Portfolio6.0

Michael Foster: portfolioARCHITECTURE & URBAN DESIGN

BOOKS

The Polysyllabic Spree: A Hilarious and True Account of One Man’s Struggle with the Monthly Tide of the Books He’s Bought and the Books He’s Been Meaning to Read

Stranger than Fiction: True Stories

Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community

Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Cul-ture is Actually Making Us Smarter

Mediated: How the Media Shapes Your World and the Way You Live In It A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius a memoir

Breakfast of Champions Fatu-Hiva: Back to Nature

Global City Blues

On Writing: A Personal Memoir of the Craft

The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

The Art of Travel

The Fountainhead

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

A Severe Mercy

AUTHORS

by Nick Hornby

by Chuch Palahniuk

by Robert Putnam

by Steven Johnson

by Thomas de Zengotita

by Dave Eggers

by Kurt Vonnegut

by Thor Heyerdahl

by Daniel Solomon

by Stephen King

by Juhani Pallasmaa

by Neil Postman

by Alain de Botton

by Ayn Rand

by William McDonough & Michael Braungart

by Sheldon Vanauken

INTRODUCTION i | ii

MODELS

Apparatus for Excavation Study Model 02 - First Year

Birmingham Natatorium Study Model 01 - Fourth Year

Auburn Student Union Final Model - Third Year

Columbus Museum of Art Detail Model - Third Year

Tuskegee Chapel Final Model - Second Year

Tuskegee Chapel Study Model 01 - Second Year

Tuskegee Chapel Final Model - Second Year





Columbus Museum of Art Detail Model - Third Year


Apparatus for Excavation Study Model 05 - First Year


INTRODUCTION iii | iv

INTRODUCTION v | vi

page viii:

Lighthouse Sketch and Lecture Notes

Columbus Art Museum Auditorium Section and Notes

Tower Study, OCU campus

Master Studies, Corbusier’s Ronchamp and Eero Saarin-en’s TWA Terminal

Auburn Student Union Site Study

Case Study, Shark Alley House by Fearon Hay Architects

Auburn Student Union Elevation

Hudson Farms Public Library Site, Elevations, and Plans

Birmingham Natatorium Section and Tower

SKETCHES

page v:

Master Studies, Antonio Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia

page vii:

Mountain Hut Design Competition - Conceptual Plan

Birmingham Natatorium - Main Floor Plan Concept

Auburn University Student Union - Bottom Floor Plan Concept

INTRODUCTION vii | viii

i | ii iii | iv v | vi vii | viii

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17 | 18 19 | 20 21 | 22 23 | 24

25 | 26 27 | 28 29 | 30 31 | 32

33 | 34 35 | 36 37 | 38 39 | 40

INTRODUCTION

Books

Models

Sketches

ARCHITECTURE

Excavation Atelier

Tuskegee Chapel

Columbus Museum of Art

Auburn University Student Union

The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

URBAN DESIGN

Hudson Farms

Downtown Revitalization Plan for Abbeville, Alabama

A Study of Healthy Urban Growth for Downtown Auburn, Alabama

PROFESSIONAL WORK

City View Center

APPENDIX

Letter of Recommendation - Keller Smith - Principal, SRSSA

Resume

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This project was a structure or “atelier” that would facilitate the archaeological excavation of a historical site. My concept was that the detritus of the excavation would slowly submerge the structure itself so that the building and its inhabitants ultimately became part of the layers of history that they were exploring. The amorphous shape of the building would allow it to blend in with the surrounding topography as it buried itself over time. The larger significance of this project to me is that it represents many first time experiences that would define my studio time at Auburn. With this project I finally understood that studio was meant to be a

EXCAVATION ATELIER

IMAGES1 Study Model 05 - Final2 Exploded Axonometric - Ink on Mylar3 Study Model 04 - Steel Frame4 Study Model 02 - Stick vs. Steel5 Study Model 02 - Stick vs. Steel6 Study Model 03 - Interior Spaces

collective laboratory full of ideas, work, and play. This project was the beginning of perfectionism, studio culture, insomnia, and rich conversations. Shown here are several of the study models that I built leading up to final reviews. They show exploration of interior spatial volumes, different structural systems, and the relationship between structure and site.This project also represents the first time that I was confident in the quality of my idea and the execution of my drawings and models. First year studio taught me to value ideas, playfully explore in drawings and discussions and models, and to appreciate the value of quality drawing and craftsmanship.

