ELAINA OSTROW

froebel blocks

Photography

Clifton Public Library: Clifton, Ohio

Community Cornerstone: Over-The- Rhine, Ohio

Artist Residency and Park: Miami University

Mixed-Use Retail and Office: Canary Wharf, England

Bus Stop: Pit Stop

Tree House: Sustainability

THIS PROJECT WAS DESIGNED AS A REPLACEMENT BUILDING TO AN EXISTING LIBRARY IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI . IT WAS ASSIGNED AS A FINAL PROJECT IN SECOND YEAR STUDIO. MY GROUP AND I WERE TO DESIGN A LIBRARY BASED ON THE COMMUNITY THAT WE RESEARCHED AND THE INTERPRETATION OF THE SURROUNDINGS WE OBSERVED ON OUR SITE VISIT.

Clifton Public Library

OUR GROUP DECIDED TO DESIGN THE LIBRARY

BASED ON A GRID CREATED FROM THE DIMENSIONS

OF A STANDARD SHIPPING CONTAINER. THE SHIPPING

CONTAINERS WERE USED AS BOTH READING NOOKS

THAT CANTILEVERED OFF OF THE BUILDING AS WELL AS

BATHROOMS AND STORAGE AREAS.

THE PREMISE BEHIND THE CONCEPT WAS TO HAVE

DIVERSE OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE’S ENJOYMENT.

WE WANTED EACH INDIVIDUAL TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AND

HAVE A FAVORITE SPACE IN THE LIBRARY. WE DID THIS

BY USING VARYING LIGHTING BASED ON MATERIALS AND

PLACEMENT OF THE SPACES. THERE ARE BRIGHT VIBRANT

SPACES AS WELL AS DARKER, WARMER SPACES.

1

THE COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE WAS A LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE PROJECT. THE LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE HAS EIGHT SUSTAINABLE PETALS THAT EVERY PROJECT IS BASED UPON. THE TWO PETALS I FOCUSED ON FOR THE CHALLENGE WAS EQUITY AND ENERGY.

THE COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE IS THE NEXT STEP AFTER THE DROP IN CENTER IN OVER THE RHINE, CINCINNATI. WE PROVIDE FREE HOUSING FOR ANY COMMUNITY MEMBER IN NEED IN EXCHANGE FOR 15 HRS OF VOLUNTEER TIME WITHIN OUR BUILDING. THE 15 HOURS LEAVES TIME FOR THE RESIDENTS TO HAVE OTHER JOBS.

THE RESIDENTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAVE INCOME EARNED TO BUY A PLACE OF THEIR OWN AFTER LEAVING. THE SKILLS LEARNED WHILE WORKING IN THE BUILDING ARE ONES THAT ARE GEARED TO TAKE THEM BEYOND THEIR STAY AT THE COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE AND INTO THE “REAL WORLD”. THESE SKILLS PAIRED WITH THE NUMEROUS OTHER PROGRAMS GEARED TOWARD SKILL BUILDING, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND JOB TRAINING WILL PREPARE EACH PERSON TO BECOME A PRODUCTIVE MEMBER OF SOCIETY UPON LEAVING.

Community Cornerstone2

THE COMMUNITY CORNERSTONE IS DESIGNED

SPECIFICALLY TO USE NET-ZERO ENERGY WITHIN THE

BUILDING ITSELF, AND ALSO HELP NEGATE OTHER COSTS

BY PRODUCING EXTRA ENERGY TO PUSH BACK

INTO THE GRID. ALL DESIGN ELEMENTS ARE GEARED

TOWARD THE ENERGY GOAL WITH OTHER LBC PETALS IN

MIND.

THE DESIGN FEATURES A SHALLOW SECTION TO ENCOURAGE NATURAL VENTILATION AND DAY

LIGHTING. SPECIALLY ENGINEERED TRIPLE

PANE GLASS, ALLOWS FOR A TRANSPARENT FEEL

TO THE BUILDING WHILE PREVENTING MASSIVE HEAT

GAIN OR LOSS THROUGH THE GLASS. HEAVILY INSULATED

CONCRETE AND THE USE OF A THIN BRICK VENEER,

ALSO HELP KEEP THE BUILDING FROM LOOSING

HEAT THROUGH THE WALLS. ANY ENERGY THAT IS USED

IN THE BUILDING AFTER THE CONSCIOUS DECISION

FOR LAYOUT, MATERIALS, AND PLUG LOADS WILL BE

REPLENISHED WITH 102 PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS ON

THE ROOF.

