erin jennings 615.428.4779 erin.jennings73@gmail.com

02 contents

ARC

HIT

ECTU

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Pavilion XII

UC Redesign

Casa de Sara

Public Boathouse

Home Perceptions

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ABRO

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VISU

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Urban Identity

Exhibition Photo

Travel Graphic Design

Drawings

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architecture

“Quality in architecture...is to me whena building manages to move me. What on earth is it that moves me?...How do people design things with such a beau-tiful, natural presence, things that move me every single time?”

Peter Zumthor

07PAVILION XIIlocation: Charlottesville, VA

scale: 5000 sq ft

studio: Higer Education | 2nd year | Spring

professor: Brian Ambroziak

The observations of Jefferson’s lawn, during the day and at night, provided a distinct vision of how to poetically add another pavilion to such sacred ground. The casting of the pavilions’ shadows and the depth of threshold between the pavilions offered a foundation to how my design could up-hold the traditions of the lawn while also allowing for reinter-pretation of these elements.

Through the ideas of promenade and shifting masses, I cre-ated a library that respectfully removes itself off the rigid geometry of the lawn, but engages through the path that moves through the building. Using materiality and light to construct visual thresholds, the library becomes connected to the existing elements of the pavilions. Making Pavilion XII represent modern principles and ideas of knowledge, I cre-ated an organic form to contrast the conservative nature of the other pavilions. In order to be sure that the organic form contributes to the patina of the lawn, I covered it with copper paneling to show the passing throughout time.

By using the contextual traditions of the lawn, but allowing for modern reinterpretation, the Pavilion XII achieves to touch the lawn without overpowering the existing structure.

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Longitudinal section facing south

East Elevation

The plan to the right shows the unique shape of the library and how the ramp from the lawn sepa-rates the two shapes while also creating a connection to the lower area of the site.

The perspective on the opposite page shows the building from the low portion of the site. The materi-als of both pieces are expressed as well as the shape of each.

The elevation below shows the building from the Lawn’s view point. It shows the materiality of the two pieces and the bridge connecting them. With the piece closest to the other pavilions on the lawn, I decided to use brick to continue the traditional vernacu-lar of the site. I decided to make the library completely different from the other pavilions to high-light its use.

The section on the opposite page cuts through the ramp in order to show how a person would transi-tion through project. It also shows how the bridge piece connects to the library and the threshold it creates between the building and lawn.

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Longitudinal section facing south

East Elevation

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An exploded axon demonstrating the unique shape of the design and the layers of material being used.

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13UC REDESIGN

With this project I became interested in how a building could start to revolve around how people move, and wanted to in-vestigate how path informed program. Observing the paths of students and visitors at the University of Tennessee cam-pus, I took note of how the university center became a con-nection between the heart of the campus and the outside stu-dent housing area. I took this established route and decided to organize the program accordingly. Dividing the program into zones, each piece began to correlate with a specific user and became attached to its own specific route.

These paths, coming from the regulating lines of existing paths, began to carve away the zones to create circulation space. This space becomes highlighted by the use of glass, creating a feeling of a void in a large mass. What these paths do not touch then becomes program. Looking at how the stu-dent moves across campus and looking at the three major areas in which they go from the current university center, I decided that I should focus on how the current paths could create the organization of the building.

Using regulating lines from present path lines and looking deeper by using lines from crosswalks I created a place where path becomes sacred. Path is the thing that is con-stantly present on this campus from the pedestrian walkway, to the bridges, to the steps to the hill. It becomes a thing that is essential to how our campus functions, which is why I cre-ated a center for our university on the basis of path; all parts of the campus coming together to one central place.

location: Knoxville, TN

scale: 350.000 sq ft

studio: Higer Education | 3rd year | Fall

professor: Ted Shelton

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The elevation below shows the street view from Phillip Fulmer Way. The facade design devel-oped from horizontal slats chang-ing in thickness according to the program. The main corridor space has a large clerestory to fill the interior gathering spaces with natural light.

