1

p o r t f o l i okelsey matteson

2 3

table of contents

visual communications idesign ivisual communications iidesign iivisual communications iiidesign iiidesign ivconstruction iiienvironmental controls idesign v

411

1518

2734

4250

5152

4 5

rockite cast

This rockite cast was created by distorting an every day object - the plastic water bottle. The cast began as a solid rectangular prism, and then the water bottle form was introduced. Inserting the plastic into the rockite mold forced one to think not only about the space being formed by the rockite, but the negative space created by the void of the bottle. Once the concrete set, the plastic was removed, and the negative spaces were celebrated. The industrial, plastic, man-made water bottle, once distorted, created remarkably beautiful organic hollows within the rockite. Design is not only about the built space, it is about the resultant negative space; the occupiable space is where life happens.

rectilinear form study

planar study

rotated view of planar study

focus grounded spine

This project began simply with black rectangles on a white piece of paper. Ironic, because life is so rarely black and white. Basic compositions were tested, and created with different words in mind. Those pictured above are: focus, grounded, and spine. These three compositions, two dimensional in nature, were then prescribed to three dimensions, as elements were pushed and pulled in space. The three dimensional designs were represented physically in the block of clay, and then transformed back into two dimensions through sectional drawings. From the drawings, the forms were transformed once again into three dimensions, but not as solids, but as planar elements, proving the interplay of dimensions within design and design thinking.

6 7

figure drawing

Studying the human body teaches not only about proportion and the natural relation of elements, but about the most essential aspect of architecture, the user. This investigation of human form is a study of motion, light and shadow, and basic geometry.

wood joint

The wood joint project began with blind contour drawings of human hands. It takes great discipline to draw an object while looking only at the object and not the drawing itself. Once completed, the drawings were studied, and compared to the life they were drawn from. An interesting form of hands was selected and transfigured and simplified into a wood joint, proving that inspiration for design is ubiquitous, and where there is life, there is the opportunity for design.

8 9

tool drawing

Through analyzing the geometries within the structure of a vice grip, objects began to appear as more than what they were. Every object, both natural and man-made is comprised of basic geometries, regardless of how complex it appears initially. In drawing not only the structure but the movement, this is inherent of each tool that was selected. However, for this assignment, one was not allowed to use a straight edge. Doing this drawing led to the discovery that the human body, like the tools, is entirely made of geometric forms, and that a circle can be created by hand, if the correct systems are utilized.

light + shadow study

Drawing the light and shadow found in the natural and built environment proved to be a difficult task for some. To do this, properly, one must abandon preconceived ideas of what the texture of water, stone, and concrete are. The process to creating the final drawing was to divide up the black and white image, and move square by square, drawing only what you see, not how you interpret water to be. Square by square, misconceptions about architecture dissolved to allow for what is true to come to through.

10 11

stop projectmicroprogram study

Carving a space based on what is going to be happening inside is quintessentially architecture. Starting by documenting a simple movement - a leg stretch - and the physical space necessary to do the task is what drove this design. Other aspects considered are the visual space necessary or desired, and the space an individual needs to be comfortable doing the task. The final design began with a solid rectangular prism, and each move carved away a section of the interior, until the minimum space necessary to do the stretch is reached. This project defines both stereotomic and architecture itself.

Not quite a bus stop, but a resting place for passers-by on the street, this stop allows for multiple levels of escape from the street. The wrap around bench at the base of the design just peels off of the street, allowing for easy access and a quick stop for people on the move. The second level is the dual staircase. The stair furthest away from the street is meant to bring people up, and separate them from the hum of the commute of everyday life. The larger stairs are for sitting and watching the people on the street. The highest level, is for a longer stop, to rest and observe the life happening below.

