CONTENTS resume terra talus housing development eurovegas + madrid; an urban plan carleton university art gallery body within the void; concordia university digital arts center geotechnical institute of almonte facadism as a living entity
905.329.6537
Education
kelseyalexandrastewart@gmail.com 175 Woodbine Place Ottawa, ON. K1S 5M8
2010- 2014
Bachelor of Architectural Studies Carleton University, Ottawa ON with distinction Design Azrieli School of Architecture with Study Term Abroad Universidad Europe de Madrid
Awards Deans List 2010-2014 Published in Building 22 in 2011, project “Koheler House” Nominated for Stantec Architecture Award, project “Terra Talus” Nominated for Terron Scholarship project “Terra Talus”
Hard working, enthusiastic, and responsible student focused on challenges and learning new skills seeking a respective career in architectural environment to further develop skills and utilize professional experience ranging from conceptual problem-solving to project management.
Work Experience September 2011- January 2013 Technician Loan Pool, Carleton University, Ottawa ON
An audio and visual rental equipment facility located in the Azreli School of architecture
June 2012- September 2012 Estimator and Hvac Design Tim-ber Mart, Fort Erie ON
Produced lumber estimations based on architectural drawings and designed basic Hvac plans.
May 2011- August 2011 Job Shadowing Jason Pizzicarola Design, Fort Erie ON
Experienced day to day activities of head architect, projects underway and meetings with clients.
2009- Ongoing General Employee Rick Stewart Construction Ltd., Fort Erie ON On site construction experience working various jobs.
Skills
TERRA TALUS HOUSING
Located within Old Ottawa East, the six acre lot of Oblates consists of large green spaces with views facing the river and the canal a short distance away. Bordering the site is the Deschatelets Building, which has been given heritage status alongside the celebrated walkway of Oblates Ave. The zoning of the site will support a traditional commercial main street all along the public edge, a humbled residential development of three stories down the private edge, and mixed use at its center. Although the foliage is lush, and the existing space is mostly green, the topography is relatively flat. Proposed for this area is a development consisting of condominiums, back-to-back townhouses, commercial street fronts, and ample public spaces.
site strategy
EXCAVATION AND REUSE OF GROUND SOIL
MASSING ADHERING TO THE ZONING REQUIREMENTS
VIEWS ESTABLISH FORMS AND SITE CIRCULATION Strong sightlines have been determined forming connections throughout the site: one towards the Deschatelets Building and the other towards the river. These views establish the building forms and create a circulation unique to the Oblates site and its qualities.
FRAMING OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SPACE
A more interesting landscape is generated by the excavation of land to create an opportunity for a subterranean element and the reuse of excavated land allows for a new landform.
PATHWAYS CONNECT SITE DESTINATIONS
Pathways are formed to fit the circulation and public spaces on the site. These consist of the upper street from main to river, the converging of the original oblates with the new pedestrian oblate, and the residential trails.
With respect to the zoning, massing blocks have been created in desired locations according to maximum height allowance.
The circulation paired with the determined building forms becomes a frame for the public spaces found within the urban plan. A commercial court, green gardens and parks, and a public plaza become the defining programs of these spaces.
PROPOSED URBAN STRATEGY
The initial concept to the urban site was to optimize the building space without condensing vertically and endeavor to give back as much public green space as possible from what was taken away. Strategies include terracing buildings, back-to-back townhouses, creation of pedestrian streets, underground parking with unit access acting as the upper street structure and community plazas and courtyards.
Each townhouse consists of two, back-to-back, three stories high Units. With direct entrance to underground parking stairs are centrally located between the two homes and provide individual access. These stairwells act as light wells to supply daylight and natural ventilation at the back of the Units.
The designed topography created a unique situation for the design on the Condominium Units as they are able to reflect the landscape where the building is now situated. A stacked approach has been made allowing for a majority of the Units to have private grade access to individual maisonettes. Cross ventilation is also a product of the design allowing every Unit to have beautiful views of the river and a fresh, sustainable way to ventilate. Ground access Units maintain their own private yards as the others have balconies and everyone has access to the underground parking through the main lobby.
public spaces UPPER STREET The upper street becomes an integral part of the site’s structure as it provides access straight through to the river from Main Street. This becomes a lively space due to the interaction from the townhouses and the condominiums backing onto the pathway where gardens and front lawns are used by grade access Units. Cross-streets create a new layer of movement as people move deeper into the site from Springhurst Avenue.
PUBLIC PLAZA The plaza becomes a destination point for travelers to the site as well as a proposed reuse of the Heritage Building by the use of sub terrain as a new façade and entrance. It becomes a community driven space allowing for activities to take place and for people to congregate.
