Kaj Marshall
M.Arch, University of Pennsylvania
B.A, University of Toronto https://issuu.com/kajmarshall/docs/kajm_selected_works
About
Burgeoning design professional, pursuing a position within the fields of architecture + design. Enterprising and extremely passionate about curating and cultivating pragmatic, sustainable, considerate and beautiful humancentric experiences within the built-environment.
Amateur Writer, Digital Artist, Lifelong Learner, Biblio+Technophile.
Education + Certification
Master of Architecture
University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, USA
Hons. Bachelor of Arts: Architectural Studies (High Distinction)
University of Toronto - Toronto, Canada
Associate’s Degree: Technical Studies
Spec.: Pure Mathematics, Physics, Mechanical + Engineering Drawing Harrison College - Bridgetown, Barbados
Licensed Draftsperson Bridgetown, Barbados
Skills + Proficienciees
Digital
3D Modelling
Rhinoceros 3D AutoCAD Maya 3DS Max Blender Sketchup
Technical
Scale Modelling
Photography
3D Printing
CNC Milling
3D Visualization2D Visualization + GraphicsAnalysis + InformaticsWriting + Publication
VRay Maxwell ZBrush TwinMotion Enscape Keyshot
AutoCAD Revit Indesign Illustrator Photoshop Acrobat Pro Powerpoint
ARCGIS Visual Analysis Grasshopper Excel Bluebeam Revu Office
Awards + Publications
University of Pennsylvania
“InfoStation” Schenk Woodman Student Design Competition - 2nd Place “Marshmapodvilion” PennDesign Pavilion Student Design Competition - Honourable Mention “Hudson Distillery” Pressing Matters 6 PennDesign Department of Architecture Publication - pp. 128-9
University of Toronto
“Catedral” Shelley Peterson Art Exhibition Dean’s List Scholarship
Anonymous.D Design Competition
“Palm Light” Shortlisted Entry
Kaj Marshall
M.Arch, University of Pennsylvania
B.A, University of Toronto https://issuu.com/kajmarshall/docs/kajm_selected_works
Professional Experience
Studio 13|59 Bridgetown, Barbados Founder, Architectural Designer
• Carried several residential architectural projects ranging from 800-1500s.f. through the conceptualisation, design and detailing phases; including the production of schematic, working, construction and detail drawings.
• Under took client interviews, meetings and surveys to ensure design excellence and client satisfaction.
• Engaged in physical site evaluation and analysis to determine environmental barriers and restrictions to development.
• Developed and tabled presentations to illustrate project development and timelines.
• Analysed and reviewed environmental and infrastructural requirements as stipulated by local planning organizations’ regulations for code compliance and professional best-practice.
• Consulted & liaised with GCs on feasible construction means and methods.
• Provided 2D and 3D Visualization services for mockup and preliminary design of prospective event venues and various construction projects.
Hynam Construction Bridgetown, Barbados Freelance Designer
• Handled the design and detail phases of interior rennovation projects, producing detail drawings as well as instructions and general guidelines for assembly.
• Developed and tabled presentations to illustrate project development and timeline.
CEMEX
Research Group AG Biel, Switzerland
Research & Development Design Intern in Material Design
• Collaborated in the realization of innovative solutions to drought-induced infrastructural difficulties experienced by the populations of the west coast of the USA, with a primary emphasis on California.
• Partnered with colleagues to conceive, design, test and analyse the feasible application of new examples of technologies in cement and concrete to alleviate water scarcity issues.
• Aided in the production of lectures, exhibits and displays to demonstrate research and development of an applied, bottom-up solution to aid in site-specific water retention and storage.
• Cooperated with specialists, technicians and fabricators in the design and fabrication of a full-scale mockup of ensuing concrete structures.
Starbucks Toronto, Canada Barista
• Acted as a shift lead; greeted customers, expedited drink orders, prepared various food orders while providing general support for multiple stations.
Urban Outfitters Toronto, Canada Sales Associate
• Operated the cash register, acting as the final point of sale for merchandise and membership services; also handled returns and exchanges.
