Fall 2014 Architecture Portfolio

Ethan Ward

Table of Contents

1 - Rolling Bridge

2 - Davidson Site Analysis

3 - USPS Pavilion

15

4 - Chicago Field Trip

27

5 - Chicago Site Analysis

33

6 - Maker Space

39

Rolling Bridge, Thomas Heatherwick

Precedent Study

The First assignment of the

semester, the precedent analysis
introduced a set of design themes
to be carried throughout the rest
of the semester. Each design
theme was explored through the
analysis of each precedent.

Urban context
Project contextuality
Role of movement
Human scale and proportion
Program use and hierarchy
Use of materials
Modular design strategies

Public and private space

The Rolling Bridge is one of three

bridges designed for Paddington
Basin. Rolling Bridge is a unique
drawbridge that doesnt break.
It can exist as both a sculptural
piece of art, and a functioning
footbridge.

Each precedent was explored

through a series of analog
drawings, as well as AutoCAD
drawings. During the precedent
study AutoCAD was introduced to
us for the first time.

Analog Drawings
Hand drawing was the most
common throughout the
precedent study because of the
emphasis put on analog drawings
in last years studio. The hand
drawings also seemed the most
developed. The analog drawings
were used to explore the tensions
created by the bridge, and how
those tensions were different
with the sculpture. Why a bridge?
Why a sculpture? Why both? The
drawings explore how the bridge
affected the site by changing
from a sculpture to a bridge.

Digital Drawings
The AutoCAD drawings were
used to explore the materiality,
modularity, and construction of
the bridge. The drawings look at
how the Rolling Bridge can be
related to the building directly
behind it.

Davidson, North Carolina

Yelp

tch

Site Analysis
Most Reviewed

Highest Rated

Foursquare

Average Visits per

Person

Check-Ins

Davidson, North Carolina is around

thirty minutes north of Charlotte.
The town was originally just Davidson
College, but it was the combination
of the college, textile industry, and
the railroad that made the town what
it is today.
The Site analysis consisted of an Ex
Situ (off site), and In Situ (on site)
analysis of Davidson, North Carolina.

under $10 =
$11-$30 =

Yelp

Best Match

Most Reviewed

Yelp

Highest Rated

Foursquare
Best Match

Most Reviewed
Highest Rated

Most Check-Ins

Average Visits per

Person

Ex Situ
Social networking is a huge part
of todays culture. You can learn a
lot about a place by seeing how
that place reacts with the social
network. A lot can also be learned
about a place by seeing how they
celebrate food. For this analysis,
I combined the two: social
networking, and food. I used Yelp
and Foursquare to learn about
where the people of Davidson
like to spend their time by looking
at the highest rated, and most
popular restaurants in Davidson,
North Carolina.

Foursquare

Most Check-Ins

Average Visits per

Person

under $10 =
$11-$30 =

10

11

In Situ
For the in situ analysis I took the
ex situ analysis to the next level
by actually visiting the places I
found on Yelp and Foursquare. By
visiting these places I was able to
see how the people reacted with
each other, and how they reacted
with our site by passing through
it on the way to one of these
restaurants, or by stopping by it
just to enjoy the space.

Connection to Farmers Market

12

13

USPS Pavilion

Davidson, North Carolina

The site is immediately in front
of Davidsons Post Office.
The current space is almost
completely empty aside from
a few trees, some bushes, a
sidewalk, and a very unusual
sculpture. The space isnt used for
anything, its just adds an extra
thirty seconds to the walk to the
post office.
Our assignment is to design
a U.S. Postal Service Pavilion.
The pavilions need to open a
discussion about the future of the
Postal Service.
Pavilions are inherently
prototypical, experimental,
even radical in their exploration
of ideas and construction
techniques.
The project was presented in
the format of an Architecture
Contest, where architecture
students submit their designs on
a set of three boards for judging.
Everything important to the
project must be present on the
boards.
Parti

14

15

Phase One
Phase one of the Postal Service
Pavilion was meant only to
get ideas out. In this Phase we
The Postal Service Is Dead
create decide what the future
of the USPS is to
us,doand
wethink
useabout when they
What
people
of death?our
The design
Postal Service is Dead.
those ideasthink
to inform
There
is
no
saving
the
Postal Service. It
process.

