3. The Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMO) is an
organization that helps emerging artists start a career in music.
DEMO sets out to collaborate with many emerging artists to
create a community setting in which artists feel at home. In order
to do so, demo teaches artists about the discipline from simple
guitar lessons to performing at venues.
This design expresses the dichotomy between music as lesson and
music as performance through the concept of conceal and reveal
architecture looking at site, function, and internal community.
Music as lesson is exposed. In this exposure, there is a
juxtaposition of simplicity and complexity. Music as performance is
concealed.
Mechanics of performance are hidden “behind closed curtain”. In
between each of these different ideas is the transition space. The
transition space holds these to poles together as an indifferent
medium.
The forms of the design become dynamic as they reveal the
program set inside. These forms also push themselves to the site
as they draw patrons in from the outside.
Lesson + Performance
PROGRAM:
DEMO MUSIC
CENTER
6. FLOOR 2
Open community spaces are placed just outside the lesson rooms for artists to collaborate.
This provides opportunities for artists to learn from each other.
7. FLOOR 3
The lesson rooms are designed as a ‘blank slate’ in which artists can make their own space.
This allows for a diverse and personable set of designs that can be constantly changed.
8.
9. The outpost is a refuge outside the main force of the site where an
individual goes to find solace.
As an individual approaches the meditation outpost they begin to
notice that the external area that they originally came from starts
to fade away from and the views becomes fizzled. As the external
commotion begins to become lost, the meditation space begins
to reveal itself until the individual is fully engrossed in the space.
At the end of the meditative space, the meditator begins to see
the outpost in full effect. Streams of light fall through the ceiling
plane. The transition walls come to life as the movement from the
outside world is disintegrated and simplified. These factors help
the meditator focus in the space as he or she is centered in this
protective space.
Transition To Solace
CATALYST:
MEDITATION
OUTPOST
10.
11. The ceiling plane begins to enclose
the space. Creating privacy and
solace to the meditator.
Ceiling planes gradiate the light as they become closer together to further the effect of the
outpost.
12.
13. The University Recreation Center is a climbing facility on the
Minneapolis East River Flats. The site is a broad, open green
space that crests the east bank of the Mississippi. The flats houses
community events and daily recreational users.
The site flows along the river as it expands and condenses in
topography. The North West corner, is condensed by the
infrastructure surrounding. Green space then expands and opens
into a large space for recreation. The recreation center acts as an
initial threshold into the site as patrons walk along the banks of
the mississippi river.
The design, from a distance, appears simple, but is in fact com-
plex in detail. It consists of large main walls that run parallel to
the river. The containing walls, as they petrude into the expanded
portion of the site begin to fan outward. This motion of fanning
mimics the natural opening to the site. This method of flow is con-
tinued throughout the site as it prescribes the design of other built
elements of the site; such as pavilions, parking, and
gathering areas.
Compression + Expansion
SITE:
RECREATION
CENTER
14.
15. The main floor is an extension of
the landscape as it flows directly
into the site.
01
A
01
A
01
B
01
B
Ceiling planes gradiate the light as they become closer together to further the effect of the
outpost.
19. An urban ecotourism beacon and Postcard for sustainability.
A container-based, one-room hotel,it moves as the flow of the city
requires. The City is the lobby. Activating both celebrated and
ignored spaces, It inspires and educates with data collection and
social media: A celebration of civic and cyber space.
Alchemy’s lightHouse was an opportunity to design and build in
an atypical architectural evironment. The project was partially
proposed as a work in progress and was to be built as a art piece
that created awareness about sustainable dwellings. The project
required a large time commitment to detail design and
construction.
Collaboration:
Alchemy Architects
Anderson Windows
Room + Board
AEI
University of Minnesota
Alliance
Urban Ecotourism
DESIGN BUILD:
LIGHTHOUSE
