This is a portfolio documenting the seven projects I completed during my Fall Semester of my Second Year at Roger Williams University School of Art, Architecture, and Historic Preservation in Rhode Island.

1. Subtle Elegance
Melissa G Cirulli
ARCH 213 Architecture Design Core Studio III - Fall 2017
Roger Williams University, School of Architecture, Art, & Historic Preservation
Kristopher Lawson
“Architecture is the thoughtful making of space,” as Louis Khan stated. It is through this thoughfulness and purposeful deliberation that successful forms of architecture are
created. Throughout this semester of Studio, my understanding of buildings, architecture, and spacial relations has deeply evolved. As this semester concludes and I reflect on my
progression, it is clear that I have come to the realization that land and building have a strong relationship. This connection is especially true for the Digging and Assembly project,
as it involved excavating land to create spaces, and later adding architectural forms to emphasize those spaces. This exercise of creating forms by digging before adding taught me
that spaces do not only have to be made by solids, but can also be marked by voids. This link between architecture and its site set the tone for my subsequent projects.
Throughout each of my projects, I made concious, informed decisions regarding my structures and buildings. Each of my projects was reflective of the site it was placed
within, in order to emphasize the impact of the site on the architecture within it. If there was anything I struggled with the most, it would likely be my progression throughout the
duration of each project. For the most part, I had an initial idea that carried through my whole project and had difficulty making developmental changes that could have potentially
bettered my projects in the long run. However, as a whole I was pleased with the outcomes of each of my projects and believed my efforts carried through.
I have learned an abundance of new architectural information this semester that has proven valuable to my design process as a whole. All that I have learned throughout this
semester of Studio will stay with me in the following years of my studies, and continue to benefit me beyond my schooling.

2. Melissa G Cirulli
ARCH 213.08
Project 1 - Digging & Assembly
This project dealt with solids, voids, and the
spaces resultant of placing the two adjacent
to one another. The first instruction was to
strategically excavate rectangular volumes
from a 4”x4”x8” solid, creating spaces that
connected to each other. Before building the
final model depicted at right, I sketched
many different possible iterations. After the
Digging phase, we were prompted to create
structures on and within our newly formed
site. In my case, I decided to place structural
elements and additional forms that high-
lighted the spaces already made by the
removal of the volumes. While some served
to actually support the weight of the “site,”
others had the purpose of drawing attention
to particular spaces and enhancing the
experience within them. From the beginning
of the project, I was keeping scale in mind;
therefore, I did not create extreme forms.
Rather, I attempted to incorperate relatively
tall, yet not immensely overbearing, vertical
elements that varied in height, offering
different spacial experiences specific to each
area. Furthermore, I felt strongly that the
many of the spaces I had created spoke for
themselves; thus, my subtle and elegant
placement of additional forms was the result
of the Assembly phase.

3. Melissa G Cirulli
ARCH 213.08
Project 2 - Courtyard
This project involved designing a courtyard
space that included an eating area for a small
group of people. I resorted to a drawing
exercise to create the façades of each building
facing the courtyard. This exercise consisted
of creating an initial diagonal in plan view,
which then informed additional diagonals,
ultimately forming my walls. Similarly, the
beams above the courtyard are reflective of
construction lines created in my plan, as well
as the angle of the rectangular dining
platform. My dining space is elevated to
separate it from the rest of the courtyard and
mark it as a separate place for a different
experience. Additionally, the elevation of the
dining area ensures that circulation about the
courtyard is not interrupted. While in the
dining area, patrons would be surrounded by
large angled structures, reminiscent of the
diagonals that compose the entire courtyard.
Due to the fact that the dining area itself is
relatively small, it is meant to feel as though it
is a larger space by surrounding people with
architectural elements that are taller than or as
tall as those dining. After the model was
complete, I conducted a sun study. During this
study I photographed each face of my
courtyard at various times of day during the
Solstices and Equinox to document the
different shadows the sun would cast.

4. Melissa G Cirulli
ARCH 213.08
Project 3 - Site Introduction
Project 4 - Procession & Texture
This assignment introduced us to the site of Fort Wetherill in Jamestown, Rhode Island, which
served as the site for the remaining projects of the semester. Fort Wetherill is an abandoned
defense battery formerly used in World War II to fortify the coastline. Today, the site is
declared as a state park, though its condition is deteriorating. After being introduced to the site,
we decided on a tentative path and location for a potential dining platform. To find my path
and location, I resorted to a similar construction line exercise as in the Courtyard project.
Looking at the Fort in plan view, I extended the diagonals in both directions across the page,
mapping out a possible path and form for my platform. As seen in the site plan, there are two
levels of the Fort: the lower level is the unshaded area, and the higher level is the shaded area.
At this point, I had decided to situate my platform on the higher level of the fort in order to
maximize the view of the water down the hillside.
This project involved taking a close look at specific textures found at the actual site of
Fort Wetherill. After visiting, I compiled my select textures and additional information
that I had gathered. That knowledge then informed my procession and arrival to the
location of my picnic area. The shape of my platform was reflective of the form derived
from my site plan, and the platform was elevated above the fort itself in an effort to get
an even better view of the water while eating there. After determining all of this, I made
a 2”x30” site section model that included my platform area. From this model, it can be
seen that the site slopes downward as it nears the water, visually enforcing the
effectiveness of my placement and design.
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5. Melissa G Cirulli
ARCH 213.08
Project 5 - Elegant Restaurant
This project required evolving my picnic
site into a full-size restaurant and represent-
ing it in a 1/8” = 1’ model. As I had
previously done, I again derived the shape
of the restaurant from the existing geometry
of the fort, which can be seen in my Site
Plan Analysis. In order to strengthen the
connection between the fort and my
restaurant, I chose not to break the plane of
the fort. In terms of program, I divided my
restaurant programmatically by floor. The
top floor that a customer would enter on was
the public floor, consisting of a reception,
bar and lounge, primary dining area, and
bathrooms. The bottom floor was a more
private area, as it houses the kitchen, offices,
and additional bathrooms. Lastly, patrons
would have the option to enjoy rooftop
dining if they desired an outdoor dining
experience. The large window on the South
side of my restaurant serves to maximize the
view to the water of people dining inside.
The slight angling of the roof is indicative
of the differing wall heights within the
building, so that one can tell from the
exterior that there are various spaces inside.
Lastly, there are glass panels on the top
floor, allowing for light to flood down into
the bottom floor, illuminating the hallway
and kitchen area.

6. Melissa G Cirulli
ARCH 213.08
Project 5 - Elegant Restaurant

7. Melissa G Cirulli
ARCH 213.08
Project 6 - Details & Synthesis
In this final project, I chose a section of my
restaurant to model at 1/4” = 1’ scale to show more
detail inside. I decided to make my floors wooden
to contrast the heavier concrete of the fort that my
restaurant is embedded in, as well as dark floors to
contrast white walls. I also represented some of the
structure of my building. Many of the columns are
seen as extensions of walls, so they do not interrupt
the circulation about the restaurant. The beams are
partially visible through the ceiling and are placed
where the ceiling angles to visually reinforce the
changes in the roof above.

8. Melissa G Cirulli
ARCH 213.08
Project 6 - Details & Synthesis