This project and publication were funded pursuant to a grant from the Illinois Community College Board and funded 100% through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006.
Architecture 2302: Arch Design + Build 8 week Architecture studio course, Summer 2018 College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL Studio Professor: Mark A. Pearson, AIA Shop Instructor: Mark Rose
The prairie sings to me in the forenoon and I know in the night I rest easy in the prairie arms, on the prairie heart... Carl Sandburg
Now for the third time, I get to write about how fortunate I am to be able to build with my students. I am truly grateful for this opportunity. This design + build studio began in 2014 as a simple desire to connect the design process with the act of making, providing students a more substantive learning experience about the creation of architecture. Each time I teach this studio, I gain an even deeper appreciation for the power of teaching architecture through experiential, hands on, building projects. I would like to acknowledge the generous funding provided by a grant from the Illinois Community College Board, funded through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act. Thank you to the College of DuPage Administration for your continued support of this project, and for allowing us to create, build, and experiment on COD’s main campus. Special thank you to Charles Boone, Dean of ACH, for your strong advocacy. Thank you to COD president Dr. Ann Rondeau, and the many other COD administrators who have helped champion these design build projects as essential learning activities. Special thank you to the Fuel Garden Faculty Professors: Deborah Adelman, Shamili Ajgaonkar, and Lauren Morgan. Thank you to Remic Ensweiler, COD Prairie Manager, for your enthusiasm and support. Thank you to the Fuel Garden student volunteers for serving as our outstanding clients. Your feedback was most helpful in the design and development of this project. We hope that we have created a structure that will serve you well, and be enjoyed by the entire campus community for years to come! Thank you to Bruce Schmiedl, COD Director of Facilities Planning and Development for your ongoing support. Thanks also to the Village of Glen Ellyn Building Department for partnering with us on this project. Thank you to Mark Rose, our talented shop supervisor. Your expertise helped to keep the students safe and the construction process moving smoothly. Your construction knowledge helped “save” the architects numerous times when our drawings didn’t quite work like we thought! Most importantly, I would like to thank the fifteen dedicated students who signed up for this challenge. You approached this project with hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm. Your teamwork and attitude made this class the most enjoyable experience that an instructor could ask for - Thank you! I am exceptionally proud of what we have accomplished together. Mark A. Pearson, AIA, LEED AP Professor of Architecture
AKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SITE
This project challenged students to design and build a small gathering pavilion adjacent to the Russell R. Kirt Prairie and the COD Fuel Garden, on the College of DuPage main campus. The intent of the structure is to serve both as a meeting point for prairie tours, as well as a gathering space / outdoor teaching pavilion for the adjacent garden. The design must include seating areas and gathering spaces that will encourage students to socialize, converse, and interact with each other. The pavilion should also be designed to accommodate small groups or class discussions. Students were asked to consider the following criteria as a part of their design process: SITE: The project should be a site specific architectural response. CONCEPT: Solutions should be based on clearly articulated, thoughtful, and developed design concepts. SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT: The project should create a defined architectural space. TECTONICS: Detail, materiality, and tectonic considerations should inform the design process. CODE: The structure must meet all applicable Village of Glen Ellyn building codes. BUDGET: A material construction budget of $10,000 was established for this structure. CLIENT: Support and serve the needs of the COD Fuel Garden. The mission of the Fuel Garden at College of DuPage is to provide fresh organic food for those who need it, model sustainable urban agricultural practices, and support local food production through interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The garden promotes public awareness of healthy eating and living and provides a practical learning environment to explore current practices and trends related to food security and sustainability in urban agriculture.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Architecture begins with the site. At its best, good design is a poetic response to place and circumstance. With this in mind, the Design + Build Studio began by analyzing the site. The purpose of this activity was to measure, draw, and observe the physical (and dimensional) site conditions. We were also interested in trying to understanding the more transient aspects of the place. Where is the sun, and how does it move? How do people move through and occupy the site? What is the history of the Prairie and the Fuel Garden? What else makes this place unique? What are the latent aspects of the site, and how can they be revealed? These questions became a starting point for the design process, encouraging students to think deeper about place, and eventually lead to design solutions that are responsive to the specificities of this site. How can our design exist here, and nowhere else? How can it engage? Create place? Reveal? Most importantly, how can our design address and support the adjacent prairie and garden?
