danielle towslee architecture & design
01
HALF TONE LANDSCAPE
02
TEXTURES
ARCH 562 | SPRING 2017 | VIOLA AGO
ARCH 562 | SPRING 2017 | VIOLA AGO
03 C R O S S C U T
ARCH 672 | FALL 2017 | LARS GRäBNER + CHRISTINA HANSEN
04
P R AC T I C E S E S S I O N S
05
G R A P H I C FAC A D E S
ARCH 509 | FALL 2016 | NEIL DENARI
ARCH 516 | FALL 2016 | HANS TURSACK
HOTEL AXIS
06
STOREFRONT FOR ART & ARCHITECTURE
07
S TAT E FA I R
08
W R A P P E D PA T T E R N S
09
B E Y O N D WA L L PA P E R
10
ARCH 422 | SPRING 2016 | CYRUS PEñARROYO
ARCH 660 | FALL 2017 | HANS TURSACK
ARCH 422 | SPRING 2016 | CYRUS PEñARROYO
ARCH 662 | SPRING 2018 | HANS TURSACK
ARCH 662 | SPRING 2018 | HANS TURSACK
01 HALFTONE LANDSCAPE
halftone landscape utilizes two dimensional graphics as a generator of form and formal elements. the graphic serves as the basis for the forms, as well as begin to wrap around, blurring the distinction between landscape and building. the main concept of this project evolved using layered surfaces and physical halftone images. the house forms were derived by working through the underlying principles of the graphic: symmetry, centrality, axiality and overlays. portions of the graphic were selected, and transitioned from two dimensions to three dimensions. as a series, all the houses appear identical in top-view, however, the forms become differentiated through plan. the variation of the houses demonstrates the interchangibility of the graphic. it can be used to delineate different architectural forms, while appearing the same.
within the series, all three houses occupy the same landscape. from the landscape, different components were thickened and given emphasis, either becoming the house itself or smaller formal elements. in one house, a surface edge becomes a column, while in another, it exists as a landscape element. the smaller formal elements, such as skylights or hemispheres, create elevational qualities, even though the project started from low relief. therefore, the graphic engages all planes that it affects all components of the form and provides a framework for faรงade and landscape conditions. the graphic provides the foundation for an architectural project, as it adheres for compositional logics, which can be applied to an overall form, as well as small scale details. the adherence to the rule set that the top-view allows for an understanding of where the house forms were derived, yet demonstrates the opportunities within the composition, as edge conditions in plan do not determine the eventual form within the boundary, or the elevational qualities of the eventual form.
02 T E X T U R E S
textures provides the research that eventually informed the project, halftone landscape. the project started a
a quasi-moirÉ effect, where the overlaps created a new graphic, that cannot exist without the layering process THESE INCLUDE HALFTONE IMAGES, LASERCUTTING AND DIGITAL COLLAGING. The layering process created new graphics
solidifies the graphic through patterning and repetition. BELOW, THE SEQUENCE, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: THE ORIGINAL I
COLLAGE INCORPORATING GRAPHICS FROM THE PREVIOUS IMAGES. TEXTURES DEMONSTRATES THE FLEXIBILITY OF PATTERN AND LAY
as a series of layered compositions, combining both flat graphics as well as physical cuts within the layers. once combined, these created
s. three series were created, each started with an abstract image, which was manipulated through a various digital and analog techniques. through the overlapping different voids within the surface. The physicality of the halftone implies an image through varying circles and
IMAGE, THE ORIGINAL IMAGE WITH A LASERCUT PATTERN, HALFTONE IMAGE, ORIGINAL IMAGE WITH HALFTONE AND PATTERN LASERCUT, AND FINALLY, A DIGITAL
YERING. PATTERN CAN BE USED BOTH DIGITALLY AND PHYSICALLY. LAYERING, ALTHOUGH NOT EXPLICITLY A GRAPHIC, ALLOWS FOR THE MANIPULATION OF IMAGERY.