The plan on the left shows how the form of the building became developed through the existing pathways on campus. Allowing for the paths to continue through the design helps to establish it as a successful hub of interaction on campus.

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The elevation below, from the viewpoint of Cumberland Street, shows the space intended to be the front yard for the UC. I want-ed to create different areas that would provide dynamic places for gathering. For example, the am-phitheater connects to the upper floor while also providing seat-ing. The facade design shows the distinction between the three different program pieces as well, separated by a glazed wall signi-fying entry.

The perspective to the right shows the interior space of the UC, specifically the main cir-culation space. Thinking of this project as the “living room” of campus, I wanted to create as much space for interaction and gathering as possible. I also wanted to keep the visibility be-tween floors clear, so I made sure to create cut outs in the floor to continue that connection, while also defining pathways.

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19CASA DE SARA

Place is what everyone inherently searches for. Starting this project, I searched for the essence of school. What I found were two main themes of school being education and ex-perience. Making an effort to provide the two themes with a strong focus on place, I looked at how the scale of the stu-dent can affect the effect of place. Studying this, I wanted to create different levels of place where a child could interact, ranging from the community to a more self-related space.

While designing this project, I kept in mind that the children attending this school had no real idea of what a place is. For most of the children, place has always been a questionable thing. Casa de Sara’s goal to build a school for their program shows their initiative to provide these children with an essen-tial part of their life that they are missing.

In order to create a school environment that emphasizes the importance on place, I began to focus on how the build-ings should be situated on the site. Looking at the angles of the site, I started to create regulating lines that connect with one another to create the angles and placements for the buildings. After meticulously positioning the buildings to craft a space that became more like a nest for the students, I then began to look at how I could further the concept of place within school by designing the classrooms. Essential-ly, I wanted to create a solid mass and have the classroom emerging from it. The materiality of the classrooms was ex-tremely important to how I could convey the feeling of a nest. The thick walls are made of rammed earth creating the feel-ing of warmth, while the screen is made of wood to create a light, permeable feeling. The design of this school helps the children feel permanence, which will help establish a sense of place and belonging to the children, thus creating a com-fortable environment for them to learn.

location: Santa Cruz, Bolivia

scale: 400.000 sq ft site plan | 1000 sq ft classrooms

studio: International Education Design | 3rd year | Spring

professor: Robert French

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Casa de Sara School | La Guardia, Bolivia

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

-Maya Angelou

When starting this project to design an elementary school in Bolivia, I began to look back on the experiences I had as a young student and how that affected the way I grew up. Looking for the true essence of school, I found that it could be simplified to two main themes of education and experience. After research and putting my own personal experiences into mind, I wanted to convey the idea that school is not only for learning, but it is also a wonderful way to create a sense of place for these children, who usually have no great sense constant place, or ownership of a space. By giving place for these children, I believe that it would create a better envi-ronment for them to learn in because of the cycles and rhythms that would develop after going every day. By attaching school and learning to a place they consider to be stable, safe and fun, the children’s desire to keep learning would withstand, even after graduating.

1. Parking for Store2. Bus Drop-off and Parking3. Store 4. Gaurd Gate5. Cafeteria and Kitchen6. Open Arena7. Multipurpose Room8. Indoor Gymnasium9. Music/Dance Room10. Art Room11. Indoor Parking for Visitors and Staff12. Loading Zone for Cafeteria Kitchen13. Administration Offices14. Pre-K and Kindergarten Classes and Montessori15. First through Third Classes and Montessori16. Fourth through Sixth Classes and Montessori17. Inner Courtyard and Playground18. Field/Playground19. Farm Area for Livestock20. Farm Area for Vegetation21. Loading Zone for Farm22. Parking for Housingv23. Housing Area24. Housing Vegetable Garden

Site Plan Key to Location of Buildings and Spaces

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Casa de Sara School | La Guardia, Bolivia

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

-Maya Angelou

When starting this project to design an elementary school in Bolivia, I began to look back on the experiences I had as a young student and how that affected the way I grew up. Looking for the true essence of school, I found that it could be simplified to two main themes of education and experience. After research and putting my own personal experiences into mind, I wanted to convey the idea that school is not only for learning, but it is also a wonderful way to create a sense of place for these children, who usually have no great sense constant place, or ownership of a space. By giving place for these children, I believe that it would create a better envi-ronment for them to learn in because of the cycles and rhythms that would develop after going every day. By attaching school and learning to a place they consider to be stable, safe and fun, the children’s desire to keep learning would withstand, even after graduating.

