Thomas Masino_Architecture Design Portfolio_Current

PROFESSIONAL WORK

CSX EAST - AC HOTEL CAPITOL HILL & ILLUME APARTMENTS

Washington, DC

R2L:Architects role: Primary Staff programs used: Revit 2018, Photoshop, and Illustrator

I started on this project relatively early on, right after project start-up and initial massing presentations to the client. The overall project consists of three buildings sited right on the highway in Navy Yard, with great views of the Capitol, on top of two levels of below-grade parking. The program consists of a hotel, a restaurant, two floors of office space, apartments, and associated amenity spaces. Overall, the project has a budget of approximately $260 million with 225 guestrooms and 756 apartment units.

The site was a challenge to work with due to topography and underground pipes and sewers that could not be built over. The overall form of the three buildings was driven by these underground factors and their associated easements, the highway easement, and creating green veins that extend from the properties to the south through the site. The project has complex connections to existing buildings and between the buildings themselves. The hotel building interacts with an existing building to the south (ORE 82) twice, once on the ground floor through the loading dock and once on the eleventh floor through a bridge. The below-grade parking garage interacts with the underground parking to the south (under 70 & 100 Capitol Yards) through a two different door and stair penetrations in the foundation wall. The central courtyard interacts with the courtyard of 100 Capitol Yards through an elevator tower and open-air stair. The hotel also connects to the one of the office floors through a conditioned glass bridge, that same office floor connects to the third building through a similar glass bridge, and the two residential roof amenity spaces are connected via a glass, open-air, skybridge. The purpose of connecting to ORE 82 was to take advantage of zoning regulations. Since we made meaningful connections to ORE 82 and it was built under prior zoning regulations, we gained two additional floors of apartments in Building 3.

While the majority of my time on this project was devoted to the hotel, Building 1, I have also worked on parts of the project relating to the residential scope, including the bridges and the connection to 100 Capitol Yards. In December 2020 the project manager went on an extended sabbatical and I assumed their role and responsibilities. I became the first person the construction team called with questions and was also responsible for compiling permit amendment submissions and returning residential CA items. I have visited the site almost every week and have watched the project from excavation to the present.

Photograph taken between Building 2 (upper, apartments and office) and Building 1 (lower, hotel) looking up (by self).

SITE & EXISTING CONDITIONS

The site is bounded to the north by I-695, to the east by New Jersey Avenue SE, to the west by an adjacent lot, and to the south by three existing buildings (70 Capitol Yards, 100 Capitol Yards, and ORE 82 Eye) and I Street SE.

An existing sewer runs under the northeast corner of the site and existing, unused pipes belonging to the Architect of the Capitol run north-south through the middle of the site.

EASEMENTS & RESTRICTIONS

The highway required a fifteen-foot restriction and an additional twenty-foot setback, meaning the furthest north we could build was thirty-fivefeet from the highway. Additionally, the existing sewer required an eight-foot setback.

It was unknown what degree we could build over the pipes belonging to the Architect of the Capitol, so we assumed the worst-case scenario and did not plan any groud floor space over them.

INTERNAL STREETS

The new streets into the site and down to the parking levels are extensions of existings streets: the east site entrance is an extension of H Street SE and the south site entrance is an extension of First Street SE.

These roads converge and continue along the north end of the site, occupying a portion of the thiry-five-foot zone from the highway that we could not build in.

BUILDING MASSING

Taking into account the restrictions and internal roads, three buildings were sited to navigate these challenging conditions. The buildings are oriented in a roughly north-south direction in an attempt to create porosity and views through the site from the buildings to the south.

Based on current zoning, the buildings had a maximum height of 110’, resulting in Building 1 (hotel, eastmost) having 225 keys across nine floors (eleven floors total) and Buildings 2 & 3 (apartments, center and westmost) having 240 and 440 units, respectively, across ten floors (twelve floors total).

BRIDGES & CONNECTIONS

After the intial building massing was determined, we studied connecting to the existing buildings to the south. Doing so allowed for a number of benefits, including the use of excess parking spaces in 70 and 100 Capitol Yards by Illume residents and the use of Illume’s brand-new amenities by Capitol Yards residents.

But most importantly, by connecting to ORE 82 Eye, we were grandfathered into the zoning regulations that ORE 82 Eye was permitted under, allowing us to build to a maximum height of 130’.