Artist in Residence, Ed Pien Toronto, Canada
Artist’s Assistant
• Consulted in the realization of production of several venue-spanning art installations, including the design, drawings and 3D mockup of physical exhibition spaces.
• Oversaw and participated in the design and fabrication of numerous physical scale models as well as engineering feasible means of disassembly, transport and on-site reassembly.
Dubbeldam Architecture + Design Toronto, Canada
Assistant Visualizer
• Worked in a freelance/fill-in capacity as a member of the team in the production of visualization and representation for a residential project awarded the OAA Design Excellence Award.
ODE Art Gallery
Marshmapodvilion Masked Volumes
Taut Housing
Adjunct House
Engine for Santa Monica
Dewy Pavilion
Research
Professional
Professional (cont’d)
Mini House Steppe House
The ODE Art Gallery is an exploration into the conditions established between the juxtaposition of organisms (or parts of organisms) and the environment in which they are situated, mirroring the relationship of Russel Wright’s own house to that of the landscape of Manitoga in order to produce a structure which introduces a radical but complementary juxtaposition between new and old. The new gallery at Manitoga will reinvigorate interest in Wright’s life and work and place the Russell Wright Foundation into the emergent unique space occupied by galleries whose exceptional design quality strengthens interest in exhibited work.
The gallery offers an expansion of the existing office space for the Russell Wright foundation as well as including larger exhibition spaces, which would allow the Russell Wright Foundation to expand its operations and scope, hopefully generating more revenue and exposure for the future preservation of Wright’s work more extensive collaboration with other institutions and organisations, such as PennDesign and the current visiting artist’s program.
ODE Art Gallery
+Landscape
+Aggregation
+Formal Experimentation
STITCHED SECTION
LOWER FLOOR PLAN
MID FLOOR PLAN
Marshmapodvilion
+ Fabrication
+ Aggregation
+ Soft Architecture
Inspired by the sinuos curves and whimsical character embodied in every Russel Wright design, the Marshmapodvilion comes to life. Marshmapods are a proposed biological organsim pushing back against the definition of architecture as static or inaminate.
A fully imagined lifecycle, featuring birth, growth and change over time toward the ultimate maturation into an stable aggregation into a rigidly defined but softly articulated mass. As they do so, they twist, turn, bend and squeeze to emote and imply individual personalities and lives outside their existence as part of a pavilion. They walk by means of rigid members, but their bodies remain soft and malleable to allow a wide range of movement.
Each stage of Marshmapod life comes together in a tumbling, piling, intersecting and intwertwining of bodies which begs inhabitation and engagement; both with the Marshmapod’s tacility, but also their energy as well. The pavilion envelopes one, in a collection of creatures full of life and wonder.
ANATOMICAL DIAGRAM OF ADULT “MARSHMAPOD”
Prospective illustration of a typical adult “Marshmapod” depicting major biological systems contributing to agglomeration logic.
The implications of a fully functioning anatomical model of the Marshmopod is key to the principles on which the aggregation establishes itself, both as structure and organism. In order for the organisms to group and aggregate to form a larger whole, a set of rules and principles governing their interaction must exist. In other words, the system by which the Marshmopodvilion is created is a bottom-up extrapolation of an intrinsic feature - the biological rulesets of each entity inform the final form. FULLY
REALISED “MARSHMAPOD” AGGLOMERATION
Final organization of Marshmapod members creates a whimsical enclosure of soft bodies, simultaneous shelter and comfort.
STUDY AGGLOMERATIONS
FULL SCALE STRUCTURE
The arrangement of the Marshmapods results in an enclosure that blurs the lines between sculpture and shelter, something that is both object and animate. The material choices allowed a kind of indeterminate interiority, where sightlines appear and disappear, mediated and manipulated by soft bodies actings as enclosing surfaces and occupyable space.
