KAYLA DESPER Architecture Portfolio
Crochet is the act of one thing coming together to create and connect many things through an operational process. Crochet becomes the dominant process that takes over this project operating at different scales. The concept of the individual to the collective has been explored through the tectonics of this pavilion where individual members come together to create different collective densities of woven surfaces. This pavilion provides a space where people have the opportunity to come together to crochet, knit, stitch, and learn new things from each other. The pavilion acts as the center hub for activity on this site and is surrounded by a series of pathways and benches weaving together and branching outwards from the pavilion.
Gary, Indiana, once known as “The Magic City,” over the last several years has had a declining population. The current Gary Metro Center, which serves as the main South Shore Line station and facilitates local bus transportation within the city, is in need of revitalization.
The revitalization proposal presented aims to not only address the lack of accessibility current on the site, but also bring more activity to Gary for all ages. The site on the ground level includes a series of both temporary and permanent market spaces inspired by Yokochos that are located in Japan. Yokochos are described as a “third place” beyond work and home. To further develop the idea of a “third place,” two towers, a hotel and an office, are placed on top of the market spaces below. Within these towers are places where people can gather, meet, or play. These spaces are created by a double skin façade made with glass. The site also includes an outdoor multi-use space that can be used as an ice rink, roller rink, open stage, and much more.
Lake County Indiana
Growing Connections was a partner project for an adaptive reuse design proposal. Working with a real client, each team was challenged with modifying the existing, abandoned building on site that formerly housed St. Joan of Arc School in Kokomo, IN. This adaptive reuse design included two major components: a long-term care division for senior citizens and a childcare center with an after-school tutoring program for the Kokomo youth.
Within the childcarecomponent are facilities and classrooms to accommodate infants, toddlers, and pre-kindergarten children. The daycarealso has a drop-off lane on the North side of the building and a gym that is shared with the senior residents.
Within the senior citizen component are three different housing types: assisted living, long-term care, and memory care. Each housing type has a different room and floor layout to accommodate to the type of care residents need. Senior residents also have access to a variety of different activities and services on site including a minute clinic that is shared with the community.
Introducing Framing Fort Wayne: a design proposal for a mixed-use development that aspires to enhancetheexisting energies in Fort Wayne while promoting community engagement, health, and well-being. Central to this design is an exposed steel structure that serves to organize spaces in and around the site. This foundational element not only ensures structural integrity, but also serves as a striking aesthetic feature that framesandcaptures the surrounding viewsof Fort Wayne. The building also features colorful, operable, expanded steel shading devices that reflect the lively energy of Fort Wayne.
Rooftop terrace spaces have been incorporated to offer excellent viewsof Fort Wayne’s Parkview Field and are designed to accommodate a range of activities, from leisurely gatherings to dynamic events, fostering a sense of community engagement and connection. At the heart of this design lies a spacious plaza, with ample space for events, gatherings, and outdoor markets or vendors, allowing this space to serve as a vibrant and dynamic gathering place for community interaction.
Project Selected as Finalist
3D printing is an additive manufacturing process that prints a digital model layer by layer to create a 3D object. Efficiency is an important goal when 3D printing in order to save on timeand material (filaments). Digital models are carefully set up and arranged on a 3D printing bed plate through in a slicer program which creates a code for the 3D printer to read and print a model. High quality prints can be achieved in various ways by adjusting settings in the slicer program or through different finishing techniques once an object is printed (i.e. sanding, spray paint, and different filler products).
