neil j long portfolio
description
Transcript of neil j long portfolio
neil j. long
graduate design portfolio
neil j. long GRADUATE EDUCATION
University of Florida School of Architecture - Gainesville, FL - Master of Architecture, 2010
Honors & Activities
John W. Stovall Scholarship Awarded 2009
Otis A. Skinner Scholarship Award 2008
Ar thur Blenn Anderson Scholarship Award 2007
Publication in Archi trave, Universi ty of Florida student design retrospective 2008/2009
Student Liaison for the School of Architecture Studio Culture Committee 2008/2009
Graduate Teaching Assistant for Theory I 2009
Teaching Assistant for Design 1 & 2 2007/2008
Project leader for the annual design & construction of a Sukkah for Hil lel at the Universi ty of Florida 2008
Par ticipation in the AIA Florida Healthcare for the Homeless Design Charret te 2008
Proficient in AutoCAD, Rhinoceros with Grasshopper, 3ds Max, SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign
Project experience in Form-Z, ParaCloud, Revit & Ecotect Analysis
GRADUATE STUDIES ABROAD
Vicenza, Italy Fall 2009 • University of Florida Vicenza Institu te of Architecture • Seminars: Italian futurism & rational ism; Italian conversation & grammar • Stud io: Relocation of the Vicenza Publ ic Library within a deteriorated Renaissance garden
Guadalajara, Mexico Summer 2008 • University of Florida Preservation Institu te • Seminar: New strategies of place in rural areas, with special at tent ion to the use of water & the colonial hacienda system • Studio: Civic building & publ ic promenade in San Martín de las Cañas, a rural Ej ido village in the Tequila Valley
Paris, France Summer 2007 • University of Florida Research Center, Paris • Seminar: The Architecture of Paris: Experiments in Place
neil j. long GRADUATE EDUCATION
University of Florida School of Architecture - Gainesville, FL - Master of Architecture, 2010
Honors & Activities
John W. Stovall Scholarship Awarded 2009
Otis A. Skinner Scholarship Award 2008
Ar thur Blenn Anderson Scholarship Award 2007
Publication in Archi trave, Universi ty of Florida student design retrospective 2008/2009
Student Liaison for the School of Architecture Studio Culture Committee 2008/2009
Graduate Teaching Assistant for Theory I 2009
Teaching Assistant for Design 1 & 2 2007/2008
Project leader for the annual design & construction of a Sukkah for Hil lel at the Universi ty of Florida 2008
Par ticipation in the AIA Florida Healthcare for the Homeless Design Charret te 2008
Proficient in AutoCAD, Rhinoceros with Grasshopper, 3ds Max, SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign
Project experience in Form-Z, ParaCloud, Revit & Ecotect Analysis
GRADUATE STUDIES ABROAD
Vicenza, Italy Fall 2009 • University of Florida Vicenza Institu te of Architecture • Seminars: Italian futurism & rational ism; Italian conversation & grammar • Stud io: Relocation of the Vicenza Publ ic Library within a deteriorated Renaissance garden
Guadalajara, Mexico Summer 2008 • University of Florida Preservation Institu te • Seminar: New strategies of place in rural areas, with special at tent ion to the use of water & the colonial hacienda system • Studio: Civic building & publ ic promenade in San Martín de las Cañas, a rural Ej ido village in the Tequila Valley
Paris, France Summer 2007 • University of Florida Research Center, Paris • Seminar: The Architecture of Paris: Experiments in Place
neil j. long GRADUATE EDUCATION
University of Florida School of Architecture - Gainesville, FL - Master of Architecture, 2010
Honors & Activities
John W. Stovall Scholarship Awarded 2009
Otis A. Skinner Scholarship Award 2008
Ar thur Blenn Anderson Scholarship Award 2007
