The color pink has the unique ability to shock or calm people. This gives the color depth according to how it is perceived culturally, socially and psychologically. As an experience, pink can act as a trigger emotion: the user understands the color as a material or physical substance, which surpasses even cultural beliefs as the user becomes completely enveloped in the space. Pink can be used as a powerful identifying tool for something valuable or used as a graphic tool to attract attention. There are several strong perceptions and associations attributed to the color pink. One of its most unusual characteristics is that it is the only color that is a tint of another color. While a light green is still green and a light blue is still blue, a light red is a pink, not a light red. This name carries its own connotations and creates a totally different meaning. Its strong identity as a separate hue allows it to be so unique. Successful design can be measured by the amount of dialogue it creates. Pink, when used properly, will never be unnoticed because it is dominated by strong feelings, either love or extreme dislike. Pink is controversial
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Spring 2013
Instructors: Art Lubetz, Mary-Lou Arscott, Dale Clifford
The Rohrich Legacy Complex celebrates the automobile industry on West Liberty. The project creates a new anchor and icon at the intersection of West Liberty Ave with Wenzel Ave and Brookline Boulevard, and also strengthens the connection between the Beechview and Brookline neighborhoods. The project seeks to transform and enhance the existing automotive uses on West Liberty while creating a new mixed-use complex marking the southern gateway to the City of Pittsburgh. The complex consolidates the existing Rohrich dealership showrooms and service centers into a single multi-story building, which also includes new retail and restaurants as well as a car wash, commuter parking and a new rapid transit station. A new Rohrich museum celebrating the auto industry and a new park add public uses on the north side of the street. The form of the building mimics the topography of the surrounding valley and woodlands, tucking into the hillsides with a series of terraces and green roof that blend into the context. As part of this strategy new restaurants and retail uses are elevated from the ground along a pedestrian promenade, which creates a new connection to the end of Brookline Boulevard and shelters pedestrian from the heavy automobile traffic on west Liberty. Positioned on the southern border of the City of Pittsburgh the project acts as a portal to the city allowing commuters on West Liberty to park, shop and use the public transit to commute into the city.
Collaborative effort: Hank Mei
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Fall 2012
Instructors: Jonathan Klein, Christine Graziano, Rami el Sahamy
The podium floors for this 560’ tall high-rise in downtown Pittsburgh consist of a conference center that has multiple balconies that look out onto the urban context. Because of the positioning of the conference center, the tenant spaces do not start until a little higher up, which allows the tenants a better view and greater access to sunlight. The conference center uses low-E glass for greater transparency compared to the glass used for the rest of the high rise. The restaurant on the 25th floor extrudes out from the tower form and is offset from the tenant spaces to receive more sunlight as well as a view out to the river.
A geothermal water loop system uses the temperature from the aquifer for heating and cooling in the building and goes through the core of the building in order to be accessible from all floors. Heat pumps are placed throughout the floor slab in order to be more flexible for new tenants that may move into the high rise. Heat pumps are placed in all the offices and in the open areas. Fresh air enters into every floor and spreads throughout the space. The Conference center has a centralized air system, creating its own zone that is separated from the other tenant floors, similar to the zoning used on the restaurant floor above.
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Spring 2012
Professor: Stephen Quick
The Joyce Theater aims to establish itself as a landmark in Lower Manhattan and create a presence among the other memorial spaces dedicated to the September 11th tragedy. The ability of the street side rehearsal space to transform into a stage space and open to the public access area allows the Joyce to promote awareness of dance, ultimately bringing the tradition of performance to the streets. The stage is emphasized by the expression of its volume with a proscenium-like “curtain” view towards the memorial.
A large atrium space captures the view out to the memorial and natural light is able to illuminate the space. This transforms the open square of the memorial museum into a space where the public can engage with the theater. The inner workings of the programmatic spaces shift between public and private spaces on every floor to encourage interaction between the different types of users who will ultimately occupy the space.
