Portfolio of two years of graduate work

1. Project 1: Kelly Bair: Control
Project 2: Stewart Hicks, Julia DiCastri: Power
Project 3: Penelope Dean, Grant Gibson: House
Project 4: Andrew Zago, Kelly Bair: 3D Urbanism
Madison Schneider
UIC MArch
Year 2
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2. The entirety of this project
evolved from a typical butterfly
roof. The simple form of the
roof was multiplied, shifted,
and cropped along the x, y, and
z axes to create unexpected
and subtle differences in form.
When moving the butterfly
profile along the x axis,
every move strictly followed
along the axis. There was no
use of twisting, scaling, or
distortion. The profile was
simply multiplied, shifted, and
cropped to fit within the cube
bounding box.
3

3. The y axis was treated in a
similar fashion to the x axis.
However, the creation of a
cave, cruciform, and cave-
cruciform, was the goal of
movement in the y axis. The
typical x form was multiplied,
shifted, and cropped within
the y axis boundaries in order
to achieve this. Following are
models of the forms created
along the y axis.
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4. Using existing forms, the
butterfly roof is expanded
vertically along the z axis.
The interactions between
these stacked objects serve
as experiments for the future
combined x, y, z iterations.
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5. Three objects from the y axis
iterations were combined,
forming one object. This object
houses three residential units
located on a double wide lot of
a standard Chicago city block.
The living space for each unit
is not visible from the exterior,
which creates what looks like a
giant sculpture to pedestrians.
9

6. Rear PL Rear Setback Front Setback Front PL
-1’
1st flr.
-1’
1st flr.
+8’
2nd flr.
+8’
2nd flr.
+19’
3rd flr.
+19’
3rd flr.
+32’
max. height
+32’
max. height
PL
Setback Setback
PL
Three objects from y are laid next to each other linearly.
The three objects, are pushed into one another.
Stairs are added to provide circulation and enhance the sense of redundancy and multiplicity seen
throughout the project.
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7. 1 2
-6”
-6”
3 4
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8. A Delicate
Ribbon...
Heavy
Shapes...
Leaning
about to
Topple...
Weighted
and Stable...
Continuous profiles of varying
graphic quality, curved,
straight, and accumulated,
emphasize contradictory
readings, such as nesting vs
growth, leaning vs stable, and
delicate vs heavy, within the
aggregation of layers of the
object. Whether it be opposing
shapes of the object itself, the
shape of the costume, or the
skylines created in the collage,
each of these linetypes
produces a variety of readings.
Not only is the character a
line, but line also gives the
object character and forces
the viewer to look between the
lines.
Linea Sheep
Linea Sheep stretches upwards
to a sizable summit. Its apex
bending into a soft sinuosity in
the sky. It cuts through gusts
like a saber and causes the air
to swiftly sweep across its soft
curves. Its substantial slope
threatening to topple its strained
structure. Its salient solleret
allows Sheep to be unseeingly
stalwart. Staring up at the
ascending Sheep, its spectators
see its statuesque shape,
standing stably in its splendor.
Geometric Analysis Collage Drawing
Geometric Abstraction Geometric Abstraction
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9. Collage Front Elevation Collage Side Elevation Collage Side Elevation
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10. Ballroom
Museum
Library
There are three plan styles of varying
sizes and spacial quality. The largest,
the ballroom, is a translation of the
form, with circles representing the
rounded top, and triangular spaces
representing the unside of the form
or costume. The museum acts
like a collection of smaller spaces
created by a grid and array of circles.
The intersection of these systems
creates small intimate gallery spaces.
The third plan strategy relies on
movement. Just like the form that
seems to wind like a ribbon, library
shelves are alligned in a manner
that forces the occupants to wind
through the space. The placement
of these help to recreate the ideals
of the collage in section. Looking
at one floor, one can see how the
stepped profile becomes functional
space. The concentric circles and
scattered seating create a fun and
open space for events. The steps
and seating serve multiple purposes.
In one instance the steps could be
used as a sort of stage while the
audience sits around. Or an event
could happen through this larger
space while people congrigate on
the steps.
19

