Visiting Assistant Professor & Teaching Fellow, Northeastern
Student work by Liz Sherrier, Allison Marschilok, Jessica Wilcock, Amanda Mazie, Nick Trapani, and Chris Slater
Through the analysis of architectural precedents posed by the first semester project, where students analyzed an existing building, systems were abstracted to generate a generic and expandable unit of construction. This unit contained structural, mechanical, electrical, and enclosure components and was evaluated by the symbiotic integration of passive and active systems to offer energy-efficient and flexible services.
The students were then asked to engage an existing urban site with collection of historically insignificant buildings, using their abstract construction unit to populate, connect, and transform the existing fabric. Detailed mixed-use program requirements were introduced and design proposals were evaluated on their integration of systems, existing site conditions, and potential for flexible future-use. In addition to detailed digital models, which allowed for the exploration of layered construction components, the students were required to construct large-scale physical models to demonstrate spatial and tectonic systems. Emphasis was placed on the detailed expression of integrated building parts through orthographic drawing, exploded system diagrams, and perspective rendering.
Successful designs responded to urban site, existing structure, climatic, and economic contexts; to spatial and programmatic needs; to technical demands of structure, enclosure, energy, ventilation, lighting, construction, and assembly; and to future transformation and programmatic adaptability.
The syllabus can be found here: Rockcastle_Spring 2012_Comprehensive Design
