VISUAL + MATERIAL EVIDENCE
LANCE SMITH PETER RICE FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION PORTFOLIO SPRING 2014
HOTEL+GYM GSD 1201 MARYANN THOMPSON STUDIO
HOTEL LOBBY INTERIOR VIEW
EXTERIOR
THERMODYNAMIC+ STRUCTURAL STRATEGIES
STRUCTURAL VEILS... THIS PROJECT IS ABOUT SEEING AND BEING SEEN: WORKING OUT AND CHECKING OUT OR CHECKING IN, PRIORITIZING THE BODY’S RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER BODIES AND WITHIN ARCHITECTURAL SPACE. THE PREMISE IS THAT OF THE VEIL - ONE THAT SIMULTANEOUSLY CONCEALS AND REVEALS. THE BODY’S MOVEMENT AND EXPOSURE IS MODERATED AND MEDIATED BY THE VEIL. IT ACTS AS A TECTONIC DEVICE: BOTH FORMAL AND SPATIAL, STRUCTURAL AND THERMODYNAMIC. IN A FORMAL AND SPATIAL SENSE, PLATFORMS ARE CAPTURED WITHIN THE VEIL AND VIEWS ARE REWARDED AND DENIED WHILE SEQUENCE IS ARRANGED SUCH THAT ONE IS SIMULTANEOUSLY BEING WATCHED WHILE WATCHING. THERE IS A CONSTANT DYNAMIC AND PARALLAX BETWEEN THE PEOPLE WORKING OUT AND THE CHECKING OUT VIA LAYERING, SCREENING, AND REFLECTION. THE EXPOSED STRUCTURAL MECHANISM ALSO PARTICIPATES: IT SEEKS TO SEE AND BE SEEN. A LANGUAGE OF HANGING PROPAGATES THROUGHOUT, CAPTURING THE TENSION BETWEEN ARCHITECTURE AND BODY. THE HOTEL IS INVERSE TO THE GYM: IT SEEKS TO FIND REFUGE WITHIN THE SCAFFOLD AND CAPTURES VIEWS FROM THE OUTSIDE AND BRINGS THEM IN; WHILE AN INTERIOR VOID CREATES A REAR WINDOW SCENARIO. THERMODYNAMICALLY, THE VOID CAPTURES WASTE HEAT FROM THE POOLS BELOW CREATING A LAYERED INSULATING BUFFER BETWEEN THE CLIMATE AND THE INTERIOR DURING THE WINTER AND ACTS AS A COOLING TOWER DURING THE SUMMER. THE POOLS ARE LOCATED AT THE VERY BOTTOM, AT THE GROUND LEVEL, SO THAT THEY CAN ENGAGE IN DIRECT EXCHANGE WITH THE WARMER GROUND TEMPERATURE AND RELEASE THEIR ENERGY SUCH THAT IT TEMPERS THE INTERIOR AIR. ANOTHER WATER EXCHANGE OCCURS SUCH THAT WATER IS THEN CIRCULATED THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING AS A RADIATIVE STRATEGY. NOT ONLY IS THE BODY EXPOSED TO THE VISUAL FILIGREE VOIDS... GAZE, BUT IT IS EXPOSED TO THE RADIATIVE GAZE.
TYPICAL HOTEL FLOOR
STRUCTURAL DIAGRAM
SECTION DIAGRAM
SECTION + PLAN (LEFT) GYM INTERIOR VIEW (CENTER)
WORKING OUT CHECKING OUT CHECKING IN
GYM INTERIOR VIEW
STAIRWELL (TOP) DIVE POOL (BOTTOM)
FURNITURE DESIGN (COMPLETED BEFORE ADMISSION TO GSD)
THE DESIGN INTENT FOR THIS CONSOLE TABLE WAS A RESOLUTION TO REDUCE AND DISTILL THE STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS TO ONLY WHAT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IN AN ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN A SENSE OF FORMAL ELEGANCE, WITH A DEEP RESPECT FOR THE NATURE OF MATERIALS AND FABRICATION TECHNIQUES. THE ANGLE IRON FRAME IS TIG WELDED TO CREATE MOMENT JOINTS THAT FORM A CONTINUOUS LOOP, COMBINING REQUIREMENTS OF LATERAL STABILITY AND THE TRANSFER OF GRAVITY FORCES INTO A SINGULAR ELEMENT. A MINIMAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE REMOVABLE DRAWER AND FRAME IS ACHIEVED THROUGH A ROUTED CHANNEL THAT ACCEPTS THE POLISHED ENDS OF A PLATE STEEL MOUNTING. THE SIDES OF THE DRAWER WRAP AROUND MITERED JOINTS, SECURED WITH WENGAE SPLINES. AS A COMMITMENT TO ECOLOGICAL CONCERNS, THE WOOD FOR THIS PROJECT WAS PROCURED FROM SALVAGED MATERIALS. INFLUENCED BY THE WORK OF GEORGE NAKASHIMA, A SENSUAL LIVE EDGE WESTERN MAPLE SLAB HOVERS ABOVE THE STEEL FRAME, PROVIDING A JUXTAPOSITION OF TEXTURE AND MATERIAL.
