kevin ford portfolio
DESCRIPTION
A showing of my work from 2007-2012.TRANSCRIPT
KEVIN FORD
architecture portfolio
KF
ILLIN
OIS
IN
STIT
UTE
OF T
EC
HN
OLO
GY
. B
.AR
CH
. 2
007 -
2012
ACADEMIC WORK
seoul education tower
Stage 1:
layering large void with
program blocks
Stage 2:
abstracted atrium vs.
program
Stage 3:
sky terraces considered,
general form refined
Stage 4:
sectional space properties
investigated
Stage 5:
overall building form and
program worked out
After spending 10 days in Seoul, South Korea in
January 2011, our two-person studio team learned
of Korea’s daunting, and in some ways inhibiting
form of primary education. Our solution was to
design a vertical, K-12 Western style school
located in the Seoul Forest area of the city. The
building’s formal and programmatic gestures are a
direct response into our investigation of how an
educational system can be weaved into a high-rise
typology.
60492712 of high schools admit to inflating grades
of South Korean parents want to send
their children abroad for school.
of South Korean teachers have admitted
to accepting bribes.
of parents want to send their children
away from Korea as early as elementary
school
60%
49%
27%
12%
The building is raised on top of an undulating
grass-topped podium underneath of which is the
building lobby and the school theatre. Pedestrians
on the street are allowed to pass under the podium
to traverse through the site on their way to and
from Seoul Forest. The typical floor plan of the
tower pushes the classrooms to the exterior, thus
allowing the central spaces to act as large atriums
meant for congregating. The classrooms shift back
and forth in plan to evoke the playfulness of a child.
building lobby
school theatre
Second Grade Atrium High School Atrium
The tower stands tall within the context of the greater part of Seoul Forest, but it
also tries to do so in a way which is playful, energetic and inviting. The area is
home to a large mix of both high-rises and low-rises and for this reason the
building breaks up it’s tall vertical form into blocks which are more correctly
scaled with the surrounding community.
The series of large, central atriums which run up both sides of the building allow
for dramatic views out to the skyline of Seoul and function as a place of play for
the younger students, and as a place of interchange and socializing for the older
students.
SPACE + MATERIALITYSPACE + MATERIALITYThis studio focused primarily on
the creation and modulation of
space using a design vocabulary
which put heavy weight into the
concept of phenomenal transpar-
ency. Physical models were used
throughout as a way to experiment
and test ideas.
Colin Rowe and his writings on Le
Corbusier’s Villa Stein were used
as a point of departure into the
rest of the project.
Modern abstract and impressionis-
tic art was used as a source of
inspiration to delve into a pro-
cess which focused on the grid,
materiality, proportion, volume,
light and transparency.
The three level floor plan is
composed on a 10’ x 10’ grid with
columns spaced equally in both
directions at distances of 20’.
The floor plates layer and overlap
one another to create a variety of
unique spatial conditions.
The program of the building con-
sists of a small personal art
gallery on the eastern side of the
building, shielding the public
from the private home and studio
located on the western side of the
site.
Third Floor Plan Second Floor Plan First Floor Plan
PH
EN
OM
EN
ALT
RA
NS
PA
RE
NC
YP
HE
NO
ME
NA
LP
HE
NO
ME
NA
L
PH
EN
OM
EN
AL
The sectional properties of the
project help to create an envi-
ronment of flowing space
throughout the work areas, gal-
leries and living spaces.
Color is used selectively, as
are pieces of contemporary art,
to serve as highlights within
the otherwise purely white envi-
ronment.
Vertical circulation is handled
by way of a series of floating
staircases positioned so as to
maximize their dramatic charac-
ter.
The sectional properties of the
project help to create an envi
ronment of flowing space
throughout the work areas, gal
leries and living spaces.
Color is used selectively, as
are pieces of contemporary art,
to serve as highlights within
the otherwise purely white envi
ronment.
Vertical circulation is handled
by way of a series of floating
staircases positioned so as to
maximize their dramatic charac
ter.
MONTESSORIBLOOMINGDALE
THIS MONTESSORI SCHOOL, LOCATED IN
THE DENSE URBAN CHICAGO NEIGHBOR
HOOD OF WICKER PARK, IS ESSENTIALLY A
STUDY OF HOW A CONCEPTUAL IDEA OF
LEARNING CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO A
SPATIAL EXPERIENCE WHICH IS CONDUCIVE
TO BOTH LEARNING AND TEACHING.
THE CONCEPT CAME FROM THE IDEA THAT
BEHIND A LARGE AMOUNT OF PERSONAL
FREEDOM IN WHICH MONTESSORI STUDENTS
ARE ALLOWED TO PARTAKE, A VERY STRUC
TURED AND ORDERED SYSTEM IS NEEDED IN
THE BACKGROUND TO ALLOW THIS FREEDOM
TO HAPPEN.
