John o portfolio update

SELECTED DESIGN AND CONSULTING PROJECTS JOHN OCHSENDORF AUGUST 2012

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Pines Calyx. Dover, England

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Volta en Foglia. Rome, Italy

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Mapungubwe Visitor’s Centre. Mapungubwe World Heritage Site, South Africa

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Stone Pavilion. Austin, Texas

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Vaulted Arcade. Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan

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Vault 201. Design Triennial At Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, NYC

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Design-Build School Pavilion. Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Full-Scale Guastavino Tile Vault for Public Exhibition. Boston, MA

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High Bridge. NY, USA

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Fort Jefferson. FL, USA

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Cavate Wall Assessment, Bandelier National Monument. NM, USA

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Orange Theater. France

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181st Station Vault. NY, USA

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Dry-Stone Retaining Wall. NY, USA

PROJECT: DESIGN TEAM:

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Pines Calyx. Dover, England. Completed 2007.

St. Margaret’s Bay Trust, Client Helionix Designs, Architect Phil Cooper, Cameron Taylor, Structural Engineers John Ochsendorf, MIT, Vault Design and Construction

SIGNIFICANCE:

The Pines Calyx is a low-energy building constructed of local materials: rammed earth walls and vaulted tile roof. It is the first known application of Guastavino tile vaulting in the United Kingdom, and the domes are daring structures of 40-foot span and five-foot rise with a central oculus for natural light and ventilation. Each dome was constructed in only two weeks with minimal support during construction, making this an economical and elegant structural solution. The structural domes support a green roof, which contributes to the passive heating and cooling systems.

In 2007 the Pines Calyx was named the Sustainable Building of the Year (small project) by Building Magazine, who stated: “The Pines Calyx is an exemplar: a testimony to the innovative thinking of a design team willing to look beyond the norm when it comes to sustainable design,”

MY ROLE:

I served as a consultant to carry out the detailed design and construction of the domes and a vaulted staircase. My student, Wanda Lau (SMBT, 2006) made calculations of the domes using methods developed in her master’s thesis to ensure their safety during all stages of construction and under working loads.

Former student Michael Ramage (MArch, 2006) supervised the construction of the domes and developed the detailed design of the staircases. Luke Voiland (MArch, 2007) and Meelena Oleksiuk (MArch, 2007) assisted with the construction during the summer of 2005. I brought masons from Spain to help carry out the construction and to train English masons.

AWARDS:

David Alsop Sustainability Commendation Institution of Structural Engineers, London 2007 Structural Design Award for Small Projects Institution of Structural Engineers, London, 2007 Sustainable Building of the Year (small project) Building Magazine, 2007

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PROJECT:

Volta en Foglia. Rome, Italy. Completed 2008.

DESIGNER: John Ochsendorf, MIT, Vault Design and Construction with construction assistance from Roy Fowler and Erik Gustafson 008

SIGNIFICANCE: This was an installation in my studio at the American Academy in Rome for an “Open Studio� on June 3, 2008. The project is a full-scale replica of a portion of thin brick vaulting found in the cortile of the American Academy in Rome. The vault was one inch thick and spanned 14 feet. We built the vault in three days with minimal formwork to support it during construction. The project is important for demonstrating three issues: 1) Preservation of vaulting: By constructing only one half of the bay of the vault, this proved that a thin vault has the potential to develop substantial cracking, and continue to be a stable structure. The goal was to demonstrate to architectural preservationists that cracking is not necessarily dangerous in a historic masonry structure.

2) History of construction: These vaults are no longer built in Italy and the knowledge to construct them is now a lost art. Through the process of construction, we re-discovered the problems faced by traditional vault builders in Italy and gained a new appreciation for the construction of volte en foglie. The goal was to demonstrate to architectural historians and historians of construction that is possible to learn by doing.

3) New design possibilities: This single layer of thin brick was able to support substantial loads due to its form and its strength in compression. The front edge of the vault was a nearhorizontal band of masonry that seemed to float in space. The goal was to demonstrate to architects and engineers that there are exciting and efficient structures waiting to be discovered in compression surfaces.

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Mapungubwe Visitor’s Centre, Mapungubwe World Heritage Site, South Africa. Completed 2008.

South Africa National Parks, Client Peter Rich, Architect John Ochsendorf, MIT, Vault Design and Analysis Michael Ramage, University of Cambridge, Vault Design James Ballamy, Construction Manager

Henry Fagan, Structural Engineer Philippe Block, ETH-Zurich, Structural Analysis Matthew Hodge, former MIT student, Materials Testing Anne Fitchett, Univ. of Witwatersrand, Materials Testing

SIGNIFICANCE:

My former students and I carried out conceptual and detailed design of structural vaults built from local soil for a new museum at the World Heritage Site of Mapungubwe in South Africa designed by Peter Rich Architects. The project is part of a poverty-relief program which seeks to train local workers and develop new means of livelihood in a remote area.

