Rachel C
u
s
a
c
k
Amazon HQ2 In 2017 Amazon announced a competition to design a second United States headquarters for the company. This project was not done for the competition but went along with some of the guidelines and focused on St. Louis Missouri as the site location. The design of this project revolved around the manufacturing of Amazon’s delivery drones. However, as students we had the liberty to add other programmatic elements such as green spaces to the project.
Year Completed: 2017 Project Duration: 10 Weeks
The Concept With ever developing technology, the workspaces of the world are constantly changing. In developing a mixed use prototype for Amazon’s new Headquarters, the focus was on the lives of the occupants within the space.
In designing living working spaces that foster community interaction and integration, people will lead happier more fulfilling lives whilst becoming more productive and effective within the workplace.
The Process In order to create a building that aided in the health and interaction goals of the concept, several iterations were developed to explore the best possible ways to promote community interaction at ground level, while providing engaging spaces above. The study models shown above as well as the adjacent section feature
the development of the shape of the building, of which terraces, views toward the city, views from tower to tower, and engagement spaces were explored. Upon the final ideation, a multitude of terraces were incorporated in the design to promote interaction between the workers, the residents and the community.
Community Vertical Circulation
Community Cores
Amazon and the Community
Community Ground Connection
These diagrams illustrate the extensive measures taken to ensure that the St. Louis community has the opportunity to engage with the Amazon community. The diagrams highlight points at which the public can interact with Amazon workers and products.
Interactive Nature Center Design a space that highlights the natural surroundings as well as providing an engaging learning environment and gallery. The goal was to create a space in which the occupants feel as if they are actually experiencing nature in every sense throughout the building. Through the use of glass curtain walls, solar shade devices, and detailed structural elements this sense of being one with nature was created. Year Created: 2014 Project Duration: 6 Weeks
The Concept
Traditionally Nature Centers are geared at educating visitors on the wonders of the natural world. However, they often end up being dark and confined, ironically without the presence the natural environment that surrounds the center. For this specific reason, the sole purpose for this center was to create a space that provides exposure to the natural environment no matter the location in the structure. In doing so, it will provide a much more inclusive and well rounded experience for all who visit.
OTR Tenement Museum The Over the Rhine (OTR) Tenement Museum project was primarily a group project composed of one Architect, one Interior Designer, and two Graphic Designers. Together we worked to create a cohesive museum space highlighting the tenement housing in Cincinnati. While there were many fields working on one project, this group project was at the foremost a collaboration with all four members working together in every aspect of the project from layout to branding, to site design. Year Created: 2017 Project Duration: 5 Weeks
The Entry Sequence Before the visitors enter the museum, their emotions are heightened preparing them for the displays with which they are going to interact. The main entrance was strategically placed on a secondary road to begin the isolation that occurs within the museum. Along with the
location of the entrance, a transparent facade (shown in red) is constructed to enclose the visitors, releasing them vertically once they enter into the main lobby on the ground level of the museum.
1 2 3 4
Westcott Tea House Create a space that engages the community on multiple levels with multiple functions that is centered on spirituality and the tradition of the Japanese Tea House. This project is to be designed so that it can easily be built on the Westcott Property. Shown is the 1”=1’0” model constructed entirely of
basswood. The doors on the front and entry sides of the teahouse model are operable and slide along a channel cut into the floor and ceiling. Year Completed: 2015 Project Duration: 4 Weeks
Construction Details Shown are examples of hand drafted wall and roof details created for a Passive-Low energy design course. Also shown are computer drafted construction documents made as part of a CD studio geared toward introducing students to the creation of Construction Documents. Year Created: 2017 and 2018
Square Circle Design Studio Square Circle, a design firm based in London, UK desired a space in which their office could work and expand. However, because they were only a mid-sized firm, they needed a space in which their office could function while having leasable space available until they were big enough to take over the whole building. This project includes retail, office and restaurant design. Year Created: 2015 Project Duration: 5 Weeks
The Concept
Offices are often thought of as dark confined spaces - void of creativity, passion and spark. Through the use of green roofs, atriums, dual facades, retail and restaurant venues all within the work boundary, the preconceptions of this dark confining workspace are broken.
People are encouraged to wander and work in different environments created throughout the site.
Froebel Box Design and build a Froebel Box construction similar to that which Frank Lloyd Wright used as a child having an impact on the way in which he designed and organized spaces. Year Completed: 2015 Project Duration: 1 Week
The Next Door The Next door is an existing half way house system in Nashville, Tennessee that works to serve women newly released from prison, aiding them in the re-entry into normal working lives. Along with designing a safe educational environment with which the residents learn and grow individually and as a community, we were tasked with designing an urban environment that links the new location of The Next Door with the rest of downtown Nashville. Year Completed: 2017 Project Duration: 8 Weeks
The Concept To allow for the fostering of healing, growth and education through the implementation of luscious green spaces and the gradual integration of the surrounding community. This is accomplished through the centralized community walkway through the site, as well
as the many private and public greenspaces throughout. Alongside these characteristics, the overall composition of the site promotes interaction with individuals and nature at every point within the structure.
