Portfolio

Erin Elizabeth Ruhl_portfolio

Living Library_Houston, TX 01SCAPA_Lexington, KY 02

Bus Hub and Transit Center_New Orleans, LA 031700 St. Roch Neighborhood Kisok_New Orleans, LA 04

James E. Pepper Bourbon Bar and Museum_Lexington, KY 05MOCCA_New York, NY 06

Sneaky 07Manchester Streetscape_Lexington, KY 08

Artist’s Vacation Home and Campground_Lexington, KY 09Proposed Salk Center Housing_La Jolla, CA 10

Selected Creative Works 11

Erin Elizabeth [email protected]

Graduate Student at Rice UniversityMasters in ArchitectureSecond Semester

Living LibraryBecoming a Multilingual Cultural Institution in Houston’s East EndHouston, TXFall 2011

01

The historical function of the library was to provide a source from which visitors could absorb knowledge and then leave, taking that knowledge into the world. It was primarily a quiet place for solitary reading and study from which a visitor only consumed knowledge.

A contemporary library should challenge this historical model and become a lively, engaging and collaborative source for consumption and production. Instead of a visitor gaining knowledge and then leaving with it, the library should also provide an oppor-tunity for visitors to share knowledge amongst themselves and give knowledge back. Particularly in this multilingual neighborhood, a way to establish this give-and-take model for a library is to provide the resources needed to listen, record and create oral histories and stories.

Oral histories have been a source for knowledge and cultural heritage for centuries. Now, with new technologies of video and audio recording, histories and traditions that define a culture can be captured and shared. Voices can then transcend the limits of location and time. The recording process, much like a conversation, allows for a two-way exchange of information, where each participant learns and responds to the other. This multiple exchange of information and knowledge breathes new life into the library and re-establishes it as a vital cultural institution.

Interior View

Ground Floor

The neighborhood has a rich Hispanic culture and pedestrian scene. It has all the ingredients necessary to foster the addition of a Houston cultural destination: a place for people to find pieces of their history as well as create their own.

Architecturally, the library aims to frame a very public and conversive ground floor while simultaneously allowing for more intimate, quiet places above. This ground floor acts like a one-room extension of the already lively sidewalk. The second floor consists of more intimate, quiet spaces concealed as separated volumes hovering above the louder, more public space. Creating a range of acoustics within the library allows spaces for listening and recording oral histories and conversations. Additionally, the two main entrances on either end of the site address both the commercial and residential sides of the site and signify the dual approach inherent in the framework for a dialogue.

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Plan_3 Roof Plan

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Ground Floor Plans

Section Perspective

AxonometricFormal Diagrams

Day View Night ViewView of Downtown Houston

SCAPASchool for the Creative and Performing ArtsLexington, KentuckyFall 2008

02

Views from street into studiosViews between studios Views from studios into the city

Although academics and final show-ings are crucial elements in the school, working and learning in studio is at the heart of SCAPA’s mission. Bringing the school downtown presents an opportu-nity to showcase the studio work that usually happens behind closed doors. Turning the school inside-out and con-ceptually peeling back the walls that usually hide the studio spaces will re-veal to the community the artistic work the students are engaged in daily. Pe-destrians will be able to see the studios and are encouraged to stop, watch, and listen. Opening up the studios also creates more interdisciplinary learning experiences for the students. The per-meability of the site is ideal for fram-ing views into various studios from the street as well as views from inside the school out into the city.

Downtown Lexington has various art-ist studios, galleries, and performance venues available to the public. However, there is a need to activate the public’s in-volvement and interest in the arts.

Circulation

Views

New Outdoor Public Space

Auditorium

High SchoolClassrooms

Middle SchoolClassrooms

Instrumental + Vocal MusicStudios

Dance + DramaStudios

Admistration

Library + Media Center

Visual Art + Creative WritingStudios

Interior Street

SCAPA (School for the Creative and Performing Arts) of Lexington aims to educate students ranging from grades 7-12 who are particularly interested in the arts and allow them the opportunity to fully develop their artistic potential. Relocating the school in a current downtown parking lot would bring density to the downtown landscape, act as a catalyst for a developing arts district, and revitalize downtown Lexington as a cultural center. The school would also provide the community with artists, advocates for the arts, and values contributors to society as these students make their career and life choices. It would be a source of light and color on this city block: a place where stu-dents can learn and create while engaging the public and activating an awareness of the arts.

