Rich Fridy
F21
INDEX
Fall 2021
A B C D E F G H
Summer 2021
I J
Spring 2021
Q R
176
INDEX
M N O P
S T U V W X Y Z
RICH FRIDY
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84 100
106 118 122 126 152 162 168
K L
Fall 2020
4 26 36 52 56 62 64 78
192 198 204 208 210 214 220 226
The Wren’s Nest: Refigured Story Modulator Aligning Paradigms Spatial Mechanism A Spatial Mechanism B Mechanicsville 2030 Park-n-Swim Rogers’ Fleetguard: Tectonic Analysis
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On Display Van Molyvann: Environmental Analysis
Bus Stop Corner Park Split Paths Micro/Mega Sketches On Point Cubist Landscape Musician’s House
INDEX
Concurrent Histories [Six] Sheets to the Wind Retrofuture Atlanta Primitive Blobs Quarter Mile Twist Dots and Loops Prada Tokyo: Parametric Analysis Density Deployer
The Wren’s Nest: Refigured Term
Fall 2021
Class
Advanced I Studio
Instructor
Ryan Roark
This project proposes a transformation of The Wren’s Nest, the historic home of author and journalist Joel Chandler Harris and the birthplace of the Uncle Remus stories. Presently, the organization focuses on the preservation and maintenance of Joel Chandler Harris’s house and legacy, and supplements this with its primary school literacy program and other events related to storytelling or to the history of the site. Despite ideological departure from Daughters of the Confederacy, who first conceived of this house museum as a memorial to Harris’s legacy, the current organization’s general programming is still similar to the original programming, which included a children’s library and a collection of artifacts from Harris’s life.
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This new proposal, rather, focuses on “reflective nostalgia” [coined by 20th c. historian Svetlana Boym] and aims to reimagine the heritage of the site without recreating, rationalizing, or solving its complex history and nuances. It recognizes the past as the past and affords the freedom to move forward without ideological recollection or restoration of the site’s history. By continuing to memorialize Harris and his house, the site continues to de-emphasize the spread of Pan-African and Indigenous oral storytelling that underpinned Harris’ fame in the first place. The future of The Wren’s Nest still recognizes Harris’ role in expanding awareness of African storytelling to the public, but it returns the site’s primary focus to the support of oral storytelling practices and the broadcast of these practices to a larger public audience in Atlanta and beyond.
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T H E W R EN ’S N EST P O ST CA R D CA . 1 9 7 0S
THE WREN’S NEST: REFIGURED
UNFO L D ED ST R EET EL EVAT IO N N/ S S I DE S OF R A L P H DAV ID A B ER N AT H Y B LV D SW B E T WE E N P EEP L ES ST. SW A N D L AW TO N ST. SW
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“The Wren’s Nest: Refigured” repositions the focus of the site from the historic house to a large amphitheater in the grassy area to the south. The proposal hosts a grant program for young minority storytellers and a classroom space to teach local students and inspire and empower them to participate in oral storytelling. The house and the brick buildings at the northwest corner of the site are connected to the amphitheater via a series of enclosed and semi-enclosed terraces, which follow the terrain of the site and create exhibition spaces that visitors can weave in and out of as they circulate the site. These exhibition spaces serve as framing devices for the history of storytelling in the South, the diaspora of oral stories through the slave trade and the displacement of indigenous populations, and the prominent storytellers of today.
THE WREN’S NEST: REFIGURED
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THE WREN’S NEST: REFIGURED
Along the various pathways that terrace upward to the back of the site are glass enclosures that serve as museum rooms, telling the history of oral storytelling traditions and tracing their diaspora and new alignments and developments in the United States. The moire elements become dark reflection spaces, lighted only by chimney-like skylights above. These spaces are listening rooms, where oral story recordings from the past and new recordings from the amphiteater play on repeat.
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THE WREN’S NEST: REFIGURED
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THE WREN’S NEST: REFIGURED
The amphiteater at the back of the site contains a storytelling repository. This portal connects to an archive space. Also surrounding the amphiteater is additional museum and reflection spaces, public restrooms, and a classroom space to serve local schoolchildren.
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THE WREN’S NEST: REFIGURED
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PROJECT NAME
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THE WREN’S NEST: REFIGURED
The proposal abandons efforts to conceptually rebuild Harris’ home, which was “lost” to the Daughters of the confederacy after Harris’s death. Instead, it dwells on the nuances of the process of remembrance, challenging visitors to accept the unresolved history of the site and its engagement with the West End.
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THE WREN’S NEST: REFIGURED
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Story Modulator
Term
Fall 2021
Class
Advanced I Studio
Instructor
Ryan Roark
The modulator exercise required students to use 40 sheets of corrugated cardboard to produce a cube that explores new ways to manipulating light and space. For the project, I produced two inverse twins, made of identical parts, that look inward and outward. The project aims to clarify inward vs. outward relationships of form, and produces spatial ideas that inform later explorations in the Wren’s Nest studio of storytelling spaces, dissemination of information, overlapping of repeating fields, nesting of spheres and circles within cubes and rectangles, and the puncture and release of spaces.
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INWARD CUBE
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STORY MODULATOR
INWARD CUBE
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STORY MODULATOR
OUTWARD CUBE
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STORY MODULATOR
Aligning Paradigms
INTERVIEW HOSTED OVER ZOOM, WITH RICH FRIDY LOCATED IN HIS APARTMENT IN ATLANTA, GA, AND SHANE DOYLE IN HIS HOME IN BOZEMAN, MT. PHOTOS BY RICH FRIDY, DOCUMENTING STRUCTURES ALONG U.S. 93 ON THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION IN NORTHWEST MONTANA. GRADIENT ON THIS PAGE DEPICTS ABSTRACTED COLORS OF THE SUNSET OVER THE FLATHEAD LAKE ON JAN 21, 2019 AT 5:23 PM INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED AND CONDENSED FOR CLARITY.
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An interview with indigenous cultural expert and Apsáalooke Nation member Dr. Shane Doyle—a scientist, musician, filmmaker, and storyteller— on perceptions of home, architecture, and public art in Crow Agency, Montana.
Term
Fall 2021
Class
Advanced I Studio
Instructor
Ryan Roark
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RICH FRIDY
SHANE DOYLE
Thanks so much for agreeing to have this conversation with me, Shane. It means so much.
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Yeah man. Thanks for reaching out. Good project you got going. —— I thought I’d give you some background about what it was like growing up in Crow Agency, and what it’s like there now. Of course, I don’t live there anymore. I haven’t lived there for…. Well… it’ll be 18 years now. You know, I grew up with a singleparent mother, and she was not a high school graduate. And so the jobs she had were pretty low paying. And there were no places, as far as I know— even to this day there are no places on the reservation that you can rent. You cannot rent an apartment or a place on the Crow Indian Reservation. It’s very difficult to find that. If you happen to find that it’s probably one person that owns a house and they’re looking for someone to occupy it for awhile… but typically you don’t see rentals come open and stuff like that.
ALIGNING PARADIGMS
So, we ended up living a lot, off-and-on in Hardin and Billings because there was no housing available in Crow. And then later on, I guess I was about in the first grade, about six or seven years old, we moved to Crow, because my mom took a job with the hospital there. So the hospital had housing for the employees. And they were nice. I mean they were nice compared to the rest of the houses on the reservation. They were kept up, and they were a lot better than what I had been in. And so, we kind of stayed there most of my time growing up. Although we did live in a few other places, but my experience living in Crow Agency and the housings that most of my family lived in… um… was that these are all HUD houses that were designed, you know, by someone probably back East, and they were not meant for the kind of Montana winters… you know when I was growing up it was pretty cold. It still gets cold now, but just the wear and tear that the winter can put on a house, and the different things that you want to have in a house to winterize it, and the porches and whatnot, we don’t see that in the HUD houses. And they’re typically… the materials that are used are low quality, cheaper… they’re usually prefab, and they’re just meant to throw up real quick to provide basic shelter for Native people. I think they represent probably 95%, I would say, of the houses on the reservation. Very few… I would say you know maybe 5% are homes people just built because they had money and they had a vision for their own home. I spent a lot of time in houses that were very old as well. For awhile when my mom didn’t work for the hospital, we had to move out and we lived in an old house that was built in 1910, and it was not insulated. There was a shower in there, it was a steel shower with little steel doors, and in the winter they’re really cold. I remember the bathroom was so cold, and it would be steamy. You know, a lot of my memories are from the winter, and being real cold in those houses that weren’t well designed, and weren’t functional for that kind of climate. And then in the summer they would be real hot and we were just suffering from the heat. My grandmother had an air conditioner, but we didn’t have one in my house. In Crow Agency it gets a lot hotter than it does in Bozeman. It gets 100 no problem in the summer. So it was either hot or cold, it felt like, and pretty much every house I lived in had been lived in by many people before. It had a big history, and there was always little things wrong…
S.D.