BLOOMING
THIS MONTESSORI SCHOOL, LOCATED IN
THE DENSE URBAN CHICAGO NEIGHBOR-
HOOD OF WICKER PARK, IS ESSENTIALLY A
STUDY OF HOW A CONCEPTUAL IDEA OF
LEARNING CAN BE TRANSLATED INTO A
SPATIAL EXPERIENCE WHICH IS CONDUCIVE
TO BOTH LEARNING AND TEACHING.
THE CONCEPT CAME FROM THE IDEA THAT
BEHIND A LARGE AMOUNT OF PERSONAL
FREEDOM IN WHICH MONTESSORI STUDENTS
ARE ALLOWED TO PARTAKE, A VERY STRUC-
TURED AND ORDERED SYSTEM IS NEEDED IN
THE BACKGROUND TO ALLOW THIS FREEDOM
BLOOMING
AN EDGE OF THE SITE RUNS
PARALLEL TO THE BLOOM-
INGDALE TRAIL, AND A LARGE
PART OF THE DESIGN PROB-
LEM WAS LOOKING AT HOW TO
INTEGRATE THE TRAIL WITH
THE BUILDING, EITHER PHYSI-
CALLY OR METAPHORICALLY.
SPATIALLY, WITHIN THE CON-
FINES OF THE BUILDING
PROPER, AN EXPLORATION
WAS MADE INTO HOW SPACE
CAN BE CREATED USING AN
ORDERED SYSTEM. THIS HAP-
PENED THROUGH THE USE OF
‘RIBBONS’ WHICH CUT
THROUGH THE SITE VERTI-
CALLY AND HORIZONTALLY
AND CONSISTED OF WALL,
ROOF, AND FLOOR ELEMENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, THE RIBBONS
SHIFTED AND FLIPPED UPSIDE
DOWN ACCORDING TO PRO-
GRAMMATIC OR SPATIAL
NEEDS.
TOP: STAIR DETAIL
RIGHT: ENTRY WAY
UP: EXTERIOR OVERHANG
ROWING: THE ESSENTIAL MOTIONROWING: THE ESSENTIAL MOTION
This 20,000 sf boathouse, located in the Ravenswood neighbor-
hood of Chicago is to be the primary home for the Lincoln Park
Boat Club, whose mission is to provide boats, classes and shelter
for recreational and competitive rowing, sculling and paddling.
The site is located adjacent to the north branch of the Chicago
river and lies on a quiet residential street. The surrounding neigh-
borhood is made up mostly of two to three story brick row
houses.
Through investigations into the sport of rowing, as well as material
and programmatic investigations, a solution was conceived which
is sensitive to both the building’s function and it’s site, as well as
symbollic of the sport itself.
ROWING: THE ESSENTIAL MOTION
This three-bedroom, two bath summer home
on the shores of Lake Michigan takes ad-
vantage of its lakefront location and
utilizes a strategy which welcomes the
site into the home. The interior spaces
wrap around an open courtyard which helps
light puncture throughout all areas of the
house, and helps to serve as a visual
focal point. The construction method is
timber frame and curtain walls are used
throughout to help bring the surrounding
environment into the home.
SPACE + MATERIALITY:
(RESTRUCTURED)
The grid has been lifted
off the ground plane to
become floating struc-
ture. In this rethinking
of the Space + Material-
ity project, the scale
has been increased to
provide for universal
space for an artist’s
pavillion. The theme
continues to be an
exploration of phenom-
enally transparent
space, except now it has
been restrutured to
provide for a simple
glass cube and outdoor
pavillion topped by a
three-dimensional truss
system overhead. The
space on the ground
plane is broken up and
enriched by a series of
undulating parametric
wall systems which add a
sense of vibrancy
through form and color.
FREE INTERIOR SPACE
PARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATIONPARAMETRIC UNDULATION
PERSONAL WORK
SPATIAL COMPOSITION STUDY
This study attempts to create a system of spatial moves
in which a dynamic composition can be formed from a kit
of very ordered parts. A simple four-column, four-beam
square bay is used as a starting point from which floors
are added at varying heights, stairs are introduced,
partitions appear, and the bays themselves begin to be
manipulated into a whole which is very expressive in
character.
take piece out of bay insert lower section add stairs
lift up sectionally / disrupt rotate bays horizontally cut bay diagonally
add partitions voids into partition entire composition
CHARACTER OF A VIEW
ONE COULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT A VIEW IS THE
MOST APPRECIATED CHARACTERISTIC OF ARCHITECTURE. A
GREAT VIEW, HOWEVER, CAN BE SHAPED BY MORE THAN
JUST WHAT’S OUTSIDE.
THIS STUDY BEGINS TO FOCUS ON SOMETHING WHICH HAS
HELD A LONG STANDING INTEREST FOR ME; NAMELY, HOW
THE CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM OF A CURTAIN WALL, AS WELL
AS THE PRESENCE OF ANY PARTITIONS, OR LACK THEREOF,
CAN AFFECT THE PERCEPTION AND APPRECIATION OF A
GREAT VIEW.
