Comprehensive Design | Spring 2023 | Revit, Enscape, Illustrator, Sketchup
The Sault Ste. Marie Health and Wellness Center aims to provide a space for visitors to practice healthy living. It is divided into two wings: the wet wing featuring the natatorium, and the dry wing containing the gymnasium. Each are supported by a unique roof structure with exposed glulam beams. The building design addresses Universal Design ideologies to create an inclusive space. Some examples include a central ramp connecting the first and second floors, curved corners to aid in visual acuity, and a zero-entry pool in the natatorium. The design also addresses rainwater collection. The axon details the collection of rainwater as it travels between glass panels to an underground containment system. This pathway provides a unique visual affect which brings visitors’ attention to the importance of rainwater collection. The Sault Ste. Marie Health and Wellness Center brings the community together through the practice of healthy living in an inclusive environment.
The Synaptic Village is a community hub designed for Morningside, Detroit, which acts as a market, a meeting house, and a garden which provides food for low-income families. My team of five selected a special topic to research and implement into our design project. Having picked neuroarchitecture, we decided to focus on six subgroups, those being: lighting, color, ventilation, temperature, acoustics, and flow. We found that these six pieces have the greatest impact on individuals and how they react to an environments, specifically those who are neuro-divergent or sensitive to their surroundings. Our goal was to create a space which individuals of all abilities could interact with and enjoy. The Synaptic Village was able to do so by addressing neuroarchitecture in every space throughout the site. The sensory symbols at the top-right corner of each page refer to the senses which are addressed in that space's design.
The main linear paths throughout the site are designed in mind of wayfinding, which prevents individuals from getting lost or loosing their sense of place. This is what defines the building form, as the pathways act as a borderline. Two outdoor activity spaces are available for use
The LANGA Bicycle Hub is a company in Cape Town, South Africa which aims to bring the community together through cycling. As many people in the area do not have access to bikes or the tools to fix one they already own, LANGA hopes to address these needs by providing tools and a space to bring bikers together. My team was tasked with helping the company expand through three different avenues. These include a bike trailer to bring tools to individuals, a car trailer to bring to festivals and other events, and a larger permanent shop on their new site. Each of these designs were developed using bricolage to decrease costs. My involvement included the design of the car trailer and permanent shop.
I spent the semester researching the ecologies of Corktown Detroit, and how it impacted the residents. This was then applied in my urban design masterplan as I designed a revitalized city block. Several blocks around Rosa Parks Boulevard are currently abandoned buildings which split the neighborhood in half, with no ease of access between the two sections. I aimed to reconnect the neighborhood with housing and a public use green space. The mixed use commercial and apartment buildings were placed along Rosa Parks Blvd as it draws more traffic, and to create a barrier between the main road and the west side of the neighborhood. Townhouses were placed on the west side to help integrate this new grain into the existing community. The public use green space provides safe access between Vermont St and Rosa Parks Blvd, and is a gathering space for the residents. Sustainable design was also a main concern when designing this block, as I included permeable pavement throughout the green space. Two bioswales help mitigate any chance of flooding in the area. The revitalization of this city block helps bring the neighborhood together and make Corktown a more resident-friendly area.
Lighthouse Assembly Building
Integrated Design 3 | Fall 2021 | Revit & Illustrator
My task this semester was to develop a building in the Sugar Hill District of Detroit. Our brief included several public and private spaces, including two main assembly rooms, meeting rooms, classrooms, and offices. I designed my roof to align with the space used within, with the east facing clerestories placed over the classrooms. The butterfly roof is built over the 3 level assembly and usable egress circulation. This allowed me to take advantage of the daylighting in the area. We also had to make this design as energy efficient as possible by incorporating a photovoltaic system which generated at least 500kwh/year. Most of my PV is placed on my roof and walls of the building. The site applied PV can be seen in my floor plan on the shading systems and handicap parking cover.
My team redesigned the abandoned building of the Peninsular Paper Company in Ypsilanti, MI. Re-imagined as a community center, we created two auditoriums, a gallery, and a cafe space near the water. Our main design focus was the extended awning over the west side of the building. It provided a chance for the sun to reflect off the water and create a caustic reflection in the cafe area. We also included paneled windows on the second floor's main west side to provide light control during performances in the auditorium. This design helped accentuate the buildings features and its use as a community center.
Tetonic Tension
Digital Bodies | Spring 2021 | Gravity Sketch & Physical Modeling
Tetonic Tension prompted me to explore the limits of space and an object within. I started by creating a few physical models, made of a wood bounding box and nylon stretched between these boundaries. This showed how tension impacted a contained space. Once the models were developed, I was able to create some more variations in Gravity Sketch. This helped me understand the space without the limitations which are present when creating physical models. The final stage of this project furthered the understanding of these spaces I created. Each piece was connected to create one continuous surface between classmates. Scale figures were then applied to see how humans would interact with such space. By using this technology through the design process, I was able to develop my understanding between the human body and the space around it.