03 C R O S S C U T
CROSSCUT, A DETROIT HOUSING PROJECT, WAS DESIGNED IN COLLABORATION WITH TWO OTHER STUDENTS: TAYLOR POGUE AND AIMEE WOLF. THE PROJECT SITS AT THE INTERSECTION OF EAST JEFFERSON STREET AND JOSEPH CAMPAU STREET, WHICH HAS A UNIQUE DYNAMIC OF SOCIAL GROUPS AND SMALL BUSINESSes. WITHIN A HALF MILE RADIUS OF THE INTERSECTION THERE ARE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES, ASSISTED LIVING AND THE WATER FRONT THAT ATTRACTS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY. SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE SPRUNG UP AS SUCCESSFUL GATHERING PLACES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE SITE LACKS A CENTRAL COMMUNAL SPACE THAT UNITES THE VARIOUS GROUPS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. CROSS CUT, A 320-UNITCOURTYARD BUILDING ON THE SOUTH SITE, PULLS BACK ITS FRONT FAÇADE TO ALLOW FOR A PUBLIC PLAZA
WITHIN CROSS CUT, EFFICIENCY APARTMENTS OFFER A NEW ALTERNATIVE FOR URBAN LIVING. RESIDENTS SHARE KITCHEN, LOUNGE AND RECREATIONAL SPACES. THESE DESIGNATED COMMON AREAS ALLOW OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRONG RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN NEIGHBORS to form. FURTHERMORE, EFFICIENT LIVING IN CONJUNCTION WITH A VARIETY OF COMMUNAL AND PUBLIC AREAS ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS TO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN THE CITY LIFE OF DETROIT. CROSS CUT UTILIZES TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION, AN EFFICIENT METHOD THAT ENABLES THE PLACEMENT OF STRUCTURAL WALLS AND SLABS SIMULTANEOUSLY. wHILE THE WIDTH OF THE TUNNELS MUST REMAIN CONSISTENT, THE LENGTHS OF THE TUNNELS CAN VARY. AS SUCH, THE PROCESS PERMITS DOUBLE HEIGHT SPACES AND CANTILEVERED TUNNELS TO CREATE UNIQUE BALCONY CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH THIS METHOD IS VIRTUALLY UNUSED IN THE CITY, AS OF NOW, ITS SPEED AND EASE OF CONSTRUCTION ARE PROMISING FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN DETROIT, PARTICULARLY WHEN UTILLIZED IN A UNIQUE CAPACITY.
ground floor plan
fifth floor
plan
eighth floor plan
studio
1 bath 390 square feet
studio with balcony 1 bath 515 square feet
two story loft 2 bedroom, 2 bath 1500 square feet
expanded two bedroom 2 bedroom, 1 bath 840 square feet
expanded one bedroom 1 bedroom, 1 bath 675 square feet
04 P R A C T I C E S E S S I O N S
COMPLETED DURING PRACTICE SESSIONS Number three WITH NEIL DENARI, WHICH IS PART OF A LARGER PRACTICE SESSIONS PRO
DESIGNED IN COLLABORATION WITH FELLOW TAUBMAN COLLEGE STUDENT, TAYLOR POGUE. THE PROMPT CALLED FOR A N
DESIGNED, the pixel, AND MANIFESTED ACROSS A LARGER FORM, adhering to a grid. the pixel did not necessarily n
boundaries of what units and aggregation can achieve. THE UNIT EVOLVED FROM A ROUNDED SQUARE. THE ADDITION O
FACETED FORM, ALTHOUGH STILL RETAINING ITS GRAPHIC QUALITY. the final design is a courtyard-type building, with units
OGRAM, LED BY ASSISTANT PROFESSORS ELLIE ABRONS AND ADAM FURE, WHERE A PRACTICE IS IMPORTED INTO THE ACADEMIC ENVIRONMENT. THIS PROJECT WAS
NEW STUDENT HOUSING PROJECT, WORKING THROUGH AN AGGREGATION LOGIC, using the vocabulary of pixels and grids. A SINGLE UNIT WAS
need to be a sphere, and the grid did not need to be square. the adherence to these restrictions allowed for the project to push the
OF COLOR AND FINER DETAIL ALLOWED FOR SLIGHT VARIATION BETWEEN UNITS. THE INTEGRATION OF A SERIES OF TWO DIMENSIONAL GRAPHICS RESULTED IN A
s protruding from both ends. as the units are part of a single building, the grid logic is implemented on the surface, rather than the site itself.
