MATT SEAGER experiential + performative + ecological
human ecology
study of the relationship between humans and their natural, social, and built environments identity
research analyze
environment
correlate
connect
architecture
dierentiate redeďŹ ne identify
culture
diversify
art
sustain
communicate
behavior patterns
meshworks form
assemble
intra-act
simple parts forming complex interactions [thom mayne]
Design+Analysis=Performance Design serves the client, the individual, and the public. It has potential to create healing environments, invigorating experiences, and foster social and cultural development. To accomplish this, architecture must perform [environmental, social, physiological, psychological, ecological and economical]. Not only must it accomplish all it is set out to do, it must be efficient as well. My design process seeks to bridge the humanities and sciences while leveraging the right tools and individuals. Where tools don’t exist, you make them. I leverage my interest in applying lessons from history through deep thought, artistic rendition, and analytical iteration. The simple solution resolves the old problem. The iterative and integrated solution addresses potential problems. The ultimate goal is to create an experiential design that is proactive [instead of reactive] in addressing contemporary issues.
Redefine Redefine the parameters and criteria to solve the problem by interpreting previous iterations and discover new connections that encompass greater levels of context.
Repeat Repeat the process of analyzing and identifying components and conditions. Understand the non-linear agency of context to generate enriched design outputs.
Re-establish Re-establish the solution creating a refined, integrated solution that results from the most informed practices available to the design team.
LIMINALITY TRANSITION EXPERIENCE
Liminality | Urban Thresholds If you reduce experience down to a series of moments, each itemized experience is divided by a threshold, the interface through which we experience the next moment. Each moment is dependent upon degrees of differential exposures. The more exposed we feel, the more focused we become, each object demanding attention. Through procession and moments of transition, combinations of color, light, and texture disrupt spatial expectation and dissolves a priori boundaries. This disruption removes the individual from their comfortable environment [ death ] and into the transitional moment of experience [ liminal ] followed by rebirth [ post-liminal ].
Elevate park from Western Ave. traffic
The theater functions as a neighborhood creative catalyst with an introverted site strategy, focusing the city towards the monumental theater mass. The black-box theater is oriented as a visual endpoint to the northern edge of the Waterfront Redevelopment, functioning as a terminal destination to the new green space. Its location requires various experiential thresholds upon approach and discover.
Orient theater to Waterfront axis
Max program with minimum footprint elliot bay
te wes
ave
bat
1st
ter
st
y st
bell
pike place market
View corridor setbacks with height
ve rn a
Seating lawn with community center
LED light strips
Daytime = Solid
Light transmitting concrete
Optic fibers cast into concrete panels
Night = Porous
Integrating time in materiality, the theater undergoes a transition from a solid cube to a porous lantern from day to night. Using optic fibers within concrete, light transmitting concrete combined with LED back lighting illuminates the theater cube. Coves in the street wall provide rain covering and acoustic dampening. Elevating the park above Western Ave provides acoustic isolation from traffic noise.
ise
ffic Tra
No
Covered Seating
Apertures are used programatically to further integrate time into materiality. There is an added dimension to the light passing though as time passes. Additionally, movement provides everchanging peripheral stimuli in transition. Additional overlapping, user controlled shading devices (shown below) are used in studio locations to provide shading control.
Theater lobby
Northwest elevation
3
6
2 5
3
5
4
2
5 level 2
1. 2. 3. 4.
1
7
Theater Studio Lobby Public Mezzanine
level 3
5. Office 6. Mechanical 7. Backstage + Support
5 level 4
RECONNECT ADAPT LANDMARK
Community [re]Connections Through strategic integrating of context into the existing site, this adaptive re-use forges a new identity for the property and new branch of the SMU school of art. The design creates a functional catalyst for creative development within the Cedars neighborhood of Dallas by creating mutual interactions between artists, their work and the community. Amenities are created for community use that further bond the artists with the city.
Group form creates interactive relationships between objects; the interstitial spaces then become filled with community space for events and everyday activity. Layering of public and private space exemplifies the role of creativity and society by formulating a specific bond between artist and observer. A fourfold of making, displaying, private, and public come together around the object of art and architecture.
The existing facility contained a warehouse and empty lot
A new level is added on top of the existing warehouse; a theater and workshop are added to the rear of the property
A promenade and two lawns are added for community use and interaction with the art complex; a lantern as added as a neighborhood feature to display art and become a community landmark.
Lighting studies were performed to maximize natural light in the studio areas. Light-shelves spread light into the room and north facing skylights with vertical louvers provide additional ambient light. Sliding exterior panels allow occupant control of natural light. Exposed nail-laminated timber decking provides a warmth to gallery spaces. Stained concrete floors add contrast to white walls adorned with the work of resident and local artists. A central floating ceiling bridges all spaces as a unifying focal point supporting localized cognitive mapping. A community coffee shop and bookstore occupies the south corner of the building below the projection tower.
