24 Digital Fabrication ......................................................................................................................... 28 Eventarium........................................................................................................................................ 30 Thesis ................................................................................................................................................. 34

JULIA WATTICK

EDUCATION

EXPERIENCE

Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA

Red Bridge San Francisco, CA

Bachelor of Architecture candidate Minors: Anthropology, Architectural History, and Environmental Inquiry May 2015: Anticipated Graduation

Designer January 2015 - present

NAAB accredited program with a focus on architectural design, theory, and engineering

Pantheon Institute Rome, Italy Spring Semester 2014

Study abroad program with a focus on architectural design, history, and culture

Responsibilities: design of web page graphics

Celli-Flynn Brennan Inc., Architects and Planners Pittsburgh, PA Architectural Intern June 2014 - August 2014 December 2014 - January 2015

Responsibilities: marketing, presentation and competition design, conceptual and schematic design, design development, and construction documents

Saint Thomas More Church Pittsburgh, PA Design Consultant and Architectural Drafter May 2013 - January 2015

Responsibilities: documentation of existing conditions, drafting of fire safety and egress diagrams, schematic design of classroom and church renovations

Schlaegle Design Build Associates Pittsburgh, PA Shop Drafter July 2013 - August 2013

Responsibilities: drafting of casework and design of company portfolio

E: jmwattick@gmail.com

W: juliawattick.com

A: 26 McBride Road Canonsburg, Pennsylvania

ACTIVITIES

SKILLS

Membership:

Digital

AIAS - American Institute of Architecture Students FBD - Freedom by Design, architectural community service SEED - Students for Environmentally Enlightened Design NAHB - National Association of Home Builders

Revit Architecture AutoCAD Rhino Ecotect Sketchup InDesign Illustrator Photoshop

Leadership: Co-director of the Penn State FBD program Fall 2012 - Spring 2014

Academic: NCMA Competition Honorable Mention - May 2012

P: 412.715.6193

Physical Laser cutting 3D printing CNC routing Carpentry Welding Masonry

Proficient

.. .. .. .

Advanced

.. . .. . .

Bloomfield Recreation Center Selected work exhibited - December 2012 NAHB Student Competition Member of 6th place team - January 2013 University of the Arts Student Union Selected work exhibited - May 2013 Volunteering: Weeklong trips to the Appalachian Mountain Region to repair, construct, and maintain the houses of local impoverished, disabled, or elderly families - Summers of 2007 through 2013

Student Union

Site: University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Program: Exhibition space, auditorium, cafe, food store, bookstore, computer store, library, offices, meeting rooms, and student workshops I wanted to make this building expressive of the students’ creativity by making all of the activities from within the building and when passing by on Broad Street. With a Gothic Revival church to the south and an abandoned building to the north of the site, my initial concept became clear: angle the building away from the church in order to let light into both the Student Union and through the stained glass windows of the Gothic church. To unify all of the spaces and bring greenery into an urban setting, I chose to wrap a green screen around the building. With this light structure on the southern side of the building, I decided to counteract it with a heavy, solid element on the northern side. This concrete “bar” supplies the mechanical, HVAC, circulation, and restrooms for the entire building, allowing for very light, open areas underneath the green screen. Voids and shifts occur on every floor in order to allow for maximum visibility between spaces.

Concept/lighting diagram

Longitudinal Section

HVAC diagram

Natural ventilation diagram

South Elevation

Wall Section

Student Union

The vegetation that surrounds the entire southern side of the Student Union changes color with each passing season, evoking different feelings. From the blooming flowers in the spring to the changing colors of the fall leaves, the spaces within the Student Union will be connected with nature all year round. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;green screenâ&#x20AC;? also is able to clean the building exhaust and enhance the quality of the air.

Design-Build

Site: Penn State Recycling Center Program: Design and construct a table for forty people with chairs The table was one component of a collective first year studio project. The terrace implements recycled materials, reflects the recycling process, and becomes an example of reuse as well as a place where people could come to learn about and interact with the recycling process. The design for the table had to be functional for the large number of people that would gather around it, be realistically produced, and be easily assembled. Recycled glass was used as aggregate for a concrete tabletop and recycled steel from the theater sets was cut apart and reframed to support the table. To better incorporate the table design into the overall design of the terrace, the blocks used for the screen wall were also used for the legs of the table.

