drew suszko - m.arch portfolio
DESCRIPTION
This is a collection of my work through my first year pursuing my Master's of Architecture at the University of Cincinnati.TRANSCRIPT
PORTFOLIOSUMMER 2011
DREW SUSZKO
STUDIOS4-15 16-23
DIGITAL DESIGN28-31
ARTWORKSTUDIES24-27
4
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CENTER
Site: Urban IntersectionProgram: K-4 School with Administration, Education, and SupportScale: 60,000 sfModel Scale: 1 inch / 8 feet
Materials: Basswood, Chipboard, Paper, and FoamResources: Adobe Illustrator, Revit Architecture
Embracing the dynamic zone in which it sits, the environmental learning center balances program with external forces. The school’s philosophy and curriculum stress external learning opportunities. But, the space available for open play is relatively limited. Bounded to the north by a heavily-trafficked commercial street and to the south
by a residential zone, the building responds in plan. As the school is central to civic institutions a large, public plaza is given back to the community and becomes an integral organizing element. Classrooms are situated in two bars framing a private, internal courtyard. Immediate access to the courtyard is gained off of
extended learning areas on the ground floor. On the first floor, external relief is provided in the form of roof-top gardens. An additional green roof is situated on the rooftops of the first floor. As such, the building invites the environment in and allows it to blossom on all available horizontal surfaces.
1 inch = 16 feet
0 16 32 64 128 FIRST FLOOR PLAN
1 inch = 16 feet
0 16 32 64 128 GROUND FLOOR PLAN
First Floor
A. ClassroomB. Auditorium / GatheringC. MediaD. Parent Drop-OffE. Extended Learning Area
Ground Floor
A. ClassroomE. Extended Learning AreaF. Arts and SciencesG. AdministrationH. CafeteriaI. GymJ. Bus Drop-Off
Outdoor Below
Civic Space
CB A
A
A
A F
A A A
A
E
A A A
A
E
Outdoor Learning
A
F G
A AA
FG F F
A
A
A
E
E
A
A
A
H
I
D
J
1 inch = 16 feet
0163264128
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
STUDIOS
publicspace
gym
admin
busesbuses
buses
lunch
joint
media 1stspecial
education kindergarten
drop o� drop o�
2nd3rd 4thsta� spaces
support spaces
NORTHERN LIGHTWIND EXIT TRAFFICCOMMERCECHURCH INSTITUTION
NOISY PUBLIC
SOUTHERN LIGHT
MORNING LIGHT
RESIDENTIAL
ALLEYS
HISTORIC
HIGH ELEVATION
TRAFFIC
SUMMER SHADE
SHELTERED
INTIMATE VIEWSHELTEREDSURFACEPARKING
AFTERNOON LIGHTWIND SOURCE
MODERN BLOCKSURFACEPARKINGLOW ELEVATIONBROAD VIEW
EXPOSED
INSTITUTION
play play play
outdoorlearning
outdoorspace
waste
SOUTHERN LIGHT
NORTHERN LIGHT
MORNING LIGHTAFTERNOON LIGHTWIND SOURCE
WIND EXIT
MODERN BLOCK
RESIDENTIAL
ALLEYS
TRAFFICCOMMERCECHURCH
HISTORIC
SURFACEPARKING
HIGH ELEVATION
LOW ELEVATION
TRAFFIC
BROAD VIEW
INSTITUTION
SUMMER SHADE
SHELTERED
EXPOSED
INSTITUTION
INTIMATE VIEW
NOISY PUBLIC
SHELTEREDSURFACEPARKING
Green roof
6
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CENTER
The interplay between external face and internal instruction is dramatized by a pair of tiered gathering spaces. Inside, the auditorium consists of a series of gradual elevation changes that serve as both seating platforms and a stair that addresses an elevation change on the site. Upon entering on the
first floor, students spill down the levels to the ground floor below. Beyond, the civic courtyard is a checker-boarded pocket park that provides a dedicated space for the community. Here, too, elevation change is addressed, but in a more playful manner, with platforms at irregular heights. This dynamism provides for a variety of spatial
and interpersonal interactions. Between the two, an undulating glass curtain wall allows northern light deep into the auditorium. This thin boundary allows the civic space to serve as a backdrop for student gatherings and vice versa.