12 13

performance spaceIn this space, life itself is the performance, as much, if not more than the musical creation or dance people are going to observe. The procession of people up and around the space is an act, and others are involuntarily observant of the world around them.The grand circulation brings people up and into the space, forcing them to ascend to reach the performance, making the music or dance very ethereal. The circulation is inspired by great architects that focus more on the movement of people than the intended program of the space. Every route in this space leads to watching the performance, and the long ramps build excitement in the viewers. The anticipation builds up to a climax, followed by a cathartic resolution once the performance starts. Circulation is extremely important musically and visually in a performance and in a building, and it is the most important aspect of this space, allowing the audience to observe all performances, intended, and unintended.

14 15

performance space

performance space model

watercolor + pattern study

Practicing watercolor provided insight into something that architects are often afraid of - color. Mixing colors and uncovering the ways colors interact is essential design knowledge. This project introduces the idea of patterns, what they mean, how they can be created, and how shading and color can change the pattern itself. A continuing theme in both design and nature is pattern.

16 17

gypsy trail residence case study

A case study drawing and diagramming the Gypsy Trail Residence exposes one not only to crafting a new piece of architecture, but to analyzing an existing one. The core of this residence is organic, and provides the life to the house. Extruded from the diagram above, the core houses the kitchen, arguably one of the most lively areas of any residence. All of the power and systems exist in this organic core, which then grows and becomes the rest of the house. The house outside of the core is mostly for resting, showing great contrast between the two distinct areas of the house.

succulent geometry

Much like the tool drawing in the first semester of design, this drawing and analysis is to discover the underlying geometries in nature. Coryphantha Werdermannii is a spherical cacti, which grows into an oblong shape after years, and flowers, through the central core. The tubercles wrap the sides of the cactus in a spiral pattern. This investigation provided great insight for future design projects, and proved that there is always a great source of inspiration in nature.

18 19

succulent pavilion

After intense analysis of the Coryphantha Werdermannii cactus, a pattern was derived based on the underlying geometries. Modules were crafted based on the turbercles, simplified to three intersecting triangles, and light studies of the modules derived the pattern. This pattern was applied to one of the walls, and became a green wall for the cactus to grow in and be observed as an exhibit at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The geometries of the module leant themselves to becoming a seating area for visitors to rest, as well as an observation area to learn more about the plant. The dynamism of the triangular forms draw the visitors to the pavilion, and simultaneously displays the cacti.

20 21

22 23

lady bird johnson civic center This civic center is located just off the path surrounding the grassy plain behind Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It houses many activities, including learning and research areas, to discover more about the plants at the center, and a kitchen and large courtyard for parties or weddings. The entire design is organized along a spine, an overhead trough used to move rainwater to the far end of the path, creating a waterfall at the very end during heavy rainstorms. This spine is derived from natural elements, especially the wind flow, which will go directly through the South-East facing channel. This spine forms a dog run between the buildings on either side. The materiality of the buildings represent the function inside: the wood buildings are the more communal spaces, while the concrete is for the private areas, such as restrooms. While the buildings themselves are separated, the windows, and outdoor space is what connects them, a theme throughout the entire Wildflower Center. There are stepping stones that form the connection between the new and the existing. Windows are imperative to this design, bringing as much of the outside in as possible. There are special windows for one, to be fully immersed in the tree canopy, and windows low enough for young children, so everyone can experience nature.

24 25

pressed plan, constructed perspective

26 27

parametric design

This investigation of space is the first experience with parametric design, and creating spaces digitally. This is a tool of composition and design. Spaces were crafted with planes and rectangular prisms, and later scale was introduced. Designing objects using a digital interface, and beginning based solely on intuitive composition, allows for experimentation of scale and use. The different planes could be steps, or seating, or even different rooms, all based on how one imagines the space. This method of designing introduced a new way of thinking.

28 29

parametric brise-solée

With this study, the original parametric designs were taken and further transformed into an occupiable space. Particular planes were chosen and a pattern was introduced, continuing the knowledge of parametric design and its uses. The pattern is determined based on movement of the sun and desired areas of varying shade intensity. This continues the studies of pattern from the previous semester and begins to investigate shadow and sunlight as design tools.

