Portal was a six week long project in which an intervening study space was designed to be inserted into Hunt Library on the Carnegie Mellon University campus. The design focuses primarily on the experiential qualities of the space, utilizing contrasts between light vs shadow, open vs closed, and expectation vs reality. Portal removes the occupant from a preconceived world and reduces his/her experience to the bare minimum. Occupants are denied the panoramic view they expect to see from the end space of the intervention and are instead confronted with a unadulterated view of pure sky.
entryway
hall
garden
process
This six week project was an intensely iterative process in which two ordinary kitchen tools, a ravioli cutter and a garlic dicer, were analyzed and represented in technical drawings in order to understand their movements. These motion drawings were then translated into three-dimensional wood constructions and displayed in the College of Fine Arts Building at Carnegie Mellon University.
motion drawing
model process
prototype
This project composed the first half of the six weeks culminating in a wooden model representing the combined motions of a ravioli cutter and a garlic dicer. During this early period, the garlic dicer was thoroughly analyzed and represented first as "object," then later as "motion."
anaylsis
preliminary
study
The wedding pavilion on Lake Erie is a 20x20x20 ft cubic pavilion was designed to be situated on an 80x80 ft hedged site. The pavilion and site hedges were designed to produce certain alignments which would provide a rich experience for the wedding participants and guests. The wedding pavilion focused on the concept of "before and after," whereby the wedding pavilion acted as a gateway, both figuratively and literally, through which guests would pass following the transition from separation to marriage.
An exploration of the possibilities of facade design using Le Corbusier's concept of Maison Dom-ino, in which support is delegated to a grid of interior columns, freeing the building's facade from load-bearing responsibilities and allowing for a less restrictive exterior design.
An extensive study of The Ockens House (1977-1978) by Glenn Murcutt, located in Cromer, NSU, AU. Plans and exploded axonometric drawings were created of the building, as well as a model in 3/16" = 1' scale.