Publication in Archi trave, Universi ty of Florida student design retrospective 2008/2009
Student Liaison for the School of Architecture Studio Culture Committee 2008/2009
Graduate Teaching Assistant for Theory I 2009
Teaching Assistant for Design 1 & 2 2007/2008
Project leader for the annual design & construction of a Sukkah for Hil lel at the Universi ty of Florida 2008
Par ticipation in the AIA Florida Healthcare for the Homeless Design Charret te 2008
Proficient in AutoCAD, Rhinoceros with Grasshopper, 3ds Max, SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign
Project experience in Form-Z, ParaCloud, Revit & Ecotect Analysis
GRADUATE STUDIES ABROAD
Vicenza, Italy Fall 2009 • University of Florida Vicenza Institu te of Architecture • Seminars: Italian futurism & rational ism; Italian conversation & grammar • Stud io: Relocation of the Vicenza Publ ic Library within a deteriorated Renaissance garden
Guadalajara, Mexico Summer 2008 • University of Florida Preservation Institu te • Seminar: New strategies of place in rural areas, with special at tent ion to the use of water & the colonial hacienda system • Studio: Civic building & publ ic promenade in San Martín de las Cañas, a rural Ej ido village in the Tequila Valley
Paris, France Summer 2007 • University of Florida Research Center, Paris • Seminar: The Architecture of Paris: Experiments in Place
neil j. long GRADUATE EDUCATION
University of Florida School of Architecture - Gainesville, FL - Master of Architecture, 2010
Honors & Activities
John W. Stovall Scholarship Awarded 2009
Otis A. Skinner Scholarship Award 2008
Ar thur Blenn Anderson Scholarship Award 2007
Publication in Archi trave, Universi ty of Florida student design retrospective 2008/2009
Student Liaison for the School of Architecture Studio Culture Committee 2008/2009
Graduate Teaching Assistant for Theory I 2009
Teaching Assistant for Design 1 & 2 2007/2008
Project leader for the annual design & construction of a Sukkah for Hil lel at the Universi ty of Florida 2008
Par ticipation in the AIA Florida Healthcare for the Homeless Design Charret te 2008
Proficient in AutoCAD, Rhinoceros with Grasshopper, 3ds Max, SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign
Project experience in Form-Z, ParaCloud, Revit & Ecotect Analysis
GRADUATE STUDIES ABROAD
Vicenza, Italy Fall 2009 • University of Florida Vicenza Institu te of Architecture • Seminars: Italian futurism & rational ism; Italian conversation & grammar • Stud io: Relocation of the Vicenza Publ ic Library within a deteriorated Renaissance garden
Guadalajara, Mexico Summer 2008 • University of Florida Preservation Institu te • Seminar: New strategies of place in rural areas, with special at tent ion to the use of water & the colonial hacienda system • Studio: Civic building & publ ic promenade in San Martín de las Cañas, a rural Ej ido village in the Tequila Valley
Paris, France Summer 2007 • University of Florida Research Center, Paris • Seminar: The Architecture of Paris: Experiments in Place
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCAT IO N
Elmhurst College - Elmhurst, IL - Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, 2005 English Literature & Music Majors; Philosophy Minor
Honors & Activities
Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honor Society
Lambda Sigma Psi Recogni tion Society (Music Honor Society)
Sigma Tau Delta, In ternational English Honor Society Dean’s List Fall 2003, Fall 2002, Spring 2001, Fall 1999
Rober t and Goudyloch Dyer Endowed Scholarship Award 2003/2004
Elmhurst College Music Talen t Scholarship 1999/2000
Class ica l Gu i ta r E nsemble Guitarist (Performance/Studio Recording) 2000/2001; 2002/2003
Class ica l Gu i ta r E nsemble Head of Publicity and Concert Sales 2002/2003
