ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIONICHOLE J. NORMANBachelor of Science in ArchitectureUniversity of Minnesota2011-2013Norma232@umn.edu

TRANSITIONAL SPACES MATERIALS AND FORMS

This studio required each student to design a path to connect the Cedar Riverside community in Minneapolis to the Cedar Avenue streetscape. Mainly composed of storefronts, Cedar Avenue seems somewhat secluded from the community housed in the complex behind.

A series of projects was done to stimulate ideas, urging students to analyze solid and void spacial relationships in the designed environment. First, each student was asked to photograph a sequenced path of his or her choice along the West Bank at the University of Minnesota. Then, these photos were analyzed and converted into small interconnecting cubes, each with two pieces representing the solid spaces and the void spaces found in each scene. Next, these cubes were laid onto a grid to create an abstract path. Finally, the path was interpreted and different materials were included to make a more cohesive design.

paths into a site model and employed a variety of materials to create a programmed path between these two spaces.

LINKThe site currently provides a link for a high volume of

Riverside community and Cedar Avenue. By creating a space above the site, this link could be preserved.

DIVIDETo provide for a moderately sized community room and an exterior gathering space, the mass was divided.

ELEVATE To prevent the site from seeming closed off to the public, the platform closest to the streetscape was elevated.

CONNECTAccess to the two platforms is provided with a large ramp, which also functions as public restrooms and as structural support.

PROGRAMOur transitional space was to include two main programmatic elements. Since it is a space to connect a large community to a main arterial roadway, one major project objective was to provide a public gathering space as well as a community space that could be conditioned from the harsh winters and hot summers of Minnesota.

CONDITIONStructure was added to the lower platform to allow for conditioning of the community room and the gathering space was extended.

SUPPORTAn elevator shaft was added to provide ADA accessibility to the community space. It also supports the community room structurally.

CONNECTA sitting ledge with a planter was added for more individualized use of the space.

main materials, bristol board and plaster. The plaster base supports two structures made of bristol board and basswood.

MATERIALITY

SEWARD COMMUNITY CO-OP MATERIALS ASSEMBLY STUDYThis project was done in collaboration with Angie Pederson. This is a precedent study of the Seward Community Co-

in Minneapolis. Designed by Close Associates of Minneapolis, this building is an amazing example of how a building designed for a community can also function for the environment.

The purpose of this project was to investigate how buildings are assembled. We were instructed to examine four main attributes to the building: how it turns a corner, meets the sky, meets the ground and forms an opening.

Detail: Forming an Opening Detail: Meeting the Ground Detail: Turning a Corner Wall Section

CARD CANTILEVERDIAGRAMMING STUDYThis project was done in collaboration with Kimbery Sleider. This project was intended as a critical thinking problem which helped us to develop our graphic representation skills using diagrams.

With only a deck of cards, an eighteen inch cantilever was constructed and attached to the handrail at Rapson Hall. It was capable of supporting the weight of a tennis ball at its full length. Next, using photographs and Illustrator, a drawing was done of the base that connected the cantilever to the handrail and provided the majority of the support needed to hold the tennis ball up. Finally, an IKEA style diagram was created,

base of the cantilever.

[K]NOT ARCHITECTUREWORKING ITERATIVELY

behind this project. Each student was asked to choose a knot and study the steps needed to create it. I was interested in the Alpine

knot that can sustain its strength when pulled from any direction.

After closely examining the knot, each student was asked to create an abstract wire model of his/her chosen knot. Once this was done, these wire models were abstracted into massing models. After many iterations, these massing models became habitable spaces.

The solid and void spaces of these massing models was then reversed, and more habitable spaces were created.

LINEAR PARK ON THE GREENWAYDESIGN PROJECT

This project was done in collaboration with Mariah Hogoboom. This studio focused on creating a linear park within Minneapolis! Midtown Greenway that would invite pedestrians from surrounding neighborhoods to engage with nature, recreation, art and leisure.