This new theater design features a rehearsal space beneath the stage which shares the orchestra pit with the stage above. This rehearsal space has mutable properties where it can change in relationship to the orchestra. This orchestra pit can change to serve the stage or the rehearsal area, either in the traditional location or above the proscenium. This contrasts the traditional relationship between stage and orchestra where the audience focuses on the stage and the conductor looks up to the dancers. This new performance space becomes a “white box”, with the ability to open up to the public courtyard to engage pedestrians. Various different configurations can be employed in this space, with the ability to divide and separate into multiple rehearsal spaces.
Featured in the New York Times
Featured on Civil Engineering Magazine
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Fall 2011
Professor: Hal Hayes
Collaborative effort: Tom Groner, Sarah Harkins, Colin Haentjens, Sydney Zalewski
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Fall 2011
Instructors: John Folan, Eve Picker
The double cantilever butterfly roof establishes a unique space which serves to bring in light as well as separates the main hall from the outdoor market. The main space is constructed with exposed concrete sections that support a truss system which in turn supports the roof and end walls. These end walls are made of concrete panels which help emphasize the structure of the building. This studio project explores structural capabilities of various materials.
The exterior butterfly roof is also made of concrete panels that create a shift in texture in the transition space to the rest of the programmatic spaces such as the office, café, and services areas. Those spaces are covered with metal paneling to emphasize the programmatic contrast.
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Spring 2011
Instructors: Jeff Davis
The focus of this project explores the integration between public and private spaces by creating two separate volumes that form a central atrium/circulation space. This central axis brings in light and allows for social movement and vertical integration as users can relate through different levels. The balcony contributes to the life of the city as the southern facade features an open park.
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Spring 2010
Professor: Jennifer Lucchino
This project aims to connect the movement of Frick Park to the surrounding neighborhoods. A central axis, determined by nodes on the existing path, serves to connect different people on the site to the central campus area which features an academic program as well as a view across the valley.
The axis is bordered with various residential programmatic spaces as well as outdoor learning spaces, which includes tall grass study and tree study among other subjects. This program is opened up with a smaller open space. They emphasize the central axis, which is complemented by a wall stretching along the path and bisecting the site. This established an implied divide of public and private space along with the use of revegetation and edging the vegetation to the wall.
The wall also dictates the space and is designed in a way for people to interact with it. Slits in the wall create a sense of hide and reveal, where people can begin to understand what is going on in the private spaces and at times, the wall offsets to create a shift in the path.
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Spring 2011
Instructor: Jennifer Gallagher
This catenary arch structure was created as part of a group study on construction for a Materials & Assembly course. Our team focused on ways in which materiality can express the structural forces acting on it as well as using details as a method to create an aesthetically pleasing design. These pieces were digitally fabricated using a CNC mill in addition to a thorough drawing set to detail the various structural elements.
Collaborative effort: Daniel Burdzy, Joe Chang, Leto Karatsolis-Chanikian, Aaron Chenault, Becky Cole, Adriel Deller, Dan Quaintance, Anna Rosenblum, and Frank Scarola
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Spring 2010
Instructor: Dale Clifford
This light museum focuses on the transition from gallery to gallery by having the user experience contrast of light quality through texture and density. The clean walls of the galleries contrast with the transition spaces that use a slate glass system of layers that allow slits of light to enter into the building. The density of the layers expand at different points to allow for moments of pause in these long transition hallways.
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Fall 2009
Professor: Emily Sullivan
Adaption. Seven large mobile pillars adjust their position according to where the sun is located which changes the movement and circulation through the building. This change continuously creates experiences of submission to the adaptable perceptions.
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Spring 2009
Instructors: Jason Morris, Spike Wolff
This project began as three intersecting planes and evolved into a small private residence alongside a lake, integrating landscape as a space making
technique. The planes engage the user in a variety of ways, transforming from an intimate bedroom space to an open air terrace with a sweeping view of the natural landscape. This project served as an important element in the Foundations studio as an introduction to spatial thinking, technical drawing and landscape integration.
Carnegie Mellon SoArch
Fall 2008
Professors: Freddie Croce, Don Johnson