STUDIOS
8
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CENTER
The tectonic bay model explores the manner in which structural elements interact with more massive components across a section of the building proposal. Excavations into the thickened base address an elevation change over the course of the site. The auditorium is embedded into the earth, allowing access from the
everyday entrance on the first floor and providing a surface for lecture, individuaized instruction, or some other gathering. Structural supports stamp a rhythm along the extents of this zone and create an avenue for circulation through the building that splinters from this central node. This regular structure,
arrayed on two distinct grids, is the primary generator of form. In significant locales - such as in the administration office and on the public facade of the stairwell framing the plaza - the structure amasses to create organic surfaces that genuflect from one grid to another.STUDIOS
10
WELCOME CENTER
Site: Rural Field StationProgram: Administration, hospitality and educationScale: 11,000 sfModel Scale: 1 inch / 16 feet
Materials: Basswood, Chipboard, Paper, and FoamResources: Adobe Illustrator
Filling the void between two existing structures - the farmhouse and a machine shed - new elements of program establish a more immediate connection amongst the units on the farmstead. Passageways direct movement away from the neighboring road and sever the connection to the outside
world. Instead, the new structure celebrates the isolation that the field station may afford. This is not a lonely place, though. Added to the complex are places for gathering: classrooms, an auditorium, a cafeteria, and a courtyard. All are composed around a centralized core, which both provides service and
dampens potential interruptions. Internal and external views continue to connect the spaces, with overlooks in multiple places, and internal windows allowing for continued interaction amongst the parts.
STUDIOS
12
WELCOME CENTER
N
0 5 10 20 30 feet
The form of the American farm is the result of addition. The original farmhouse is extended, amended, and appended in response to the successive needs of each generation. Channeling this spirit, the administration and education arm of the UC Field Station expands from the existing farmhouse - a relic of earlier
occupation on the site. The newest iteration maintains the formal front of the old farm house, allowing the old exterior envelope to turn inward to pierce the interior. A centrally placed service core on two levels encourages circulation between the original farmhouse and the addition. The older portion contains welcome
spaces, administration offices and a gallery. The newer - an auditorium, two classrooms, a dining area, and a breakout space beneath the auditorium seats where the old exterior is presented as the new interior. On the exterior, a pocket space is the result of the new addition greeting an extent utility shed.
Second Floor
A. ClassroomB. OverlookC. GalleryD. AdministrationE. Restroom
First Floor
E. RestroomF. Utility ShedG. CourtyardH. AuditoriumI. Breakout SpaceJ. CafeteriaK. KitchenL. Welcome
A A
B
B
C
D
E
EKJ
L
L
IHGF
Existing Structures
STUDIOS
14
SCHOLAR’S RESIDENCE
Site: UC Field StationProgram: Small house for steward of field stationScale: 500 sfModel Scale: 1 inch / 8 feet
Materials: Basswood and Chipboard
Balancing stewardship and privacy, the scholar’s residence sits at the elbow between the welcome center and the research facility. This position allows the structure to serve as a hinge between the two zones of the greater complex. The residence hunkers against a large wall that runs north-south adjacent
to a major movement corridor on the site. To the south, the formal front entrance sits tucked behind this wall, in a comfortable nook that continues into the heart of the building. The northern and western portions embrace the woods beyond, and a complimentary courtyard is embedded behind the wall of this
private compound. Integrated into an interior bookshelf, a small staircase ascends from the lounge on the first floor to a sleeping and dressing area on the second. The residence is a quiet place for repose that is not too far removed from the other functions of the greater complex.STUDIOS
Southwest Corner Southeast Corner
Northwest Corner Northeast Corner
16
This architecural sculpture is intended for use in an urban park, as a playful break from the conformity of the city-scape. The scultpure provides shelter without exclusion. Using Rhino and Maya, our team created a skin that juxtaposes elements of both order and disorder against the regularity of
the waffle structure below. Some faces are randomly cut, while others are regularly tesselated. The resultant is emblamatic of the fabric of the city. Overlaying it and the regular structure yields an expression of the urban condition, where life plays out, often unbounded, in opposition to the decree of regular form.
We created the model using a Beam Dynamics Laser. The base was generated in Rhino and is made from laser-cut chip board, canted off the true vertical axis to generate additional interest. The skin was created in Maya and is composed of laser-cut bristol paper.
ITERATION 1TESSELATE POLY COUNT 200CHAMFER FACE 0.295CHAMFER FACE 0.357POKE FACE TRANS X 0.13POKE FACE TRANS Y -0.08POKE FACE 0.0
ITERATION 2TESSELATE POLY COUNT 100POKE FACEEXTRUDE FACE OFFSET 0.013EXTRUDE FACE OFFSET 0.0
ITERATION 3TESSELATE POLY COUNT 200RANDOM SELECT RATIO 0.4EXTRUDE FACE OFFSET 0.04RANDOM SELECT RATIO 0.4EXTRUDE FACE OFFSET 0.4RANDOM SELECT RATIO 0.15EXTRUDE FACE OFFSET 0.193
ITERATION 4TESSELATE POLY COUNT 300CUT FACE TOOL 16EXTRUDE FACE OFFSET 0.03
SHADE SCULPTURE
Site: Urban ParkProgram: Shaded space for relaxationScale: VariableModel Scale: 24 in x 24 in
Materials: Bristol Paper and ChipboardResources: Rhino, Maya, and Rapid Prototyping Laser
DIGITAL DESIGN
18
We used Maya to rapidly explore the material possibilities for our sculpture. The final structure is composed of three primary elements: a massive base that forms the connection to the ground, a thin layer of glazing, and a more skeletal framework
that operates as shading. After experimenting with a variety of materials, our team decided on the combination of concrete and steel - highly processed materials that at once contrast and complement the urban context of the site. The sculpture is both massive
and delicate, enveloping and open. As such, the sculpture serves as a singular expression and still invites individual exploration, capturing the playful freedom afforded by open parkspace.