would be futile to try and save it. Its time is

over. We dont need it anymore. It has been
The Post Office
is Dead.
replaced.
The Post OfficeBut
is the
Important.
Postal
Service
not always
The Postal
Service
Ishas
Dead
The Post Office
needs
something.
been doomed to die. It was once a great,
What
dolife
people
think
about
when they
and thats
how
it needs
to be
remembered.
The Post Office
is on
support.
think
of
death?
The
Postal
Service
It played a vital roll in the creation is
ofDead.
this
There is no
saving
the
Postal
Service.
It
country.
It
is
a
part
of
our
history.
A
history
In this stage of design we need
would
be futile
and save it. Its time is
that
should
not to
betry
forgotten.
to have multiple
ideas
so that
we It has been
over. AWe
dont need
it anymore.
memorial
to the
Postal Service.
You
can activelycant
decide
what
ideas
are anymore.
replaced.
walk up
to the
post office
best to move
with.
But the
Postal
Service
has always
not always
Youforward
dont
need
to. But
you can
see
been
doomed
to die.
It was once
great,
it.
A pool
of water
separates
you afrom
the
and thats
needsbrings
to be an
remembered.
post
office.how
Theitwater
idea of reIt
played Dont
a vitalreflect
roll in the
creation
this
flection.
on the
PostalofService,
country.onItthe
is a nation
part ofthat
our history.
history
reflect
created A
the
Postal
The Narrative
that should
be forgotten.
Service
and not
its core
ideas. In the center of
A
memorial
thestones.
Postal Service.
You
A large partthe
ofpool
this
project
sits
two to
large
Representacantof
walk
toPostal
the post
officeChiseled
anymore.
tive
the up
Two
Tributes
in
was the architecture
narrative.
You dont
need
to. But that
you can
always
see
Stone,
the
two
mottos
let
this
nation
Because of the nature of the
it. A pool
ofthe
water
separates
from
the
know
what
Postal
Serviceyou
stood
for.
architecture
contest,
our
final
post office. The water brings an idea of rereview wasflection.
silent.Dont
The reflect
boards
on the Postal Service,
had to say everything
that
we
reflect on the nation that created the Postal
and its core ideas.
the center of
wanted say.Service
The Narratives
hadInto
the
pool
sits
two
large
stones.
speak to every part of the design Representative
of the Two
Postal
Tributes Chiseled in
process, and
inform
how
each
Stone, the two mottos that let this nation
decision was made in the project,
know what the Postal Service stood for.

A memorial to the Postal Service.

You cant walk up to the post office
anymore. You dont need to. But
you can always see it. A pool of
water separates you from the post
office. The water brings an idea of
reflection.

and do all these things while

simultaneously telling a story
about the Pavilion.

16

17

ost-

ice

d its

The Postal Service Connects

and Unites this Country

ere

and

to

The Postal Service isnt dead. The Post-

her,
al Service doesnt need saving. Everybody
loves The Postal Service. The Postal Service

. exists to bring this country together, and its

Phase Two
In Phase two all of our designs
underwent another round of
revisions. We also narrowed
down our possible designs for
final to three pavilions. During
this phase we were also given
a list of available materials for
the pavilions, which made it a lot
easier to narrow it down to three
pavilions, because some of the
ideas just wouldnt work within
the parameters of the materials.

e for
doing a great job. This Country is big. There

has
is a lot of space between the east coast and

s the west coast. A void has to be crossed to

neget something from one place to the other,

mand there is no way to avoid it.

rney

A void has been created on the site.

- There is no way around it. It is impossible for

people to cross it without help. A tube has
been placed on the site, a passage across
the void. The only way to get you from one
side to the other is to pass through it. Symbolic of the journey our mail takes, a journey
that is impossible without the Postal Service.

18

19

Parti Diagrams

A void has been created on the site, a break. Just as the

Postal Service bridges the gap, so does the Pavilion. The
Pavilion becomes the Postal Service, serving as the only
way across the void, vital to the procession from one side
to the other. The break in the Pavilions structure calls your
attention back to the void, and the role that the Postal Service plays by bridging the gap.

Final (Bridging the Gap)

The final pin up consists of our
narrative, a site plan, a building
plan, sections, elevations, a set of
relevant diagrams, three details,
and a site model. As previously
stated, everything we needed to
say had to be present in the three
submitted design boards.

The site in Davidson

is all about
movement. People
dont inhabit the
space for a long
period of time.
The main purpose
of the site is to get
you from the street
to the post oce,
or from the post
oce back to the
street. The Pavilion
calls out that
procession. Its not
a place to gather,
its a passage to
get you from one
side to the other.

Movement - Plan

The site in Davidson

is all about
movement. People
dont inhabit the
space for a long
period of time.
The main purpose
of the site is to get
you from the street
to the post oce,
or from the post
oce back to the
street. The Pavilion
calls out that
procession. Its not
a place to gather,
its a passage to
get you from one
side to the other.