There are four bridges, a ground floor connection between loading docks, an open-air courtyard connection, and two connections between garages.

TALLER BUILDING MASSING & GREEN SPACE

With the increased building height, we added one more floor to Building 2, replaced the lowest two floors of units with office space, and increased the floor-to-floor height, resulting in 214 units across nine floors (thirteen floors total). Building 3 gained two floors, resulting in 542 units across thirteen floors (fourteen floors total)

A central courtyard full of planters and vegetation occupies the space between Buildings 2 & 3, extending the green space at Capitol Yards and creating these green veins through the block. The south site entry is also framed by terraced planters and trees.

We created a pocket park in the space north of Building 1 over top of the existing sewer and located a dog park under the highway.

BUILDINGS 2 & 3 - ILLUME APARTMENTS

259,000 SQFT & 489,700 SQFT with 147,000 SQFT of below-grade parking | LEED Gold

involvement: construction administration through project closeout ; also responsible for coordinating permit submissions for various amendments (B2 roof, B3 FCR, B2 office bathrooms, and pools) with our expediter (overall building permit coordinated by previous project manager).

approximate time of involvement: Dec 2020 - Dec 2022

note, only the second and third floors of Building 2 were not delivered by the design and construction team; these office floors were completed by another architect and JMA.

involvement & scope description diagram

BUILDING 1 - AC HOTEL CAPITOL HILL NAVY YARD

134,600 SQFT | LEED Certified

involvement: massing though project closeout

approximate time of involvement: Aug 2018 - July 2022

note, only the ground floor retail space was delievered as a warm, dark shell, to be outfitted by a future tenant.

BRIDGES 2, 3, and 4

involvement: design development through closeout .

approximate time of involvement: May 2020 - Sep 2022

PROJECT TEAM

structural SK&A | residential mechanical, residential plumbing, and hotel plumbing BOWMAN (KTA)

| electrical PDI | hotel mechanical

EDG2 | civil WILES MENSCH |

envelope SGH | hotel lighting WPF

|

hotel interior design DLR GROUP |

restaurant interior design

ELLIS ADAMS GROUP | accessibility

SKARZENSKI | residential hardware

ECSI | hotel hardware PARAGON

| acoustics ADC | code JENSEN

HUGHES | leed SBP

contractor | JMA

CAPITOL YARDS CONNECTION

involvement: design development through closeout , also responsible for coordinating permit submission with our permit expediter.

approximate time of involvement: Aug 2020 - Sep 2022

BRIDGE 1

involvement: design intent through closeout , also responsible for coordinating the unit renovation permit submission in ORE 82 with our permit expediter.

approximate time of involvement: Dec 2018 - Jan 2022

process sketches

facade development (linework export and markups on trace by self)

process views

view of the hotel from New Jersey Avenue used to study the introduction of other colors and patterns into the above right image (modeling, image export, and image manipulation by self)

presentation drawing

view of the east facade and restaurant entrance (modeling, raw render, linework export, and postproduction by self)

inspiration images

metal panel option studies

used to study less expensive, standard color options available from various manufacturers and the sealant color, compared to previous renderings (by self)

SHERWIN WILLIAMS FUNDAMENTAL NEUTRALS SERIES

SHERWIN WILLIAMS COLOR OPTIONS SERIES

SHERWIN WILLIAMS ENERGETIC BRIGHTS SERIES

on-site mockup photographs

left photo: hotel facade (left, background) and residential facade (right, foreground) mockup right photo: closer view of only the hotel facade mockup (02/28/20, by self)

process sketch

ground floor axonometric (linework export and markups on trace by self)

construction documents

ground floor plan

(initial model, sheet set-up and major model / drawing edits by self)

pattern development

west hotel entrance feature wall (image selection, image abstraction, and renders by self)

construction photograph

west hotel entrance and drop-off (09/24/21, by self)

process sketch

west hotel entrance and drop-off (linework export and markups on trace by self)

construction documents

wall sections

(initial model, sheet set-up and major model / drawing edits by self)

process sketches

east elevation, retail curtainwall used to study options for reducing far left door height (linework export and markups on trace by self)

construction documents

typical floor plan (initial detailing, drafting, sheet set-up and major drawing edits by self)

process sketches

north elevation studies (linework export and sketches by self, decision and model changes by self)

presentation drawing

view of the east hotel entrance and canopy (modeling, raw render, linework export, and postproduction by self)

