MY ENIGMA

Architecture is my enigma and I could not solve it by myself. Through the course of school and personal study, I have learned there are different aspects that have aided in my discovery of what is architecture, how it is created, and understood.

It is easy to be consumed by architecture. Finding the balance between school, extracurricular activities and work can be a challenge but when you reach the balancing point all three things complement one another.

The following pages explain the different elements that I have found are essential components of architecture...So far.

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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DIGITAL EUROPE MODULAR DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

COMPREHENSIVE JOURNAL

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First year journal asss ignmentt

Architecture is not a literal representation of the known world. It is taking that world and going through a process of dissecting it for its meaning. Its essence is then revealed, where concept fl ourishes, and architecture takes

fl ight. Everyone’s interpretation is different and infl uenced by their convictions. No two people can honestly come to the same conclusion. Nor may the same person arrive at the same conclusion every time.

ABSTRACT PROJECT (below)First yearTwo Week ProjectPurpose: Through a series of steps abstract the photo on the left to show its true meaning.

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DIGITALUsingg new tools + technology to communicate same message

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Making the transition from hand to digitalis not an easy one. You have to learn manydifferent computer programs that youhave never been exposed to before.

For this project I came up with an initialconcept statement. From that, I madea concept model that embodied thatconcept. Next, I took the model outside

and took a variety of pictures that were translated into fi gure grounds and perspectives. The ones that more clearly illustrated the concept became the mainelements of the design. The fi gure groundwas translated into the fl oor plans and theperspective photo used as the inspiration for the main space.

CONCEPT MODEL

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NEAR EAST PEACE CENTERBorder of Jordan + IsraelFall 2010Third yearIndividual 5 week project

CONCEPTIn the midst of a land permeated with war, turmoil, and brutality, my objectiveis to create an environment that will riseup and bring hope, serenity, respect, and interaction.

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During the development ofthis project, the processionbecame the main focus.To provide a different meaningful journey to thepeace orchard and back, a

different path needed to becreated. This path is the axisof the building and the borderbetween Jordan and Israel.

What emerged was using

the numbers that represent the Hebrew word for peace. Your experience is differentin both directions illustrating the path to peace is not always the same.

MORE THAN JUST A PATH

FINAL PRESENTATION

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EUROPEExperiencing architecture is invaluable

SKETCH

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ANALYZE JOURNAL EXPERIENCE

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ANALYTIQUE

Sketching allows you to focus on what strikes you the most. In my sketches, I loved focusing on what was beyond, like the back of the Eiffel Tower, or what was behind a doorway. Sketches refl ect a part of you, not only the focus of your sketch but what you initially choose to sketch.

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Journaling was my favorite part of the trip. You took what interested you, sketched it and analyzed it. It is the thing that I am most proud of, even today. Europe taught me to get in the habit of journaling everything and I still continue to enjoy it today.

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Freshman year in my Art history class, I remember when the fi rst image of Aya Sofya came on the screen. My breath was taken away. It starkly contrasted everything that I had ever seen before. I never thought that I would be able to see it in real life...

Last summer it was a dream come true that I could see it in person. It lived up to everything that I had learned. The light quality was one of a kind! It was a space that took my breath away and I could have spent all day there!

Sketch and Picture from Summer 2011 by Laurissa Gibson

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LOCK YOUR LOVEIn many of the Cities we went to people had locked their love. Two people that were in love had taken a lock and locked it, just like others had done before them. It was one of those little things that no matter where you were from, you, just like many others before you could show your love and commitment with only one little object. It was a beautiful reminder of how small this world is.

Everyday in Rome, my roommate, Kelsey, and I would go to a cafe right down the street and got coffee before our long day ahead. It is one of my favorite memories! By the end of the week, the workers of the cafe knew us. It made us feel like it was a place of our own. Also, the coffee was fantastic and not to mention cheap! It was only one euro for a Latte Macchiato (pictured to the right) and came with a glass of mineral water, as well. If I ever go back to Rome my fi rst stop would be in this coffee shop.

Europe drastically changed my coffee habits. Before, I would only get fancy coffee from Starbucks, the sweeter the better. However, partly from the infl uence of my roommate and partly for striving for a cheaper solution, I no longer prefer sweet coffee. I can tolerate really strong black coffee.

REMEMBERING THOSE LOSTVisiting the beaches of Normandy was a sobering moment. The French are very appreciative for the sacrifi ces that were made on that day and will never forget. They gave us part of their land so that we could pay appropriate respect to those that were lost.

Going through the trenches, it was hard to imagine that men, younger than I, became heros on that beach and many died. I can not imagine having that weight on my shoulders and thankful that I do not have to. It is our job to remember their sacrifi ce for us.

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MODULARUsing masses and voids toUsing masses and voids toshape meaningful places

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CORCORAN GALLERY + ART SCHOOL ADDITIONWashington DCFall 2011Fourth year4 Week ProjectPurpose: To Design an addition to the Corcoran Gallery and Art School and develop a wall section with a wall section model. (Existing Corcoran pictured to the left.)

When embarking on this project, I started with separating the different functions in rectilinear volumes taking advantage of mass and void. When I started making study models I noticed that the site fi t nicely on the grid of my cutting mat. That sprung the idea of modular architecture.

The unit was 32’x32’ blocks that were then taken away to create voids + masses of interesting spaces (Study models below). However, they lacked meaning. This modular was created out of convenience not of meaning.