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ARCHITECTURE 1 | 2

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7 Study Model 05 - Final8 Study Model 04 - Steel Frame

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The centerpiece of the Tuskegee University campus is the school chapel designed by distinguished Auburn alumnus Paul Rudolph. Our studio was charged with accommodating the same program on the same site with a structure of our own design. This proposal uses my burgeoning love for Frank Gehry and Antonio Gaudi to address the iconic nature of the site and Paul Rudolph’s existing chapel. Two case studies for the chapel were Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia and the ruins of Tintern Abbey. I loved the combination of high gothic order and formality with the spirit of decay and wildness. The only rooms in this design are the main auditorium, the adjacent prayer chapel, and the prior’s office. The rest of the spaces are atria for circulation and for gathering. I wanted exterior quality of light to characterize the interior

IMAGES1 Final Model2 Study Model3 Study Model4 Final Model

spaces. I also hoped that the arcades, courtyards, and gardens, both interior and exterior would encourage reflection and provide a refuge on the campus.A unique aspect of the project was that many students used the chapel on a daily basis as a convenient way to negotiate the dramatic topography of this part of the campus. Stairs, entrances, and exits are positioned in such a way as to facilitate this traffic without disrupting the functions of the chapel. The hope is that their passage through the building will have a slowing, calming effect on their day.This project also played with light. There are abundant clerestories for daylighting and the raised spine of skylights that span the entire structure is a reference to the anthropomorphic design of cruciform cathedrals like Tintern Abbey.

TUSKEGEE CHAPEL

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ARCHITECTURE 5 | 6

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5 Final Model 6 Level One Plan - Sepia 7 Level Two Plan - Sepia 8 Longitudinal Section - Sepia

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This design focuses on simplicity of plan, hierarchy of uses, and daylighting. I started by analyzing the building program and dividing all of the required spaces into two major categories based on their function. The first category was for functions unique to museums and galleries: spaces for viewing art, producing art, and maintaining the exhibits. The second category was for everything else: a gift shop, a restaurant, a suite of offices, and a small gathering space.The two different functions are expressed spatially. The art functions are grouped together on the bottom level as pristine, double-height volumes. The non-art

IMAGES1 Longitudinal Section through Main Gallery2 Longitudinal Section through Auditorium 3 Interior Detail Model4 Interior Detail Model5 Interior Detail Model

functions occupy the second level as a mezzanine that looks down on the gallery spaces. The two spaces and functions are connected by a small auditorium in the middle of the structure. The auditorium symbolizes a place of learning and enlightenment where people come to learn about art and acheive a greater appreciation. The sloping floor of the room is a literal and metaphorical bridge from the mundane world of restaurants, gift shops, and offices to the extraordinary world of art. The interior of the museum is very open; the visibility of the art from every space is intended to lure people down into the gallery spaces.

COLUMBUS ART MUSEUM

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ARCHITECTURE 9 | 10

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6 Section - Concept Sketch on Trash 7 Section through Auditorium 8 Section through Auditorium - Lighting study 9 Level One Plan - Art Spaces10 Level Two Plan - Mezzanine

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The principle goals of this studio were to create forms that would stand out from the traditional character of the campus, symbolize the spirit of the university, and be embraced by the students. Toward that end, every phase of the design process was critiqued by students of Professor Burleson’s Introduction to Architecture class. As a generic Fine Arts Elective, his class offered a wide range of perspectives from students in various programs across the university. Their input was used to evaluate the work and direct our progress.The constant dialogue with the Intro students and the added complication of working in teams made this studio project particularly difficult. For us, the students

IMAGES1 Study Model2 Study Model3 Final Model4 Final Model5 Final Model

(over thirty of them in all) represented both client and end user. It was often difficult to anticipate how they would react to any given strategy or aesthetic.Even though the student union supported a 250,000 square foot program, it was in danger of being overwhelmed by the massively scaled structures adjacent to the site – the 9-story Haley Center complex and Jordan-Hare Stadium. The unconventional forms and the feature towers served to set the student union apart from the other structures while evoking the claws, fangs, wings, and talons of the Auburn Tigers and the great War Eagle.

AUBURN UNIVERSITY STUDENT UNIONGROUP PROJECT WITH CLASSMATE BILLY WILSON - TEAM WILD CARD

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6 Final Model 7 Final Model 8 Final Model 9 Level Three Plan10 Level Two Plan

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IMAGESThese images are samples taken from Stepping Back: Relating to a Post-Katrina Coast, a photo essay by myself, Samantha Coffey, and Kendall Smith.

