BAC - Distance Master of Architecture

Note to Portfolio Reviewers

2007-11-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

When viewing the Portfolio blog entries, please expand the "September" entries under the "Blog Archive" list located on the right side of the blog screen. For some reason, all of the Portfolio entries are not always appearing when you click "Older Posts". Thank you.

Practice: Mount Vernon Nazarene University

2007-11-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Practice: St. Charles Athletic Fields & Entrance Plaza

2007-11-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Concept Statement

2007-09-30T23:31:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Research and Exploration

2007-09-30T23:30:00.002-07:00

Portfolio: Site and Roof Plan

2007-09-30T23:30:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Program

2007-09-30T23:29:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Plan

2007-09-30T23:28:00.004-07:00

Portfolio: Section

2007-09-30T23:28:00.003-07:00

Portfolio: Elevations

2007-09-30T23:28:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Model and Perspectives

2007-09-30T23:27:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Structure

2007-09-30T23:26:00.001-07:00

Portfolio: Code Analysis

2007-09-30T23:25:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Building Services

2007-09-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

Portfolio: Detailing

2007-09-30T23:23:00.000-07:00

Test 3

2007-09-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

Test 2

2007-09-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Test

2007-09-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

Progress rendering test

2007-09-28T14:09:00.001-07:00

Model Progess

2007-09-27T19:51:00.001-07:00

Model Progress

2007-09-27T19:50:00.001-07:00

Progress Environmental Section

2007-09-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

Progress East Elevation

2007-09-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

Revised Progress North Elevation

2007-09-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

Revised Progress Site & Roof Plan

2007-09-23T09:19:00.001-07:00

Progress Site & Roof Plan

2007-09-21T16:35:00.001-07:00

Progress Building Section

2007-09-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Progress Dormitory HVAC Plan

2007-09-19T15:33:00.001-07:00

Mechanical System & Green Design Initiative Narrative

2007-09-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

The MEP system strategy for the building consists of combined passive and mechanical systems. The integration of passive green initiatives will help reduce the size and reliance on mechanical systems, reduce energy consumption, and provide for a better living environment for the building occupants. The specified systems are high efficiency systems with the intent to further conserve energy and minimize the environmental impact on our ecology.

Thermally massive construction utilizing concrete flat plate floor construction and concrete walls will allow for radiant heat exchange between the occupants providing a dampening affect as temperatures fluctuate both in the summer cooling months and during the winter heating months. Natural ventilation utilizing cross ventilation via operable windows and nighttime ventilation using the thermal stack effect will provide for cooling of the thermal mass. Building orientation along an east-west axis will facilitate the use of the thermal mass. The location of the plaza and the saw-tooth façade will act as a “scoop” to capture the prevailing winds and aid in the natural ventilation strategies employed.

The thermal loads on the building will be kept to a minimum using rain screen technology that will allow for continuous and uninterrupted insulation. The use of low-e, double thermal window glazing and shading devices on the south facing windows will allow for shading of the unwanted summer sunlight while allowing the winter sunlight to radiate the thermally massive slabs. East and west facing glazing will be triple-glazed with ventilated cavities to redirect the solar gain to the exterior during summer months and will provide shading via perforated blinds. A green planted roof shall also contribute to reducing the heat loads on the building and will reduce the heat island affect.

The lighting strategy for the building will be a combination of daylighting and electrical lighting. Daylighting is achieved through the use of toplighting and sidelighting. Toplighting is provided through skylights with diffuse glazing and the use of shading louvers to prohibit direct solar radiation from increasing cooling loads and to control glare. Sidelighting will be achieved with a lower view-and-daylight window in combination with a light shelf and high daylight-window. High ceiling heights and lightly colored interiors will assist with reflectance and distribution of the daylight admitted into the building. Electric lighting shall be achieved with fixtures of higher luminaire efficiency such as compact fluorescent fixtures with high efficiency ballasts. These shall be zoned with multiple switches to allow for flexible area lighting as daylighting values vary throughout the day.