SITE ANALYSIS
The intent of the first design study ‘MULTIPLES’ was to encourage students to work in teams, and produce a large variety of ideas, concepts, and design approaches. Multiple ideas, multiple tests, and multiple explorations was the theme of this study. These are first studies, and as such they are not quite ready for the world to see yet. Their value, however, is in the ideas that are being explored. These are first ideas. They are points of departure. They are brainstorming in three dimenstions. These are beginning concepts that still need to be rigorously developed, questioned, and refined. And yet, somewhere in these initial sketches is the thread of what the eventual project will become. At the conclusion of this first study, a group voting technique using sticky dots was utilized to identify which schemes were to be developed further.
STUDY 01: MULTIPLES
SYNTHESIS: The combining of elements into a single or unified entity. A complex whole formed by combining. The process of combining objects or ideas. To put together or combine.
From the previous studies and critique discussions, the following five schemes emerged and were developed with greater focus and depth. 01: A-Frame 02: Parabolic Curve 03: Cornucopia 04: Rectangular Roof Trellis 05: Rotated Rectangle
STUDY 02: SYNTHESIS
STUDY 02: SYNTHESIS
01: A-FRAME This study was a play on a traditional A-frame structure. Each roof bay increases in pitch to create a dynamic profile that evokes movement across the structure. Benches anchor the form and provide stability.
02: PARABOLIC CURVE This study explored a geometrically complex roof trellis which creates a parabolic curved form. The structure has a sense of undulation and movement, creating a dynamic pattern of shadow within the space.
STUDY 02: SYNTHESIS
03: CORNUCOPIA The form of this structure was inspired by a geometric abstraction of a cornucopia. The cornicopia is a metaphor, or symbol of abundance and nourishment, relating to the Fuel Garden and its mission to provide fresh produce to the COD Fuel Pantry.
STUDY 02: SYNTHESIS
STUDY 02: SYNTHESIS
04: RECTANGULAR ROOF TRELLIS This scheme focused on the development of a rectangular, cantilevered roof trellis. The interplay of overlapping horizontal planes creates shade and provides a strong sense of enclosure to the structure. L-shaped benches allow the space to be occupied in a variety of ways, serving both groups and individuals alike.
05: ROTATED RECTANGLE This scheme takes the unique approach of rotating the structure on the concrete pad. The rotated shade trellis creates an interesting dialog between the rectangular concrete pad and the cantilevered shade structure above. Benches of varying heights provide spaces for students to gather.
STUDY 02: SYNTHESIS
THE EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA (design development) At the conclusion of the previous study, the class decided to develop a final design scheme based on a combination of ideas. Our decisions on which ideas to pursue were heavily influenced by the schemes that we felt would serve our client’s need the best. The rotated rectangle became the base scheme that we chose to pursue, however, the structural system needed to be resolved. The L-shaped benches from the rectangular roof trellis scheme were highly influential, as this scheme most effectively accommodated our client’s spatial needs. The elegant sunshade trellis detail from the A-frame scheme was also included. And as is always the case in the design process, many good ideas had to be discarded, saved for another project, at another time. And so, over the course of one intense week, as a group of fifteen, we took ideas from the previous studies and created a final design. We solved the problems with the structural system. We tested variations in form and arrangement. We refined the roof trellis and bench modules. And we produced a final set of design documents. A good studio should be a fertile ground for ideas, students all influencing each other, allowing for cross pollination to occur. One ongoing challenge in a design studio is the process of teaching students how to develop a design. Taking an idea from an initial sketch into a refined work of Architecture is a skill that takes students time to master. As an educator, I am interested not only in the final product, but how the design studio arrives at that solution. It is important for me to teach students how to develop and refine their design work. In a design build class, this process (as illustrated here) is essential. It takes a great deal of design development work to move a project from an initial, unrefined idea into a built work of art. Looking backwards, you can easily trace the thread of the ideas all the way through. The challenge for the designer, of course, is that the creative process often only makes sense in reverse. In real time, it is impossible to see the end of the journey. But looking back at the process reveals the embedded logic that is often present. There are visible strands of thought that link the studies together. For a designer, an awareness of how we work creatively is crucial for producing work that is authentic and meaningful.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
ON MAKING This studio is based on the simple idea of connecting design with making. The premise is that when students build, it enhances the learning experience, and fundamentally changes the design process. In this class, we think through making. We design knowing that we must build. We solve problems with drawings, and in the shop. We consider the poetic and the tectonic simultaneously. We think about materials and connections. We work as a team. We work as a design office. We draw details, and build mockups. We understand the limitations of our drawings. We pay attention to scale and detail. In this studio we have deep conversations about real world issues. We have conversations that would not normally occur in a design studio. We have clients, and consultants, and a budget, and codes, and regulations‌‌.. and we make real things. All of this allows for an unparalleled and engaging learning experience for our students, our future Architects. And we hope that through this process we have created a beautiful structure that will be enjoyed by the entire campus community.