30 31

digital fabrication

Combining both digital and physical in this project, this is one of the first experiences with curvilinear geometries. Created in Rhino, a new way of designing was uncovered. Transforming a digital space into a three dimensional, physical object is extraordinary. This process of designing is eye-opening and useful for future projects.

This, much like the previous project, is a process of designing a space digitally and then bringing it into reality. However, this space is a combination of regular geometries, rather than curvilinear forms. Space and form, as well as light and shadow are studied within this model. The darkness of the interior and the blackness of crevices between forms are in high contrast with the highlights of the white objects. This is another investigation of scale within a digital space: adding figures into the sculptural design transforms it from a small, handheld sculpture, into a massive occupiable form.

volumetric experimentation

32 33

volumetric experimentation

physical model

34 35

a study of santiago calatrava

To begin this project, different, well-known architects were studied. These people were looked at as an architect first, but also as either an artist, a builder, or a thinker. Santiago Calatrava embodies all of these principles, as he considers himself an artist, engineer, and architect. In designing, he looks at the human form, the body, and the eye in particular. His designs, both architecture and sculpture, often are abstractions of these forms. This project is a study of the design process of Calatrava, which is then utilized to design a bike way and community shower for users of South Congress. The bridge over the street is to separate the bikers from other forms of traffic, and also to provide a place of bike storage along the bridge. The form itself is derived from a man on a bike, and a man in the shower, much like how Calatrava designs.

36 37

bridge and bike storage shower section

south congress community pool

St. Vincent de Paul is a thrift store on South Congress. This project involves gutting the existing building, and inserting a community pool into the existing space. This pool is an oasis, an escape from the wild energy of South Congress. Nature is introduced back into the avenue that has an alarming lack of trees. The vegetation slowly integrates itself into the existing industrial concrete of the sidewalk, to entice people further into the oasis. Eventually concrete dissolves fully into water, and a lush green roof. The floor recedes under the pool, leading to a meeting space and changing rooms. The design is characterized by magical moments, such as the walls of water on either side of the stair, and the watery illumination patterns inside of the meeting rooms, adding to the tranquility of the space.

38 39study models

green learning + community centerSustainability is a way of protecting not only the environment, but the planet and the lives of people. This project starts with a seed - the beginning. To get people to be more sustainable, one has to focus on the source of the problem: the future. To be sustainable is to protect the future for oneself and others. To teach children what it means to be sustainable, and to do so in a way that is appealing, exciting and beautiful is what this project is about. This is a green learning center, filled with natural light and trees. The first floor is a cafeteria, designed to draw people in from the busy streets of South Congress, and into nature. The interior courtyard looks into the canopy of a tree, growing one floor below. This sunken courtyard brings dappled light into the office spaces below, allowing workers a brighter environment to work in, even though they are underground. The library and study rooms are on the second floor, opening to an exterior walkway, allowing for everyone to be outside and within nature. This walkway is accessible from the street, without even entering the building. It is enclosed by a trellis, and wrapped in vegetation. This walkway extends around the length of the building, and once again level with the tree canopy, so the user can experience nature up close, in a beautiful environment.

40 41

green learning + community center

42 43

1/16”:1’0”

mapping south lamarDesigning for South Lamar, an up and coming part of Austin, means studying the people. One must know how people interact with certain areas, to determine how to design. The map to the left is a study of parking along South Lamar, which there is a remarkably small amount of. Each shade of purple represents the use of particular parking lots, and the light blue circles represent prohibited parking. The map to the right shows the price of restaurants along the corridor, and the green represents income of people that live along the stretch of the street. There seems to be an almost inverse relation between the two, with the most expensive restaurants located adjacent to the families with the least income. However, both studies led to the proposed zoning rules for South Lamar, as seen on the right. More parking is introduced, as well as separated modes of transportation. Cultural hubs are also identified, to combat the natural spread of business and restaurants throughout the long corridor.

south lamar corridor strategies

This map proposes the new ideas of zoning for South Lamar. The different shades of blue represent maximum height of buildings, with heights decreasing as one approaches the surrounding neighborhoods. Sky bridges are introduced to allow pedestrians to cross the busy street safely, without interrupting the flow of traffic. Bike lanes separated by vegetation buffers are added to the street, to encourage and protect alternate modes of transportation.

