SAM SIDERSKY
2018 - 2024 WORK SAMPLE
3801 Chestnut St.
Commercial Life Sciences - Laboratories
2022-2023 with Perkins & Will
Size: 310,000 sq. ft.
Cost: $135 Million
Client: Botanic Properties/Sterling Bay
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Status: In Construction, expected completion - 2025
How can space for biochemical manufacturing, laboratories, and offices integrate into a rapidly changing Philadelphia neighborhood?
University City, the rapidly urbanizing area surrounding the University of Pennsylvania had quickly gained popularity for businesses and education backed partnerships in the bio-chemical and healthtech industries. Start-ups and new companies searching for flexible laboratory space in the vicinity of U Penn were also looking to be in close proximity to Center City Philadelphia, 30th St. Station, and the U Penn Medical Center campus.
This project sought to also include a clean room grade biochemical manufacturing facility - one capable of producing large scale volumes of vaccines, therapeutics, or other products of intensive research. A challenging combination of programs like this had never been attempted as a singular architectural element in an urban environment.
Philadelphia, a city of open air murals, allows for buildings to gain a zoning bonus equivalent to an extra 2 floors at 3801 Chestnut by committing to spending at least $1 Million on a public art piece. The western elevation of the building’s lower portion, blocked from having windows by zoning ordinances and the biochemical manufacturing program, presented a key opportunity for a large scale artwork.
The curtain wall facade of 3801 features double height glazing with spandrel panels to reconcile the variation in floor-to-floor heights between the two volumes.
Above:
The most prominent corner of the building at Chestnut and 38th st. is the building’s front door, featuring a grand lobby with a cafe and retail space. A series of arcaded square arches bring the facade down to street level.
US Consulate General Lagos
Consular Office Building and Compound
2018-2020 with Ennead Architects
Size: 160,000 sq. ft.
Cost: $319 Million
Client: United States Department of State
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Status: In Construction, expected completion - 2026
How can the largest U.S. Consulate in the world express the values of America, and it’s host city Lagos?
Lagos, Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest cities, and with an intense concentration of businesses, innovation, and financial institutions it is quickly on track to becoming a global alpha city. A new U.S. Consulate would be needed to accommodate the thousands of daily guests and diplomats, as well as meet higher safety and sustainability standards developed by the U.S. State Department.
An overall geometric design language honoring Nigeria’s rich mosaic of cultures informs the design of the main office tower, a rich contrast with the campus’s more softer edged landscape plan, taking cues from the natural flow of water down the site’s gentle slope. Once part of the ocean, the site inhabits a large plot of Eko Atlantic, a multi-billion dollar development that moved the shore line of Lagos several miles south.
The tropical climate of Lagos offered a unique approach to site planning based around natural systems. The large volume of summer rains during the monsoon season necessitated a thoughtful, but robust strategy for channeling excess rainwater. This downward flow of water at the site towards an adjacent canal could be channeled to carve out a series of longitudinal axes. Naturally porous, planted surfaces reduce runoff and keep the site safe during larger scale storms.
Running with, and counter to the site’s water channeling is a series of groves, spiraling inward to create a green heart. This central green space would serve the main daily workforce of the consulate, as well as the diplomats and support staff housed on site.
Above:
The site cleverly conceals service and back of house spaces under a large green roof at grade with the highest elevation of the adjacent street.
Buildings are oriented along the spiral and green heart to allow the maximum amount of offshore winds and sea breezes to be channeled into and through the site - a form of passive cooling in an oppressively hot climate.
Sitting just north of the equator, Lagos experiences little seasonal variation in its weather or its solar radiation. The consular office tower, was rotated to spare the south and west elevations the brunt of the afternoon sun.
Above:
The exterior structural piers addressed several distinct design needs simultaneously by creating a robust, security tested exterior system, maximizing window sizes within these strict security parameters, allowing for larger column free spaces within the office space, and honoring the rich tradition of Nigerian textile arts through the striking geometric diagrid form.
*labels removed for security
Lagos, a city of millions, requires a staging area for the thousands of visitors expected to arrive for daily business at the U.S. Consulate. From applying for U.S. Citizenship, green cards, or visas, to arranging for financial transactions, a pre-screening entry pavilion allows for the high turnout to wait comfortably in a shaded area protected from the harsh Lagos sun.
Once visitors have cleared security, they are able to conduct their affairs at 1 of 32 consular windows with a diplomatic agent.
The geometric patterning is evident throughout the campus - in the visitor waiting area, the large canopies that adjoin the consular office building, the layout of the mullions at the consular-visitor interface, and consular office tower.
Above:
The site’s complex landscape plan, informed by natural systems and softened edges imbues the campus with a dynamism and playfulness not unfamiliar to the spirit of Lagos.
