McMahon, Catherine

I was born in Las Vegas, Nevada but moved to Iowa when I was 8 years old. It was a bit of a culture shock but I learned to make meaningful relationships even when I didn’t know a single person. My sister passed away when I was 12 years old, I grew up extremely fast and learned a lot about myself and the love my family has for each other that year. My dad is my biggest role model and source of influence in my life and always has been. He has taught me how to be hardworking in every aspect of my life through everything he does for my family. My parents are extremely generous people in life and I completely get that aspect of my personality from them. My parents have instilled a strong sense of morality in me and I believe it is the reason everything has happened in my life, good or bad. I chose to come to the University of Arkansas and take on a job my freshman year managing the women’s the track and cross country team. I work directly under the head coach and director of operations and the leadership skills I have witnessed and picked up on in 4 years is so valuable. I find myself taking on leadership responsibilities because I enjoy them and I truly respect people that I look up to as a leader. Having a job that requires a lot of responsibility during the school year was something that I feared I would have to give up when I started studio. I’ve been through a lot of hardships in my life that have taught me to be mentally tough and have grit and still manage to balance my studies and the jobs I am currently working because of these developed qualities. I want to pursue a career after college that further challenges me to be non-fearing of life’s uncertainties. I work hard in all aspects of my life and would consider my success to be self-made, another aspect I hope will apply to my future career.

What is the composition of the process of travel through a transportation facility in your memory?

Where is your memorable cultural place?

TENNIS COURT VIEWING 3

TENNIS VIEWING

STAIRS BUS WAITING / VIEWING

APPROACH

1

WAIT OR ASCEND

2

Bus Stop Kressbad

The Bus Stop Kressbad located in Krumbach, Austria takes a very interesting approach to bus stop design. Traditionally, bus stops are made for waiting and shelter from the elements and disregards the site it exists on. The architects of this bus stop structure take site very seriously in their design with it being a multipurpose structure primarily meant for waiting and shelter. The bus stop includes a set of regionally-sourced wooden stairs that will take the civilian up to a viewing deck that overlooks the tennis court that the bus stop is situated next to. The entirety of the structure is made of the same regionally-sourced wood and blends in with the vernacular structures that surround it. One wouldn’t truly know it was a bus stop until their curiosity lead them to further explore it.

The Je Jung-Gu Community Center

The Je Jung-Gu Community Center was designed as a continuation of Je Jung-Gu’s legacy which was centered around advocating for human rights in his home of Goseong County, South Korea. His humility is honored throughout this community center with “modest” choices in sustainable material and community-centered designed spaces that are meant to encapsulate his work throughout his career. Statues and monuments are also integrated to provide feelings of reverence and welcomeness for visitors upon arrival. Another important element that the architects included is a pavilion that houses a statue of Je Jung-Gu sitting on a bench at the opposite end, further inviting the community to experience this space ‘with’ him. One other important aspect that the architects took into consideration was scale and structure relative to nature. The ‘twin structures’ as they called them, create courtyards of green space that surround visitors with structure, trees, statues that are a nod at Je Jung-Gu’s vision of community.

SCALE

NATURE, STRUCTURE, HUMAN, STATUE

PATH FINDING APPROACH / REVERENCE ENTRY LECTURE ROOM EXHIBITION HALL BOOK CAFE

Where do you want to be treated?

LOUNGE / LEISURE ACCESS / WAYFINDING

THE TIING HOTEL // Nick Brundson + MANGUNING

The Tiing Hotel is situated in the heart of Indonesia, surrounded by the lush landscape of this tropical climate. The purpose of this design stems from the drive to draw tourists away from the bustle of the city. The materials are an integral part of the design, chosen because of the specificity to the region and how they will weather overtime. The spatial qualities of the individual rooms are not intricate on purpose, inviting guests to occupy the more essential part of the design, the landscape, instead of their rooms . Each quarter is situated along a pathway that draws the tenant to walk along the path which ends at the water. The shower/bath is located outside, even further connecting the individual with the luxuries of the Bali landscape. The walls of the space act as “funnels” that frame views of mountains and ocean. The architects also included a red pool that is situated amongst the linear paths as a way to re-energize the guests as they make their way through the site and experience the land.

