KELSEY WILLIS

tulane school of architecturefirst & second-year portfolio

RESUME.architectural design studentTulane University

EDUCATION.Tulane University, New Orleans, LA Class of 2018/19 Masters’ of Architecture Bachelors’ of French

Sehome High School, Bellingham, WAClass of 2014

RECENT EXPERIENCE & INVOLVEMENT.

Tulane College Democrats Graphic Design Coordinator

RMC ArchitectsBellingham, WA Architectural Intern

Tulane Center for Public Service Service Learning Assistant Training in facilitation, leadership, coordination

Divest Tulane Graphic Design Coordinator, active member

Tulane Green Club Community Outreach Coordinator

The Charrette (Architecture School Biannual Publication)

Contributor & Assisting Editor Editor

Student Government Presidential Campaigns Chief Graphic Designer

SKILLS.

RhinocerosAutoCAD

HTML/CSS

InDesignIllustratorPhotoshop

Hand-draftingModel-building

French Language

Summer 2015

2014-Present

2015-2016

2015-Present

2015-Present

2014-Present

2016

EDUCATIONkelsey.m.willis@gmail.com(360) 220-6286

Sketchup

2016-Present

THE MARDI GRAS INDIAN INSTITUTE

The project goes through several phases:

-Mardi Gras Indian Suit Analysis

-Mardi Gras Indian Pavilion

-Mardi Gras Indian Instiute

a cultural institute in the

heart of the treme to

celebrate and facilitate the

arts

and outreach of the

mardi gras indians.

form is influenced by

suit studies, neighborhood

analysis, and interviews with

leaders in the mardi gras indi-

an community.

Learning to interpret the complex culture and history of the celebra-tory mardi gras tradition of “mask-ing indian” - an important part of New Orleans’African-American independence culture - through carnival season and beyond

spatial vs. cultural: the mardi gras indian suit

the project began with the analysis of individual pieces of a mardi gras indian suit, combined with cultural studies

the legpiece

“liberation through enclosure”

interpretive models

We were challenged to represent the concept and movement of our suit piece without imitating its form. These reflect the rotation and movement of the leg within the “boot” while still being tightly laced into the object.

a dual-purpose space for public performance and private suit-making, sited in a traditonal new orleansneighborhood long-lot

mardi gras indian pavilion

mardi gras indian institute

elevation: esplanade avenue

4

3

2

1

site: esplanade ave & claiborne ave

circulation

nighttime elevation

nighttime elevation

mardi gras indian institute:

final model

parti / massing exploration

section a

section b

exploded axon

rooftop performance space

inspiration: Paul Klee, Double Tent

axon plan

unfold

refold

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

STEP 3:

digital media: cube explorations

Inspired by a chosen piece of artwork, Paul Klee’s “Double Tent”:

1) Created a digital model of a modified cube2) “Unfolded” the model into a flat surface3) Laser-cut the surface and folded it into an actual 1’x1’ cube4) Rendered the cube as an object in a outdoor scene

STEP 4: render

“museum of the city” new orleans, latremé neighborhood

located in the historic but transforming heart of the Treme, the museum of the city serves as a place to celebrate the neighborhood’s unique, color-ful culture and its fascinating past.

neighborhood scale: the tremeurban/suburban scale: new orleans

zoom out

diagramming sprawlphase 1:

the project began with research and diagramming to better understand the growth and processes of new orleans. Ultimately, I chose to focus on patterns of sprawl anddevelopment over the centuries of the city’s existence.

neighborhood scale: the tremé

zoom in

Switching focus to the history and culture of our site’s neighborhood, the historic Treme, I focused on the spread of cultural centers within the neighborhood and the relationship between buildings and the street-front throughout the neighborhood. The Treme is one of the oldest neigh-borhoods in the city, and the oldest historically black neighborhood in the United States. Collaged into these diagrams are its many incar-nations, including: plantation, urban renewal ground zero, publichousing development, and vital, mu-sic-filled neighborhood.

MUSEUM OF THE CITY: MODEL STUDIES

pavilion of the tremean open community gathering space located at a point of transition into the underserved treme neighborhood. intended as an exploration of the site and its entry points, in prepa-ration for a museum project on the same site.

preliminary site explorations:pavilion / uncovered space

transverse section a

transverse section b

longitudinal section a

longitudinal section b

plan

pavilion of the treme

an open community gathering space located at a point of urban transition into the treme neighborhood

museum preparation

MUSEUM OF THE CITY: MODEL STUDIES

parti model development

final model

process models

elevation: basin street

elevation: n villere street

MUSEUM OF THE CITY

Diagrammatic breakdown of the tectonic and stereotomic forms that make up the walls and structure of the building.

Form / massing development diagram

rendering: corner of basin street and north villere street

historic courtyard studies: the cabildofrench quarter, new orleans

The Cabildo was the seat of the Spanish colonial government of New Orleans in the 1700-1800s. We explored the courtyards and systems of the building design, as well as its history.

We were then partnered with community icons to design a courtyard intervention based on their desires. For jazz musician Irvin Mayfield, this was an entertaining space and and open prac-tice area.

sequential analysis: willow dorm complextulane university

light penetration and hierarchy

axial divisions

PRECEDENT ANALYSIS

PRECEDENT ANALYSIS

Margaret Esherick House Louis Kahn, 1961Chestnut Hill, PA

“fruit drawings” precedent drawings

“elevation”

“plan”

“section”

esherick house, louis kahn

the guggenheim museum, frank lloyd wright

vs.

white mushroom, agaricus bisporus

diagramming congruency:Exploring architectural concepts through diagrammatic study ofclassic buildings (as well as organisms!)

“precedent intervention: visitor’s center”

PISCINA DAS MARES, PORTO, PORTUGAL

project by alvaro siza, 1961

site:

An intervention to a canonical project, influenced by in-depth study and analysis of Siza’s designs and meth-od.

Using an understanding of the project, program, and experience to create a new point of entry and re-orientation, tointroduce visitors to the famous site.

site plan (with intervention)

The Piscina das Mares is a still-functioning public swimming pool, built into and carved out of natural rock formations. The concrete structure cre-ates a boundary between the industrial area beyond the road and the wildness of the ocean.

SITE

boundary, natural form vs. built form

geometries and metering

model: geometries and project siting

Analytical diagrams used to determine placement of the visitor’s center: reflecting and extending the geometries of the original project design, extending the order vs. disordered bound-ary condition. .

INTERVENTION

site model: embedment into the cliffside, relationship between site extensions and natural boundaries

final model