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Spring 2012
ryanLEICHTWEISZ Masters of Architecture Candidate ‘13 University of PENNsylvania School of Design
OBJECTIVE To learn new design processes, construction materials and technologies, and modes of representation, while simultaneously contributing my own experience and skills as an architectural intern in an collaborative work environment. EDUCATION University of Pennsylvania, School of Design Master of Architecture Candidate Cumulative GPA: 3.90 • E. Lewis Dales Fellowship 2012, a merit based scholarship awarded for international travel • Center for Architecture of Philadelphia Exhibit, two-time representative of PennDesign’s student work • PennDesign Alumni Association, student body representative • Lambda Grads, president
Philadelphia, PA May 2013
Paris American Academy Summer Study Abroad • Researched the role of water in the development of post-Haussmanian Paris • Designed and implemented a gallery exhibit of personal research, currently on display at the University of Pennsylvania
Paris, France Summer 2011
Lehigh University, College of Arts and Sciences Bachelor of Arts in Architecture with High Honors, Minors in Business and Theatre Major GPA: 3.88, Cumulative GPA: 3.62 • National Dean’s List, 2006-2010 • 2010 Dean’s Exemplary Leadership Award • Baker Scholarship for Theatre, 2006-2010 • Beta Theta Pi Balanced Man Scholarship, 2007 • BALANCE, architecture society • Green Building Group • Sigma Phi Epsilon, executive judicial committee, social chair • Greek Allies Program, founder and coordinator of this LGBTQIA ally organization • University Choir, led the recruitment of new members • ArtsLehigh, planned and implemented an annual 3-day orientation to the arts at Lehigh
Bethlehem, PA May 2010
Terrafirma University Summer Study Abroad • Studied the work of Italian architect Carlo Scarpa in the context of phenomenology
Vicenza, Italy Summer 2009
EXPERIENCE University of Pennsylvania Graduate Teaching Assistant, Environmental Systems I, Environmental Systems II • Assisted Professors Muscoe Martin and Bill Braham, respectively, in the teaching of sustainable design principles and practices
Philadelphia, PA Fall 11 - present
MM Partners LLC. Freelance Kitchen Designer • Designed a series of kitchens for five Philadelhpia row homes
Philadelphia, PA Summer 2011
Artefact, Inc. Architectural Intern • Revised construction documents; researched materials and communicated with manufacturers • Took responsibility for a sustainable residence project
Bethlehem, PA Spring 2010
Lehigh University Furniture/Interior Designer • Contributed to the group design of chairs and tables for a new meditative meeting room for LU Counseling Services • Led the coordination of the overall color palette, flooring, and decor, and represented the group in design presentations
Bethlehem, PA Fall 09 -- Spr. 10
Lehigh University Apprentice Teacher, Architectural Design I • Assisted Professor Anthony Viscardi in teaching the principles of form-making and visualization • Demonstrated drafting and modeling techniques, and served as a critic during design reviews
Bethlehem, PA Fall 2009
SKILLS AutoCAD, Revit, Rhinoceros, 3D Studio Max, Maya, Generative Components, Grasshopper, Bongo, Ecotect, Google SketchUp, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, AfterEffects, Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, digital fabrication, manual drafting and modeling
2121 Market Street, apt. 721, Philadelphia, PA 19103
ryle@design.upenn.edu 201-563-7642 c.
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contents 04) FEYER A restaurant experience for the five senses ARCH 501. Simon Kim
12) surface FORM A surface form study using 600 paper plates ARCH 501. Simon Kim. Partner project
14) mixing CYCLES Merging programs: bathing with bicycling ARCH 502. Julie Beckman
18) a midWINTER night’s DREAM Manipulating hormones for arousal and rejuvenation ARCH 601. Joe MacDonald
20) nested LIVING An integrated Brooklyn housing project ARCH 601. Joe MacDonald
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FEYER Arch 501 DESIGN STUDIO 1 Critic SIMON KIM Inspired by the emotional extremes of the bipolar-depressive character Diana in Next to Normal, the external facade of this restaurant appears eratic and deranged from almost every angle, however, from specific points of view, the eye aligns the floating volumes and planes in perspective to arrive at fleeting glimpses of squares and circles. The composition tests the human sense of sight, considering that which one person sees while others of lesser privelege may not.
fey: associated with the euphoric sensation resulting upon the apprehension of death
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FEYER. Arch 501 DESIGN STUDIO 1, Critic SIMON KIM
Design process
Two crossing cones produce a definite volume at the place of their intersection
Break into individual rooms
Introduce planes and columns
One Volume. Three Points of View: Circle, Square, Everything In Between.
