Kaia Andersen
Selected Works
During my time as an architecture student, I have enjoyed finding design solutions that positively affect local communities. Through traveling, I have studied the diverse approaches different cities and cultures take toward their built environments, and how these designs engage with their surroundings. In the spring of my third year, I had the opportunity to study under Miguel Roldán at the Barcelona Architecture Center. Living in Barcelona for four months deepened my understanding of how the social atmosphere of a community can be positively influenced through design-based interventions of many scales and typologies. I’m excited to continue immersing myself in spatial and environmental contexts across Europe, gaining invaluable real-world experiences before pursuing further education in graduate school.
THE CONTEMPORARY PLAYSPACE
HOUSE OF THE DANCER & THE PHILOSOPHER
EXPANDING MOVEMENT
TECHNICOLOR CHORDS
CONSTRUCTION I FABRICATION I RESUME
01-14 fall 2023
LIVING MOSAIC
15-22 spring 2023
23-28 spring 2022
29-32 fall 2021
fall 2022
33-34
35-37 2022 - 2024
THE CONTEMPORARY PLAY SPACE
YEAR STUDIO PROJECT LOCATION
PROFESSOR
FOURTH YEAR, FALL SEMESTER
ADVANCED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN VII
MUSEUM
TAKASAKI, JAPAN
JUNKO YAMAMOTO
This combination of a contemporary museum and playground in Takasaki is meant to build off of the adjacent Aeon Mall. Due to the lack of public spaces for people to come together, the mall has become an important social hub for the people of Takasaki. The aim of this project is to create a new leisure space for all ages of the community.
The structure of the museum and its surrounding playful environment was inspired by the children of Takasaki and a love for playgrounds! Just like a playground, the museum allows its participants to jump from one space to the next. Going to the next enticing spot allows for people to create their own unique experiences.
The hope is that this will become a place where people can congregate and feel the playfulness emanating from the creative environment.
NORTHERN SLOPE
GIFT SHOP + INFORMATION CENTER
GROUND FLOOR
GALLERIES
CAFE
EVENT SPACE
SKYLIGHTS
UNDERGROUND MAIN
GALLERY SPACE
Light study to understand the underground gallery spaceProcessFinal resin model
Life beneath the light wells
LIVING MOSAIC
with design partner Maryrose DiPiro (all images created independently unless otherwise identified)
YEAR
STUDIO
PROJECT
LOCATION
PROFESSOR
THIRD YEAR, SPRING SEMESTER
ADVANCED URBAN TOPICAL DESIGN VI
PUBLIC SPACE
GRACIA, SPAIN
MIGUEL ROLDAN
Living Mosaic is a public, recreational bath facility located in Gracia, Barcelona
This project aims to scale down the site of the old market into an aggregated system appropriately sized to the streets and urban fabric of Gracia.
The bath complex acts as a social hub broken into a mosaic of waterbased and vegetation-based programs including, pools, spas, splash-pads, a greenhouse library and a cafe. These spaces work together to create a new social setting.
Various light conditions are informed by program and location.
Warm spa baths create opportunities for relaxation and socialization.
Water-based programs, including both wet and dry spaces, interact with one another through changing opacities.
Cold pools provide refreshment and recreation.
Openings and apertures create interactions between people, light, and water.
A single face of the module is pulled back to create an aperture and reveal light.
Boxes extrude through the surface to facilitate the entrance of light to spaces inside, corresponding with temperature and program. Apertures connect and transfer light to adjacent pools.
HOUSE FOR THE DANCER & THE PHILOSOPHER
YEAR STUDIO
PROJECT
LOCATION
PROFESSOR
SECOND YEAR, SPRING SEMESTER ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CORE STUDIO IV
DUPLEX
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
KRIS LAWSON
Tasked to create a duplex that will benefit two seemingly opposite personalities, while also preserving their unique movements.
Respectively, the Dancer and the Philosopher require space to comfortably pursue their passions. This design aims to give the Dancer the ability to move fluidly throughout the space, while also providing the Philosopher with ample space to read and write.
The fluid blue line cuts through the dwelling to create the movement and dictates the space that will be occupied. Weaving its way up through the duplex, the blue line allows for moments that the two personalities are able to share without knowing.
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 0
The Philosopher’s library curving in order to become the Dancer’s largest studio space. Additionally, while the Philosopher sleeps he is greeted with continuous knowledge as the Dancer’s bookshelf bows out, leaving space for his bedroom.
EXPANDING MOVEMENT
YEAR
STUDIO
PROJECT
LOCATION
PROFESSOR
SECOND YEAR, FALL SEMESTER ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN STUDIO III BOATHOUSE
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND GINETTE CASTRO
Located on the Providence river, this boathouse aims to use the steep landscape in order to take advantage of the beautiful waterfront.
The boat storage, housed on the ground floor, is meant to mimic the stable central axis of the crew boat. Above, the spaces are centered on the same axis but continue to move out further as the program transitions. This allows for multiple opportunities for the community and teams to enjoy watching the races fly by.