Anyways, flash forward to today, you know, to finish the thought there, I lived in family housing on MSU campus for 12 years. I got my masters degree, my doctorate, I raised my family there… and my wife as well going to school, and so… We lived in a cramped little apartment… I think it was two or maybe three small bedrooms. And there was 5 of us. And then my wife had twins, so we exceeded maximum capacity and they kicked us out, basically they told us “sorry you guys have to leave” and it was like whoaaaa where are we gonna go, and my wife went on Craigslist and found this house that I’m in now, and this was seven years ago, and I remember we pulled up to this house and I walked in the door, and as soon as I walked in I just thought “I like this house a lot”. I mean, it’s like everything in here feels new… I mean by then I think it was only three years old. And that’s why I got a doctorate degree, that’s why I went to college, is because I wanted to live in a nice house. Something that wasn’t cold, with frost on the windows in the winter, and all those other issues. And it had a real tall ceiling. And I really liked that, you know. I was like “this is good. I wanna live in a place that feels airy. Open.” And it had windows all around… biiiiig windows, ya know? And I thought “this is the house for me”. It just has all those things that I want. And so we’ve been able to stay here so far… and I mean hopefully we’ll be able to buy it… I think we probably will. Although the price has gone up so much since we moved in. It’s incredible… If you look at the housing prices here I think they’re probably the highest in the state. So like every house around here is over half a mil. My mom… I mean she couldn’t imagine me ever affording a house like that. I think she does on one hand, but on the other hand that’s just a really big number for her. But for me, I don’t really care how much it costs. I’ll find the money. All I want is to have a high-quality house, and it’s right across the street from the school, so my kids walk to school… you couldn’t find a better place to live, and now we have so many memories here, and we’d never leave.
You know, I wish everyone could have that kind of experience. Living in a house they always wanted to live in. Even if it wasn’t a mansion, you know? If it was nice enough. You know, Native people have very big extended families, we always have visitors. And before the pandemic, when we have holidays here, and different get togethers, there was plenty of room. Especially in the summer, there’s area outside, a patio, and then inside, the living room is so big you can have two different groups sitting in there in their own little area. So you can literally have three groups of people here in the summer. We’ve just really enjoyed having that space. Being able to host events like that. Having a nice kitchen, being able to cook and barbecue and all that. You know, I’m not really the biggest fan of this neighborhood… it kind of pains me to have to live in this neighborhood in a lot of ways… you know it’s pretty conservative, and I don’t really culturally-speaking probably fit in with my neighbors very well. I mean there are cool people here, but my kids at school, they all talk about how their classmates are Trump supporters and this and that… I don’t ever say anything cuz I don’t wanna bring any baggage into their little lives. I just let it go. But it makes me aware of the people I’m living around. And I know well enough, you know, because I grew up here in Montana, it’s not like I’m ignorant, and culture is one of the things I’ve always thought about. But overall, I’m really happy.
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“... these are all HUD houses that were designed, you know, by someone probably back East, and they were not meant for the kind of Montana winters… you know when I was growing up it was pretty cold.”
ALIGNING PARADIGMS
“You know, I wish everyone could have that kind of experience. Living in a house they always wanted to live in. Even if it wasn’t a mansion, you know? If it was nice enough.”
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S.D.
You know, I think Native people… you look at the kinds of lives they live on the reservations, a lot of them, they’re so closely linked to their extended families, there’s constant large group of people at homes… and the little HUD houses have never been able to handle them. They get battered, they don’t have the kind of support they need. And I think if people had nice houses they would take care of them. I know my friends and my family… there are some people that wouldn’t, but a majority of people would feel proud and thankful to have a nice house to live in, and would take care of it.
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R.F.
What do you think, like for your mother, what would be a big value in a house for her, beyond that it’s warm in the winter and air conditioned, what would she be excited about? Is it the gathering space?
S.D.
One of the other things we’ve talked about is having little compounds. Like we could put a tiny cottage out back here for my mom. Now that she’s retired, and she could be close here, and we could do laundry for each other or whatever. And around this neighborhood I’ve seen this setup before. There’s about a half-a-dozen little setups like that. It almost looks like a little cottage where they might go to write. And so I’ve thought about that… we’ve never taken it all that seriously to get it going in the near future, but it is somethings I would definitely consider if I had the resources and was able to do it.
R.F.
So many visitors come to Montana and drive through the reservation… all of the reservations… and maybe see just a few seconds of the reservation, or the town in the reservation, and have negative thoughts, or certain connotations about it…. What do you think people miss when they drive through the reservation? What do you want people to know about the reservation? And how could we learn that by driving through it?
ALIGNING PARADIGMS
Yeah I do think so, because family is like the most important thing in Native peoples lives. And when I was growing up we did spend a lot of time at my grandmother’s house. My mother had nine brothers and sisters, and I have…. God I think 55 first cousins. And so we would frequently meet at my grandmother’s house. At Thanksgiving, during the summer… there was constantly people in and out of that house every day. If it wasn’t one of her grandchildren, it was one of her kids, or friends, or other relatives as well. It’s a constant part of our lives that we hold to be really important to us. I feel like if you had a house that could accommodate that… I think she would really… well now you know things are really different for her. She’s older now, retired, my dad died. And so it’s just her. And so I’m not sure she would feel real comfortable in a big house now, and in fact she moved to a small place in Hardin, because my sister and her husband and their three kids were living in the house with her. And my mom wanted to give them their own space. And just some other issues when my dad died came up, and she just moved off by herself. I don’t think it’s ideal for her, but… I would have to have a conversation with her to get a sense of what she would most like.
S.D.
That’s a great comment. Especially our reservation, Interstate 90 goes right through it. I think we are the only reservation that has interstate going right through it. It literally divides my hometown in half. And one of my friends was killed crossing that interstate one night. He was drunk and hit by a semi. And after that they put lights up along there, because there’s an exit there. I’ve had relatives hit by the train, killed by the train. It goes parallel to the interstate there. I could go on and on about the dangers that that high speed travel imposes on that community. It’s really bad. I think people drive through and they immediately see poverty. And so, well, then your mind takes you to “why are they so lazy” because when you see poverty, you immediately think lazy. And I think that they don’t see people. They see these run down houses and stuff like that. But what they don’t realize is that there are wonderful, loving, smart, good people in that community. And they’re not lazy. There’s a lot of trauma that the community has inherited and it’s trying to recover from, and you see that manifested in a lot of ways. And there’s no denying that. But a great deal of the trauma comes from the colonial experience that their ancestors had to endure. And it’s pretty crushing. And when you’re left in a situation where you don’t see much way out… for example, someone like me…. Well there’s other folks like me in my generation, and there always has been, that go back, but typically they get jobs with the tribal government, with the public school system, with the hospital, some of the more critical service industries. My cousin who’s closest to me, who I grew up with and is like a brother to me, he works for the project telephone down there. That’s an important utility. And his wife works for the post office. These are basic services that most people have to find a position in. So someone like me, I would not do well in that environment, because I’m a cultural consultant, I design curriculum, I’m a performing artist, a scientific researcher… none of these things really exist too much down there like they do here in Bozeman. And partially, my career has been able to come around what’s available to me. But I think… I guess the point of all that is that, you drive through these reservation communities that are impoverished, and suffering from trauma, and a lot of times you want to place the blame on someone. Because you say “this isn’t right, something’s wrong here, who do we blame.” And it’s that whole blame game. And I think rather than saying that, obviously what we’re seeing here is the result of a couple hundred years of colonial forces unraveling and disintegrating traditional communities that are struggling to regain their economic independence, their social vitality, their cultural resilience. You think about the human condition, it’s a delicate condition, believe it or not. I think we’re witnessing that in our country right now. And a lot of times we just assume that everyone’s gonna get it right, you know. That they’re gonna figure out which way is up and which way is down. And my experience has been that, unless you have mentors come in there and show you, either lovingly or in some way that really impacts you… strikes a chord deep inside you… the odds that you’re not gonna become cynical or want to just throw your hands in the air and do that whole thing are gonna be pretty hard to overcome. And I think that’s the other thing about native communities, and not to go on too much about this, but there’s a lot of things going on at the same time. A lot of them good, and a lot of them bad. Being able to identify what the good things are and what the bad things are, you can’t do that by just driving through.
