RACHEL SYDNEE BACK Architectural Designer, Engineer, Creator
TABLE OF CONTENTS Design Statement 3 Projects 4 Future Urbanism 22 Proximity, Interaction, Evolution 28 Case Studies 32
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DESIGN STATEMENT by Rachel Sydnee Back The fundamental goal of architecture is to provide shelter from the world around us. This separation creates a physical and emotional distance from the natural world around us. Architecture is also the design of space, and the anticipation of experiences within those spaces. In the new age of the sharing economy, the society is more connected than ever, but humanity has never been more disconnected from the environment and the natural world. This exploration of physical systems moves from the atomic scale to the atmospheric scale, and studies the dynamics of non-physical systems, from language to economics. The physical and emotional connection to place, time, and memory both act as design catalysts. The goal of this work is to create spaces that reintroduce nature into architecture, and allow the occupants to experience the mystery and awe of the living systems. The spaces I am exploring are spaces between overlapping languages. These spaces force our systems to rethink how they look at something, to recalibrate. These spaces are creating the connection between living systems. My connection to the nature around me is what drove me to pursue a career in the Arts and Sciences. Sustainable architecture is no doubt a noble cause, but it is fundamentally superficial. We need to be creating a connection between ourselves and nature, not between our shelter and nature. Green walls and blue roofs are not enough. As architects, we must create spaces that inspire this connection between ourselves and our surroundings. How can we foster a curiosity that leads to discovery? These spaces must force us to integrate our living systems with the languages that are currently hidden to our eyes, reveal these hidden systems forcing us to look at and interact with the world in a new way. These spaces are the spaces of resonance. The shared economy is an important living system of our time, and it must be addressed by architects. Each of the proposed spaces is a shared space. The systems of living are also investigated by this thesis, and these spaces of resonance are not only being shared with the world around us, but also with the people around us. 3
PROXIMITY An excerpt of the thesis Proximity, Interaction, Evolution
The Proximity shared housing proposal explores the idea of sharing space while remaining private. There is a wall that separates the two units. As more spaces were needed, this wall was pushed and pulled. The tenants always share the responsibility of the utilities, but do not directly interact. A skylight runs along the top of this wall, which is made of two panels of glass. Within the glass, there is a base of reflective material. This reflects the color of the sky, or outside conditions onto the interior walls. The spaces which have this projection have no windows, and are intended to be introspective. These spaces are the most private in the unit. Finally, the tenants share a kitchen, and it is the only space that they do share. This becomes the new central hearth. ` Each unit is shown by a shade of red in the floorplan. The units only share 4
Projects
A skylight runs along the top of this wall, which is made of two panels of glass. Within the glass, there is a base of reflective material. This reflects the color of the sky, or outside conditions onto the interior walls.
The floorplan began as a single unit, and was sheared, pushed, and pulled to create new private and shared spaces.