PERFORM CONNECT FILTER
Performative Structure A double-skin structured vault connects the existing physical education building and intramural center while providing year-round use of the competitive swimming pool. The structure integrates ventilation, solar heat management and air filtration to provide comfortable conditions in both summer and winter. Inspired by the molecular structure of h2o and the hexagonal hydrogen bonding that takes place during phase changes from water to ice, parametric design tools were used to design a new dramatic structure for the University of Texas Arlington.
O H
O
H
O H
O
H
H
H
O
O H
H
O
Water
H
H
Ice
O
Electrochromic glazing decreases visible transmittance and solar heat gain during the summer. Sides open to allow fresh air movement as warm air is vented out. In winter, warm air is managed within the space while allowing more solar heat gain. The double skin creates a thermal barrier to maintain warmer temperatures.
warm air
cool air
solar
summer solar cool air
warm air
winter
The cavity provides a thermal barrier of managed fresh air. Contaminated air permeates into the cavity and is filtered prior to exhausting.
EDUCATE EXPERIENCE ORIENT
Cognitive Mapping With the ultimate goal being education and comfort of visual impaired individuals, I began studying how people understand their location in space. This led to studies regarding cognitive mapping. The idea became to create an environment where quantity of light, tactile finishes, air quality, and acoustics are manipulated to function as stimulus in the cognitive process. By providing distinct spatial experience, individuals can create mental landmarks in relation to the body and goal.
goal
01 | pre-orientation
S | stimulus
02 | post-orientation
R | response
landmark
BE | built
environment
egocentric spatial inference
cognitive
CM | mapping
body There are generally two ways humans cognitively map space. Egocentric perception of space refers to locating a goal in relation to the self. Spatial inference refers to locating the goal in reference to a landmark (understood object).
cPROPRIETARY o p i n gCOPING cCOLDFORMED o l d f oSTEEL r mHEADER ed steel header tSTRUCTURED r i p l e GLAZING; g l a zTRIPLE ing, GLAZED WITH 90% ARGON INFILL 9AND0 LOW-E % aCOATING rgon with low-e coating
HEAVY h e aTIMBER v y COLUMN timber column
PROPRIETARY g r e e n GREEN r o ROOF o f SYSTEM s y s WITH tem INSULATION, DRAINAGE, AND SHEET WATER PROOFING
HEAVY h e aTIMBER v y BRACES timber braces
cCUSTOM u s tSTEEL o mBRACKET; b r a1" cDIAMETER k e t ;RODS 1� WITH DOUBLE STIFFNER PLATE TO ADD COMPRESSIVE d i a m eSTRENGTH ter rods with double stiffner plate eEXISTING x i s tSIDEWALK ing sidewalk fCONCRETE o u n dFOUNDATION a t i o nWALL wall iFOUNDATION n s u l aINSULATION tion and WITH DRAINAGE BOARD drainage board
GLULAM g l u l BEAM am beam
sSTEEL t ePLATES el p l aTHROUGH t e s BOLTS; w i t FULLY h WITH tWELDED h r uCONNECTION - b o l t sTO;RODS fully welded to rods scupper glass roof suspension cables
strucutral glass fin
drystack adhered thin stone veneer
structured glazing
living green wall with constant drip
Custom steel connections bring daylight into the below-grade community event space [see project cover image for rendering of space]. Acoustic panels that mimic the exterior twisted-louver rainscreen system provide different acoustic experiences based on direction of sound and location within the space. The building plan is laid out around a central vertical core [the canyon]. The feature staircase is glazed on all sides with exception of two flanking walls. These walls are coated in veneer stone and a constant drip living wall. These features provide a direct contrast to the soft wood interiors of other spaces. Each floor landing has a distinct material change to add an additional signifier for vertical orientation.
These screen shots are from an artistic recreation of visually impaired experience. The video encapsulated the experience of having limited light receptivity with isolated acoustic events. These screen shots were used to develop and public experiential walk as an added feature to the program. Views from the experiential walk are directly below. Contrast and movement were accentuated to provide a choreography of the senses, modulating light and street sound.
a
garden kitchen
classroom lounge
patio
b
dining/event
e
c
auditorium/multi-use space
storage
level 0
canopy walk
level 2
level 3
INTEGRATE REUSE ENERGIZE
Living Machine This project was an attempt to meet the Living Building Pilot program in Seattle with a mixed use tower at the corner of 3rd and Virginia. The sketch below is an early investigation into combining an occupiable skin layer with a thermal barrier, water recycling, mechanical floor and amenity space. The project began by investigating program, form, resource consumption, construction cost and return on investment. It was an interdisciplinary group project with consultation from construction management and structural engineer students. The work shown here was a collaboration with two other design team partners (see acknowledgments at the end of the portfolio for specifics)
roof garden
residential
atrium living garden
commercial/ office
daycare/gym lobby
Residential zones are separated into 3 groups, each accompanied by a living garden that processes all used water through living machines. Excess water is used to serve commercial floors. Once water storage systems are charged, rainfall will allow the system to practically function as a closed loop.
V a r i o u s d e s i g n s t r a Combined EUI tegies were c o m b i n e d t o d r i v e t h e EUI from a Combined EUI 50 base line of 43 to 22. The use of ground-source heat pumps, pass i v e 45 house infiltration rates and removing the need for cooling in residential zones with natural v e n t i40 lation through stack effect in each atrium reduced energy use by almost 50%.
