Kirby Spraggins Architecture Portfolio 2023

KIRBY SPRAGGINS

Architecture + Interior Architecture

BY KIRBY SPRAGGINS

KIRBY SPRAGGINS

Published May 2023

88 Pages, 8.5” x 8.5”

This publication contains images for educational, nonprofit purposes, constituting a “fair use” of any such materials as provided in Section 107 of the Copyright Law. Whenever Possible, Source Credit is Attributed to the Copyright holder.

A special thanks to,

Margaret Fletcher, Kevin Moore, Matt Hall, Lida Sease, Emily McGlohn, Mark Blumburg, Mary English, David Kennedy, Rebecca O’Neal, and Jennifer Pindyck

CONTENTS

URBAN ARCHITECTURE

Aquatics Center

Chattanooga, TN

Page 10

Social Hotel

Montgomery, AL

Page 18

AGRARIAN ARCHITECTURE

Writer’s Studio

Auburn, AL

Page 28

Basketball Center

Auburn, AL

Page 36

Nature Pavilion

Auburn, AL

Page 44

Ophelia’s Home

Newbern, AL

Page 52

ANALOG EXPLORATIONS

Model Making

Exploring Form

Page 66

Drawing Exploring Proportions

Page 68

DIGITAL EXPLORATIONS

Photography Exploring Composition

Page 72

Branding

Exploring Identity

Page 74

CAREER EVOLUTION

Chronology

Professional Highlights

Page 78

Resume

Professional Credentials

Page 82

AQUATICS CENTER

Physically Interactive Spaces

Location:

Year:

Faculty:

Chattanooga, TN Fall of 2022

Margaret Fletcher

The goal of this project was to design an aquatics center and dance studio that could bring new life to the community of Chattanooga. This would provide an informal social meeting ground, where people separated by social differences, can interact, and communicate face to face and develop a sense of shared interest and identity. The site of the Chattanooga Center for Aquatics and Dance is currently a large parking area on a sloped site that is bound by Lindsay Street, MLK Boulevard and Houston Street. It sits adjacent from the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Patten Square.

NATURE THAT INCORPORATES WATER AND MOVEMENT

Many of the formal decisions for the Chattanooga Activity Center for Swim and Dance came from looking at nature that incorporates water and movement. The idea is to create an environment that gives the occupants a sense of adventure, discovery, well-being, and playfulness. These are the same feelings people have when surrounded by nature. This was done by using color as a physical form of expression through the circulation, defining the socially active spaces through multifaceted ceilings, and framing the performance spaces through illumination.

The Blue Grotto

Framing Space Through Illumination

Color Guiding The Space

Defining Space Through Facets

A PHYSICALLY INTERACTIVE SPACE

Cracked Soil

Maple Leaf Veins

Addressing the separation between Lindsay Street, MLK Boulevard and Houston Street was a crucial part in increasing the activity of social engagement throughout the square. This was done by connecting the Bessie Smith Cultural Center Patten Square and Houston Street with a continuous path that can always be accessed by the public.

View looking into the aquatics center View from the cafe interior

View looking up Lindsay Street

Opposite Orthographic view facing the southwest corner of both dance studios and aquatics center

Below View of the north and south section facing Patten Parkway

SOCIAL HOTEL

Adaptive Reuse

Location:

Year: Faculty:

Montgomery, Al Summer of 2022

Kevin Moore & Rebecca O’Neal

The premise for this adaptive reuse project was to turn the Durr Palms 5 story office space into an accessible apartment complex that could easily swing to a luxury hotel. The office building is located on the corner of High Street and S Court Street. The site sits in a neighborhood that includes an abandoned apartment complex, traditional single family housing residences, and multi-story office buildings.

Bottom Row Early schematic sketches exploring section, window details, and plan

Below Physical study model of the hotel corridor

The goal of this project was to make guests feel like they are part of a larger community. This was done by removing a section of each corridor to allow a visual connection from on floor to another, creating a multiheight space and a dialog between floors. The concrete slab on west side of the first floor was also removed to give space for a community garden. This would provide an outdoor space for residences to take their dog out, play, eat, and socialize. An extra stair was added on the south side of the building to comply with residential building codes while also still maintaining valuable corner space for residences.

