Megan Hurford 2013 by Megan Lynn

Megan Hurford Selected Works

Megan Hurford is an architectural designer living in Brooklyn, NY. She earned her B.S. Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2011 and will complete her M. Arch from Pratt Institute in 2014. At Pratt, she has developed a sharp eye for architectural imagery and a knack for model making. Her comprehensive approach to architecture utilizes both traditional and digital mediums. She has worked as the graduate coordinator and InProcess editor for Pratt Institute for the past 2+ years. Prior to moving to Brooklyn, she interned for a mid-sized architectural firm in the St. Louis area.

index STUDIO WORKS PlastiquĂŠ

Common Grounds

Membrane

Velocity

Ribbon

spring 2013 fall 2012

spring 2012 fall 2011

spring 2009

VISUAL STUDIES NYCdisplaced

Wrapped

Lick

InProcess

fall 2012

spring 2012 spring 2007

fall 2011-spring 2013

Erich Schoenenberger

Partners: Shehrbano Salahuddin

+ Stephanie Michelle komornik

Pratt Institute

Spring 2013

plastiquĂŠ

PlastiquĂ&#x2030;

BIFURCATION + sTRIATION cell theory The formation of blood clots became the inspiration of circulation and flow throughout our project. This inspiration led to a series of diagrams implementing bifrication and striation in the circulation of our site. These circulatory paths translated into our structure and form.

PLASTIQUÉ

PlastiquĂ&#x2030;

Facade Veins Skin

Floor Plates Floor 3

Exhibition Library Retail Cafe

Floor 2

Sales Office Show Room

Floor 1

Handle Room Information Desk

Car Path

Test Drive Car Charging Parking

Landscape

Seating Circulation Pocket Program

PLASTIQUÉ

PlaStiquÉ

SeCtionS

D B

PLASTIQUÉ

DETAILS

PlastiquĂ&#x2030;

PLASTIQUÉ

PlastiquĂ&#x2030;

PLASTIQUÉ

R i c h a r d S c he r r Pratt Institute Fall 2012

common grounds

coMMoN grouNdS

goWanuS Canal network theory Plotting destination points of lIVe, Work, & PlAY creates a finite set of locations for a member of the Gowanus community. connecting these destination points creates an infinite network which represents a theoretical daily routine for the average resident. rationalizing these into a direct route using the shortest distance possible creates combinatorial optimization. the goal of this housing project is to create the same optimal network of the entire network into one single apartment building.

COMMON GROUNDS

LOCATIONS

CONNECTIONS

CO M M O N GROU N D S

FAÇADE

CIRCULATION

PUBLIC SPACE

FAMILY

FRIENDS

ACQUAINTANCES

APARTMENT UNITS

STRANGERS

WHAT IS THE IDEAL LIVING SITUATION? The ideal living situation houses every part of our lives. It combines our social, professional, and personal life into a daily routine. It is a network. PROBLEM: HOUSING IS CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT The ideal living situation is per individual. It’s difficult, if not impossible to customize every unit in a multi-housing structure and design ultimately suffers. Housing often becomes generic in its strive to accommodate multiple users. PROBLEM: PEOPLE ARE CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT People change. Careers, relationships, hobbies, interests, activities, even religious beliefs can all be temporal parts of a person’s life. We all have stages in our lives that define who we are. At each stage our wants and needs change. Housing has always remained a constant. It doesn’t accommodate change or evolve with us.

SOLUTION: HOUSING DESIGNED AS A NETWORK

HOW IT WORKS:

Housing can no longer be thought of in traditional means. It doesn’t work. We live in a different era, a facebook era. It’s been long said that everyone is connected by six degrees of separation. Our global structure operates as a network. How people interact socially, how diseases spread, how people find jobs, and even how the internet operates are all dependant on a connected structure. If our lives all depend on a network, then why don’t we live in one?

Using technology we already have (eHarmony and Facebook) a database can be created to keep the network from failing. Potential tenants must fill out a personality tests (eHarmony) to be accurately placed within the network and within the building. Based on these results strong personality and habitual traits will fill up the nodes for best cohabitation. If a family is formed with extreme similarity then they will grow and develop together. The family is composed of multiple units (4) in order to strengthen the network. If a tenant moves from the family cluster, the network will remain fluid because there are still three other families keeping every connection in flow. IT departments within hedge funds are set up the very same way. There are 10 people working to protect the company. If one IT member gets hacked, there are still 9 keeping the hedge fund safe.

