House of Salt

This is my final model for the Salt Maker's residence. It is a compact house but I tried to make the most of every space by avoiding hallways and there are very few inside walls. My main focus was to keep things simple with orthogonal lines, every room is a square or a rectangle, every room is at a different floor level according to how open the room needs to appear. The first spaces of the house are very open because they are more public, and the bedroom has a lower ceiling to get the feeling of cozy and private. The main entrance is a 10x10ft open square that welcomes people and lets them know that the house is open to visits. The windows are all stretch and short in height to create a panoramic view of the outside, my idea was to frame the landscape from outside. The roofs work as a protection from the house from weather conditions, it has a double roof, the first one is a straight roof that closes the house and continues the idea of straight lines in the house, and the second roof is angled to help the water and snow flow and not stay stuck on the roof creating unnecessary weight, it is formed by triangular planes that rotate around the same axis creating a cascading effect imitating the water fall.

(I would really appreciate comments and suggestions to improve the house for the lobby expo)

Invisible City

This is my board design for our 2nd year competition. I had a very conceptual idea for this project but i thoroughly enjoyed the thought behind it. The competition brief was to create a plaza behind our studio in which students could practice high wire walking. In reading a book by Italo Calvino, called Invisible Cities, I began to wonder how I could create such a plaza. The short story which is on my board portrays my idea. I encourage you to read it.

Final Drawings for the Salt Maker

These drawings were created to examine various conditions for the model and overall design. The sun study influenced the roof overhangs and the site map influenced where the house sat within the landscape and also the size limitations and shape of the residence. These drawings showcase the thought process and final design. More pictures to follow.

The Salt Maker's Cabin Progressed

As we came to a close on the Salt Maker's residence project, I put my primary focus on drawings and models that sit on an accurate as possible topography to depict how the structures would sit on the site. If I had to sum up the purpose of my project in one word, it would be form. This residence became about creating a house that would be shaped by the driving forces of where it is located, and what it is to do. A model was used to explain form, and drawings were used to explain the more technical aspects of the building for the viewer. I would say that this project currently sits as a work in progress rather than a final stage, as the project is still in a more theoretical state, rather than a state of reality and feasibility of construction. I plan to progress it further over time, and more detailed pictures of the model and drawings will come soon.

Model of the Salz Platz

Here are a few pictures of the final model. I photographed in both a photo lab, as well as in natural light outside. The ground is made of a grid of chipboard covered by patched cork board. The siding for the house is made of strips of bass wood, the windows and doors have stained basswood behind them, with a sheet of plastic in between the frame of the window and the wood. The roof is stained corrugated cardboard, and the water is made of melted clear wax. For the cables on the bridge, I use metal wire sprayed with glue, them rolled in actual salt. The entire model was hand cut/made.

Final Model for the Salt Maker

The model is finally done. I tried to model the house as accurately as i could, thinking about the little details and how the home will actually be constructed. While building this model, it helped me understand me reasonings for each piece and helped inform me on my final drawings as well. The model is made from a cardboard base and the home has a solid rockite foundation with vertical wood siding and Plexiglas for the windows. More detailed pictures to come along with the final drawings. Have a great day!

Drawings of the Salz Platz, Take 2

Here are the last two drawings I completed before I presented my final project this week. The first is an interior perspective, the second is a collage of sketches. Due to not being able to see the inside of my model, I felt the interior perspective was necessary to get you "into" the space. The collage of sketches just shows my thoughts and how I progressed throughout this project.