05 G R A P H I C F A C A D E S
CREATED AS PART OF A REPRESENTATION COURSE, THE LOW RELIEFS TRANSLATE FACADES INTO A COMPOSITION, rather tha
ALDO ROSSI’S ABC BUILDING. FACADES CONSIST OF A VARIETY OF ELEMENTS: WINDOWS, DOORS, AS WELL AS SMALLER DE
LASER CUTTING AND PATTERNED LAYERS. THESE DISPARATE PROCESSES ARE COMBINED TO REPRESENT THE FACADE. S
EFFECTS OF LAYERED GRIDS ON THE COMPOSITION. BOTH FACADES THAT WERE CHOSEN RELY HEAVILY ON WINDOWS AS A GRA WINDOWS ALSO ALLOW FOR REVEALED ELEMENTS, WHICH THROUGH THE LAYERED PATTERNS, CREATE A NEW GRAPHIC AS
an a 1:1 reproduction. THE MODEL ON THE LEFT REFERS TO HIROMI FUJII’S TODOROKI RESIDENCE, WHILE THE THREE MODELS ON THE RIGHT DRAW FROM
ETAILS SUCH AS WINDOW PANES AND SURFACE TEXTURES. THE FINAL MODELS COMBINED 3D PRINTS, LASER CUTTING, LOW RELIEF ELEMENTS AS WELL AS
SOME ELEMENTS ARE REDUCED, WHILE OTHERS ARE BROUGHT INTO A HIGHER RESOLUTION. THIS PARTICULAR SERIES OF RELIEFS EXPLORED THE
APHIC ELEMENT. WINDOWS CONTAIN VARIOUS SCALES OF DETAIL, WHICH WERE BROUGHT INTO greater detail THROUGH LASER CUTTING and 3d printing. DIFFERENT LAYERS ARE SEEN SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE USE OF LAYERED PAPER ALLOW FOR DIFFERENT FORMS TO BE EMPHASIZED WITHIN THE LOW RELIEF.
06 HOTEL AXIS
hotel axis is an 18-room boutique hotel located in toronto, canada. the project combines two distinct programs:
and white gridded surfaces, punctuated by brightly colored accents. the interior of the hotel focuses on the unr
cutaways, existing only in the drawing, further confuse the viewer, allowing for a greater layering of grids. the c
in contrast to the cupcakes, which do align to the grid, and serve as a scale figure. the size of the cupcake remain differences within the grid.
: a hotel and a cupcake shop. the design was originally inspired by jun kaneko’s stage set for the play “fidelio.� the original set included black
relenting use of the grid, and due to the nature of the axonometric, the overlapping and disorienting nature of different grids. additionally,
colored lights serve as a way to disrupt the grid: the light does not align with the grid, and the different colors overlap. the colored light is
ns consistent throughout the hotel, while the scale of the grid does vary, so the cupcake allow the viewer to understand the scalar
07 STOREFRONT F O R A R T & ARCHITECTURE
a redesign of the existing storefront for art and architecture, located in new york city. the interior is intended a
is used, although deployed in different materials throughout. the use of the pattern creates a totalizing environme
demonstrates the versatility of pattern, as it is merely a set of geometric logics. the operable panels on the exterior
consistent geometry throughout. the back wall of the gallery contains swatches of the curated patterns. although th
seamlessly, without distraction. the interactions between various patterns allows the viewer to understand patt
as a gallery space for a previously curated set of work focusing on the use of pattern in architecture. throughout the space, the same pattern
ent. the pattern does not exist only on the different surfaces of the gallery, but also informs planar relationships, such as lighting plans. this
r allow for multiple surfaces to be viewed at once, allowing the viewer to understand both the different materials of the gallery, as well as the
hese swatches represent various patterns, through the consistent materiality and the integration into the pre-existing pattern, the display presents
tern both as an image, but also as a convergence of different geometric systems, which are manifested in a variety of material conditions.