FRIENDS: The second degree of separation. They are characteristically similar to the families and enjoy their company, but do not share an infinite bond. The units stem off of the the family cluster and share one communal space, i.e. a balcony or greenspace. ACQUAINTANCES: The third degree of separation. The units stem off of the friends. They share circulation space with the family and friends, but have no direct contact outside of the visual. STRANGERS: The fourth degree of separation. The units are isolated and share no connection outside of structure. The entrances are private and tucked away.

Network Strategy

EHarmony and Facebook are both proven sources. EHarmony is an online dating website started by psychologists Steven R. Carter and J. Galen Buckwalter. The personality tests they created are based upon years of research in interpersonal relations and group processes. The goal of eHarmony is to find someone most characteristically similar to you to date. The same can be applied to neighbors and roommates because the test results yield a 92% success rate in terms of relationship and living arrangements. Facebook on the other hand has shown it’s success rate in terms of user power and representation capacity. We live in a day and age where our family is no longer the nuclear model of the 1950’s, but one where we choose. We rely on statistics and networks to find relationships, friendships, and careers. It only makes sense to create a physical environment where those connections can thrive. Americans work more hours a week than any other country in the world. Since the 1950’s the productivity levels in American workers has increased by over 400%. We are living in a new era. Social networking allows everyone, especially Americans to stay connected and keep a social life. By integrating a physical social network within one’s own home, the average hard American worker will increase their social life and level of happiness.

COMMON GROUNDS

FAMILIES: Centralized organizers, also function as the NODES of the network. All connections and units stem from these clusters. They are the drivers of programmatic organization and contain the deepest degree of connection. The term family is not thought up in a nuclear sense, but is derived from the people that share the highest degree of similarity. The greater similarity creates more efficient cohabitation, a higher degree of happiness, and more usable space. Each family is composed of a cluster of 4 micro scale housing units that share one living area.

A personality test can place a tenant in the ideal living situation at one particular time. People change and so do their wants and needs in living arrangements. It isn’t practical to survey current tenants periodically. Using technology such as facebook, the information on everyone is in consistent flow. The more information one inputs about themselves, and the amount of updates they have create an incredibly accurate depiction of the tenant’s current self.

PROPOSAL: ORGANIZE UNITS BY CONNECTION A social network becomes a literal organization of housing units via privacy and connectivity. In order to create this network we must redefine traditional terminology with current functionality. This network of housing will contain four degrees of separation: Families, Friends, Acquaintances, and Strangers.

c o mm o n g r o u n d s

SOCIAL THRESHOLDS public vs. privacy These clusters of public space become the social organizers for apartment living.

A B

FAMILIES FRIENDS ACQUAINTANCES

COMMON GROUNDS

STRANGERS

COMMON GROUNDS

c o mm o n g r o u n d s

COMMON GROUNDS

P H I L I P PA R K E R Pratt Institute Spring 2012

membrane

MEMBRANE

MEMBRANE playing surface Through digital surface studies, a membrane was selected and played with. The manipulation of this surface became affected by a series of diagrams pertaining to the site, education, and time.

CLOTH TYPE: Silk FORCES APPLIED: 5 Airfields

CLOTH TYPE: Silk FORCES APPLIED: 1 Airfield

CLOTH TYPE: Silk FORCES APPLIED: 2 Airfields

CLOTH TYPE: Silk FORCES APPLIED: 4 Airfields

CLOTH TYPE: Silk FORCES APPLIED: 5 Airfields

TEARABLE SURFACES:

FRAME #: 188

FRAME #: 140

1 Newton

diagonal glue strength= 0.075 horizontal glue strength= 0.25 FRAME #: 110

diagonal glue strength= 0.075 horizontal glue strength= 0.25

FRAME #: 140

diagonal glue strength= 0.075 horizontal glue strength= 0.25 FRAME #: 130

MEMBRANE

SURFACE tearability An investigation of surfaces and forces. Digital surfaces were given cloth-like properties and tearabilities according to a diagram. A series of forces were acted upon these cloths (shown on previous page), giving the cloth an opportunity to react in different measures. Ultimately this invesitgation became the basis and form of a Montessori school.