Plan
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Elevation
Plan
Iteration 3
Elevation
Iteration 4
Breaking up the larger volumes into compositions of planes smaller volumes creates ambiguity and makes the priveleged points of view more powerful.
Rotational perspective
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Column Diagram
Design Development
Six priveleged viewpoints Public views: street level
Private views: office level
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FEYER. Arch 501 DESIGN STUDIO 1, Critic SIMON KIM
Section
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Smell
Touch
Sight
Sound
Taste
Smells pumped in from kitchen through porous wall
Wine Bar Salad Bar
Cheese Bar River Stone Floor in Bridge Prepares Body for Sense of Touch
Stick Ceiling Filters Sunlight
Wood Paneling
Window
Wall Membrane Embeded Lights Respond to Kinetic Architecture
Patterned Concrete
Appetizer Table
Piping Drips Water From one to another
Marble Bar Sliding Floor Slab Wood Table Smooth Concrete
Brass
Framing in Perspective from One Point of View
Dissolving Wall
Dessert Stations
Stairs Resonate at Various Pitches
Variations on a Theme: Interior Renderings
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FEYER. Arch 501 DESIGN STUDIO 1, Critic SIMON KIM
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The interior spaces of the enclosed volumes further delight the eye while also incorporating each of the other four senses. The resulting architecture is a food service proposal in which the human navigates through a series of rooms, each inspired by the sense of sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. By means of both architecture and food, the human experiences sensory stimulation to a point of complete elation.
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SURFACE FORM what would you do with six-hundred paper plates? Arch 501 DESIGN STUDIO 1 Critic SIMON KIM Growing exponentially in an infinite, constant, negative curvature, a hyperbolic surface can be produced by increasing the number of a given unit by the constant ratio of n to n+1 per row. Using the folded paper plate as the initial module, this project utilizes this hyperbolic logic to invent a lacy, complex surface form.
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Module Studies
Plate folding process
1 1
2
2
Aggregation strategy
11121112 1112111211 111211121112 111211121112111 111211121112111211
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mixing
CYCLES
bathing + bicycling
Arch 502 DESIGN STUDIO 2 Critic JULIE BECKMAN In response to an increasing bike culture along the schuylkill river, this bathhouse recreation area caters to a diverse population of bicycle users and serves as a hub for the philadelphia area’s extensive biking network. The site ties the rural biking from the northern Valley Forge area together with the urban biking of the city into a knot that takes on qualities of both environments, offering varying paths to either speed up or slow down one’s movement through the baths. Speeds are carefully manipulated on the interior through a study on lighting and its physiological affects.
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mixingCYCLES. Arch 502 DESIGN STUDIO 2, Critic JULIE BECKMAN
park / park building rec. center rec. center with pool museum playground bike shop
calculating the velodrome maximum slope:
( radius ) ( gravity )
( 18.7 m ) ( 9.81 m/s ) 33.4 degrees Calculating turning radius and slope
Speed Relationship Diagrams
bicycle and skateboarder
boat and fisherman
grandmother and grandchildren
skateboarder and person
airplane and person
bicyclist and skateboarder
bicyclist and pedestrian
dogwalker and dog
person and subway
subway and subway
bicyclist and puddle
3 paths for 3 different users a = .233 m/s^2 v = 4 m/s
a = -7 m/s^2
t = 15 s v = 0.5 m/s
v = 4 m/s
t=4s
community cycling
bicyclist and bath
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leisure
Deploying geometries associated with cycling (curve of a velodrome, turning radii, etc.), The paths may be categorized as athletic, commuter, and leisure trails. Each path type leads the user on a journey through programs that suit their individual needs. The baths stretch the social atmosphere of the existing waterfront trail deep into the corner of the site, uniting all of the users through a sense of community. Corner strategy outdoor rec.
bathing
dining
commuter
leisure
bathing
dining
rental
cyclist
training
outdoor rec.
bathing
outdoor rec.
training
outdoor rec.
bathing
dining
bathing
dining
rental
bathing
cyclist
leisure
bike shop rentals
/
cafe indoor/ outdoor pool
gym
co
mm
ute
r
slow po
ol
fast pool spa
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(Vit. B)
(endorphins)
(N + H2O)
(NaC + Sl)
(NO)
mid A WINTER NIGHT’s
DREAM
THIS SPA EXHIBITION, A MIDWINTER NIGHT’S DREAM, STRIPS THE FOREST OF ITS FAIRIES AND FANTASY AND INSTEAD USES THE CHEMICAL REACTIONS OF A WINTER FOREST AS A NEW MEANS TO THE SAME END. AFTER CAREFUL MANIPULATION OF HUMAN HORMONES, SPA USERS UNDERGO A TRANSFORMATION OF BOTH THE BODY AND THE MIND THAT LEAVES THEM FEELING REFRESHED, AROUSED, AND ENLIGHTENED.