TABLE OVERALL (TOP) DETAILS (BOTTOM)
BODYSCAPE
RADCLIFF PUBLIC ART COMPETITION WITH FELLOW GSD STUDENTS LARISSA BELCIC AND HELEN MILLER STATUS: 1 / 5 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES; FINAL DECISION SPRING 2014
A ROW OF GEOMETRIC BLOCKS UNDULATES ALONG THE SIDE OF AN EXPANSIVE PLAYGROUND SURFACE IN WALLACH GARDEN. TAKING THEIR CUE FROM THE CLASSIC WOODEN UNIT BLOCKS STANDARD IN SCHOOLS FOR NEARLY TWO CENTURIES, THESE FORMS HAVE BEEN SCALED UP, TIPPED AND STACKED TO CREATE SURFACES FOR READING, RESTING AND CLIMBING ON. A WOOD BLOCK ARCHWAY INVITES YOU TO ENTER INTO THE WIDE-OPEN SPACE OF THE PLAYGROUND MAT, BENDING, CROUCHING AND BECOMING MORE AWARE OF YOUR BODY IN THE PROCESS. THIS THRESHOLD IS MORE PLAYFUL THAN PRACTICAL, AND NOT THE ONLY ENTRYWAY ONTO THE MAT. AS ONE POSSIBILITY AMONG MANY, IT ORIENTS YOU TO THE POTENTIAL OF THE PLAYGROUND SURFACE TO BE PHYSICALLY ENGAGED, EXTENDING THE INVITATION OF THE BLOCKS THEMSELVES. REFERENCING THE IMAGINATIVE WORLD OF KINDERGARTEN AND PRE-K, THIS PUBLIC ART PROJECT ALSO CALLS UP THE MORE STRUCTURED EDUCATIONAL SPACES OF SECONDARY AND POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, AND THE TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM ARRANGEMENT OF DESKS IN ROWS. FROM YOUR PERCH ON THE ROW OF MULTIPURPOSE, MULTIDIMENSIONAL BLOCKS, YOU MIGHT ENJOY A PERFORMANCE, PERFORMANCE CLASS, OR OTHER ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE ON THE MAT, OR YOU MIGHT JUST TAKE IN THE MEASURED CALM OF THE INSTALLATION SITE AND RADCLIFFE YARD.
EXTERIOR VIEW (GROUP CONCEPT, VISUALIZATION BY LANCE SMITH)
CLOSE IN (GROUP CONCEPT, VISUALIZATION BY LANCE SMITH)
ROOFSCAPE
GSD 6123 ERIC HOWELER
A TECTONIC MODULE OF GLASS AND STEEL IS ELEVATED ABOVE AN URBAN PLAZA TO CREATE A ROOFSCAPE OF REFLECTED LIGHT THAT SHELTERS PEOPLE BELOW FROM THE ELEMENTS .