The Numbers

Designed Heat Loss: 196638.3 Btu/Hr

Space Heating Load: 2450.6 Therms/Yr.

Cost: $6622.18 Annually

Space Heating Load: 129,331.72 Kwh/Yr.

1 130 Watt Photovoltaic Panel: 1,288 Kwh/Yr.

Panels Needed: 102

Can fit 398 total on roof

Total Power Produced: (102 Panels): 131, 376 Kwh/Yr.

Excess Power: 2,045 Kwh/yr.

Profit (At Cost): $173. 83 Annually

Thin Brick Veneer

Reclaimed wood decking

Rain Garden

130 watt panels

engineered glass panels

Live wall

130 watt panels

engineered glass panels

Live wall

Thin Brick

Reclaimed wood decking

Rain Garden

THE ARTIST RESIDENCY WAS A SHORT PROJECT ASSIGNED DURING THE FIRST SEMESTER OF MY THIRD YEAR STUDIO. WE WERE TASKED TO DESIGN FOUR ARTIST RESIDENCES, AN ART MUSEUM, AN AUDITORIUM, AN AMPHITHEATER, AND A SCULPTURE GARDEN ON A PLOT ON MIAMI UNIVERSITY’S WESTERN CAMPUS.

ARTIST RESIDENCY 3

MY GROUP DESIGNED A GRID BASED OFF OF THE OVERALL

GRIDDED LAYOUT OF MIAMI UNIVERSITY. THE PROJECT

IS BROKEN DOWN INTO FOUR STRIPS OF LAND THAT

CONTINUE DOWN THE ENTIRE SITE AND EVENTUALLY FORM

THE BUILDINGS FOR THE RESIDENCIES. OUR DESIRE

WAS TO MAKE THE BUILDINGS TO LOOK AS IF THEY WERE

FOLDED OUT OF THE GROUND.

THE FRONT OF THE PROJECT IS A SCULPTURE GARDEN

WITH FOUR POOLS OF WATER CREATING THE STRIPS OF LAND THAT MAKE UP THE

WALKWAYS.

WE CONTINUED TO USE THE STRIPS AS A THEME

THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT FOR EXAMPLE,

THE STRIP WINDOWS ON THE BUILDING.

THIS MIXED USE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED IN A 5-WEEK STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM IN LONDON ENGLAND IN THE SUMMER OF 2013. OUR SITE WAS LOCATED IN CANARY WHARF ALONG THE THAMES .

WE WERE TO DESIGN A MIXED USE BUILDING THAT CONTAINED RESTAURANTS AND RETAIL SHOPS, OPEN OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT, AND STUDIO SPACE FOR A GROWING DESIGN FIRM, SQUARE CIRCLE, LOCATED IN LONDON, ENGLAND.

Canary Wharf: Mixed use 4

SQUARE CIRCLE’S OFFICE IS A LINK BETWEEN PUBLIC

AND PRIVATE SPHERES. THE BUILDING’S CENTRAL CORE IS

ITS ANCHOR, AS WELL AS ITS THRESHOLD POINT

A PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY SLICES THROUGH THE

center, CREATING A PHYSICAL AND VISUAL

LINK BETWEEN THE SITE’S CANAL AND THE PUBLIC

PARK. PRIVATE INTERIOR SPACES FLOW SMOOTHLY INTO LARGE, INTERACTIVE

OFFICES THROUGH THE INFORMAL GATHERING

SPACES IN THE COREOUTDOOR SHOPPING AND

DINING COMPLEMENT ACTIVITIES ACROSS

THE CANAL, FOSTERING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN

VARIOUS ZONES WITHIN THE SITE.

