Marine Biology Lab Project for a 90,000 sq.ft energy efficient marine biology lab complex in the Caribbean island of St. Croix. The complex included a Marine biology facility (classrooms, wet and dry labs, specimen storage rooms, resources libraries) equipped with specialty water pumping, filtration, and waste management systems along the southeastern coast line. The complex mandated a cafeteria as well as student and faculty housing to accommodate 150+ members. [Below: SketchUp elevation renderings of the biology lab and cafeteria, and the student and professor housing; complete AutoCAD plan and section drawings of each facility]
Sukkahville
This was a conceptual project that challenged participants to devise a unique and innovative model for the traditional Sukkah structure, which is a temporary structure constructed annually as a dining pavilion during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot; It has been described as a symbolic wilderness shelter. I used a circus tent as a spring board for my final idea of a skeleton shell-shaped structure bound on one side by a macrame-style woven metal (sculptural undertones) and a taught, sustainable canvas material on the other. A system of curved wooden stakes and clamps make this structure easy to erect and tear down after use.
Mausoleum Below is a design for a 100 square-foot, single-inhabitant mausoleum to be located on the top of a small hill with a 3-step wood staircase outlining two sides of the open-air structure. The exterior is made of dark gray stone and mahogany wood interior to create a very austere, self-reflective atmosphere. The layout is a symmetrical plan, with four gravel-path connected entryways that extrude from the main square form. The interior corners have a two-step platform for visitor reflection. The ceiling is a single glass panel that enables shadows cast by the structural cross beams on the roof to be visible throughout the day. [1)Photoshop and mylar sketch compilation rendering; SketchUp full, and wire-frame renderings; section and elevation hand-drawings; 3D chipboard and wood model]
Chapel + Collegiate Programmatic Space Located at the heart of New York University's Campus in Washington Square near the Kimmel Center for University Life, I designed a combination non-denominational chapel and LGBTQIA center as a liberally comforting arena catering to the ever-growing diverse social populations in one of our nation's most bustling city areas. [Compilation SketchUp and Adobe Photoshop rendering; SketchUp rendering of inner courtyard; 3D chipboard and plexiglass model; plan drawings of first and second levels]
Shadow Mapping Design Development for a Public Programmatic Space Using 1/4" thick chipboard, this project evolved through 4 phases. 1) I mapped the shadows cast every 2 hours from an abstract wooden form. 2) Extracted certain elements from the shadow map to construct a 3D chipboard model. 3) Evolution of 3D model into an abstract sculpture. 4) Use the sculpture as the foundation for a structure. My final product was "Wellness on Water," which was as a community health and wellness center. The design is an off-kilter series of 3 intersecting circles, each possessing varying degrees of angled roofs with large skylights. Beams protrude from the middle circle (and extend to the stepped platform entryway) as if its roof was being pried open. The structure rests in a large recessed pool. It contains floor to ceiling windows on the water side, enabling light to filter in to the dance/studio space.
House Model: Precedent Studio Space This model evolved from the characteristic art of Piet Mondrian. The raw geometry and crisp linearity of his work served as a precedent for this house, which was created as an 850 sq. ft. studio/artist residency. Large incorporations of glass enhance the transparency of the house, and the use of primary colors reflect the minimalist approach that Mondrian exemplified in his works. [Interior and exterior views of 3D model made of stained/painted wood and (etched) plexiglass; enlarged model of opaque glass interior wall and staircase; section, elevation, and plan drawings of the first and second levels]
Cubic Negative Space Modeling Exercise in mass elimination, evolving from a 2D linear visualization, into a 3D 8x8" sculptural cube.
4X Tessellation 1/8" Chipboard Modeling Initially, I configured various geometric shapes within a 2"x 2" square. After simplifying a 2D design, I created a 2x2" 3D chipboard model, which was then multiplied into a 4x4 3D tessellation and steps up in increasing tiers from front to back.