PRIMARY HEALTHCARE CENTER ; BRAZIL

THIS HEALTHCARE CENTER IS CONNECTED THROUGH A SERIES OF 3 MASSES THAT HOUSE A LOT OF THE SAME PROGRAM-

1MATIC ELEMENTS. CONNECTIONS ARE MADE ALONG THE BUMPY TERRAIN AND INCLUDE ELEMENTS LIKE RAMPS FOR EASE OF ACCESSIBILITY. THE ARCHITECTS INCLUDED COURTYARDS IN EACH MASS TO RECONNECT THE CHAOS OF THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY TO THE SERENITY OF NATURE. THIS PROVIDED A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR NATURAL LIGHTING AND SHELTER FROM GUSTY WINDS. THIS CONNECTION TO NATURE ALSO ALLOWS FOR PROPER VENTILATION WHILE PATIENTS ARE WAITING TO BE SEEN. THE BLOCKY PROGRAM ALLOWS FOR CONSISTENCY BETWEEN ALL THREE BUILDINGS THEIR USE OF MATERIAL AND SCREENING THROUGH PERFORATED SURFACES ENSURES PRIVACY AND SEPARATION WHILE STILL ALLOWING IN NATURAL LIGHT. THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS WERE A HUGE INFLUENCE ON THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING WITH ELEMENTS LIKE DOUBLE SCREEN FACADES AND RAINWATER COLLECTION SYSTEMS INTEGRATED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT.

OUTDOOR GREENSPACE CIRCULATION / WAITING EXAM ROOM ENTRY

4 2 3

FILTERED LIGHT / AIR

DIRECT LIGHT

ENTRY / TERRACE BATHROOM KITCHEN NATURAL LIGHT DINING / LIVING / LEISURE ENTRY / TERRACE

Gale’s Residence / Gibert&Tan / Malaysia

Gale’s Residence was a remodel of an older 1970’s home, originally designed with little to no natural light that are filled with small,unorganized, closed spaces. The remodel brings order to the home with vast open space and natural lighting conventions that can double as ventilation systems. The integration of terracing with green-intended space fallows for the design to solve these issues while still keeping the original character of the home. The designers integrated light and air filtering voids that allow for privacy and ventilation. The mass of the home is divided into two zones that accommodate for specific use living/dining/leisure (public), while the second half addresses the storage/bedroom/bathroom (private). This can be seen in the sequence diagram taken from the ‘public’ zone where space is clearly delineated to half of the home serving the public and more widely used space. The door shown in the sequence diagram hints at the second zone of use being more private and separated by walls.

What is the space of your desires?

Space Progressive

The Je Jung-Gu community center is an homage to Je Jung-Gu, human rights activist, work in his hometown of Goseong County South Korea. I chose this space as one of my desires because of the rich amount of space that exists coupled with how it reflects my prioritized values stemming from the word ‘progressive’. From approach to exit, visitors are constantly reminded on Je Jung-Gu’s mission of progression within this Korean society with material choices, nature, and spaces directly intended for the community. The approach is filled with nature, inviting people to occupy the natural world that humans constantly seek out. The materiality of the place is also in line with these concepts and invokes feelings of peace and serenity along with liveliness with intentional choices in material that are intended to be modest, much like Je Jung-Gu’s mission. The weathering of the steel is symbolic in many ways, not only to his original mission of modesty but also physical reflections of change overtime and how these lasting changes have beautiful, natural consequences (much like his own work). The lecture hall is a continuation of Je Jung-Gu’s missions of education and allows public visitors to acquire education, something that is righteous in many ways and what Je Jung-Gu strived for in his work especially in poor urban communities. The exhibition hall includes modestly cased artifacts and these same design decisions are carried through from roof to floor, furthering the architect’s intentions of humility throughout the design. The space is carefully and logically laid out but where aspects like furniture and landscape become more playful is in the courtyard and book café spaces where the public is invited to experience these elements in a less reverential way. Je Jung-Gu’s mission of community and togetherness is truly shown in the book café with long stretches of undulating tables and bookshelves that add character and liveliness to this modest space. I chose to alter this specific space with the addition of two semi public / private reading nooks that are intended to reflect the reverence of this community space while still being completely visible and accessible to the rest of the public. I wanted to keep with the dynamism of these specific spaces while still staying true to the modest choices in materiality with the inclusion of a wood screening wall to allow for air, light, and a small amount of privacy. The seating in the nook follows the same logic and design of the rest of the tables but is interjected by a privacy screen to create separation while maintaining continuity. The ends of the tables that stretch past the screen are a more public with a more private seating, while the platform that sits in between the screens is more private / modest with less open seating and a more private view of space and nature beyond the window.