SUSTAINABILITY WAS A MAJOR FOCUS FOR THIS PROJECT. IN THIS BUILDING WE INCLUDED VARIOUS SUSTAINABLE FEATURES. THE BUILDINGS SOLAR CHIMNEY UTILIZES SOLAR EXPOSURE TO REGULATE ITS INTERIOR TEMPERATURE. A LARGE WEST-FACING GLASS SECTION GAINS THERMAL ENERGY DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE DAY.

THE DOUBLE-SKIN FACADE WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE SOLAR CHIMNEY TO OFF SET THE HEATING LOAD THROUGH SOLAR GAIN WITHIN THE ENVELOPE.

STRATEGICALLY PLACED LOUVERS, COORDINATED WITH THE STRUCTURE, BLOCK DIRECT SUNLIGHT FROM THE OFFICE SPACES TO MAINTAIN A COMFORTABLE WORKING ENVIRONMENT.

RADIANT FLOOR HEATING ALSO SERVES TO REGULATE THE BUILDINGS TEMPERATURE AND REDUCE THE UTILITY LOAD.

Tree House: Sustainability5

THE TREE HOUSE PROJECT WAS AN ASSIGNMENT FOR MY

INTRODUCTION TO LANDSCAPE AND URBAN DESIGN CLASS. MY

GROUP AND I WERE ASSIGNED TO DESIGN A TREE HOUSE THAT HAD

SUSTAINABLE ELEMENTS.

WE WERE TO PICK A SPOT ON MIAMI UNIVERSITY’S WESTERN CAMPUS THAT REPRESENTED THE POEM, ARS POETICA, AND

DESIGN THE TREE HOUSE BASED ON THE SURROUNDINGS AND OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE

POEM.

WE PLACED A MOAT AROUND THETREE HOUSE TO COLLECT

RAINWATER THAT WOULD FLOW OFF THE ROOF AS WELL AS WATER

THE PLANTS BELOW. THERE IS A CANTILEVERED PORCH TO LOOK

OUTOVER THE SITE. WE INCLUDED A FIRE PIT ON THE INSIDE AS WELL AS A WRAP AROUND BENCH FOR

RELAXATION.

Bus Stop: Pit Stop6

THE BUS STOP PROJECT WAS AN ASSIGNMENT IN MY SECOND

YEAR STUDIO. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO DESIGN A BUS

STOP THAT WAS LOCATED AT A MAIN INTERSECTION OF A NEWLY

CONSTRUCTED PEDESTRIAN PATH IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI

THAT FOLLOWS AN OLD TRAIN TRACK ROUTE.

MY DESIGN INCORPORATED THE ANGLES OF THE TWO

INTERSECTIONS WHICH DETERMINED THE ANGLES USED

IN THE BUS STOP. I WANTED TO CREATE A SPACE THAT WOULD

BE SELF SUPPORTING AND INTERESTING FOR

THE PUBLIC TO USE.

THE GROUND PLAN IS MADEOF WOOD AND CONCRETE. THE

WOOD PANELS ARE USED WHERE PEOPLE CAN STAND WHILE

WAITING, AS WELL AS WHERE BIKES WOULD BE STORED. THE

CONCRETE AREAS ARE FOR THE WALKING PATHS, THE HEAVY

TRAFFIC AREAS. I WAS ALSO USED RECYCLED TRAIN TRACK

MATERIALS FOR THE WOOD AND METAL SINCE THE PATH IS

REPLACING AN OLD TRAIN TRACK.

THE BLACK OVERHANGS ARE METAL WITH FRAMING ON THE

UNDERSIDE TO MAKE THE

STRUCTURE SELF-SUPPORTING.

FROEBEL BLOCKS 7

THE PHOTOGRAPHS PICTURED ARE OF A SET OF

FROEBEL BLOCKS THAT I MADE. WE CUT THE BLOCKS TO SIZE AND DESIGNED THE

BOX FOR THE BLOCKS TO BE HOUSED IN.

ONCE THE BLOCKS WERE COMPLETED, WE CREATED

OUR INTERPRETATION OF WORDS USING THE BLOCKS. THE EXAMPLES ARE FLIGHT,

SYMMETRY AND WEAVING.

Photography 8

Elaina ostrow ostrower@miamioh.edu (937)266-0802