Kathleen O'Gara Architecture Portfolio 2023

TABLE

OF CONTENTS

04 | The Sheldon ARC 24 | Lucent Theater 32 | Material Study 34 | Boys Town CTE

THE SHELDON ARC

SPRING 2022 | Professor Beau Johnson PARTNER | Audrey Huse

The Sheldon ARC is an addition to the Sheldon Museum of Art, located on the University of Nebraska - Lincoln’s campus. Its main purpose is to strengthen The Sheldon’s connection to campus and its students. The student center includes a student lounge, an archive viewing lab, a gathering hall / student gallery, a multi-use art classroom and office spaces.

The concept of the addition was to take the structural system of the Sheldon, concrete walls and floor slabs, and the ornamental motif of the arch, and combine them in a more structurally authentic way. The Sheldon ARC is constructed with precast concrete arches that expand and contract in scale to reflect the needs of the programs they house.

SPRING 2022 | THE SHELDON ARC |

The Sheldon Museum of Art was built in 1963 and was designed by Philip Johnson. It is a beautiful piece of architecture that, like a jewel box, houses thousands of precious works of art for the enjoyment and education of its visitors. These nine paintings are an exploration of a threshold condition. Only twice is the grid of the Sheldon broken, once at each entrance. These breaks reveal whole columns that are free from any walls.

The Sheldon lacks a strong connection to campus. The student center would serve as a place for students to relax between classes, attend an event hosted by the Sheldon, take a class taught by a faulty member or local artist, and much more.

The Sheldon a part of the beaux arts campus. While this is an active part of campus, full of arts and sciences students, people rarely take the time to enter the museum.

O’GARA | THE SHELDON ARC | SPRING 2022

LUCENT THEATER

FALL 2020 | Professor Craig Babe PARTNER | Louis Khu

“On the stage that is architecture, users of the building become players in the choreographed space.”

- Willem Jan Neutelings, Michiel Riedijk

The design intent of this project was to design a theater that incorporated the concepts of “see and be seen” and the Building as a sign. The design is not only a functionally designed theater but the architecture itself is theatrical.

The project is located in Lincoln’s History Haymarket district. It is programed as a community theater with spaces for performances, rehearsal, education and community engagement. The project includes first floor retail and an open courtyard that serves as an outdoor event space.

Material Study

Spring 2020 | Professor Mark Maxey

This material study explored colored materials and color as a design element. The study was narrowed to look at colored glasses, especially dichroic glass.

Knowledge and inspiration were drawing from works of Luis Barragan, Ricardo Bofill, David Adjaye, and many more. The study argued for the importance of color in architecture.

Boys Town CTE

FALL 2021 | Professors Hardy, Bicak, and Schutte PARTNERS | Caleb Laurence, Megan Kortenhof, and Meagan Holl-

Mission Statement: Our project aims to establish a safe and welcoming environment for the students and faculty of Boys Town.

This Boys Town Career and Technical Education project would replace the existing Career Center on Boys Town campus. The Career and Technical Education Center at Boys Town demands a careful knowledge of trauma-informed design to adequately fulfill the needs of the at-risk student population there. Exploring ideas for built environments that support the tenets of trauma-informed care became invaluable. The goal in acknowledging this is to create spaces that are welcoming, actively demonstrate a safe environment, provide a necessary degree of privacy, and simultaneously allow staff to easily monitor students’ behavior.

Central Circulation

We focused on creating a long, expansive “spine” as the main circulation path of our building. This far-reaching lane that connects every programmed space is meant to function as both the connection between classes and an active gathering space. Activating the space is an array of planters, tables, and seating elements meant to encourage collaboration.

Biophilic Design

The approach we chose to incorporate biophilic design into our project is the concept Prospect & Refuge. We use the idea of prospect in our long continuous views down the corridor and through adjacent programs. Refuge can be seen in our choice of materials that keeps the space separated from the public.

Program Blocking

Arranging our spaces into highly separated masses is meant to further the concept of refuge. Feeling safe and secure in classes, while creating designated spaces for work and collaboration produces a unique environment for each class. This scheme also intentionally emphasizes circulation, using it as a moment of rest between classes.

Trauma Informed Design

Trauma-informed design explores ideas for built environments that support the tenets of trauma-informed care. Our goal is to create spaces that are welcoming, demonstrate a safe environment, and provide some degree of privacy, while at the same time not interfering with staff’s need to monitor students’ behavior.

KATHLEEN O’GARA ogarakathy@gmail.com | (712)389-6788