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ALIGNING PARADIGMS
“They see these run down houses and stuff like that. But what they don’t realize is that there are wonderful, loving, smart, good people in that community. And they’re not lazy. There’s a lot of trauma that the community has inherited and it’s trying to recover from, and you see that manifested in a lot of ways...”
S.D.
And even living there for awhile, it would take some time to really tune into the patterns and cycles that are continuing to plague the health, the wellbeing, the perspective of the community. And so, uh, I’m not sure how you would communicate those kinds of messages to people as they drove through, but it could be simple things like, up at Polson, people talk about it all the time, on the Flathead Reservation you see the signs with the place names in the Salish language. And just that little thing in and of itself says a lot. It changes your perception of where you’re at. And it helps you understand that these folks care, and they’re knowledgeable about their ancestors, and they still have that knowledge, and they’re proud… You don’t have to explain much at all. You just have to show, you have to demonstrate that there’s some health and well-being that’s being manifested through the physical culture there, whether it be through signage, art, sculpture… we have some of that in Crow. There’s some cool stuff, if you’re driving through you can see veteran’s park, we have a bronze statue there with a man on a horse, rearing up. We have some signs that are kinda Christian-based really… there’s a big neon sign that says “Jesus Is Lord” on the Crow Indian Reservation… I don’t know if you’ve ever seen that… and maybe not everyone is on board with that, but I think it’s cool. Even folks that don’t necessarily subscribe to Christianity, they aren’t gonna complain about that. Cuz they just feel like, as native people we have always believed in prayer. No matter what kind of name you give God, there’s only one god and we all share that spirit, or whatever, so…. There’s a lot of cool things you can do, I think.
R.F.
So do you think public art/sculpture is a good way to convey or produce a shared dignity within the community? Is it effective at that?
S.D.
RICH FRIDY
There’s nothing greater! I’ve been around the world a little bit, and I can tell ya, public art sets the tone. It makes people proud of who they are, typically you have art that’s done by locals that reflects… this is OUR person here that did this art. You see that in Crow, we have murals under the overpass there, and then a huge mural was just done by one of our best artists named Ben Pease, pretty well known. And he just did a huge mural on the side of the old laundromat in Crow. And it’s just fabulous. And so we’re having more murals, I see that coming about, but it would be nice to see some sculptures, or some bronze, or some things in town. Or maybe some functional things, you know. Up on MSU campus you see a lot of real cool, conceptual art that doesn’t necessarily represent or symbolize anything but it just looks good, and it moves and stuff. And I kind of like that idea. You see it all over Bozeman, not just on campus, but the public library has a little sculpture garden as well, and a lot of them move when the wind blows… I think it would be nice, it would be good for the kids. You always have to think of the children, viewing the community from their perspective. What’s gonna make them feel uplifted and hopeful. Those are the kinds of things we should focus on.
PORTFOLIO F21
R.F.
S.D.
47
Absolutely. It’s inspirational. We have a lot of great Crow artists, but we need more, and there’s a lot of potential out there that’s being unmet. It’s incredible what a difference that kind of art, and the signage on the Flathead Reservation makes. You go from being invisible to being visible. And once that seed is planted, it never goes away. It’s always in the back of your mind, because you realize life goes on, and the world changes and whatnot, but there’s always that reality, that deeper one, that all of us want to have some kind of connection to, that’s there as soon as you put that sign up.
R.F.
That’s a beautiful way to put it.
One final question… on one end of the spectrum, a house can be very utilitarian, like you use it for this and that, and then on the other end of the spectrum it can be something that’s a showpiece, or can communicate something to your neighbors, or to outsiders. Where do the houses on the Crow or on the Flathead Reservations fit in that spectrum? Do people want them to be showpieces? Is that a high value?
First of all, I would say, as you mentioned, the Crow and the Flathead are kind of diametrically opposite cultural spaces, the Flathead has a lot more white people, infrastructure, money, development. And Crow doesn’t have hardly any of that. So… I’m not really familiar with the demographic statistics at the Flathead, but I’ll tell ya the closer you get to the Flathead Lake, the more white it gets. When you come up from Missoula, you first hit Arlee, and it’s all Indian, and it gets more and more white the closer you get to the Lake. Actually St. Ignatius is pretty Indian as well… But you know it’s such beautiful country and the Lake is such prized property. And so, there’s a lot of dynamics that make it different… But I think for native people, I don’t think, from my experience, that I ever got the sense that they wanted to show off with their houses… in Crow, where I came from, everyone always wanted to show off with their car. So people would be poor, but they would kind of try to find the nicest car they could afford, because they wanted to show that they at least had a real nice car to drive. And I think probably on some level it would transfer to the homes as well. But, like I said, just having a house down there is a big deal. The housing right now is SO bad. All the houses are pretty run down and old. And their three-bedroom homes down there… it’s pretty common to have 10-15 people living in a three-bedroom home down there. Multiple generations. And that’s part of the reason why COVID was so devastating as well, for us. We cannot socially distance because were too crowded in these little houses.
ALIGNING PARADIGMS
S.D.
It’s interesting to think about how something like that could introduce children into the idea of thinking conceptually about life and culture, something that could, as you said, lead to graduate education, or something beyond the day-to-day that can be so cumbersome on the reservation.
S.D.
I mean it was really bad… there were 65 Crow Indians that died of COVID-19. I mean, it was really devastating. Absolutely devastating. We’re still in the midst of struggling through it. Although the vaccine has arrived now and people are finally getting on the shots. And so, the light’s almost at the end of the tunnel here… But… I think the functionality and the space would be what native people would like… but I can tell you, that Crow Indians, and actually most of the native people I know, their culture really values aesthetic. They put a strong value on aesthetic. They wanted something that looks good. In the tipis that they lived in, they always looked good. And you look at the photos of these people, they got themselves ready, they fixed their hair, they got nice clothes…. Some of the clothes they wore in the 1850s, you could put them on today and walk through Manhattan and people will still be in awe at the designs and the striking beauty and the colors… So these are worldclass artists, and they saw themselves as artists, and I think they saw life very much as an art. So it would be hard to say that they wouldn’t want a beautiful house. I just don’t think that they’ve had enough agency, power, money, whatever to afford those kinds of houses. But I think, you know, some day in the future I hope that would happen. I think you see that a little bit more up at the Flathead. There are people in Crow that do get good jobs, save up their money, and have nice houses. One of them is my aunt. She was a teacher, a school counselor for… gosh over 30, maybe 40 years. And when she retired, she looked all over for a house, and she wanted to live in a nice house. That was her thing, you know. So she looked all over, and she found a log home in Canada. And so the company that built the home, they came down and brought all the logs, and built the home on her site. And it was a really awesome deal. It was a 2-story wood home, and it has great big logs, like a log cabin type look. It’s really classy. Up on the top on the second story there’s a little balcony she can go out on in the summer time. All of us were so happy for her. She lives alone, she’s not married, she only had one son, so she didn’t need a lot of space. But she has grandkids, and of course a big extended family, and we go over time to time and do things at her house. But that’s one example of someone who was able to, you know, had enough wherewithal to break out of that HUD housing system. And it really benefitted all of us, and inspired us, and that’s a good success story.
