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House for an Aquatic Biologist - Gilbert, Iowa
ISU Second Year Design Studio » Located on the edge of a lake at the Iowa State University Horticulture Farm, this 800 square foot house was designed to serve as a platform from which an aquatic biologist could observe the surrounding ecosystem. Programmatically, the house incorporates traditional living spaces as well as a mudroom/wet holding room, home office, and a sunken walkway projecting into the lake. Inspired by the work of artisit Mary Miss, this sunken walkway serves to alter the occupant's perception of the ecosystem by placing the surface of the lake at eye level.
Early Childhood Development Center - Ames, Iowa
ISU Third Year Design Studio » Intended to serve needs otherwise unmet in the City of Ames, the Early Childhood Development Center was carved from an unused parcel of land adjacent to the Iowa State University cross-country course. The site posed a unique challenge in that it consisted almost entirely of a hill sloping down to a creek on the northern edge. Concerns regarding stairs in childcare centers dictated the decision to elevate the structure above the hillside. The building's curved form is derived from two factors: the desire to follow the shallowest slope of the hill enabling ramp access to the ground, and a desire to wrap to the trees along the south side of the site.
Community Arts Collaborative - St. Louis, Missouri
ISU Fourth Year Design Studio » Old North St. Louis (a neighborhood located ~10 minutes north of downtown St. Louis) has suffered from nearly five decades of economic and social marginalization. As individuals and families sought better opportunities by moving out of the city proper, much of the existing building stock was abandoned and eventually fell derelict. At the time of this project, Fall 2009, 49% of families in this ZIP code fell below the Federal povery level.
The Community Arts Collaborative arose from a partnership between two groups working to restore this neighborhood: the Old North St. Louis Restoraton Group and the Urban Studio. The Urban Studio is a community based action group that uses art and the creative process to foster pride and self-confidence in at-risk youth.
The proposal called for a 30,000 square foot development incorporating four classroom studios for the Urban Studio, a gallery, cafe, public meeting space, and four live/work residences for artists working at the collaborative.
The chosen site included a historical 19th century brick row house that was retained to be retained in the new design. This existing structure formed the basis for my initial exploration of the site; its 24' x 64' dimensions formed a series of bays upon which the entire project was scaled. Careful consideration was given to the facades to ensure that they were a modern reinterpretation of the historical context. This was manifest in material selections, roof forms, and the wrapping of street level glazing at street corners, similar to the traditional corner shops and cafes found in the neighborhood.
Interlock House – Iowa State University Solar Decathlon - Washington D.C., Moravia, Iowa
More information available at: http://solard.iastate.edu
U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon » When accepted into the Department of Energy's 2009 Solar Decathlon Competition, the Iowa State Solar Decathlon Team set out to create a house that demonstrates how principles of passive design, along with concepts of community interface and spatial organization could allow a house to "interlock" with the environment, its occupants, and surrounding development.
The house itself was designed to be net-zero energy. This is accomplished with an 8 kilowatt photovoltaic array. The house also features an array of evacuated tube thermal collectors which power the domestic hot water, radiant floor heating, and a liquid desiccant dehumidifier. In connection with passive design principles, such as an isolated gain sunspace (sun porch), louvers, and clerestory lighting the house only consumes half of the energy it produces over the course of a year.
In addition to creating a net-zero energy house, the team wanted to create a house that fit naturally in the backyard of an existing structure or as a free-standing dwelling, as part of a larger strategy of suburban densification. This came from the realization that current patterns of large-lot, suburban development around the United States are not sustainable—environmentally or socially. The resulting problems of resource distribution will escalate once the Baby Boom generation retires. As such the team targeted the house toward retired and soon to be retired baby boomers. This population will constitute 20% of the U.S. population by 2020.
Although officially the team's IT Coordinator, for two years I was involved in nearly every facet of the project. I assisted in design development and was responsible for compiling construction documents for submission to the Department of Energy. As a member of the communications team, I helped develop and build the team's brand identity. I was entirely responsible for the team's web site including design and narratives. I was also a member of the Interlock House's construction crew and accompanied the house to Washington D.C. in October or 2009 to serve as a tour guide and the team's media contact.