of Melissa Blair

2008-2011

melissablair7@gmail.com

The Architectural Portfolio

Commercial

Housing

Research Lab

Museum

[Interweaving freeway]

[urban infill]

[techtonic experimentation]

[perspective extrusion]

Degree Project[reviving healthcare]

[Interweaving freeway]

This commercial mega-structure weaves through existing freeway infrastructure, making use of neglected space. The roof forms geometry is based on data collected referencing the speed, volume, and directionality of the tra c. Analyzing unseen elds of these dynamic forces allow the structure to be a direct response to its siting.

Vectors represent height, speed and ditectionality of tra c.

NSCALE: 1/32 = 1-0

GROUND FLOOR

AA

NSCALE: 1/32 = 1-0

SECOND FLOOR

AA

NSCALE: 1/32 = 1-0

THIRD FLOOR

AA

NSCALE: 1/32 = 1-0Roof Plan Floor Plans

DUPLICATION OF PATTERN

TRANPARENT/OPEN

OPAQUETRANSLUCENT

APPLICATION OF ABSTRACTED PATTERNS TAKEN FROM SITE

THE GREYSCALE SHADES INFLUENCE OPACITY OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE MAKING THE MASS APPEAR MORE UNIFORM WITHIN ITS CONTEXT

FREEWAY CAMOFLAUGE

START

START

END

END

STILLS TAKEN FROM AT EVERY 2 SECONDS

PATTERNS EXTRACTED FROM STILLS

PATTERNS INFLUENCE ON ROOF

GALLERIA

BREN

TWO

OD

EAGER

N

DUPLICATION OF PATTERN

TRANPARENT/OPEN

OPAQUETRANSLUCENT

APPLICATION OF ABSTRACTED PATTERNS TAKEN FROM SITE

THE GREYSCALE SHADES INFLUENCE OPACITY OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE MAKING THE MASS APPEAR MORE UNIFORM WITHIN ITS CONTEXT

FREEWAY CAMOFLAUGE

START

START

END

END

STILLS TAKEN FROM AT EVERY 2 SECONDS

PATTERNS EXTRACTED FROM STILLS

PATTERNS INFLUENCE ON ROOF

GALLERIA

BREN

TWO

OD

EAGER

N

The roof forms geometry is based on data collected referencing the speed, volume, and directionality of the traffi c. By analyzing video taken while driving through the site, patterns were extracted and applied to the structure, acting as camou age, connecting the building to its context.

DUPLICATION OF PATTERN

TRANPARENT/OPEN

OPAQUETRANSLUCENT

APPLICATION OF ABSTRACTED PATTERNS TAKEN FROM SITE

THE GREYSCALE SHADES INFLUENCE OPACITY OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE MAKING THE MASS APPEAR MORE UNIFORM WITHIN ITS CONTEXT

FREEWAY CAMOFLAUGE

START

START

END

END

STILLS TAKEN FROM AT EVERY 2 SECONDS

PATTERNS EXTRACTED FROM STILLS

PATTERNS INFLUENCE ON ROOF

GALLERIA

BREN

TWO

OD

EAGER

N

DUPLICATION OF PATTERN

TRANPARENT/OPEN

OPAQUETRANSLUCENT

APPLICATION OF ABSTRACTED PATTERNS TAKEN FROM SITE

THE GREYSCALE SHADES INFLUENCE OPACITY OF THE ROOF STRUCTURE MAKING THE MASS APPEAR MORE UNIFORM WITHIN ITS CONTEXT

FREEWAY CAMOFLAUGE

START

START

END

END

STILLS TAKEN FROM AT EVERY 2 SECONDS

PATTERNS EXTRACTED FROM STILLS

PATTERNS INFLUENCE ON ROOF

GALLERIA

BREN

TWO

OD

EAGER

N

[urban infill]

This is the final semester of the core studio sequence. The studio focuses on multi-family housing in the city of St. Louis. Each student was asked to consider environmental conditions such as natural lighting and ventilation. The program requirements allotted one unit per 1,000 square feet of property, in order to create a dense urban housing project. The average site square footage was around 30,000 sf; meaning 30 units had to fit within the property lines. Other requirements were to go no higher than 45 feet and no more than three stories.