INNATE

PATH FINDING CONTROL / PRECEDENCE

APPROACH / REVERENCE ACCEPTANCE

ENTRY SUCCESS

LECTURE ROOM STRIVE

EXHIBITION HALL IMPERFECTIONS

BOOK CAFE HEALTH

READING NOOKS

The Meaning, Aspiration, and Purpose of Adding Value to Intuitive Street & Urban Design in NWA Beyond Implementing Community Needs

Research In a 2010 research study conducted by Transportation for America, 66% of American participants noted that they want more options for transportation, so they have the freedom to choose how to get where they need to go. 73% felt that they have no choice but to drive as much as they do and 57% mentioned they would like to spend less time in a car (Complete Streets, 2013). Adding value to urban planning, especially when it comes to increasing accessibility to transportation of any kind, is a long-standing issue that many planners still face today. Implementing strategic urban design that is aimed at the overall wellbeing of a society is key towards tackling planning issues that are directly correlated with things like traffic congestion, carbon emissions, and fatalities caused by poor street planning. Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition have attempted to bring light to these issues in their 2013 presentation, Introducing Complete Streets. The culmination of their research findings points out countless amounts of flaws in the system of street planning that exists today. One of the more notable findings mentions citizens who are willing to travel one - four miles on foot to get to work, school, or churches, are handicapped by the inherent risk of their own safety when crossing major, poorly planned intersections and roads (Complete Streets, 2013). In the 1998 Vol. 4 Issue of Design Issues, Herbert A. Simon spoke about the purpose of design in The Science of Design; Creating the Artificial saying, “Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones”. If this is still the case, as it was almost 25 years ago, why are streets still being designed like the ones in Figure 1? Answers to these questions can be seen in the planner’s blatant lack of regard for pedestrian safety and nature, and the prioritization of street space for major gas-guzzling, carbon emitting, vehicles that take away from the health of society. When urban design is inclusive of pedestrians, cyclists, and individuals who prioritize surrounding themselves with nature instead of the walls of a vehicle, these issues have shown to subside. This can be seen in policies that groups like Smart Growth America and the Complete Streets Coalition have attempted to implement with sufficient amounts of data to back their claims in attempts to bring order and completeness back to communities reliant on public roads and space.

Local Examples Local examples of efficient urban design are setting precedents for future downtown and urban planning improvements. The City of Fayetteville is proposing a Civic Plaza (Fig. 2) filled with green space, civic promenades, and plazas that connect major, busy, streets in the heart of downtown Fayetteville. This kind of urban design accounts for human needs, something that should always be accounted for when it comes to aspects like safety, comfort, and efficiency. The West Avenue Civic Plaza integrates protected pathways through the built urban space that allows for security and bodily protection from vehicles heavily utilizing the surrounding roads. If pedestrians are forced to cross streets, crosswalks directly connect to wide sidewalks that are bordered by alleys of trees, further sheltering the pedestrian from the dangers of the busy roads, and providing more greenery on a site that was previously a large, empty, concrete, parking lot.

Further Connection This civic proposal is solving major problems associated with poor street/urban planning but continues to add value beyond the city’s needs and wants with connections and access to the rest of Fayetteville simply because of the where the site is imposed. The proposed Civic Plaza connects pedestrians to the city’s major Cultural Arts Corridor (renamed The Ramble (Figure 3)), downtown Fayetteville, and the entertainment district with sustainable design that can be accessed on foot, bike, or car. Not only is this design architecturally significant, but it also further connects patrons to forms of nature that Northwest Arkansas is best known for, and humans seek out. The site of The Ramble, where the West Avenue Civic Plaza partially occupies, will also include the existing Fay Jones Woods, Tanglewood Park, and connects nature to city with the Razorback Greenway running through the site, giving even more access to the rest of Fayetteville. This step above meeting the city’s needs and giving more accessibility simply because of the site is exactly how Fayetteville is going beyond ‘just urban planning’. The naming of this site and the design-mission are even more on par with how efficient design can be implemented to go beyond serving the community’s needs and wants with the integration of experience. The planners characterized The Ramble as, “a full embrace of the journey...not in a hurry to get from point A to point B, but rather, open to possibility...the concept falls nicely in sync with the cadence of a walk or a bike ride, spontaneous conversation, outdoor installations and gathering spaces.” (City of Fayetteville Arkansas, 2021).

Conclusion While issues within urban planning and efficient street consideration are far from where they should be, it is progressive communities like downtown Fayetteville that are setting the stage for the future of design and going above the bare minimum to offer the majority of the city more than they thought was necessary.

References City of Fayetteville. (2020, June 9). Fayetteville Cultural Arts Corridor: City Council Presentation. Fayetteville. City of Fayetteville Arkansas. (2021, June 16). Names Chosen for 50-Acre Public Outdoor Space in Downtown Fayetteville. City of Fayetteville Arkansas. Civic Plaza. Fayetteville, AR - Official Website. (2021, June). Complete Streets. Smart Growth America. (2013, January). Simon, H. (1998) The Science of Design; Creating the Artificial. Design Issues, 4(1-2), 67-82. doi: 10.23027/1511391 Transportation For America. (2013, November 22). Future of Transportation National Survey (2010). Transportation For America.