C o l l e g e C o n cer t C h o i r Second Tenor 1999/2000; 2000/2001 Choir Board Member 2000/2001
Vocal Jazz Ensemble “Late Nigh t Blues” Guitarist (Performance/Studio Recording) 2000/2001
Jazz Gu i t a r E nsem b le Guitarist (Performance/Studio Recording) 2000/2001
J a z z C o m b o Guitarist (Performance) 1999/2000; 2000/2001
E lmh urst Co l lege Jazz Fest i va l Publici ty Team 1999/2000; 2000/2001
E lmh urs t Co l lege Theater Cast Member 1999/2000
Elmhurst Col lege Music Depar tment Board Freshman Representative 1999/2000
The Leader (E lmh urst Co l lege st uden t newspa per) Staff Wr i ter 2002/2003; Summer 2003 Southampton Wr i t in g Conference Workshop on Memoi r Wr i t i n g wi t h F rank McCour t Summer 2003 P ub l icat ion for poetry an d scul p t u re in Midd le Wes tern Vo ice l i terary magaz ine 2003 In terna t iona l C lub Member 2002/2003
U ND E R G R ADU AT E S T UD IE S ABROAD
Oxford, England Spring 2004 • Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Keble College, University of Oxford • Tu torials: Shakespeare / Greek Tragedy / European Renaissance Art & Archi tecture
Nijmegen, The Netherlands Fall 2003 • Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen • Stud ies: American Litera ture / Race & Gender in American Pop-Cul ture / Interna tional Law
Milan, Italy Fall 2001 & Spring 2002 • Institu te of European Studies • Università Cattol ica, Studies: Italian conversation & grammar • Accademia Internazionale Della Musica, Studies: Classical Gui tar; Music History / Theory
Montego Bay, Jamaica January 2000 & January 2001 • Elmhurst College “Educational Experiences in Jamaica” teaching music to underprivileged middle school children
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCAT IO N
Elmhurst College - Elmhurst, IL - Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, 2005 English Literature & Music Majors; Philosophy Minor
Honors & Activities
Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honor Society
Lambda Sigma Psi Recogni tion Society (Music Honor Society)
Sigma Tau Delta, In ternational English Honor Society Dean’s List Fall 2003, Fall 2002, Spring 2001, Fall 1999
Rober t and Goudyloch Dyer Endowed Scholarship Award 2003/2004
Elmhurst College Music Talen t Scholarship 1999/2000
Class ica l Gu i ta r E nsemble Guitarist (Performance/Studio Recording) 2000/2001; 2002/2003
Class ica l Gu i ta r E nsemble Head of Publicity and Concert Sales 2002/2003
C o l l e g e C o n cer t C h o i r Second Tenor 1999/2000; 2000/2001 Choir Board Member 2000/2001
Vocal Jazz Ensemble “Late Nigh t Blues” Guitarist (Performance/Studio Recording) 2000/2001
Jazz Gu i t a r E nsem b le Guitarist (Performance/Studio Recording) 2000/2001
J a z z C o m b o Guitarist (Performance) 1999/2000; 2000/2001
E lmh urst Co l lege Jazz Fest i va l Publici ty Team 1999/2000; 2000/2001
E lmh urs t Co l lege Theater Cast Member 1999/2000
Elmhurst Col lege Music Depar tment Board Freshman Representative 1999/2000
The Leader (E lmh urst Co l lege st uden t newspa per) Staff Wr i ter 2002/2003; Summer 2003 Southampton Wr i t in g Conference Workshop on Memoi r Wr i t i n g wi t h F rank McCour t Summer 2003 P ub l icat ion for poetry an d scul p t u re in Midd le Wes tern Vo ice l i terary magaz ine 2003 In terna t iona l C lub Member 2002/2003
U ND E R G R ADU AT E S T UD IE S ABROAD
Oxford, England Spring 2004 • Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Keble College, University of Oxford • Tu torials: Shakespeare / Greek Tragedy / European Renaissance Art & Archi tecture
Nijmegen, The Netherlands Fall 2003 • Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen • Stud ies: American Litera ture / Race & Gender in American Pop-Cul ture / Interna tional Law
