Studio VII: Professors Ivi Diamantopoulou and Rami Abou-Khalil

Our studio this semester revolved around researching into the LPC or the Landmarks Preservation Commission in New York City. Through studying existing (Cast Iron District) and proposed landmarks (Rockaway Beaches) we learned how to respect and integrate a clients purpose into the design. My partner and I aimed to not demolish the landmark that was located on one lot of our site, but instead create a rotated monolithic insertion that pivots and forms a new centerpoint in the building that borrows from the language of the facade in order to preserve the historical typology detailed in the facade of 315 Broadway. Our insertion was made out of channeled glass to emphasize the hidden and reveal system that creates a dialogue with our intentional peels. In our design we are suggesting a juxtaposition of the landmark’s articulation and this counterpart while allowing the user to see how new design can be inspired by preservation through studying the standing landmark within the LPC. 

Studio V: Professor Lori Brown

During this studio, our class was centered around learning about waste management and its’ influence on the surrounding community. Syracuse has various illegal dumping sites and vacancies. My groups proposal was to direct materials that can be recovered from those dumping sites and through ours while educating the public on effective waste practices. Our site was a steel factory located off of Onondaga Lake. We decided to keep two of the existing buildings and build off of them. One key feature is a central ramp that leads to elevated pathways where pedestrians can overlook the process of materials recovery. Going up the ramp, there are a few landings that extrude into the platforms, so that the users can leisurely follow the material flow through the building. Another assignment we had in this studio was to reflect on our own waste management practices. In one of the pages below I tracked the types of waste I produced over the semester and estimated how much could be recovered in a facility like we proposed.

Studio VI: Professor Luca Ponsi

Our Syracuse Florence Study Abroad program allowed us to study with Borgo Digitale, the Syracuse University School of Architecture Research Program. Our broad studio research focused on the themes of the Bonifica in the region of Maremma, Italy. Specifically, the tight relationship between the region's land-management practices and cultural spaces/inhabitation. Our individual studio focused on combining the cultural/social usage of thermal baths along with the land management of material extraction from the quarries. As a result, we worked in groups of 2 to create a thermal bath in a quarry located in Roselle, a previously populous town that declined due to the Bonifica. My group used the precedents of Turkish Thermal Baths to create a specific experience for the users while incorporating our surrounding context. Our main design revolved around the circulation through the thermal baths where the person hikes up the quarry and sweats out their toxins while following a specific sequence formulated by the Turkish that allowed for spiritual, physical and mental cleansing. These can be detailed in the diagrams below. We incorporated the specific material extracted from Roselle into our design by making it the primary material of the thermal baths as seen in renderings. One of our main focuses was on the model, as we wanted more experience in different materials. We used Peter Zumthor's precedent from a model he showcased at the Venice Biennale. Overall, this studio allows for an understanding in designing within a historically rich environment while incorporating modern day design.

Studio IV: Professor Amber Bartosh

In this unique project, our studio was focused on the alterations and design choice concerning the surrounding landscape. Our specific location was Round Mountain, Texas. A town 20 minutes outside of Austin that was mostly flat and very dry. I decided to build a cantilever into one of the steeper hills so that my design could not only incorporate the landscape by building into it, but also providing a landmark for people to come and enjoy the views from its profile to standing under the mass that hovers above.

Studio III: Professor Sekou Cooke

This project is meant to be a cultural art center in the southside of Syracuse. The South side of Syracuse is known for the high poverty rates and it’s relationships with highway I-81. We started with research of the surrounding area. My focus being the revenue that goes from Syracuse University as an institution into the surrounding city as well as mapping out the poverty and income levels of  Syracuse. For the cultural art center I wanted to have a literal sense of community with 5 masses coming together with a central courtyard or gathering space along with webbing frames that connect the masses similar to the distribution of additional revenue form Syracuse University into the city.