Existing Site

Porosity of the site to be continued throughout the school

Massing Studies

Model Studies

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administration o�ces

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band studio

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piano practice rooms

teachers’ office

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middle school classrooms

counselors’ offices/student services

auditorium


media library

drama studio

teachers’ office

dance studios

high school classrooms


library


creative writing studios

teachers’ office

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dark room

sculpture studio

mixed media studios

teachers’ office

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At the entrance to the school, there will be an interior street that maintains the “cut-through” space on the block. Inte-rior circulation will pierce the volumes to serve as a formal and visual link between all the different art disciplines. The pub-lic gains views into the studios and new green spaces.

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Courtyard view

Studio view Section

03Bus Hub and Transit CenterFor the River Transit Authority of New OrleansKentucky New Orleans Architecture StudioNew Orleans, LASpring 2008

Route and destination research revealed a high activity level of commuters in the Central Business District and proved the neutral ground on Elk Street to be an ideal site for a bus hub and transit center.

Since Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans is rebuilding and its dis-placed population is returning. With a returning population the public trans-portation system is in desperate need of restructuring and redesigning. Exist-ing conditions are poor: bus stops are ill-equipped, street furniture is outdat-ed and damaged, and route/ticket in-formation is limited and disorganized.

Research revealed that most of the bus transferring activity was happening in the Central Business District. From This part of town, most of the city can be reached within a 15-20 minute bus ride. Here is also where every resident of New Orleans East or from across the river that takes the by-pass bus route must be picked up or dropped off. This means that there is a lot of foot traffic in this concentrated area, whether it be between stops or to their destination.

By relocating all of these bus stops and consolidating them into one large bus hub and transit center in the neutral ground on Elk Street between Canal Street and Tulane Avenue can allow for the introduction and more efficient use of larger amenities that the stops are currently lacking as well as cut down on the foot traffic.

CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

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ACTIVATING THE NEUTRAL GROUND

ROUTE ANALYSISCANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

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ROUTE ANALYSIS

CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

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TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT


ROUTE ANALYSIS

Canal Street and Elk Street inadequacies

Current location of high activity bus stops in the Cen-tral Business District

Problem: Number of street crossings necessary to make popular transfers/destinations

Solution: More pedestrian friendly and accommodat-ing bus hub and transit center in neutral ground

Active routes before Katrina Active routes after Katrina Inactive routes after Katrina

Transfer locations

Popular Destinations Five-minute increment travel locations

Interstate by-pass routes

ELK + CANALACTIVATING THE NEUTRAL GROUND

SITE PLAN

CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT

EXISTING LIVE OAKS TO BE MAINTAINED ON NEUTRAL GROUND

MONUMENTS TO BE MOVED TO ADJACENT NEUTRAL GROUND

BUS ACTIVITY

CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT

COMMUTER RESTROOMS

PLATFORM A

INFORMATION AND TICKET DESK

PLATFORM B

PLANTER

PATH

CROSSWALK

PLANTER WITH BENCH

PLANTER

PLANTER WITH BENCH

PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY

COMMUTER SERVICES AND BOARDING

PALM TREE

SCORED CONCRETE

GRASS

AZELEAS

LIVE OAK

TALL GRASS

COBBLESTONE

WOOD SURFACE

CREPE MYRTLE

TRANSFER LOCATIONSCBD LINKS TO NEW ORLEANS EAST AND WEST BANK

MODIFIED ROUTES AND CLUSTERED STOPS

PREVIOUS RESEARCH IN THE CONTEXT OF ELK AND CANALACTIVATING THE NEUTRAL GROUND

ROUTE ANALYSIS

DIAGRAMS

Above is a series of line drawings illustrat-ing the design intentions and reactions to this particular site. The neutral ground is one of the few in the Central Business District with full-grown live oaks. Wish-ing to not interfere with these trees, the bus lanes weave between them (A). With the bus lanes pushing into the neutral ground the loading platforms must follow (B). Once these are established, a se-ries of crosswalks allow the pedestrian to walk safely and directly from across the street to the ticket desk or from the ticket desk to their platform (C). The result is a downtown park like space where people can enjoy themselves safely while wait-ing for the bus.