Tearability Derived From Diagram

Tearability Amplified

Tearability Weakened

MEMBRANE

PECK SLIP, NYC site strategy The investigation and manipulation of the digital membrane was upheld in a series of three simple steps: 1. AGGREGATION: Pick & Play 2. DISTORTION- Adjust to fit Site/Sight 3. REINTERPRETATION- Adjust educational spaces to surface using the educational diagram below.

MEMBRANE

Educational diagram

MEMBRANE

Peck Slip is located on the southern most tip of Manhattan while the Brooklyn Bridge anchors the northeast corner of the site. The distortion of the surface (shown on previous page) became streched and amplified according to surrounding sight lines. These lines of vision acted as an elastic force pulling the surface towards the views while retaining the qualities of the unique layered surfaces.

2F 3F 43

MEMBRANE

M emb r a ne

Countour Cut P lan Mode l The complex geometry created within this building can best be understood through planametric cuts. Each cut begins to explain the expanding and contractingof volume, space, and circulation. This model allows for one to understand the interstitial spaces created between floorplans.

2F 3F 45

MEMBRANE

Alexandra barker Pratt Institute Fall 2012

velocity

VELOCITY

SITE STRATEGY The current site faces the challenge of correctly transporting visitors across the Franklin Delanor Roosevelt Highway. The site currently forces visitors to walk into oncoming traffic and jump from median to median. This proposal is divided into four different steps: 1. 2. 3. 4.

ATTR ACT + C O L L E CT - Create an attraction and collect the public safely. DIS P ER S E- Transport the public safetly across the FDR. ADJU S T- Adjust teh design to fit standard ramp heights and connect to the boardwalk S EP ER AT E - Create seperate spaces to allow mulitple types of traffic flow (Velocity).

VELOCITY

ve l o c i t y

VELOCITY

ve l o c i t y

EAST RIVER PARK re v i t i l i z a t i o n

VELOCITY

This project focuses on rejuvenating the East River Park of Manhattan, by attracting, collecting, dispersing, and differentiating the visitors and neighbors. The first phase of the project consisted of a material study and the selection of a modular unit to create a tiled array. The second phase was comprised of a site intervention using our arrayed structure.

VELOCITY

deborah fausch UIC, Spring 2009

ribbon

RIBBON

R i bb o n

RIBBON wrapping public + private spaces

RIBBON

Looking at fashion and privacy as a concept for a wrapped structure evolved.

visual studies

r o be r t c e r ve lli o ne Pratt Institute Spring 2012

WRAP Parametric Bridge This is a proposal for a pedestrian bridge connecting the Brooklyn Heights Promenade to the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, spanning the BQE and service road below the promenade via parametric extensions. The ultimate goal was to compose a series of compelling line drawings using the Grasshopper plugin for Rhino.

WRAP

N y c d i sp l a c e d

NYCdisplaced households to h o t e l ro o m s In the event of a hurricane, residents located on the flood zones of Manhattan either have to evacuate the island before subway lines undergo mandatory closure or be prepared to find alternative means of shelter in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Many Mahnattanites were not ale to move off of island with such short notice and were forced to live without electricity for days. If an event like Sandy were to occur again, where can residents living in Flood Zones A-C go to seek refuge within Manhattan?

Alexandra Barker Partner: Jenna Steinbeck

Pratt Institute

Spring 2013

NYCDISPLACED

N Y CD i sp l a c e d

Our study focuses on transferring households located in flood zones to available hotel rooms within the island. On average New York City has a hotel occupancy rate of 8788%. In the month of October when hurricane Sandy hit New York had an occupancy rate of 91%. By collecting a sample of hotels, we were able to infer an available number of hotel rooms throughout the entire city and disperse households among them given that one hotel room equals one household. Shockingly, we discovered that available rooms could only fit 10% of Zone A leaving the remainder of A and all of B and C forced to front storm. This study proves that the City of New York is not equipped to provide refuge for all of its residents living in Zones A-C with storms like Sandy expecting to occur more frequently in years to come, solutions for emergency shelter on short notice should be explored.