Top Row Diagram showing the Transformation from the original building to the new hotel proposal

Axon of the south east corner

The furniture throughout the hotel is primarily sculptural in form while using neutral colors to unify the rest of the interior. This also allows the red to pop out, making a centerpiece for the interior. The furniture in the guest rooms is also set low to the ground to make the space feel bigger and to bring the guests to a more relaxed state.

Above View of the double bedroom

Below Double bedroom and single bedroom lighting diagram sketch

materials. Heavy materials such as the vertical corrugated concrete walls and the sculpted plaster walls, produce a monolithic element that make the space feel like a social cave. The social spaces are covered with an ultra-suede while the private rooms have stained pecan hardwood floors to make the space feel bigger more luxurious.

Above View of the bar and dining space

Opposite View of the double bedroom

WRITER’S STUDIO

GOING OFF THE GRID

Location:

Year:

Faculty:

Auburn, AL

Fall of 2020

Rebecca O’Neal

The project’s overall scope was to design a small stand-alone building within Auburn’s Agricultural Heritage Park to accommodate an individual writing studio. This would be a studio space for students, professors, visitors, or guest artists to escape from their normative environment to make progress on individual works. This project is one of 18 uniquely designed studios that form a writers’ collective and are sited around the larger site context.

Above Early schematic sketches exploring section, window details, and plan

Opposite Right Active and passive energy systems

Opposite Left Diagram showing the expectations and the new possibility of OTG construction community. The active green energy systems, such as a battery storage unit, inverter, and fiberglass water storage tank, were placed directly in the center of the studio to provide a more pleasant experience surrounding the exterior of the building.

The goal of this project was to design a studio that provides a place of solitude for the client to work in, while also providing a sense of community within the writers collective. This was done by using specific spatial moves that anyone can appreciate regardless of use.

The studio collects its own water and power. Building off the grid in this context creates a symbiotic relationship where it also provides something to give back to other studios within the collective, therefore strengthening the feeling of

1. Wind Generator Automax Windmill 1,200 Watts

2. Watt Solar Panel Rec Solar N- Peak 315 Watts

3. Rainwater Harvesting fiberglass Starage Tank with UV light treatment 200 Gallon

4. Mini Slit System LG Dualcool Prestige 9,000 BTU

5. Inverter Samley PST-2000-24

2,000 Watts

6. Watt Battery pack Outback Power

5,000 Watts

Although this is a writing studio for one single person, the space is still capable of accommodating a larger crowd. In the case that the client wants to entertain a small group such as friends or family members, the interior of the building comfortably fits 10-15 guests. However, if the client also wants to host a large event such as a book signing, the writing studio can open up to the outside space, therefore flexibly accommodating the size of the crowd.

The foundation of the project is set two to three feet below the ground plane with a variety of different heights. Having the main writing space set into the ground plane creates a feeling of intimacy within the studio, while the variating heights may incorporate hidden storage spaces and different areas to write.

Above Section B

Opposite Interior view of the writing studio

BASKETBALL CENTER

TECHTONIC AND STEREOTOMIC

Location:

Year:

Faculty:

Auburn, AL

Fall of 2019

Matt Hall

The grounds for this project were to provide a place for students to come after school and on the weekend to play sports or to study. The program called for an indoor basketball court and an outdoor sports court, as well as some classrooms for tutoring and a hydration station. The site was located on the corner of West Thach and Hemlock Dr in Auburn, AL. The area itself was populated with trees and was set on a hill. There were almost no immediate surrounding buildings besides a fraternity house east of the site.

The goal for this project was to create a space within the landscape by using tectonic and stereotomic elements. This was executed by shaping corten steel beams and ordering them in a sequence to create a wave pattern to play off of the waviness that the landscape presents. Also, the majority of the stereotomic spaces are embedded into the landscape, while the tectonic spaces sit right on top.