1. Parking for Store2. Bus Drop-off and Parking3. Store 4. Gaurd Gate5. Cafeteria and Kitchen6. Open Arena7. Multipurpose Room8. Indoor Gymnasium9. Music/Dance Room10. Art Room11. Indoor Parking for Visitors and Staff12. Loading Zone for Cafeteria Kitchen13. Administration Offices14. Pre-K and Kindergarten Classes and Montessori15. First through Third Classes and Montessori16. Fourth through Sixth Classes and Montessori17. Inner Courtyard and Playground18. Field/Playground19. Farm Area for Livestock20. Farm Area for Vegetation21. Loading Zone for Farm22. Parking for Housingv23. Housing Area24. Housing Vegetable Garden

Site Plan Key to Location of Buildings and Spaces

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The perspective diagram on the oppo-site page shows the interior space of the Montessori rooms. The large open space provides enough room for the class to gather in a circle while also providing groups to break off in certain areas. The thick rammed-earth walls contain niches where the children have the ability to sit and play either in groups or individually.

The detailed section to the right shows the material usage, such as rammed earth and wood, and simple construc-tion methods being applied to the Montessori rooms. One material that I chose to use was rammed earth be-cause of its endothermic ability. The section mainly focuses on the designed louver system, explaining how the con-struction would provide quick access to ventilation, which is very essential during the warm months of Bolivia.

The elevation below shows where the materials are being applied and how the classroom begins to extend out of the rammed-earth casing.

23PUBLIC BOATHOUSE

Designing a Community boathouse for the Nashville Rowing Association, the inspiration came from the love of movement and fluidity. Rowing is a sport that conquers the art of speed and the beauty of motion. It is also a means to bring people together for the love of sport. While this project deals with ar-chitectural systems it is also a project where creating a place where the community can gather is key.

The site for this project is in an area that will soon be de-veloped, so when designing we had to think about how the future urban elements might affect the activity. Studying the existing river promenade it is clear that the site for the boat-house is situated perfectly for it to become a catalyst for the development of Nashville community.

location: Nashville, TN

scale: 20.000 sq ft

studio: Higer Education | 4th year | Fall

professor: William Martella

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On the opposite page, to the right, is the detailed elevation for this project, show-ing more specifically the details of the movable panels.

The detailed section to the right shows how the panel system for the boat stor-age is working. Creating a system that could be opened when needed was es-sential for this project because of the ne-cessity for ventilating the boats. It also shows the specific detail for how my structure is working in this design.

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The plan above shows the site plannings of the pedestrian level. In order to have the building become interactive to the public, I designed for the promenade to continue through the building.

27HOME PERCEPTIONS

An individual’s ritual expresses their personal identity. Mem-ories of everyday actions are instilled in a person and be-come seen through their own environments. By creating a continuum of memory through ritual, it can give a sense of place to an individual. With this project, I became interested in exploring how rituals centered on home could begin to em-body a person’s memory.

Rituals are sacred actions, which are important to an indi-vidual because of the emotional attachment we create with the associated memory. Throughout time, personal rituals become familiar and permanent, where memory and identity dwell in these senses becoming an innate part of our being, which start to make home the symbol of ourselves. The con-tinuation of repetitive actions creates stability in the changing environments

For most people, actions that become celebrated everyday are those of when preparation, anticipation, transition, and progression are taken into effect, defining a pause between the mundane and the experiential. There are moments of the day when a particular activity begins to stand out as special and unique. For instance, activities such as washing, cook-ing, and eating become significant in the way that they are positioned and detailed within a home, becoming celebrated by the connection of the individual and the act. Celebrating these moments heightens the connection between the indi-vidual and place.