Arch 711 Spectacle/Post-Spectacle Instructor Dr. Helene Furjan The enchanted forest has been recognized as a place of magical romance and spiritual transformation throughout the past many centuries of mythology, folklore, and modern fantasy. In the writings of the Brothers Grimm, C.S. Lewis, and even a Season 4 episode of HBO’s True Blood, troubled characters have entered the forest in pairs and discovered its magic while undergoing a sort of valuable awakening prior to their departure. The most abundantly clear example of this scenario lies in the late sixteenth century writings of William Shakespeare. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the two sets of Athenian lovers that chase after one another into the forest encounter mystical fairies -- one certain Robin Goodfellow (Puck), in particular – who uses his magic and that of a flower, blessed by Cupid’s arrow, to set the love amongst them aright. In the heart of winter’s night, though, in the fairy-less, magic-less realm of reality, the natural cycles within the forest offer a different sort of magic that humans may cultivate. The transfer of nutrients from one system to another introduces the opportunity to harvest these chemical compounds for human benefit. There becomes room for an architecture of rejuvenation inspired by the natural occurrences of a winter forest. RELAXATION Salt (NaCl) The leaves of deciduous trees hold a great amount of salt, nitrogen, and other nutrients. These nutrients
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begin in the soil in the spring and are absorbed by the tree’s roots, carried up through the trunk, and used in the limbs to create leaves through photosynthesis. Thus, when the leaves fall to the ground in the autumn and become covered with snow in the winter, the moisture hastens a process of leaf decay that releases all of these valuable nutrients back into the soil.1 Therefore, the proposed exhibition presents a salt spa that is inspired by the salt-rich soil buried beneath the snow throughout the winter. Salt baths have been used for centuries as a means of skin therapy, detoxification, and as a valuable source of magnesium. The magnesium in salt “helps the body regulate over 325 enzymes and plays an important role in organizing many bodily functions, like muscle control, electrical impulses, energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.” 2 The bath, therefore, is intended to relax and heal the body while exfoliating the skin, making it softer and smoother to the touch. Sulfur (S) Aiding in this effort is another byproduct of the leaf decomposition: sulfur. When a person claims that it “smells like fall,” they are most often smelling the faint odor of the sulfur that is released by decaying leaves on the ground. Like salt, sulfur is washed into the earth by rain and melting snow to be used by a new generation of plants in the spring. The bath in this exhibition, therefore, is also infused with a sulfur sup-
plement called methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), which may be used in balneotherapy (balneo- being Latin for “bath”) to slow the nerve impulses that that transmit pain signals, thereby offering temporary pain relief in muscles and joints while simultaneously working to remove harmful toxins.3 STIMULATION Nitrogen (N) Like the prevailing motif in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, contrast is the key to any truly dynamic experience, and so while the salt and sulfur of the baths work to relax the body, the exhibition simultaneously works to stimulate the mind. The source of this stimulation comes indirectly from nitrogen, one of the other primary byproducts of leaf decomposition. Living organisms use nitrogen to produce a number of complex organic molecules like amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids.4 Approximately eight percent of the Earth’s atmosphere is made up of two nitrogen atoms bonded together (N2), however, this is not the form of nitrogen that plants and animals need. Usable nitrogen is formed when organic substances are broken down by bacteria into nitrates, a different nitrogen compound, are released into the soil to be used by other plants.5 Therefore, when the leaves of deciduous trees fall to the ground and decompose during the winter, these nitrates may be absorbed through the roots of adjacent evergreen trees and other seasonal plants.