By stretching the ephemeral covering, the “membrane” layer became a screening element, while semidetached ‘Pods allowed users to sit, lay and otherwise rest in the manner they saw fit. The soft mounding and seemingly haphazard placement of the ‘Pods also belied a more rigid understructure of fully attached members, eliciting a playful and questioning engagement by users, a character in line with the whimsical concept of the pavilion.
1:1 Scale mockup of the Marshmapodvilion
Masked Volumes
+ IconoGraphic
+ Magenta
+ Facade versus Interior
Culture and Education go hand in hand in shaping the makeup of society’s landscape, creating Hegel’s nebulous Zeitgeist. This spirit informs the world of the real; the tangible and physical, in one form through our buildings; our primary, secondary and tertiary spaces.
In Masked Volumes, that phenomenon is recognized and actualized by way of a cultural centre which symbolically acknowledges its debt to (and its role in) education and the public sphere.
Utilizing the symbols and icons of education as a means of implicit communication, Volumes modulates its exterior appearance in contrast to its interior experience, creating a dichotomy between the two that invites users to contemplate the literal and metaphorical insterstitial space between and the signifier and the signifiedapproximating the underpinnings of the kinds of performances to which the center plays host. It asks the user to consider the relationships between education, culture and the gaps between each, the factors at play whihch convey direct meaning, and to interrogate their own role in the process of creating and perpetuating that meaning.
ICONOGRAPHIC STUDIES OF THEMATIC FORMAL ELEMENTS
Examining and combining ionographic symbols from different vantages through a series of boolean operations introduces ambiguity and possibly deception in the appearance of elements housing the complex’s functions.
Basic geometric guidelines for the generation of the “mask” or massing/volume of the performing centre derived from the form of a spiral bound book, a callback to both the didactic and culturally formulative nature of stage performance.
2D forms become rationalized 3D objects, exploiting an idealized collision of 2 similar objects (figure and mask) to create volume, aperture and enclosure.
DIAGRAMS OF SIGHTLINES AND VIEWPOINTS OF ORGANIZATION
Vistas afforded by the urban fabric inform placement and formal wrapping of programmatic elements within the siteplan.
ELEVATIONS
Laying the various elevations beside one another partially reveals artifice of facade versus function versus opposing views, none quite matchup as would be implied by the other...
Taut Housing
+Urban Farming
+Communal Space
+Public vs. Private
The state of housing in North America is one influenced by a number of complex forces which have driven development into its current paradigm. In some cases, this paradigm has given rise to problematic circumstances. Developers and other primary actors, largely driven by policy and legislation, have attempted to optimize for specific outcomes of said development.
This has lead to anti-social and pseudo segregational practices, like the colloquially termed “poor door”, which only serves to highlight the wealth gaps and inequalities that form the feedback loop which perpetuates the aforementioned status quo.
Taut Housing, as a response to these tense conditions, seeks to explore the ways in which communal space can be utilized and programmed in order to foster connections between users and infuse the urban landscape with a greater sense of community.
MODEL STUDIES
Model explorations establish a formal and theoretical basis to build upon the seed of the idea behind the project; drawing on the motif of defining volume and space through skeins stretched in tension and core elements acting in compression.
STRATEGY DIAGRAMS
Concretizing the concept of the analog model involved a series of strategic operations to mimic the underlying principles which granted its formal characteristics.
Establish opposing axes on site.
Create vertical wells acting similarly to concept model dowels.
Use established vertical to create minimized footprint analogous to stretched fabric.
Create openings + entry points in final volume.
Create final outline of upper floor to oppose minimized footprint, create a “stretched” space, and induce volume. Wrap final volume.
Systems within the formed volume allow the structure to enact a series of conditions to allow heightened engagement of users with one another. A central circulation arrangement connects all levels of the living space, with access to embedded community gardens in a corner wing of the building. The circulation path also limitedly connects to the public park space on a raised interior plinth, which sits on a more regular entrance for residents, amenity spaces, and a groundfloor retail space.