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
CONSTRUCTION
TIMELAPSE
CONSTRUCTION
BUILD TEAM
INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION
INSTALLATION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
PRAIRIE PAVILION
JACOB BIELANSKI
JACQUE CASTLE
ELIZABETH CISNEROS TLAXCALA
The realities of actually building something showed us that the design process does not end prior to construction, and it was interesting to see how our scaled models translated into construction. This class provided us the full range of architectural experiences. The class also allowed us to create a structure for a group on campus, and address issues of food insecurity and prairie education.
This class was different from more traditional COD courses in that it was much more hands-on and required more in-depth planning and interactions with the other students. It allowed us to see the whole process it takes to build a structure from start to finish and how plans need to be fluid, as they tend to change during the actual building process. This class gave us a unique experience that was a lot of fun.
This class showed me that building a structure is not only cutting pieces, putting them together, and hoping it works. It involves a more complex process, and learning that was a memorable experience. The most meaningful aspect of this class was that I had the opportunity to experience designing a real-life project involving budget, material considerations, construction drawings, and the many issues that developed during construction.
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
VASSILIKI DEMAKIS
DANIEL GARCZEK
NICHOLAS GRANT
I think the hands on aspect of the course was the most meaningful experience. The construction process made us ask ourselves different questions. In the studio, we would ask questions like, “How does this work as a composition?” whereas in the construction shop we asked “What lengths of wood do we need and how many of them should we cut?” I think this made us more flexible, as we encountered the need to change our original ideas to make them buildable.
I strongly believe that the most meaningful aspect of this course is getting a hands-on experience and finding a solution to our client’s needs. Working through the setbacks along the way showed us that things don’t always go according to plan, but solving these problems helps improve your design skills.
Building this structure ourselves brought out the physical and logistical challenges of construction and gave us a real world perspective. Working as a team has been very rewarding, and designing this structure collaboratively as a group of individuals with different ideas has led to a final design that fulfills the needs and desires of those that will use it the most.
BURHANUDDIN JAMALI
ADAM KOROGHLANIAN
CHRISTIAN LAZCANO
The most meaningful aspect of this course was getting to work with individuals with different experiences and backgrounds. Working with old friends and seeing new faces. Learning to teach and help, while also being taught. The diversity of the group and what we were able to accomplish speaks volumes of what a course like this can really do for the students and the community.
This class was an interesting experience, providing us insight into the design process for architectural projects beyond studio classes. Figuring out how to adapt the design on paper to real materials was probably the biggest learning experience for me. It was also surprisingly enjoyable, albeit a little stressful. I am very thankful to have taken this class because I have learned so much that I can apply to my own work in the future.
The best part of this course was the opportunity to experience what it would be like to work at an architectural firm. For example, we worked with the village of Glen Ellyn to get approval for the project. I also learned how working collaboratively on design solutions can bring a project together and stimulate ideas that you might not imagine yourself. This class was fun. We became close as a group and made new friends, and our work will now exist at COD for years come.