R.F.
S.D.
RICH FRIDY
I really do appreciate the time you’ve spent on this, Shane, and I hope we can speak again soon. And, I’d love to visit Montana again. I didn’t realize how much it would actually hurt me to be away after two years of living there… haha I’ve never experienced anything like that feeling, but I’m hoping to be back soon.
Well, I’ll tell ya, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. And I think we’re kindred spirits… you know when I was 18, I hadn’t ever really left Montana for any extended period, when I was 18 I went and spent the summer in Virginia with some family. And when I came back that fall, I flew and my uncle picked me up at the airport, and I remember we were driving to Crow and we came through Billings and we came up on that high hill. And I just had an emotional… I can’t really explain it. But I can still remember that feeling and that.. what I was looking at… it was such a sight for sore eyes. Like “Oh my God this is where I belong. I’m so happy to be from this place and proud to be a Crow Indian”… all those great feelings. Come back, man! You’re welcome here, this is your home.
PORTFOLIO F21
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“... You go from being invisible to being visible. And once that seed is planted, it never goes away. It’s always in the back of your mind, because you realize life goes on, and the world changes and whatnot, but there’s always that reality, that deeper one, that all of us want to have some kind of connection to, that’s there as soon as you put that sign [written in native language] up.”
ALIGNING PARADIGMS
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ALIGNING PARADIGMS
Spatial Mechanism
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A Term
Fall 2021
Class
Media + Modeling III
Instructor
Keith Kaseman
Spatial Mechanism A is formed from a series of interconnected parameters within a cube, with multiple states controlled by a single slider. The mechanism is made of numerous circular platforms that increase in number as they increase in height. The platforms are tensioned to the outside boundaries of the cube. As the platforms reach beyond the extents of the cube, they switch to a tensile error state, triggering new graphic standards, filleted eges, and a framework that connects them to the closest vertical axis of the cube.
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SEED 001_FRAME141
SPATIAL MECHANISM A
SEED 001_FRAME22 5
SEED 001_FRAME290
Spatial Mechanism
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B Term
Fall 2021
Class
Media + Modeling III
Instructor
Keith Kaseman with Sahithi Datla, Cara Marchesani, and Shaun Enwright
Spatial Mechanism B uses the Hinman Courtyard as a base framework and produces a network of parameters that are manipulated by a human’s path through the space, triggered through Fologram’s interface between Grasshopper and iPhone beacons. Through multiple parametric states, the human figure triggers floating platforms connected to the light posts or billowing surfaces in the sky. Curve clouds mark the path of the user and are triggered by iPhone taps.
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SPATIAL MECHANISM B
STAT E A
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STAT E B
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STAT E A
STAT E B
Mechanicsville 2030
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63
Term
Summer/Fall 2021
Topic
Research + Exhibition Design
Curator
Ryan Roark
Curated by Georgia Tech Ventulett NEXT Fellow Ryan Roark, the exhibition features a visual history of Mechanicsville and a series of proposals for both renovation and new construction along Whitehall Street, a twoblock stretch adjacent to South Downtown Atlanta and straddling the neighborhoods of Castleberry Hill and Mechanicsville. Bounded by railroad tracks to the north and I-20 to the south, the area is currently comprised of many empty lots and a variety of formerly industrial buildings—some disused, some partially used, and some functioning as residential lofts and warehouses. Whitehall’s development has been speculated for decades but has not yet begun. The project examines the role of history in architecture and blurs the lines between renovation and “ground-up” construction: even what appears to be an empty site has history, often still evidenced in foundations, material fragments, or even the soil. Reuse, especially in formerly industrial districts, all too often goes hand in hand with replacement of culture and displacement of residents; mitigating this relationship is not simple but was central to the development of the proposals in Mechanicsville 2030, which began with an in-depth study of the neighborhood and interviews with residents. I assisted Roark throughout Summer 2021 in editing drawings and renderings, fabricating models, designing exhibition spaces, and installing the exhibition.
Park -n- Swim
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Proposing a public pool as critical infrastructure in Mechanicsville, Atlanta.
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Term
Summer/Fall 2021
Class
Independent Design Project for Mechanicsville 2030 Exhibition
Faculty Adviser, Curator, Design Collaborator
Ryan Roark
The history of Atlanta and the present state of Mechanicsville is inextricably linked to the rise of the automobile and the interstate. Although Whitehall Street will likely never be totally void of cars, the proposals design for a future where cars are a less prominent element of daily life. In place of surface parking lots across all sites, parking for Whitehall Street has been isolated to a new six-level garage to the south of the road on a site that was previously empty besides a small two-bay auto garage. The new parking structure, which occupies the east half of the site, is designed with flat floor plates, allowing part or all of the building to be converted to other use types over time as car use decreases and other transportation infrastructures fill the gap. The facades of the parking garage that face the street and the pool feature two-level translucent boxes suspended over the sidewalk on a metal structure, featuring local art and the plaster busts and statuary recovered from the House Parts building across the street.
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PARK -N- SWIM
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PARK -N- SWIM
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On the west half of the site—shaded by a monolithic concrete deck that echoes the interstate infrastructure surrounding the neighborhood—is a new public pool. Columns from the structure above provide seating areas and jumping platforms within the pool. The locker rooms and cafe use a simple material palette of brick gabion, metal louvres, and wood to produce a complexly layered screen between the street and the pool. A shallow channel of water connecting to the pool and its filtration garden passes through the locker room, separating restrooms and shower areas.
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PARK -N- SWIM
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PARK -N- SWIM Park-n-Swim overlays two very different public infrastructures—one overutilized (parking) and the other underutilized (public swimming) in the city of Atlanta—and designs for a future where cars are a less-prominent part of the urban landscape.
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PARK -N- SWIM
Rogers’ Fleetguard: Tectonic Analysis Term
Fall 2021
Class
Advanced I Studio
Instructor
Ryan Roark
This precedent study, completed for the Fall 2021 studio, explores Richard Rogers’ Fleeguard manufacturing building in Quimper, France. Through a study of the highly-modular light frame steel building, the exercise encouraged consideration of a design process based on connection details and tectonics.
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On Display Term
Summer 2021
Class
Core III Studio
Instructor
Daniel Baerlecken
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On Display proposes a new building floated above the Beltline/Ponce interchange in Atlanta that turns public infrastructure into public spectacle. The building is accessed from the street and from the beltline, and from Ponce City Market. Alongside aquaponics, apiary, urban farm, water treatment facilities, visitors are drawn by a rock climbing wall, dive tanks, and a rooftop butterfly garden. The project rejcts the separation of public facing and public shying elements of the urban fabric, aiming to instead propose urban solutions that feature both as a visual and operational amenity to the city.
A
B
D C
E
F
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A monster drawing, made up of dozens of elements from various building precedents from globally-recognized architects, including MVRDV and Zaha Hadid.
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ON DISPLAY
A
B
C
D
E
F
SIZE 1 QUA NT IT Y 2 VERSION A
SIZE 1 QUA NT IT Y 3 VERSION A
SIZE 1 QUA NT IT Y 3 VERSION B
SIZE 1 QUA NT IT Y 4 VERSION A
SIZE 1 QUA NT IT Y 4 VERSION B
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SIZE 1 QUA NT IT Y 5 VE RSION A
SIZE 2 QUA NT IT Y 1 VE RSION A
SIZE 2 QUA NT IT Y 2 VE RSION A
SIZE 2 QUA NT IT Y 2 VE RSION B
The form of the building was developed through a single truncated triangular prism shape that fastens to itself in infinite variations.
