DESIGN PORTFOLIO

Landon Carpenter

Architecture

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Obscura House

Double Wall House

Ocular Architecture

Pop Up Inflatable

Drawing

Modeling

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16

26

36

44

54

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OBSCURA HOUSE

There is an incongruity between how our minds

piece together visual information into a coherent

model against the physical attributes of that same

object. In Obscura House, single vantage points

collapse incoherent visual information into legible

scenes. The surrounding environment of the build-

ing is fragmented into drastically different scales

that render it indecipherable. For instance, the

trees may exist at a normal scale while a water fall

exists at the scale of a puddle, but when the view is

collapsed into the single vantage point, the puddle

is now rendered at the scale of a massive waterfall.

Each single vantage point in the building takes the

form of a camera obscura, only at the scale of a

large room where the image is projected onto the

back wall.

The building operates as a photography center and

headquarters for the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club

greatly advocated for the production of nature

photography such as the work of Ansel Adams as

a means of promoting conservation. Within the

building there are studios and darkrooms for edu-

cational use, offices for Sierra Club operations, and

a large gallery for exhibitions.

“I’ve finally figured out what’s wrong with photog-

raphy. It’s a one-eyed man looking through a little

‘ole. Now, how much reality can there be in that?”

-David Hockney

Georg Friedrich Brander

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The project is located in northern Ann Arbor

between the Huron River and train tracks.

Environments from three locations in Mich-

igan were selected to be recreated on the

site: Tahquamenon Falls, the Turnip Rock,

and Silver Lake Sand Dunes. In order to be

modeled on the site these environments

were first designed through collage to cre-

ate new scenes. An important step was to

first create the image of the environments,

as this would dictate how they would be de-

signed on the site

SITE

10 11

Render Inside Room Obscura

First Floor Plan

Building Model

12 13

After the image of each environment was created, the

images were then placed on the back wall of three large

room obscuras within the building. Lines were projected

from the image through the center of the opposite wall,

and out into the site. These lines projected in space dictat-

ed where each component of the picture could be placed-

into the site while maintaining the image on the wall. This

meant that certain objects could be placed far out into

space at large scales, while other objects could be placed

close to the rooms but at a very small scale, all while

preserving the same image. The order of this process was

conceptually important. Images are a construct that do

not mirror the world. They come imbedded with ideologies

that try to produce a new world. As a result, the image

does not record the environment but dictates it.

SECTION

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The installation is exhibited on the third floor

gallery space. Gabled structures are built out of

acrylic which house large images of disjointed

environments that zigzag through the transpar-

ent structures.

INSTALLATION

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DOUBLE WALL HOUSE

Double Wall House is a proposal for a small fami-

ly home located in northern Ann Arbor. The design

is a compact home which feels spacious yet every

aspect is in favor of passive heating and cooling.

Instead of hallways between rooms, all circulation

is pushed to the exterior of the building forming a

continous corridor between the exterior wall and

the interior space. This corridor is conceptually

imagined to be the interior space of one thick wall

that the user can occupy.

“If anything is described by an architectural plan,

it is the nature of human relationships, since the

elements whose trace it records-walls, doors, win-

dows and stairs-are employed first to divide and

then selectivley re-unite inhabited space”

-Robin Evans

Figures, Doors and Passages 1978

Great Zimbabwe

DN

UP

DN

UP

DN

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CONCEPT

The Double Wall House utilizes the space of circula-

tion as a means of conserving energy in a residential

home. It is a compact structure that implements the

strategy of a double exterior wall. The entire living

space is wrapped in a 3’ -6” corridor that acts as

an additional layer of insulation between the two

exterior walls, creating an additional buffer to the

outside air. In order to maintain a comfortable tem-

perature, thick walls of concrete and rigid insulation

form an airtight seal with large tripleglazed win-

dows. The outer exterior wall is 1’ thick construction

comprised of concrete with 4.5” of Thermax Rigid

Insulation, and the inner exterior wall is a similar

concrete construction with but with 1.5” of Thermax

Rigid Insulation. The space trapped between these

two exterior walls is designed to maximize solar

heat gain in order to passively heat this space. Heat

gained from this design strategy acts as an extra

layer of insulation from the unconditioned outside

air, as well as a primary heat supply for the active

heat pump system. All of this is implemented and

contained within the double exterior wall strategy.