In the consular office tower, a polished terrazzo tile floor is grounds a warm and rich color scheme. Relaxed spaces that blend the outdoors and indoors are a perfect reflection of the Lagos lifestyle.
The structural piers create a dynamic interior environment, seen above in the staff canteen space.
Above:
Construction underway on the New Consular Compound at Eko Atlantic mid way through 2022.
US Consulate - Chiang Mai
Consular Office Building and Compound
2018-2019 with Ennead Architects
Size: 79,000 sq. ft.
Cost: $284 Million
Client: United States Department of State
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Status: In Construction, expected completion - 2024
How can a small consular campus blend Thai culture and the natural landscape?
High in the mountains of Northern Thailand, the medieval walled city of Chiang Mai has witnessed significant growth fueled by tourism and new enterprises. The design of the U.S. Consulate campus strategically emphasizes its three public fronts for representational purposes, while allocating the northern boundary adjacent to a neighboring superstore for service and support functions.
Taking inspiration from the architectural heritage of Northern Thailand, characterized by raised terrace homes, modular wooden screens, and a seamless integration of architecture with the surrounding landscape, the U.S. Consulate project manifests as a collection of distinct volumes. At its core lies a communal terrace, encircled by shared facilities fostering a sense of community within the consulate.
*labels have been removed for security purposes
The rich material palette of natural wood and handcrafted masonry and ceramics accentuate the strong connection between interior and exterior, evoking the connection to nature and community found in the former U.S. Consulate on the Ping River.
The consular building’s south facing gallery is shielded from the harsh southern sun by a large metal panel clad canopy, with additional louvers, and lush tropical landscape planting.
Above:
The consular building is split amongst 3 large volumes, reminiscent of northern Thai vernacular architecture as seen in the Kuti platform homes. The larger solid volumes are joined together with light filled, glazed circulation spaces.
The double height galley space contains both interior and exterior conditions, with the exterior portion benefiting from the shade of a large canopy. Smaller plantings and open air metal mesh panels make the space pleasant and habitable year round in Chiang Mai’s tropical climate.
An outdoor space is shared between the consular staff and visiting diplomats, perfect for hosting events, enjoying a sunny afternoon, or the compound’s famous impromptu soccer matches.
Above:
An overview of the campus from across the street, looking west.
CLOG
2018 - Present
CLOG x Artificial Intelligence, 2018
CLOG x Cannabis, 2020
CLOG x FEEDS, 2022
CLOG x WeWork, 2024
What can you say in one spread and 500 words?
CLOG—founded in 2011—is an international publication that critically explores one topic at a time from as many perspectives as possible. While online press, blogs, tweets, social media, and other digital forums have drastically increased the speed at which information is distributed, debated, and consumed today, the ceaseless deluge of facts and opinions makes it challenging to assemble a holistic view of any topic. CLOG slows things down. Each issue explores, from multiple viewpoints and through a variety of means, a single subject particularly relevant now. Succinctly, on paper, away from the distractions and imperatives of the screen.
As Research Editor, I have been responsible for creating pieces within each issue to ground the reader’s knowledge base in the topic at hand. Through diagramming, collaging, interviewing, and mapping these pieces are the objective starting point of every CLOG.
WeWork’s tumultuous journey, from its peak to the CEO’s ousting,
sq ft globally. This innovative product-oriented approach, fueled by venture capital, spawned a diverse workforce, catalyzing 700+ projects and a transformative “WeWork Effect” across the AEC, workplace, and real estate sectors. CLOGxWeWork explores the company’s profound impact on the built environment.
CLOG X Feeds, 2022
In today’s online world, 3.8 billion of the 4.78 billion people are active on social media feeds, shaping our digital commons. While feeds connect, spark relationships, and fuel revolutions, they’re designed for engagement and ad
revenue. The ever-changing algorithms simultaneously unite and divide, influencing everything from shopping to activism. CLOG’s 18th issue explores the design, behavior, and impact of feeds in our increasingly entropic era.
From criminalization to a global wave of legalization, marijuana, known by various names, undergoes a societal shift. Advocates emphasize medical benefits and compare it to legal substances like alcohol, while opponents point
to potential drawbacks. Hindered research due to legality persists. CLOG’s 17th issue explores cannabis origins, delivery methods, legalization, law enforcement, and its integration into the wellness industry, including an interview with a high-end distributor and insights into drug testing and hemp farming.
Artificial Intelligence, particularly the advanced “narrow” AI surpassing human capabilities, is now integral to daily life, presenting both familiarity and uncertainty. Defining AI is complex, ranging from consumer interactions (AlphaGo,
Alexa) to high-profile super-machines (DeepMind, Watson) and unseen bots. As curiosity and fear surround AI’s future, the prospect of Artificial General Intelligence raises questions about its impact on labor, automation in knowledge industries, and the potential outcomes for humanity.
CLOG X Cannabis, 2020
CLOG X Artificial Intelligence, 2018