design drawing

east entry canopy perspective used to futher refine the canopy design and wood slat placement (design, modeling, and linework export by self)

envelope coordination

second floor green roof connection to adjacent building; detail worked out between R2L, envelope consultant, and contractor (detail by self)

interior design coordination

second floor meeting room ceiling feature; design intent by DLR and detail development, documentation, and MEP coordination by R2L (light cove detail by self)

code & life safety coordination

eleventh floor egress plan (by self)

accessibility coordination

bluebeam markup of Building 3 roof washroom used to coordinate preferred solution between R2L, accessibility consultant, and contractor in order to achieve the required ratio of accessible to standard toilet compartments (proposed options and markup by self)

construction photograph

south end of Building 2, looking north, with Building 3 to the left and Building 1 to the right Bridges 2, 3, and 4 and I-695 visible in the background (10/25/21, by self)

bridges and connections (photographs and diagram by self)

BRIDGE

4

Connects the roof levels of Building 2 and 3, allowing residents to access the roof-level amenities located in the other building without having to go down to the ground floor. Additionally, a walking or running route is created along the perimeter of both buildings across the bridge. It’s an open-air, all-glass skybridge with very visible structure and fritted glass to walk on. Structurally, two steel trusses are connected with tube steel; it bears on both Buildings 2 and 3 through haunches, embeds, and concrete beams. The skybridge also has steel outriggers which were required for zoning.

ELEVATOR & STAIR COURTYARD CONNECTION

Connects the central courtyard of CSX with the west courtyard at 100 Eye Street. Since all four buildings are now managed out of the leasing office in Building 2, the elevator provides an accessible route from CSX to Capitol Yards. The connection also allows Capitol Yards residents to access the amenities and the dog park in Buildings 2 and 3.

Bridge 2 connects the second floor meeting room space in Building 1 to the coworking space on the second floor of Building 2. Hotel guests can use the bridge to access the gym on the ground floor of Building 2 while people using the coworking space can rent the meeting rooms if needed. Bridge 3 connects the coworking space on the second floor of Building 2 with the second floor of Building 3, allowing residents in Building 3 easier access to the office space if they work there. They’re a pair of conditioned, glass wall and glass ceiling bridges with hidden structure, meant to appear as frameless glass volumes. The glass is fritted on the ceiling and south wall while clear on the north. Structurally, they bear on the buildings on both sides through haunches, embeds, and concrete beams. The west sides of both bridges are the fixed ends and the east sides are designed for lateral movement.

BRIDGE 1 & ZONING TRELLIS

Connects the 12th floor of ORE 82 EYE with the 11th floor of Building 1. It appears as an extension of Building 1’s metal panel facade; structurally, it bears completely on Building 1 on diagonal steel members with an expansion joint at the interface with ORE 82 EYE. The zoning trellis caps off an otherwise irregular shaped court facing NJ Avenue.

construction photographs

progress photographs of the hotel taken from across New Jersey Avenue, 09/2020 to present (by self)

view of the east facade and restaurant entrance (modeling, raw render, linework export, and postproduction by self)

WEST 2ND

Charlottesville, VA

R2L:Architects role: Primary Staff programs used: Revit 2018, Photoshop, and Illustrator

I came onto this project after the schematic design phase and learned that the project had a somewhat difficult past. The city put out an RFP for a housing project that could also provide a permanent home for the Charlottesville City Market. The city and the vendors disagreed with which proposal should proceed further, but the city went with their own choice.

The project was further inhibited by an initial design that called for an expensive, two-anda-half story underground garage, unrealistic structural system, and inefficient typical residential floors.

The project came to R2L:architects as the firm is known for high quality, cost-effective design. A number of changes included reducing the amount of excavation, changing to a concrete structural system, increasing rentable office space, and more efficient residential floors.

My initial contributions to this project included presentation drawings for board of architectural review meetings that we were required to present at once every month. Additionally, I worked on almost every drawing including plans, sections, elevations, egress plans, zoning information, unit sheets, stair and elevator details, and exterior details. The exterior details were particularly interesting as they allowed me to work closely with the principals and envelope consultants.

I also really enjoyed working on the plaza paving plan, seen on page 20. The plaza had gone through various iterations and was restricted to about 30% cast stone and 70% stamped concrete, for budget reasons. The design I proposed established a subtle 10’x10’ grid for the vendor tents with cast stone borders to separate the vendor space from the circulation space. Various gray hues of concrete reach across the path to hide the incongruity of the lines extending from the building’s 20’ openings and the 10’ tent grid.