AS S EM BLAGE A
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ASSE MBLAGE B
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AS S EM BLAGE C
The resulting assemblages show the single module, at two scales and with various velcro conditions affixed to random faces, gathered into forms that cantilever and elevate from the ground.
ASSE MBLAGE D
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ON DISPLAY
The building contrasts the historic character of surrounding buildings and Ponce City Market. The seemingly-random but tectonically sytematic assemblage of shapes produces a visual language that echoes the the seemingly disparate but closely connected program inside.
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ON DISPLAY
C LI M B IN G TOW ER OV ER LO O KS ROOF TO P A P IA RY + B IR D H A B ITAT
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ON DISPLAY
DI V I NG TOWE R R EFR ACTS L IG H T IN TO A N D FERT IL IZ ES AQUA PONI C P L A N TS IN M A R K ET S PACE B ELOW
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ON DISPLAY
V I E W AT T H E TOP OF T H E C I R CU L AT IO N FR O M T H E B ELT L IN E A N D P O N CE CIT Y MA RKE T I NTO T H E M A IN H Y D R O P O N ICS A N D M A R K ET S PACE
Vann Molyvann: Environmental Analysis
Term
Summer 2021
Class
Environmental Systems I
Instructor
Mohamed Aly Etman
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In the brief time between its independence from France and the Khmer Rouge genocide, Cambodia experienced a period of peace, globalism, and artistic achievement that is still celebrated today as a golden age in the country’s history. Much of the architectural legacy of this period is seen in the work of Vann Molyvann, a student of Le Corbusier and the national architect during this time. Molyvann’s work is very formally expressive relative to the works of other architects at the intersection of modernism and critical regionalism. His buildings creatively referenced the tectonics and forms of vernacular typologies as a way to approach occupant comfort and to honor cultural heritage. His buildings provide a catalog of unique methods to approach hot/ humid climates.
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A Metal fins on the north and south faces of the lecture halls provide the primary source of ventilation and light. The fins are oriented in the same direction (SW-NE) and facilitate maximum ventilation from the prevailing winds in these directions. They also provide significant indirect north light to the majority of the classroom space during school hours, and avoid direct south light until the late afternoon, after classes have been dismissed. Had these louvers been oriented the opposite direction, students would experience direct sunlight from the south during the majority of the day.
B Hexagonal concrete extrusions provide a ventilated air barrier between the hot, primarily-overhead sun and the occupied space. These hollow tubes channel the N/S breezes at the site. C The building uses thermal mass principles in intriguing ways. The brick walls on the west face of the building are affixed to meter-thick air cavities at the rear of the classroom. These cavities (like with the roof structure) isolate the interior space from the place where direct solar exposure takes place (top layer of roof, brick layer).
0
The building analysis in Climate Studio indicates that the spaces perform extremely well with regard to annual sunlight exposure, spatial daylight autonomy, and illuminance. The range for the average lux diagram (above right) had to be adjusted to 0 - 5,000 lux, and the readings
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5000
demonstrate that the space is bathed in light throughout the day at levels similar to the artifical lighting levels of a car manufacturing assembly line, for example.
103 August
December
VAN MOLYVANN: ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
B
C A
5.24 1.82 1.96 2.73
NNW
N
6.11 1.95
NNE
3.25 1.7
m/s
6.45 1.67
NW
NE
3.18 1.74
4.54 1.62
WNW
ENE
13.69 11.98
4.73 1.54
W
E
5.14 1.61
WSW
ESE1.73 4.42
SW
SE
5.02 1.62
5.7 1.76
SSW
S
SSE
3.42
5.33 1.78
6 PM
33.16
93.50 6 PM
87.00 80.50
30.84 28.52
12 PM
26.20
74.00
12 PM
67.50 61.00
23.88 21.56
6 AM
54.50
6 AM
48.00
19.24
1.71
0.00 6.46 1.7 Wind-Rose Kompong Cham_KC_KHM 1 JAN 1:00 - 31 DEC 24:00 Hourly Data: Wind Speed (m/s) Calm for 22.43% of the time = 1965 hours. Each closed polyline shows frequency of 0.6%. = 56 hours. 4.67 1.66
100.00
35.48
6.84 5.13
%
12 AM
37.80
10.27 8.56
4.6 1.7
C
12 AM
15.40
41.50
16.92 12 AM
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Dry Bulb Temperature (C) - Hourly Kompong Cham_KC_KHM 1 JAN 1:00 - 31 DEC 24:00
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
14.60
12 AM
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Relative Humidity (%) - Hourly Kompong Cham_KC_KHM 1 JAN 1:00 - 31 DEC 24:00
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
35.00
Concurrent Histories
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PORTFOLIO F21
105 Term
Spring 2021
Class
Representing Renovation Seminar
Instructor
Ryan Roark
Collaborators
Daniel Castro + Ian Morey
Concurrent histories is an experimental representation project that explores new ways of conveying layered palimpsests of history in a primary renovation project— Thomas Heatherwick’s Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross London. The project uses interactive models and projections to reveal now-hidden histories and to convey the layered history of all architectural sites that often differs from public record of history
Regent’s Canal
Google London
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King’s Cross Station
St. Pancras Station
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Coal Drops Yard
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Coal Drops Yard Heatherwick studio
Interactive presentation shows a sampling of historical artifacts from four different categories of history: Contrived, organic, invisible, and collected.
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CONCURRENT HISTORIES
→
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↓
111 →
→
↓
→
→
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113 →
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CONCURRENT HISTORIES
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CONCURRENT HISTORIES
[Six] Sheets to the Wind
Term
Spring 2021
Class
Representing Renovation Seminar
Instructor
Ryan Roark
Proposed as an alternative experimental representational strategy to the previous project, Six Sheets to the Wind plays with the advertisement tool the “Six Sheet”, seen in King’s Cross Station and many other train stations, malls, and streets. The Six Sheet features an infinite unfolded panoramic elevation from the interior of Coal Drops Yard, which features collaged elements from various parts of the building’s past. The implication is that this collage process can continue infinitely, producing an infinitely-scrolling 6-sheet of layered historical representation.
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In addition to the six-sheet, the project team proposed a device that positions a drawdel (model+drawing) in front of the six-sheet. This layers a material aspect to the proposal, and produces an alignment tool for an iPad that floats additional information in mixed-reality onto the photo collage of the six-sheet.
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Retrofuture Atlanta Term
Spring 2021
Class
Core II Studio
Instructor
Keith Kaseman
S OUT H AT L A N TA , B E FORE A N D A FT ER T H E I NTER STAT E. [TO P : 1 9 49 ; B OT TO M : 2 01 9]
These collages capture a contemporaneous emotional reaction to the events that occurred in 2020 and 2021— racially-motivated murder, insurrection, contagion. Through real layered imagery from Atlanta and beyond, from the past and present, the collages show the chaos and destruction that one would expect to find in a dystopian sci-fi movie. The primary event depicted in the collages is the 1997 demolition of the TVS-designed Omni Coliseum, on the site of the present day State Farm Arena. Within 15- years of its 1972 construction, the Atlanta humidity had nearly destroyed the Coliseum’s weathered steel exterior, leaving gaping holes in the walls that fans could enter to avoid paying for tickets.
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The facing collage shows footage and quotes from the news conference leading up to its demolition, depicting carefree Atlanta residents treating the expensive building failure as a form of cheap entertainment. The collage stitches the U.S. Capitol building in place of the Coliseum, referencing similar unbothered responses from Atlanta residents to national insurrection, global contagion, and the murder of Rayshard Brooks just three miles south. How quickly do people forget about shocking events after the smoke clears? Is there any real difference between the attitudes of the past, the present, and the future in Atlanta?