11. Plan
Section
Cross Section
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12. 23

13. A house built in reverse. Starting
with furniture on a site, a single family
home was created. This family is
comprised of a couple, a child, and a
disabled in-law. The house is situated
in the Indiana Dunes State Park and
overlooks Lake Michigan.
The design itself started with
placing furniture on the site, and
then progressed to decor, built-ins,
partitions, envelope, and access.
Working in this order created new
spatial conditions and functionality.
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14. The house is situated on a relatively flat plot of land, especially compared to neighboring
plots. There is however a slight decline and then drop off at the north end of the
plot. The house is essentially one continuous piece of millwork. Therefore, the entire
house, from the smallest piece of the interior to the entire exterior structure, follows the
topography. At the north end of the house, the entire structure appears to bend or break
along the angle of the topography. This bend creates odd spatial conditions where two
“bedrooms” and a bathroom exist. A set of drawers and a wet wall serve as the face of
the cabinet in this area. The beds are then situated within the cabinet on the drawers,
to create a sort of sleeping nook. In addition to the drawers, closets are located inside
the continuation of the kitchen and seating portions of the cabinet. Private “bedroom”
spaces are created by opening the closet doors and a sliding door along the angle of
the house’s bend blocking views from the rest of the house.
All furniture with the exception of the dining table is millwork. The cabinet creates three
distinct rings of living type: within the cabinet, outside the cabinet, (beyond the cabinet)
in the courtyard. The interior of the cabinet is a stark white, while the exterior face is
covered in a dark walnut veneer. Not only does this create a strong distinction between
inside and outside, but it also creates a dark and tight, but cozy and warm environment
between the cabinet and the courtyard. The wood is lit via warm recessed lighting in a
soffit running the length of the usable exterior cabinet space. Also along this area are
accordion folding glass doors, which open to the courtyard and turn the house into one
continuous space filled with luscious greenery and a cozy and warm wood enclosure.
The greenery as well as the millwork serves multiple functions. Not only does it create
a highly desirable space, but the taller plants provide privacy for the rooms created by
millwork in the south end of the house. In order to accommodate a wheelchair in this
seemingly impossible narrow space, the doors of the cabinet were widened. When
these doors are opened at a ninety degree angle they lay flush with the glass to the
courtyard creating a large space to allow a person in a wheelchair properly use the
restroom and bed.
Not only does the bend of the structure create new spatial qualities inside the house,
but it also allows people in the courtyard to view the lake beyond the house. After
following gravity again and pushing the millwork to the tip of the bent structure, the
space required decreased. The massing of the bend only fills what is necessary and
everything else becomes a sort of trimmed out area. From the courtyard this massing
now appears lower, allowing the inhabitants to view the lake over the bent structure. It is
almost like the house is ducking out of the way to create more opportunities to view the
lake. The long nature of the house is accentuated via the short ceiling and the treatment
of the façade. Along the entire façade are thin wood panels with a gap in between
each. These panels are array across the surface at the same angle as the bend of the
structure. As this angle wraps around the surface, it interacts with its opposite, because
it is wrapping from both sides. At this intersection the two angles meet like a V and is
slightly off center to hide the necessity of utility ventilation.
The treatment of both the interior and exterior of the house mimic each other and
provide emphasis on the house mechanics and functionality. These treatments also
help distinguish between different areas of the house and how types of living vary. The
structure itself and the interior millwork work together to create one continuous piece
that follows the subtle topography that the house is situated on. The house appears to
duck down to allow views not only from the bent portion of the massing, but also from
the luscious courtyard.
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15. 29

16. 31

17. 33

18. N N
N
N N
N
Objects
Utilities/Ventilation
Built-in Envelope/Structure
Approach
Decor/Material
35

19. WD
NPlan
37

20. N
N
Section
Section
Section
N
39

21. E Elevation
1’-0”=1/8”
N
W Elevation
1’-0”=1/8”
N
E Elevation
W Elevation
N Elevation
1’-0”=1/8”
N
Interior Elevation
1’-0”=1/8” N
S Elevation
1’-0”=1/8” N
N Elevation
S Elevation
Interior Elevation
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22. 43

23. Beginning with an existing site, Mies
Van Der Rohe’s Lafayette Park in
Detroit, MI, I began exploring ways
of literally folding the existing site
onto an adjacent site. The resulting
solution is a folded ground, creating
a tower, a matt building, and a
sloping building. In an attempt
to reintroduce the buildings from
Lafayette Park back into the new
massing, the floor plans from the
townhouses, courtyard houses, and
towers were used as compnents of
the new massings floor plans. Further
organizing in section, the idea of the
unite block was introduce into the
upper portion of the tower.
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24. 47

25. 49

26. 51

27. 53

28. RESUME
SchneiderMadison@ymail.com
Mschne26@uic.edu
(239) 222-0212
410 S. Morgan St.
Chicago, IL, 60607
College of the Holy Cross
Bachlor of the Arts
Major: Physics and Studio Art
University of Illinois at Chicago
Candidate for Master of
Architecture
Adrian Smith Award in Architecture
3D Urbanism, Andrew Zago, Kelly Bair
Year End Show
Contact
School
Awards
Freelance Design
Design through RRAS
Architecture
Skills
Danbury Pharma, Freeport, NY
Label Design
MI Nutrition, Royal Oak, MI
Interior Design
Custom Tables, Counters, Shelving
Dioxyme, Ft. Myers, FL
Label Design
Tshirt Design
Photo Editing for Website
RRAS, Ft. Myers, FL
Logo Design, Brand Development,
Photo Editing for websites built by
RRAS
UIC Assistive Technology Unit
Graduate Assistant
Programs
Adobe Suite
Rhino 3D
AutoCAD
Microsoft Office
Basic Python Coding
Abilities
Drawing
Physical Model Building
Laser Cutting
3D Printing
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