With this project I focused on how taking everyday rituals could help the aging adult move to a new unknown place. Establishing areas in the home where moments can be cel-ebrated helps them become familiar to the new place.

location: Dayton, TN

scale: 20.000 sq ft site planning | 600 sq ft homes

studio: Programming | 5th year | Fall

professor: Katherine Ambroziak

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1/8” plans of the main level of the proposed We Care complex.

The sections above show the way the communal space is in relation with the living spaces. Providing the seniors with dynamic areas in which they can gather allows for interaction to grow.

The plan to the left shows the housing units and community building in more detail. This level of the community floor is for the everyday, spontaneous activities, while the lower floor is for more eventful, special events.

The site plan on the opposite page shows the careful consideration of the placement of each piece. While the dou-ble story creates a comforting barrier to the steep slope, the objects start to di-vide the large hilltop to a more accom-modating scale.

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35THE STOREHOUSElocation: Clay County, KY

scale: 10000 sq ft

studio: Diploman Studio | 5th year | Spring

professor: Katherine Ambroziak

Hollows, are traditionally structured through generations of family. Throughout the years, the infrastructure has provided both limitations and advantages to these rural neighbor-hoods. While quicker access to cities has permitted for more immediate access for these individuals, it has also allowed for outliers to settle among these secluded areas making the once community oriented neighborhoods unfamiliar. Also major issues with flooding result in the hollows becoming cut off from outside emergency relief due to water rising above bridge access points, often washing away the road, making the hollow inaccessible for many days.

In order to provide emergency relief to these hollows when help cannot be accessed, I designed a storehouse that would accommodate any supplies that would suffice dur-ing these situations. To make this storehouse function in non emergency conditions, I wanted to have the storehouse avail-able for community functions in order to reestablish familiarity and trust of one’s neighbor back within the hollow. Research-ing activities based on both traditional and contemporary Appalachian culture helped to provide program that would create communal interaction at every age scale, thus acti-vating the storehouse. While there were many programmatic elements that would help to foster familiarity in the hollows, I decided to focus on a basketball court, stage and seating, garden space, and a daycare in order for the storehouse to thrive in the community. The program becomes supported by the storehouse but also begins to support the community by becoming the catalyst for hollow interaction. By providing emergency access to the scale of the hollow, it allows for the community to be involved with their own relief efforts, making the hollows self-sustaining.

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The diagrams above show the evolu-tion and structure of the common hol-low. Through time, the hollow becomes divided with the extension of family. Land gets passed down through the generations, each son receiving a plot of land from his father, making the hol-low a close-knit community. In the mod-ern age, however, the hollows traditional structure has begun to change with the introduction of outsiders coming in to settle. This disruption in the hollow has created a rift of distrust, isolating the outlier, creating a need for community stimulation in addition to the emergency relief need.

The site plan on the opposite page shows the Storehouse set in “Rocky Hollow” of Clay County, Kentucky. This site was chosen due to it having the specific issues that were needed for my exploration of emergency relief. Situated between the “mouth” of the hollow and the “head”, the Storehouse begins to create a connection between the two planes. With this overlap, my intention was to bring the upper and lower hollow together in a hub of community interac-tion. Providing specific program that would help to sustain the hollow during times of crisis and to foster a constant presence between each member of the hollow allowed for the ability to recon-nect with neighbors alleviating the prob-lem of suspicion between each other.

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SITE PLAN

1/32” = 1’

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SECTION C: cutting through the storehouse and seating space 1/8” = 1’

The plan of the lower level, on the op-posite page, illustrates the way the two pieces are integrating with each other. Creating a communal tie to the ele-ments of emergency relief allows for the Storehouse to flourish in the hollow. With community coming together to provide for the Storehouse it begins creating a hub of use for every type of person in the hollow. The materials begin to inform the use of space, while the topography helps ground the mass of the foundation piece helps to provide distinction be-tween the components.