Above

Study Models

Below Schematic Sketches

1/42”

Sectional Sketches 1/16” Study Model

The roof is constructed with corten steel beams spanning across the east and west sections of the building. Between each beam is etched glass to allow natural light to channel onto the courts. The glass is etched to prevent shadows from the beams shining onto the court. One half of the beam holds lighting, while the other half holds ventilation.

1. Main Basketball Court

2 Outdoor Sports Court

3. Locker Room Entry

4. Ticket Booth

5 Restroom

6. Elevator

7 Entry Staircase

8. Concession

9. Classroom

The Interior of the building is divided into two areas, a space for the athletes and a space for the rest of the community. The space for athletes is placed directly under the area that would be occupied by the general public. This is to separate the athletes into a heavier stereotomic environment that can provide privacy while the rest of the community occupies a much more light and tectonic space, encouraging openness and social interaction.

Above Section B

Above Section A

Right Exploded Presentation Model

NATURE PAVILION

BUILDING WITH CLT

Location:

Year:

Faculty:

Auburn, AL Spring of 2020

David Kennedy

The objective of this project was to design a pavilion built primarily from CLT. The pavilion itself was originally intended to serve as a meeting site for the 2020-21 colloquium, hosted by Auburn University, and sited at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) located at the 5.6-acre Sunny Slope estate off South College Street. This required learning about all the possibilities of what CLT could be as a building material such as its structural capabilities and it’s sustainable characteristics.

Above Left Early schematic sketches exploring the plan and site orientation of the pavilion

Above Right and Opposite Left Process models exploring the form of the roof

Opposite Right Diagram showing the materials and assembly of the pavilion

Conceptually the twenty-person meeting area is the public space, and the four-person meeting area is the private space. The private space includes heavy stereotomic CLT walls with an aperture above to frame the sky. This encourages selfreflection and emphasizes the solidarity within the private space. While the public space is wrapped with light tectonic walls made from CLT that work both as structure and as a device to partially block undesirable views. This frames the open grass area and is a great connector for public events.

1. CLT Roof Structure

2. CLT Screen Wall

3. Steel Columns

4. Concrete Foundation

5. Steal Supports

The pavilion needed to house a space for 20 users and a space for 4 users to interact in. The 20-person space was intended for activities such as round table discussions, presentations and workshops. While the 4-person space was intended for private meetings, one on one interactions, and personal projects. Having both spaces looking out onto the rolling hills of the OLLI campuse was the primary goal when designing the space.

Above Section A Opposite Pavilion Plan

The folded roof is inspired by origami. An artform in which its medium is born from the same home as CLT. The folded roof moves water to the center of the pavilion as opposed to the outside. In order to drain water, a gap is formed between the roof and the southwest inner wall of the pavilion. This forms a waterfall effect during rainy days and a wash of light illuminating the center of the pavilion during sunny days.

Above Section B Opposite Above Views looking into the east facade Opposite Below Views looking into the activity space

OPHELIA’S HOME

GOING OFF THE GRID

Location:

Year:

Faculty:

Newburn, AL

Spring of 2021

Emily McGlohn

The 20K housing project is a program in which a team of third-year Auburn architecture students design and build a home for a member of the Newbern community. The typical goal is to design and build a house that is beautiful, affordable, equitable, and energy-efficient within two semesters. This research done by the Rural Studio students is then extended by the Front Porch Initiative, making the work done at Rural Studio more scalable for underserved rural communities beyond Newbern, Alabama.

Our client, Ophelia has lived in Newbern all her life and needed a place for her and her son to live. The Fall of 2019 class decided to adapt a previous 20k home (Joanne’s Home) to meet her individual needs. Two years later (due to some setback from the covid pandemic) our spring of 2021 class was able to complete the home and hand over the keys to Ophelia and her son. During this journey our class explored manipulating the proportions of the front porch by adjusting the angles of the corrugated facade and created a modular millwork system that can be used for other 20k Homes.