In the spring of fourth year, I was in a special studio for students who had elected to stay on campus instead of participiating in Auburn’s study abroad program. This “Studio X” was taught by visiting Paul Rudolph Professor Stan Berthaud. A graduate of Tulane University, Stan was very close to New Orleans and those affected by Hurricane Katrina. We spent the entire semester exploring the culture of the gulf coast region and the effects of the disaster, with hopes of writing and publishing a children’s book about Katrina. Throughout the semester we visited with children at local elementary schools some of whom had been permanently displaced by the storms. We asked them to tell us about their thoughts and experiences, and to relay to us their hopes for the future and the rebuilding

of the Gulf Coast. We also took a class trip to see the devastation first hand making stops at Pass Christian, the University of Tulane in New Orleans, and the Ninth Ward at one of the primary levee breech locations.As the term progressed, the initial children’s book idea grew into two other projects: one team produced a video documentary of our studio and its interaction with the children, and another put together a photo essay about our experience of the limited progress in the region. I was the lead photographer, writer, and designer for the photo essay, aided by classmates Kendall Smith and Samantha Coffey.All of the projects were presented in an informal open gallery setting at the end of the semester. The children’s book was eventually published and is available on Amazon.com.

THE AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE KATRINAGROUP PROJECT WITH CLASSMATES SAMANTHA COFFEY AND KENDALL SMITH


This studio was all about creating an architecture of place. The site was a greenfield located just outside of Montgomery, Alabama that was soon to become a TND called Hudson Farms. Using an initial site plan generated by Dover, Kohl & Partners, the studio worked together to create a working town in which each student would design a different building archetype, in my case a small town public library.As a group, we listed out all of the possible building projects for the town and chose locations for each, with the more prominent public structures placed adjacent to open spaces and so on. In addition, each student was given a small part of the town to develop as they saw fit. Basic uses and densities were pre-determined, but it was left to us to design the forms themselves and to interpret the preliminary Hudson

IMAGES1 Elevations2 Plan of two block site

Farms architectural guidebook. The site plan utilizes the Transect model for development. As such, the two blocks that I designed show decreasing density and different forms and land uses as a commercial node transitions into a more heavily residential zone.This semester I took the opportunity to study and design dozens of infill elevations; I broadened my knowledge of Traditional Neighborhood Development, the New Urbanism, and their lexicon; I actively participated in a highly collaborative process; and I directly engaged many of the key issues of modern urbanism such as the balance between pedestrian and automotive traffic, the problem of parking, and the role of iconic architecture in enforcing public space.

HUDSON FARMS

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URBAN DESIGN 19 | 20

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This project is a part of Professor Cheryl Morgan’s Small Town Design Initiative Program (STDI). As a part of Auburn’s Urban Studio and, in this case, the Architecture/Community Planning dual degree program, groups travel around the state of Alabama to serve small communities in need of a cohesive vision for their future growth. The process includes extensive research of the town’s history, detailed recording and analysis of their existing built environment, and a series of open meetings facilitated by the Abbeville Chamber of Commerce. The meetings encourage the people of Abbeville to take ownership and to participate in shaping their town. The meetings also help us to understand what it is about their town that the people really enjoy and what they feel needs some improvement. In

IMAGES1 Abbeville - Concepts2 Abbeville - Overview3 Abbeville - Analysis4 Abbeville - USGS Map with Concepts overlay5 Abbeville - Downtown Study6 Abbeville - Elevations

many ways the forums are a learning experience for everyone. As designers, we didn’t really teach by showing or explaining; we taught by asking questions and encouraging critical observation. This kind of thinking does not come naturally and can be very difficult for people who have lived in the same small town all of their lives.The series of meetings culminated in a weekend long charette where the student and faculty teams produced dozens of images that conveyed ideas for future growth and presented them to the town in a final open forum. The ideas suggest forms of growth to minimize sprawl, strategies for preserving and reinforcing the character of their historic downtown, ways to encourage tourism, and other general improvements to beautify the town and connect the people in it.

DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PLAN FOR ABBEVILLE, ALABAMACHARETTE TEAM: CLASSMATES SAMANTHA COFFEY, MELISSA SCHRICKER, AND DAVID STONE; FACULTY CHERYL MORGAN, JOHN PITTARI, SCOTT FINN, DAN BENNETT, AND DAVID PEARSON

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For synthesis, I chose to explore the way that built form influences how space is occupied. This study focuses on the differences between two adjacent intersections in Downtown Auburn, Alabama. The first intersection is Magnolia and College, or Toomer’s Corner. The second is Glenn and College. Toomer’s Corner is the lively, pedestrian-friendly center of town. At Toomer’s Corner, one sees urban vitality: dozens of successful businesses and apartments, and an effective balance of automotive and pedestrian traffic. At Glenn and College, one sees decay; its four corners house an empty bank building, a church parking lot, a gas station, and another empty building, a failed gas station turned failed antique store. The only people there are in their cars.Given the proximity of the two intersections, I saw

IMAGES1 Aerial View of Model with Master Plan overlay2 Panographic of Principal Intersection3 Perspective View of Model

no reason why Glenn and College couldn’t share the success and vitality that Toomer’s Corner enjoys. Over the course of the semester, I studied and recorded the differences between the two intersections. I concluded that Toomer’s Corner represents a historic urban pattern of development and Glenn and College represents a modern suburban pattern. I responded to the research by applying all of the urban characteristics that I observed at Toomer’s Corner to all of the empty or unused sites at and around Glenn and College.These images show the new Glenn and College. The set-back, single-use buildings surrounded by parking, drive-throughs, and curb cuts have been replaced by mixed-use buildings that hold the street and are surrounded by generous shaded sidewalks with street trees and on street parking.