Exterior rendering of northeast corner (by self).

presentation drawings

top: context map (by project manager);

bottom:

plaza paving plan with inset showing process drawing (by self)

presentation drawings

top left and right: building massing and program axonometrics (by self);

middle: plaza trellis during the week (design input provided by self, trellis model and export by others);

bottom: plaza trellis during Charlottesville City Market (design input provided by self, trellis model and export by others)

presentation drawings

left: indoor market hall entrance (raw render and linework export by self, post-production by other with input by self)

right: residential lobby entrance (raw render, linework export, and post-production by self)

presentation drawings

left: office lobby entrance (raw render and linework export by self, post-production by other with input by self)

right: retail entrances (raw render, linework export, and post-production by self)

construction documents

ground floor plan

(initial model by others, sheet set-up and major model / drawing edits by self)

presentation drawings

north elevation perspective

(raw render, linework export, and postproduction by self)

construction documents

fourth floor plan

presentation drawings

west elevation perspective (raw render and linework export by self, post-production by other with input by self)

construction documents

unit floor plan

(initial model by others, sheet set-up and major model / drawing edits by self)

presentation drawings

south elevation perspective (raw render, linework export, and postproduction by self)

construction documents

typical brick details (initial drafting, sheet set-up and major drawing edits by self)

presentation drawings

east elevation perspective (raw render and linework export by self, post-production by other with input by self)

PRIVATE RESIDENCE

Bethesda, MD Barnes Vanze Architects role: Primary Staff programs used: SketchUp and AutoCAD

I started on this project relatively early, just after initial plans and elevations of the house had been approved by the client. As I was the only other staff member on this project, I was able to work one-on-one with the project manager. I drafted and produced almost every drawing used in client or consultant meetings and drawing sets.

The project focused on the demolition of an existing house and construction of a new residence for a family of eight with an in-law wing, play court, media room, formal dining room, informal family room and attached porch, and three story feature stair.

I learned the most on the project working on building and walls section, and associated details. Meeting with and coordinating drawings with the structural engineer was also an important step in my understanding of the design process.

I particularly enjoyed modeling the house and its interior in Sketchup, producing various images such as the one to the right, to show the client. Being able to see the clients’ joy and interest as I navigated around the model to show them their future home was especially exciting.

Interior view of living room (by self).

construction documents

first floor plan (inital drawing by project manager, major edits by self)

presentation drawings

interior

view of family room (model and view by self)

exterior elevations (inital drawing by project manager, major edits by self)

presentation drawings

exterior view of front of house (model and view by self)

construction photographs (by project manager)

wall sections (by self)

construction photographs (by project manager)

FEATURE STAIRS

Henlopen Acres, DE | Georgetown, DC Barnes Vanze Architects role: Secondary Staff programs used: SketchUp, Rhinoceros 5.0, AutoCAD

While my role on both of these projects was somewhat limited to helping out as needed and editing already drafted drawings, I had the chance to explore issues relating to the detailing of the feature stairs of both residences.

On the left is a more contemporary, steel staircase for a beach house located in Henlopen Acres, Delaware. A digital model produced in Sketchup was used to study the intersections of the c-channel stringers at each corner and how that intersection interacted with the railing post above. Various options were explored including a completely open corner, one that included welded pieces at the flanges but left the web open, and a boxed-off corner. Ultimately, the corners were boxed off with additional welded pieces, creating a strong, assertive corner that appears to hold the railing post quite nicely and transitions from the lower stringers to the upper one.

On the right in a more classical, marble staircase for a weekend house located in Georgetown, DC. The stair is interesting in that it is supported on one side by the marble stringer and the other by a concrete wall. I was tasked with modeling the staircase in the firm’s go-to program, Sketchup, in order to provide initial drawings to the fabricator who would be producing the marble stringer and treads. Initially, I struggled to model the staircase in Sketchup, downloading plug-in after plug-in, only to fail at achieving the proper geometry of treads that had a different curve at the front than at the back and were also tapered in section. I knew I could model it more easily in Rhino and eventually convinced the project manager and principals to let me use my personal computer to do so. The task was then quickly achieved with a number of 2-rail sweeps to produce the exported image on page 39. Linework was then exported from this model and sent to the fabricator.