COMMERCIAL COURT A commercial street front along Main St. has the ability to bring vitality to the immediate edge of this site. An approach was made to bring additional life into the site by creating an entrance along the storefront building opening up to a commercial court with its edges defined by the buildings. The pathway leading from the court and further into the site is directed at the Deschatelets Building and passes buildings and park spaces eventually ending at the historical frontispiece.
MADRID + EUROVEGAS
In February of 2013, Las Vegas Sands Corp., announced the site for their multibillion dollar megacomplex of resorts and casinos to be Alcorc贸n, a town in the outskirts of the Spanish capital, Madrid. It would occupy approximately 7.5 sq.kms. and would include skyscraper hotels, many casinos and other amenities such as commercial areas and restaurants. The disconnect however, from downtown Madrid to the town of Alcorc贸n was apparent, and in order to benefit tourism in Madrid the gap needed to be filled. The proposal attempts the connection of downtown Madrid to the plot of Eurovegas by using areas already famous within the city and a new urban plan. The idea is to encourage people to travel between the two destinations without the need of a vehicle as they would be going for the experience of the surrounding environment.
1. Madrid Rio 2. Casa de Campo 3. Brown site 4. Eurovegas From downtown Madrid, interventions, both natural and activity based, have been made to expand the limits of the city. The closest is Madrid Rio, where the Manzanares River has been revitalized and leads into the next major public space of Casa de Campo, Madrid’s largest urban park.
Analyzing Madrid Rio assisted in the development of the new proposed urban plan as it successfully brought natural yet cultivated land into the urban fabric as well as provided many paths and activities to keep locals and tourists alike entertained. Casa de Campo is much more naturalistic and sprawling in
its great expanse and provides a perfect opportunity to use its existing infrastructure of pathways to filter people from the city towards Eurovegas. Once the end of Casa de Campo has been reached a large forgotten piece of land is all that remains; a new urban plan becomes a bridge for people to use between the city and the casinos.
site strategy
BUILDINGS: BUILDINGS: Existing residential areas border the designed plot existig residential areas border the designed plot with new commercial buildings encoroprated within the landscape. with new commercial buildings incorporated within ie. restaurant, market, etc. the landscape. ie. restaurant, market, etc.
WATER: WATER: A natural naturalriverway river way runs through de Campo a runs through CasaCasa de Campo to the to the Eurovegas plot. this Using as an attraction it is Eurovegas plot. Using as this an attration it is centralized and revitalized. centralized and revitalized.
TOPOGRAPHY/ VEGITATION: The projectwill will revitalize forgotten the project revitalize thethe forgotten land land usingusing green lawns, trees and brush as brush well asas crops are native green lawns, trees and wellwhich as crops whichto Madrid. The types of plants have been chosen for low are native to Madrid. The types of plants have been maintenance, their seasonal harvest, as wellharvest, as their and ability chosen for low maintenance, seasonal to be used in commercial and public interventions. application in commercial and public interventions.
ROUTES: ROUTES: Routes aredesigned designed to work for both fastslow and routes are to work for both a fasta and slow paced movement. One route is designed for a paced movement. One route is designed for a leisurley pace through vegitatio and restaurants where as the other leisurely pace through vegetation and restaurants is designed to other accomodate golf carts creating a fastergolf whereas the is designed to accommodate connection andasupported by the local golfsupported course. carts creating faster connection and by the local golf course. ACTIVITIES: consists ofofsparts parks andand a golf course already found in Consists sports parks a golf course already the area. activities proposed include vegitiation as found in New the area. New activities proposed include well as commercial apects, the picking, harvesting, and use vegetation as well as commercial aspects, the pickof the crops maintained ing, harvesting, and use of the crops maintained
Main attractions for tourists visiting Madrid in specific are warm weather and delicious food therefore the proposed plan encourages visitors of Eurovegas to walk through and spend time outdoors in the crops native to Madrid. Corresponding to these crops are the restaurants and bars which cultivate and use them to create the dishes they inspire. Saffron for example is used in paella, a famous dish in Spain, and grapes can be used for wine. Used as a focal point, these activities evolve around the waterways and motivate an interest and desire in others to follow this route. It also encourages those staying in Eurovegas to venture into the city and those from the city to make the trip to Eurovegas, thus benefiting both parties. .
winery and football feild
market; below grade
restaurant
CARLETON UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY
The Carleton Art Gallery is located on campus and is depreciated due to its lack of space and visibility to the University community. By taking advantage of a large empty plot adjacent to the existing gallery, the space available for exhibitions and circulation space would have the opportunity to multiply, allowing for larger quantities as well as larger scale artworks to be on display. Therefore, proposed is an addition which opens up the space making the gallery more visible and inviting to the community as well as providing a black box, white box, and raw installation space.
