Melody Blankenbiller
B. Arch + Sustainability Leadership
Selected Works Portfolio Stuckeman School of Architecture The Pennsylvania State University
MB
Melody is an soon-to-be graduate at The Pennsylvania State University studying architecture. Both in and out of school, she works diligently to further her skills in the design profession. The past three summers, she received employment at an architecture firm and learned various skills while working in a team.
She finds it beneficial to collaborate with others and became involved with several architecture-related extracurriculars in the College of Arts and Architecture. Constantly engaging and connecting with others, Melody developed strengths in leadership, communication, and organization. Additionally, she has found inspiration for her future profession through sustainable approaches, which led her to minor in Sustainability Leadership.
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Contents
Wayfinding in Appio Latino
Developing Passive Facades using Post-Consumer Appliances
CoLab: Community Connection Connection through Light
The Breezeway
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As Above, So Below Reclaimed Bridge Hand Drafting 03 Blankenbiller // Selected Works Portfolio
Wayfinding in Appio Latino
Fifth Year | Fall 2021 Rome Studio
The Appio Latino neighborhood of Rome is defined on the western border by the Aurelian Wall. The systems of greenification and revitalization will draw all Romans to the wall as a destination, rather than a local extremity. The greenified streets lead towards several areas of congregation on, within and along the wall.
Urban Systems
Artifacts & Way-finding
Green Outreach Aurelian Wall
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A tower of vertical gardens emerges along the street axis, allowing vendors to grow produce to sell at the market.
05 Market Elevation Detail: Sheet metal containers + vertical planting grid Tower Elevation Detail: Purple PV panels + metal framing Blankenbiller // Selected Works Portfolio Greenifying the Latin Market 0 m 10 m 20 m LONGITUDINAL SECTION AA PUBLIC GREEN SPACE SOLAR PANELS PARKING VERTICAL GARDENS MARKET STANDARD ELEVATION Sheet metal containers Vertical planting grid Windows Purple PV panels Half reflective, half transparent Metal framing TOWER DETAIL ELEVATION ELEVATION DETAILS MARKET STANDARD ELEVATION Sheet metal containers Vertical planting grid Windows Purple PV panels Half reflective, half transparent Metal framing TOWER DETAIL ELEVATION
Longitudinal Section 0’ 20m 10m
Developing Passive Facades using Post-Consumer Sheet Metal
Fourth Year | Fall 2020
Major appliances, such as refrigerators, microwaves, and stoves, contain an abundance of materials right in a person’s home. Unfortunately, when consumers retire their old appliances, it has only a 3 in 5 chance of being recycled due to lack of recycling access, negligence, and illegal dumping.
During this direct research project, I attempt a minimal-waste initiative to utilize reclaimed sheet metal for a passive, architectural facade element.
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mining Refining materials Sheet fabrication Appliance usage Salvage sheets
timeline addition for appliances Timeline addition: Salvage sheet metal for passive facades Large-scale metal production Product manufacturing Recycle scraps Shell extracted from appliance Louvers Operable vent Appliance shell Used appliance Processed with machinery 07 Blankenbiller // Selected Works Portfolio
Raw-material
Proposed
Artist Studio Application
Combining the panels and vents, I aimed to create an operable facade for passive shading and airflow for a standard model studio at Storm King Art Center in Orange County, NY. Each panel corresponds to conditions needed inside the studio.
Bowed Louver Panel Range Burner Panel Washer Panel
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0’ 2.5’ 5’ 10’
Artist Studio Model Plan
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0’ 2.5’ 5’ 10’
Artist Studio Model North Elevation
Artist Studio Interior
CoLab: Community Connection
Fourth Year | Spring 2021
In this project, I worked with seven other students in architecture, landscape architecture, and architectural engineering to design the second phase of a three-phase campus for Beebe Healthcare. Our work consisted of developing a master plan for the campus and designing a 40,000 sq. ft. building. Myself and another architecture student worked closely with the engineering students in lighting, structural, mechanical, and construction in developing a multi-use building for community education, recreation, and clinical services using Revit’s BIM 360.
