DSBPORTFOLIO

Dylan Belfield

University of Florida

2014

MatrixDesign 1

Contents

Door Window Stair

Graft

Ruins

Sacred and Profane

Vertical Datum

Urban Cavity

Cochleiform Dwelling

The Valley Within The Mountain

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Door Window StairExploring thresholds and transitions between space

Critic: Mick RichmondStudio: Design 3

The project focused on developing connections between areas of occupation and maintaining the human scale for these spatial transitions. Thresholds operate to support the circulation between spaces, and fundamentally provide a distinction between pause and flow within the construct.

The elements of door and window are explored to establish scalar relationships between the different uses of certain apertures. Stairs exist not only to provide vertical circulation, but also to modify and direct the experience of the occupants as they move between and within the spaces of the construct.

Tectonic elements flesh out the areas of occupation, and allow for linkages between the spaces that have been carved out from the stereotomic mass. Apertures of varying scales engage the occupants and proffer internal and external views, filtration, and movement. The treads of stairs are adjusted throughout the project to differentiate the hierarchy of circulation between spaces and interaction within particular areas.

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Much as rhythm provides poetic structure for a musical composition, the primary stereotomic armature orients the manner in which space is held.

The ideas of harmony and resonance are derived from a series of diagrammatic analysis of the cello, and implemented in conjunction with the spatial relationships that are initially developed through the primary armature.

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Section A Section B

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B B B B

Plan 1 Plan 2 Plan 3

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GraftTectonic intervention within existing conditions

Critic: Jairo VivesStudio: Design 4

Site: University of Florida Gainesville, FL

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The grafted intervention hooks into the East and West Libraries of the University of Florida. Students may enter the construct through either library, however, the external experience of the transition under and into the intervention is just as important as the internal experience of occupation. The intervention cantilevers to provide a void through which pedestrian traffic can pass beneath, and a simple vertical extension channels students into the intervention from the ground level.

Utilizing a diagram to analyze the formal expressions of the two libraries, a tectonic language is developed for the intervention within the existing context. By reconciling the differing vocabularies of the existing buildings, a spatial joint is created.

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Longitudinal Circulation

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A - Planar Enclosure

B - Circulatory Elements

C - Secondary Structure

D - Primary Structure

E - Full Intervention

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Individual Study Presentation Space

Exhibition Gallery

The specific program of the intervention calls for a series of individual study spaces to augment those that already exist within the two libraries, as well as a presentation space for small seminars and an exhibition gallery for portions of various collections held by the university’s library system.

The study spaces are isolated along the edge to provide a calm environment for study, while maintaining clear access to the primary circulation so students can easily leave for classes and tell which ones are occupied. The presentation space is elevated and offset from the circulatory path, providing a semi-private environment for seminars. The exhibition gallery is runs along the main circulation to pique interest from passersby, drawing in those who wish to peruse the collections, without interrupting the pedestrian flow.

RuinsEngraving a spatial itinerary within a horizontal context

Critic: Mick RichmondStudio: Design 3

Site: Ruins of Pompeii Pompeii, Italy

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The major axes of Pompeii create a node of density around which the project ultimately unfolds. A diagrammatic collage allows for the deeper examination of this tension, and the manner in which the ancient city thrived prior to its destruction. The intervention is oriented along the stereotomic armature, which provides a framework from which the spaces are developed. Even though the context is primarily horizontal, the intervention is located along a portion of the main axis where a large elevation shift occurs. As such, the spaces are layered to maintain a connection within the topography of these ruins. The intervention seeks to work within the ruins, carving its existence among the nodal density, and deploys compression and expansion to regulate the occupation of visitors.

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A A

The itinerary of the project revolves around four main areas: the Map Gallery, the Permanent Exhibition Gallery, the Temporary Exhibition Gallery, and the Performance Space. The main circulation wraps in upon itself, presenting a choice in procession for the occupants upon traversing to the end of the Map Gallery. One can continue upwards to the Permanent Exhibition, or onwards through the Temporary Exhibition into the Performance Space.

The linear expression of the wire works in conjunction with the planar language of the wood and plexiglas to create differing spatial conditions for each gallery, while latching onto the support provided by the stereotomic armature beneath. The Map Gallery pulls occupants through, funneling them into the main vertical transition before releasing visitors into the light and open Temporary Exhibition Gallery. The program then folds up towards the Permanent Exhibition Gallery, whereupon visitors reflect upon the historical artifacts of Pompeii. However, the fork in the path also provides the opportunity to view a presentation or production within the cavernous Performance Space, compressing occupants at the threshold prior to expanding to accommodate an audience.