The process began with collecting bottles from campus and the downtown area. The bottles had to be soaked in warm water with bleach to decontaminate and allow for easy label removal. The bottles were then separated according to color and type. After the labels were scraped off, the bottles were crushed into pieces.

Once crushed into pieces, the glass had to be mixed with sand and water so that the shards would become smooth and not harmful to handle. A concrete mixer was used to tumble the glass, sand and water together in a constant motion. The tumbling would take approximately two hours for forty pounds of glass. After the process was finished, the tumbled glass had the look and texture of sea glass, worn smooth and dulled.

The water from the rinsing stage was collected, filtered, and reused as much as possible. The sand that was rinsed off would settle in the buckets and could be reused in the tumbling process for a few more rounds.

Design-Build

The glass was now ready to be sifted and separated into small, medium and large categories for aggregate use. The recipe for the concrete went through trials until the desired percentage of glass was achieved. The mixture had to be as consistent as possible so that the tabletops would be of the same look.

The glass was separated according to both color and size. Overall, we processed over one ton of glass. The table design was divided into smaller pieces so that it would be easier to make, handle, and assemble. Each piece had one color of glass aggregate. Some pieces served as transitions between different glass colors, so that the table as a whole would be a continuous ring of brown, olive, green, blue and clear glass. Steel brackets from old classroom seats were set into the concrete pour, so that the table could be attached to the steel frame. The form work was made from old tabletops.

After the concrete cured, the formwork was removed and reused for tabletop pieces of the same shape. Using a wet grinder, the glass aggregate became exposed. Many grinder passings were needed to achieve a smooth, glass filled tabletop. The water from the grinding process was collected and reused.

Group Project with Lauren Wandel and Courtney Patterson

Polyculture Institute

Site: University Park, Pennsylvania Program: An institute that encompasses the principles of polyculture, with considerations for the relationship between architecture, landscape, agriculture, and engineering. As a group, we saw this project as an opportunity to fully integrate the site with the program, creating an interdependency of building functions. Our building systems design drove the organization and composition of the building. Using the earth as a way to passively heat and cool the building, we designed the project to nestle in the hillside. Through patio cisterns, rainwater and site runoff can be collected to then be used in the building, reused as grey water on the agricultural fields and plants, and eventually re-enter the natural water cycle through the wetlands. We pulled the building away from the earth in some parts to allow light and air to enter the spaces. Patios and light wells act as air plenums, filling the building with fresh air. Used air is sent to the greenhouses in order to clean the building exhaust before it enters the atmosphere. From the top of the site to the wetlands, visitors of the institute will travel on a pathway through natural and built environment, stopping to learn and reflect at the gathering spaces.

patio

lobby gallery main patio

fields

view from research fields

3rd Floor

classroom classroom main patio view from research fields view from research fields

classroom library patio view from research fields

classroom

library patio

library patio apartment

classroom

library patio

materials lab

library pati apartment

apartment

3rd Floor

research fields

elds

2nd Floor

research fields

community gardens

2nd Floor

research fields

community gardens

observation deck

Pathway Elevation

timber

green roof pervious paving

trellis

green roof

Spring

winter wind: low elevation (leafless trees) Summer Fall Spring

Winter

winter wind: low elevation (leafless trees Summer Fall

wetlands

trellis

landscape

green roof pervious paving

public access

timber

wetlands

trellis

resp ond ing to trees on th e site = tim ber fram ing foundation ag ain st the ea rth = con cre te w alls

Polyculture Institute

resp ond ing to trees on th e site = tim ber fram ing foundation ag ain st the ea rth = con cre te w alls timber pervious paving trellis green roof

wind rain sunlight crops timber summer wind: high elevation (blocked by tre people waste

public access

resp ond ing to trees on th e site = tim ber fram ing foundation ag ain st the ea rth = con cre te w alls

wetlands

resp ond ing to trees on th e site = tim ber fram ing foundation ag ain st the ea rth = con cre te w alls timber trellis green roof pervious paving