44 45

section 1’=1/32”

south lamar multi-family housing

first floor plan

third floor plan

One of the highlights of South Lamar - and Austin - is the weirdness. South Lamar exhibits a true grittiness that is appealing to many people in the city. With new zoning laws, there did not need to be more skyscrapers, and buildings that are harsh and sterile by nature. However, the density of South Lamar is also rapidly increasing. This multi-family apartment complex allows for a higher density of living, while maintaining the character of South Lamar. The staggered units allow for outdoor space for every inhabitant, something that is often lost in apartment complexes. The housing happens on top of a retail space, allowing street level to be lively for non-inhabitants. There is an amphitheater located in the center of the major courtyard of the building, bringing culture and life into the complex. This allows residents to listen from their balconies to music, and brings people in from everywhere to listen to the music. There is a sky bridge connecting to the complex, that has seating overlooking the amphitheater, allowing for individuals to observe what is happening below. Closing off the courtyard is a restaurant, yet another benefit to residence, and an additional draw for people coming to South Lamar.

46 47

section 1’ = 1/16”

48 49

50 51

detail wall section

A case study of the Landscape for Living in Weissenbach, this is a scale model of the wall section, displaying the rammed Earth floor, polycarbonate exterior, and green roof, residing on top of hemp insulation.

drishti luminaire

Designed for both meditation and balance, the Drishti luminaire is named after the yoga term, Drishti, referring to the act of finding a point to focus on while practicing yoga. The luminaire provides both a Gentle Drishti and a Strong Drishti. The Gentle Drishti is the circle of light projected on the ceiling, with a dark spot in the middle. The dark spot, created by the mandala at the top of the pyramid, creates an after image of a single point of light. The Strong Drishti is the pyramid itself - a form that is not only balanced and sturdy, but also dynamic. The pyramid emits a soft, ambient glow, and allows for downward cast eyes to have an object to focus on, accommodating all poses in yoga.

52 53

light studies

This semester of design is highly focused on experimentation. The projects at the beginning of the semester are each investigations of light and how it behaves and interacts with different materials. Each individual model was derived from a combination of spatial elements - point, line, plane, and three dimensional volumes. A wide array of materials were studied, including string, wood, fabric, rockite, white board, and soap stone. Through these investigations unique material properties were discovered. The models were constructed and then light was introduced to further investigation. While some materials absorbed light into their fibers - such as wood and soap stone, shown to the right - other materials were entirely impermeable to light, and cast remarkable shadows. Some of the most mundane models created extraordinary or unexpected shadows, such as two intersecting wood planes producing circular shadows once light was introduced. As the semester progressed, light itself was investigated as a material, and it was incorporated into models, and future experiments. Models were crafted to further the understanding of material components and uncover new compositions, and to better understand light for future projects. Light eventually was the subject of each investigation. Designing starting with immaterial subjects - such as light and music - is how many models were crafted, and a new way to consider designing was created in the process.

light studies

54 55

hallway defamiliarizationThis art installation defamiliarized Sutton Hall, and transformed it into an entirely new experience. Objects created throughout the first five weeks of the semester were selected and displayed throughout the hall, along with repurposed materials found at a local recycling plant. Different aspects of light are represented throughout the hallway. In the West end of the hall, the darkest section, light is utilized as a material itself. Models that produced their own light were placed here, along with a projection room as the metaphorical light at the end of the dark tunnel. Four projectors were set up at the very end of the dark hallway, showing constructivist films studied throughout the semester, and light studies of models currently on display, uncovering a different view in differing light conditions. The middle section of the hallway is organized by models and recycled materials that utilize light to create magnificent shadows. The apex of the middle section is the floating, cloud-like form, meant for people to walk underneath and interact with the overhead lights streaming through the plastic-filled forms. All models in this section celebrate the beautiful shadows created. The overhead forms cast remarkable shadows on the walls, and are growing out of the red, black, grey and white tubes to create a continuous flow as one moves through the hallway. The tubes hold smaller models, investigating shadow and occasionally color. The hallway installation is a celebration of light and all of its attributes.