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C - Longitudinal Map Gallery / Permanent Exhibition Gallery

B - Performance Space / Temporary Exhibition Gallery

A -Entrance Threshold / Circulation Cross-Section

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The project is located at the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, where green burials are conducted, returning the remains of the deceased in a simple, direct manner, interred with natural materials to biodegrade and allow for new life to blossom from the decay. It removes the traditional want for toxic embalming fluids, concrete burial vaults, or metal caskets, minimizing the environmental impact of the funeral.

A triptych of eidetic imagery reveals the intimate connection between the deceased and their loved ones, and the new life their body is able to provide to the tree planted above them. The conservation cemetery is rooted in maintaining a balance between reflectance and sustainability, in preserving the memory of the dearly deceased while allowing their death to mean more than the simple extinguishing of a life.

Sacred and ProfaneEstablishing an occupiable connection between the physical and ethereal

Critic: Bradley WaltersStudio: Design 5

Site: Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery Gainesville, FL

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While the majority of the conservation cemetery is fairly flat, a number of subtle topographic shifts do occur along the surface. The area is a complex and nuanced field, with marked systems competing and flourishing, combining to create the composite matrix of the area.

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Rooted in the natural Florida landscape, the pavilion serves as a joint to navigate the surrounding prairie, orienting visitors and providing a waypoint from which they can find the burial site they are seeking. The occupiable reflectance wall and the conjoining communal gathering pavilion exist as figure co-mingling with the ground that is the landscape upon which the project rests. In scrutinizing the conservation cemetery as a whole, the landscape is broken down into various dynamics, ranging from the differences in tree cover and how this determines occupational spaces, relationships between the ground and sky, various rhythms and proportions of local flora, and how all of the systems in play guides and regulates one’s pace through the site.

An analysis of the existing spread of gravesites provided a few suitable sites for the occupiable wall and accompanying pavilion to be constructed. Ultimately, the intervention was placed in an area where a moderate number of graves had already been placed, and individual reflectance windows could be carved. An intersection between two paths is also located at the site, allowing the pavilion to function as a mediator for these as well, a mediator between the sacred and profane.

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Individual Reflection

Windows are carved from the occupiable wall, which allow for an individual, or pair of individuals, to physically see the grave marker and tree planted at the gravesite while they reflect upon the dead. This provides a means of direct interaction between the living and their deceased loved ones, and can be utilized throughout the year, as they provide shelter from the elements as well. As the years pass by and the conservation cemetery partakes in more green burials, these apertures can be added to the wall as needed by removing preordained portions while leaving the structural integrity intact, since the gravesites are aligned along a grid. Similar occupiable walls may also be erected across the cemetery, if the organization so chooses.

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Collective Reflection

A space for a more formal ceremony for the deceased is provided as well, allowing for collective reflection and communal gathering to take place. Light is filtered through the ceiling condition to illuminate the stairway into this area, as well the threshold between the gathering space and the reflecting wall. A thin stream of light also illuminates a spot on the raised platform to direct focus upon the eulogist. The gathering space is set slightly into the ground to provide a physical connection between the burial process and those in grief, and allows easy access to the outdoors so the ceremony can proceed to the burial site and continue the ritual unhindered.

Vertical DatumDeveloping inhabitation along a vertical construct

Critic: Jairo VivesStudio: Design 4

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The focus of this project is to explore the axial alignment of space, oriented along a vertical datum. By orienting the occupation in such a manner, the development of stacked spaces and vertical connections is necessary. The assemblage draws initial inspiration from the deconstruction of Pablo Picasso’s L’Aficionado. Three spatial densities are crafted along a vertical armature, allowing the interstitial spaces to flow between them as circulation.

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In determining the nature of the grounding densities, a series of sectional sketches were produced to begin exploring vertical relationships between spaces. This proceeded into a further axonometric study in vertical alignment, and in how specific moments provide inhabitable interaction, which as per the human condition, is necessarily horizontal in occupancy. Space may become tall, but this does not mean it is necessarily vertical in manner, only that it creates a contrasting monumental scale that dwarfs the human relationship with such a space. True verticality lies within the interlocking and stacking of areas, in which occupants ascend and descend within the space, interacting with the vertical datum itself.

