Architectural Portfolio by Bridgette Van Sloun

Bridgette Elizabeth Van Sloun Architectural Portfolio

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RE-COUPLING LANGUAGE AND AGROLOGY: through the application of the patterning found within the Kadazan agriculture and culture to agro-forestry techniques. In this establishment, an interconnection between ecology and culture will be created through a link within ethnobotany along with a framework of locality. In order to initiate re-growth of the ecological systems in the area along with the stabilization and continuation of local language. Within the methodology, there is the innate relationship between the local establish of language along with the preservation and re-growth of the forest. In cultivating the connecting piece, new industries can be established allowing the local ecologies and cultures to foster and continue to expand. New systems of this type of interaction, the coupling of culture and nature, can then be methodologically implemented at larger global scales through local investments.

Reevaluating what the poche space in a drawing implies architecturally, exploring the idea of opaqueness and boundary without the physical barrier of a standardized wall.

An exploration of sound; its movement through space and creation of space. Discovering the ďŹ&#x201A;uidity of space not through the creation of walls, but instead through the layering of silence in conjunction with sound. Understanding the importance of the formation of silence in order to control sound.

Understanding the design intentions in implementing a component script to achieve a new way a formulating architecture, beyond the system of the skin, but the actual formation of the design. This, in conjunction with understanding the essential qualities of a vertical green house, used to achieve a new perspective on the implications of architecture.

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RedeďŹ ning the boundaries of a room within a boutique hotel within a cultural diverse atmosphere in the heart of New York Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chinatown.

Being able to understand the varieties of commitment that can occur within a housing community and design an inhabitable form that allows for the diversity within the collective.

Developing programmatic requirements of an open space in order to fulďŹ ll the cultural aspects of the community as well as its needs., while at the same time creating an environmentally conscious building.

Internship work; presentation imagery and physical modeling

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The loss of local languages and the cultural systems which they express has meant irretrievable loss of diverse and interesting intellectual wealth. Only with diversity can it be guaranteed that all avenues of human intellectual progress will be traveled.â&#x20AC;?

Designing through Language

Out of the world’s 6,500 living languages (languages that are spoken, but not necessarily transcribed) only half of them are spoken by the next generation. At this rate the world’s cultural diversity in regards to languages will be reduced to roughly 600 by the end of the century1. The affects of this loss are incalculable, as it is impossible to fully comprehend the vastness of the ability to think and comprehend through diversity of thought developed through languages. Perception and diversity are where these blind areas between seemingly opposing disciplines can be discovered and solutions can be provided. Wade Davis describes this as each language as not only the spoken word but instead an “ecosystem of spiritual possibilities”; a direct connection with the diversity of the environment around them.

Sacred Landscapes

south china sea

kota kinabalu

kiulu river

de-forested area with kadazan villages scattered throughout pockets of forest

As the world becomes increasingly smaller and our resources diminish while our populations grow, we are teetering on the edge of crisis. Globalization embodies most of the rising issues, causing a rise in dependency on the modern market and the exploitation of natural resources. However, there are places in the world where there is still an abundance of cultures and ecologies. These places, though, become the areas that are at the highest risk of disappearing in the next century. It is has become well established within recent years that culture and ecology are interconnected with one another. However, with most problems that the world currently faces the connection piece between the two is not understood. These disconnected areas, or blind spots, are where designers can begin to focus in on, by exploring strategies that will re-establish the connection between the two seemingly separate disciplines of culture and ecology. On the island of Borneo remains one of the richest ecosystems left on the planet, much of which has yet to be fully discovered. However, it has been rapidly disappearing within recent years due to a deforestation rate that is moving faster than what is occurring within the Amazon. This region also contains many indigenous tribes that are being forced to leave the area, which they have inhabited for centuries. This has led to the loss of diversity in culture and language in these areas, largely due to the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drive for economic growth rather than ecological preservation. In re-establishing the connection between language and agrology, the study of science to agriculture, new hybrid industries can be created that will stimulate a culture and ecological re-growth in the area, coupled with economic stimulation. Through analyzing the blind spots between the rapid deforestation and loss of language, one discovers the importance of medicinal plants to the indigenous cultures in the region, speciďŹ cally the Kadazan found on Mount Kinabalu. Within their culture, there is a deep reverence for the rainforest, as it provides much of what they need through plant life. With the loss of forest, there results in the loss of culture as these important plants disappear. By re-establishing the habitats for these plants through a new type of industry that also allows for economic prosperity, a complex forms that couples together language and agrology in order to stimulation ecological and cultural stabilization and re-growth in a highly decremented area.