56 57

58 59

section studies + architecture in film

60 61

The second half of this semester transitioned into something that could not exist without light: film, leading to architecture in film. Classic films were watched and discussed, and the space in such films was investigated. The first project maps the pathway of two characters in the 1990’s film “GoodFellas”. In film, much like object permanence, only that which one can see exists. In forming a plan of the space the characters walked through, the unseen spaces are mysterious. It is unclear what is there if anything. Discovering those unknown spaces became an important aspect of the research of the semester. The majority of the last portion of the semester was spent studying a short story, called “7 Floors”. After thoroughly reading this story, in which the main character, Giovanni Corte, enters a seven floor sanatorium, and is mistakenly yet methodically moved to lower floors (meant in the story, for a worsening condition of health), until at last he reaches his final destination - death - we began to design, in section, the sanatorium. A storyboard of the short story as it played in our heads was the transition from film to section. At first, mundane sections were created, as a result of the lack of details described in the story. However, as studies furthered, the section models become more exotic and imaginative. The final section model of the sanatorium (shown to the right) is based off of the form of a chrysalis, but upside down. The main character of the story goes through a reverse metamorphosis, from perfectly healthy and normal, to a state of mental instability and eventually death. The exterior, from the view of the approacher, is quite regular and institutional. The rooms inside are irregular, adding to his confusion as he is moved down through the building, and the entire building is connected by an elevator shaft, eventually depositing his body directly into the Earth.

62 63

short film - strings

Furthering investigations into architecture in film, a short film was created. This short film, entitled “Strings”, follows an individual through his life in an alternate society, where members are given a ball of string and tie off the string at important events of their daily life. These events could be anything: waking up in the morning, putting clothes on, leaving the house, going back to sleep. The strings of every individual are intertwined as life happens. However this man wakes up one morning and decides, against society, to cut the string, and his life truly begins.

saran projection installation

day and night views of the installation

64 65

The final project of the semester is a second art installation, this time built inside of the Goldsmith loggia. The installation, constructed with Saran wrap and metal scaffolding, is a projection room for the student films created earlier in the semester. Usually, the loggia is an unoccupied, avoided space, and the installation allowed people to experience the space in an entirely different way. The Saran wrap forms created are meant to manipulate the movement of people through the space, and provide unique ways to experience the short films. The scaffolding, tensile and compressive in nature, contrasts sharply the Saran form, which is entirely tensile. The left side of the installation, which from the exterior of the loggia can be seen below, is quite large and open, and is meant for communal viewing of the projected films. The wrapped forms are present, but not intrusive in this area of the installation. Viewing in a community setting allows one not only to watch the film, but to observe the people watching around them. The opposite side of the installation is an entirely different experience. Here the plastic wrap forms an enclosure, overhead, and one must enter the form to view the films. The screen is actually inside of the Saran wrap, whereas on the other side the screen is separate. The space created by the scaffolding is smaller on this side, and the added Saran wrap create a more intimate viewing experience. If too many people are inside, the projection is blocked and viewing is lost. On the opposite side, the projection is not affected by the number of people occupying the installation. The large, sculptural form in the middle is meant to connect the two spaces, and draw people inside. Light from the projection of the intimate viewing area is cast through the form in the middle, and can be observed from the communal viewing side. The installation changes drastically as different films are played and as the time of day progresses. During the bright hours of the day, the Saran form itself is what is the most prominent. However, beginning at dusk, the form fills with the light from the projections, and becomes alive and dynamic as the films play.

66