Urban CavityCreating spatial pause within an urban context

Critic: Martin GundersenStudio: Design 7Partners: Rachael Stitzel and Olivia Alfonso

Site: Taunusanlage Park Corner Frankfurt, Germany

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24As a city in constant motion, Frankfurt is considered to be one of Europe’s global cities, holding direct influence over culture, economics, and transportation. Easily one of the busiest transportation hubs in Germany, Frankfurt operates as a node for traffic by air and land, and prospers greatly doing so. However, Frankfurt also manages intangible traffic as well. DE-CIX, the Deutscher Commercial Internet Exchange, is located within the city, and is the world’s largest internet traffic exchange point, with a maximum throughput of 3.4 terabits per second. The city itself already contains all the necessary components to thrive and survive within the urban environment, and the lifestyle residents are accommodated to is fast-paced, moving among constantly shifting programs and spaces.

It is this consistent flow that calls for a specific moment of stasis, of sacred space in an otherwise bustling city. The light cannon provides such a space, directing light into the main public area, and has its opening facing south to catch as much light as possible, due to Frankfurt’s northern latitude. Development of the light cannon began with a series of sketches and models to determine the shape and dimensions to properly capture the light.

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26The restaurant is suspended between two floors of the tower, and allows for a view upon the surrounding skyline to each table. The space underneath also provides a convenient meeting area for visitors and residents alike, yielding an open, yet semi-private area away from the main city. A stairway extends down to this open space, drawing diners up into the restaurant through a scintillating slit. Vast apertures along the external walls open up for a breathtaking view across the city, and the restaurant is tiered to prevent the interruption of view by other tables.

Located a little above the midway point of the tower, the restaurant cantilevers out over the street slightly, interlocking with the vertical composition of the tower without interrupting the flow of light into the light cannon. Whether dining during the day or at night, customers will be able to appreciate the view at all hours.

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Residential Market

Tiered Restaurant

Pedestrian Connection

Metro Connection

The structure contains both temporary and permanent residences, and provides a market and restaurant within the tower itself. Located at the corner of the Taunusanlage Park, the tower is situated at a junction of business towers and cultural centers, such as the old and new opera houses. The light cannon has a main threshold on the street corner, but also allows for access through a penetrating pedestrian walkway coming in from the park, as well as drawing visitors and residents up through the connection to the metro. The structure is situated at a node of high traffic density, and accommodates the traffic flow by weaving the connections together and terminating them within the light cannon, allowing a moment of pause to occur within the urban cavity.

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Cochleiform UnitDeveloping a modular dwelling through rapid prototyping

Critic: Lee-Su HuangStudio: Design 8

Phase 1: Unit Development

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The first phase of the project entailed the creation of an oblique living unit, using biomimicry to inspire specific spatial and functional choices. The primary inspiration for the cochleiform unit was derived from the manner in which snails organize space within their shells, spiraling up in a continuous flow while still managing to create separate spaces around a circulatory core. Secondary inspiration is drawn from the lattice structure of the urodid moth’s cocoon and the manner in which butterfly scales are able to modify and refract light to produce brilliant colors, and are combined to create a protection lattice above the outdoor gathering space. The unit was then created using rapid prototyping with 3-D printing, allowing for specific demonstration in how the various curves affect the space and filter the light into certain spaces. Light is allowed to bounce down the curved walls to indirectly illuminate the larger spaces.

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C

B

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EF

A - Living Space

B - Food Preparation and Consumtion

C - Primary Resting Area

Study Space - D

Secondary Resting Area - E

Outdoor Gathering Space - F

CochleiriaDeploying the cochleiform unit within a neighborhood context

Phase 2: Horizontal Aggregation

Site: Big Torch Key Florida Keys, FL

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The cochleiform unit is then deployed in the second project phase within a neighborhood development in Big Torch Key. Each unit is oriented so as to provide a view out to the coastline from the top patio, while maintaining easy access to the residential streets. Within each cluster, a pathway to the surrounding boardwalk is available as well, creating a promenade around the edge, and directing residents towards the beach area of their choosing.

The initial aggregation diagram supplied a basic layout for the neighborhood to be organized around, and use of small-scale, lasercut prototypes allowed for many iterations to be explored prior to deciding upon a specific plan for the neighborhood.