The section above begins to show the dialog between the emergency relief and the community engagement efforts and the way they begin working together to support the hollow. Thinking about the vernacular aesthetic of the hollow, I chose to create a barn-like shelter that would have a presence within the hollow without being obtrusive. This main piece would house traditional activities that are most common in the Appalachian community. Contrasting the light wood-en structure, the program that grounds the project takes on a mass, emerging from the earth to represent safety and foundation, only to be carved away by the essential support for the Storehouse. The two elements begin to help support each other, becoming essential for both the emergency and community efforts.

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SECTION A: cutting through the storehouse cellar and daycare space 1/8” = 1’

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SECTION A: cutting through the storehouse cellar and daycare space 1/8” = 1’

This section cutting through the mass piece, which essentially grounds the project in a conceptual sense and a physical one, shows how I began to carve out space for the supportive pro-gram. Using the poche of the walls, I began to make them interactive to the program that they were containing. For example, with the daycare program, the walls started to shape into benches and bookshelves to provide places for the children to play. In the kitchen the walls were cut away to provide counter space to prep the vegetables for storage, while also providing a window looking out into the garden. By integrating the mass into habitable space, it begins to create a liv-ing storehouse and shelter.

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SECTION B: cutting through the stage and seating space 1/8” = 1’

The section above shows the way the Storehouse connects both levels of the hollow. Providing program that activates all levels of the design, the Storehouse becomes a hub of interaction, con-structing a new typology in the hollow. Through the use of mass and materi-als, the Storehouse begins to reflect the idea of bringing individuals together to help support the community in need. Providing this concept in the hollows would create a sustainable environment and help to alleviate the need of an out-side emergency assistance.

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SECTION B: cutting through the stage and seating space 1/8” = 1’

study abroad

“We are torn between nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. As often not, we are home-sick most for the places we have never known.”

Carson McCullers

47URBAN IDENTITY

My idea for this project was to bring the aspects of an individ-ual’s identity into an architectural system to create an apart-ment complex that would promote the sense of belonging. Being inspired by certain aspects of Krakow’s main square, Rynek Główny, such as the condensed blocks opening up into a large plaza, the expression of color, and the organic nature of the center’s organization, I began to design the site with these same qualities.

For the public, commercial level, I took lines from context to create a natural flow from the street to the center of the site, where the plaza space would be occurring. Overlay-ing a grid on top of the context lines, I created four different blocks all composed of a network of smaller buildings with a small courtyard within each. These blocks create a natural progression into the center of the site while also defining the plaza space.

To offset the organic organization of my lower level I decided to make the apartment buildings into bars stretching across the angular forms. By countering the ground level and creat-ing an orthogonal system, it started to organize the irregular-ity of what was below. The bars also started to generate lay-ers of dynamic spaces and scales of privacy throughout the site. Another important detail to these apartment bars is the design of the façade system. It was essential that the bars should stand out in some way to create a sense of ownership for the individual living there. Creating a façade system that is a maneuverable, color-coded system would provide a sense of ease to identify the apartment complex that belonged to you. Creating a system that incorporates the identity of an individual within a community provides a stronger sense of belonging and ownership to the inhabitants, fostering an en-vironment that feels safe and comfortable.

location: Krakow, Poland

scale: 500.000 sq ft site planning | 1000 sq ft apartments

studio: Urban Planning | 4th year | Spring

professor: Krzystof Bojanowski

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The axon to the right shows the relation-ship of the pieces together. The voids underneath the blocks provide sheltered space, while still allowing a close con-nection to the community spaces.

The plans above illustrate many different scales of the design. The first is the logo for the apartment, essentially the parti of my project, which shows light grey lines representing the activity on the commer-cial floor and the colored blocks, which is meant for purposes of distinction be-tween pieces. The second plan is the site plan detailing the apartment blocks, the lawn space on top of the commercial zone, and the inner courtyard spaces within those areas. The third plan shows the interior space of the commercial pieces and the urban organization with the city block.

The perspective on the opposite page demonstrates the dynamic spaces of the sheltered, elevated, and open lawn spaces.