This exchange of nitrogen-based compounds from deciduous to evergreen trees accounts for the annual development of one of the most potent and powerful foods in the world: pine pollen. The fine yellow powder of pine trees “has over 200 bioactive natural nutrients, minerals, and vitamins in a single serving.”6 As nature’s most abundant source of testosterone, however, it is used most often for its androgenic and aphrodisiac properties, stimulating endocrine activity and promoting a healthy and high libido. “It contains bio-avilable androstenedione, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and androsterone… These anabolic compounds help maintain and increase muscle mass, optimize tissue regeneration, optimize breast health in women and testicular and prostate health in men, and speed up the metabolism to help burn off excess fat.”7 By providing pine pollen to the users of this spa exhibition, the muscles of the body will be relaxed while the mind is simultaneously stimulated by the release of endorphins from the pineal gland and the secretion of additional sexually-stimulating hormones. The pine pollen will be distributed in the form of a warm tea, infused by a tincture of the pollen and alcohol.
the brain interprets the difference between the two, thereby making it possible to hear inaudible sound frequencies both psychologically and neurologically. In the spa, the headphones provided to the visitors will play a frequency of 117 Hz in the left ear and 155 Hz in the right, thereby forcing our brain to vibrate at a frequency of 38 Hz where it will begin secreting endorphins. If one dozes off into sleep while remaining in this state, the endorphins keep the mind alert and focused, allowing the user to gain control over the activities of his/her dream.15
Gaseous Losses
Mineralization
Ammonium
Vitamin B and Zinc The effects of the pine pollen will be further supplemented by berries and nuts, two additional aphrodisiac foods that are found in the forest. The seeds of berries are high in both zinc and vitamin B. While the B vitamins are essential to hormone production, the zinc counteracts the effects of a protein in the blood that binds with the hormone testosterone.8 Given that both men and women do produce testosterone, this increases the amount of free testosterone circulating through the bloodstream and, consequently, enhances the libido. Nitric Oxide (NO) Nuts, particularly almonds, contain a significant quantity of the amino acid arginine which the body uses to create nitric oxide (NO). This two-atom gas is “made by the endothelium tissue in blood vessels in the lining of sex organs.”9 After hormones mentally arouse a person, NO is responsible for the physical properties associated with human arousal. “...A neurotransmitter sends a message to the lining of the genitals to release NO, which causes blood vessels to expand.”10 Thus, while the digestion of berries will stimulate hormone secretion, the almonds will aid in preparing the body for the physical requirements of sexual pleasure which may be explored in privacy following the spa experience. Endorphins In Shakespeare’s play, the fairies’ music sends Bottom off to a dream-filled sleep.12 While the relationship between music and sleep has been studied extensively, there is recent evidence to suggest a relationship between music and dreaming – that is, the ability to control one’s dreams, or lucid dreaming. Sound can be used to intentionally put oneself into a state of lucid dreaming through the use of binaural beats. “The term binaural beats is commonly used to describe the technique whereby our brain can be ‘tricked’ into hearing frequencies in the inaudible (0-40 Hz range by utilizing audible frequencies (typically in the 100-500 Hz range) that any set of headphones can reproduce.”13 Research has proven that brainwave frequency is intimately connected to the production of endorphins in the human brain at 38 Hertz.14 The ear cannot hear a frequency as low as 38 Hertz independently, but using binaural beats to trick the brain into perceiving 38 Hertz forces the pineal gland to begin endorphin secretion. Thus, when the single sine wave tones of two different frequencies are perceived by two ears independently,
through bacteria
Fixation
Nitrates
Nitrites Clay Minerals
Leaching
155 Hz - 117 Hz = 38 Hz
117 Hz
155 Hz
Precipitation
NaCl
Decaying Leaves
S
N
Infinity Together, the terraced steps and the tree-like columns create a sense of infinity. Walking through a forest at night, there is often an overwhelming vastness to the woods that the 18th century philosopher David Hume might consider sublime. In his writing, he speaks on the power of the rotunda, “For in a rotund, whether it be a building or a plantation, you can nowhere fix a boundary; turn which way you will, the same object still seems to continue, and the imagination has no rest.”17 So, the seemingly infinite rise of steps and columns out of the light and into the darkness is intended to fool the mind into perceiving a vastness to the space that may or may not exist. One should not be cognizant of the room’s dimensions but should instead stay huddled near the light in wondering mystery of what lies beyond the darkness. “Darkness is more productive of sublime ideas than light,” says Hume, for there lays great power in the mystery of obscurity.18 SYNOPSIS By carefully manipulating the body’s hormones as inspired by the natural occurrences of a winter forest, it is possible to achieve the same sort of magic experienced by the Athenian couples in Shakespeare’s play. Here, the muscles of the body relax while the brain is busy at work. A visitor to the spa receives a refreshed and exfoliated set of skin after bathing in the salt and sulfur of the rich winter soil, and the mind is simultaneously stimulated by the hormones of nature’s most aphrodisiac foods. Finally, after the mind and body have both been prepared, the sound-induced dreams allow the users to write their own fantasy ending.
endorphins
Bacteria
frigid, and the relative humidity of 75% is the necessary air saturation required to see the water vapor molecules rising off of the bath or exiting the human mouth condense at this temperature, thereby allowing oneself to see their own breath and the steam rising off of the bath.16 This will give the user the visual cues associated with cold, winter weather while maintaining an air temperature that is still well above the 32 degree F freezing point. Given that hot air rises, the temperature then gets warmer as one climbs the terraced steps moving further away from the pool in all four directions, allowing the user to comfortably rest on the upper levels of steps without much additional covering than their robe or a blanket. There, they may snack on the provided berries and nuts or sip their pine pollen tea while taking a break from the hot temperature of the bath water.