The HVAC system shall consist of valance convectors to provide radiant heating and cooling in order to supplement the passive systems when they are insufficient to accommodate the desired comfort zones. The system shall be a four pipe hydronic system with hot water piping provided by two heat pumps. Chilled water shall be provided by a vertical closed loop piping system placed in a deep well and connected to a heat pump. The hydronic system allows for the indoor air quality and moisture control to be provided by a much smaller fresh air unit. The outside air shall be provided by roof-top units equipped with heat wheels to provide pre-heat or cool-down depending on the season. The heating and cooling coils will utilize the same hydronic system employed by the valence convectors. The heat pumps will run on boidiesel fuel stored in below ground fuel tanks. The boidiesel fuel provides a renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic fuel source which produces 60-75% less carbon dioxide than traditional fuel oil. Potable hot water will be acquired by a heat pump connected to the public water supply.

Roof storm water will be collected and stored in a storage tank located at the parking deck. It will be filtered and pumped for re-use in irrigating the rain garden planters located in the plaza and parking areas. Pervious pavement will be utilized for the access drive to allow for filtration of storm water back into the soil. Native landscaping will be provided to beautify the property, provide buffering to the street noises and help reduce the heat island affect. A gabion retaining system will be employed along the railway to assist with grading.

Progress North Elevation

2007-09-18T05:32:00.001-07:00

Revised 2nd & 3rd Floor Plan

2007-09-17T16:46:00.001-07:00

Revised First Floor Plan

2007-09-17T16:44:00.001-07:00

Progress Foundation-First Floor Framing Plan

2007-09-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

The parking garage shall consist of 12" thick reinforced concrete foundation walls bearing on a 24" thick two-way flat plate. Interior columns shall be 18" diameter reinforced concrete columns. First floor framing shall consist of reinforced concrete beams up to a depth of 30" at the transfer beam locations. The first floor slab shall be a 12" thick two-way flat plate.

Lateral loads shall be resisted by a combination of rigid connections and reinforced concrete bearing walls that shall extend from parking deck slab to roof deck.

Progress Details

2007-09-11T14:31:00.001-07:00

Progress Details

2007-09-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

South Elevation progress

2007-09-10T08:10:00.000-07:00

Ground Floor Plan development

2007-09-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Dorm plan development

2007-09-06T12:58:00.001-07:00

Progress Dorm Plan

2007-09-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

Shell Design Progress

2007-08-31T10:35:00.000-07:00

I am getting there with Revit. I'll have alot of progress over the weekend.

Week Four - Intensive

2007-08-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

While I was away

2007-08-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Look what my family did for me, a new home office :)

Week Three - Vision Goals

2007-08-20T08:22:00.001-07:00

Week Three - Vision Goals

2007-08-20T07:14:00.001-07:00

AT Week 2 - Environmental Program

2007-08-16T16:00:00.000-07:00

My three high priority goals:

1. Design a building that has zero carbon footprint. I think this is a paramount goal. Carbon emissions are essentially poisons to the atmosphere. The global economic and political policies that are affected by the production of many of the fossil fuels can be just as "poisonous" and even more deadly.

2. Design a building that has the least amount of dependency on the electric grid as possible. Our electrical grid is beyond it's lifespan and in need of critical overhaul. The New York blackout a few years ago is a prime example. If we can begin designing for self-sufficiency in power generation we can minimize the economic implication of such a task and perhaps extend the lifespans and be better able to manage the task.

3. Maximize passive energy systems. We need to learn to have a symbiotic relationship with the environment as our forbears were forced to do before the great industrial revolution. (We can thank Galileo for that - right Herb?) We need to take advantage of what nature provides. People need to be able to see beyond their micro-habitat and realize they live in a macro-habitat that needs as much care, if not more, than their own home.

