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Michael Gasper
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S K A T E P A R K R U I N S
Indianapolis, IN
The task presented by the Indy Skatepark Advocates was to design a new site plan for Major Taylor Skatepark that could be incorporated into a masterplan. Major Taylor Skatepark sits in a sports complex on the northeast side of Indianapolis. The sports complex features a velodrome, BMX course, walking trails, and the skatepark. The complex is not walkable forcing people to drive to the complex. The skatepark is close to the Indianapolis Art Museum and the city’s largest graveyard, Crown Hill Cemetary. After meeting some of the skaters at the park and researching skate culture, the needs of the skatepark started to become more clear. There is not a need for a new masterplan; rather a manifesto. A manifesto addresses the policies, goals, and opinions of the group rather than just having a new architectural plan for the park. In order to transform this park into a destination, there was a need for a design stradegy. In Aldo Rossi’s book The Architecture of the City, he
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examines the way Rome has changed with the excavation of the forum. He explains when modern life interacts with the ruins they are given new purpose. The ruins become successful when there are multiple monuments throughout a city and they create connections. Due to the close proximity to the graveyard and the art museum, creating a desitination that could be associated with both of them was a great opportunity to bring more people to the space. The counter-culture often uses imagery that is darker to challenge social norms. Such as the group Bones Brigade and their movie The Search for Wonton Animal Chin, where they show the life of being a skater and how it can be harsh. Using the bones as monuments throughout the park creates a series of paths and opportunities for greater visibility. The skate features in the park would essentially be a “ruin” of the world’s skateparks. The new skate park would connect indianapolis to skateboard culture around the world.
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Scarfing Material”
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I GITAL K I T
BASHING
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Found Objects Kitbashing Dark Abyss Triple O Investigation Phase 1
The term kitbashing, or model bashing, came from the common practice of creating a new scale model out of multiple kits of parts. Kitbashing changed the format of detail work in scale models. Kitbashing became more main stream after films
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like 2001: Space Odyssey and Star Wars Episode IV: New Hope were released. The movies’ spaceships were created using kitbashing; this launched a correlation between kitbashing and a new form of design.
The investigation of kitbashing began with collecting scale model kits and vacuum forming the pieces to create a catalog of parts. Using the vacuum formed objects, quick experiments of kitbashing were conducted. Constructing the new objects with the constraint of gravity caused the studies to be planar and symmetrical. After completing the study, the next step was digital kitbashing.
Moving to the digital format removed all of the previous bounding constraints. To create a similar situation to kitbashing only parts found in various 3D warehouses were used. Striving for an architectural approach, the objective was to find an operation to apply. The operation of nesting was selected to annex these parts into a new composition.
Cyberspace Vacuum Triple O Investigation Phase 2
Expanding on the concept of kitbashing and expanding the research of object-oriented ontology, this phase removed the complex or “found geometry” with simple geometry. Once regular geometry was selected, small distortions were made to create
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forms that were more susceptible to opportunities of nesting. Designing the form in a vacuum helped usher the main concept of triple O by placing privilege on objects without designing for humans and ecology. As this idea
is drastically different from the traditional “rules” of design, phase two helped develop an understanding of the concept. When combining these simple geometries, it was important to create a new form without completely losing the legibility of the individual parts. Many combinations of the geometry were produced; ultimately one was selected for further inspection by creating a
physical model of the geometry. In order to dissect the model, a wireframe technique was selected. The wireframe technique was altered to be more than the edge profiles of shapes. Each part was divided into slices in two directions to better define the individual parts. Once the model was created, it generated a new understanding of how the relationships between the geometries were developed and how they could be interpreted as architectural spaces.
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Basic Geometry Kitbashing
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Fort Wayne, IN Triple O Investigation: Phase 3 Featured in: Wunderkammer Art Gallery & Glue
The final phase of investigation of object-oriented ontology was applying the concepts to a building. In order to reject the idea of privileging human existence over that of objects, the building
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was designed without site or program in mind. The process of form finding began with choosing five simple geometry to alter. This process was similar to phase 2 of the investigation.
