Portfolio | Suzanne A. Lawrence Year 2

Portfolio Suzanne Lawrence l Design Studio 4 l Semester 2 l 2014

“A great building will never stand if you neglect the small bricks�

- Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha

Introduction Suzanne Lawrence l Design Studio 4 l Semester 2 l 2014

Design Charrette

06

Kindergarten

12

Rural Shelter

20

Live/Work

26

Media Study

34

Contents

Design Charrette Group Assignment l Lecturer: M. Lorde l Duration: 1 week

Task: The Design Charrette required students to form groups and design an outdoor structure that would be used as a sheltered waiting area for persons taking public transportation. The shelter also needed to include a space for a vendor to sell locally manufactured products. This design also had to ensure that the waiting area comfortably held a maximum of 7 persons, be made from locally produced materials, accommodate alternate arrangement and use and it should not exceed a volume of 12m3. .

8

Process: After conceptualizing what the structure should look like, it was decided that the design would separate the spaces to facilitate their specified functions. We decided to create a lay-by that would face the entrance of the structure allowing persons to have a clear view and safe access to and from the vehicles that would approach the shelter. The waiting area would have a bench to hold 7 persons and an open space would be left for those who wished to stand. For the vending area, a counter with storage space below would be provided along with shelves to display the products being sold. The vendor would have access to this space by lifting the hinged portion of the countertop.

9

Product: The final design placed emphasis on the cohesion of the waiting and vending areas which served as the structure’s public and private spaces respectively. Using a curved form, we created a structure that was aesthetically pleasing, functional and approriate for the urban setting it was placed in. Materials used on this structure include: timber which was used for the trellis and bench of the waiting area, concrete for the vending space and steel which framed the waiting area and was used for the structure’s rafters. Improvements could have been made by further exploiting the space and by carrying out more tests on the shading devices. In all, it was a well- received project.

10

11

Kindergarten Individual Work l Lecturer:D. Cuthbert l Duration: 3 weeks

Task: The second project was presented in three parts. Firstly, the class was given the task of conducting a site analysis of the open lot along Buttercup Drive. Once the necessary information had been gathered, students were then placed in groups to design a Master Plan for this site. This plan would then be used for the final stage of the project where students were then asked to individually create a kindergarten and study centre using the layout produced in the Master Plan.

14

Process: The analysis highlighted the fact that that the site was not only located within a residential area but was also situated between a school and private football club. Additionally, there was also the presence of several vendors who would set up stalls along the school gate. The presence of these spaces caused issues with circulation, sound and safety especially for the children. Our Master Plan aimed to create a structured selling space for the vendors, a parking lot as well as a secured area for a kindergarten and playground and a green space and pavilion for residents of that community.

15

16

Process: Much of my design was based on feedback from the site analysis along with my personal experience of a kindergarten. The entrance, office, sick bay and janitor’s closet would be located on the western façade. Once inside the space persons would be greeted by the courtyard. This courtyard would serve as an outdoor learning space, playground and scenic waiting area. The library would be located on the southern façade as this end faced the primary school and would be easiest for students coming to the learning centre to have access to. The main activity space would be located at the back of the kindergarten and would have direct access points to the necessary areas.

17

Product: My final design differed very little from that presented during my interim critique. It was refined to a space that extended from a centralized courtyard. This space was critical to my design as it opened up the seemingly closed structure and allowed cross ventilation and effective circulation through all the spaces located within the school.

Recommended improvements to this design included omitting the designated eating areas that were provided along with making the angle of my slanted roof more dramatic. This project was a good introduction to the level and quality of work that would be required from students moving forward.

18

19

Rural Shelter Individual Work l Lecturer:O. Wright l Duration: 3 weeks

Task: Rural Shelter required students to conduct a site analysis at the White River bordering the parishes of St. Ann and St. Mary. The general site was divided into six subdivisions along the bank of the river. Students were each assigned to a subdivision where they were then given the task of designing a prototype shelter of maximum volume 35m3 and had to also comfortably accommodate a person and placement for a water tank, three batteries, solar panel, small inverter and a kayak. Timber had to be used as the main construction material for this project.