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THE FLATTENING An excerpt of the thesis Proximity, Interaction, Evolution
Using a shared housing space as a vehicle, this space is designed to challenge our system of sight. Situated in the canyon of a vast mountain range, the design forces the occupant to challenge preconceived ideas of our surroundings. The top of the unit, the most private space, has louvers that block your sight upwards, forcing you to look down at the canyon. you moveEvolution down in the space, these louvers Proximity,As Interaction, | Thesis at RISD become farther spaced, allowing you to see more and more of the canyon. Finally, the bottom floor is glass, with a hammock suspended over it. 6
Projects
The most private space is also the most open space, allowing the occupant to view the vast canyon surrounding the unit. The intent is to lay on the hammock, and take as much time as you need see every detail of the canyon itself, breaking the systems we are accustomed to, unveiling new wonders. The flattening high rise forces us to disrupt our own systems. When our eyes look onto a vast landscape, or detailed scene, our brain filters out some details and simplifies what we see. It fills in the blanks of details we can not perceive. This is because seeing the entire picture, in every detail, would be too overwhelming. Sometimes by seeing everything, you can not understand anything. So the evolution of our sight has changed our perception of spaces around us. 7
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This design forces us to relearn how to perceive our surroundings. As you look up, your view is broken, to encourage a downward gaze. The views widen as your gaze lowers. The lowest level is a large, indoor hammock, suspended above a glass bottom. This allows you to lay, and look downward at the amazing, living systems that inhabit the valley, systems we do not usually view. As the design forces you to look differently, hidden systems become uncovered. These overlapping systems, of which there are infinite, can be uncovered, observed, and learned from. When we see our surroundings differently, we begin to understand the spaces we inhabit in a different way. Then, and only then, is it possible for us to create spaces that can accommodate our systems, and the living systems we are sharing space with, in some far away dimension. 9
WATERFRONT RESEARCH FACILITY The undulating mass of the building is meant to honor the waves of the ocean, and also allow for circulation through out the building. The model started as a simple cube, which was then sheared and moved to mimic the waves of the ocean. This push and pull created new spaces. The goal of the design for the research facility on the water is to emulate the surrounding environment while providing spaces that can be used for all types of research. These undulations provide outdoor spaces at multiple elevations that can be used as space for solar power collection, wind power collection, or green roof. The model below shows the beginning mass of the building, and the layers which are then undulated to create the final form on the left. 10
Projects
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Model of proposed waterside research facility
Elevations of proposed waterfront research facility 11
HILLTOP THEATRE
The Hilltop Theatre was designed using the site analysis and movement analysis outlined earlier in this portfolio. The site analysis was done with light as the most important parameter. In any theatre, the story only comes to life once the set and the lights come into play. To ease the transition of the theatre goers from the outside, public space into the inside, private space, the lighting on the public space of the site acts as a buffer. Using the patterns that the lights create on the site, I imagined the luminescence as a spacial condition, creating â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;centersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that the theatre can organically form around. The Hilltop Theater design was based on a site specific analysis of light and movement. The resulting design, shown here, emphasizes the way the light pools and aggregates on the site, adding to the possible surfaces the light can interact with. The form was made using intersecting, directional cones, representing the directionality of light. These developable surfaces and the intersection between them create spatial opportunities.
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Projects
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URBAN SHARED HOUSING This Urban housing design proposes an apartment complex aimed at maximizing space and minimizing utility usage. The building has a cafe and restaurant that utilize the rooftop green house. Communal laundry rooms on each floor replace in unit laundry. While some units have kitchenettes, there are also communal kitchens where residents can come and entertain guests. Sharing a full kitchen may be unconventional in this setting, but can cut back on costs and utility usage, making urban living more affordable to lower income residents. The Urban town home design maximizes space and prioritizes sunlight and privacy. Each unit has a private garage, and balcony. The placement of the units on site allows residents to use the outside space while maintaining privacy.