Milan, Italy Fall 2001 & Spring 2002 • Institu te of European Studies • Università Cattol ica, Studies: Italian conversation & grammar • Accademia Internazionale Della Musica, Studies: Classical Gui tar; Music History / Theory
Montego Bay, Jamaica January 2000 & January 2001 • Elmhurst College “Educational Experiences in Jamaica” teaching music to underprivileged middle school children
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCAT IO N
Elmhurst College - Elmhurst, IL - Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, 2005 English Literature & Music Majors; Philosophy Minor
Honors & Activities
Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honor Society
Lambda Sigma Psi Recogni tion Society (Music Honor Society)
Sigma Tau Delta, In ternational English Honor Society Dean’s List Fall 2003, Fall 2002, Spring 2001, Fall 1999
Rober t and Goudyloch Dyer Endowed Scholarship Award 2003/2004
Elmhurst College Music Talen t Scholarship 1999/2000
Class ica l Gu i ta r E nsemble Guitarist (Performance/Studio Recording) 2000/2001; 2002/2003
Class ica l Gu i ta r E nsemble Head of Publicity and Concert Sales 2002/2003
C o l l e g e C o n cer t C h o i r Second Tenor 1999/2000; 2000/2001 Choir Board Member 2000/2001
Vocal Jazz Ensemble “Late Nigh t Blues” Guitarist (Performance/Studio Recording) 2000/2001
Jazz Gu i t a r E nsem b le Guitarist (Performance/Studio Recording) 2000/2001
J a z z C o m b o Guitarist (Performance) 1999/2000; 2000/2001
E lmh urst Co l lege Jazz Fest i va l Publici ty Team 1999/2000; 2000/2001
E lmh urs t Co l lege Theater Cast Member 1999/2000
Elmhurst Col lege Music Depar tment Board Freshman Representative 1999/2000
The Leader (E lmh urst Co l lege st uden t newspa per) Staff Wr i ter 2002/2003; Summer 2003 Southampton Wr i t in g Conference Workshop on Memoi r Wr i t i n g wi t h F rank McCour t Summer 2003 P ub l icat ion for poetry an d scul p t u re in Midd le Wes tern Vo ice l i terary magaz ine 2003 In terna t iona l C lub Member 2002/2003
U ND E R G R ADU AT E S T UD IE S ABROAD
Oxford, England Spring 2004 • Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Keble College, University of Oxford • Tu torials: Shakespeare / Greek Tragedy / European Renaissance Art & Archi tecture
Nijmegen, The Netherlands Fall 2003 • Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen • Stud ies: American Litera ture / Race & Gender in American Pop-Cul ture / Interna tional Law
Milan, Italy Fall 2001 & Spring 2002 • Institu te of European Studies • Università Cattol ica, Studies: Italian conversation & grammar • Accademia Internazionale Della Musica, Studies: Classical Gui tar; Music History / Theory
Montego Bay, Jamaica January 2000 & January 2001 • Elmhurst College “Educational Experiences in Jamaica” teaching music to underprivileged middle school children
neil j. long
selected projects
agua y ladrillo | community center
05oasis | urban pavilion
31lanterns | spanish history museum
21skin | facade project
47
advanced studio summer 2008
program: community centerlocation: san martín de las cañascomputer modeling: SketchUprendering: Podium
agua y ladrillo
san martín de las cañas
Centrally located in the state of Jalisco, Mexico,
San Martín de las Cañas is a small village of 780
inhabitants situated within the Tequila Valley 3,600
feet above sea level. A rural landscape of blue
agave farming and tequila production surrounds
the agrarian village. Operated as a traditional
hacienda up until the agrarian land reform of the
Mexican Revolution (1910), San Martín is now
within the jurisdiction of an Ejido, a region of land
governed and farmed communally and supported
by the state.