Polyculture landscape Institute

p ush ing up from the ea rth = gre en roofs

MAXIMIZINGINSPIRED BY AGRICULTURE RESOURCES

summer wind: high elevation (blocked by trees)

p ush ing up from the ea rth = gre en roofs

Polyculture landscape Institute

resp ond ing to trees on th e site = tim ber fram ing foundation ag ain st the ea rth = con cre te w alls site views

INSPIRED BY AGRICULTURE

INSPIRED BY DESIGN AGRICULTUREAS NATURE

p ush ing up from the ea rth = gre en roofs

landscape

site views pervious paving

INSPIRED BY DESIGN AGRICULTUREAS NATURE

URBAN

URBAN timber

DESIGN AS NATURE

BORDER CONDITION

public access

p ush ing up from the ea rth = gre en roofs

RURAL DESIGN AS NATURE

wetlands

DESIGN BORDER AS NATURECONDITION

Polyculture landscape Institute

RURAL

BORDER CONDITION

public access

RURAL

Polyculture Institute materials lab

meeting space

apartment

outdoor meeting space

1st Floor observation deck

INSPIRED BY AGRICULTURE Existing Contour Line

GatheringExisting Space Contour Line Existing Contour Line

Proposed Contour Line

CirculationProposed Contour Line Proposed Contour Line

MAXIMIZING RESOURCES

ENTRY PLANS

CisternLine Gathering Space GatheringExisting Space Contour

Cistern Gathering Space

Cistern

Pervious Line Paving Circulation CirculationProposed Contour

PerviousCirculation Paving

Pervious Paving

wind rain sunlight crops timber people waste research

summer wind: high elevation (blocked by trees)

research

run off

research

gathering gathering

Spring

winter wind: low elevation (leafless trees) Summer Fall

g/ gatherin n meditatio

wetlands

CUT &SITE ACCESS FILL

CIRCULATION CUT & CUT & SITE ACCESS DIAGRAM FILL FILL

run off

wetlands

gathering gathering

gathering

g/ run offgatherin n meditatio

g/ gatherin n run off meditatio

run off

Winter

tion medita

SITE ACCESS

gathering gathering

gathering

run off

research wetlands

Polyculture Institute

public access

2nd Floor

tion medita

CIRCULATION CUT & WATER CIRCULATION DIAGRAM DIAGRAM FILL CIRCULATION

tion medita

WATERCIRCULATION WATER DIAGRAM CIRCULATION CIRCULATION

For six summers, I have gone to the Appalachian Mountain Region to repair houses of impoverished, elderly or disabled people in the area. I hope to continue this type of work throughout my career in architecture because it gives me the opportunity to serve a community while also implementing my design and construction skills.

Community Design

The task of the Penn State AIAS chapterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Freedom by Design program was to design a ramp for a local community member who was diagnosed with Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disease. As co-director, I was charged with finding the client, organizing the meetings and design charrettes, gathering materials and funds, as well as leading the construction.

NCMA Competition

Site: West 19th Street in Chelsea, NYC, adjacent to the Highline Park. Program: 15 individual apartments with bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas and kitchenettes, studios, a cafe, gallery and exhibition area, communal dining area, and library. Because the competition is sponsored by the National Concrete Masonry Association, masonry units must be incorporated into the design. My design process began with the design of a custom concrete block that creates a woven appearance. When approaching the program layout, I wanted to create a community that was woven together by the professorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; various work. I also aimed to bring features of the Highline Park into my design, through open spaces and vegetation. Located in an area of NYC that is full of diversity and on a street that houses many arts galleries, I wanted the design to respond to that culture. The entrance from the Highline brings people directly above the exhibition space, with the option to go downstairs and see the artwork, or to the library and learn about art, or to relax in the public cafe. On the roof, there is a small restaurant and bar with an outdoor garden area for the professors to host events while enjoying a view of the New York City skyline.

garden

apt.

studio

courtyard

library

cafe

library entrance

Sections

Floor Plans

offices

dining/multi-purpose

exhibition

gallery

NCMA Competition

Recreation Center

Site: Bloomfield, a neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Program: Two gymnasiums, an indoor and outdoor pool, locker rooms, fitness area, weight room, community meeting room, classroom, computer labs, arts and crafts studio, and a kitchen.