The section above, on the opposite page, shows the relationship between each apartment block and the different important areas within.

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51EXHIBITION PHOTO

Our class was asked to present a photograph that we had taken on our Central Europe Tour for an exhibition that they would be having at the school. After going through many of my photographs taken on the tour through Austria and Italy, I decided to choose one that expressed more of my overall sense of the trip rather than a historical site.

location: Krakow, Poland | Polytechnika

photo taken: February 2012 | Cinque Terre

53TRAVEL

Traveling abroad really helped me to observe architecture all over the world. Getting to see famous works that I had only seen in photographs was truly life changing. Exploring the different cultures was also very informative as to how other people live and I was happy to learn that I was able to adapt quickly to the varying cultures.

I’m very thankful for getting to live in Poland for my study abroad venture. Poland, especially Krakow, was diverse in architecture, with many outside influences fusing together to create a very unique view on architecture. Not only was Kra-kow filled with architecture but also with history.

The thing I loved most about living in another country was becoming familiar with the culture. Through language, food, and bus transit, I became to feel like Krakow was a home I never wanted to leave.

I’m so lucky to have traveled to eleven other countries in Eu-rope besides Poland. They were all very unique in their own way and allowed me to fully explore Europe, ranging from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the UK.

Through these travels, I was able to experience many beau-tiful works of architecture, both modern and historic, deli-cious native food, and the difficulty of speaking the native language.

location: Europe

time abroad: 4 months | 2 weeks

countries visited: 12

54 AUSTRIAVienna | Graz

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56 CZECH REPUBLICPrague

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58 ENGLANDLondon

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60 FRANCEParis | Poissy | NiceMonte Carlo

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62 GERMANYBerlin

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64 ITALYVicenza | Siena | LuccaRome | Cinque TerreFlorence | Pisa | Pienza Verona | VenicePalmanova

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66 POLANDKrakow | KazimierzLake Sniardwy | WarsawWroclaw | Tykocin Torun | Gdansk | Poznan Gniezno | ZamoscKrasiczyn | Malbork

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68 SCOTLANDEdinburgh

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70 SPAINBarcelona

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visual arts

“I found I could say things with colorand shapes that I couldn’t say any other way, things I had no words for.”

Georgia O’Keefe

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75GRAPHIC DESIGN

My skill in graphic design has developed over the years, but I have grown to understand the practice more because of the Presentation Design professional elective. I now appreciate innovation of how space gets defined on paper through im-agery, text, and color as well as the development of relation-ships across a spread.

During the class we practiced many exercises to fully under-stand the potential of typography, leading, and point size to give an accurate depiction. Our first assignment was “Point, Line, Plane” which consisted of pairing a picture that defined a sentence describing the assigned graphic marking.

My project, featured on the opposite page, shows the rela-tionship I created from picture to sentence. I decided to in-verse the direction of the point and contrast the light with text. I also played with how the type could start to define the words themselves in order to create a playful way in which the eye goes across the page.

This project, as well as my logo and resume design, was fea-tured in a case by the professor, which I believe can be an example of my skill in graphic design.

77DRAWINGS

Through my years studying in school, I have found that I truly love working a design with my hands. I believe showing my talent of hand drafting and renderings give me an advantage over just using computer programs to represent my designs. While I appreciate the advances that technology has given architecture with programs like Revit and AutoCad, I still think it is important to appreciate the beauty of hand drawings. It is also easier and quicker for me to visualize a design in this way, and I believe my designs develop better this way.

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After composing the spine, we were tasked to create an architectural piece that could read as a section or plan. I de-cided to create a rigid perimeter frame and have the movement that the spine drawing emulates, which is seen on the opposite page.

The image on the right was a second year drawing assignment of a spine ab-stracted with a graphite pencil on vellum. I decided to draw a spine with scoliosis in order to achieve movement and a dy-namic composition on the page.

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Villa Mairea by Alvar Aalto hand drawn and rendering with graphite pencil on Rives BFK paper.

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