Built into a hillside, San Martín de las Cañas
has adapted to the naturally steep grade of the
terrain. With the exception of the old hacienda
town square, nothing commits to an orthogonal
geometry – no road is even remotely flat. The city
has grown organically from a man-made reservoir
along a river, forming an enclave of ad hoc houses
and roads that become part of the landscape itself.
dam
bull ringsite
original hacienda
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agua | water
Every village throughout the arid Tequila Valley has a unique
relationship with water. The most vital of all resources, water
is at times also the most scarce. High above the valley floor,
San Martin is advantageously positioned near some of the
highest cascades in Mexico, allowing it to harness water for
both power and drinking. In fact, narrow aqueducts (both
above ground and embedded into the streets) carry water
through the village to a dammed reservoir, which is also fed
by the San Martin River. The townspeople routinely construct
makeshift dams of their own along these aqueducts to create
personal water supply for laundry or other household needs.
10ft 30ft 50ft 100ft 200ft
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Particularly undeveloped, the site at the north side of the
reservoir offered a unique opportunity to expand the free
public space of the town through a multi-use community
center. The site was little more than a discordant
intersection of winding roads, water and landfill. It was the
leftover space of several intersecting axes and geometries
that were never intended to find resolution.
Interestingly, the site provided a prototypical example of
what Eduard Bru coined the “urban void”. While San Martín
is far from the scale of the mega cities Bru refers to in his
Untried Territories, this was still the type of “conflictive
space” that forces the architect or urban planner to invent
new places and new uses. By expanding the reservoir
embankment in the direction of the water, the north shore
of the reservoir is transformed into a functioning public
plaza and promenade. At the intersection of the plaza and
promenade, a new community center is created.
public plazacommunity center
sketches from initial visit mapintersection of site lines
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ladrillo | brick
As the soil is rich in clay there is an abundance of brick
makers scattered throughout the Tequila Valley. The design
of the community center incorporated the typical concrete
frame with brick inlays that pervades the architecture of the
region. Not only did it make good design sense to utilize local
materials and methods, it also created an inherent connection
between the architecture and the landscape in terms of both
the natural and fabricated environments.
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programmable space
By providing open event spaces as well as private rooms of varying sizes, the
community center can host a wide variety of social events throughout the
year. It also provides much needed accommodations for overnight guests for
bull fights, carnivals and regional meetings of the Ejido. For this reason, the
center is divided into two wings, each with two levels and separate entrances,
to allow for multiple events at the same time.
1 - ejido room
2 - event space
3 - kitchen
1
2
3
2
2
ejido room entrance
event space
10ft 15ft 25ft 50ft
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ejido room & laundry
San Martin benefits from a semi-arid climate and a relatively high
elevation, causing little variation in temperature year-round. This allowed
the main gathering spaces of the community center to remain open, with
uninhibited views of the surrounding landscape.
The largest space was designed to accommodate governmental meetings
of the Ejido. The porosity of the tilt-up concrete wall to the south regulates
the wind and sun entering the Ejido room and offers privacy while still
engaging with the adjacent plaza. The room’s massive, cantilevered roof
provides shading while also collecting rain water. Folded metal panels,
which form the ceiling of the Ejido room, act as channels to carry water
to the laundry below.
rain water collection
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Several small pavilions and terraced platforms were designed to occupy new landfill
along the reservoir embarkment, offering highly programmable public space for local
residents and vendors. This provides a venue for the regular markets, which are held in
the village. Likewise, the shade offered by the pavilions and the coolness of the water
will most certainly draw more people to the reservoir in the hot summer months. In the
rainy season when the reservoir is high, parts of the terraced platforms will be partly
submerged, providing a visual reminder of the passage of seasons.
water pavilions
public pavilions
water terraces
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advanced studio fall 2008
program: pavilionlocation: St. Augustine, FLcomputer modeling: 3ds Maxrendering: V-Ray
urban oasis
The recent remaking of St. Augustine into
a “living history museum” produced an
unfortunate consequence; a once vibrant
community of artists (especially street artists)
became alienated from any kind of free public
exhibition. The city council went so far as to
issue a ban on all public art within fifty feet of
the tourist-saturated St. George Street.