ELK + CANALACTIVATING THE NEUTRAL GROUND

SITE PLAN

CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT

EXISTING LIVE OAKS TO BE MAINTAINED ON NEUTRAL GROUND

MONUMENTS TO BE MOVED TO ADJACENT NEUTRAL GROUND

BUS ACTIVITY

CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT CANAL

TULANE

ELK

RAMPA

RT

COMMUTER RESTROOMS

PLATFORM A

INFORMATION AND TICKET DESK

PLATFORM B

PLANTER

PATH

CROSSWALK

PLANTER WITH BENCH

PLANTER

PLANTER WITH BENCH

PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY

COMMUTER SERVICES AND BOARDING

PALM TREE

SCORED CONCRETE

GRASS

AZELEAS

LIVE OAK

TALL GRASS

COBBLESTONE

WOOD SURFACE

CREPE MYRTLE

TRANSFER LOCATIONSCBD LINKS TO NEW ORLEANS EAST AND WEST BANK

MODIFIED ROUTES AND CLUSTERED STOPS

PREVIOUS RESEARCH IN THE CONTEXT OF ELK AND CANALACTIVATING THE NEUTRAL GROUND

ROUTE ANALYSIS

DIAGRAMS

Existing live oaks to remain

Existing monuments andsculptures to remain

Modified route and bus stop location

Information and ticket desk as anchor for the two platforms

Primary circulation

Site Plan Enlarged Site Plan with New Amenities and their Locations

SITE FORCES

SITE FORCES

SITE FORCES

A B C

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New bike racks

Improved signage

Improved seating

Improved shelter

Improved lighting

Trash receptacle

New recycling receptacles

New public restrooms

Improved publictelephones

Improved newspaper andadvertisement services

New informationresources

A contemporary logo and new signage clearly displays route and system informa-tion on an internally lit panel powered by the sun. Reorganizing the existing web site and creating more legible system maps makes information readily available and easily located.

A new bus stop furniture system allows for the reconfiguration of different key ele-ments to accommodate the needs of each bus stop. Stops that see more activity may need a shelter element (A) and stops that are on a less popular route may only re-quire a bench and a bike rack or a trash receptacle (B & C). This single system is designed to meet the needs of any bus stop in the city.

504-234-9052www.norta.com

SOLAR PANEL

RTA LOGO

ROUTE INFORMATION

HELP LINE

INTERNALLY LIT PANEL

12 ST. CLAUDE

17 ESPLANADE

12 17

SYSTEM INFORMATION

The information and ticket desk is housed in a structure that aims to blur the lines between interior and exterior. It allows a view of the entire neutral ground and its surroundings while simultaneously providing shelter against the elements. Continued daylight and materials from exterior to interior can easily be seen and understood. Previously nonexistent amenities such as pubic restrooms and customer service now have a permanent location without disrupting the park-like feel of the neutral ground.

During the day, the building acts a transparent interior space where commuters can wait for their bus without feeling too disconnect-ed from their respective platform. When night falls, it becomes a source of light and sense of security for those still commuting.

Information/Ticket Desk Entrance Bus Stop Furniture Assembly

A B C

041700 St. Roch Neighborhood KioskFor the Faubourg St. Roch Project of New OrleansKentucky New Orleans Architecture StudioNew Orleans, LASpring 2008

Team members:Mark RichardsAnnie SmithSt. Roch Project

At 1700 St. Roch Avenue two new buildings are being developed, both of which will incorporate residential and commercial spaces. The project, part of a larger effort to revitalize the St. Roch neighborhood after Hurricane Katrina, employs a “Standard of Sustainability,” including the use of local materials and resources. In a preliminary environ-mentally-conscious gesture, the Fau-bourg St. Roch Project organization approached the KNOA Studio to design a neighborhood kiosk using reclaimed materials from the building that previ-ously existed on the site.

The kiosk is intended to be less like a sign on the corner and more like a hint of the neighborhood renewal efforts to come. Its function includes showcase space for the project, display area for community announcements and events, and seating to promote com-munity interaction. Conceptually, our vision was to create a design that cel-ebrated the characteristics of the re-claimed lumber employed as exterior furniture, a piece that once assembled would take on a continuous and mono-lithic form seemingly carved from a larger whole.

Detail Photographs

05James E. Pepper Bourbon Bar and MuseumJames E. Pepper Distillery Fermenting HouseLexington, KentuckyFall 2007

James E. Pepper Distillery Museum and Bourbon Bar

The James E. Pepper Distillery on Manchester Street in Lexington has been abandoned for years. Recently, however, there has been an effort to create a new arts and entertainment district along the street aiming to highlight and preserve the area’s buildings and rich history. The James E. Pepper Distillery Museum and Bourbon Bar is an adaptive-reuse project that tells the story of bourbon making and drinking in Kentucky. Housed in the old fermenting room, the reclaimed fermenting tanks contain the various programmatic elements while a large cylindrical bottle wall displays various bourbon bottles throughout history from distilleries across the state.