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RETROFUTURE ATLANTA
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Primitive Blobs
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Term
Spring 2021
Class
Material Diversions Seminar
Instructor
Débora Mesa
The Primitive Hut as an architectural theory rose in prominence in the 18th- and 19th century in response to the excesses in ornamentation of Baroque styles of architecture. Explored by a variety of theorists, beginning with Marc-Antoine Laugier in 1753, the concept aims to reduce architecture to its most prime elements and their relationship to the environment and to human evolution. Many theorists categorize Primitive Hut characteristics differently, but most follow the four categories put forth by Gottfried Semper: the hearth, the enclosure, the roof, and the mound. The theory emerging from The Primitive
Hut spans a variety of themes, from the ritual or religious qualities of the elements of primitive/ pre-ancient architecture to the conscious and unconscious perpetuation of Primitive Hut qualities by architects and non-architects alike. Architects frequently reinterpret the Primitive Hut into new structures for the contemporary period, often for exhibition purposes. Primitive Blobs proposes a Primitive Hut out of a single material, expanded polyeurethane foam, which has material qualities that allow it to function simultaneously as insulation, enclosure, and structure.
TANGENTIAL PRECEDENT MATRIX
Modularity
Art
Blobs RICH FRIDY
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Sustaina
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Spectacle
PRIMITIVE BLOBS
ability
Health
P N E U M AT I C S CONCRETE GLASS/RESIN VA P O R
EXPERIMENT PHASE
E X P.1 _ D I S P L A C E EXPERIMENT GOAL
Test displacement of water by airfilled balloon. Gain somatic sense of displacement power of liquids.
M AT E R I A L S USED
Oxygen-filled latex party balloon, acrylic cube w/ silicone caulk at joints, wooden base with white gesso on top surface, scale, kettle, tape, wooden dowels
CONCLUSIONS
Displacement of air-filled balloon was stronger than expected. A taped wooden dowel guard on the top of the cube was unable to withstand the displacement.
EXPERIMENT GOAL
Test poured/dipped application of resin on hanging balloons
M AT E R I A L S USED
Two-part art resin, dental floss, latex balloons
CONCLUSIONS
Process of dipping/pouring balloons was unreasonably messy and wasteful. When dried, two layers of resin was not rigid. This experiment was the catalyst to move away from resin applications altogether.
E X P. 2 _ T H I N N E S S
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EXPERIMENT PHASE
E X P. 3 _ S C R A P S
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EXPERIMENT GOAL
Test encapsulation of scrap materials in resin block. Do scraps displace resin enough to make resin a viable/inexpensive option? By encapsulating buoyant materials in resin, will the block float on its own? Does resin produce a hardened surface that resists liquid?
M AT E R I A L S USED
Scrap foam core and mylar from Fall 2020 models, two-part art resin, wooden base with white gesso on top surface, acrylic box, silicon caulk at acrylic joins and spread on wood base,
CONCLUSIONS
Foam core did displace resin significantly, but not as much as expected. After setting, the block floated in a filled bathtub. Silicon caulk joints prevented resin from drying properly and produced leakage into the foam core pieces. Further leakage occurred where uncovered core of foam core sheets pushed against edges of acrylic form. Due to foam core buoyancy, I was unable to achieve a flat top surface with a single pour. Removal of acrylic form was more difficult than expected, and form was unable to be salvaged. Per communication with Jake @ DFL, acrylic is porous and brittle and does not withstand bending well. Concluded that acrylic is not ideal for resin formwork. Complicates issue, as no known product that properly resists two-part art resin can be cut with laser cutter.
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EXPERIMENT PHASE
E X P. 4 _ O R B S
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EXPERIMENT GOAL
Test the use of a latex balloon as a formwork inside of a resin block.
M AT E R I A L S USED
Two-part art resin, oxygen-filled latex balloon, acrylic mold, ducttape at joints.
CONCLUSIONS
Experiment went extremely well. Minimal hiccups in execution. Duct tape improved significantly on problematic silicon caulk that was previously used at joints of acrylic mold. Mold held up well to resin. A top panel with overflow holes was added to the acrylic mold to hold the balloon in place. Latex balloon released immediately. Minimal bubbling in resin. Large openings in locations where balloon pressed against acrylic form went according to plan. Thin resin at these locations remained intact with removal of balloons. Significant resin was used in the experiment, confirming the costprohibitive quality of poured resin. The experiment served as a perfect schema, but merits exploration of additional, less expensive materials.
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EXPERIMENT PHASE
E X P. 5 _ B L O B S 1
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EXPERIMENT GOAL
Test the use of a expanded polyurethane foam, commonly used as an alternative to concrete in setting fenceposts, as a malleable form.
M AT E R I A L S USED
One package Sika PostFix expanded polyurethane resin, 3mil contractor trash bags layered inside cardboard box as outer formwork, multiple latex balloons inside plastic vacuum storage bag as inner formwork.
CONCLUSIONS
Expanded polyurethane resin begins as a two-part liquid and expands dramatically to fill volume in under 5min. The material did not bond to contractor bag but did experience minor bonding to vacuum bag. The final form was lightweight, relatively strong (dented with thumbnail, but not brittle or fragile) and economical. The material was thermally insulative, and felt noticeably warmer on the interior on a cold day, even after the head of the chemical reaction was gone.
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EXPERIMENT PHASE
E X P. 6 _ B L O B S 2
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EXPERIMENT GOAL
Given the success of the previous test, this experiment intends to test the material and spatial goals with more complex shapes, a higher quantity of balloons, and no intermediary plastic layer between the balloons and the foam.
M AT E R I A L S USED
TWO packages Sika PostFix expanded polyurethane resin, acrylic box as formwork (purely to produce visually compelling imagery), multiple latex balloons as inner formwork.
CONCLUSIONS
Experiment went quickly and did not bond to the acrylic as intensely as it had before. Acrylic formwork was still unsalvageable, but did not need to be scraped away from the foam. It mostly peeled back on its own. Individual balloons produced distinct rooms with small openings into them, but few open spaces. Ratio of balloon size to foam block was off. Larger/fewer balloons would have produced more ideal interior spatial effects. Elements that were especially surprising/notable were areas that foam expanded info (not near where liquid pools), leaving bulbous cantilevering shapes.
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EXPERIMENT 4
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EXPERIMENT 6
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PRIMITIVE BLOBS
SELECTED PAGES FROM RESEARCH MANUAL
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PRIMITIVE BLOBS
W H AT C O U L D E X P A N D E D P O LY E U R E T H A N E B E C O M E ?
...a lightweight and inexpensive serpentine park bench.
...an insulating doorway at the entrance to a cave or other organic form.
...the base of a long table that resembles stalagmites and stalactites.
...a wall-mounted piece of art in a public lobby or a freeform piece of sound insulation in a recording studio.
...a freeform shade structure supported by columns at an architectural biennial.
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...a low-cost alternative to Anish Kapoor’s Cloudgate, aka the Chicago bean. ...a fake hill for sunbathing in a public park. ...a permanent fortification of a bounce house.
...a block formed around a tent in a refugee camp that protects from the elements and provides thermal insulation..
...the buoyant base of a floating raft or dock
...an organically- shaped structure that occupies a column bay in an abandoned warehouse and serves as insulation and protection for displaced individuals.
This project emerged from a consideration of the variety of visual, aesthetic, functional, theoretical, practical, and social issues presented on the previous page. Atlanta is home to millions of square feet of abandoned buildings previously used for manufacturing and storage purposes, many of which are connected to the Atlanta Preservation Center, which has a close relationship to the Georgia Tech School of Architecture. These buildings are in good structural condition, but often require too much renovation work to be economically viable for redevelopment. Atlanta also deals with a large population of homeless people, exacerbated significantly by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The project proposes the use of expanded polyurethane foam, formed around custom-woven pneumatic bladders and between an exterior formwork of steel wire and visquine sheeting, as a modular system of enclosure for a variety of programs, including temporary housing and temporary shelter. The system is customized to the structural column grids of each building.