This project repurposes a parking lot located
in the historic town center, at the intersection
of Cordova and Carrera Streets, into a free
public forum or a place of refuge (an oasis)
within the city. The grassy oasis is designed
to provide a series of small, programmable
urban “room-like” spaces for visiting artists
or weary pedestrians looking for peace and
solitude.
fort
St. George Streethistoric restoration
Cordova Street
site
urban oasis
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By utilizing a series of traditional Coquina walls, the
space is defined primarily by movement. The seemingly
indeterminate arrangement of planar surfaces produces a
sequence of parallaxes, which are continually redefined as
one progresses through the oasis. The visual porosity (or the
physical depth of the field) fluctuates without anticipation
as one moves in any direction. From the exterior, one
is given fragmented views of what lies inside; from the
interior, one is never without a glimpse of the city beyond
the sanctuary of the walls. By contrast, the canopy is quite
regular, housed within a symmetrical space frame; yet, it
too destabilizes any singular reading of the field below
with glass and mirrored panels of varying translucency that
cast an array of shadows in fleeting patterns. The mirroring
visually bridges the otherwise disconnected spaces,
creating something of a virtual parallax.C
OR
DO
VA
STR
EET
CARRERA STREET
VALENCIA STREET
Historic Grace United Methodist Church 1886
section
Ponce de León Hall at Flagler College 1888
angled mirrors in canopy reflect underlying spaces
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a passing glimpse patterns & parallax
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A new corridor linking Grace United Methodist Church and Flagler College
conforms to the modern city grid on one edge while the other edge is
rotated to follow the path of a now buried 16th century Spanish wall - a
subtle reminder of the layers of history beneath St. Augustine.
remembering the wall5ft 15ft 25ft
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lanterns
advanced studio fall 2008
program: Spanish History Museumlocation: St. Augustinecomputer modeling: 3ds Maxrendering: V-Ray
It is impossible to break ground in St. Augustine without uncovering some evidence of its remarkable
history, especially from the Spanish colonial years. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to house the
proposed Spanish History Museum within the earth beneath an artificial embankment rising from the
edge of the adjoining glacis of Castillo de San Marcos, located on the waterfront just across historic
Highway A1A.
Unlike its 17th century neighbor, the museum’s glacis was designed not to impede the advancement
of unwanted guests, but instead to allow access from every possible approach. The museum glacis,
in contrast to the typically flat Florida coastline, rises just high enough to provide panoramic views of
Castillo de San Marcos and the St. Augustine Marina while respecting the local height ordinances of
the Spanish Quarter. Located beneath a scenic promenade, the Museum’s primary exhibition space is
oriented toward Castillo de San Marcos as a constant reminder of its historical presence.
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historic St. George Street
Castillo de San Marcos
pedestrian corridor
Highway A1A
with new frontage road
Highway A1A reconfigured to provide museum frontage roadaccessible only to public transportation
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1 - exhibition hall
2 - event space
3 - archives
4 - gift shop
5 - courtyard
2
5
3
4
5
1
1
pedestrian corridor links St. George Street and Highway A1A
lobby with lightwell
5ft 15ft 25ft 50ft 100ft
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facade minimizes light pollution - mitigating harm to coastal wildlife
5 - courtyard
6 - exterior passage
7 - administration
8 - cafe & patio
9 - kitchen
5
6
7
8
9
exhibition hall
5ft 15ft 25ft 50ft 100ft
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The peripheral programs of the museum (lobby, cafe, archives and administration)
are housed in two wings nestled within the constructed glacis. Within the wings,
vertical voids are utilized as a means of capturing light without excessive heat
gain. Externally, the wings are clad in perforated steel panels custom-fabricated
to echo lantern patterns found within the Spanish Quarter. Throughout the
day, the internal array of shadow and light becomes a measure of time, while at
night, the glow from within projects the patterns of light outwards - becoming a
symbolic beacon of light on the St. Augustine waterfront. At the same time, the
building’s facade minimizes light pollution thereby mitigating potential harmful
effects to coastal wildlife.
