Michael Oddo - Undergraduate Portfolio by Mike Oddo

Michael Oddo Undergraduate Portfolio Student Projects

EDUCATION IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, Ames, IA 2015-Present Bachelor of Architecture Minor in Urban Studies

PROFICIENCIES - AutoDesk, Rhinoceros with various plug-ins, and Adobe software - 3D Printing, CNC Milling, and generative modeling processes - Architectural drafting practices, both online and hand-drawn - Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) EXPERIENCE 2018 NATIONAL CONCRETE MASONRY ASSOCIATION UNIT DESIGN COMPETITION - Presented with partner Tyler Vincent at the 2018 NCMA 100 Year Anniversary Conference in Chicago - Awarded second place in the national competition AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS, Ames, IA 2018-Present - Member of Freedom by Design Committee - Worked to plan volunteer opportunities with local businesses. - Worked with Mustard Seed Farms to design new Farm Store. VOLUNTEERING - DuPage P.A.D.S. Homeless Shelter, Wheaton, IL - Habitat for Humanity, Wheaton, IL - Jericho Road Church, Wheaton, IL - Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, Ames, IA

Michael Oddo, AIAS mvoddo@iastate.edu (630)-559-5796

Contents Seismic Block, NCMA Unit Design Competition, Summer 2018

GRID Variable Parasitic Apartment, Spring 2018

PIXEL, Spring 2018

SHIFT, Studio Design-Build Project, Spring 2017

Voids, Soil Research Laboratory, Fall 2017

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

SEISMIC-BLOCK SEISMIC-BLOCK is a concrete masonry unit design by myself and Tyler Vincent for the 2018 National Concrete Masonry Association 100 Year Anniversary Unit Design Competition. This system of CMUs was designed specifically to be implemented in areas of high seismic activity in order to more effectively and efficiently deal with the stresses imposed by an earthquake. By angling the faces of each unit they are able to lock together tightly to create a much stronger system than conventional CMUs. We came to this idea after research into current strategies for seismic design in areas such as California. In these conditions, the most dangerous building construction is unreinforced concrete block as it is difficult to tie all building elements together to create a solid mass. Our block addresses this issue and provides a better system for a common building type. Our design took first place in the first round of the competition at Iowa State University, and then was selected as one of three teams from across the nation to present at the 2018 NCMA Conference in Chicago, where we were awarded second place overall.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

Wall End Convex Column Piece

Convex Wall Module

Units within Mold

B Concave Wall Module

Wall End Concave Column Piece

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

Public Pavilion Assembly

Entire Pavilion From a Single C.M.U. Mold

Different Uses 3

1 & 2

Fire Pit Options

Facade Wall

B A C

Landscaping Wall

Exterior Stairs

Foundation Wall

C D C B A

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

Exterior Walkway

D C B A

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

GRID Variable Parasitic Apartment For our first exploration into air rights and the parasitic style, the first three weeks of the Spring 2018 semester were spent designing a micro apartment in the Soho area of Manhattan. This design is based on a modular grid system that can be constantly rearranged to best suit the occupants of the space. The system clings to existing structures for support, as well as connecting to major systems such as water, sewage, and HVAC. These connections run on the outside of the structure, maximizing the interior space. In an apartment of less than 100 square feet, pushing as much equipment from the inside to the outside can mean the world in added space.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

The Soho area is home to a very complex and developed art scene. Many galleries and art schools occupy the area, driving the idea of a temporary residence for a variety of artistic types occupying the space. Each configuration can be tailored to provide the necessary work, living, and exhibition space needed. This system offers an infinite number of combinations and orientations, allowing for a variety of activities to take place inside and out. Taller designs offer a beautiful view down the boulevard, whereas others can span across the site and interact with the vibrant street life down below.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

Ground Floor

First Floor

Second Floor

Third Floor

In true parastic style, this apartment clings to the existing structures next to the site for structural support, as well as life systems. This opens the design to complete freedom in arrangement and rearrangement, as HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems can be easily disconnected. Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

PIXEL Vertical Campus Following our initial exploration into the parasitic style with GRID, we decided to take the idea of a re-programmable grid-based structural system and scale it up. PIXEL is a school of design which sprouts up from existing galleries along the High Line in Chelsea, Manhattan. This complex includes all elements of a traditional college campus, from living, learning, and working spaces down to public presentation and exhibition space. The latter takes place in the existing galleries along W 24th St, which serve as the host for the rest of the structure to grow from. The existing facades and some of the internal structure is preserved, and from this the grid structure rises, latching onto the High Line and creeping upward, spreading into and over neighboring buildings. Program is inserted into this structure by combining structural cubes into larger voids within the grid, moving from public to private as you ascend. All program is located around a central void, which contains garden terraces rising from the High Line to the planted roof, serving as outdoor recreation spaces for students and passing pedestrians.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

(Left) Initial conceptual image depicting different spatial arrangements and programs within grid system.

