Sandra Schwartz | Research
body | form | space | architecture
ARCH 479: Independent Study in Architecture Fall 2008 Michael Ambrose, Assistant Professor
This study of the corporeal metaphor is an ongoing research
to diagram and abstract the body in motion. These
project that began fall semester of my senior year as an
abstractions were turned into a large-scaled installation,
Independent Study with Assistant Professor Michael Ambrose.
currently located in the Architecture Building at the University
Trials were conducted to investigate the sensory experience of
of Maryland, integrated within the structure and positioned
the body in motion and establish the architectural implications
along a main thoroughfare. The process took form from lines
of corporal/formal translation. I explored different media
of motion defined by the movements of joints in the human
such as drawing and photography (still and motion) as ways
body. Joints were treated as points traced over time.
Sandra Schwartz | Research
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Sandra Schwartz | Research
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Sandra Schwartz | Studio
Thomas L. Schumacher Car Museum
ARCH 403: Studio IV, Spring 2009 Jennifer Carney, Lecturer
This car museum was designed so that it is symbiotic with the
visitors climb stairs to the elevated main gallery. The existing
existing landscape. The Rockville Civic Center is used for both
service road provides access to the second floor garage,
private and public events year round ranging from weddings
while the public ascends from the parking lot and path just
and school field trips, to the Annual Antique Car Show that
west of the museum.
transforms the large grassy area just east of the mansion into
The museum functions similarly to the Civic Center, as the
an outdoor gallery. There is a variance in topography over the
spaces within it can be transformed depending on the events.
site and this verticality is emphasized within the museum, as
Sandra Schwartz | Studio
digital diagrams, partners: Sandra Schwartz and Anthony Maiolatesi
18� x 24� pencil on paper
Sandra Schwartz | Studio
pencil and watercolor on paper
Sandra Schwartz | Studio
pencil and watercolor on paper
Sandra Schwartz | Studio
Solar Pavilion
ARCH 401: Studio II, Spring 2008 Nick Mansperger, Lecturer, Design Collective
Within the parameters of a 20ft by 20ft cube, four college
into the bedrooms during the day, and direct heat rising from
students need to have areas for study and areas of gathering.
the thermal floor at night. Though separated through privacy,
To facilitate this separation are interior windows. This
the bedroom areas feed off of the south facing functional
changing system allows for a dialogue between the different
gathering space, making this house work as an entity within
zones, whether privacy is needed. In response to the cold
its context.
climate of Minneapolis, MN, louvers in the windows direct light
Sandra Schwartz | Studio
Sandra Schwartz | Beyond School
A Model For Aging in Place
AIAS/AARP Livable Communities Design Competition Entry, April 2009 Second Place, Entry present at AIA Convention and published in Crit Magazine Team: Sandra Schwartz, Alice Chiang, Daniel Reed and Anthony Maiolatesi
Our team of four took on the challenge to design for the future.
Our design emphasizes the context and how our community
The U.S. Census reports that by the year 2030, more than half
fits within the larger master plan of its neighborhood. A two
of all Americans will be over the age of 50 and one in every five
story public gym and wellness center was designed to foster
persons will be age 65 or older. A “Livable Community,� one that
the interaction between residents and their greater community.
is for all ages with appropriate housing, supportive community
Within the community careful attention was paid to the sequence
features and services and adequate mobility options, facilitating
of entry and arrangement of rooms to provide both natural
personal independence and the engagement of residents in
light and a sense of welcome.
civic and social life.
Sandra Schwartz | Beyond School
Sandra Schwartz | Beyond School
Sandra Schwartz | Art
Wood Sculpture
ARTT 333: Elements of Sculpture - Wood/Mixed Media, Spring 2008 Foon Sham, Professor
Left: This 5ft tall sculpture is a study of positive and negative space, and how to represent, and add a spatial quality to the face/vase figure-ground illusion. Using art as an expression of process, the cuts were made only once through long strips of wood, as each side became either the positive or negative. No glue was used to hold this project together, only pegs and gravity.
Right: Exploring the geometric properties of a cube
Sandra Schwartz | Art
Color Study - Exterior/Interior Space ARTT 343: Advanced Drawing, Summer 2008 Courtney Miller Bellairs, Senior Lecturer
This set of paintings explores the notion of metaphor within architectureal space through the use of color. The repetative structure of the hallway and the smoothness of the materials in Santiago Calatrava’s Milwaukee Museum of Art, parallel the structure and smooth petals of a flower.
Sandra Schwartz | Travel
Sketches in Italy
ARCH 448r and ARCH478o: Visual Analysis and Architectural Representation Summer 2008 Michael Ambrose, Assistant Professor, Issac Williams, Assistant Professor, Mark Ramrez of Square 134 Architects, Lecturer and Thomas L. Schumacher, Professor
A six week summer study abroad studying the methodology for design analysis, represented in two- and three- dimensional diagramming and investigating different types of medium and viepoints in drawing representation and visual communication.
Sandra Schwartz | Beyond School
Algorithmic Process - Typeface
ARCH 470: Explorations in Digital Media Fall 2009 Carl Lostritto, Lecturer
Allowing the process to drive the outcome, this exploration of a typeface involved creating algorithms that translate 2-d geometry into 3-d form. The designed algorithm therefore retains the topologies of the 2-d source material making the resultant form capture the essence of the geometric system. In my process the resultant form uses the geometries in a way that the source material is no longer legible as a typeface.
Sandra Schwartz | Digital Media
Event Mapping
ARCH 470: Explorations in Digital Media Fall 2009 Carl Lostritto, Lecturer
This project was an exploration in transmutational architecture
space. The path of the main object; the bowling ball and the
incorporating mapped data. A space that is designed for
turkey, was traced. Each trial was systematically altered by
specific events can have both events occuring simultaneously
changing the variable, the weight of the object, to produce a
along with a new “medium� event in which both otherwise
range. There was overlap in that each event has been taken
extremely different events can participate.
out of their contextual settings and each procedure occured
The two events of bowling and Thanknsgiving were each
in the same volume resulting in different paths of light.
evaluated and isolated within the same parameters and
Sandra Schwartz | Digital Media
Sandra Schwartz | Digital Media
radius = B + B = b 4
radius = y+ (variable 2) = B (variable 3)
circle arc 1 arc 2 arc 3 arc 4
radius = A + A = a 4
radius = s 2
s
=A
(variable 1)
circle arc 1 arc 2 arc 3 arc 4
points start
points start
x = s/2 y = s/2 z=0
grid B
x=0 y=0 z=0
grid A
Parametric Process - Ornament
This series of translations explored a source geometric
surface. In this controlled surface the source material became
ARCH 470: Explorations in Digital Media Fall 2009 Carl Lostritto, Lecturer
pattern. The geometry was broken down into a single block
a starting point taken in both directions to the extremes. In
that repeats itself endlessly. Within theis block, the 2-d
the next translation the effects of the resultant surface were
geometry was translated into a 3-d module giving spatial
modeled. This process of fabrication combined the act of
implications that break from the Euclidian planarity. This
cutting with pinching to form a volumetric space combining
translation was then parametrically controlled so that the
digital output with tacticle manipulation.
generated forms varied based on their position on the
Sandra Schwartz | Digital Media