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Projects
Model of greenwall for proposed Urban Shared Housing project
Exploded view of urban shared housing project
Exploded view of proposed urban Townhouse
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URBAN OFFICE BUILDING The Urban Regenerative Office Building is a proposed mixed use building in Providence, Rhode Island, designed by a team while attending the Rhode Island School of Design as part of the Integrated Building Systems studio. The Urban Regenerative Office Building project was designed with the relevant codes of the site jurisdiction, the Providence Zoning Ordinance Articles #9 and #11 (W2 - Waterfront Districts, ES East Side I-195 Overlay District), Rhode Island State Building Code, and the International Building Code. The site analysis for this project included researching the public transportation to and from the site, the wind paths, sun paths, climate analysis, and psychrometric charts. Solar panels cover the roof, and are designed to collect and filter rain water. The full drawing set contains the following sheet categories: Site Analysis, Proposed Floorplans, Proposed Elevations, Building Sections, Wall Sections, Brick Facade Details, Solar Panel Details, Interior Details, Structural Framing Plan,Mechanical Plans, Reflected Ceiling Plans, Electrical Plans, Plumbing Plans, Egress Pathways, Fire Safety Plan and Signage, Cost Comparison Analysis 16
Projects
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ROMANTIC FUTURES Romantic Futures is an exploration of futurism, shared housing, and environmental engagement. The proposed shared housing project is located in the downtown area of Providence, Rhode Island. Instead of occupying more ground, in an already densely developed area, this project proposes to use an existing structure as its foundation. The design process began with creating a basic unit layout that minimized the use of utilities while maximizing private space. Each occupant can enjoy the privacy of a single family home, while taking advantage of the positive aspects of communal living. The basic unit layout began as a cube. The cube was then broken into segments, creating openings to allow for circulation. The spaces towards the inside of the cube are private, and as you move outwards they become more shared and public. As these basic units overlap, the pattern creates unique opportunities for vertical circulation, movement between programs. Strictly adhering to this patterned parti also allowed for a visually structured form. The pattern was also deployed at smaller scales, informing the interior of each unit layout. 18
Projects
Site for the proposed Romantic Futures shared housing project, in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Project done as part of an advanced studio at the Rhode Island School of Design.
Floorplan sketches for the proposed shared housing project
There is only one unit design, which repeats through out the housing structure. Â In order to create an efficient circulation flow on each floor, the units were arranged in an undulating pattern, alternating entrance levels for the units. Each unit has a main entrance on the first level, into the shared, common space. Â As you move into the unit, and up, the space becomes more private. Â The units are centered around a tree, or living space, which acts as the modern day central hearth. 19
Rendered section of proposed unit layout
UNIT DESIGN The cube, once manipulated, allows for many private space tucked away out of view. Situated under the stairs in this living space, is a hammock and study area. The second level of each unit consists of two private rooms, two private bathrooms, and one shared shower. The bathrooms are organized to minimize the amount of water used. There is only one shower, however, each occupant has totally private entry, and can lock the shared door, to show that the shower is in use. The occupants are sharing utilities, while benefiting from the amenities of a private space. Each bedroom has a view outside, and also a view onto the tree the apartment unit is centered around. he proposed housing project is an imagination of what the future of T housing may look like for urban dwellers. Using existing buildings as a base, these modular units can be built up as needed. Each unit reuses the water to feed the tree, which promotes clean air and gives each occupant a sense of connection to nature, even when in an urban setting. s the structure grows in height, some units are removed from the A pattern. Vertical gardens and solar harvesting are placed in these voids, with some units being devoted to the management of these urban farming spaces. Proposed unit layouts 20
Projects
Elevation of proposed shared housing project, Romantic Futures
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UPWARDS
An exploratory narrative from the Summer of 2215 ‘Chirp chirp… chirp chirp’… I wake up gently to the sound of birds outside my urban window. I can feel a gentle breeze and the smell of fresh spring in the air. A perfect city morning to start my new job. The date August 1st, 2215, and I have just finished a training season at a local science coop, ready to begin my apprenticeship at the local oxygen lab. In the past, someone of my age might be starting college, but now those antiquated methods of formal education are rarely used, as it is no where near as advanced as what you can learn at a coop. I have chosen to study in one of the many urban arboretums. where we cultivate oxygen by caring for trees. Primitive brick and concrete structures, that were once used to keep people indoors, have been repurposed into above ground farms and tree beds. Most of the floors and interior of the structures have eroded away, and the shell is all the remains. We have installed research platforms at various levels, to ensure the tree roots stay healthy while growing. As the tree matures, the roots become stronger, and able to thrive on their own without the support of the shell. By the time the shell of the building has completely eroded away, the tree will be strong and healthy enough to survive on its own. New structures grow up instead of out, using older buildings as new foundations. The earth has been reclaimed by nature, and now we build upwards, relinquishing the ground level back to nature, occupying the space above it. Around the year 2100 and our natural resources were depleted. For years they had been on the verge, and we were warned. We knew years before it happened, and we could have changed it. But somehow, people remained in denial of science, of facts. It was easier at the time to ignore it, and say, “Why don’t we fix it tomorrow, we have bigger problems right now.” And it was true, there always seemed to be bigger problems, the ones we could see and feel in the Now. 22
FUTURE URBANISM
Future Urbanism
energy, until geothermal and modern renewable energy methods were developed making energy nearly free for everyone in 2150.