The Midtown Greenway is a 5.5 mile long trail that currently acts as a bike path that spans from the Chain of Lakes in Uptown to paths along the Mississippi River in South Minneapolis. To bring more pedestrians down to the Greenway, a boardwalk was designed to draw people into the park. This boardwalk contains many different programmatic elements such as seating areas, enclosed structures for restrooms, gardens, art displays, and large learning facilities open to the public.

There are four large programmed structures contained within the boardwalk. With the Walker Art Center as a prospective client, a public art studio and a teen resource

organization, Tree Trust, as a second prospective client, a greenhouse and garden area was designed. Last, a small cafe and pavilion was also designed to connect recreation facilities already found along the Greenway.

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SITE PLAN

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LANGUAGE

A project on such a large site required a certain discipline. To acquire this discipline, my partner and I developed a language

curves were designed to keep the boardwalk from becoming too winding. A language was developed for signage and structures became tucked underneath the boardwalk,

to be used. Seating areas and entrances began to grow almost organically from the boardwalk using these same techniques.

SHAPING THE BOARDWALK

EXAMPLESBOARDWALK STAPLES

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SITE MODELThis site model was constructed to display the “Art Quarter” of the Greenway. Stretching from Bryant Avenue to Grand Avenue,

buildings. First, between Bryant Avenue and Aldrich Avenue, rising slightly from the boardwalk with a rooftop terrace, is a public art studio. Next, between Harriet Avenue and Grand Avenue, is the Walker Art Teen Resource Center, which would include a

studio spaces for students. Along this entire stretch, a sculpture garden and art displays would be found on and around the boardwalk.

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WALKER ART TEEN RESOURCE CENTER

Teaming up with the Walker Art Center as a prospective client, we designed the Walker Art Teen Resource Center. Located in the Art Quarter of the linear park, this center would provide a space for students to go to study as well as engage themselves in artistic endeavors. It hovers over the Greenway,

library, computer lab, and tutor room and art studio. The boardwalk splits at this location to continue at ground level as well for those who do not wish to stop.

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PUBLIC ART STUDIO

The Walker Art Center Teen Arts Council (WACTAC) would maintain the art studio. The studio is a place for art making with a gallery space for art display. The council would be in charge of the art along the Walker “Art Quarter” between the resource center and the art studio. This will give the group a place to display their art and bring creativity to the boardwalk.

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THE TREE TRUST GREENHOUSE

The greenhouse, ecology lab, and the Tree Trust!s amenities are located in designed wetlands. The ecology lab and greenhouse are to be used as an education center to teach about the vegetation and bioremediation strategies taking place in the wetlands. This greenhouse can be used to grow plants that will eventually be planted in the Midtown Greenway. The Tree Trust amenities are programmed into this building as a place for the organization to use as storage and allow them to have on-site access to water.

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THE MIDTOWN GREENWAY CAFE AND EQUIPMENT RENTAL

The equipment shop is maintained by the Midtown Greenway Coalition to draw families down to the park by supplying sporting equipment such as soccer balls, frisbees, and rollerblades. These items can be rented at this location and are to be used within the designated recreation areas along the Midtown Greenway. There is a cafe connected to the rental shop as a place for parents to spend

skating arena that can be used over the winter as an ice arena. The multi-purpose arena is tied into the boardwalk by a pavilion that follows the rules of the “boardwalk staples”.

Plans

CafePavilion

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LOWERTOWN LIVE/WORK APARTMENTSFINAL DESIGN PROJECT

This studio emphasized the relationship between the spacial complexities of the interior of a Live/Work dwelling unit and the exterior of a large scale building as it relates to its site in a large urban environment.

Research was done into the history of Live/Work residences as this is an age old idea found in ancient ruins. Successful modern examples of live/work dwellings were examined in terms of their sites as well as tectonic elements within each dwelling.

