Rachel JohnsonUndergraduate Portfolio

CONTENTS

drawings

f2011

sp2012

f2012

drawings

Perchcolor pencil, digitalmedia, newspaper15” x 22”

Figure studies 1 hr

Ledges State Park projectmixed media24” x 60”

Villa dall’ava exploded axon.graphite20” x 40”

Phase one of this project was to design a Boathouse that could contain any number of human powered boats with one additional programmatic element relative to the experience of the Mississippi river. From mid-October to late November, thousands of canvasback ducks, Canada Geese, and swans migrate through Lansing, Iowa before heading south. Bluffs that surround the river are also habitat to a number of species of predatory birds active year round. With this in mind, the boathouse became a place of passive observation, or integration with those who appear for a short while.or integration with those who appear for a short while.

refining a tower and structure with observation decks

Site: Lansing, Iowa

BOATHOUSE

migration = lack of permanence collaspable structure

Sketch

strategic views from boathouse

f2011

An extension of the Boathouse became the Houseboat. With the idea of seasonal controlled permeability that resonated upon the Boathouse, the the Boathouse, the Houseboat was a continuation of that.Through large porous openings and expandable and retractable walls, the dwelling is allows an atmosphere of the user’s atmosphere of the user’s choosing.

HOUSEBOAT

sp2012

MACHINE

final iteration

iteration no.22-person rocking chair with pedals and gears that turn pattern about faceentire structure made from 80% salvaged material

kept dizzying pattern and added hand crankall-thread/wood connections became more refined and controled

disorientation /dis·or·i·en·ta·tion/ (-or″e-en-tashun)

Discomfort intended for the user and for onlookers viewing the user’s eye movement

the loss of proper bearings, or a state of mental confusion as to time, place, or identity

COGNITIVE MAPPINGChicago: nine vinettesgraphite on mylar30” x 72”

93º53’30” longitude // 41º18’15” latitude

f2012

The 44-acre site is owned by a Des Moines contractor, Dan Venter. There is an L-shaped corn plot on the north and western most edges of the site. Running NE and SW is a prairie with three ridges that a prairie with three ridges that form swales that allow runoff to drain into the creek bed located in the SE forest cover. In order to form a retreat for doctors and nurses in the Des Moines area, we formed a center for production such that the repetitive nature of the productive tasks makes the experience nature of the productive tasks makes the experience meditative. Through this meditation, the people acting are rejuvenated.Production consists of guests tending to herbal plots in greenhouses and fields, converting the harvest to tea leaves ready to steep. The final regenerative act is drinking the tea.

Sun studies helped us determine the placement of perennial fileds and greenhouses to gain vital exposure for particularherbs. Through this,

plantings could be placed strategically for best care.

TEAHOUSE

Madison County, IA

Sun Studies

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3.4.

1. cabins2. violet pavilion3. food prep

4. perennial field5. greenhouse6. compost

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violet pavilion