-thesis-summer 2008

The design of my thesis is in full swing! I chose the site of my design to be in the new urbanist community of Ivy Hall, located in Chicago, Illinois. Ivy Hall is located adjacent to the University of Illinois, and consists of 152 condominiums, 31 town-homes, 36 single-family homes, commercial/retail/restaurant facilities, and part of the student housing for the university. The location and design of Ivy Hall has an efficient impact within and outside of the community, as transportation is cut down, and community gathering is emphasized. For my thesis, I am focusing on the student housing buildings, which are located in Ivy Hall, but are owned by the university. The buildings are located on the historic Halsted Street, home to the start of the Blues Brothers! When Ivy Hall was designed and constructed, many challenges were taken to preserve the structures and materials that the local community had grown to love throughout the years. The facades of each building were restored to resemble the originals, and the unused bricks of each facade were laid among the streets of the community. Currently, each student building consist of four levels, with retail on the first level and student apartments on the second, third, and fourth levels. I am converting the third and fourth levels of the building into a series of live/work lofts that will facilitate entrepreneurs who have businesses that directly relate to the specific majors offered at University of Illinois. Therefore, each loft owner must offer a mentoring program to accommodate specific field-related students at UIC.

My thesis will focus on the following studies:

Conceptual Elements: stemming from a core

Mobility [macro to micro] in the following parts:

New Urbanism/Mixed-Use Design
Qualities and Successes of live/work lofts
Learning Theory [learning from mentors and education]

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Graham Clinard

Graham Clinard is a colleague of mine that I have had the honor of working with throughout my undergrad semesters in Interior Architecture. Graham is also undertaking his thesis project this summer, and during our studio critique on 5/28, I had the opportunity to listen and review his project. On the first day of our summer studio, Graham and I, along with 3 other colleagues: Sarah Scinto, April Hutchens, and Jamie Faris, quickly realized that we had many things in common about our projects. We will collaborate as a small group within our larger studio community to share inspirations, ideas, and motives during our final semester in Interior Architecture.

Graham's thesis will focus on the design of the existing Sharp Building in Canton, North Carolina. The environment within the building will serve as an apartment style to individuals who wish to stay for a short or a long period of time. Graham is particularly interested in exploring revitalization, not only within the building, but within the town and it's people as well. Graham focuses on specific moments that are created throughout each space in his design, each having a detailed characteristic. Many of these moments are expressed by special glimpses, such as a peek out of a window or a small view of the opening of a doorway. He has portrayed a strong interest in the amount of existing detail in the materials on the interior and exterior of the Canton Building, and will continue to explore the opportunities of using these in a modern way for his design. He plans to use rustic materials and colors from the arts and crafts time. The blending of old and new is important to Graham, and will be seen throughout each level of design that will come together to create a unified environment.


The sketch in which I have provided depicts a
view of a hallway in the Canton Building

Suggestions:
[1] Though you have thought about universal design in your project, have you thought about how the materials can relate to all of the people, whether they will be there for a short or a long period of time?
[2] Will you have the people who are staying for a short amount of time stay in a separate room than those who are staying for a long amount of time? If so, will the materials change between these rooms? I assume that the durability of materials will be of great importance in your design, as one room may be used by a single person or by multiple individuals.
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