Alex Karshis

Front face of the Shadow Box, showing the architecture elements from the Delta shelter designed by Olson Kundig

Middle of the Shadow Box, showing the movement from light to dark, from the glass windows to the steel covers

Top right corner, showing the connection of the outside contrasting with the white background

This shadow box was created with the architecture elements of Olson Kundig, Delta shelter. The mixture between the plexiglass and steel linear bars are to show the movement between the open and close shutters of the Delta shelter. The surrounding frame is to show the outline of the house and the white background is to show how ‘in the middle of nowhere’ the Delta shelter really is. The overall concept of the design was to show a strong center piece surrounded by a white background, showing isolation.

Top view, showing the ‘X’ interaction with the connecting raffia proved to be the strongest figure when coming to the weight test

Front view, showing the curve of the ‘X’, and the tension that is created by tying the ‘X’’s corners together

Zoomed in of the connection, showing how the raffia and skewers connected with each other, and how the weight would be distributed

This project was made to hold a four pound brick with just raffia and skewers, no glue. The bridge was also made to be the lightest so the person with the lightest and strongest bridge would accomplish the goal of the project. I was able to build the lightest and strongest bridge with the arch design. With the tension created from the corners of the ‘X’ shape being tied together along with the edge table supports, this bridge was able to hold a brick while still being the lightest.

Top view, showing the ‘L’ shape layout, including the sleeping quarters, the meditation space, and the machine

Front View, showing the different level of spaces, first the the machine then the sleeping quarter, and lastly the meditation space

Zoomed in on the machine, this is showing the still machine, how you have to jump from different levels to get to the sleeping quarters

The goal of this project was to create a space for a Ninja to train, sleep, and meditate. The ‘L’ shape stood as the main design element, drawing the viewers eyes around the perimeter of the complex. You have to walk through the machine to then walk under the sleeping quarters to get to the meditation area. You then have to go down a hole from the mediation area into the sleeping quarters. This is to provide the Ninja with the same pattern as he enters and exits the complex.

Front side view, this is to show the separation between design and structure, when you walk on the bridge you will only see the wires holding you up

Front view, this is showing the under bridge connections, on how the bridge is supported, in the background you can see the structure supporting the bridge

Top View, showing the separation of design and structure, how the back structure is holding up the bridge

The magic bridge is a structure built over a Californian arroyo, for a Magician to watch the coastal sunset on. The project concept was to split the structure and design, to make it look like you are ‘levitating’ on the bridge. This was accomplished by the structure under the bridge that supported the wood and the viewer on the bridge. Then, the wires and structure behind the bridge made the viewer feel like they where levitating on the bridge.

Front View, showing the living space surrounded by glass, with the connecting wires to the back structure

Interior Space, showing how the furniture is positioned within the magic place, and how the floor connects with the sloped ceiling

Side view, showing how the magic place is held up by the exterior structure and the reaching cables, connecting to the magic place

The second part of the Magic Bridge project consisted of converting the bridge into a dwelling. We used the bridge proposal as a departure point. The goal of this project was also to split the structure and design to make it look like you are ‘levitating’ inside the living space. This was also accomplished by the bridge taking the main load of the weight and the wires and structure behind the living space. To build this bridge, we used the parts and material from the existing bridge.

Front View, showing the abstract object with the pointed edges and sharp corners

Zoomed in, highlighting how the raffia and skewers connected with each other

Side View, showing off how the pointed objects represent my personality and how the connections add protection to the object

This project was designed to make a figure that represented a personality or trait of the creator. Being someone that is outgoing and spontaneous, I created an object that pointed out and has no overall sense of direction. Sticks protrude from the main form in a disordered fashion to illustrate spontaneity. The knots that held it together were a big part of the sculpture because they showed that each connection was intersected and played a large role in the overall support of the structure.

Existing Site Plan

Proposed Site Plan

Existing Site Section

Proposed Site Section

Top view of bridge

Two-point perspective of bridge

Front View of bridge

Alex Karshis Undergraduate Architecture ProgramEnvironmental Design MajorTexas A&M University alexkarshis@gmail.com

Alex Karshis