Critical and contextual readings of pivotal writings by Jacobs, Gould & Gould and Rybczynski inform the project’s programmatic and organizational underpinnings. The urban environment acts a “chaotic” interplay of systems and localities which combine to create a unique sense of place due to the distinct modalities of operation within the larger framework.
Embracing this multiplicity and interconnectedness on a micro/building-level scale allows for the creation of an a jigsawn piece of the urban fabric, one that seeks to fill select gaps in its immediate environment, leveraging communal space and collective endeavour to knit together its community of users, through the use of a publicly accessible park space, urban gardens and shared work areas to serve their multi-faceted and diverse set of needs, creating the elusive and dwindling “thirs spaces” so lacking in today’s urban environment.
Engine for Santa Monica
+ Parametric Design
+ Combinatory Urbanism
+ Mapping & Research
+ Sustainability
Engine for Santa Monica arises as a response to an existing call-to-arms by Los Angeles County; to address the current environmental paradigms of the region and seek new modes of sustainable development. The aim of the project involves a total reduction of LA County’s overall footprint through infrastructural-scale interventionvs within its urban centres. The proposed solution is situated within the County’s 20th most populous city, Santa Monica, utilizing the existing airspace above the Interstate 10 Freeway, in effect creating a site “ex nihilo.”
The city was examined under the lens of several mapping operations; seeking to evaluate extant circumstances and incisively address the factors that lead to them. Several prominent threads presented themselves over the course of analysis through the emergence of notable trends in multiple data sets. Paired with municipal directives under the Sustainable City Plan and the Community Energy Independence Initiatitve, responses to
Waste Mitigation + Energy Generation (1) + (2)
Santa Monica disposes of solid waste primarily through removal or transportation to landfill sites, producing increased emissions as a result. The city’s solid waste can be divided into various categories, identifying the potential for use in renewable energy initiatives.
Reduction in Tonnage
The distance covered by journeys to and from these landfills is equivalent to 30 trips around the world, accounting for 3625 tons of CO2 per year in emissions. Those journeys’ solid waste totals are encompassed by waste streams equivalent to 84, 500 tons per year. A moderately scaled, plasma gasification plant would mitigate 75% of the city’s waste; reducing production from one Disney cruiseship per year to less than 3/4 of Statue of Liberty in tonnage.
these trends helped inform design decisions at the macro scale to improve Santa Monica’s already commendable environmental standing. These data sets steered the project towards an solution that could be broken down into strategies under the umbrella of 4 main, interlinked themes: (1) Waste Mitigation + (2) Energy Generation, (3)
Water Retention/Reuse + (4) Infrastructural Consolidation.
Santa Monica’s energy usage is primarily divided segments defined by its industrial, commercial and institutional sectors, with the remaining percentage dominated by the residential sphere. The freeway cap provides a unique opportunity to utilize aspects of Santa Monica’s climate to offset its environmental impact.
Analysis of the solar potential for the freeway cap uncovers its viability as a mini solar farm, with the minimum sunlight hours during the Summer + Winter Solstices registering at 10+. Combining this analysis with the programatic, pragmatic and contextual imperatives of the site leads to implementation of a solar park which improves the city’s outdoor recreational areas while simultaneously and sustainably aiding in counteracting its electricity consumption.
Running parallel to the ongoing analysis of site conditions was the exploration and experimentation with archetypal forms (primitives) generated through manipulation of their individual parameters. This exercise was balanced against the overarching idea of combining a series of self-contained systems.
The juxtaposition and collision of these systems resulted in complex and unpredictable interactions which were then mined for their spatial, organizational and experiential potential in an urbanistic capacity.
PRINCIPLE FORMAL ORGANIZATION
Final organization chosen to act as a guideline for the approach to treatment of the freeway cap.
Guiding principles of the final formal organization give way to a series of interconnected layered systems.
The systems giving rise to these interactions were derived largely from urban conditions themselves, creating a kind of self-referential loop which pushed the “Engine” into a viable intervention, with tangible physical implications for planning and organizing the spaces atop the Freeway Cap.