a bridge provides visitors with exterior passage and interior courtyard views without requiring entry to the museum
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location: Chicagocomputer modeling: Rhinoceros with Grasshopperrendering: V-Rayenvironmental analysis: Ecotect
skin
research project 2010
a thickened skinrethinking high-rise living
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marina city towers
architect: Bertrand Goldberg
constructed: 1964
height: 587 ft
program: mixed use / parking / residentialeasttower
house of blues
sax hotel
private drive
smith & wollensky
N. S
TA
TE
ST
RE
ET
N. D
EA
RB
OR
N S
TR
EE
T
westtower
CHICAGO RIVER
a city within a cityresidential floor plans
(parking floors 1 - 20)
east tower floor plan 21st - 52nd
east tower floor plan 53rd - 60th
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concrete problemsa skeleton in need of skin
When Marina City was built, it was the tallest reinforced concrete
structure in the world. This engineering feat was obviously a point
of pride for Goldberg and his team of designers, as they chose to
leave a key element of architecture missing - the skin. While the
radial formwork of the towers has become a hallmark of Chicago
architectural style and innovation, it has not withstood the elements
as well as it has the critics.
If one were to visit the towers on any given day one would find a now
familiar array of scaffolding and construction screens wrapping the
towers. The Marina City Condominium Association reports spending
millions of dollars to fix severe structural damage to the signature
cantilevered concrete balconies. Residents complain of constantly
rain-swept balconies and of puddling from deformations in the floor
plates due to constant bombardment by wind.
wind swept rain severe concrete damage
nine suns
According to Chinese legend, for thousands of years the
Earth was scorched by ten suns. One day a man named
Hou Yi came along and shot down nine of the suns along
with a few flying beasts and dragons thus saving the
people of the world from suffering inevitable destruction.
It is interesting to consider only nine of the ten suns were
shot down. It shows how vital the sun is for sustaining life,
while recognizing too much of a good thing can cause
destruction.
This study of Marina City Towers focused on ways to
address the building’s emergent environmental and
programmatic needs. Specifically, it examined how an
architectural skin may be utilized to protect an otherwise
“skinless” building from the elements and how that then
may affect the interactive spaces of high-rise living. It
was important with Marina City Towers to respect the
character of the existing structure, while allowing a new
identity to emerge. This is fitting given the parable of the
story is that survival is a product of both innovation and
adaptation; in other words, evolution.
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sun mapping
evening sunmorning sun mid-day sun
current conditions optimized sun shades(june - august)
current conditions optimized sun shades(june - august)
current conditions optimized sun shades(june - august)
3 pm
4 pm
5 pm
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
annual average winds
wind analysis
spring summer
autumn winter
prevailing winds
As Marina City Towers are circular in design with sixteen bays rotated on
center, it is equally exposed in every direction, making it especially difficult
to adapt to continually changing conditions. Wind, unlike sun exposure, is
far from constant. However, these prevailing wind diagrams clearly show a
predominance of winds from the southwest, especially in the winter months.
The initial skin studies began by addressing environmental issues of wind,
sun and rain. There are essentially nine hours in a day when sun-shading is
absolutely critical, especially for a high-rise building.
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modularity studies
The modular investigations continued by
developing ways of populating surfaces with
sets of components subtly varied according to
irradiation maps.
With this particular example, a component was
stacked and then rotated to varying degrees
relative to the sun-shading desired, thereby
populating the cylindrical surface with a uniform
gradient. A more complex surface would produce
a larger variance in gradation. A full exploration of
this concept can be seen in the Harvard exhibition
of Adaptive Fritting, by Chuck Hoberman.
variable components
To create a building skin, a cylindrical form was populated with modular components
to compliment the repeated modularity of the towers. Secondarily, the components
were varied as they were “grafted” onto the surface, adapting to the given conditions
while creating functional ornament and visual complexity.
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neil j. long | 60 |
east
north south
west
Sun studies show how “wrinkles” in a skin can
produce hot and cold spots throughout the day,
as opposed to the smooth surface of a perfect
sphere that has a constant gradient of irradiation
that shifts throughout the day.