So we carried on like there was no tomorrow. Eventually, tomorrow came. Not only had we depleted our resources, we used up most of our space. Cities became gigantic, consuming the atmosphere nurturing them. So many pipes and tunnels and sewers ran beneath the city, there was no where for plants to grow. There was a heavy, thick smog that blanketed the densely, neglected space.
People were desperate for an answer. Usually, they would turn to politics, or war, but that did not help. The only way to win this battle was to learn, to study and to find a new solution. The one and only priority became education. No one was looking at test scores, people were only looking for real knowledge that would lead to solutions. From and early age, kids were encouraged to be creative, hands on and have plenty of time to play outside. Within 25 years there were countless viable, renewable energy solutions coming out of the top science coops, leaving traditional universities a thing of the past. Education became a survival skill, and we stopped keeping score.
And with this new attitude, we embraced the inherent abilities of the amazing nature surrounding us every day and found new ways to survive, and thrive. Technological advances began to improve the quality of life the environment. Building materials were able to breathe and filter the once smog-filled air. New The air was dirty and the water was toxic. People construction became so reliable, affordable and able to desperately began looking for solutions, in ways they adapt to new advances that by the year 2200, in a major never had before. The landfills were full, overflowing city, you seldom hear or see construction. into the oceans. Fish were all but extinct, depleting Mankind has always been able to endure and a major food source. The first thing that changed adapt. We started as nomads, evolving into was waste management. Recycling was taken to an farmers. We developed medicine and vaccines. We extreme level. There was no where to put the trash, developed communication to share innovations with so people just stopped producing it. It took some each other. And finally, when we were forced to time, but eventually people figured out that the easiest because of our disregard for mother nature, we had to way to produce less waste was to eat only compostevolve again and learn how to use nature and science able foods. Most people converted to a home grown, to survive. We are very careful not to repeat our past, vegetarian diet, with occasional meats. Wind and solar and the continue advancing the future, so we constantly energy became the preferred and cheapest sources of study nature and science and the arts. 23
OVERLOOKED SPACES There are many undeveloped urban spaces that have the potential to be used as a resource. The space between highway clovers, for example, is a space that is unoccupied, but not adequate for housing or commercial use. In addition, as the shared economy grows and the public becomes more environmentally conscious, less parking spaces will be needed in urban areas, creating vacant and unused parking lots and parking structures. All of these spaces can be adapted for use to offset other environmental impacts. One of the potential uses for these spaces is growing timber. In Providence, Rhode Island, if all of these potential spaces were converted into timber fields, up to 25% of the timber used annually could be grown locally, rotating which spaces are harvested on a five year cycle. Poplar is a very common wood used in timber construction. A Poplar tree grows up to 8 feet per year, and mature at 40 feet tall, or 5 years of growth. At this height, the Poplar will be about 2 feet in diameter at the time of harvesting. This will yield up to 125 cubic feet of wood, conservatively 100 cubic feet after being cut and sized. Lastly, Poplar trees need to be planted 5 feet apart from each other.