kadazan village

mount kinabalu

heart of borneo

DEFORESTATION

SACRED SITES

LANGUAGE CENTER

$ $

MP R

mount kinabalu

penan lands

1985

2000

2005

2010

2020

LESS THAN 30% REMAINS...

Designing within Blindspots

1950

Transforming the Landscape Within the transformational movement of the conceptual design holds the possibility to couple together agroforestry with agriculture, ecosystems with communities and linguistics with agrology. By combining together these three different areas within different systems, overlaps can be explored. This is inherently similar when examining the diversity found within linguistics. Language is essentially memory, what one can think of is formulated by ones memory. How they express this is yet another extension of this memory. Therefore through the assimilation of different languages, different theories and understandings of a particular issue are fabricated in multitudes. It is here, within the fostering of diversity for growth, that language begins to couple together with agrology. In order to establish new system in which harvesting and re-growth work together, new types of cultivation and inhabitation of the land need to be explored. Through analyzing these two systems, an innate connection is conceived that can transform from a theoretical weave of ideas and processes to a physical manifestation of movement throughout the site. The fostering of this type of movement through space advocated an interconnection of preservation and cultivation that stimulate one another in allowing for continuous transformations to occur. Within this contribution to diversity, new avenues of development are created that couple together nature and culture in a new type of environmental framework. This knitting together of strategies and tactics allows for an interconnection of preservation and cultivation that feed off each other allowing for continuous transformations to occur. It is this interwoven typology that brings in the localized cultures. By establishing a system that fosters the growth of ecologies and language through the development of culture. Through this stimulation of diversity, new methodology of developments can occur the couple together nature and culture in a new type of environment.

A FOSSIL FUEL SUB.

LAND-USE CHANGE

BIOMASS + FLORA LAND-USE CHANGE

SUBSTITUTION EFFICIENCY

PRODUCT ALLOCATION

PRODUCTS

SITE MANIPULATION STABLE SOIL CARBON

BRIDGING

OVERLAPPING

BIFURCATING

EMERGING

TRANSFORMATION

MEDICINAL

AGROFORESTRY

WATER

SOIL REVITALIZATION CONTAINING + TRANSITIONING ARTIFICAL

RICE CULTIVATION

ATMOSPHERIC CARBON CULTIVATION

ABSORPTION

CONSERVATION

PRESERVATION

NATURAL

Agriculture + Agroforestry

AGROFORESTRY

KENAF CULTIVATION

RICE CULTIVATION

Traditional Medicinal Center

Composing with Silence

The capturing and harnessing of silence is enhanced by the distribution of sound throughout the layering of sound in an immersed environment. A collection and distribution of collaborating sounds will occur and manifest in this speciﬁc condition. This central area is a study of acoustic ecology which will encompasses many of the contributing sounds to create the immersing environment. The connection between this central area and the surrounding context is blended through the layering of sound as well as materials through their acoustical qualities. Various amounts of layering will control levels of connectivity and isolation to the remainder of the building. A variety of acoustical programs merge together within the building context. The diversity of programs throughout the building will collide within this central area, creating accidental encounters amongst musicians and audience members. A collection and distribution of the collaborating sounds will occur through this environment creating an interactive environment.