Detail photographs of feature stairs (by professional photographer).

project images

top left: process digital model (model and drawing by self); top right: professional photograph (by project photographer); bottom: construction document stair detail sheet (initial drawing by project manager, major edits by self)

project images

top: construction document stair detail sheet (drawing by others)

bottom left: process digital model (model and drawing by self);

bottom right: professional photograph (by professional photographer)

DIGITAL CRAFT - SCRIBBLED BRICK

SCRIBBLED BRICK

Clemson, SC - Fall 2016 critic: Douglas Hecker time: 6 weeks programs used: Rhinoceros 5.0, Cura, and Potterbot

Tasked with the goal of rethinking the brick, I began my studies by testing the capabilities of the clay potterbot. I was interested to see how far I could push the technology and material and still produce a successful brick. I tried to produce intentional failures that would allow light to penetrate though the brick. However, the potterbot worked better than I expected and produced both of the “disintegrated bricks”. Next, I tried to see how steep of a slope i could print in clay, producing the “stressed brick”. Then, I designed and printed a brick with long sides that were made of ribbons of material. I alternated concave, straight, and convex ribbons hoping that the gaps between them would produce the light penetration I was seeking. However, the material drooped during the printing process and produced a much more interesting effect than I expected: a “woven brick”.

My first true success came when I designed a brick whose long sides had been scribbled somewhat randomly. These scribbled surfaces occasionally intersected one another and produced the “scribbled brick 1”. I tried to increase the number and complexity of the scribbles making up each long face, resulting in the failed bricks 2 through 5. The potterbot was simply unable to print in a continuous path due to the complexity of the surface. As a result, it moved around discontinuously and printed clay in strands where I did not want it. With “scribbled brick 6”, I returned to the success of the first scribbled brick, but contained the brick in a 3-inch by 3-inch by 9-inch volume to allow for stacking and the creation of a wall.

The addition of notches along the long sides of the brick in “scribbled brick 8” allows for either stacked to staggered arrangements. In the final wall assembly photos, both arrangements are shown. The interacting long sides of the brick create structural infill, allowing for an otherwise hollow brick. The holes in the brick allow for the light penetration I had sought after from the beginning.

Ideally, this brick would be used to construct interior wall partitions in office settings or create interesting museum installations. They are also lighter than typical bricks and arguably more visually interesting.

Detail of scribbled wall

brick prototypes

top to bottom: disintegrated brick 1; disintegrated brick 2; stressed brick; woven brick; scribbled brick 1 ; scribbled brick 2

brick prototypes

scribbled brick 3; scribbled brick 4; scribbled brick 5; scribbled brick 6 ; scribbled brick 7; scribbled brick 8

brick process

top: process

bottom: interior office application

increased surface area increases sound absorption

voids allow for light to penetrate brick and view through

notches allow for easy stacking

scribbled infill creates structural integrity

ACADEMIC WORK

GRADUATE WORK

SHIFT and SUBVERT

Barcelona, Spain - Spring 2016

critic: Toni Montes time: 12 weeks

programs used: SketchUp and Podium, AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

The title and concept of this project were inspired by the notion of the government of Barcelona returning the area of Can Batlló to the citizens and allowing them to organize and govern it and themselves. This notion, representing a subversive paradigm shift, appears in the building as a series of ramps that shift and subvert around other ramps and programmed spaces. The primary ramp descends through the building, creating an interior pedestrian passage and navigating an existing topography change between the east and west facades. It connects Can Batlló to the nearby metro station and larger metropolitan area. Program then fell into one of three realms: that of the topography below, that of the modular structure above, or that which connects the two. Larger and more public program, such as the workshop and multi-use high space, belong to the topography while smaller and more private program, such as the offices and classrooms, belong to the structure. The civic platform and combined gallery and library connect the two previously mentioned realms and allow the visitors to interact with the citizens.