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Future Urbanism
Every year, about 43 cubic feet of timber is used for each American. Providence, Rhode Island has a population of around 180,000. Using these numbers, it can be estimated that the city of Providence uses around 77,400 Poplar trees worth of timber. Each American used about 43 cubic feet of wood a year Mapping the city of Providence, I found that the total space available in highway voids is 475,000 square feet in the downtown area. Each tree must be planted 5 feet on center, allowing for about 17,500 trees. Divided into five plots for the five year growing cycle of Poplar, this allows for 3,500 to be harvested annually. That means 3,500 less trees harvested through deforestation, and 17,500 more trees helping to offset carbon emissions in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. This replaces 2.5% of the timber used within Providence, Rhode Island by utilizing space that is already vacant. If the parking lots and parking garages are used as well as the highway voids, this number grows from 3,500 trees annually harvested to 23,500 trees harvest annually, 25% of the timber used within Providence, Rhode Island. These timber fields can also replace the noise barriers often constructed along side highways.
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REPURPOSED HIGHWAYS In the growing shared economy, it is not hard to imagine a future in which individuals do not drive cars, but use automated vehicles to ride share in urban settings. These new automated vehicles will most likely not use the current highway system, which will be left as unused space. Rather than demolishing them, they can be repurposed. These raised highways can be repurposed into urban farms, already connected to the communities they will serve. The underside of the highways can be rigged to allow for produce to be transported from one area to another. The abutments and piers of the highway structures can provide shade and support for plants that require it.
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Future Urbanism
CITY AS A RESOURCE What if, in the future, people prefer to live closer to nature, and the cities are repurposed. Old buildings and dense cities are converted into resource collectors, solar energy collection, wind collection, and water collection. Trees can be planted in old brick and concrete buildings, to be able to be studied and monitored as they grow. Once the trees are big enough to over take the building, getting water from the underground cisterns. Open spaces will be porous, and connected to these new underground cisterns, where rainwater and melted snow can be collected. This water will be used by the trees and plants growing in the repurposed buildings.
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MUNDANE SYSTEMS An excerpt of the thesis Proximity, Interaction, Evolution In order to emulate the self similar patterns of a leaf, this drawing was created directly on a wall, which is constantly penetrated and painted over. The constant use of the wall creates a randomized landscape. ach drawn line follows the path of least resistance, bending and curving around E bumps, pooling and converging in valleys, and finally terminating in holes. The resulting drawing is that of self-similar, yet not self-repeating patterns. System Components: Parameters (Landscape of the wall) Actors (Layers of paint on the wall) Reactors (Drawn lines on the wall) This same system can be deployed at any scale, and often is through out nature. Leaf veins, river beds, and bird migration patterns all follow a similar system, all with different goals, and therefore, different parameters. The difference between complex systems and fractals is that a fractal is always the same at each scale. Complex systems are self similar, but not the same. The most efficient systems operate on a feedback loop. The system begins, and carries out its tasks, and returns to the starting point. But instead of simply beginning again, as would a fractal, complex systems first learn from the previous cycle, and adapt to the new conditions in the new cycle. This is the difference between walking in a straight line to get from point A to point B, or taking the path of least resistance from point A and point B.
PROXIMITY, INTERACTION, EVOLUTION 28
Proximity, Interaction, Evolution
PROXIMITY, INTERACTION, EVOLUTION The open windows allow these spaces to converge. The speed changes the perception of distances. The mountains, just a painting in the distance, to detailed for my mind to see, are veiled in flatness. A trick my mind plays on itself, confined by millennial of evolution. Proximity, interaction, evolution. The rays of the sun fill this new space, blanketing everything in its warm glow. The sensations of touch are triggered in your mind, triggering with it a rich desire for more understanding. The curiosity builds and the systems of the magical world surrounding this space must be learned, uncovered, and protected. Proximity, interaction, evolution. The rhythmic beating of the wind through the windows harmonized with the waves of thought, creating a temporal disruption. The fourth, of infinite, dimensions bends, leaving only presence and memory within reach. The distances foreshorten, uncovering once hidden systems. A veil of flatness is lifted, and new mysteries are revealed. Proximity, interaction, evolution.