Bourbon Bar / Kitchen

History of Bourbon

Men’s / Women’s Restroom

Bottle Wall

Bourbon distilling, drinking, and appre-ciation is an integral part of the history of Kentucky. Today, the once very produc-tive James E. Pepper Bourbon Distillery in Lexington Kentucky is a place over-grown with vines and occupied by old car parts. The entire compound is practically abandoned.

However, there has been an effort to re-vitalize the area around the Pepper Dis-tillery aptly named the Bourbon District. As part of this revitalization effort, the fermenting house of the Pepper Distillery is looking to become a bourbon bar and museum that not only would be a source of life in the Bourbon District of Lexington, but also a major stop along Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail.

Despite the site being abandoned, the vegetation and open space gives it a sense of life. A framing structure not only stabilizes the existing structure but also allows the vines to continue growing giv-ing the building a feel of a modern ruin.

By bringing the old fermenting tanks back and repurposing them to house various programs such as the bar and museum display, the room regains a sense of its spatial history: a reminder of the way the room felt when the distillery was in op-eration.

A connective walkway from the ground up and through the building would continue the existing ambiguity of interior and ex-terior space as well as provide a place to gain a new perspective of the fermenting house.

Framing Structure

Interior/Exterior Space

New Tank Configuration PlanSite Conditions and Observations

Proximity to Downtown Lexington

N

PEPPER COMPLEX AND FERMENTING HOUSE

PEPPER DISTILLERY COMPLEX

DOWNTOWN LEXINGTON

WEAVING NATURE INDUSTRY RESIDENTIAL AND URBAN LIFE

PEPPER COMPLEX AND FERMENTING HOUSE

Among the reprogrammed fermenting tanks, a bourbon bottle installation (consisting of historic as well as modern bourbon bottles) acts as a lightwell transforming the light from the clerestory above into a kaleidoscopic display of color and shapes. A mezzanine level walkway allows the visitor and bourbon enthusiast to experience the bottles and the space from a different perspective as well as cast their own shadows on the bottles below, bringing them to life.

Section

06MoCCAMuseum of Comic and Cartoon ArtNew York City, New YorkFall 2010

Team members:Jordan Hines

The mission of MoCCA is to “collect, preserve, educate, and display cartoon and comic art” with the primary goal of “educating the public about comic and cartoon art, how it is crafted, and how it reflect history.”

Site Plan

Section

Plan

Featured Exhibition Space

Exhibition Space

Classrooms / Gallery Space

Classrooms / Computer Lab / Workshop

Cafe

Conference Rooms /Administrative Offices

Archives / Lecture Hall

Library / Admssions /Retail

Floor Area Ratio = 6% max

With history and education as the heart of MoCCA’s mission, the library, classrooms, and gallery spaces become the body of the museum. It is then lifted off the ground not only to provide communal space at the street level, but to elevate the contents to a more dynamic position. An outer exoskel-eton of screens protects this body and the art inside. These screens not only filter the daylight to avoid contact with the art, they allow the programs to be highly visible from the street and easily accessible to the pub-lic. As one enters the museum, a central spine allows the visitor to take their time and travel upward through the underbelly of the museum, towards the featured exhi-bition space and roof garden.

07 08Manchester Street serves as a direct link between industrial Lexington and downtown Lexington and has generally been a place of manufacturing and making. Presently how-ever, it is a street in transition. Given this quality of the streetscape, driving down the street becomes a playful rhythm of architectural and spatial elements as well as a game of seek and find. The purpose of this drawing and collage investigation is to evaluate the streetscape of Manchester in order to qualitatively convey this unique and seemingly musical sense of place with multiple levels of understanding.

Above are the results of an exercise done in attempt to portray a particular quality through form, material and animation. For this exercise, I chose to capture the qualities of being sneaky. Here sneaky is defined by sense of quiet, secrecy, and stealth. Formally, this definition of sneaky translates into sleek surfaces with points that divert from a predict-able course and reach for something unseen with as if preparing for a silent attack.

Final streetscape

Process drawings

09 10Housing Proposal for the Salk CenterSpring 2007:Staying in tune with Louis Kahn’s Salk Cen-ter formally and conceptually, the proposed housing aims to designate and explore the re-lationship between private and public space.

Artist’s Vacation Home and CampgroundSpring 2006: Connecting the old oak tree to the lake be-yond the trees, the house and studio become a contemporary tree house among the forest-like feel of the aggragated trellis units of the campground.

Site section

Site plan

Building and site plans, sections and elevations Building plans

11 Selected Creative Works:Digital and Freehand Drawing, Physical Mod-els, 3D Stereolithography, Figure Drawings, Collages and Diagrams.

Portfolio

Documents

Transcript of Portfolio