The roof on the south façade is extruded to create a

large overhang for shading. In the summer months

sun rays will be obstructed by this overhang while

still allowing the sun to penetrate in the winter

months. Sunlight penetrating the south façade in

the winter months will contribute to solar heat gain

in the corridor space through implementing triple

glazed windows. The few concrete walls scattered

behind the glass façade will absorb the suns heat

and release it during the nighttime to aid in passive

heating.

Diagramitic Floor Plans

DN

UP

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CONCEPT

Design strategy began with the conception of a

compact space that maximized usable area while

maintaining a sense of privacy amongst inhabitants.

As a result, all living space is pushed to the inside of

the exterior walls, forcing circulation to take place

only within the corridor trapped between the two

exterior walls. Materiality of concrete on both the in-

side and outside of the exterior walls was an import-

ant factor to maintain in the design process. When

inside this corridor the user is sandwiched between

the concrete, creating an experience of circulating

within one giant wall. This system of circulation

creates a greater sense of privacy between rooms

that share walls. The user must circumambulate the

perimeter of the structure, increasing the distance

traveled between rooms, thus constructing a sense

of distance and privacy amongst shared walls. The

implementation of a large glass façade increases

perceived distance within the structure and conse-

quently makes the interior feel more spacious.

The addition of a pit in the living room gives

inhabitants an alternative space for

lounging while still maintaining visual

access of the entire first floor.

Initial Sketches

First Floor Plan

Longitudinal Section

22 23

The orientation of a large glass

south façade played a crucial role in

developing passive design strategies.

Trees on the site are placed at a 45

degree angle to the façade to ensure

that maximum sunlight penetrates

into the structure. Deciduous trees

were planted around the west and

east facades as a shading strategy.

In the summer months these trees

would retain their leaves and shade

the facades, while in the winter

months they would shed their leaves

and allow more light to penetrate

inside the structure, thus increasing

solar heat gain.

SOUTH ELEVATIONPERSPECTIVE LINEWORK RENDER

SITE

06/211200 HR26°ANGLE

12/211200 HR70°ANGLE

DN

Cross Section

Second Floor plan

Window Section Detail

Wall Section Detail

Parapet Detail

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OCULAR ARCHITECTURE

Ocular Architecture is study of forced perspectives

in architecture. The building performs as an out-

post high in the mountains at a ski resort. Users

come to the outpost seeking a place to rest after

rock climbing or skiing. The outpost houses pro-

grams such as a café and retail space, but users

are encouraged to spend time relaxing in the circu-

lation space between programs. The organization

of the structure is centered around a series of ta-

pered tubes that tilt within a rectangular frame.

The resulting poche space performs as needed pro-

gram. The end result is a structure that from the

outside functions as an optical device but on the

inside performs as architecture.

“I don’t mistrust reality, of which I know next to

nothing. I mistrust the picture of reality conveyed

to us by our senses, which is imperfect and cir-

cumscribed.”

-Gerhard Richter

Interview with Rolf Schön, 1972

Palazzo Spada

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In one point perspective all visible lines con-

verge to a single point. This basic principle

allows one to understand how forced perspec-

tives are accomplished. When looking through

a tube with symmetrical sides it will appear

that the lines in the corners of the tube con-

verge at an imaginary point in space, creating

depth. Forcing lines to converge sooner creates

the perception of greater depth, which visually

makes the tubes appear longer. The outpost

uses these geometries to frame the surround-

ing landscape. Suddenly, the close mountain

peaks appear miles away and the user is isolat-

ed high above ground.

FORCED PERSPECTIVE

Conceptual Model

Planar Model

Forced Perspective Diagram

Distancing Effect Promixity Effect

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MODEL DETAIL

Southwest Corner

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Program exists in the poche trapped between the intersecting tubes.

These poche spaces have no access to natural light. Thus the tapered

voids cutting through the main volume are the only spaces receiving

natural light. This intentionally persuades subjects to not linger in poche

spaces, creating an environment where skiiers and rock climbers hang

out in these voided tubes. Circulation space no longer performs as an

area of movement but as a relaxation space, encouraging an environ-

ment of off chance or unexpected interactions between users.