System Thinking and Design of Noma 2.0 | The Whole Equals the Sum of its Parts

Research The customer experience is showing to outweigh transactional shopping with 51% of people going to a retail store for the experience and 49% for transactions according to the data presented in Gensler’s Experience Index for retail (Gensler,12). These research findings emphasize that community, belonging, and engagement acquired from experience is more valuable than material goods. Cindy Rose, Microsoft UK’s CEO mentioned, “We won’t measure the success of this flagship by sales alone. It really is about the unique experience we provide for customers... also the way that we engage with the community” when speaking on strategic business planning and design (Gensler,12). Consideration of human experience relative to profit is key to success not only within the business, but also with the purpose of the overall concept and design.

Precedent Noma 2.0 designed by BIG Architects took the customer experience and elevated it with their 2018 restaurant design in Copenhagen, Denmark. The cluster of buildings aims to solve internal efficiency problems involving kitchen and wait staff alongside the sequence and experience customers are getting from approach, entry, seating, luxury dining, and exit. BIG Architects used local fine materials to enhance the overall environment coupled with regional / vernacular styles of building and construction to achieve their improved restaurant design. The designer’s full consideration of social purpose and equality alongside the ability to meet needs and wants of both customers and clients within their design ensures that fine details do not go unnoticed when these elements can make all of the difference with a large budget. Budgeting for luxury dining experiences can seem overwhelming but BIG Architects maximized their budget, stretching it over every aspect of their restaurant design. Doing this builds trust, honesty, and confidence between architect and client and is essential for good design and the best possible customer experience. When budget is disregarded on details that do not serve the client and customer, design will fall short. One major way the BIG Architects achieved this is through the inherent connection to nature which is present throughout almost every interior and exterior detail. Pre-conventional ideas of moral development would have no regard for place and the impacts important design decisions would have on the built and natural world (Figure 1). This is not the case for Noma 2.0, however. The firm described their organizational methodology as, “Each ‘building within the building’ is connected by glass covered paths for chefs and guests to follow the changes in weather, daylight and seasons - making the natural environment an integral part of the culinary experience. Guests have the opportunity to walk through each of the surrounding buildings and to experience a variety of Nordic materials and building techniques: the barbecue is a giant walk-in hut, and the lounge looks and feels like a giant, cozy fireplace made entirely of brick inside and out” (see Figure 2). Not only does Noma 2.0 strive for further connection to place and sustainability with programming, lighting, and massing, and of course cuisine, but the restaurant design itself is meant to adapt and redefine to the future of the business altogether (BIG Architects). These progressive ideas of design are integral for the quality of this experience and how customers interpret their own experience relative to what they may have initially expected. This idea can also be seen in the concept of openness and connection that Eric Baldwin r eferences in his article, “The New Noma by Bjarke Ingels Group Opens to the Public” saying, “ [from the sequential dining experience’s] central position, they are set with an overview while allowing guests to follow what would traditionally happen behind-the-scenes” (see Figure 3). This is another connection that the firm makes as a means to create feelings of honesty, trust, and confidence with experience but this time between business and customer.

System Thinking / Connectivity BIG Architects is using multiple forms of system thinking with a top-down method. They first consider business needs / wants with budgeting in mind then move to place and consideration of context with detailing within the interior and exterior. From there, the designers go deeper into detail with experiential methods of wayfinding, place setting, and materiality that directly impacts the customer’s perception of luxury and value. Consideration of system thinking when deciphering if the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, specifically within this design, shows that nature is the whole, but it is not greater than the sum of its parts. Rather one could interpret that the two are one in the same seeing that the ‘natural’ is always considered in the details.

Conclusion Without full consideration of system thinking relative to design decisions, human experience, and efficiency, especially in luxury hospitality industries, experiential, intentional, and well-planned design elements will fall short regardless of value. When larger connections are made to place and people outside of greed and egotistical methods of thinking, places like Noma 2.0 are consciously curated and admired by the client and their customers further showing the importance of system thinking methods.

References Baldwin, E. (2018, September 23). The new noma by Bjarke Ingels Group opens to the public. ArchDaily. Dialogue 35. Gensler. (n.d.). Noma 2.0. BIG. (n.d.). Sagredo, R. (2018, September 21). Noma 2.0 / BIG. ArchDaily.