PUBLIC PARK SECTION
MIXED-USE SECTION
PLAN OF FREEWAY CAP (SOUTH END) | WATER TREATMENT FACILITY
SECTION OF FREEWAY CAP (SOUTH END) | WATER TREATMENT FACILITY
SECTION OF FREEWAY CAP (NORTH END) | GASIFICATION FACILITY
+ Installation + Fabrication + Experimental
The quaintly nicknamed “Dewy” is an experimental installation designed to combat the ever-growing issue of drought conditions and water scarcity plaguing the Southern California region by proposing a semi-modular, expandable and configurable solution utilizing low-tech, easily reproducible fabrication methods and accessible materials.
Simultaneously, the project seeks to explore the ideas of space and place-making with a nod towards environmental comfort.
SCALE MATERIAL STUDIES
Study models experimenting with texture, viscosity and malleability of poured concrete with minimalist fabric-based formwork.
COMPONENTS OF PROVISIONAL ARRANGEMENT
The component parts of “Dewy” are stacked vertically by material type, and provide adaptable arrangements.
The layers of Dewy serve discrete functional roles within the overall structure. An impermeable tray of a proprietary concrete mixture forms a catchment basin, which drains to a permeable column.
Above the tray sit a set of permeable concrete floor tiles, allowing water to flow through while protecting it from ambient heat and temperatures.
The penultimate layer is made up of a specially treated hydrophobic concrete mixture, ensuring maximum runoff into the permeable layers for infiltration into the core.
Lastly, a set of permeable columns are slotted into the floor tiles, to both aid in moisture capture/retention and provide radiant cooling for inhabitants.
FORMWORK AND FABRICATION PROCESS OF CANOPY SECTION
Formwork and fabrication process of the canopy utilizing fast setting fiber-reinforced concrete
Canopy section poured in minimalist framework as a flat sheet , screeded to uniform thickness and bent as a sheet of material to specified measurements.
FORMWORK AND FABRICATION PROCESS OF SEATING SECTION
Formwork and fabrication process of the seat utilizing fast setting fiber-reinforced concrete
Seating section poured into an inverted stitched-fabric form with attached base. Space filling material was implemented to reduce weight as well as rebar reinforcement at connection points
FORMWORK AND FABRICATION PROCESS OF COLUMNS
Formwork and fabrication process of the columns utilizing pervious concrete of 3 different densities
Columnar elements poured into sitched-fabric forms with reused wooden framing. Different gauges of material allow concrete to expand/set to designated specifications.
The final mockup of Dewy as it rests in the CEMEX showroom in the Swiss Canton of Biel. The arrangement also includes a set of arrangeable tiles into which the columnar elements are inserted. The realisation of this mockup is used to demonstrate the feasability of lowtech, atypical construction methods utilizing the speicialised concrete formulations made available by CEMEX for projects of all sizes and scales. It is a testament to the versatility of concrete.
Adjunct House
+ Residential
+ Construction
+ Professional Work
Adjunct House proposes a modern addition to a traditional Barbadian family household to accomodate the growth and shift in dynamics from the “nuclear” to the “extended”.
The extension is designed for a young couple who would like to remain close to their parents while maintaining a level of autonomy, calling for a linked interconnected space which can be isolated as needed.
Mini House
+ Residential + Construction
+ Professional Work
Mini House is an incisive intervention on an adverse plot situated in a densely developed, but relatively sparsely populated urban locale. The client’s insistence on simplicity, minimial footprint and a measured, modern aesthetic resulted in a uniquely calibrated solution, implementing heavy use of passive shading and muted formal articulation to produce a comfortable but striking figure which maintains a taut harmony with its surroundings.
Steppe House, an expansive, single-story home nestled in the crook of a new development.
Grounded by its core, an open floorplan living/dining/kitchen space (with more private “wings” laid out along its main axis), Steppe House proposes the consummate comfortable living space, with an emphasis on dynamism and flexibility.
Steppe House
+ Residential
+ Construction
+ Detailing
+ Professional Work