Each of the programmatic elements contains an educational component, aimed to educate the citizens at a variety of scales, in order to teach the community how to thrive independently of the government. For example, children can learn typical subjects in the classrooms while adults learn to grow food in the greenhouses and students research in the library.

physical, sectional model showing the relationships between the major programmatic spaces

south facade as seen from the Gran Via, including cafe and user shop space

top: site section bottom: site plan

A tall masonry site wall prevents views into Can Batllo while walking along the Gran Via, driving by on the Gran Via, or approaching the site from the nearest metro station. Visitors can access the site through an opening in the south site wall or through an entrance at the northeast corner. This site wall creates a barrier that isolates Can Battlo from the rest of Barcelona.

proposed site strategy

top: site section bottom: site plan

This project focuses on connecting Can Batllo to the larger city area by puncturing an opening in the site wall and creating a main pedestrian ramp through the proposed civic center

survey existing conditions

demolish select existing structures

create new upper public courtyard and renovate existing lower public courtyard

manage topography change with new interior pedestrian passage through building

excavate basement and ramp down to high-ceiling workshop space

ascend up to main civic space, hierarchically placed above pedestrian ramp

create civic platform by connecting main civic space to outdoor space on north side of building

extend civic platform through building with a cafe on the southern side, creating an open public facade

modify classroom and reading room roofs for access to indirect northern light

lift greenhouse roofs to allow for direct southern sun exposure

start-ups/retail

Secondary ramps allow users to access a basement level workshop space, where citizens can learn to produce products on their own and sell them in the adjacent store space. Citizens can also use the tools in the workshop to build the wood frame window panels featured prominently throughout the building. The primary ramp subducts under the main public space, the civic platform, that penetrates the building in the north-south direction and connects a northern outdoor space to a new southern terrace. A small lobby, multi-use hall, and cafe comprise the interior promenade along the civic platform. An existing structural grid informed the placement of ramps and interior spaces.

left to right: ground floor; first floor; second floor; third floor

not shown: basement plan; roof plan

gallery lobby cafe

theater civic platform gallery

interior views

clockwise: conference rooms; greenhouse; gallery; cafe; workshops; multi-use high space

offices

reading rooms

classrooms

library greenhouses conference rooms

The multi-use hall appears as an atypical space in which wood frame glass panels with attached louvers form the walls. Moveable partitions on the north and south walls allow the room to be completely open to facilitate movement through the building or completely closed to allow for a more traditonal venue for meetings and performances. Operable louvers create a variety of lighting conditions and views into the space, creating a dynamic space the reinforces the importance of the community.

theater seating options

left to right: market; reception; concert; tribunal

Folding partitions comprise the north and south walls of the focal theater space on the civic platform. Changing these partitions allows for a variety of communal activities to occur on the platform.

North-south partitions open and lower louvers folded up. Natural light and views enter.

Operable doors in N-S partitions and half of the lower louvers folded up. Natural light enters and some views enter and exit.

Operable doors in south partition wall with optional back-of-house at north end. Little amounts of light and views enter.

interior view of main pedestrian ramp, theater, and civic platform

Operable doors in north-south partitions and half of the lower louvers folded up. Some natural light and views enter.

theater louver configurations

Louvers that fold up and down, together with wood-frame glass panels, make up the walls of the theater. These louvers allow for different views and amounts of light to enter and exit, based on the use of the theater space, depending on their position.

building sections

top: transverse section through lobby

bottom: longitudinal section through pedestrian ramp

section details

top left: new wood wall

top right: library wall panel and concrete floor

bottom left: theater wall panel and louver

bottom right: corten steel wall

3/4” wood sheathing wood joist with insulation

1/2” drywall new window in existing opening new window with operable upper portion new concrete floor new steel decking new steel structural beam

existing truss new concrete floor new steel decking new steel beam wall panel supports (tied into concrete slab) new wood frame glass wall panels louver supports new operable wood louvers louver track

new wood frame window panels new concrete floor new steel decking new steel beam (beyond) drop ceiling ties

3/4” wood sheathing 1/2” drywall ceiling new spandrel glass

existing roof 1” corten steel wall cap

1” corten steel wall panel

2” air gap moisture barrier

3/4” wood sheathing

2x6 metal stud with insulation

1/2” drywall

existing truss new glass infill panel new concrete floor new steel decking

building sections

top: transverse section through civic platform

bottom:

environmental strategies section

climate information

left to right: sun path diagram; annual wind direction; design temperatures; conditioned spaces

roof transformations

clockwise: classrooms; greenhouse; solar chimney; reading room

modified roof classrooms learn to teach

new exterior walls greenhouse learn to grow reading rooms learn to research offices learn to administrate library learn to educate conference rooms learn to collaborate multi-use hall learn to govern and perform civic platform learn to engage cafe learn to interact gallery learn to display multi-use high space learn to exercise vertical circulation start-up stores learn to sell storage workshops learn to make

new program

existing and modified exterior walls

modified terrain

exterior views

top: public entry to upper courtyard from metro station

bottom: Can Batllo entrance

CLEMSON BOAT HOUSE

Clemson, SC - Fall 2015

critic: Ufuk Ersoy, David Franco, and Ulrike Heine time: 5 weeks

programs used: Rhinoceros 5.0, Maxwell, AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