A STUDY OF HEALTHY URBAN GROWTH FOR DOWNTOWN AUBURN, ALABAMA

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4 Partial Rendering of Streetscape5 Perspective View of Model6 Perspective View of Model7 Perspective View of Model8 Perspective View of Model

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From June 2008 to February 2009 I worked as an architectural intern at Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart, and Associates, Inc. The City View Center project was just coming on line the week that I started working. Over the next seven months, myself and a team of four others took the project from the end of schematic design all the way through design development to early construction documents. City View Center is a nine-story, 125,000 square foot speculative office building with a three-story parking deck located in Gainesville, Georgia. It is the first of three phases: phase two is a 250-room hotel; phase three is another office building, accompanied by a three level addition to the phase one parking deck. In addition to its raised topography, the site’s adjacencies to downtown Gainesville, an existing convention

IMAGES1 Announcement Rendering for City View Center2 First Level Floor Plan with Pedestrian Walkway

center, and several other important civic buildings give the City View project extremely high visibility. When completed, it will be the tallest structure in town. The entire development is intended to set a new standard for luxury in the area.I worked on almost every aspect of the building. I attended meetings, corresponded with Structural and MEP subcontractors, and interfaced with in-house Interior and Landscape Architects. My CAD responsibilities included maintaining the core, floor plans, and enlarged floor plans, creating and maintaining interior elevations, door and finish schedules, and building a 3D model of the parking deck. I also calculated and monitored BOMA standards for the office tower, and open area requirements for the paking deck.

CITY VIEW CENTER

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3 Basement Level Floor Plan - July 20084 Enlarged Basement Level Floor Plan - February 2009


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5 Typical Core Floor Plan - July 20086 Enlarged Typical Core Floor Plan - February 2009

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7 Interior Elevations of Bathrooms (Women)8 Interior Elevations of Bathrooms (Men)


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9 Axonometric View 1 of Parking Deck Structure10 Axonometric View 2 of Parking Deck Structure 11 Axonometric View 3 of Parking Deck Structure12 Axonometric View 4 of Parking Deck Structure13 Axonometric View 2 of Parking Deck Structure after 3 Floor Addition

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1983-Present MICHAEL FOSTER, LEED [email protected] 404.545.9696

Auburn UniversityBachelor of ArchitectureMaster of Community PlanningGraduate GPA: 3.80Relevant Planning Coursework: “History and Theory of Urban Form,” “Urban Design Studio,” and “Planning Law, Ethics, and Implementation”

Grissom High SchoolAdvanced Diploma

Smallwood, Reynolds, Stewart, Stewart, & Associates, Inc.Atlanta, Georgia Architecture Intern Projects: 9-story offi ce tower and parking deck in Gainesville, GAResponsibilities: - Development of the tower core from early Design Development through Construction Documents - Attending meetings, applying changes to drawings – especially fl oor plans, BOMA calculations, door schedule, details, interior elevations, millwork, and fi nish schedule.- 3D modeling of the parking deck for rendering coordination between Architecture, Landscape, and Interiors; communication with suppliers and consultants

Fuqua and Partners ArchitectsHuntsville, AlabamaArchitecture InternResponsibilities:- Generating plan and elevation schemes for projects in both Schematic Design and Design Development- Measuring, translating, and drafting existing structures for addition and renovation projects- Interface with clients on-site

801 Franklin, Trim Master’s Tree Service, Camp Timberlake for Boys, McAlister’s Gourmet Deli, Bizilia’s Cafe, Chick-Fil-A

Mac OS + Windows XPSketchUp Modeling SoftwareAutoCAD 2006, ADT 2007 (2D +3D) Adobe Photoshop, InDesignHand modeling, drafting, and sketching

Atlanta Beltline planning effort LEED for New Construction Version 2.2 accredited May 2009Participant in Small Town Design Initiative in Abbeville, ALParticipant in Montgomery, Alabama Downtown Revitalization Charette conducted by Dover, Kohl and Partners

Books, Guitar, Mandolin, movies, Urbanism, travel, Globalism, Branding

2001-Present

PROFESSIONAL 2008-2009

ACADEMIC 2002-2008

Summer 2007

Activities

Interests

1998-2002

PERSONAL Skills