MODULE (TOP LEFT) ROOF CANOPY (TOP RIGHT) PERSPECTIVE (CENTER) SECTION (OVERLAY)
THE CLOUD GSD 1102 KATY BARKAN STUDIO
ROOTED WITHIN THE PRECEDENT OF THE VICTORIAN GREENHOUSE, THIS PROJECT IS A TECTONIC EXPLORATION THAT SEEKS TO UNDERSTAND THE PARADOX BETWEEN EXCESSIVE MATERIALITY THAT THEN GENERATES A DEMATERIALIZATION. THIS DEMATERIALIZATION OF ARCHITECTURE BEGINS WITH THE IDEA OF THE GOTHIC TRACERY; ARCHITECTURE’S FIRST CURTAIN WALL THAT RELIED ON STRUCTURAL LOADS BEING CHANNELED AROUND THE GLASS; NOT THROUGH IT. THE TRACERY WAS COMPOSED OF LIGHT ELEMENTS KNOWN AS FILIGREE. IN TECTONIC TERMS, THE IDEA OF FILIGREE WOULD LATER GO ON TO DESCRIBE A METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION INVOLVING LINEAR MEMBERS, AS OPPOSED TO A CONSTRUCTION OF A HEAVY NATURE, I.E. CONCRETE OR EARTH. THIS WAS THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF AN ARCHITECTURE THAT BEGINS TO SUBLIMATE, OR RATHER, THE HEAVY CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS BEGIN TO GIVE WAY TO AIR AND LIGHT. THIS PROJECT EXPLORES AIR AND LIGHT AS MEDIATED THROUGH GLASS REALIZED THROUGH EXCESSIVE STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS FOR A SUBTRACTIVE OPERATION. IT IS THROUGH THIS SUBTRACTION OF MATERIAL THAT SPACE IS REALIZED. IT IS THROUGH THIS EXCESSIVENESS THAT PHANTOM VOLUMES CAN BE READ. IT IS THE PRESENCE WITHIN ABSENCE.
CONCEPTUAL RENDER (TOP) DESIGN DEVELOPMENT (BOTTOM)
A GRID IS ROTATED SUCH THAT VARIOUS TECTONIC CONDITIONS ARE SUBTRACTED TO CREATE SPATIAL VARIATION.
THE GRID DENSITY ADJUSTS ACCORDING TO STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS
MODEL PHOTO (CENTER) CONCEPT DIAGRAM (LEFT)
PLANS + CONCEPT DRAWINGS
MODEL PHOTO + SECTIONS
MODEL PHOTO + SECTIONS
THE UNRAVELING GSD 1102 KATY BARKAN STUDIO
SECTIONS + MODEL PHOTO
THIS ARCHITECTURAL PROPOSITION ASSUMES A TRANS FORMATIVE NARRATIVE TO DESCRIBE AN ARCHITECTURAL TECTONIC CONDITION. IN THIS PROJECT, A BUILDING EMERGES FROM THE SPLAYING APART OF TWO EXISTING BUILDINGS. THE PRIMARY FORMAL DEVICE IS AN AUDITORIUM THAT PEELS DOWNWARD FROM THE TOP, ORGANIZING THE SPACE AROUND IT. CONCRETE SLABS THICKEN AND SLIDE INWARD AND OUTWARD TO CREATE VARYING ENVELOPE CONDITIONS.
SECTIONS + MODEL PHOTO
SUBMERGE / EMERGE! GSD 1101 MARIANA IBAÑEZ STUDIO
SITE ANALYSIS
THIS PROJECT EXPLORES THE NOTION OF GEOLOGICAL TIME AND ARCHITECTURE. REQUIRING A “MOVING BUILDING,” THIS PROJECT USES TIDAL ENERGY TO CREATE AN ARCHITECTURAL TIMEPIECE THAT RESPONDS TO FLUCTUATIONS IN WATER LEVELS BY ACTING AS A GIGANTIC BALANCE MECHANISM, CONSTANTLY MEDIATING THE FLOW BETWEEN BOSTON HARBOR AND THE CHARLES RIVER.
SUBMERGE (TOP) WORMS EYE HARBOR VIEW (BOTTOM)
SKETCHES (LEFT) EMERGE! (RIGHT)
ISOMETRIC DIAGRAM + SKETCH
INTERIOR RENDERING
EXTERIOR RENDERING
HIDDEN ROOM GSD 1101 MARIANA IBAÑEZ STUDIO
CONCEPT DIAGRAMS + MODEL
MODEL + INTERNAL ORGANIZATION
A PLATONIC SOLID IS INTERSECTED WITH TWO LAMINATED LOFTED SURFACES. ONE OF THE LAMINATIONS IS PEELED BACK TO REVEAL A HIDDEN SPACE.
PERIMETER PLAN GSD 1101 MARIANA IBAÑEZ STUDIO
THE EXERCISE BEINGS WITH A 960’ STRIP OF FACADE THAT MUST BE MANIPULATED TO CREATE SPACE. THIS PROJECT APPROACHES THIS CONSTRAINT BY WRAPPING IT INTO AN H SHAPE THAT IS THEN CONCEPTUALLY FILLED SOLID AND THEN EXCAVATED TO CREATE INTERIOR SPACE.
SECTION PERSPECTIVE (TOP LEFT, RIGHT) SECTION + PLAN (LEFT) MODEL PHOTO
MODEL PHOTO
INTERIOR RENDERING