What once was the pristine display space will now be gutted and transformed into an interaction space where modern installations can take place. They are given creative reign in how they wish to use the space as its bare walls and floors provide the artist with a “blank canvas�. This space is to be walked through to reach other galleries therefore visitors may choose to become involved in the art or watch from the balcony above.
site + building strategy
EXTRUDE VOLUME white box
DUPLICATE VOLUME FOR SPERATE FUNCTION black box
CHALLENGE THE GRID
USE OF SUBTERRAIN TO ACCENTUATE ORIGINAL GRID
ENCLOSE THE VOLUME WITHIN THE VOID natural circulation space
In a series of deliberated steps the building becomes a form, creating all the spaces required for a proper art gallery. The grid of the existing building becomes a focus as new additions contradict as well as accentuate these axis lines. The main feature then becomes this contradiction in order and although it is linear in shape it calls attention to itself by its offsetting nature. The front plaza, created by surrounding amphitheater type seating, reaffirms the grid and as well creates an area for students to relax and see into the large glass covered space, interested intently at what is taking place within. It creates the grand entranceway every gallery needs and the attention Carleton University Gallery has been missing.
level 1
gallery situations
level 2
The main gallery space becomes an ever changing labyrinth with multiple entrances from the surrounding glass circulation space. This allows minimal light to hit artworks thereby permitting storage of more delicate pieces. The panels displaying the artwork can be altered (as displayed above) to the choosing of the exhibition.
The Grey Nuns Motherhouse located in downtown Montreal was aquired by Concordia University with the hopes of integrating the large site and bulding into the existing campus. The larger plan proposed an adaptive reuse of the existing building with an addition reminicent of the original plans for the historic site, which was never properly finshed. The program would be the Arts Faculty, with the digital arts focused within the new addition.
The projects starts with an understanding of digital art and its process. Digital art has created a world lacking a bodily form as it is derived through various sequences patterns and manipulation of information. This bodiless art however goes on to create performances and interactions which create life, movement, structure, and a body to call its own. In the scheme of the motherhouse the addition takes on the form of the holy spirit, a figure in religion that is always present but never tangibly there. Therefore I have given life to the absent body within the structure. The voided spaces become recognizable through the large curves which are reminiscent of a body and sculpted by the pure information of the circulation needed in the program. Within these voids we understand the spaces in relationship to our own body. The digital information which is created and displayed within these voids gives a new layer of information to these spaces.
site strategy
The rationalization for each move behind the final Digital Arts addition. Each diagram illustrates the thought process behind behind the solid and void. This breaks down the building into an informative peice, reflecting digital art and its ability to create forms through a lack of body.
Extrude addition as prosthetic leg of Motherhouse
Floor plates become bridge between programmed spaces of the voids.
Divide mass up through most travelled routes and important destinations on site.
Spaces are enclosed within glass structurally self-sufficient through vertical tension wire trusses
The absense of the body emerges through voids created.
Large forms become main structure and interesting detail
Large structures are manipulated by circulation patterns.
Main structure for curves; steel framework with exterior shell of panelled steel.
The main organizational thoughts of the floor plans comes from the comparison of the program spaces versus the circulation. The creation spaces, ie. studios and performance spaces, becomes areas within the voids whereas the circulation spaces move around them.
Below Grade
Ground Level
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Roof Level
West Elevation
North Elevation
GEOTECHNICAL INSTITUTE OF ALMONTE
Almonte, is a peaceful, naturally beautiful town with Canada’s Mississippi River running through the center and dropping dramatically in a series of waterfalls and rapids. The town, in close proximity to Ottawa, is mostly a commuter town for those working in the city; therefore, a learning institute affiliated with Carleton University was proposed. The site was the land surrounding the historic Old Town Hall with the possibility of reusing the interior of the hall. The land is the most impressive feature of the site as it borders the river precisely near the onset of the rapids. It appealed for a building which not only showcased the town hall but also drew attention to the surrounding environmental context. Research on the area and its geography gave case to a geological institute as the program for the bedrock which Almonte sits on and which proves significant in the geological makeup of the Canadian landscape. Research has been and is continuously being done on this specific earth makeup therefore students would be able to learn from their physical surroundings. The building itself was influenced by the rock formations, slabs of irregular rock layered onto one another, maintaining a low profile on the site to respect the beauty of its historic counterpart.
site + building strategy
Long low slabs are created for the basic floor configuration; the slabs take the shape of the river bank, leaving room for public space between the existing and the new as well as room in front for the river walk to be maintained. Connecting spaces vertically is achieved through openings creating double height spaces within the floor plan. For a visitor, it will be capable of feeling as if you are between layers of rock. Roof slabs consist of geometrical shapes which cover the area needed and use the negative space to let in natural sunlight through skylights. Roof becomes the final floor as it is accessible from outside or through the elevator within the building. With a green roof and many places to sit, the roof slabs are connected with wheelchair accessible walkways to create a viewing space for both the historic building of the Old Town Hall and the natural beauty of the Mississippi River.