FORMWORK
Existing Column Grid Semi-Rigid Exterior Membrane of Chicken Wire and Visquine Custom-Woven PVC Balloon Forms
Occupiable Expanded Polyurethane Foam Forms Produced in Negative Space Fire-Retardant Paint
FINAL FORM
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PRIMITIVE BLOBS
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NUMBERS
NEXT STEPS
Assuming a 20’ x 20’ column bay, and a 70% displacement from pneumatic inflatables, the project would require 2,400 cubic feet of expanded polyurethane foam.
— Coordinate and investigate warehouse locations with the Atlanta Preservation Center — Reach out to marine repair centers and other raw material distributors to price shop and find potential cost savings or material improvements. — Investigate Atlanta public arts grants, which are currently accepting rolling applications. — Investigate additional competitions or grants for refugee or emergency housing. — Reach out to other architects that have experimented with pneumatic structures to find best practices. — Investigate sources for custom pneumatic balloons, and investigate processes for hand weaving as a prototype.
At a retail price of roughly $7 per square foot at its fully expanded condition, the expanded polyurethane foam would cost roughly $17,000.
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PRIMITIVE BLOBS
Quarter Mile Twist
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153
Term
Spring 2021
Class
Core II Studio
Instructor
Keith Kaseman
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PORTFOLIO F21
155
QUARTER MILE TWIST
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QUARTER MILE TWIST
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159 159
QUARTER MILE TWIST
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QUARTER MILE TWIST
Dots + Loops
Term
Spring 2021
Class
Media + Modeling II
Instructor
James Park
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ATTRACTOR FIELDS
15 15x x15 15
25 25x x25 25
40 40x x4
.005 - .15 REMAPPED FORFOR ROTATION .005 - .15 REMAPPED ROTATION
.005 - .25 REMAPPED FORFOR ROTATION .005 - .25 REMAPPED ROTATION
.005 - .4- REM .005 .4
40 x 40
.005 - .4 REMAPPED FOR ROTATION
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SHAPES
165
Still Still Stereographic StereographicSphere Sphere
Rippling Rippling Mobius MobiusStrip Strip
Billowin Billow
This manipulated stereographic sphere, withwith a broadened opening at the top,top, This manipulated stereographic sphere, a broadened opening at the feels static, as ifasit ifisitfloating within its bounding box. feels static, is floating within its bounding box.
TheThe manipulated mobius strip feels looser andand more dynamic than thethe stereographic sphere, manipulated mobius strip feels looser more dynamic than stereographic sphere, as ifasit ifisitrippling or vibrating along thethe circular spine of the shape. is rippling or vibrating along circular spine of the shape.
From thisthis iso From It resembles It resembl
Billowing
Catalan Surface
From this isometric view, the Catalan surface embodies the most movement of the three. It resembles a billowing scarf ready to fly beyond its bounding box.
POROUS
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SAWTOOTHED
167
Prada Tokyo: Parametric Analysis
Term
Spring 2021
Class
Media + Modeling II
Instructor
James Park
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169
(1) PLAN SCHEMA ANALYSIS
FLOOR PLATES
1
2
3
4
5
6
This 3D model and the correlating plans demonstrate reveals in the floor plates that relate to the edges of the diamond extrusions.
SEGMENT
VERTICAL CHASES
EXTRUDED DIAMONDS
Each facade of the building is split into nearly-even panels around 3250mm wide. These segments inform the entire floor plan.
Projection lines traced between the segments described before frame the forms of the vertical chases that extend through the building.
Diamond extrusions produce enclosed spaces on three floors of the building. These extrusions follow a similar logic, with one side touching a seam in the facade and the other reaching the middle of the opposite facade.
A
B
C
D
E
6—B
1
4—F
F
3—F
6—G
G
2
H
3
1—H
4
5—I
I
2—I 5
J K
6
L
7 8
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6
4
3
2
1
PRADA TOKYO: PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
5
(2) INTERIOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS A→ VERTICAL CHASES
Inputs: –Diagrid Lines –Edges of Vertical Chases (for alignment) Parametric Overview: This system, still in progress, creates horizontal tunnels that function similarly to the vertical chases. Instead of referencing the structural diagrid nodes and producing extrudable shapes through projection lines, the tunnels are extruded from the steel diagrid itself. Tunnels are varied by assigning differing start and end panels. Floor slabs are, in turn, trimmed by the intersections produced by these tunnels.
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CHASE #3
B↓ HORIZONTAL TUNNELS
ORIGINAL TUNNELS
AXIS VARIATIONS
CHASE #2
Parametric Overview: The system derives complex 3D shapes from projection lines that extend across the plan of the building between structural diagrid intersections (suggesting locations of supporting beams inside of the floor slabs). The module creates 5-sided shapes from sets of five intersecting axes, and these shapes are then extruded to the height of the building and filleted at corners. Repositioning of axes to different nodes produce new/different shapes, which are extruded into different vertical chases.
FILLET EDGES
CHASE #1
Inputs: –Massing Outline at Ground Plane –Critical Axes between Diagrid Module Nodes
BASE SHAPES
COMBINED
CRITICAL AXES
TUNNEL RELOCATION VIA CHANGING RELATIONSHIP WITH DIAGRID NODES
PORTFOLIO F21
TUNNEL RELOCATION VIA CHANGING FLOOR HEIGHTS
173 C→ SLABS
2 1 3
2 2
3
1
VARIATION
2
2 2
2
ORIGINAL ORIGINAL MASSING MASSING VAR. 1
SLAB VAR. 1
PRADA TOKYO: PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
ORIGINAL SLABS
MASSING VAR. 2
Parametric Overview: The system flows a series of horizontal planes into the simplified 3D massing diagram. The planes are designed to be able to be shifted in increments that are equal to the height of the diagrid module, allowing the user to develop different spatial relationships on each level of the building. The simplified 3D massing diagram trims each plane, and the planes are extruded downward.
2
Inputs: –Massing Surfaces –Diagrid Module Dimensions
(3) DESIGN VARIATIONS THROUGH PARAMETRIC MANIPULATION This exploded isometric view demonstrates the potential changes to interior structural elements that takes place with a shift in the exterior massing. The far right drawing shows an overlay of vertical chases that mimics the chase location and shape of the original building. The two sets of chases to
the left overlay variations that are unique to the 6 + 11 configuration, and rely on a strict interpretation of the formal logic developed by the projecting lines between diagrid nodes. The compositional variations of interior structure are almost endless, even within a strict parametric system.
MASSING OF VERTICAL CHASES IN EXISTING BUILDING DESIGN (GHOSTED)
RICH FRIDY
MASSING VARIATION A:
MASSING VARIATION B:
INTENT: SPREAD CHASES MORE EVENLY THROUGH THE FLOOR PLATE.
INTENT: TO PRODUCE INSIDE CORNERS, STILL ONLY USING THE SAME PARAMETRIC LOGIC.
PORTFOLIO F21
175
PLAN VARIATION A: 6 RHOMBOIDS X 11 RHOMBOIDS
SECTION DETAIL OF DIAGRID PANEL, SHOWING THICKNESS THAT HIDES STANDARD W-FLANGE EXO-STRUCTURE.
Density Deployer
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
177
Term
Spring 2021
Class
Core II Studio
Instructor
Keith Kaseman
Rich Progress, Monday 3/29/21
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
179
CIRCULATION + AMPHITEATHER + CONCRETE UNDERBELLY ABOVE CROSSROADS
DENSITY DEPLOYER
LAB-LEVEL SLABS + PREFABRICATED CONCRETE CONTAINMENT PANELS
TENSIONED METAL ROOF + ATRIUM GLASS
PHASE03 NON-DENSITY_FARMLAND
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PORTFOLIO F21
181
DENSITY DEPLOYER
PHASE09 MID-DENSITY_GARDEN_SUBURB
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PORTFOLIO F21
183
DENSITY DEPLOYER
PHASE14 — HIGH-DENSITY_CAR_CENTRIC
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PORTFOLIO F21
185
DENSITY DEPLOYER
MAIN FLOOR RESEARCH CENTER
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PORTFOLIO F21
187
DENSITY DEPLOYER
VERTICAL PROCESSION TO DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT LABS
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PORTFOLIO F21
189
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT LABS
191
DENSITY DEPLOYER
Bus Stop A
This proposal for a bus stop on Georgia Tech’s campus aims to express the archetypal qualities of the stud wall in frame construction, but with a fresh take on materiality and tectonics.