The building is designed to operate with very low energy requirements and most of the construction materials come from the site. The largest vault spans 60 feet and the form of the vaults is determined to minimize the compressive stresses in the weak soil bricks. For this project, we designed multiple domes and vaults to create new architectural possibilities in South Africa.

MY ROLE:

I designed the unreinforced structural masonry vaults in collaboration with Michael Ramage (MArch, 2006) of the University of Cambridge, Henry Fagan in South Africa, and Philippe Block (PhD, 2009). Matthew Hodge (TPP, 2007) developed the cement-stabilized soil tiles in collaboration with Anne Fitchett of the University of Witwatersrand.

AWARDS:

Holcim Award for Sustainable Construction Holcim Foundation, Middle East/Africa Region, 2008 Overall Category Winner “Special Solution with Brick” World Building of the Year 2009 First Place in Culture Category at World Architecture Forum David Alsop Sustainability Award Winner of “Special Solution with Brick” Wienerberger Brick Award 2012

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Stone Pavilion. Austin, Texas. In progress.

Philippe Block, ETH-Zurich, Architect/Engineer John Ochsendorf, MIT, Vault Design and Analysis Matthew DeJong, Vault Design and Analysis Escobedo Construction, Contractor

SIGNIFICANCE:

We are collaborating with Escobedo Construction on the design, fabrication and construction of a stone masonry vault featuring new forms for compressiononly structures. With our expertise in understanding the three dimensional equilibrium of complex structures in unreinforced masonry combined with Escobedo’s expertise in design and construction of stone buildings, we expect to produce exciting new possibilities in stone construction.

We are currently designing a pavilion for a private client, which wil be the first project in the world to implement our new design tool Thrust Network Analysis, developed by Building Technology PhD student Philippe Block. Several other clients are interested in commissioning new work, and we expect this project to be the beginning of a long collaboration with Escobedo Construction.

MY ROLE:

I worked closely with Philippe Block (PhD, 2009) on the detailed design and analysis of the stone vault.

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PROJECT: Vaulted Arcade. Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Under Construction DESIGN TEAM: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH), Engineers Payette, Architects John Ochsendorf, MIT, Structural Design Analysis Philippe Block, ETH-Zurich, Structural Design Analysis Matt DeJong, University of Cambridge, Structural Design Analysis 024

SIGNIFICANCE: The Vaulted Arcade proposed alternate sustainable design solutions utilizing local labor and materials, challenging typical concrete shell design and construction.

MY ROLE: OCHSENDORF DEJONG & BLOCK LLC was hired by Payette, Boston for the structural design and analysis of the planned 140 (40x40 ft) masonry tile vaults, while considering seismic loading. Structural details were worked out and efficient strategies for construction were proposed.

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Vault 201. Design Triennial At Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, NYC. Completed 2010.

Smithsonian Institution, Client Robert Siman Associates, Structural Engineers ODB Engineering, Vault Design and Installation MIT Masonry Research Group, Collaborator Green Leaf Brick, Collaborator

SIGNIFICANCE: Double-curved thin masonry shell built for the Design Triennial at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City MY ROLE: Because of the success of the design of the Mapungubwe Interpretive Center in South Africa, I was invited for the Design Triennial 2009 “Why Design Now?”. In collaboration with a team of MIT MArch students, Green Leaf Brick, and Robert Silman Associates, ODB Engineering built the vaulted installation “Vault 201” using bricks made of 100% post-consumer waste. The unreinforced masonry vault spanned 17 feet, with a total thickness of 1 inch.

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Design-Build School Pavilion. Siem Reap, Cambodia. Completed 2010.

Ampil Peam School, Client Ethan Lacy, MIT Architecture student Zach Lamb, MIT Architecture student John Ochsendorf, MIT Professor Meejin Yoon, MIT Professor Marilyne Anderson, MIT Professor Jim Adamson, Design-Build Advisor Additional collaboration with MIT and Harvard GSD students, Cambodian masons, Cambodian students

I led an MIT Architecture design-build workshop in January 2010 to construct a kitchen-dining pavilion for the rural Ampil Peam School near Siem Reap, Cambodia. This is a governmentrun school that had received a new well and a new grant from the World Food Program to serve breakfast daily to its students.

The Jay Pritzker Foundation funded this design-build project for their kitchen.

The structure shelters a vaulted masonry oven and serving area with a cantilevered roof supported by locally-welded custom built steel trusses. The dining area spills out into the landscape zone of fixed seating and planters. Our construction included innovative use of rice husk ash in concrete and rammed earth.

Experimenting with different ratios, the concrete slab was poured with a 30% rice husk ash. The design included a series of concrete cisterns to collect rainwater from the roof to be used for cooking and cleaning in the kitchen.

The project was supported by Jay Pritzker Academy, MIT Public Service Center and the MIT Department of Architecture.