The forms created then went through a series of tests, disecting them in section and examining them for spaces with emerging program. Once a form was selected the process of creating a wireframe model was conducted to better examine the relationship of the spaces. With the selection of the form complete, the examination of the site could begin. This did not begin as a look at Fort Wayne as
an ecology, but rather, another object for the building to interact with. Using the same pieces of geometry that made the buidling, the site was transformed into a field that was more susceptible to nestle the building. Once the building and site were designed and placed, they had to respond to its surroundings. The building was sunk into the ground further to create points of entry and a more stable foundation.
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Fashion Centre
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Moving inwardly on the building, it was time to examine its potential for program. Studying the sections of the building generated thoughts of what ideally could occupy the spaces. Analyzing the spaces for program created the possibility of challenging the relationships between art, fabrication, and architecture. As research for the Fashion Center was conducted designers, Iris Van Herpen and Matthew Barney (specifically his exhibit at the Guggenheim in New York) were selected as model tenants. The way they experimented with materials and displayed the work helped better define the spaces emerging
from the form. The Prada store in New York City by OMA was a major influence in developing the improvisational spaces in the building. It allowed run ways or displays to be moved and viewed from different vantage points throughout the building. The giant void in the center was stimulated by the “nest” inspired by Nader Tehrani’s d esign for the Melbourne School of Design. This space allows for centralized circulation and an opportunity for high profile designers to be working and creating displays while new and emerging designers work alongside in the nearby spaces.
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Vancuver, Canada Steel Competition - Finalist Featured In: Glue
Community is commonly associated with proximity, although that is not always the case. Communities do not require proximity to thrive; rather people with passions and interests have the ability to form connections regardless of location. A community is a metaphysical collection of individuals whose interactions complement each other and form multiple facets of underlying passions and interests. To do something with intent means to do something on purpose with a predetermined calculated plan. Deliberately formed communities are much less likely to be successful than those that arise on their own will. The term “intentional community” needs reevaluation, communities by nature cannot be intentional, rather unintentional. Communities are not homogenous; therefore, it is difficult to precisely plan the evolution of a community and how it will grow in the future. The designed spaces should
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Aggregated “Intentional Community”
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freely produce experimental interactions between passionate individuals and groups, allowing for the emergence, evolution, and growth of new communities. High rises became a solution to the rising density problem in cities. Density in architecture refers to physical buildings, its occupants, and the amount and type of program within. Through a design investigation of aggregation, densities of structure, space, and program can be challenged. Aggregation can begin to solve the problem of density in two ways: through the aggregated spatial conditions and the way individuals collect based on interests. Aggregation is an additive process that continues over time, allowing the program and size of the building to continue to grow based on the needs of future inhabitants. This allows individuals to aggregate to form a community, both physically and metphysically.
PLAN
ELEVATION This project was completed with a partner; we researched and designed together. The raw rendering images were done by my partner, while I completed the post processing of the images.
COMMUNITY a metaphysical collection of individuals whose interactions complement each other and form multiple facets of an underlying passion INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY a planned (residential) community designed from the start to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork, consisting of members that hold common social, political, religious, or spiritual vision [UN]INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY the accidental emergence of a new community through experimentation and evolution between preexisting communities
BASE DEVIATION ITERATION
DENSITY the degree of compactness of people, buildings, program, and interactions AGGREGATION an additive process of elements that continues over time allowing for growth based on future conditions and the physical and/or metaphysical collection of individuals with certain interests and passions
BREED REVOLVE TRANSLATE
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P L A Y W O R K L I V E
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V -
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TIONSHIP
Muncie, IN Featured In: Ball State Architecture Instagram
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(Account’s Most Liked Post)
The scope of this project began as a simple addition of a bathhouse to a preexisiting pool. After researching bathhouses, specifically Peter Zumpthor’s bathhouse in Switzerland, the concentration of the project completely changed. The way in which Zumpthor was able to connect to the context of the building without using organic forms was inspiring.