My three low priority goals:

1. Re-use minimum 50% recycled construction components. Tremendous energy can be saved by utilising components that have already been through the energy consumming process of raw material collection, transport, and component fabrication.

2. Utilize new construction components that are produced locally, (within 50-100 miles if possible), by ecologically sensitive methods and resources. This will help minimize the negative impact that the process of construction will have on the local environment.

3. Design for multiple functions by multiple users - expand the program. We need to design to get maximume efficiancy out of our structures as we do for the systems that make them livable. Why should a school sit empty after 4:00 and three months out of the year.

AT Week 2 - Eco-quiz

2007-08-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

I am surprised by the results of the quiz in three ways; first, that I am so far above the US national average. I consider myself a fairly typical mid-westerner and to be over six times the national ecological average footprint is startling. Second, it terrible to think that the US population uses 67% of the planets ecological footprint. Third, It is very troubling to learn that I am overusing the environment to the extent of 4.5 planets.

My family and I have become more ecologically considerate over the last year. We have begun recycling from the home, carpooling my son to school and sporting events with three other families, even biking on nice days when we run small errands like going to the library or picking up small things from the store.

I would like to use public transportation, but there is a significant lack of convenient public transportation from my area of the burbs. I have been working on a local AIA design competition to improve public transportation in Columbus that has really reinforced that fact. I would definitely support legislation and become an advocate for the improvement of public transit in my area.

I have two children who are nearing the driving age. I am concerned with the idea of having a car for each person in the household, but with every one's busy and conflicting schedules I could see it happening. I would rather be able to get by with one car for long trips and rely on public transit. I just read in the newspaper that you can rent a car on OSU's campus to use on an as-needed basis. Maybe with such rising energy costs we will see more trends in that direction.

I haven't made the switch to compact florescent light fixtures yet and probably should. I could perform an energy audit on the appliances in my home and see if there are any that could be replaced with more efficient alternatives.

We definetly have more house than we need. There are four rooms in our house that we only use to "store" furniture. It might be a tough sell to the family though to move into a smaller place.

Week Two - Program

2007-08-15T20:00:00.001-07:00

Week Two - Program Progress-Updated

2007-08-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 1 of 7

2007-08-13T19:25:00.001-07:00

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 2 of 7

2007-08-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 3 of 7

2007-08-13T19:23:00.002-07:00

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 4 of 7

2007-08-13T19:23:00.001-07:00

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 5 of 7

2007-08-13T19:22:00.001-07:00

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 6 of 7

2007-08-13T19:21:00.001-07:00

Climate Analysis for Boston, MA - page 7 of 7

2007-08-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

Week One- Design Narrative

2007-08-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

My intent for the design of the structure was to create a series of experiences as the observer moves through space culminating with the intimate Object Trouve gallery. I placed the entry element adjacent to the Object Trouve gallery with a first glimpse of the final destination. The entry element is a funnel directing the observer inward and on axis with the apex of the main gallery. The funnel is terminated with a column centrally located at its apex. The column provides a focal point at the end of the funnel. Once at the column, the observer is now within the main gallery. This gallery is divided into two spaces by use of a collonade; the larger 1a gallery and the smaller 1b gallery. The observer is given another glimpse into the Object Trouve gallery from the 1a space. The observer may now proceed toward the Object Trouve via the shared space at the end of the 1b gallery. Complete access to the Object Trouve is now available to the observer.

Week One - Final Plan View

2007-08-12T15:52:00.001-07:00

Week One - Final Perspective View

2007-08-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Week One - Revised Perspective View

2007-08-12T10:19:00.001-07:00

Week One - Revised Plan View

2007-08-11T17:13:00.001-07:00

Week One - Plan View

2007-08-08T18:30:00.001-07:00

Week One - Perpective View

2007-08-08T18:27:00.001-07:00

Week 1 - Progress Sketch - Plan View

2007-08-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

Ready...Set...

2007-08-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

GO :)