Joanne’s Home Ophelia’s Home

Above Ophelia and Roy on the front porch Opposite Plan for Ophelia’s Home

Dave’s Home

Mac’s Home

Joanne’s Home

2OK Product Line Homes

1. Kitchen

2. Utility

3. Bathroom

4. Living Room

5. Bedroom

Top Row Examples of dazzle camouflage used on WW1 battleships and formula 1 cars

Bottom Row Facade orientation study

Opposite Facade watercolor study

After adapting Joanne’s home to Ophelia’s needs, the front porch became significantly smaller resulting in undesirable proportions. Our class wanted to fix this and create an illusion of a larger porch. Taking inspiration from dazzle camouflage used on WWI battleships, the idea was to create the illusion of different sections of the facade by changing the orientation. We used mock-ups, sketches, and watercolor renderings to explore potential opportunities to create a nicer entry sequence.

TIMELINE

Fall of 2019 Site studies, initial design work, schematic design

Spring of 2020 Breaking ground, building foundation

Fall of 2020 Completed construction documents, raise walls and roof framing

Spring of 2021 Completed exterior and interior of home, designed and built cabinetry

Installing PVC pipe for plumbing

Installing electrical wire

Digging up water line

Below Plumbing plan

Opposite Electrical Plan

To Septic

Water Main

While we were on site building Ophelia’s home, our class was divided into three construction teams. These included an interior, exterior, and MEP team. As a student on the MEP team, I was responsible for designing reflected ceiling and electrical plans,

plumbing diagrams as well as building and installing the plumbing and electrical wiring systems. This process of learning while building allowed us to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of our original design.

Our spring 2021 class also explored a more affordable millwork solution. Instead of buying cabinets from Lowes or Ikea, we discovered that we could just build a higher quality set of cabinets at a cheaper price in-house with our table saw. The cabinets were designed to meet her individual needs and were also standardized so they could be used for future homes or other organizations such as Front Porch Initiative. We created a module system that could be utilized and adapted throughout the entire house.

1. Kitchen

2. Kitchen

3. Bedroom

4. Nook

5. Utility

6. Bathroom

Opposite Below Final Images of Ophelia’s millwork

Above Early sketches for “A 20K Storage Solution”

Presenting early sketches for “A 20K Storage Solution” book

Cutting pieces of cabinetry with the table saw Presenting the final “A 20K Storage Solution” book

Above Pages from “A 20K Storage Solution”

Below Scan QR Code to read the entire digital copy of “A 20K Storage Solution”

MODEL MAKING

EXPLORING FORM

Crafting models to explore the form and shape of a building has been a crucial part of my development as an aspiring architect. The images on the page show various studies of models specifically from my first and second year architecture studios. The freshman year images include, The Menil Art Gallery and A Place for Remembering / A Place for Forgetting. The sophomore year images include The Chicago Print Shop and the Community Basketball Center.

Exterior and interior views of the Menil Art Gallery

The curved steal I-beams for the Community Basketball Center

A Place for Remembering / A Place for Forgetting

The south facade of the Chicago Print Shop

Above Study models of the Chicago Print Shop

Right West interior of the Chicago Print Shop

DRAWING

EXPLORING PROPORTIONS

The fastest way to communicate an idea from my brain to something tangible is through drawing. This is often a quick pen and marker sketch that can lay out the groundwork for better ideas. The drawings displayed on this page are studies of existing buildings that I referenced to practice a variety of sketching techniques.

Images from Newbern, Alabama Sketch of a building in Paris

Images from the Reva and David

Images from the Reva and David

Sketch of Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca’ d’Oro in Venice

Above Sketch of a French Alleyway

Right Sketch of an Italian Alleyway

PHOTOGRAPHY

EXPLORING COMPOSITION

Image making through photography has become a hobby and a research tool that I have refined over time in architecture school. These photographs are compositions that I found in Newbern, AL and Chicago, IL. They aim to capture color palettes I find fascinating, elements of architecture that I would like to replicate in my own work, and, hopefully, tell a story.