Movement - Plan

Human and Site Scale

Modularity due to Material Constraints

t - Elevation

20

Movement - Elevation

Void Diagram

21

U.S. POSTAL SERVICE

PAVILION
U.S. POSTAL
SERVICE PAVILION
Ethan Ward

Ethan Ward

ERVICE PAVILION

Site Plan - 1/32=1

Site Plan - 1/32=1

Site Plan - 1/32=1

Generative Diagrams

The Postal Service bridges the gap between people; it makes

the unreachable, reachable. It brings the nation together. The
United States Postal Service handles over 40 percent of the
worlds mail. Soon they will even be delivering groceries
straight to your doorstep. It has been around
since
the 1700s,
The
Postal
Service bridges the gap between people; it makes
and theres a reason its still around today.the
It works,
and
the reachable. It brings the nation together. The
unreachable,
people can depend on it.
United States Postal Service handles over 40 percent of the

worlds mail. Soon they will even be delivering groceries

straight to your doorstep. It has been around since the 1700s,
and theres a reason its still around today. It works, and the
people can depend on it.

Site Plan - 1/8=1

The Postal Service bridges the gap between people; it makes

the unreachable, reachable. It brings the nation together. The
Generative Diagrams
United States Postal Service handles over 40 percent of the
worlds mail. Soon they will even be delivering groceries
straight to your doorstep. It has been around since the 1700s,
and theres a reason its still around today. It works, and the
people can depend on it.

Site Plan - 1/8=1

Site Plan - 1/8=1

22

23

Winter

Spring/Fall
Winter

Winter

Spring/Fall

Summer
Spring/Fall

Summer

Sun Diagrams - Noon

Sun Diagrams Summer

- Noon
Sun Diagrams - Noon

Section - 1/4=1
Section - 1/4=1

Section - 1/4=1

Winter

Detail 1 - 1/2=1

Detail 1, 2, 3
Detail 1, 2, 3

Elevation 1 - 1/4=1

Elevation 1 - 1/4=1 Winter

Elevation 1 - 1/4=1

Spring/Fall

Detail 2 - 1/2=1

Detail 1, 2, 3

Detail 1 - 1/2=1

Winter

Spring/Fall

Summer

Sun Diagrams - No

Detail 2 - 1/2=1

24

Elevation 2 - 1/4=1
Detail 1 - 1/2=1

Elevation 2 - 1/4=1
Elevation 2 - 1/4=1
Detail 1, 2, 3

25

Section - 1/4

Chicago
Field Trip

26

27

28

29

30

31

1996

Cobb Lecture Hall

1892

Laboratory School
Cobb Lecture Hall
1896
1892

Chicago

CobbLaboratory
Gate
School
1897
1896

Regenstein Library
2003

Chicago Booth
2004

Site Analysis
University of Chicago
Starting our William
analysis
the
large
Ida at
Noyes
Hall
William Rainey Harper
Rainey
Harper
1916
Memorial Library
scale, our site sits
in theLibrary
armpit
Memorial
1912
1912
of the University of Chicago.
A university thatUtility
is extremely
Plant
2010 For this
diverse in its architecture.
portion of the analysis I looked
at all the architecture of the
University to see if their design
choices could help to inform any
of my design choices when we
Hall for Economics
Oriental
Hall
for Institute
Economics
started to design.
I mainly
looked
1928
1931
1928
for any patterns, or common
Architecture Timeline of The University
of Chicago
design moves among the many
Plan and
Elevation
different
buildings.

Architecture of the University of Chicago

Site

Joseph Bond
IdaChapel
Noyes Hall
1926 1916
Smart Museum of Art
Mansueto
Library
1974
2011

Rock

Duchossois Cen

International
House
Oriental Institute
1932
1931
Center for Care andRegenstein
Discovery Library
2013 2003

Horizontal and Vertical Elements

Lecture Hall
1892

Laboratory School
1896

Cobb Gate
1897
Laird Bell Law
Smart Museum of ArtQuadrangle
1960
1974

The University of Chicago

William Rainey Harper

Memorial Library
1912

32

Ida Noyes Hall

1916

Joseph Bond Chapel

1926
Regenstein Library
2003

Tower Group
1903
New Graduate Residence
Hall
Laird Bell Law
1962
Quadrangle
Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine1960
1996

Cum
Ge

School of
Social Services
New Graduate
Residence
Hall
1965
Max Palevsky Residential Commons1962
2001
Utility
Plant
2010