W A S H I N G T O N

A L LE Y

W

H

I

T

T

I

E

R

W A S H I N G T O N

A L LE Y

Site Plan

UP

UP

UP

ESTCODE

ESTCODE

ESTCODE

ESTCODE

AA

B

B C

CA

W A S H I N G T O N

A L LE Y

W

H

I

T

T

I

E

R

B

B C

CA

The fi nal design proposal created emphasizes a shared courtyard. There are two distinct living conditions on the site. The front buildings house balconies that slide in the front of the building and the towards the courtyard, allowing interior light and cross ventilation.

Floor Plans

The set of front buildings act as a gateway to the private court behind. The second set of buildings are designed as garden units, acting as shifting volumes, with the repetition of the current context on the street. The layering of spaces creates di erent degrees of public and private, exterior and interior. Each unit had at least one outdoor patio, many of which overlook others emphasizing neighborhood.

11

8881111

11

8881111

ESTCODE ESTCODE

SCALE 1/2 = 1-0

SCALE 1/32 = 1-0N

A

B

C

Elevations

11

8881111

11

8881111

11

8881111

1 bedroom 2 bedroom 3 bedroom

Typical Units

11

8881111

11

8881111

[techtonic expression]

This studio was the second in the series of core studios. The program introduced was a research laboratory for Washington Universitys International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability, I-Cares. Specific programmatic needs include labs with corresponding offices as well as living units and support spaces. The allocated site was located on a plain adjacent to a forest near St. Louis Missouri. The climatic shift of seasons is addressed by building siting and porosity of materials

520520360

SUMMER WINDS

N

N

N S

S

SUMMER SUN

WINTER SUN

WINTER WINDS

Material Assembly

BOTTOM FLOOR

TOP FLOOR

B

A

B

A

520520360

SUMMER WINDS

N

N

N S

S

SUMMER SUN

WINTER SUN

WINTER WINDS

The perimeter walls clamp the roof structure in place, and act as a framework allowing for its material compression.

The design process began by examining pattern formation in nature. Strips of paper were used in tracings of abstracted photographic images. Models were further manipulating the patterning by making two distinct volumetric conditions. The major conceptual idea that was investigated in this set of models, and later addressed to the scale of the building is the tectonic expression of compressing a set of materials and the expression of the excess. As the strips were woven into place, the slack could be manipulated into a large independent volume, or a series of smaller variations. The strips were later interpreted into structure of the roof and excess into offi ces, hovering above their respective offi ce.

[perspective extrusion]

The design of the Cartography Museum in Barcelona, Spain started by the creation of a collage, manipulating the extrusion of perspectives taken from photographs on site from access points. These extrusions were first thought of as lines and then later interpreted into volumes. The extension and volume of the perspectives grow greater as elevation increases.

neighborhood

pedestrian

mediteranian

dens

ity

length

CB

A

CC

Melissa Blair b2 6/14 BSS/10

7 METERS

7METERS

7METERS

neighborhood

pedestrian

mediteranian

dens

ity

length

CB

A

Interpreting idea of chromatism as fusion of perspectives, the form is generated by the continuation and intersection of existing perspectives on the site. The interpreted density and length of the planes extended from perspectives is introduced as the space making component of the structure. The ground level is at a pedestrian scale including a courtyard that is open to the floors above. As the structure progresses upward, the perspectives (now indicated as walls) are less interrupted, therefore longer and more simplified than that of below.