Site Plan

I began the design by analyzing where people would be coming from and established two strong pathways of circulation. Where these two paths intersect determined the location of my building. I then divided the program into why people come to a recreation center - to learn and to play. Where these two areas overlap creates an atrium space that serves as the meeting room. In this space, community members will be able to hold meetings, host events, or simply relax in the large, central open space. The movement from one end of the site to the other allowed for recreational bays under the bridge and in between the bridge supports. For almost every indoor program space, I have designed a corresponding outdoor space in order to create a strong relationship between the seasonal uses of the site. On the learn side of the recreation center, a brick veneer is used to relate to the more traditional architecture of Bloomfield, while the play side, which faces a forested ravine, is characterized by wood siding.

Section Cut

Recreation Center

Using the modeling program Rhino and a pair of digital calipers, I modeled a digital replica of a LEGO brand bionicle part. After the digital model was complete, I sent the file to our schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3D printer to be fabricated. The result is an object that can be designed in the digital world and fabricated to be a part of the physical world.

Digital Fabrication

I designed this paper lantern using the modeling program Maya. From Maya, I brought the file into the program Pepakura so that the 3D shape could be unfolded into a flat sheet. Using our schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laser cutter, I cut the pieces out of paper. Because the lantern was simple to assemble, it could be easily made into many sizes.

Group Project with Lauren Wandel and Hannah Estrich

Eventarium

Site: Villa Borghese, Rome, Italy Program: A horse jumping rink with supportive offices and shops, a museum and cafe, and a shopping and food center My group’s idea for the project was to take a classical form - the theater - and expand it in both plan and section. The result was a space that pulled you from one end of the site to the other. To unify all of the spaces that visitors of the site would travel through, we designed an interactive water feature. We envisioned the site to be used by all types of people - locals, tourists, elderly, families and young ones - as well as throughout the course of a day and through the seasons. I designed the shopping and food center with the intent of bringing street life through the building. Roman shops and galleries throughout Europe inspired the design to include an indoor “street.”

Eventarium

The neighborhood of the Eastern Market experiences an â&#x20AC;&#x153;island effectâ&#x20AC;? - cut off from the rest of the city due to highways and underpasses.

The buildings lack a strong sense of connection, partially due to the lack of density, but also due to the space needed to accommodate the needs of the car.

Transportation is devoted primarily to the car (orange). A smaller share of transit is devoted to a bus line (blue), a recreation trail (green), and pedestrian sidewalks (purple).

The space associated with reclaiming two streets for pedestrian use includes not just the street itself, but also the paved areas that bleed beyond the street.

Thesis

Thesis Statement: A shift in focus from the needs of a car to the needs of a human will affect the way in which we design street networks and neighborhoods. A redevelopment of these areas will enhance architectural and environmental experience while also improving the social and physical health of a community. Abstract: Street networks within neighborhoods â&#x20AC;&#x201C; once designed for humans, now designed for cars. Streets used to be inviting to people as the streets served as places for informal gathering, interaction, and means of travel. In this country, the dependency on the automobile has changed the way in which streets are designed. What was previously an intricately detailed and layered network became a vast expanse of concrete and asphalt. Buildings around the car-oriented street designed then became car-oriented themselves, with large garages and parking lots facing the street. Neighborhoods began to lose priority as well, with garages replacing porches and an absence of sidewalks in favor for wider streets. The current typology does not support a community in a way that encourages human activity. Instead, community members are isolated within their cars. If a street network within a neighborhood were to be refocused on a human scale, there would be an increase in the social, physical and economic health for the community. The street could once again return to becoming a place to experience architecture and the environment. Utilizing the existing building fabric, a new street network will call for a return to anthropological levels of design. This network can support the revitalization of the neighborhood and reverse deterioration of the downtown area of the Eastern Market in Detroit.