Considering the context of this poolscape was not as dramatic as the Swiss Alps; the scale of this pool would be much different. The first objective was to remove the previously curved shaped pool and design a new one. To decide the size and shape of the pool, a grid was placed over the site and was then altered by abstracting the idea of a plaid print to create spaces.
Once the grid was in place, there was opportunity to change the elevational quality of the site. ‘‘Beginning with sinking the pools and then raising the areas for seating. Throughout the entire site, water runs alongside the ground a few inches deep so people are always connected to the water and the site in its entirety. The bathroom and changing rooms themselves were moved underground to allow for only the gentle change in elevation, reminescent of the slightly rolling farmland of Indiana. The change
in elevation also accentuates the relationship between ascension and descension into the water. The ultimate goal of this facility is to create a relaxing experience and connect visitors back to nature and themselves. The site has different pools each with different temperatures of water. This heightenes awarness when patrons move from one pool to the other. The different pools are also in size and depth, so that each can function as space to be alone and reflect or for people to congregate.
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PLAID POOLSCAPE
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Tokyo, Japan Featured on: 3NTA’s website
This mixed-use building was designed for a coffee shop, residence, and studio for two artists. The first artist was a finger painting muralist. The second resident was a vocal artist inspired by Yoko Ono’s screaming performances done at many art galleries such as the MOMA. The operation for form finding was folding, which led to research on Neil Denari and the distinct way he turned a corner. The way he challenges the wall, floor, and ceiling relationship results in few sharp edge. This approach stimulated the design process of the project. The site of this project is over a small river in a commerical district in Tokyo. The building needed to be lifted above the river because it floods a few times a year; this created an opportunity most buildings do not have which is the visibility of the bottom of the building.
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The spaces are organized so the cafe is on the first floor. The studio spaces for the artists are a half level above the cafe. This allows people to watch the artists as they work and vise versa. The vocal artist has a second studio space separated from the cafe so she can elect to have more privacy. As you ascend in the building, the spaces become more private as the relationship to the street decreases. The building uses its angled walls to its advantage to avoid the surrounding trees. The facades are set back from the shell creating a covered outdoor space housing the balconies and staircases. The apartments also challenge what is considered personal spaces. To minimize the size, the two tenants would share a bathroom and kitchen but have individual living and sleeping spaces.
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Folded Housing
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Puncturing Form & Function Martinsville, IN Indiana Hardwood Association Competition Honor Award
The program for the site consisted of a large mill; this mill would teach and educate people in and out of the profession. The requirements also consisted of a museum, classrooms, and indoor and outdoor auditorium space for lumberjack games. After evaluating the diverse and large program, it was obvious this building would consume a large amount of the site. In an effort to not disturb the exisiting forest, the building would need to sit in the clearing on the site. There were a few remaining trees in the area, and the building curves in a way that no trees would need
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to be removed. Instead, the building uses the trees to shade in the courtyard. The site also sat near a river creating cascading hills that are rare in Indiana. Striving to blend with the change in topograpy, the roofline of the building cascades in elevation flowing into the ground. Studying the way Bjarke Ingels designed a skiing slope on the roof of the Amager Bakke Waste-to-Energy Plant in Copenhagen helped inform how the roof of the building could be used to extend the walking paths throughout the site. The design creates a hardwood center accentuated with a park.
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INFLUENCES
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I came into school thinking I knew what I wanted, you guys helped me open my mind and explore new ideas. I want to thank all of you for helping me develop an understanding of what
architecture can be. Without the guidance you all gave me this portfolio would not be possible. Thank you -M
Ana DeBrea
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THANKS J a m e s K e r e st e s
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