22

Process: My site was the fifth subdivision and based on the site analysis it required me to design a space that was raised at least 0.5m above the ground to withstand flooding. Also, a small path for access between the river and the shelter needed to be designed due to the gentle slope of the land. A tourist attraction area was located opposite my site and as a result of this I had to angle my structure in such a way that those inside could have privacy while enjoying the view of the river. Even though privacy was important to my design I wanted the structure to have the option of opening up in a way that would allow natural lighting and cross ventilation to pass through the space.

23

24

Product: Site 5 was elegantly garnished by two very distinct bamboo clusters along with a calm yet steadily flowing portion of the river. These features greatly influenced the microclimate of the area and also inspired my design. I aimed to mimic the form of the bamboo stalk by creating two main structures that used solid and void to dictate the public and private spaces. The public space housed all the entry and access points, kayak and water tank while the private space was reserved for resting and observing. This project taught me a great deal about designing for a particular environment and after its completion and review I believe my model making and presentation skills improved.

25

Live/Work

Individual Work l Lecturer:D. Hayle l Duration: 3 weeks

Task: Like Kindergarten, Live/Work was presented in three stages, the first being Precedents. This assignment required students to research an existing building and in groups, present on its architectural features and elements.

My group received the Nail Collector’s House. Once this was completed, students were then taken on site to conduct an analysis for two sites located along the aqueduct behind The University of Technology. Students were assigned to one of the sites along with a family type where they were then given the requirements of the final stage- to design a home that could simultaneously accommodate the living and working needs of the assigned family.

28

Process: Located in Essex, New York, the Nail Collector’s House functions as a home and work space for a writer.

Overlooking Lake Champlain, this brass coated tower draws its inspiration from Homer’s Odyssey where the twentyfour windows represent the twenty-four chapters of the book. The space is split into three storeys and from these levels one is able to determine the public and private spaces, solid and void and the live and work areas. The building has two main entry points and its twenty-four windows allow a lot of natural light to pass through the space. The house is also well ventilted due to the nature of the site and the positioning of these openings.

29

30

Process: My family consisted of a single father of two children who works as a physiotherapist and teaches yoga. On my site (Site A) the aqueduct shared its space with ruins and a garden and this inspired me to design a structure that would interact with these features without disrupting them. Due to the nature of the father’s work and assumed age of the children, it was also important that some distance be kept between the live and work spaces to avoid issues with noise and privacy. I was also required to design a space for the father to conduct yoga classes and this led my design to have many openings, all of which would be adequately shaded using timber louvres and vegetation.

31

Product: My final design was an L-shaped figure that was constructed of mainly concrete and timber. Clients would enter the site from the south and access the workspace by using a ramp placed on the portion of the land with the gentler slope. Once on the deck, they could either go to the office or continue to the courtyard for yoga classes. The living space has a private and public entrance where both were placed at a reasonable distance from the working space. A green roof and solar panel were also used to improve the cooling and efficiency of my structure respectively.

Improvements could have been made in my final presentation images but this was nevertheless an enjoyable project.

32

33

Media Study

Individual Work l Lecturer:A. West- Martin l Duration:1 semester

Task: Media Study sought to develop and improve the quality of students work by understanding how different media could be used to aid one’s presentation of work. The task given was to choose a model or scene from a project and use certain media to represent its form and response to light and shadow. This project was conducted throughout the semester and students were encouraged to apply different rendering techniques in both this assignment and their other Design Studio projects.

36

Product: The images shown above represent a model that was designed for a pavilion that has been rendered using pen and ink using the stippling and cross hatching technique along with pen outlined versions rendered with watercolour (complementary) and colour pencil (monochrome) respectively. Though seemingly tedious at first, this project turned out to be a very enjoyable learning experience.

37