Creating the Soundscape

a 1

Overlapping within Programs

National Music Center

SPF Architects

bridgette van sloun kara simard

notes:

key plan

N drawing set

In understanding architecture, one most go beyond the white space in the drawing and instead begin to look at the thick black lines the denote the division of spaces. This poche space is the deďŹ ning boundaries of the space created and is also the space that is most interacted with visually. While a person inhabits the white space, what actually gives the space a feeling or the perception of space is the wall and the quality that this takes on. By exploring the notion of poche, one begins to understand at a deeper level how architecture is experienced beyond the drawing board.

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Revealing the Poche

Understanding the Courtyard

Understanding the notion of poche can be explored through its historical implications beginning with Islamic architecture. Here derived the idea that if a space can become large enough than the program changes, speciďŹ cally with circulation space. That if the typical hallway is expanded in order to accommodate gathering space, it becomes qualiďŹ ed as a courtyard space where programmatic circulation and gathering space are combined.

In applying this to the concept of poche, the physical wall can become expanded in order to become inhabitable for circulation requirements. But, instead of creating another type of hallway, the opacity becomes disillusioned through a system of slating. Here the opacity between the spaces is achieved through a layering system, while the space between is capable of being occupied. Light becomes penetrable throughout the entire form, while still maintaining a notion of privacy through the placement of the slating, and their layering with each other. In this aspect, the in-between space becomes the center for design, as it is the occupied space as well as the most interactive detail. Each space can be viewed as its own volume, enclosed on all sides with a homogeneous wall system. However, in detailing the system of the poche and making in inhabitable beyond pure circulation space, the wall can become movable in order to achieve penetration for circulation as well as storage space etc.

Weaving the Facade

Stemming from the arbitrary development of a root structure system and the systematic patterns of the trees, which the support, Generative Components was used to recreate this system. The original component was realized as a random series of divergent paths based upon a series of points. This pattern was then broken down into a systematic method based upon programmatic requirements, growing necessities such as sun, shade and ventilation. The circle on which this pattern was projected was arranged based upon distinct programs and circulation; an array of overlapping would create dense vertical spaces where as a more wide spread allowed for a open horizontal space. Controlling the arrangement of circles as well as controlling their programmatic requirements could customize the basic shape of the structure customized to fulďŹ ll speciďŹ c

Network of Bifurcation

requirements.

if (Opt == 1) { if (Prog==1) { int RanNum1; RanNum1=Random(4, 6); if (RanNum1== 4) { if (Sun==1) { Num =4; } if (Sun==2) { Num =5; } if (Sun==3) { Num =6; } } if (RanNum1== 5) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =4; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =5; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =6; } } if (RanNum1== 6) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =4; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =5; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =6; } } }

if (Prog== 2) { int RanNum1; RanNum1= Random(6, 0); if (RanNum1== 6) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =6; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =7; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =0; } } if (RanNum1== 7) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =6; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =7; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =0; } } if (RanNum1== 6) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =6; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =7; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =0; } } }

if (Prog== 3) { int RanNum1; RanNum1= Random(2, 4); if (RanNum1== 2) { if (Sun==1) { Num =4; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =3; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =2; } } if (RanNum1== 3) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =4; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =3; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =2; } } if (RanNum1== 4) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =4; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =3; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =2; } } }

Directing the Random

if (Prog== 4) { int RanNum1; RanNum1= Random(0, 2); if (RanNum1== 0) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =0; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =2; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =1; } } if (RanNum1== 1) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =0; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =2; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =1; } } if (RanNum1== 2) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =0; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =2; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =1; } } } }