Melissa Blair b1 6/14 BSS/10

entrance

entrance

conf

confconf

cafeexhibition and eductationaladmin

archives

research

conference area = 255 square metersresearch area= 75 square metersarchive area = 255 square meters

exhibition and eductational area = 350 square meters

cafe area = 81 square meters

admin area= 77 sqaure meters entrance area= 168 sqaure meters

total estimated area= 1450 sqaure meters

7 METERS

7METERS

7METERS

neighborhood

pedestrian

mediteranian

dens

ity

length

CB

A

Interpreting idea of chromatism as fusion of perspectives, the form is generated by the continuation and intersection of existing perspectives on the site. The interpreted density and length of the planes extended from perspectives is introduced as the space making component of the structure. The ground level is at a pedestrian scale including a courtyard that is open to the floors above. As the structure progresses upward, the perspectives (now indicated as walls) are less interrupted, therefore longer and more simplified than that of below.

Melissa Blair b1 6/14 BSS/10

CLAVEGUERAM

CLAVEGUERAM

CLAVEGUERAM

CLAVEGUERAM

SITE PLAN 1:500

FLOOR 1 1:500 FLOOR 2 1:500

FLOOR 3 1:500 FLOOR 4 1:500

A

B

C

SECTION A 1:500 SECTION B 1:500

SECTION C 1:200

7 METERS

7METERS

7METERS

neighborhood

pedestrian

mediteranian

dens

ity

length

CB

A

Interpreting idea of chromatism as fusion of perspectives, the form is generated by the continuation and intersection of existing perspectives on the site. The interpreted density and length of the planes extended from perspectives is introduced as the space making component of the structure. The ground level is at a pedestrian scale including a courtyard that is open to the floors above. As the structure progresses upward, the perspectives (now indicated as walls) are less interrupted, therefore longer and more simplified than that of below.

Melissa Blair b1 6/14 BSS/10

The interior is formed by the circulation path, which moves the inhabitant inward towards the city, then upward and out giving a view of the ocean. The large center staircase is also meant to give this same e ect. The structure is composed of large concrete vertical elements which fold and penetrate through the oors dividing up the interior program. The structure is continuous throughout the building and can be seen through the glazing of the faade. Structural mullions help support the oor plates and are distanced in order to allow the passerby to see the interior structure.

Study Models

FLOOR 3

FLOOR 1 GROUND FLOOR

FLOOR 2

FLOOR 3

FLOOR 1 GROUND FLOOR

FLOOR 2

Floor Plans

FLOOR 3

FLOOR 1 GROUND FLOOR

FLOOR 2FLOOR 3

FLOOR 1 GROUND FLOOR

FLOOR 2

Watson

Trianon Parkway

[reviving healthcare]

This comprehensive studio is my degree project, for which I have creating the program, and architectural intention. The building is a de-centralized healthcare facility focusing on preventative and comprehensive medicine. The goal of the project was to create a new typology of healthcare that replaces the strip mall infill cites common to St. Louis. The site chosen was selected because of its downfalls, common to a strip mall, an obtrusive drainage ditch, disconnect from the community, and lack of green space. The building is meant to have an unintimidating, human scale, that would draw people to use the space when they are healthy. An emphasis was put on views of nature, natural light, privacy, circulation, and programming.

Early conceptual study models

Final Model

Transverse section showing connection to adjacent topography and circulation from the community

hydrotherapy

hydrotherapy laundry

aid office

w. lockerm. locker

physical therapy/ massage waiting

m. locker

w. locker

laundry

cafe

fitness entrance

nutrition waiting

group therapy

community education entrance

minor surgery

cast

lab

clean storage

dirty storage

consultation

consultation

nurse station

family medicine/ psychology waiting

psychology sub-waiting

group therapy

dispensery

pharmacy entrance

x-ray

raquetball court

raquetball court

group fitness group fitness

outdoor group fitness

Bottom Floor

Top Floor

1/4= 10

COMMUNITY

PHARMACY

PHYSICAL THERAPY

NUTRITION

Y

YYYYYY

Y

1/4= 10

COMMUNITY

PHARMACY

PHYSICAL THERAPY

NUTRITION

Y

YYYYYY

Y

Elevations

Vectors represent height, speed and ditectionality of tra c.