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ColumellaDeploying the cochleiform unit within an urban context

Phase 3: Vertical Aggregation

Site: Business Bay Dubai, UAE

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In the final phase of the project, the units are deployed in a pair of mid-rise towers to provide luxury accommodations in the city of Dubai, located at the corner of the Business Bay. The shells are designed to provide protection to the units within from the harsh climate conditions present in Dubai, while using a lattice structure to still provide views from each unit out to the city. In developing the form and orientation of the large shell structures and the resultant organization of the units within the construct, the way in which snail shells are structured is reexamined, and inspiration drawn from the columella of the shell, the spiraling spine which serves to organize the spaces within as a whole. Several iterations of these shells were designed, before settling upon a set that provided a balance between dynamic flow and static pause. A sunlight analysis helped to determine which areas needed more protection from the sun, and which areas allowed for more penetration of the units through the shells. Located at the top of the towers are a pair of greenhouses, allowing the residents access to a semi-private green space.

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Shell Iteration Process

Sunlight Protection Analysis

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The Valley Within The MountainCarving specific occupational experiences along a spatial itinerary

Critic: Martin GundersenStudio: Design 7

Site: Wellsville Mountains Observational Complex Wellsville Mountains, UT

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Architecture has a fundamental need not only to enhance the experience of the occupant, but also accentuate the qualities of the contextual landscape in which it is built. Mountains are the spines of the land, and are formed by the long-term, violent collision of tectonic plates, due to seismic forces. By contrast, valleys are typically more tranquil, formed by erosion over hundreds and thousands of years, by the cyclical seasons of wind, rain and snow, and are often seen as wellsprings of life, providing shelter from the harsh, unforgiving conditions that exist within the heights of mountains. Valleys provide the flesh to fill in the gaps between the mountainous vertebrae.

The Wellsville Mountains Observation Complex is situated along a mountain ridge in the Wellsville Mountains of Utah, one of the narrowest and steepest mountain ranges of the US. It is provides access to the three hiking trails currently present, as well as allowing occupants to partake in breathtaking views on either side of the ridge. The complex itself allows users to cross from one side through the other, carving through the mountain to create a series of paths, with the aim of bringing the occupational experience of being in different points in a valley into the mountain. The paths interlock at a node in the center of the complex, and work to provide the divergent occurrences of being at the crest, along the side, and at the bottom of a valley, while connecting the proposed cable-car station, hiking trail access, and observation decks at either end.

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The penetrations into the top of the mountain serve to funnel light down into the complex. As one walks through a valley, often the majority of the light is indirect, reflected off the sides of the surrounding mountains, with the rare glimpse of direct sunlight peeking over the mountaintops. The penetrations are sculpted to be able to capture light and direct it in a multitude of manners across the spaces, and even though the complex itself is fairly narrow, each penetration manages to create the different lighting conditions necessary to convey the specific understanding to the occupants.

The structure works through compression and expansion to impose different spatial experiences upon the occupants, while al-lowing simultaneous interaction between visitors on separate paths. The observation decks, trail access, and cable-car station act as moments of pause and destinations, however the architecture of the complex in this instance is focused around the flow of movement between these pauses.

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Dylan Sun Belfield

205 Eagles Chase DriveLawrenceville, NJ 08648

dsbelfield@gmail.com609-947-8115

Design Portfolio2014

Honors

National Merit Scholar2010-2014

President’s Honor RollFall 2013

Dean’s ListSpring 2014

Luminaire Design Competition WinnerSpring 2014First place awardee; competition as part of second Environmental Technology course, tasked with the creation of a hanging pendant lamp

Education

University of FloridaBachelor’s in Design May 2014Major: ArchitectureMinors: Urban and Regional Planning Sustainability StudiesGPA: 3.57

References

Martha KohenProfessorUniversity of FloridaSchool of Architecturemkohen@ufl.edu

Martin GundersenProfessorUniversity of FloridaSchool of Architecturemargund@ufl.edu

Lee-Su HuangProfessorUniversity of FloridaSchool of Architectureleehuang@ufl.edu

Experience

Design Exploration ProgramSummer 2011Teaching AssistantSummer design camp for high school students

Vicenza Institute of ArchitectureFall 2013Semester-long study abroad at UF-affiliated Vicenza Institute of Architecture; studying and sketching European architecture while participating in a senior design studio, learning architectural theory and analyzing the surrounding architecture in a theoretical context, and learning the basics of Italian; also visited various cities in Italy, including Rome, Florence, and Venice, as well as around Europe, including Paris, Berlin, and Barcelona

Extensive Travel Experience in ChinaFamiliarity with culture and customs; travels include visits to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Chongqing, as well as more rural areas such as Guilin and the Jiuzhaigou valley