50 45 40
35
EUI (kBTU/sf/yr)
50
30
40
25
30 25
35
20 15
20
30 25
15
20 15
10
10
10
5
5
5 0
0
Combined EUI
45
EUI (kBTU/sf/yr)
EUI (kBTU/sf/yr)
35
0
combined_base combined_dblskn combined_loads combined_bipv combined_base combined_dblskn combined_loads cooling
heating
lighting
equipment
fans
pumps
combined_base combined_dblskncooling combined_loads heating combined_bipv lighting equipment cooling
heating
lighting
equipment
fans
pumps
fans
combined_bipv pumps
The sloped site provides two elevations of entry into the main level. The commercial lobby entrance is cut through an preserved historic facade and includes a cafe and community gallery. The residential lobby is on Virginia Street. Both streets have access to an elevated park that steps up to the a community day care. Seating areas overlook the street and provide sheltered space for employees and pedestrians.
level 39 - roof top
level 26 - residential
level 25 - living garden
level 10 - office
2' - 4"
9' - 0"
F2
8' - 2 1/2"
A2
32
122
04
28 121
D1
25
19 A2
1' - 0 3/4"
5' - 8 3/4"
2' - 0"
F2
09/ A2.02
ISOLATION ROOM
F2
02 / A4.01
8' - 4"
8' - 1"
A3
120 04
6' - 0"
PUBLIC TLT D2 103 B2
13
D2
04 103 32
C.8
11
A2
1' - 3 3/4"
KIDS COVE 102
2' - 1"
B2
1' - 8 1/4"
1' - 0 3/4" 5' - 10 3/4"
9 3/4" 101
CORR 130
5' - 7 1/2"
7 1/2"
100B
LOBBY 101
D2
12' - 10 1/4"
12' - 10 1/4"
5' - 5 1/4"
13' - 2 3/4"
9' - 11 3/4"
1' - 10 3/4"
VESTIBULE 100
100A 01 / A4.01 12
19
1' - 0"
10"
12
PP
D.0 2' - 10"
04
7 3/4"
01/ A2.02
4' - 6"
B2 1' - 8"
104
6' - 1 3/4"
02/ A2.02
PAT TLT 104
E.0
30
2' - 10"
A3
12' - 0"
120 12' - 9 1/4"
18' - 3 1/2"
120B
2' - 8 1/4"
8"
32
6' - 8"
D1
12/ A2.02
11' - 5"
01 / A4.03
ISO TLT 120B
70' - 8 3/4"
13' - 2 1/2"
07/ A2.02
D2
12' - 10 1/4"
121
122
F2
3' - 1"
BARIATRIC/EMER TREAT
7"
14' - 7 1/4"
11/ A2.02
5' - 3 1/2"
D3
SECURE HOLDING/EXAM
08/ D2 A2.02
9' - 0"
25
F2
F.0
1' - 3"
30
4 3/4" 6 3/4"
25
CR
A
D2
5' - 5"
C.0
7' - 0 1/2"
D2
3' - 7 1/2" 20
1' - 0"
B2
GEN OFC 110
110
1' - 6"
01 / A4.02
12' - 0"
A2L
1' - 6"
12' - 3 1/4"
PB
32
10' - 1 1/4"
A2L
90°
E
B
5' - 3 3/4"
7"
1 35 °
1"
2' - 9 3/4"
C.2 B2
1' - 2"
D
B.0
112 111
D2
10' - 2 1/2"
PHYS OFC 112 7' - 3"
D2
04
10 1/2"
113
10 1/2"
D2
A.0
1' - 3"
4 1/4"
2' - 8 1/4"
D2
PHYS SLEEP 113
1' - 2 1/4"
STOR 111
05
32
10"
04
12' - 1"
1' - 8"
03 / A4.02 12' - 0" 7' - 9"
6' - 11"
13' - 7"
10 1/2"
1' - 3"
Acknowledgements All projects shown with exception of the below mentioned were individual efforts under guidance of university faculty. I would like to offer thanks to University of Texas Arlington professors Craig Kuhner, Brad Bell, Josh Nason, and George Gintole. Also, thanks to University of Washington professors Vikram Prakash, Christopher Meek, Devin Kleiner and Rob Corser. These professors provided guidance and education that directly influenced the outcome of the projects shown in this portfolio. Living Machine | This project was done alongside partners Aparna Joijode and Gaura Ely. Design and production was a full team effort. My contributions were mainly energy analysis and model development. The renderings shown here were edited by Mr. Ely. The living machine water diagram was produced by Ms. Joijode.
Professional Work With over 4 years of experience, I’ve drawn, coordinated and reviewed many sets of design development and construction documents. I have experience managing Revit libraries, strategic planning and managing document production including AEC coordination. Drawings can be provided upon request or interview.
Design+Build In 2017 I was fortunate enough to be able to take part in the University of Washington’s Community Design Build with Steve Badanes. The photos are from the school published studio book and credited to the design build team. The project provided shading for a daycare play area that lost a pair of old growth trees.