if (Opt== 2) if (Prog== 2) { { if (Prog== 1) int RanNumX; { RanNumX= Random(1, 3); int RanNum1; if (RanNumX== 1) RanNum1= Random(5, 7); { if (RanNum1== 5) if (Sun== 1) { { if (Sun== 1) Num =7; { } Num =5; if (Sun== 2) } { if (Sun== 2) Num =0; { } Num =6; if (Sun== 3) } { if (Sun== 3) Num =1; { } Num =7; } } if (RanNumX== 0) } { if (RanNum1== 6) if (Sun== 1) { { if (Sun== 1) Num =7; { } Num =5; if (Sun== 2) } { if (Sun== 2) Num =0; { } Num =6; if (Sun== 3) } { if (Sun== 3) Num =1; { } Num =7; } } if (RanNumX== 1) } { if (RanNum1== 7) if (Sun== 1) { { if (Sun== 1) Num =7; { } Num =5; if (Sun== 2) } { if (Sun== 2) Num =0; { } Num =6; if (Sun== 3) } { if (Sun== 3) Num =1; { } Num =7; } } } }The branching lines of the component became the structure as well as the }

if (Prog== 4) { int RanNum1; RanNum1= Random(1, 3); if (RanNum1== 1) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =3; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =1; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =2; } } if (RanNum1== 2) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =3; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =1; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =2; } } if (RanNum1== 3) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =3; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =1; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =2; } } } } path for the skin to follow. In order to enclose the system, if (Prog== 3) { int RanNum1; RanNum1= Random(2, 4); if (RanNum1== 2) { if (Sun==1) { Num =4; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =3; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =2; } } if (RanNum1== 3) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =4; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =3; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =2; } } if (RanNum1== 4) { if (Sun== 1) { Num =4; } if (Sun== 2) { Num =3; } if (Sun== 3) { Num =2; } } }

corresponding paths within each group of branching were lofted together to create an enclosed space. Therefore, by controlling the randomized system based upon site requirements, growing requirements, programmatic needs as well as other variables allowed for a highly speciďŹ ed system to be created.

Creating an Enclosure

When instilling a new form into the urban fabric of Chinatown, it is imperative to consider the intensities and the complex web of the intertwining threads that compile the urban fabric. Due to the complexities that already exist within the immediate area, by taking the existing threads and pulling them vertically to allow for a new form to be instilled as well as preserving the existing conditions a very interesting condition is made. As the threads are pulled vertically, a new space is created. An interstitial space is formed. This space is given to circulation as well as community space in order to view the urban condition surrounding. The condition is then re-emphasized within the concept of the hotel room. This layering can be seen within the existing local conditions. The glass curtain wall faĂ§ade reďŹ&#x201A;ects the overhang of the bridge, which encases all of the market across the street. The metal cladding, which encloses the threads, can be seen in the sidewalk that structures the entire market. And lastly the individual room is seen in the market stall, each one unique but essential to the whole of the market place.

Extending the Urban Fabric

Here each room is a segment of the thread and where intertwining occurs, multiple rooms are formed into one space. Thus allowing for a multiplicity of different conditions. The room itself allows for interstitial space by having multiple facades: the boundary of the room, the boundary of the thread (creating a balcony space) and lastly the boundary of the faรงade.

Integrating the Blend

Derived from the cultural aspects of the Philadelphia areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profound musical inďŹ&#x201A;uence within the city. The programmatic approach began as designing a music venue that houses three different types of theater spaces. Through an analysis of the existing venues within the immediate area, the successes of each were able to blend together. This created a radically new building that is derived from the old yet combining in a completely new way. In considering the environmental aspects of the building, material choice became a major factor in effecting the overall building footprint. Other environmental designs included grey water system, constructive wetlands, evaporating cooling systems and radiant heating systems.

Merging of Spaces

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Connecting with Variety

By developing a multi variable housing for different types of commitments and residents, it is important to understand the types of interactions and arrangements that can occur within the space. In developing a program that allows for combining and separating different interactions and activities, a different type of community can be formed that allows for distinct interaction while maintaining privacy. This â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;overlapâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of activities can become exposed, but through visual distinction can be re-centered. This playfulness between private and public space can be understood as developing a new type of lifestyle through architectural design.

Interactions through overlaps

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Work within Internship