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ASCENSION An excerpt of the thesis Proximity, Interaction, Evolution Growing up in the Tennessee, climbing Magnolia trees was a huge part of my childhood. It was a feeling like no other to be safe within the system of branches, leaves, and flowers . This is a feeling I have never found in another area, but this design aims to recreate it. The plan represents the unknown possibilities of spaces that exist just beyond the one being occupied. There is no way of knowing where it will lead, except to explore it. As you move father outward into the plan, the negative spaces become larger, and the occupied spaces, more scarce. As you ascend a tree, there is always the excitement of not knowing how far up you can go. This plan emulates that feeling. 30
Proximity, Interaction, Evolution
Elevation of proposed Ascension project
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CASE STUDIES The Bayard Ewing Building is the architectural studies building on the campus of Rhode Island School of Design. This project focused on the student studios on the fourth floor. The fourth floor studio space is oriented east and west, with most of the windows on these faces. The studio is often hot, the building heating systems pump hot air into the building, which rises. The windows are often closed, trapping the hot air in the studio. Architectural students occupy the building through out the year, and the heat needs to be evenly distributed. Different passive cooling interventions were analyzed for the fourth floor studio. Wind driven cooling, night flushing, and stack effect cooling are shown in the diagram to the left. Using weather data for Providence, RI, wind driven cooling was tested by controlling which windows remained opened and closed. The final intervention proposal combines both passive and active cooling solutions
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Case Studies
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LIST ART CENTER STUDIO DESIGN The List Art Center is located in Providence, Rhode Island. Working in a team of other RISD students, an art studio was designed using weather data, sun path diagrams, and the plug in DIVA. A classroom on the second floor was chosen as the site for a new art studio. The team wanted to maximize sunlight and minimize artificial lighting as much as possible. Different proposals were tested, adding a light shelf, adding shading fins, and adding windows. In addition, artificial lighting was placed in the simulation to maximize the locations with the new passive lighting proposals. The proposed design divides the art studio into a critique / work space, and a controlled lighting studio / photo booth. The lighting studio relies totally on artificial lighting and active lighting solutions. The art studio space uses artificial lighting, as well as adjustable fabric shades as a passive lighting solution.
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Case Studies
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Still life in the spherical environment of the computer space, generated with Python code
COORDINATE DISRUPTION This research used a simple still life, a cup on a table. The still life was drawn multiple ways, using charcoal, pencil, sculpture, and a computer. To recreated the still life in the computer space, within a CAD program, the mass was represented with points in a three dimensional space. Then, the coordinate system of the three dimensional space was disrupted. Using a Python script, the individual coordinates of each point were converted from Cartesian coordinate system (an [X,Y,Z] space) to a polar coordinate system (a [U,V,W] space). The new [W] coordinate was found by taking the distance from a fixed plane and adding it to the value of the [Z] coordinate. Using this program, the environment of the still life within the computer can be changed. In this example, it was changed to a spherical environment. 36
Case Studies
Still life drawing in charcoal
Still life reduced from three to two dimensions
Still life sculpture
Still life generated with Python code in the computer space 37
Drawings that capture human motion in varying dimensions
MOVEMENT ANALYSIS An important aspect of architecture is understanding how a human will interact with your design. Moving through a building, a person will move from one threshold to another, and designing for this interaction will elevate a design to the next level. To begin this design, I tracked the legs, arms, head and torso as they passed through a threshold. Using vertical, horizontal and arched hatching, I have represented the movement over time through this threshold. My goal was to represent three dimensional movement in a two dimension drawing. These drawings are a study of movement and the human form, through multiple dimensions. The drawing to the far left uses line work to show the directionality of each movement. The second drawing to the left begins to identify the most densely used regions as the body moves through space. The second drawing from the right begins to reimagine these movements as a solid form. Finally, the drawing on the far right captures the space occupied through the body’s motion. 38
Case Studies
This drawing captures the motion of a body through a threshold in a volumetric form 39
RACHEL SYDNEE BACK Architectural Designer, Engineer, Creator