+ All cities are made up of sub-regions and while it has been discussed by Simmel and others how the metropolis as a whole tends
ferent fragments, or regions as I will generally call them, of a city can affect an individual’s mindset and can help reinforce
Every city or metropolitan area is composed of different regions, whether we label them as neighborhoods, burroughs, villages,
its own which distinctly separates it from other regions within the city. This is, of course, a common fact and is one of the h
desirable places to live by so many people.
If we are to look at a particular region in a city and begin to understand what distinguishes it and makes it unique from other
one other. Important characteristics such as the history of an area, its cultural offerings, its local cuisine and culinary off
life as well as a whole host of other factors all play in to give a region what I call its character.
Some parts, or regions, of a city have stronger characters than others and this is usually due to the level of strength and int
a major historical role throughout the life of a city will generally have a highly developed and unique character. Some regions
greater character of the city as a whole.
URBAN CHARACTEER AND
MENTAL IIMAGE
An example of this could be the Wrigleyville neighborhood located on the north side of Chicago. It could easily be argued that
status as the home of famous Wrigely Field sets it up as a caricature of sorts for the city in many people’s minds.
Different regions of a city make up its cultural fabric, but they also tend to play a very large role in affecting the mental f
individual in a city has a favorite area within that city, and this preference in area usually corresponds in a very personal a
clarify that when I say self image I am not referring to someone’s conception of their own self worth but rather to the view th
oftentimes based on career choices and personal interests. I care to argue in this essay that the degree to which someone enjoy
character of that region reinforces this self image.
People by nature are able to enjoy a wide variety of activities and are thus able to usually see at least a part of themselves
someone is immersed in that favorite place (region), their minds, in a subtle but strong and very perceptible fashion, flood th
ite self image. As an example, a person with an artistically leaning personality might generally enjoy taking in the sights, so
There is nothing new or radical in what I am proposing here, but rather my intention is to try and help uncover some of the com
could help architects and urban designers better tap into the emotional well of the people who set foot in their spaces.
All cities are made up of sub-regions and while it has been discussed by Simmel and others how the metropolis as a whole tends to affect the mental life of an individual, I would like to investigate how dif-
ferent fragments, or regions as I will generally call them, of a city can affect an individual’s mindset and can help reinforce self images that one has of themselves.
Every city or metropolitan area is composed of different regions, whether we label them as neighborhoods, burroughs, villages, districts or what have you, and each region tends to posses a unique character all
its own which distinctly separates it from other regions within the city. This is, of course, a common fact and is one of the hallmarks of any major city. It is also one reason why cities are deemed as such
If we are to look at a particular region in a city and begin to understand what distinguishes it and makes it unique from other regions, we will find a wealth of factors at play which overlap and interact with
one other. Important characteristics such as the history of an area, its cultural offerings, its local cuisine and culinary offerings, its architecture, the socioeconomic status of its inhabitants, its street
life as well as a whole host of other factors all play in to give a region what I call its character.
Some parts, or regions, of a city have stronger characters than others and this is usually due to the level of strength and intensity with which its character is apparent. In addition, a region which has played
a major historical role throughout the life of a city will generally have a highly developed and unique character. Some regions have a character which is so strong they tend to make up a large chunk of the
An example of this could be the Wrigleyville neighborhood located on the north side of Chicago. It could easily be argued that while this area represents only a small fraction of the City of Chicago, its iconic
status as the home of famous Wrigely Field sets it up as a caricature of sorts for the city in many people’s minds.
Different regions of a city make up its cultural fabric, but they also tend to play a very large role in affecting the mental framework of both their inhabitants and visitors alike. In a similar view, each
individual in a city has a favorite area within that city, and this preference in area usually corresponds in a very personal and tightly-knit way with that person’s preferred self-image of themselves. I must
clarify that when I say self image I am not referring to someone’s conception of their own self worth but rather to the view they have of themselves in relation to their role in society, factors which are
oftentimes based on career choices and personal interests. I care to argue in this essay that the degree to which someone enjoys being in a certain region of a city is directly proportional to how strongly the
People by nature are able to enjoy a wide variety of activities and are thus able to usually see at least a part of themselves in nearly every region of a city. Everyone has a favorite place, however, and when
someone is immersed in that favorite place (region), their minds, in a subtle but strong and very perceptible fashion, flood their heads with images which have the pleasurable effect of reinforcing that favor-
ite self image. As an example, a person with an artistically leaning personality might generally enjoy taking in the sights, sounds and smells of a bohemian area more than they would a financial district.
There is nothing new or radical in what I am proposing here, but rather my intention is to try and help uncover some of the complex mental processes which lie behind such preferences. Knowledge such as this
could help architects and urban designers better tap into the emotional well of the people who set foot in their spaces.
kevin
ford
. 7
73-3
04-7
755
. k
ford
51
3@
gm
ail.
co
m .
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