Download - Architecture Portfolio - Conner Thackara
CONNER THACKARAPORTFOLIO
1
TABLEOFCONTENTS
HIGHLINE STAIRCASE
RAPTOR CENTER
HARRISON PATH STATION
NEWARK SCHOLARS RESIDENCE
NEWARK GRADUATE HOUSING
2
3-5
6-8
9-10
11-13
TABLEOFCONTENTS
HIGHLINE STAIRCASE
RAPTOR CENTER
HARRISON PATH STATION
NEWARK SCHOLARS RESIDENCE
NEWARK GRADUATE HOUSING
2-3
4-7
8-11
12-15
16-19
2
STA
CKI
NG
TILING
HIGHLINE STAIRCASE
GENERATIVE SHAPEDIAGRAM
PERSPECTIVE
The project was to be designed around the creation of a stair for the Highline in New York City, an old freight train railway. The railway was converted into a public park that is elevated above the streets of Manhattan. The challenge was to design a staircase that met the elevated park and connected to the sidewalk below.
My design intent was based on my observa-tions while walking along the Highline itself. The paths created left the user constantly changing directions and shifting perspec-tive along the pathways. I approached the project with the aim of creating those same perspective shifts as users are transferred from the ground to the 30’ high railway.
3
HIGHLINE STAIRCASE
N
PERSPECTIVE
TOP VIEW
To achieve the intended series of perspec-tive shifts I began to create a system of separate geometries that would come
together to create a single unit. A simple geometry was stacked and tiled, as well as
shifted and rotated to create a collection of stacked units.
The geometry used allowed the creation of hollowed out areas that could be occupied. This was done so that the stair could be used
not only as a medium for transportation but also as an occupiable structure. The path is created on the tops of these units and the
stairs are carved into them. The paths are bordered by green spaces creating more stopping spaces among the project. The
path constantly shifts directions as it directs to the next set of stairs.
As the users move along the path their views are not directed solely at their destination but rather the environment around them.
4
RAPTOR CENTERThis project was to create a raptor center in Rifl e Camp Park located in Little Falls, New Jersey. This project would be a rehabilitation center birds of prey, as well as a visitor center. The structure is situated within a natural ravine allowing for inter-action between different height levels.
The design approach I used was to give the visitors the same experience moving through the space that the recovering birds would go through as they recover. The basic form was derived from the combination and booleaning of 3 separate shapes; the cube, the rect-angle and the torus. The cube is represented by the exterior shell of the building which is large sheets of connected frosted glass. The glass diffuses the natural daylight, obscuring the outside world for the recovering birds’ safety.
The torus is interlocked into the cube to create a glass halo within the inner space that gives
a 360° view of both the exterior and interior. The torus would be centered around a growing tree within the building. The rectan-gular box frames a quarter of the torus as a cornerstone of the building and allows for exterior viewing on both sides of the building.
The visitors would enter the building via a path that leads underneath the exterior skin of the building. As they move through the building they progress upwards just as the birds recover their fl ight abilities. Ultimately, the visitors exit on the roof, which is connected direct-ly to the ravine’s cliff edge. The roof features a large glass aper-ture on the fl oor which allows for maximum light as well as giving the visitors a chance to look back at how they progressed through the space. The open roof symbolizes the birds fi nal freedom as they are released back into the open skies.
5
RAPTOR CENTER
PERSPECTIVE SECTION
PERSPECTIVE RENDERS
6
RAPTOR CENTER
PERSPECTIVE RENDER
1ST FLOOR PLAN
2ND FLOOR PLAN
ROOF PLAN
7
RAPTOR CENTER
PERSPECTIVE RENDER
EXPLODED ASSEMBLY
8
HARRISON PATH STATIONThe focus of this project was the creation of a PATH station on a pre-existing NJ transit track in Harrison, New Jersey. The station was required to connect the sidewalk level with the tracks, 35’ above. There was also a requirement that this station be built with a strong emphasis on masonry as a building material.
To start designing this station I fi rst looked at the material as a general subject. Brick being a dense and solid object, I aimed to play on those characteristics. I took a very basic rectangular masonry box form that can be stacked almost infi nitely up-wards, and ‘fl oated’ it. I raised the entire masonry structure up from the ground on a steel sup-port grid, to create a sense of levity in juxaposition to the ma-terial’s physical charictaristics.
Once this form and approach was set, I started to look at the bricks as not just walls, but indi-vidual pieces within the build-ing’s context. I started experi-menting with turning certain sets of bricks to provide gaps within this solid form, creating screen walls on the exterior to let in light and air.
The ground fl oor of the struc-ture has few walls, this is for the creation of an open air market or performance space to draw in pedestrians and commut-ers alike. The stair leads up into the masonry structure, running along the outer edge. The path is supported from the room via more steel structuring and even-tually leads to the platform. The roof’s core is removed to create an open skylight, allowing for maximum solar coverage of the open-air space on both levels.