(Right) Manifesto Image depicting the intersection of city grid layout and the university campus typology.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

Seventh Floor Plan

(Left) Axonometric of program clusters within school complex. (Top Right) Main educational level with rooftop courtyard. (Bottom Right) Existing gallery floor plan with new inserted program. 13

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

First Floor Plan

(Top Right) The three living unit types available for students, located in the top five floors of the complex. (Bottom Left) Section 1, which is cut through the existing galleries, showing variation of space created within the grid, existing structure of the far gallery, as well as connection to the High Line. (Bottom Right) Section 2 which is cut midway through the structure, showing the large void between the existing galleries and the rest of the structure. This gap between structures clearly delineates between parasite and host, as well as allowing light to infiltrate through the glass roof of the galleries.

Unit Type 1

Section 1

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

Unit Type 2

Section 2

Unit Type 3

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

SHIFT Student Design-Build During the spring semester of second year, Iowa State's College of Design helps to arrange a Design-Build project with a local business. For our project, we partnered with a local upstart called Reliable Street. A small group of local artists and designers had come together to transform an old factory space into a co-op community space. It needed to include a cafe, wood-shop, tool rental, class space, and open studio space for local artists. The client asked us to design and build an outdoor seating and play space for customers and their children, as many of the owners and their friends had small children. The project was funded partly by a grant from Iowa State University, students, and clients. I was heavily involved in the project, serving on the Logistics team which coordinated all other operations in the build, as well as the Rhino re-design team, Fabrication Leader, Final Model Team Leader, and member of the Assembly Team.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

(Top Left) In our initial studies, students split into small groups to design individual sections of the overall structure to clearly express what they believed to be essential elements of the clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desired product. These models were then analyzed and combined to create a preliminary idea for what the final deliverable should entail.

(Left) After analyzing the model, a group of students mapped the surfaces in Rhinoceros. In order to document the structure for fabrication assembly, we worked with our professor to develop a Grasshopper script in order to translate the mapped surfaces into individual boards which could be read by the group. (Bottom Left) the resulting structure is shown as a 1/4 scale model built for our first client presentation. We used this opportunity to beta test our construction documents for readability.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

(Top Left) Our documentation team created this organizational system in order to locate a specific board among the entire "pile." (Top Middle) The team made documents containing the location and orientation of each group of two layers, along with an assembly sheet printed full scale to aid in exactly aligning boards. Also printed on this sheet were screw locations, which was done in an effort to reduce the total amount of hardware used as well as to retain the integrity of the wood at each end. (Top Right) Along with these documents, the fabrication team was given a schedule of each board length and at what degree to miter the ends. The documents provided also included precise measurements on where each board should be cut in order to conserve as much lumber as possible.

(Bottom Left) a lengthwise section shows the space underneath the seating surfaces. These "caves" were created for kids to play in while their parents relax. There are many spaces underneath modules two and three for children to explore, while staying accessible for adults to come in and play with them. The tallest portion of the structure is located in module A (Bottom Right). These wall sections provide shade to those sitting on the benches. Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

Circulation through structure

Caves within structure

Seating platforms 19

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

VOIDS Soil Research Laboratory This project was broken down into three main sections: Robotic Processes in Nature, Analytical Site Study, and an Ecological Studies "Library" proposal to be set in Ledges State Park, IA. For the first section, we were to design a robotic system to address one of many ecological issues occurring in the Midwestern region of the United States. We were then given a site, and using various tools developed an in-depth understanding of the conditions on not just our site, but the surrounding community. Finally, we combined the robotic design with our newly gained knowledge of our site and proposed a library space, though the term "library" was up to us to define. Our design was supposed to be built completely by our robotic system.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

For the second section of our project, I partnered with fellow studio member Gregory Schaub to study Ledges State Park. We used a Point Cloud Scanner along with online software to analyze a 3D scan of specific sites that interested us inside the park. This system has only been used for surveying prior to our exploration, so it was an exciting experience developing an entirely new way to gain information about the site. We then took these scans and used them to develop diagrams explaining different site conditions that could influence our designs. My partner and I focused on the light, soil, and noise conditions around our site as well as the extreme verticality of the area. The site we had chosen had some of the most extreme elevation changes in a very small area within Ledges State Park.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

During this semester I have gained new skills in a variety of modeling tools. We learned how to use a CNC machine to make a site model (Top Left), I gained more experience in Rhinoceros and was introduced to many new plug-ins. I was also introduced to 3D printing and the underlying ideas of digital fabrication. I completed my first successful 3D print (Bottom Right). This complex geometric form required a lot of work in multiple 3D printing software programs to get right, such as Dremel, Printstudio, and Meshmixer. (Above) Abstract site model of our section of Ledges, milled on an Iowa State CNC machine. (Below) Drainage diagram of the immediate area around site generated on Rhino software with Eve Rain plug-in. This was used in the placement of the extruded towers along the bottom of the ravine.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio

After in-depth studies of ecology and site, I decided to define a library as any space that stores and shares knowledge. In the first section of the project, my robotic system transferred stable soils to areas affected by erosion. In doing so they left voids behind in stable sections of the park. I decided to occupy the voids my robotic system had created in the earth with a soil research laboratory. This lab would gather samples of soil from the extruded towers on the surface and use them to gain new insight into the properties of local soil and its future conditions. The scientists would then take these findings and provide them to the local farming community in order to strengthen the soil for future generations. This lab is fully deployable in any terrain/climate provided stable soil conditions exist.

Michael Oddo | Undergraduate Portfolio