A
Sited atop an existing busy sidewalk, the main portion of the structure encompasses and provides shade to pass-through pedestrian traffic. A break in the roof that reaches towards the street corner suggests the location of the bus queue. The louvred walls are elevated off the ground and floated away from the fiberglass roof, contradicting the typical assuptions that might be made of the structural function of stud framing members.
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
193
Term
Fall 2020
Class
Construction Tech I
Instructor
Charles Rudolph
Prefabricated wood framing units fasten into aluminum structure that connect to the fiberglass roof and the concrete slab below.
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
195 ALU M INUM F R AM E TO GR O UND
A LUMINUM FRA ME TO ROOF
C O NNECTIO N DETAIL, TY P.
CONNECT ION DETA IL, T YP.
13’—4”
BUS STOP
SECT ION A A
From the interior of the structure, the reveals between the frame walls and the fiberglass roof highlight the gravity of the structure and invite a closer inspection of the functionality of material connections. The multiple orientations of the louvers on each wall and the coloredglass lightwells in the roof produce complex light conditions from all vantage points.
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
197
BUS STOP
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PORTFOLIO F21
199
Corner Park
Term
Fall 2020
Class
Core I Studio
Instructor
Charles Rudolph
Operating within a rectilinear kit of parts and a ‘90-degree-angles-only’ rule, this proposal for a semi-private “missing tooth” urban site is built around the return of a portion of the space to public use. The kit of parts becomes a series of walls, beams, and shading devices united by a shift of the southern half of the park to the west, creating an expanded public street corner. The enclosed portions of the park are organized into two rooms, which can be programmed for events. Narrow reveals between wall connections allow pedestrians walking on the sidewalk outside to see the activities happening on the inside.
201
CORNER PARK
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
203
CORNER PARK
Split Paths Term
Fall 2020
Class
Construction Tech I
Instructor
Charles Rudolph
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
205
Built on a sloped site that connects two sidewalks, Split Paths proposes a terraced park that facilitates both direct circulation from one sidewalk to another and space to have a picnic, read a book, or reflect. The design centers around five poured-in-place concrete walls, which are punctured by circular openings that prescribe circulation. The singular opening at the top of the park splits into two, producing split circulation paths that lead in opposite directions down the lower sidewalk.
The procession of openings in the walls draw inspiration from the phases of cellular mitosis, the most basic building block of life and nature. (opposite) The spaces between these split paths alternate between concrete slabs and grassy slopes, producing an array of distinct spaces within the landscape.
Section 1/8″ = 1′ – 0″
A
Plan 1/8″ = 1′ – 0″
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
A
B
B
C
C
D
D
E
E
207
E
D
SPLIT PATHS
C
B
A
Serial Section of Cascading Walls 1/8″ = 1′ – 0″
Micro/ Mega
Term
Fall 2020
Class
Media + Modeling I
Instructor
Harris Dimitropoulos
For this project, a portion of one of Libeskind’s Micromegas drawings was cropped, analyzed, and recreated in Rhino. Rendered in bright colors, the drawings reference the concepts put forth in Voltaire’s science fiction novel of the same name by decontextualizing architectural form and convention to promote readings from new perspectives.
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
OPPOSI TE DAN I EL LI B ESK I N D MICROMEG A 3 , LEAK AG E 1978
209
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
211
Sketches Term
Fall 2020
Class
Construction Tech I
Instructor
Charles Rudolph
A selection of sketches from weekly sketchbook exercises emphasise tectonic qualities of buildings and landscape structures throughout Midtown Atlanta and on Georgia Tech’s campus.
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
213
215
SKETCHES
On Point
Term
Fall 2020
Class
Core I Studio
Instructor
Charles Rudolph
Kandinsky’s 1947 book Point and Line to Plane aimed to systematize the spiritual qualities that were explored in the work of the non-objective painters— the “Science of Art” in Kandinsky’s words. In his chapter on “point”, he emphasized the intrigue of the formless and immaterial. He references the period— the linguistic “point”— as being simultaneously physical and void, declarative and silent. In photography, and other objective media, the vanishing point occupies this same conceptual space, at once the subject and the unknown. In architecture, it can be seen where shadows cause formal qualities to become indecipherable. This project follows a design process that creates new forms out of this formlessness, represented in the shadows and vanishing points of photographs taken in Midtown Atlanta (opposite). Through abstraction, isolation, combination, and iteration, the project aims to brings new purpose and physical reality to the spiritual intrigue of Kandinsky’s “point.”
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
219
ON POINT
Simplified line drawings isolate and emphasize the voids at the center of three photographs. When combined, the amalgamation of these voids produces new, more complex formal readings.
The amalgamation drawing is then translated to a physical model, where the heights of each shape correspond to the darkness of lineweights in the drawing. When backlit, the model produces inverse readings and creates new instances of light and shadow, clarity and formlessness, repeating the abstraction process again.
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
221
ON POINT
Cubist Landscape
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
223
Term
Fall 2020
Class
Core I Studio
Instructor
Charles Rudolph
Referencing the collaged compositional elements of Picasso’s 1912 painting Bottle of Suze, this project proposes a landscape of masses and paths that encircle and lead to a central field, taking the form of the table in the painting. In removing the Suze bottle, the periphery of the painting becomes the subject. The subtle breaks, shifts, and gaps in the collaged paper of the painting can be read as monolithic shifts and voids in the landscape.
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
225
CUBIST LANDSCAPE Masses within the landscape slope upwards from the outside edges of the composition, providing paths to occupiable roofs that view the activities or performances taking place at the center of the landscape. The primary entry axis bisects the landscape and tunnels through the masses, producing complex circulation and enclosure conditions.
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
227
CUBIST LANDSCAPE
Musician’s House
Term
Fall 2020
Class
Core I Studio
Instructor
Charles Rudolph
This project, a musician’s retreat in the desert, aims to explore how architecture can impact the creation and performance of a piece of music. Programmed both as a house and a stage, the proposal blurs the lines between private and performance space, and draws similarities to the exposed scenographic interpretations of a houses one might find on a theatrical set.
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
229
Reflection + Inspiration
Research + Composition
IN SECTION
IN PLAN
Performance
Recording + Rehearsal
RICH FRIDY
PORTFOLIO F21
The musician’s house draws inspiration from John Hejduk’s Wall House, and the implied choreography and scenography of its concept. Visitors to the house travel upwards to a raised processional that leads to its monolithic wall. The wall expresses its own archetypal use as a primary feature in all architectural space— a self-referential architecture parlante.
In the musician’s house, the monolithic wall unifies and expresses a series of operations that reference earlier projects in the Core semester. The Corner Park is reoriented in the vertical direction, and its upward shift is expressed in section, lifting the west side of the mass upward from the landscape. This operation is repeated in plan with a rotational shift, creating a triangular gap for vertical circulation and producing a seemingly-impossible cantilever from the southwest joint where the two masses connect.
231
MUSICIAN’S HOUSE
1
5
WSW E L E VAT I O N
10
CARDBOARD/CHIPBOARD MODEL 1/4” = 1’ – 0”
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PORTFOLIO F21
233
MUSICIAN’S HOUSE
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PORTFOLIO F21
235
MUSICIAN’S HOUSE Visitors to the performance portion of the residency program approach the site from the wall-side of the house, which shields the interior and the landscape from view. Perforated metal screens extend outward into the landscape, and produce dappled light on the interior spaces.
SECTION AA
+40’
+16’
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PORTFOLIO F21
SECTION BB
239
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PORTFOLIO F21
241
8:00a
5:00p
6:30p
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PORTFOLIO F21
243
MUSICIAN’S HOUSE