9
HARRISON PATH STATION
SITE RENDER
PERSPECTIVE SECTION
10
HARRISON PATH STATION
EVERY O
THER CO
URSE
90° 90°
SCREEN WALL SECTION
SOLID ON FRAMEDIAGRAM
20’ x 20’ GRID LAYOUT
BRICK ROTATION
11
HARRISON PATH STATION
PERSPECTIVE RENDERS
12
NEWARK SCHOLARS RESIDENCEThis project was my fi rst venture into designing for public hous-ing. The project was to create an infi ll housing building that holds 6 private rooms, as well as a coffee shop and an event hall. The infi ll space has a large existing rear park area that would be open to residents of the building.
My design strategy was based on on-site observations. There was a very busy street on one side and an enclosed private park on the other, with the proposed building between the two. I attempted to create a connection of the two areas using my building. The building is a conduit between the man-made movement space (the street) and the organic stopping space (the park).
The design incorporated 2 dif-ferent types of connections; physical and visual. The physical connection was accomplished through compacting the build-ing and programming to one side of the site. This created a large hall-like space on one side
that invites the public from the street into the space and back to the organic area. This space is enclosed on the side by an interlocking wall that covers the blank side of the neighbor-ing building. This wall system blossoms into a screen wall of vertical wooden slats. These slats work to fi lter out the south-ern light while creating a visual aspect through shadows on the building itself. The interlocking screen wall creates overhead cover on an occupiable green roof.
Each of the six private rooms has a balcony that extends into this space so that the residents can share the experience of the open space. The visual connec-tions were created through the use of glass. From street level, there are multiple instances on the facade where passersby can catch glimpses all the way through to the organic space, without actually entering the building or physical connection space. The interlocking screen wall creates overhead cover on an occupiable green roof.
13
NEWARK SCHOLARS RESIDENCE
STREET RENDER
14
NEWARK SCHOLARS RESIDENCE
ORG
AN
IC S
TOPP
ING
SPA
CE M
AN
-MA
DE M
OV
EMEN
T PATH
CONNECTION MEDIUM
CONNECTION MEDIUM
SOLI
D SOLID
VIS
UAL
CO
NN
ECTIO
NVISUAL
CONNECTION
VISUAL AND PHYSICAL
CONNECTION
CONCEPT DIAGRAM
2ND FLOOR PLAN
FACADE CONNECTION DIAGRAM
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
15
NEWARK SCHOLARS RESIDENCE
3RD FLOOR PLAN
4TH FLOOR PLAN
PHYSICAL MODEL
PERSPECTIVE SECTION
16
NEWARK GRADUATE HOUSINGThis project was a single public housing building that was part of a larger city block redesign. The redesigned block was created by interlocking 2 sets of connected buildings with a large inner courtyard. The build-ing to be designed was located on the corner of the main en-trance to the inner courtyard.
I used the interlocking site strategy that was developed to determine the building’s form. I took a basic perimeter block building and interlocked a second cube geometry into the corner of the building. This cor-ner is the entrance to the larger site, making it very important for drawing visitors into to the site. I then carved space out of the top of the cube to create an occupiable open roof over the corner point.
The ground fl oor of the building is primarily commercial, includ-ing a cafe, bar and retail space. The residents have a private lobby in the rear of the build-
ing for easy access. The build-ing’s residential rooms consist of quad-unit, double-unit and single-unit typologies. The rooms are situated along a double-loaded corridor, where they meet the corner space, which is a double height common area. This common area starts at the second fl oor and continues through to the roof of the cube. A large piece is cut out of the roof and 3rd fl oor slab to create a light well that fl oods the large space with diffused light.
The envelope of the building includes extrusions at intervals that contain common areas for the rooms. The common rooms within the quad units and single units are extruded out and fully glazed to allow sight down both sides of the street. In contrast, the bedrooms within the quad units are recessed to give more privacy. This strategy yielded a system of extruded channels up the facade, broken up horizon-tally by the private spaces.
17
NEWARK GRADUATE HOUSING
STREET RENDER
18
NEWARK GRADUATE HOUSINGDWDWWO WO
DW
DW
WO
WO
FORM 1 FORM 2
INTERLOCK
SPACE CARVING
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
3RD FLOOR PLAN
4TH FLOOR PLAN
2ND FLOOR PLAN
FORM GENERATION
19
NEWARK GRADUATE HOUSING
QUAD PLANTYP.
SINGLE PLANTYP.
DOUBLE PLANTYP.
LIG
HT C
HAN
NEL
DOUBLE LOADED CORRIDOR
DOUBLE LOADED CORRIDOR LIG
HT C
HAN
NEL
EXTRUSION
SPACE CARVING
DIAGRAMTIC LAYOUT
ENVELOPE FORMATION
BACKGROUNDNEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY5-Year Bachelor of Architecture2011 - Present
DIGITAL MEDIAAdobe Creative Suite, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit,Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Inventor, Rhinoceros,Grasshopper, V-Ray, Microsoft Offi ce
MODEL MEDIAChipboard, Plexi, Foam, Wood, Laser Cutter
Two works (Newark Scholars Residence, Graduate Housing) selected by NJIT faculty for NAAB reaccreditation showcaseFall 2013
EDUCATION
AWARDS + HONORS
SKILLS
CONNER [email protected]
(908) 239-5764