Master Plan With consideration to the concept of the project, a Master Plan of Nashville was developed to connect the site (blue) with the rest of the city through the continuation of the previous proposal for a greenbelt system on the rail lines north of the site. My proposal
is a continuation of this idea to connect the new site of The Next Door with the downtown through a series of interconnected greenways throughout the city.
Life Above 700 Ft:
A Proposal to Sustain Cities Amid Rapid Population Growth Over the past 100 years the world has evolved rapidly, new technologies and methodologies have emerged that have unequivocally changed the course of humanity. The purpose of this proposal is to look at these changes in relation to super-tall buildings and how the advancement of these structures has inherently altered the way people live, interact, and identify place and propose conceptual changes to super-tall buildings so that they become places suitable for the highest quality of life. More often than not, cities and governments are choosing to build structures over 700ft tall to house mass influxes of people. However, nothing is known about the impact that living that high and isolated has on the lives of people. This proposal seeks to establish an alternative to the isolated super-tall structure as a means to promote community, wellness and psychological connectivity upwards of 700ft above ground level. Year Completed: Spring 2019 Duration: 12 weeks Research, 12 weeks Conceptualization, 12 weeks Design
Midtown Manhattan This location was chosen as the primary area of interest for this project due to its large fluctuation of population during the day as well as its wide variety of zoning uses. Within this stretch of Manhattan, uses range from Theater, Commercial, Corporate, to Civic, Cultural and Housing. This variety provides the best environment suitable for an upward expansion of the city.
The Site New York City is just one of many cities set to have large population increases in the future. As a city confined to the boundaries of the island of Manhattan, it will be presented with problems on how to accommodate the large influx of people moving into cities over
the next 100 years. Due to its limited sprawl area, as well as its existing building and population density, it serves as a prime area of exploration as the issue of population and increased density start to be explored through this thesis.
Existing-Proposed Height Analysis
700 FT
Preliminary Site Analysis Commercial Industrial
Zoning
Subway Entrances
Proximity to Skyscrapers
Dumpster Diving Locations
Process Models Due to the sheer scope of the project, a multitude of process models were developed, used and explored to gain further insight into the site and project parameters. Of the process models shown, the top row of colored models were developed very early on as an exploration
of space, interaction, views and perception from high elevations. The set of 9 shown in black and white are preliminary structural and spatial explorations using a small 3D Printed site as context to the overall proposal.
Informed Site Planning
Modified Ground Lots
Impact from Vertical Cores
Massing Analysis
Nature
Housing
Vertical Cores
Mixed Use
Solar Impact Studies
January
March
June
September
Mass Proposal In looking into the ground conditions, triangulation, and usable lots many studies were conducted to see feasibility of the concept. Once an understanding was established the proposal below was made. It is a system of hexagonal forms that can be added
and subtracted based on need and functional requirements of the city. Explanations of the spaces are also shown on the right and are elaborated upon in the following boards.
Nature Hub
Standard
Interior Development
Vertical Circulation
Mass Development
Unlike the other masses that compose the elevated city, the nature mass interior is formed as a direct result from connecting elements. The large hexagonal shape stays consistent while the masses that begin to create and define space within are meant to serve as connectors to the residential and mixed-use modules that adhere to it. The intention behind this free formed interior is the notion that nature is often at the center of daily life and to promote the free, organic interaction the interior should be dictated by the surrounding environment, similarly to what you would find with nature at ground level.
Floor Plate Extension
Usable Floor Area
Mixed Use
Plan and Form Interaction Form Development
Module Formation & Plan Assembly Each module is stacked and staggered to create structural stability. Once placed in the overall plan, each module is carved out to meet the demand of required space. In carving out the space, secondary plaza’s are created at varying
levels throughout the mass. When establishing the plans, the hexagons are arranged based on size and need for space, once placed they can then be carved or extruded to create plaza space at “ground level.”
Circulation within Mass
Residential Modules Form
Modulation
Standard
Expansion Modules
Connector Modules
Circulation within Mass
Secondary Vertical Circulation As units are added to meet demand for the expanding population, means of vertical circulation are modified to reach the new modules. Smaller secondary circulation modules are added in areas of void to promote ease of access to the multiple levels of the housing area.
Modular Development Each section of the standard 6 sided hexagon totals roughly 1,000 sf and can contain one or two apartment units. Units can be added or
subtracted depending upon need and expansion requirements for the population of the city.
Expansion and Connector Modules added to meet housing demand.
Thank You
I have just recently graduated with a Masters Degree in Architecture from Miami University and am actively seeking Employment opportunities. I strive for Architecture that examines, reimagines, and improves spaces in which people inhabit and interact. Architecture is a way to promote positive change within the daily lives of people; this is what inherently drives all of my projects. I have always been intrigued with most aspects of design and have worked hard not to get bogged down in one specific aspect such as design, programming, technology or representation. I am hard working, reliable, conscientious, honest, detailed oriented person and seeking a position that allows me to develop as a designer and a creative while providing meaningful impact on the environment around me. If you wish to learn more about these projects or myself please feel free to contact me using the following information. Email:cusackrf@miamioh.edu Telephone: +1 - 513 - 907 - 3557