08 S TAT E
FA I R
state fair was designed in collaboration with two other students: naree byun and camille chabrol,
integration of a site and program, designed in an assigned style. in this case, was a trunk show taking pla
different interactions between various groups. for the state fair, the design of several groups of scale figu
qualities of the joan mirÓ painting was also considered, which includes the addition of heavy shading, as we
as representational style contributse to a cohesive, densely populated drawing, where the contents of th
as a large format 90°-90° axonometric, where the top view and front elevation are both entirely visible. the prompt was the
ace at the state fair, drawn in the style of joan mirÓ. the juxtaposition between program and site is meant as an exercise in designing
ures was crucial. the viewer had to understand the difference between the state fair patrons and the participants in the trunk show. the
ell as ensuring certain elements, such as hair and banners were long and wavy. the understanding of program, site and patrons, as well
he drawing are simultaneously familar, yet provocative, due to the previously separate site and program, and the associated users.
09 W R A P P E D P A T T E R N S
wrapped patterns was a design exercise conducted at the beginning of the thesis semester. each acry
single face of the box. from there, each component of the pattern, such as a certain stripe-type or col
resulted in the pattern no longer existing in its complete form, but rather a series of pattern compo
original pattern, everything stays aligned. wrapped patterns was a test in how pattern and form interact
wrapping paper, where the pattern stays intact, wrapped patterns considers a new pattern logic, where it is
ylic box was formed by merging two rectangular prisms together. pattern, in its complete geometric logics, was applied to a
lor block was wrapped around the rest of the box, without consideration of how other pattern components were wrapping. this
onents interacting with one another in a variety of ways. components slip past one another, and overlap, even though in the
t with one another, and corners should be negotiated in regards to the pattern. rather than treating the patterns as a sort of
s not imperative that the pattern remains intact throughout, but instead has the flexibility to adapt and change according to form.
10 B E Y O N D W A L L PA P E R
beyond wallpaper considers the usage of pattern in architecture, and how pattern has far more agency in design than as a surface condition. pattern is usually applied after formal design, similar to the relationship between wallpaper and the wall: The wallpaper wraps the wall, neither changing in response to the other. Rather than thinking of pattern as an infinite repetition of geometric forms, this thesis reimagines wallpaper as a series of converging geometric systems. Stripes,dots, colorfields and lines overlapping and convergeing, only resolving into idealized ‘patterns’ for short intervals before slipping past one another. Different geometries exist on different planes, corresponding to material difference when form is considered. Geometry is not bound to any single surface, but can instead wrap onto different surfaces, changing material along the way.
Four individual crystalline studios sit on the graphic landscape nested within concrete shells, all composed of geometric elements found within one pattern. Each face is composed using the same set of logics, drawn from the global pattern, each adapted to the particular form of the building, resolved at the scale of the detail. The global pattern continues to reinforce itself throughout the campus: serving as a formal generator, and then serving as a surface condition, both in constant dialogue. The concrete shell serves as a juxtaposition to the highly ornate forms, as well as a ‘mask’ for the pattern. As a mask, the shell obscures portions one’s understanding of the forms but also frames other moments of the composition; drawing attention to key moments on the inner shell. pattern no longer exists as merely a surface condition, easily removed from global and local formal decisions. Instead, pattern is the starting point for the design proposal, existing in different materials, and serving different compositional functions throughout, immersing itself throughout the entire project.