The central double height circulation space becomes a focal point within the building. As the building is sitting directly on bedrock, the ground floor would expose and cover a piece of the rock, reflecting the opening above, so students would have a chance to see firsthand what they are studying. These double height spaces found within the plan also provide interesting views of the roof slabs hanging above. To look up and see the sky mixed with hard structure in unusual shapes would give any individual the feeling of residing within the rocks themselves.
Excerpts from “ Hide and Seek: Facadism as a Living Entity” Historic structures have shaped the city skylines of a majority of European countries for centuries. However growth and change in modern society required these buildings to adjust to contemporary needs while still fulfilling their role as monumental pieces within the city. This development was accomplished through adaptive reuse and from this branched off different interpretations of what it means to successfully reuse a building -- one of which is facadism. In essence this movement preserves the facades of buildings but strips away its contents to make room for a more modern adaptation of the structure. It can be seen as lacking substance, having no communication between the face and the mind, and becoming a mask of untouchable history. However, architectural minds see a way of joining the new and the old, allowing for a connection between preservation and modernity to work together. The familiar must transform, as if living, in order to create a new history. Therefore it is argued that perception of the familiar is changed via the masking of architecture as façadism, transforms from a shell of what was once there into a living membrane. This idea can be seen in artists and architects alike as shown through the works of Christo and Jeanne Claude, specifically with Wrapped Reichstag, as well as through Coop Himmelb(l)au and his adaptive reuse project, Gasometer B.
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Coop Himmelb(l)au was one of the four architecture firms to be chosen to participate in the remodeling of the interiors of the Gasometers in Vienna, Austria. These four grand structures originally housed the gas tanks for the city and unlike most gasometers were elaborately designed with a brick façade, “ Niebelungen-castle theme” , to hide the elements used on the interior. When the city switched to natural gas the tanks were no longer needed and the interior was dismantled leaving behind massive brick cylindrical facades. The tanks were so dominate they became a familiar sight on the skyline and therefore were not demolished but reused as a housing project. Architects were asked to redesign the interior of the cylinders, but this was not enough for Coop Himmelb(l)eu as their views differed on what it meant to reuse a historical structure. “If we believe in what we’re doing, we should use landmarks, not just push them empty into the foreground” A powerful statement by the firm confidently states their reasoning for the redesign of the space, which extrudes beyond the perimeter of the brick façade. In total the design incorporates three new volumes, one being an external shield and elegantly described in the following: “This shield is so wide and high, rather like an elevated screen in an open-air cinema, that it completely covers the historic gasometer, dissolves it. But this shield, delicately balanced on V-shaped supports, only reveals its true subtlety in the vertical section drawings. The structure seems to keep the gasometer slightly at a distance, like a dancer, inclining its trunk gently towards it and turning its torso away. And so the section figure is dynamic and frail, stabilized only by the contact between gasometer and shield.” It was a bold move for the firm and a new way of working with the traditional views of facadism, as they did not shy away from the historic façade yet embraced it. They used this opportunity to draw attention to the historical monument and create a landmark that acknowledged the historical background of Vienna yet as well drew attention to its modern development. Coop Himmelb(l)au saw a different way of dealing with the cylindrical facades unlike the other architects. The firm saw an opportunity to change perceptions of the familiar in order to create a statement of an ever changing structure rather than a dead piece of architecture. From this perspective facadism should be a form of adaptive architecture reminding us of the old but becoming the new, that is, a living organism, “components that are not static, but react to each other like biological, chemical or physical processes.” This thin wisp of a tower masking the façade has a life to it, as if it is seeping from the inside modern structure through the pores of the historical façade and out into the foreground. It draws on the same theory as Christo and Jeanne-Claudes installations, provoking those who see it to question what was there previously and as pieces of the old come into sight, the new with its sense of familiarity will find its way back. This life which Coop Himmelb(l)au sees between the old and the new becomes a basis for their understanding of facadism, as they stated, “The existing wall becomes an osmotic membrane.” They believed that the preserved façade, which most see as static, was alive and had the ability to absorb the new structure to produce a new outer membrane, the shield like building.
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hand-drawing