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DESIGN TEAM:

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Full-Scale Guastavino Tile Vault for Public Exhibition: Palaces for the People: Guastavino and America’s Great Public Spaces. In progress.

Exhibition at the Boston Public Library (Sept 2012-Feb 2013) March 2013 at National Building Museum, Washington DC Sept 2014 at Museum of the City of New York John Ochsendorf, Exhibition Design, Coordination Nicky Soane, MIT Student (BS CEE 2013) Simon Okaine, MIT student (BS CEE 2015) Suk Lee, MIT Student (MArch 2015)

I have curated a major traveling exhibition to educate the public about Guastavino tile vaults. The exhibition features a half-scale reconstruction of one of the Guastavino tile vaults of the ceiling of the Boston Public Library. With the help of MIT students, Nicky Soane (BS CEE 2013), Simon Okaine (BS CEE 2015) and Suk Lee (MArch 2015), and in collaboration with professional masons, we designed and constructed a faithful reproduction of a Guastavino vault. The goal of the installation is to demonstrate the technology and process of the vault construction. The interactive exhibit,“Palaces for the People� was made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Guastavino Exhibition photos

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TEAM:

High Bridge. NY, USA. 2008-Present.

City of New York Parks and Recreation, Client TranSystems, Engineers Li-Saltzman, Architects ODB Engineering, Structural Assessment

ODB was hired to conduct a structural assessment of High Bridge, New York City’s oldest bridge completed in 1848. Inhouse limit analysis software was used to evaluate the load capacity of the existing stone arches and the shallow brick vaults beneath the roadway. ODB also demonstrated the integrity of a cracked barrel vault in the gatehouse. Where necessary, recommendations for structural strengthening were also provided. The bridge will re-open to the public as a pedestrian promenade. ODB’s analysis prevented unnecessary and costly strengthening that had been proposed by other engineering firms.

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PROJECT: Fort Jefferson. Thrust Network Analysis. FL, USA. 2011-Present.

TEAM:

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US National Park Service, Client Robert Silman Associates, Engineers ODB Engineering, Vault Analysis

ODB assessed the three-dimensional stability of the fort’s vaulted masonry fronts and bastion, using in-house thrust network analysis software developed by partner Philippe Block. Our solution demonstrated lower horizontal thrust values than found by other means, proving the safety of the structure and preventing a costly and unnecessary structural intervention.

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PROJECT: Cavate Wall Assessment, Bandelier National Monument. NM, USA. Completed 2010.

DESIGN TEAM: United States National Park Service, Client

Douglas Porter, University of Vermont, Collaborator ODB Engineering, Structural Consulting 042

ODB was hired to structurally assess a 600-year-old cavate wall located in Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, USA. We developed a 3D discrete element model from laser scan point cloud data in order to evaluate the stability of the wall under typical loading conditions and considering expected erosion.

By using actual geometry to create the structural model, we were able to create a more accurate prediction of potential failure mechanisms.

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PROJECT: Orange Theater. France. Completed 2006.

TEAM: AREP Group, Client John Ochsendorf, Structural Analysis

Matthew DeJong, Structural Analysis 044

The Orange Theater was constructed in the 1st century and is one of the most well-preserved Roman theaters in the world. Our work involved the structural assessment of the ability of historic dry-stone masonry walls to support the addition of a new theater roof. Discrete element modeling (DEM) was employed to assess the stability of the renovated Roman theater under static and dynamic seismic loading.

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PROJECT: 181st Station Vault. NY, USA. Completed 2010.

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TEAM: MTA New York City Transit, Client Robert Silman Associates, Engineers di Domenico + Partners, LLP, Architects ODB Engineering, Structural Analysis

OUR ROLE:

ODB was hired to conduct a structural analysis of two brick subway tunnels in New York City, after a partial collapse of the face bricks. In-house three-dimensional limit analysis software was used to evaluate the load capacity of the brick vaulted tunnels individually and at their intersection, and to evaluate their ability to withstand possible overburden pressures. The collapse of the falling brick caused substantial train delays as well as a public safety risk. Our analysis helped to understand the failure mechanism and to inform the eventual repair.

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PROJECT: Dry-Stone Retaining Wall. NY, USA. Completed 2008.

TEAM: Castle Village Owners Association, Clients ODB Engineering, Structural Analysis 048

OUR ROLE: Employed by the Castle Village Owners Association, our work involved the structural assessment of a late 19th century dry-stone retaining wall in New York City. The stability of the wall was evaluated for a variety of loading conditions and soil properties using both analytical methods and computational discrete element modeling. Part of the wall collapsed on the Henry Hudson Parkway in 2005, closing the road at substantial cost. Our work demonstrated the stability of the remaining portion of the wall, preventing a more expensive intervention.

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JOHN OCHSENDORF

Class of 1942 Associate Professor, Building Technology Program JAO@MIT.EDU T 617 253-4087 F 617 253-6152 MIT ARCHITECTURE ROOM 5-418 77 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139