300’ 0m 150’
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Beebe Healthcare: South Coastal Campus
Flex Space
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Connecting Trellis
REC CENTER EDUCATION
CLINICAL COMMUNITY SPACE
Our massing and plans are organized into blocks: The Rec as a separate building on ground level with the Outpatient and Education to the east of it. In the center, a community wellness axis connects the separate buildings on both levels.
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First Floor Plan 0’ 25’ 50’
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Connection through Light
Third Year | Spring 2020
A new media center was given for a site at the intersection of two important Harlem cultural corridors: 125th Street and 5th Avenue. Layers are used to relate Harlem’s past with the future. A translucent screen at the outermost envelope highlights all past cultural locations in Harlem. In the center is a core housing all the theaters and future technology. In between them is a several-foot gap, acting as a threshold to funnel light down the building, only connecting at key areas.
Translucent screen facade
Cultural galleries + supporting program
Light void Inner core of new media
5th Ave & W 125th St. Harlem, New York
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0’ 5’ 10’ 20’ 15 Blankenbiller // Selected Works Portfolio Section perspective A.A.
Open offices 16 Blankenbiller // Selected Works Portfolio
0’ 20’ 40’ 5th Ave. Elevation
Presence of the Building’s Core
Design Studies
3D-printed core Site model
Lighting study Performance Theater Section - Acoustics Analysis
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0’ 2.5’ 5’ 10’
Portfolio
The Breezeway
Third Year | January 2020 Hajjar Design Competition Finalist
The Hajjar Design Competition was a 1 week design competition to create an Element House, pairing a season (summer, fall, winter, spring) with an element (water, fire, earth, air). This double panel system encompasses an internal home, creating a threshold or breezeway. The breezeway allows for interaction with nature and enhances passive energy strategies in the home.
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This element house design is to appear different in every season, as the panels change in form and function for the need of the residing family.
0’ 5’ 10’ 20’
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Winter + Water Fall + Earth
Exterior Threshold
As Above, So Below
Third Year | Fall 2019
ArkXSite “Site Cloister” Competition Submission
This project allowed several chosen students to be entered in an international competition to create a museum space surrounding the Aldeia da Mata Dolmen in Portugal.
Five transparent figures rise from the ground surrounding a dolmen. Weaving around these elements, a staircase is discovered hugging the figure and leading underground. A busy central room revolves around the buried monument, with the figures capturing light from above and reflecting it onto the below. Looking up, the dolmen can be seen through each light well, acting as a periscope to the above world. The elements connect these two worlds of cloisters through light shining down, and view looking up.
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Looking Up at the Doleman
Site Plan
‘Aldeia da Mata’ Dolmen Crato, Alentejo, Portugal
12m 8m 0m 0m 6m 4m
Section Perspective 21 Blankenbiller // Selected Works Portfolio
Reclaimed Bridge
Second Year | Spring 2019
In this project, I worked alongside three classmates to design and construct a 12 ft. bridge. This bridge was entirely made of free parts found at a campus consignment store consisting of scrap metal parts all welded together. In total, the bridge supported fourteen people.
Personal contributions include sandblasting grates, cutting metal, and producing the orthographics.
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Bridge Testing
The reclaimed bridge was made up of three layered, metal grates per step welded onto two steel channel beams. A 45 degree metal slab each end held the bridge on the studio’s 12 ft. placeholders.
Orthographics
12’-0”
1’-1” 1’-1” 1’-7” 1’-9” 2’-0” 0’-4”
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Materials
Grate
Steps
Hand Drafting
Throughout my time in school, I have gotten the opportunity to draft for several projects. Two analytiques are shown from the beginning and end of my undergraduate career, however, many other projects can be seen upon request.
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Uffizi Gallery Analytique, First Year
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Santa Costanza Analytique, Fifth Year
Scan to Connect on Linked In
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Thank you!
melodyblankenbiller@gmail.com 610 334 0584 754 Spring Garden Lane Birdsboro, PA 19508
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Selected Works Portfolio Stuckeman School of Architecture The Pennsylvania State University