Below Images from Newbern, Alabama

Opposite Below Images from The McCormick Tribune Campus Center in Chicago, IL

Images from Government Plaza in Chicago, IL

Images from the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts in

BRANDING

EXPLORING IDENTITY

Above and opposite GMNIIs complete visual Identity package

Identifying brand image and building a visual identity has been a skill that I’ve developed through my personal entrepreneurial endeavors. During my freshman and sophomore years of architecture school I started a water bottle company in attempt to create a fashionable water bottle that could be in competition with luxury clothing brands. During my Junior year I designed a T-Shirt with a well-known Dallas designer, Hance Taplin who is the founder and creative director of By Way of Dallas. Later that same year my brother needed to rebrand his performance image on stage and wanted to go by the name GMNII. I then came up with an identity package that could capture his personality as a DJ.

Above and opposite By Way of Dallas collaboration T-Shirt design

Above and oppsite Tikees Monochrome Collecton branding Identity

CHRONOLOGY

Charcoal Collection

Menil Museum Extension

Chicago Print Shop

Tikee Marketing and Branding

Cube Courtyard Project

Art Through Deconstruction

Basketball Center

Marker Collection 01

Ink Collection

Tikee Design Development

Photography Collection 01

Personal Branding

Line work Self-portrait

Rothko Chapel Study

Peter Zumthor Study

FALL 2018 SPRING 2019 SUMMER 2019

FALL 2019

FALL 2021

SPRING 2022 SUMMER 2022 SUMMER 2021

ANALOG MECHANISMS

RESUME

EDUCATION

Auburn University

August 2018 - August 2023

Bachelor of Architecture

Bachelor of Interior Architecture

Carroll High School

August 2014 - May 2018

High School Diploma

EXPERIENCE

AutoCAD

Rhinoceros 3D Revit

SKILLS Hand Drafting Model Making Adobe Creative Cloud

V-Ray / Lumion SketchUp Grasshopper

INVOLVEMENT

CADC Ambassador

AIAS VP of External Affairs

AIAS Member

National Art Honor Society

McAlpine House Atlanta, GA

Summer of 2021

As an intern with McAlpine in Atlanta, Georgia, I hand-drafted drawings during the preliminary design phase, prepared presentations in InDesign for client meetings, and developed interior elevations and construction details. Working at McAlpine has taught me how to apply the skills I learned at Auburn in a professional setting.

Rural Studio Newbern, AL

2021-2023

2021-2022

2018-2023

2016-2017

Spring of 2021

I worked at Auburn’s Rural Studio, a design-build program in Hale County, Alabama. We completed a 20k affordable housing project for Ophelia. I oversaw the MEP design, installation, and management of construction documents for the project. At the end of the semester, we completed the house and presented it to Ophelia.

New Balance Southlake, TX

Spring of 2018

Working at New Balance as a shoe salesperson, I would help customers try on shoes and guide them to footwear that best fit their personal needs. This requires in-depth knowledge of all the current and upcoming products, which directly demonstrates how vital preparation is to be successful.

CONTACT ABOUT

Mobile: Email: Website: Address:

(214) 850-2656 kirbyspraggins@outlook.com

kirbyspraggins.myportfolio.com

210 N Ross St. Auburn, AL 36830

REFERENCES

Margaret Fletcher

Associate Professor at Auburn University

Phone: (334) 844-8659

Email: mfletcher@auburn.edu

Kevin Moore

Associate Professor at Auburn University

Phone: (334) 844-5545

Email: khm0002@auburn.edu

Lida Sease

Studio Head at McAlpine Atlanta, GA

Phone: (334) 549-1603

Email: lida@mcalpinehouse.com

At a young age, I was introduced to architecture through my captivation of stadiums, theaters, and entertainment venues. This passion propelled my love for design and inspired me to pursue a career in architecture. Continuing this pursuit at Auburn University has helped me expand my skills and sharpen my creative process. While at Auburn, I studied at Rural Studio and completed a 20k affordable housing project for our client, Ophelia. I was also an intern at McAlpine House, a residential architecture firm that embraces the poetic in pursuit of creating the inheritable home.

After graduating in August with a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Interior Architecture, I am ready to deepen my knowledge and develop new skills while working alongside other talented and passionate people committed to shaping a better future.

Kirby Spraggins

Auburn University

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