Rockefeller Memorial Chapel

1928
Chicago Booth
2004

Knapp Center
2009

33

Horizontal and Vertical Elements

Cen

Views and Thresholds

At a smaller scale, I looked at the
buildings immediately adjacent
to our site. This analysis began by
looking at what buildings around
the site my building would be
competing with for attention. It
later turned into what buildings
near the site I would want my
building to have enhanced views
of, such as the Robie House.
These views could influence
the program of the building,
and where each programmatic
element needs to be placed on
the site.
Visual thresholds of individual structures
Clock Tower

Robie House

Chicago Booth

Build up to the intersection

Threshold Model

Visual Thresholds on the Site

Sources of Threshold
Build up to the intersection

Site Isovist

34

Thresholds on the street

Sources of each threshold

Overlayed thresholds compared to the site

35

Solstice
Summer
Solstice

Winter
Solstice

All Summer Shadows

Spring, Fall
Equinox

Al

Spring, Fall
Equinox

Spring, Fall
Equinox

Shadows
At the smallest scale I looked
Surrounding Buildings
at the site itself. At this scale
Robie House
I wanted to bridge to our
Environmental Systems class that
we are also
taking this semester
Winter
Site
by looking
at the shadows on the
Solstice
Summer Solstice
Spring and Fall Equinox
site. How the building is receiving
sun should highly influence how
the building is designed and
how the programmatic elements
should be placed throughout
the building.
By
compiling all the
Chicago
Booth
shadow information I found that
All Spring, Fall Shadows
there is one place on theRobie
site
House
that never sees any shadows, the
perfect spot for an outdoor space
All Summer
Shadows
in Chicago.

Chicago Booth

Shadows From the

n (4)

Winter
Solstice
Morning
(9)

Summer
Solstice

Noon (12)

Afternoon (4)

Morning
(9)
Noon (12)
Variations
in Shadows
from the South

Winter
Solstice
Summer
Solstice
Winter Solstice

Spring, Fall
Equinox

Variations

Site

Spring, Fall
Equinox

Summer Solstice

Winter
Solstice

Spring and Fall Equinox

Variations in Shadows from the South

Chicago Booth

Winter
Solstice

Robie House

Site Shadows

Spring and Fall Equinox

Winter Solstice

AllSunspot
Winter Shadows
Site

Site

Summer Solstice

All Spring, Fall Shadows

36

37

Fab Lab
Stair/Elevator
Restroom

Restroom
Classroom

Gallery

Master Outdoor
Builder Maker Space

Lobby

Combined

Reception

Chicago

Directors Office

Space

Concentration of People

Program Analysis
Before any physical design of
the building can be started,
the program
should be fully
Directors Office
understood. This phase of the
Privateis
Restroom
design process
to learn about
how the programmatic elements
Assistant
reactAdmin.
with
each other, which
spaces need to be closer to other
Fab Lab Office
spaces, which spaces dont need
Fab Lab
to be near other spaces, and
Stair/Elevator
if there are any clear ways the
Restroom
spaces should be grouped. These
Restroom
University of Chicago Gesamtkunstwerk Program: Master Builder Maker Space
decisions
Classroom should be informed by
more than just square footage.

Reception

Gallery
Fab Lab

Private Restroom

Conference

Conference

Fab Lab Office

Stair/Elevator
Restroom

Gallery

Reception

Classroom

Toilet

Fab Lab

Gallery
Stair

Toilet
Toilet

Lobby

Elevator

Lobby

Stair

Area

Gallery
Lobby

Reception

sqft

Toilet

Lobby

sqft
Gallery

Toilet

Accessible entrance from the street

Reception

250

250

Toilet
Locate near entry: Provide counterReception
access to public

Outdoor
250
Space

500

Provide access to and from lobby: Verify area is adequate to meet code requirements

750

750

For exhibition of artfiacts created, education tool for

the public to better understand FLW's "Total Design"
Elevator

750

750

Classroom/Tutorial Space with 25 desks / worktables

1,500

1,500

Stair

Provide space for a minimum of 3 digital fabrication tools: Specific tools selected by each designer
Gallery

