THE UNUSUAL

My final project this semester was Skatepark + Library. Yes, it is quite an unusual combination on a site. This semester overall was all about the unusual – unusual materials, unusual programs, unusual environments. It makes you think outside the box and utilize materials seemingly unsuitable for the job. For example, I attempted building models out of Cheerios, rubber bands, electric wires, sequin fabrics, soap, shower sponges, plaster, and other crazy things. In the end, however, my final choice narrowed down to wood and acrylic to imitate three materials: marble, copper, and wood.

Skatepark and library had to coexist. Reaching beyond the requirements, I made them interweave to allow every visitor to experience both worlds. Here is what came as a result of my hard work (I will start with photos and include drawings at the end):

'A TREEHOUSE'

Creation of this residence designed for a couple (which many people called 'a treehouse') was honestly a struggle for me: this entire semester was. Finding the optimal intersection of grids and tubes was especially challenging, but when the idea was bound to become an actual creation – everything seemed to start to work out in a manner I really liked.

Personally, this is one of the projects I've done so far at the School of Architecture which I enjoyed to some other level. Through making and developing my treehouse, I prove to myself again that I could not have chosen a better suiting me major.

See it for yourself:

Plan #1 (cut at the underground level)

Plan #2 (cut at the 2nd floor)

Elevations

Section A-A

Section B-B

Midterm version with less tubes

Final version

Top view

USC SOA: Architorture

It has been two weeks into the semester, and we already see our peers dropping out, scared by what some people call archiTORTURE. Sleepless nights, lack of social life, endless studio hours are awaiting for us, and I can not help but wonder if it will actually be that bad. I heard stories of B.Arch students bringing their sleeping bags into the studio for finals, not showering for three days in a row, working insanely hard. Whenever I told people my major was architecture, they just wished me luck and gave this sympathetic look.

This paragraph above was a draft in the very beginning of the semester. A lot has changed. My whole perception of what this work is like was altered once I went through my first sleepless week experience. Exhausted, at some point I was feeling like zombie listening to my playlist for the hundredth time and cutting museum board into rectangles to build my model. It is really rewarding though. I never imagined that there can be so much work and I never imagined this amount of work can be actually manageable. I mean, come on - it only took on average fifteen hours per day in studio to prepare this midterm project.

The task was to use our analysis of Schindler-Chace house on the Kings road to create our own spatial building and site. Spatial meaning you do not have to consider real world's necessities and restrictions. Having this in mind, I used hedges as columns for my multi-level park - complete fantasy.
The deliverables were eleven drawings and two models. Models, by the way, take forever. Take the approximated time for your work and multiply it by 3 to make it realistic. 

So here is what we got:

                                       

                                         

P.S. Some of us actually finish work in time and do not procrastinate... Big shout out to Fady :)