CUT OUT MODEL

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First Floor Second Floor Third Floor

Axonometric Diagram

Real Image

Percieved Image

Render Inside Tube

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POP UP INFLATABLE

In the contemporary landscape, program is created

to make space for capital transactions. Advertis-

ing image building signals need for business spaces

rather than addressing the preexisting needs of

the community. Temporary architecture can fill this

void by creating spaces for programs other than

capital transactions since they require little mone-

tary investment. These spaces emphasize commu-

nity building through nurturing social knowledge

and creating opportunities for active participation.

They act as a fissure in the environment that grabs

people’s attention away from ordinary daily life. If

you’re walking through your neighborhood and a

new form suddenly appears in the landscape you’d

most likely go investigate? Ultimately, you would

stumble into other people in the community and

converse with new individuals for the first time.

Pop Up Inflatable is a collaborative project with

classmate and designer Stephen Busscher. The

inflatable is designed out of Tyvek tied together

with extra strength thread, and inflated with a low

power electric leaf blower. The idea was to create

a form that could easily be blown up in any location

and act as a space for students to take a break in

their day. “The current practice of urban planning is based

entirely on the principle of supply and demand-or

rather on supply alone. Temporary uses can be un-

derstood as the demand itself”

-Florian Haydn

A Material that Never Comes to Rest

Concepts and Potentials of Temporary Spaces

Inflatocookbook, Ant Farm

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INFLATABLE INSTALLATIONSITE:UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN DIAG

DATE:APRIL 2013

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SITE

The inflatable was installed at three

locations in Ann Arbor. The first instal-

lation was on S Thayer Street at 3am in

the morning. Due to the dark light, the

white form of the inflatable stuck out in

the landscape and attracted a variety of

university employees working late in the

night. The first daytime test was outside

the Art and Architecture Building to see

how it responded to wind. During finals

week the final installation took place on

the University of Michigan central diag.

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FORM

The form of Pop Up Inflatable is made using only

two shapes, a triangle and one sheet that makes

up the ground surface. A repetitive element was

desired in order to make fabrication simple yet yield

a complex form. Three triangles are sewn together

to form a tapered tube which serves as the foun-

dation for the entire arrangement. The tubes are

then combined to make what looks on the inside

as a geodesic dome but on the outside as a sea

urchin. This form was not only desired for aesthetic

and fabrication purposes but to perform as a shield

against the wind. One of the main concerns with

inflatables is that even the slightest wind can cause

them to lift off the ground. In order to resist this

problem the tubes were conceptualized as sub-

structure that would move about in the wind while

having the primary structure of the dome be mo-

tionless.

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DRAWING

Architecture is a peculiar profession because unlike

artists, architects never come in contact with the

object they are making. Architects have to design

their final work through mediums which abstract

the final outcome. As a result, drawing becomes

one of the most powerful techniques that an ar-

chitect can engage. Architectural drawing is unique

because it does not represent something that al-

ready exists but predicts or lays the foundation for

a condition that will occur.

Similar to language, architecture can never be

translated perfectly between drawing and built

form. Something will always be lost, added, or

changed between the translation of drawing,

modeling, and building. Recognizing the distance

between these mediums can be advantageous in

reaching new conceptions of how architecture is

perceived. Perceptual deceptions seen in the work

of Borromini or De L’orme demonstrate the pow-

erful effects that distancing drawing to building

can accomplish. Cognizance of how working in one

medium can benefit another medium is essential to

design.

“A drawing is simply a line going for a walk”

-Paul Klee

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Yale Building Project 2010, Facade Proposal

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Jean Nouvel, IMA, Paris, Hand Drawing Analysis

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George Saunders, The Semplica Girl Diaries, Drawing Analysis

Hot Tub Detail

Damage to temporal

lobe

First Person Perspective

Scenographic Axon

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MODELING

Comprehensive computer models now serve to

yield the final drawings, renderings, and diagrams

of many architectural projects. As a result, the long

practiced act of physical modeling now resides in a

strange position. In an increasingly digitized profes-

sion model making arguably still holds profound im-

portance as a medium. The act of working by hand

inacts a different process of thinking in response

to tactile sensation. Effects like texture, weight,

and materiality come to the forefront. Materials

that you thought were supposed to be used for one

thing now take on totally different identities when

used in another way. The chance of accidentily run-

ning into new possiblities is what makes modeling

so exciting.

“You begin with the possibilities of the material.”

-Robert Rauschenberg

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