claire showalter.....................................................

thoughts on design: an introduction

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ClaireShowalter301DavisAvenueMarietta,OH45750USAPhone:1.740.336.8639showalcm@muohio.edu

WhyamIinterestedindesign?Asapersonwithdiverseacademicinterests,designandarchitectureallowmetoblendthesetopicsinanynumberofcombinations,creatinguniquesolutionseachtime.IliketoworksmallsoIcanthinkbig,coveringmydeskintinymodels,drawings,andinspirations.Mypreferredworkingatmosphereinvolvesacommunitybe-causeIbelievethatsteppingoutofmybrain,standingbackandhearingsomeoneelse’stakeisoneofthemostconstructivethingsIcando.

Asaunarequiresapersontoletgooftheoutsideworld,tofullyrelaxandenjoyonlytheimmediatesurroundings.Thisideabecamethedrivingforceinthedesign,creatingabuildingthatseekstocontrolthevisitorsexperienceandconnectionwiththelake.Beginningwith thearrival, the sauna is designedso thatavisitor cannot fullyview the lakeonceheorshearrives—onlypiecesarevisiblethroughthescreeningofthemainterraceandentry.Thev-shapeofthebuildingthenopenstheviewwideuptothevisitoroncehehasenteredthemainterrace,aswellaseffectivelydiscouragingviewsbackwardstowards theaccess routeandbusyeveryday life.

sauna:revitalize

ThisprojectwascompletedforaclasswhilestudyinginFinlandandproveddifficultinthebeginningstagesduetothespecificculturalnatureofthesaunainFinnishsociety.OnceIgraspeditsplaceandpurpose,Iwasabletothinkcreativelyanddesignwithmynewculturalidentityawareness.ComparingmyresultswithmyFinnishpeersalsoprovidedalearningopportunity,spottingdifferencessuchastheabundantprivacyinmydesignthatwasnon-existantinothers,labellingmineasaclearlyAmericanattempt,uncomfortablewithexposure.

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CompletedfortheSaunaAtthePirkkalaParishShorecompetitionatTampereUniversityofTechnologyinthespringof2009:earninganUpperClassdesignation.

The sauna and communal buildings areseparatetodistinguishtheexperienceinthevisitors’mind,andfeaturesdarkerwoodthatwrapsthebuildingandprovidesabenchaswellasascreentothewindowsofchangingandwashing facilities.Thiswrappingmotionrepresentsthesauna’sintenttoembracethevisitorandprovidean inclusiveenvironment,separatefromthatoftheday-to-dayworld.

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Inagroupeffort,myselfandateamoffourotherarchitecture,interiordesign,andgraphicdesignstudentsdevelopedaspaprogramforagivenclientknownfordeception,codes,andmystery.Drawingonthesethemes,weintroducedaplanemphasizingcompressionandreleaseandcarefullycontrollingnaturallightingtocreateanenvironmentthatdoesnotentirelyrevealitselftothevisitor.

grotte

a focus of my individual contribution and development was of a lighting concept in a major lobby space.

Throughthisparticularproject,Igainedavalu-ableinsightintocollaborativeinterdisciplinarygroupwork. Our group meshed well and fed off ofone another’s creativy, an exciting and encour-agingexperience.During the finalstagesof theproject,wereallybegan tocomeupwithwaystobetterintegratethegraphicsandarchitecturalthemes intoausefuland readableharmony.Allimagesinthisspreadweregeneratedbymyself.

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Thehouseisorganizedalongonesingleaxis,withacross-axisprojectingoutintothesurroundings,possiblywiththepotentialtoextendfurtherforanoutdoorsimmersionexperienceforthedisabledsister.Thisaxisbeginswiththecarportandentry,asemi-transparencywithslatedwood,stillallowingafairlyopenconnectionwiththeenvironment.Themainbodyofthehousehasamoretypicalbalanceoftransparency

[house].Designedforapairofmiddle-agedsisters,onefitandactive,theotherwheelchair-bound yet still longing for outdoor experiences, the homewas to be suited to a rural, fairly isolated locale. I took the looseprogramasanopportunitytoexploresomemoreconceptualideas,suchasa truly isolating interior,abstracting the relationshipbetweennatureand indoor livingspace,andvarying transparencies throughmateriality.

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Thevillaalsoattemptstomaintainauniquerelation-shiptotheearth.Attheentryside,thebuildingsaresolidlygroundwithintheearth,thenprojectfurtherandfurtheroutfromthehillsidetoexploreadifferentkindofclosenesstotheearth,beingamidsttheenvironment.

Theaimofthisprojectwastostudythevillatypologyandcreateacontemporaryresponse.Inparticular,Ichosetoinvestigatethestructure’srelationshiptoitssiteandtobreakaparttheplantoplaywith‘path’and‘procession.’

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oregon villa

urban multi-family housing cincinnati.ohio

Of the countless issues to be explored in multi-family housing,themainobjectiveof this investigationwasa focuson integrat-ing a higher-density building type into both a medium-densityurbanenvironment,aswellasmaintainsomeessenceoftheheavilywoodedqualityofthesiteitself.Thiswasaccomplishedbylightlytouchingthesitewithanexposedsteelframework,suspendingthemassoftheunitsabovethegroundandcrossingthroughthetrees.

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Theprojectalsolookstostepdownthehillside,usingvaryinglevelstocreateanunusualanddynamicrelationshipbetweenhousingunits.

As an independent summerstudy,I traveledintheAmeri-canSouthwesttostudytheruinsof theancientPuebloans.Afterobservingthewayinwhichtheruins fit into their context inawaytheoriginalbuildingsdidnot,Idevelopedanideadealingwitha more temporary architecture.Inthispursuit,Iinvestigatedanarchitecture that iscreatedwiththeacceptanceofmortalityandtheintentionofdeterioratingintoitsenvironmentonceabandoned.

connecting cultures: finding common ground through architecture

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graphic work

bioswalediagram

interiorworkspace physicalmodeloflibrary

a conceptual process becomes a storefront

Beginning with a series of two-dimensionalcompositions,astorefrontwasdeveloped throughaprocessof color and depth investigations.Intendedtobeaprojecttorevealthatsomething can come from nothing.

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linearandspatialstudies-watercolor

landscapecontour-oilpastel

studyofrockface-watercolor

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ClaireShowalter301DavisAvenueMarietta,OH45750USAPhone:1.740.336.8639showalcm@muohio.edu