Tertiary Division of Space

Private

Gallery
Fab Lab

Classroom

500

Fabrication Lab*

Reception

Notes

Interactive Classroom

Stair

Total Area

Fab lab office

500

Gallery*

Final Bubble

Stair

Lobby

Reception

Outdoor
Space

Quantity

Public

Public Toilets

Fab lab office

Classroom

Space

Classroom
Elevator

Reception
Gallery
Fab Lab

Elevator

Fab Lab

Toilet
Fab lab office

Lobby

Stair

Classroom

Lobby

Reception/
Waitng

Fab Lab

Restroom

Toilet

Fab lab office

Admin. Assistant

Reception/
Waitng

Toilet

Reception

Toilet

Stair

Fab Lab Admin Office

250

250

Direct access to Fab Lab

Reception/ Waiting

250

250

Dedicated to Administration

Director's Office

300

300

Toilet
Visual privacy from Reception/Waiting:
Must be above Ground Floor

Administrative Assistant

150

150

Direct acess to Director's Office

Conference

300

300

Executive Toilet Room

100

100

Fab Lab

Lobby

Toilet
Fab lab office

Director

Classroom
Elevator

Direct access from Reception/Waiting: Must be above Ground Floor

Stair

Stair

Conference

Toilet
Fab lab office
Reception

Vertical Circulation
Classroom

38
Elevator

Lobby

Stair

Stair

Elevator

Egress Stairs

200

400

Elevator

100

100

Stair
Admin
office
Minimum
of

Minimum of 10'x10' that serves all floors

2 10'x20' egress stairs at each floor: Stairs must stack floor-to-floor

1,000

1,000

Used for both entertainment and display

Exterior
Exterior Reception Space

39

Second Floor

Parti

South Elevation
Section 2

First Floor

Second Floor

Response to Site

Generative Diagrams
Public

Public

Private

Public

Private
Service

Divisions of Space

Tourist Procession

ction

Section 1

Section 2

Scheme 1

FIrst Floor

Section 2

1. Maker space for the wanderer

2. Fab Lab + Gallery combined
3. Frank Wrights
maker space
Parti

Section 1

User Procession

Schematic Design
One of the largest parts of the
Three
Fronts
design
process is schematic
design. During this time we
focused on getting out our ideas,
and making them as clear as
possible so that we could make
an informed decision on which
design to move forward with. We
presented three ideas. Each idea
Section 1 be informed by
needed to clearly
the site and the program of the
building.

Gallery Visitor Procession

Site Pl

Second Floor

Plan and Section

South Elevation

Axis and Threshold

Section 2

Section 2

First Floor

Second Floor

West Elevation

Scheme 1
Section 1

Section

Section 1

Section 1

Generative Diagrams

Section 2

Three Fronts

Response to Site

Public

Second Floor

First Floor

Section 2

Scheme 3

Private
Semi Public

Private

Public
Public

Public

Private

Public

Axis and Threshold

Private
Service

Section 1

Division of Space

South Elevation

Divisions of Space

Gallery Visitor Procession

Generative Diagram

South Elevation

Section 2

Section 1

40

41

Second Floor
First Floor

Site Plan and Section

Tourist Procession

User Procession

Gallery Visitor Procession

Parti

Semi Public

Administ

Design Development
The next stage of design is where
we take our ideas, and make them
work structurally. It is more than
just making the building stand up.
The structure should be designed
in a way that strengthens the
main idea of the building. The
bay diagram informs how the
structure strengthens the grain
of the building, and calls out the
processional space in a building
that is all about the procession.
During this phase we began to
look at the facade. I wanted my
facade to inform
you about the
Bay Diagram
structure and what is happening
inside the building. For the
wanderer, I wanted this to spark a
curiosity that would bring you to
the building.

Bay Diagram

Section 1
Section 1

Roof Structure
Roof Structure

Section 2
Section 2

42

Facade Designs

43

Detail 2

Detail 3

Maker Space for the Wanderer

Our site sits immediately adjacent
to the Robie House so the
majority of the traffic that our
site will see will be from people
that arent coming to see the
maker space, but from people
who have come only to see Frank
Wrights work. To bring in these
people I rotated my whole project
30 degrees to make the entry
onto the site more gradual, and
accepting. Next I cut the building
along a regulating line created by
the front of the Robie house, but
I didnt cut the roof plane. The
combination of both the rotation
and cut creates a unique building
with three fronts. The spine of
the building is solid, with only
holes for entry into these spaces.
The gallery and fab lab are more
transparent, continually showing
you hints of what is happening
as you explore the building. As
you exit the building, the paths
were to give you a new, different
experience without taking you
out of the back of the building
into the alley. Once you exit you
can easily continue on your way.
Detail 2 - 1/2=1

Site Plan - 1/64=1

Site Section - 1/32=1

Detail 3 - 1/2=1
Generative Diagrams

44

Parti

45

The Rotation

46

The Cut

47

First Floor - 1/8=1

Section A - 1/8=1

48

Section A - 1/8=1

First Floor - 1/8=1

Section B - 1/8=1

Second Floor - 1/8=1

Second Floor - 1/8=1

Section B - 1/8=1

49