christine adler 2016 portfolio

CA

MALLETJOINERY

INDIVIDUAL TEA HOUSECOLLABORATIVE TEA HOUSE

TURA HOTELWESTERN CAMPUS: BLURRING BOUNDARIES

URBAN DESIGN

JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE

CRAFT

EXPERIENTIALEXPLORATIONS OF HEALTH

HAND DRAFTINGPHOTOGRAPHY

T U R A H O T E LHaving redesigned an abandoned steel mill to be an extension of the town of Esch-Sur-Alzette in the south of Luxembourg, an interior design student and I designed a hotel in the center of the urban fabric to bring light and life to the new town center. Looking to the mill for inspiration, we designed a building that uses its natural surroundings to create an interior environment that is visually ever-changing and engaging. As part of the project, I designed the double-skinned facade that wrapped the structure, as well as a panel system to filter light into the hallway spaces to create visual interest within.

SOUTH ELEVATION WEST ELEVATION

INTERIOR HALLWAY PERSPECTIVE

FACADE HALLWAY SECTION DIAGRAMS

DOUBLE SKIN FACADE CONSTRUCTION DETAIL FACADE PANEL DETAIL

INTERIOR HALLWAY PERSPECTIVE

B L U R R I N G B O U N D A R I E SThe goal of this project was to design a new dormitory on Miami University’s western campus where the current band field is, while also creating four artist residences and a gallery space for them to perform and display their work, with full library and lecture spaces for students. My partner and I bridged the formal main campus with the organic western campus by creating a filter through the four artist studio residencies. In order to keep the natural beauty of western campus, we embedded the dormitory into the hillside, giving stunning views into the tree canopies and creating a natural promenade along the edges of the field. The Artist’s gallery is located underground with a sculptural glass entrance at ground level.

UNDERGROUND ART GALLERY PLAN RESIDENTIAL STUDIO PLANS

Blurring Boundaries

Two different sides of the same campus, one rigid and structured, the other flowing with the natural landscape, merge together with a bridge that blurs the lines between formality and informality. This merging of

sides respects the existing contours of the site while integrating the stylistic nature of each campus.

As part of the design process for the tea house we were asked to design a hand mallet using Japanese tools and techniques. We were meant to use this in the next phase of the project to build our Japanese joinery, literally building the tool we would use to create the next project. I hoped to capture comfort and reliability in my design while also bringing out the natural beauty in the material used to build it.

J A P A N E S E M A L L E T

J A P A N E S EJ O I N E R YAfter completing the hand mallet project we were tasked with designing two joint connections in the Japanse style: one that was column to beam and one that was base to column, both of which were to be based off of an instance in nature and influenced by The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo. I chose to base my joinery off of stone weathered over the years by acid rain. The channels forged in the stone by years of weathering influenced my design through its negative space and its impressions of strength and endurance.

I N D I V I D U A L T E A H O U S E

The penultimate phase of our Japanese project series was to design a tea house for the Frank Lloyd Wright Westcott House Foundation. For my individual design I chose to focus on the lighting experience within the space, intending it to feel warm and inviting, as well as have an open floor plan to provide a sense of equality. The brazier is at the heart of the space with floor seating surrounding it, making the educational ritual of the space to be akin to that of sitting around a campfire. When gathering around a fire in a circle there is a sense of equality, camaraderie, and openness to the communication that helps to further the equal exchange of ideas.

C O L L A B O R AT I V ET E A H O U S E The final phase of our Japanese tea house study was to join with two other students in the studio to combine the essences of our individual designs into one solid concept. Our final design created a space that humbles the occupant, confining them as they enter, only to release them into an open space that appears to hover above a plinth filled with collected rain water. The main space can be customized to the occupants’ needs through a folding wall that can subdivide the space to accommodate an individual as well as a small group.

E X P L O R A T I O N SI N H E A L T HFor this project I was tasked with turning a word into an architectural space, beginning first with a two dimensional expression of the word, moving on to a three dimensional representation, and then to an architectural interpretation. In this expression, health is encompassing, enveloping, and healing. It is a space in which the occupant can rest in safety and peace from the exterior elements and forces acting upon them. This expression of health is also playful and adventurous, leading the occupant to explore not only the space, but themselves within the space.

H A N DD R A F T I N G

PHOTOGRAPHY

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