The plasticity of the skin may be manipulated by
populating the surface with varying apertures.
As shown, four components populate several
“wrinkled” surfaces and are varied relative to
anticipated average daily irradiation.
skin gradations
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dynamic shading
variations
indirect/diffused light enters during peak sun hours
cooling oblique winds enter folds in skin
turbulence deflected by curved surfaces and driven upward, avoiding wind-swept balconies
self-shading surface could offer transparency for views with minimal heat gain
sun
sun shaded by canopy
cooling winds may be harvested from prevailing direction
cooling winds may be harvested through overlap of pleated surface
pleated surface creates shifting pockets of warm and cool air throughout day
hot air ventilated through opposite scoop by natural shift in air pressure
hot air ventilated through top of pleats by natural shift in air pressure
wind catchers
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variable component as generator of surface modulation
programmatic wrapping
The boundaries of the skin were expanded so that a type of communal dwelling was realized around the exterior
of the towers. An extended, fully inhabitable component was generated, with possibilities for highly interactive
elements typically not realized by the autonomous balconies of high-rise apartment buildings. This would afford
all residents access to the full 360 degrees of the building’s views. To reduce wind resistance, the curvature of
the component shifts as it wraps the building, creating a cork-screw effect, directing turbulent winds from all
directions up and around the building. Further investigation of this new typology of high-rise living would realize
the expansion of public space at the lower parking levels and possibilities for shared amenities between the towers
and the adjacent Hotel Sax.
wrapping skin
expanded balconies
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sun scoop
summer sun
winter sun
sun scoop
In order to avoid limiting
exterior views or inhibiting
the desired winter sun from
reaching apartment interiors,
the new promenade is shifted
upward, so that views are
increased and winter sun angles
from the months of November
to February can reach deeper
into the new atrium space.
The extended balconies
are offset from the existing
towers, creating semi-public
promenades accessible only by
residents. Likewise, an atrium-
like space is made in the gap
between the new balconies and
the old, providing ventilation,
views and light.
balcony expansion
spring & autumnwintersummer
During the summer the skin is allowed to breath through balcony and overhead doors. This provides natural, yet controlled airflow into the apartments while protecting the interiors from excessive wind. A natural convection occurs at each apartment, contributing to a stack effect in the surrounding atrium space.
During the winter all apertures of the skin (balcony and overhead doors) are closed, allowing the skin to serve as a large insulator for the building. The stack effect is still present, as towers naturally induce variances in air pressure as they rise. However, it is now not about cooling the interior space, but providing a winter garden for the occupants of the building.
One of the main reasons to pull the skin away from the original structure was to displace the most severe conditions of the high-rise typology, wind and rain. So when the exterior temperatures are optimal for natural ventilation, but the exterior conditions do not allow for the facade to be completely open, vents at the bottom and top of the skin may be used to induce the stack effect. In fact, such a configuration would produce a more intense, yet regulated stack effect than if the facade was opened at individual balcony apertures.
increasedstack effect
turbulence
rain closedenclosure
cool air
openenclosure
hot air
closedenclosure
stack effect & weather screening
offset
shift
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The twisting curvature of the
skin allows for nine variations
in the extended balconies
relative to the fixed module of
the original towers. As the sun
shifts no space is overheated
as the rotated curve of the new
balconies are incrementally
shaded by the floors above.
balcony typography
The new balcony and overhead wing-like doors can be opened durring
favorable conditions thereby allowing the encompassing atrium space
to be naturally ventilated by oblique winds. The twisting skin also
provides varying spatial conditions relative to the fixed module of the
original bays. As shown in the diagrams to the right this was achieved by
modulating the shape of the extended bays on a fixed axis.
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extended balcony above
extended balcony below
summer terracejune 21st
10:45 am
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neil j. long | 72 |
winter gardendecember 21st
10:45 am
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new high-rise living
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| 75 | neil j. long
neil j. longgraduate portfolio
1810 NW 23rd Blvd / Apt 231Gainesville, FL [email protected](630) 217-5664