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
SOFIA LINARES
MATTHEW MUSIL
NATALY PEREZ GONZALEZ
Actually building something changed the entire experience. As architecture students, we are so used to building models and seeing our work in small scale, but adding a building element to this project gave us a deeper learning experience. We had to think about not only what we wanted to design, but also consider how we would construct it. The entire experience gave us a chance to problem solve, and simulated working at an architectural firm.
This class is a refreshing alternative to the traditional classroom. Our class time was spent designing, experimenting, and collaborating. It felt more like being in a professional environment, surrounded by peers working towards the same goal. Working collaboratively was the most valuable thing about this experience. Working as a team to combine, mold, and connect with others was fun and challenging, allowing everyone to contribute to the final design.
This class was unique in that it involved tremendous collaboration amongst the students and faculty. This collaborative environment allowed us to help each other, learn from each other and build off of each other’s ideas to create one cohesive design that we could all be proud of. We will always be able to look back and be proud of the tremendous amount of dedication that we put into this design.
DAVID PERRINE
MICHAEL RIVERA
DANIEL RODAWOLD
I have always been told that building your first structure as an architect is an incredible experience. After participating in this process, I could not agree more. Having the opportunity to design and build a structure from start to finish was an experience that I will never forget.
Honestly, the most meaningful aspect of this course is seeing something that I worked very hard on take form. It is a very special feeling to put so much time and energy into a project and then see it slowly become a reality as we constructed it ourselves. Knowing that this pavilion will be used by students and faculty in the future means a lot to me and I think that we are all proud to look back and say, “I made that.”
Incorporating a “build” aspect into a design studio allowed us to better understand the entire design and construction process. The most meaningful benefit of the design build studio is the hands on experience. In this class, if you are unsure if a detail will work, you must test it and find the best solution. This class allowed us to take a simple design, develop it, make it work, and build it - providing us an unparalleled learning experience.
STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
MARK ROSE
MARK A. PEARSON, AIA
Shop Instructor
Studio Professor
Working in the shop really teaches students critical thinking and problem solving skills. I have always said that Architects should be able to swing a hammer. This class provided that unique opportunity and many other authentic experiences not found in traditional classes.
I am truly fortunate to get to make real things with my students. There is just something magical about the commitment, enthusiasm, and engagement that you all showed for this design build project. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. I am really proud of the project that we have accomplished together.
OUTTAKES
OUTTAKES
THANK YOU TO Dr. Ann Rondeau, President, College of DuPage Dr. Kirk Overstreet, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Charles Boone, Dean of Arts, Communication, and Hospitality Division Jonita Ellis, Coordinator of Academic Assessment and Reporting Paula Burns, Administrative Assistant, Arts, Communication, and Hospitality Division Bruce Schmiedl, Director of Facilites Planning and Development, College of DuPage Staci Hulseberg, Director of Planning and Development, Village of Glen Ellyn, IL Steven Witt, Building and Zoning Official, Planning and Development Department, Village of Glen Ellyn, IL Remic Ensweiler, Prairie Manager, College of DuPage Professor Deborah Adelman, Advisor, Food Security Initiative Professor Shamili Ajgaonkar, Advisor, Food Security Initiative Professor Lauren Morgan, Advisor, Food Security Initiative COD Fuel Garden Students Professor Jane Ostergaard, Coordinator, COD Architecture Assistant Professor Ted Kulinski, COD Architecture Mark Rose, Construction Shop Supervisor, COD Architecture Hines Supply, Wheaton Len’s Ace Hardware, Glen Ellyn
All images Š College of DuPage Architecture, 2018
ARCH DESIGN + BUILD 2018
PROJECT LINKS DESIGN + BUILD STUDIO BLOG: http://codarch-designbuild.blogspot.com/ CONSTRUCTION TIMELAPSE: https://vimeo.com/287740967 FLICKR PHOTOSETS: Design: https://www.flickr.com/photos/maparch/sets/72157703078918114 Construction: https://www.flickr.com/photos/maparch/albums/72157701682542061 Final Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/maparch/albums/72157703079119544