van raserE Fselected works

pplied echnologies A TShipping & Manufacturing Warehouse

The new shipping and manufacturing warehouse for Applied Technologies Associates is sited adjacent to two existing ATA facilities in Paso Robles, California. The goal of this project was to develop an architecturally interesting facility on a strict budget. The program included manufacturing, assembly, raw material storage, and office spaces. The result was a metal building with articulated columns and insets and overhangs informed by the interior spaces.

The interior spaces were oriented around a central corridor connecting the north and south entrances and also providing a continuous path from the existing facility. The offices are situated at either end of this axis. Storage spaces lie on the eastern side of the building and manufacturing and assembly spaces are on the west side with high, shaded windows allowing significant natural light.

This project was also the first to undergo the California Green Building Standards inspection in the city of Paso Robles.

ano: rewN BMicrobrewery

This project began with an assigment to develop a floor, a wall, and room in an effort to explore systems and materials. the inspiration for these experiments was the idea of decay and how it related to the beer-making process. these explorations produced wood, concrete, and copper as the primary materials.

The room was formed by three walls that enveloped and converged in a central space. This ultimately became the conceptual floor plan for the building; one wall defining the entry, one defining the foyer, and one defining the bar and brewery functions.

As the design process progressed, the program became smaller and more geared toward a bar/tasting atmosphere. Thus, the name Nano:Brew - a brewery which brews just enough beer to supply the in-house bar.

The building was sited along the abandoned canal that connected the two sides of the peninsula. This canal formerly was a collector for debris. Placing the building here eliminated this function as well as allowed the building a more personal interaction with the water of the Potomac River.

ano: rewN BMicrobrewery

elf - uff iciencyS SThesis Project

This project was aimed at reforming an existing program to provide vocational training and rental assistance. The current program provides very little in the way of accountability. All program elements are outsourced to various agencies to accomplish the goals of the program. These agencies, however, report little information back to the offices that oversee the program. This project brings all program elements in-house and adds low-income housing, education space, production space, and community space to the program.

The first quarter of the year was spent developing the overall idea behind the project and concurrently developing the program. The second quarter of the year was spent refining the program and design of the project. This was done through a series of studies to explore possible standardized systems.

My site studies consisted of numerous visits to the site and photo documentation of the current condition of the site. The way the building was situated was a response to the lack of density on the site as well as an

allowance to the existing business to remain intact and ultimately remain self-sufficient.

The final quarter of the year was spent producing and presenting the final product. The final model measured 3’ x 5’ x 8” in it’s greatest dimensions. It was constructed of laser-cut newsboard, 1/16” piano wire, frosted plexiglass, sand paper, basswood, and orange and chartreuse spray paint on a 3/4” plywood base. The context buildings were constructed of laminated plywood sheets, cut to shape. The final model was presented on a base constructed of 48 cardboard sheets representative of the basic building module, tied together by 3’ sections of threaded rod. It was presented in the studio’s final show, “No Plans, No Sections”, as well as the all fifth-year Chumash Architecture Show.

S SThesis Project

elf - uff iciency