H20
C
FORM Water (H20) The salt and sulfur bath at the spa is located at the center of the room, which is also the lowest point in the space. The temperature in this zone is set to remain at 48 degrees Fahrenheit with a 75 percent relative humidity. This temperature is cool enough to be in contrast to the hot bath without being uncomfortably
0 Smith, Christian. “The History of Forest.” 2008. < http://www. forestofhealingarts.com/history.html> 1 Hawksworth, Hallan and Atkinson, Francis B.. “Why are Dead Leaves Important?” A Year In the Wonderland of Trees. 20022003. <http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/> 2 Breyer, Melissa. Care2. “Benefits of Salt Baths.” 14 November 2011. <http://www.care2.com/greenliving/health> 3 “Sulfur.” University of Maryland Medical Center. 2011. <http:// www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/sulfur-000328.htm> 4 Pidwerny, Michael. “PhysicalGeography.net. 7 May 2009. <http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/9s.html> 5 Gardiner, Lisa. “The Nitrogen Cycle.” 7 May 2007. <http:// www.windows2universe.org/earth/Life/nitrogen_cycle.html> 6 “Pine Pollen.” Invinsible Herbs. 2011. <http://www.invincibleherbs.com/p13-Pine-Pollen.html> 7 Martin-Kilgour, Zak. “Secrets of Longevity.” 2009. <www. secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/pine-pollen-powder.html> 8 Frankel, Valerie. “The great sex diet.” MSNBC. 3 March 2008. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22593988/>. 9 Ibid., 10 Ibid. 11 Martin-Kilgour, Zak. “Secrets of Longevity.” 2009. <www. secrets-of-longevity-in-humans.com/pine-pollen-powder.html> 12 Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer Night’s Dream. MIT. Act IV, Scene I. <http://shakespeare.mit.edu/midsummer.html> 13 “The Endorphin Collection.” Brainwave Entertainment. 2011. <multimania.co.uk/tibetalia/isochronic/38Hz/endorphins/htm> 14 Ibid. 15 Artelis. “Brainwave Entertainment for Lucid Dreams.” Dream
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nested
LIVING public event space
private
residences
parking community space retail/restaurants
public landscape
public
Arch 601 DESIGN STUDIO 3 Critic JOE MACDONALD Blurring the vertical boundaries between public and private spaces allows individuals to choose where they live within the building based on their personal lifestyles. With a bustling shopping promenade beginning at the ground level and quiet residential quarters at the top, the gradient of spaces in between offers a variety of programs for both residents and guests, including retail, restaurants, public landscape, housing, and parking. By modulating both program and form, nested living rethinks the way in which the traditional mixed-use building may be experienced.
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nestedLIVING. Arch 601 DESIGN STUDIO 3, Critic JOE MACDONALD
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traditional parking structure
untwist at the corners
break form based on 3d skin
allow skin to infiltrate form
broken pieces reassembled
spread down into landscape
overlay standard cube
twist top towards Manhattan
apply structural skin
lift to create formal and programmatic breaks
extend into neighboring lot
reintroduce building context
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nestedLIVING. Arch 601 DESIGN STUDIO 3, Critic JOE MACDONALD
Apartment unit interior
Interwoven parking and outdoor community space
Urban landscape at ground level
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Growing from deep below the brooklyn grid, the structural skin emerges with chaotic energy but steadily organizes itself as it reaches the sky. This structural nest defines the irregular form of the residential and commercial units and creates a dynamic experience within the vertical circulation of the building core. The twisting path of the parking structure along with sharp reflections off of the glass units continually disorients the driver until arrival upon the open-air rooftop, a suddenly peaceful summit that offers 360 degree views of the entire city.
nestedLIVING. Arch 601 DESIGN STUDIO 3, Critic JOE MACDONALD
shopping PROMENADE
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ryanLEICHTWEISZ Masters of Architecture Candidate â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;13 University of PENNsylvania School of Design