Next a site was chosen and its surroundings were examined. We were asked to create site proposals based on how forces were

site. Once this was complete, buildings began emerging on the site and eventually individual dwelling units were designed based off of our observations of this area.

SITE LOCATION

The proposed site for our live/work residential project was located on the southern edge of Lowertown St Paul. With three edges created by the Lafayette Bridge, Kellogg Blvd, and Broadway St, the southernmost

a large promenade supporting a raised parking lot for the surrounding businesses. These boundaries create quite an interesting shape, which leads to a number of opportunities as well as restrictions for the design of the project.

SITE OBSERVATIONS

This site is walking distance from Mears Park, a very popular green space

on weekends and provides the surrounding community with fresh, locally grown produce, as well as other foodstuffs and products created by local vendors. Another nearby attraction is Union Station, which acts as both a major transportation hub, including a stop for the new Light Rail, and event venue for the area, hosting various events such as concerts, community yoga, dining events, and private events. This neighborhood is also the location that has been chosen for the new Lowertown Ballpark, which will house the St. Paul Saints. The angle of the site can also provide spectacular views of downtown St Paul.

View of Downtown St Paul

SITE OBJECTIVES

Kellogg Blvd and Broadway St. The new ballpark would also have a lot of

between the buildings on the opposite side of Kellogg. With this in mind, I created a building footprint that would essentially absorb people coming down through these areas and bring them into the space, allowing them to view what residents of the complex are working on. I also tried to maximize the possibility of the apartment units having a good view of downtown by

a hidden parking lot behind the building and a green space and sculpture garden that would draw passersby into the space.

GREEN SPACE & SCULPTURE GARDEN

PARKING

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Early Site Proposal

Final Site Proposal

DESIGN OBJECTIVES

Live/work dwellings are spaces that function as both habitable space as well as separate spaces to work in. With the artist in mind as my main target occupant, I aimed to create a building that would provide space for the residents to display their work

commercial spaces that could include restaurants and shops or gallery spaces that could be leased by the artists living

houses a grand staircase as well as elevators for visitors and residents to reach the loft apartments above.

Ground Floor

Floors 2 and 4 Floors 3 and 5

Typical Section

Elevation

The apartments are all one bedroom lofts with the work space located

the elevators in the main circulation area. Work spaces have their own entrance and can be blocked off from the rest of the apartment. This allows artists their own entrance for customers, while their private entrance to the

building can be reached by residents by private entrances on the ends of

With the kitchen, living room and bathroom located on the

and friends without letting them encroach into their personal space. The bedroom and work space are both located up in the loft. Each work space would include a retractable wall to provide privacy to the rest of the apartment during business hours, if wanted. The work space includes an entire wall of glazing to provide maximum lighting to this area and extends out past the rest of the apartment. This creates a hierarchy in the facade that reveals work spaces to passersby on the street, helping to draw people into the building as these work spaces can double as gallery spaces to display residents! work.

First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan

View of work space from customer!s entrance

UNIT MODEL

This model was constructed to display the spacial relationship of the working space in the loft as it relates to the living spaces below. It is pictured without the front wall to fully show the spacial complexity found in the unit. It also served to explore the materiality of the exterior.

BUILDING MODEL

This model was constructed to illustrate the arrangement of the units as they relate to the building as a whole. It includes the central circulation space, which would provide

access to their living spaces.

WORK EXAMPLESINTERNSHIP AT TKDA

In January of 2015, I accepted a contract position at TKDA as an architectural technician and intern. I worked mainly under Terry Olsen on a variety of projects for clients such as Metro Transit, Hennepin County, St. Paul College and 3M.

Most of my work at TKDA consisted of creating professional CAD drawings throughout the design process ranging from the design development phase, to

record drawings once projects had been completed.

I also worked a lot in the design development phase on tasks such as code research, product research, material selection, cost

gained very valuable experience throughout my time at TKDA and am very eager to continue to learn and grow as a professional.