This project is the first of three in a semester long project series aimed at “Rethinking Clemson”. Seeking to fulfill a need of the city of Clemson, we were tasked with designing a new community boat house. My initial inspiration came from the shape and direction of a rowing shell itself. I arranged three types of program (cultural, residential, and private) in this form. The building itself protrudes from the terrain as if moving away from it, similar to how rowing shells begin races.

The challenge of moving rowing shells from the parking lot to the boat storage bay provided me a unique design challenge. I solved this challenge by piercing the building with a ramp that would allow rowers to move the shells from up above to down below, moving through the building. In this way, the act of a team moving the boat together as one become a public spectacle. Cultural facilities, such as a gallery, library and race viewing platform, are placed on the upper level. Facilities to allow for the long-term stay of rowing teams, such as bedrooms, a gym, and a lounge, occur in the middle of the building. Finally, the lowest level is dedicated to the boat bay and storage as the rowing shells need direct access to the docks and water.

physical building model inserted into the site model

Of the sites given to us to choose from, I chose the site labeled as “Abandoned Lot” to the right. The site, located across from a hotel and at the eastern end of a bridge, had a steep grade change that interested me. Its location had prominence as a potential gateway into the city of Clemson. Also, its proximity to residences to the south and a commercially developed highway to the north provided interesting design opportunities.

site analysis

diagrams

right: regional connectivity bottom, left to right: gateway conditions; proximity to residences; sun and wind; water levels

work on this page completed in collaboration with five other students.

massing progression

left to right: separation of private, semi-private, and public program; arrange program along topography; pierce with boat circulation; pierce with public circulation; extend landscape onto roof

Of the above study models, the largest one interested me most because of its strong, simple gesture into the water. This is the scheme I pursued further.

rower green

left to right: entry; gallery; rower lodging; boat bay

a. entry

b. gallery

c. public roof

d. reading space

e. library

f. machine storage

g. rower lodging

h. locker rooms

i. rower gym

j. library stacks

k. office

l. restroom

m. classroom

g. rower lodging

n. rower lounge

o. public corridor

p. boat bay

q. dock

sections

top to bottom: longitudinal section through ramp; longitudinal section through gallery; longitundinal section through library; transverse section through entry and library; transverse section through rower lodging; transverse section through boat bay

full-scale model of louver

top: open bottom: closed

UNDERGRADUATE WORK

CO-LAB

Washington, DC - Fall 2013

critic: Luis Quiros

time: 6 weeks

programs used: SketchUp and Podium, AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, & InDesign

We began the design of this collaborate maker space by designing in section. I designed this main section to have a large, full-height atrium to visually link all the programmatic elements. Public functions, such as a cafe and gallery-display space occupy the ground floor while semi-public functions, such as an auditorium and maker space, occupy the floors above. The upper floor program is divided across the atrium, separating the auditorium and childcare area from the maker and hacker spaces. These two groups of program are contained by multi-floor glass panels while figural staircases cross the atrium. Service is moved the north side.

I conceived of the parti of this building as a continuation of the public realm into a large, multi-story, light-filled atrium into which volumes of the think/make space would be inserted. The volumes of think/make spaces were divided across the atrium, with the auditorium and children’s space facing 14th street and the hacking, collaborative, and fabrication spaces facing the alley. visitors enter the building from the west and enter the lobby with views into the eating space and large performance/exhibition space. a staircase allows visitors to ascend on axis halfway, then the landing reorients visitors 180 degrees, where they finish the ascent to the auditorium. Staircases with similar forms lead to the floors above, ending with a rooftop terrace facing 14th street. Wood panels cover the walls of the atrium, appearing warm and glowing in the light. The wood directs visitors up the staircase. Smaller beige tiles of a similar scale cover the walls of the auditorium and children’s space while larger metal plates cover the walls of the hacking, collaborative, and fabrication spaces.