Projects featured at Green Week at Pratt Institute (left) + The International Contemporary Furniture Fair at Javits center (right)

NYCDISPLACED

LICK

LICK artwork An investigation of licking. Licking is an often overlooked and unhighlighted action of everyday life. This study captures this action and forces it into the focal point in the artwork. The portraits are essentially a freeze-frame part of life which would normally go unnoticed.

LYNN NORTH Spring 2007

LICK

Lick

LICK

Inp r o c ess

inprocess Publications As the Graduate Archives and InProcess editor, my responsibilities included collecting and curating student work. Graduate archives is a team of two graduate students who work alongside the undergraduate staff. I met weekly with William MacDonald and Philip Parker for spread layout reviews and image curation. I developed a critical eye for architectural imagery and learned a tremendous about book making and graphic design. In addition to InProcess responsibilities, I was responsible for all other representation of the Graduate School, whether is be in or out of house exhibitions, publications, or media coverage.

P r at t Ins t i t u t e Fall 2011- Spring 2014

INPROCESS 17

INPROCESS

INPROCESS 18

INPROCESS

TYPICAL STUDIO SPREAD

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Program Title + Course Icon Image Project Title + Site Studio Methodology Archived Students

TYPICAL INTRO SPREAD

1. Program Title 2. Program Description 3. Professor Listing

INPROCESS

INPROCESS in progresss

CONTACT www.meganhurford.com megan.hurford@gmail.com +1 6183049092

EDUCATION PRATT INSTITUTE M.Arch I expected graduation 2014

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO B.S. in Architectural Studies graduated with honors; 2011

COOPER UNION Font Production and Type Design

continuing education; no degree granted

SKILLS

Excellent Proficiency

Some Experience

AutoCAD 2012 + Maya 2012 + 3d Studio Max 2012 + Rhino 5: Grasshopper + ESRI ArcGIS Suite 5 + Sketchup 8 + Adobe Create Suite 5 + Model Making + Drawing & Painting + Revit Architecture + FontLab Studio 5 + MEL Scripting + HTML coding +

INTERESTS Travel Typography Set Design Fashion Branding Sketching Graffiti Digital Fabrication Book Design Art Curation

  

EXPERIENCE INPROCESS- PRATT INSTITUTE (2011-Present) As the Graduate Archives and InProcess editor, my responsibilities included collecting and curating student work. Graduate archives is a team of two graduate students who work alongside the undergraduate staff. I met weekly with William MacDonald and Philip Parker for spread layout reviews and image curation. I developed a critical eye for architectural imagery and learned a tremendous about book making and graphic design. In addition to InProcess responsibilities, I was responsible for all other representation of the Graduate School, whether is be in or out of house exhibitions, publications, or media coverage. HURFORD ARCHITECTS (2007-2011) As an intern at Hurford Architects Inc, I had the opportunity to work on projects at various levels in the design process including: architectural renderings and sketches, general office organization, and simple design work. CONTACT: Dan Hurford, R.A., Danh@hurfordarchitects.com READING SCREENING, LLC- (2012-2013) -Logo, Branding, and Web development for Pittsburg State University’s Center for Research, Evaluation and Awareness of Dyslexia. 10 + 10 CAMPAIGN (2010) -Logo design and advertisement development for the 10 + 10 Campaign for Bronzeville area residents & Commerce Council (BARCC).

AWARDS + RECOGNITION + + + + + + + + + +

Feature Work at the ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair), NYC 2013 Featured Work At Edge Negotiation Exhibition, Pratt Institute 2012 Featured in InProcess 18 &19 Publications, Pratt Institute 2011/2012 Merit Based Scholarship, Pratt Institute 2011 Dean’s List, UIC School of Architecture, 2009-2011 Winner- Building Technology Competition, UIC School of Architecture, 2009 Finalist- Mock Firms International Skyscraper Foundation, 2009 Invited Participant in UIC School of Architecture Open House, 2008 Featured artist at the New Wagner Gallery, Southern Illinois University, 2007 Featured artist at Florissant Valley College, 2006