Painted Steel
Frosted Glass
Brushed Metal
Concrete
Cor-Ten
Cor-Ten Panels
SHADE SCULPTURE
DIGITAL DESIGN
20
An aerial view of Mount Lookout Square illustrates that the space is largely awash in pavement, with little linking the businesses that wring the square. In order to punctuate the bracketed northern end, our team proposes the insertion of a green shade sculpture. The sculpture creates a visual boundary at
the terminus of the square, accentuates the complexity of the vehicular system, provides a passageway for pedestrian traffic, and adds a much-needed element of vegetation to the current urban streetscape. For our design, we took the footprint of the triangular island at the north-eastern end of the square. Then, we extruded it
upward, to a height just below the traffic lights. Finally, we carved into the resultant triangular block using a module created by the crosswalk that sits just adjacent. Trimming the block using this module acknowledges the citizens of Mount Lookout as they pass through and shape the Square.
TRAFFIC ISLAND SCULPTURE
Site: Suburban Business DistrictProgram: Scultpure to delineate movementScale: 50 ft x 30 ft x 15 ft
Materials: DigitalResources: Rhino, Maya, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop
DIGITAL DESIGN
Top ViewNorth ElevationEast Elevation
South ElevationWest Elevation
Shade Analysis
Solar Analysis
22
The dynamism of the site is captured in scultpural form. From the south, the end nearest the Square, the planes of grass-covered concrete occlude one’s view of the north, serving as a backdrop to the going’s-on of the Square. But, side elevations reveal that the sculpture is largely transparent, allowing for a visual
linkage across the median. The northern tail directs vehicuar traffic around the sculpture and into the center of the Square. Pedestrian traffic will be afforded partial enclosure with a brief period of remove from their surroundings. This brief sensory lapse allows for a contemplative space in an otherwise busy
district. Enclosing many, but not all of the form’s fragmented faces, the cast iron skin system interacts with the grassy planes beyond. The complexity of this design promotes closer exploration and will attract visitors to the business district and serve as a beneficial addition to Mount Lookout Square.
TRAFFIC ISLAND SCULPTURE
DIGITAL DESIGN
Tem
per
ed G
lass
Concr
ete
Gra
ss
Cas
t Ir
on
24
Cutting, Folding, and Excavating a drawing of the existing force-lines on the site encouraged a multi-valent approach to laying out proposals for the property. The resulting design relic is bound by a series of joining methods that extrapolate the extant site conditions. Some of these joints articulate current
conditions, while others are completely invented. Close analysis allows for a better understanding of the elaborations at play. The arrangement strives for continuity amongst a variety of executions. This methodology would later inform not only the organization of the site, but also the tectonic forms of the
new buildings. The two are intertwined, much like the model, with building and landscape engaging in a holistic dialogue.
UC FIELD STATION LANDSCAPE INTERVENTION
Model Scale: 15 in x 30 in x 3 in
Materials: Paper and Basswood
STUDIES
26
These three works play with the concept of mass, space, and volume. All three have the same exterior dimensions (8 cm x 8 cm x 8 cm), and all three are built on a cubic module measuring 1.6 cm a side. Using Google SketchUp, I designed the models that follow. From there, using Exacto blades, I carved each sculpture, removing
an identical mass of plaster. What remains are three variations on a common theme. Each of the cubes shares an identical amount of positive and negative space, though all three exhibit distinct, structural variations, an effect that is compounded by the variety of viewing angles afforded by such cubic masses. From Cube #1 to
Cube #3, the sculptures become progressively more complex in their arrangements. The brutality of the plaster compliments the cold geometry of the figures. That character is softened by the remnants of the carving process, which show as scoring and striations on the surfaces.
VOLUMETRIC COMPOSITIONS
Model Scale: 8cm x 8cm x 8cm
Materials: PlasterResources: Google Sketchup
STUDIES
28
ASSORTED ARTWORK
Loring Alley, Watercolor
Weisman Study, Pencil
Weisman in Winter, Watercolor
ARTWORK
30
ASSORTED ARTWORK
Wells-Fargo Alight, Colored Pencil
The Guthrie and The Mills, Pencil
ARTWORK
PORTFOLIOSUMMER 2011
DREW SUSZKO