A series of steel trusses contained within figural concrete support the floors and roof slabs. Smaller steel beams frame into the trusses, supporting the concrete slabs and decking. Steel columns placed at twenty-foot intervals originating from the corners of the thirty-foot-by-thirty-foot atrium support the trusses. I zoned the plans of the building to place all servant spaces (fire stairs, elevators, storage, and bathrooms) against the north party wall.

The two volumes of think/make spaces are contained by multi-story height glass walls, punctured by floor slabs and circulation spaces. Think/make spaces interact across the atrium using communal lounges placed against the south party wall. The west elevation projects the zoned interior with a concrete core containing the servant spaces. The volume of the auditorium projects from a glass facade, covered in wood panels. Spaces along the west side of the building are shaded with louvers and overhangs.

model progression

building plans

top to bottom: fourth floor plan; third floor plan; second floor plan; ground floor plan

service core

hacker space

stair atrium

roof terrace

user lounge

service core

co-lab space

stair atrium

children’s space

user lounge

service core

fabrication space

stair atrium

auditorium

user lounge

service core

lobby

stair atrium

performance space

cafe

design drawings

top: section perspective

middle left: 14th Street elevation

middle right: transverse section

bottom: technical longitudinal section

ENVISION SALISBURY

Salisbury, MD - Spring 2014

critic: Michael Ezban time: 12 weeks (6 weeks urban design, 6 weeks building design) programs used: SketchUp and Podium, AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, & InDesign

Similar to Salisbury, this proposed scheme functions as both a gateway and destination, a gateway to riverfront recreational activities and a destination for city cultural events. Service spaces, all contained within a 15-foot-high volume, wrap around, and nestle the larger public spaces. The steel structure exposes itself in these larger public spaces while walls surround the structure in the service spaces. All large public spaces are flexible enough to host a variety of events including performance, exhibitions, lectures, and receptions. The lobby gently caps the space between the brick-clad service volumes, allowing for views through the lobby and to the river.

Exterior view of main entrance from Circle Avenue

community workshop

above: pamphlet made by the studio to lead community members around their own city to understand more about their needs and desires for a public building

right: photos from the community workshop (I am pictured at the head of the table in the middle left photo)

urban design drawings

top: scheme 1 - 75% natural, 25% built; middle: scheme 2 - 50% natural, 50% built; bottom: scheme 3 - 25% natural, 75% built

completed in collaboration with Adam Louie.

top: site strategies

bottom: site plan

design drawings

top to bottom: plan;

section through lobby;

section through great space; north elevation

a. service corridor

b. green room

c. men’s changing room

d. women’s changing room

e. great space service space

f. loading dock

g. storage

h. kitchen

i. mechanical room

j. Strait Java cafe

k. Strait Java cafe patio

l. coat room

m. women’s restroom

n. ticket office

o. men’s restroom

p. service corridor

q. office(s)

r. women’s restroom

s. men’s restroom

t. mechanical room

u. storage

v. loading dock

1. Great Space

2. Lobby

3. Outdoor Terrace

4. Exhibition Space

design drawings

right: lobby perspective

below: lobby component axonometric

left: great space perspective

below: great space component axonometric

right: view of river elevation below: structural axonometric

PHOTOGRAPHY

SELECT PHOTOGRAPHY

While I don’t consider myself a particularly skilled photographer, I always end up with hundreds of photos from trips. Some of the photos are meant to be nice and composed “hero shots” while others are quick close-ups for personal, future reference. Occasionally, I take a photograph that I find surprisingly compelling and it sticks in my mind. I love wandering around and capturing images of buildings and elements that make me pause or capture my attention. The following photographs, taken on various trips to major cities around the world during trips spanning from high school to post-graduation, represent a selection of photographs I find particularly striking. They show my wide range of interests including public spaces, museums, adaptive reuse, material juxtapositions, framing elements, aerials, color, and details.

While some photographs show larger gallery spaces, such as those of the Musée d’Orsay or the Rijksmuseum, others show specific moments I found interesting, such as the cornice of Sant’Ignazio, the axial organization of both St. Peter’s Square and the Plaza de España, the juxtaposition of material in the Caixa Forum, the blending of materials in the Neues Museum, the oculus in the Broad Museum, or the arrival sequence in the Kyushu Geibunkan .

Barcelona Pavilion, Barcelona

view of St. Peter’s Square from St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, 2013

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, 2016