INITIAL MODEL

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I looked to the most important existing part of the Corcoran to search for a more meaningful modular. It ended up being the same proportions of half of the main gallery. The grid of the gallery was stretched across the site and then extruded to become the initial mass. The blue represents the fi nal mass and the yellow is the voids on both sides of the building.

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DESIGNDEVELOPMENTWall sections: crucial elementsss to develop properlyy

WALL SECTION FOR CORCORAN GALLERY + ART SCHOOL ADDITIONWashington DCFall 2011Fourth year2 Week Project

I remember sitting in our wall section lecture and thinking “Man, architecture is hard!”. You have to actually fi gure out how your building can be constructed.

Also, how such things that you envision, like a fl at roof, can not actually be that way. All roofs have a slope of some sort and you have to give it more thought of how that roof will still appear fl at. That is just one of the many things I learned during this project.

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Numbers and math has always come easily to me. I try to put rhyme and reason to the world around me using numbers. For example, in a group of 9 people I usually immediately observe that is divisible by 3. I like working a cash register because I know what change to give people once they hand me their money. NUMBERS1 1 2 3 5NUMBERS

PRACTICEI was surprised by how much I enjoyed my project management and practice management classes.

Since I enjoy numbers and puzzles, budgeting and scheduling was fun to fi gure out.

In Practice management learning about the State licensing act was interesting,as well as, learning how to create a business plan.

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COMPREHENSIVELearning all aspects of the design process

WELLNESS CENTERStillwater, OKSpring 2012Fourth yearSemester Project

This semester we took our project through all of the design phases: schematic design, design development, and construction documents.

The two elements that impact your wellbeing the most are LIGHT and NATURE. I used that as the initial starting point for a concept.

Early in the design process, I decided to have a long processional building with the longer facades being the north and south direction. Additionally

there would be minimal openings on the east and west facades to make a more effi cient building. This also allowed to have the maximum amount of light into the building and views out towards nature.

The initial study models and sketches were different iterations of how the form might manifest itself and how the different programmatic zones would interact with each other (zones denoted by different colors).

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The idea started with a way to guide people into the Wellness Center. The initial sketch, to the right, depicts a wall that catches people and directs them to the main circulation path. The idea was to have the paving wrap and morph into a wall that climaxed at the entry.

AN IDEA EMERGES

From that initial idea it transformed from an entry element into something that became part of your whole experience and accentuated the most important parts of the wellness center.

38 + 39It, also, was a way to depict that wellness is something that you are CONTINUALLY apart of. The curved wall is continually apart of your experience while you are in the building. It directs you into the building, is there through out your experience, and directs your view towards nature at the end. This represents that your path to wellness started before you entered the building it also continues after you leave.

SCHEMATIC DESIGN PRESENTATION

LIGHT + NATURE + CONTINUALThe two elements that impact your health and wellbeing the most are nature and light. Also when, studying the defi nition of wellness, I found two different schools of thought. It was seen as a state of being or a process. Either way, it is something that you are continually in or are a part of. Light, Nature, and Continual became the three cornerstones to my design.

PARTI

AERIAL

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CALCULATIONS

During the design development phase, we did different calculations. They included structure, HVAC, lighting and day lighting. It furthered my understanding about what was possible, as well as, being able to improve your design and make it more effi cient.

MATERIALS

A glass panel system was chosen for the louver system for the aquatics. It will create a playful environment with the water refl ecting the different colors throughout the space. This is illustrated in the south elevation of the DD Presentation (pg 47).

For the curved wall initially a Kwall was chosen (above). A Kwall has the ability to be curved and lit up in multiple colors.

For the ceilings in the aerobic spaces, curved red ceiling tiles were chosen (below). It complements the curved wall, as well as, giving the space an energetic atmosphere.

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PRESENTINGJURIES + PIN UPS

Though out the semester, we had the opportunity to present our project multiple times. We had multiple informal pin ups with all of our Crits and formal juries at the end of SD and DD with a panel of jurors.

Presenting became my favorite part of the project. I enjoy presenting and discussing my project that I had worked so hard on. In addition I recieved feedback to improve my design even further.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT FINAL PRESENTATION

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EXTERIOR PERSPECT

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AEROBICSTIVE

WALL SECTION

A critical component of the project was understanding how all elements of the building went together. Developing a complete and accurate wall section is important aspect to understand.

Structure

Ducts

Return Air

Electrical

BUILDING SYSTEMS Integrating all building systems together lead to further refi ning of the building design.

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CD At the end of the project, we did a sample set of construction documents.

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We detailed an important aspect of our project. I detailed the curved wall in my project. It was a crucial element with different connection conditions. Instead of the curved wall being a Kalwall, it became a wall system similar to a glass curtain wall system.

*First place IES lighting award

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Leading is a role I feel comfortable in. I had the opportunity to be Homecoming chair two years in a row. It is very rewarding to see your hard work shown to the public, as well as, knowing the team work that was put into it.

I also was our family leader. To lead a group of girls for a couple years and see them grow was a blessing to be apart of.

LEADERSHIPHOMECOMING CHALEAD

SERVICEGIVING BACK.HELPING OUT.SERVICESERVICE Whether it is collecting cans for a local food bank, making and selling cupcakes to raise money, or helping elderly people in the community; volunteering is important to me. You can always fi nd a way to help other people and every little bit helps.

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EXPERIENCING

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