thomas kurian portfolio
DESCRIPTION
Selected Works from Thomas Kurian's PortfolioTRANSCRIPT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WRITER’S STUDIO
AUBURN CAFE
OPELIKA BOOKSTORE FACADE
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
PERSPECTIVAL DRAWINGS
LE PIAGGE A PONTE ALL’INDIANO
CHICAGO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
RURAL STUDIO
LITTLE SUGAR RIVER FARM
MATERIALS & METHODS 1
THE AMERICAN SCHOOL
SUMMER DESIGN
STUDIO DESIGN
DESIGN + BUILD
GRAPHIC DESIGN
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15
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WRITER’S STUDIO
PLAN
SOUTHEAST PERSPECTIVE
NORTHWEST PERSPECTIVE
SUMMER OPTION 2008
A WRITER’S STUDIO LOCATED ON A POND WITHIN THE AUBURN CAMPUS.
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AUBURN CAFE
SUMMER OPTION 2008
A DAYTIME CAFE / NIGHTTIME LOUNGE OCCUPYING A VACANT PARKING LOT ON COLLEGE ST. IN AUBURN, ALABAMA.
Ground Floor
East Elevation North Elevation
SUMMER DESIGNSUMMER DESIGN
2nd Floor
N-S section E-W section
OPELIKA BOOKSTORE FACADEFALL 2009
A FACADE RENOVATION PROJECT FOR A BOOKSTORE LOCATED ALONG THE HISTORIC RAILROAD TRACKS RUNNING THROUGH DOWNTOWN OPELIKA, ALABAMA.
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South 8th Street Elevation Northwestern Perspective
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
SPRING 2009
This proposal lies along the Alabama-Coosa river in Montgomery, Ala-bama. The 200,000 square foot program includes a gallery space, lecture hall, classrooms, offi ce space, gift shop, resturant and aquarium. The design includes the extension of the existing riverwalk to engage visitors with the building and contains two entrances from the riverwalk.
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PERSPECTIVAL DRAWINGS
SPRING 2009
Different modes of representationare used to explore the connection between a 20’x20’x25’ room connecting 5’ up to a 40’x10’ space for observing a garden beyond.
PERSPECTIVAL DESIGNSTUDIO DESIGN
LE PIAGGE A PONTE ALL’INDIANO
AERIAL PLAN
EXISTING BUILDINGS
EXISTING ROADS
Spring 2010
Upon arrival in fl orence italy for a study abroad studio, our studio quickly focused on the disparities of public housing.
A particular area recently evaluated by the city of fl orence is the piagge. This is an area where the disconnect between the working, middle, and upper class is apparent and problematic .
To understand the dynamics of the piagge our studio studied the mas-ter planning of several european cities and focused on the masterplan of giancarlo de carlo for the piagge area.
His main ideas were to horizontally unify the separate areas through his “fuso longitudinale”, acheive vertical integration with specifi c cul-tural poles, and to create a public “beach” along the river arno.
Our studio worked in teams to analyze the benefi ts and faults of the de carlo masterplan and to revitalize distinct poles that he identifi ed.
Our group focused on the redevelopment of the urban space surrounding the indiano bridge with a mixed-use facility and a pubilc park.15
LE P
IAGG
E A
PONT
E AL
L’IND
IANO
HOUSING SPORTS
GROVERECREATION
SWIMMING
RECREATION
Park Functions
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LE PIAGGE: PARK
LE P
IAGG
E A
PONT
E AL
L’IND
IANO
Ground Plan
Section AA
Section BB
3rd Floor
2nd Floor
1st Floor
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LE PIAGGE: HOUSING & COMMERCIAL
Form Model
LE PIAGGE A PONTE ALL’INDIANO
Solar Plan
Roof Plan
Section CC
Section DD
Courtyard Perspective
STUDIO DESIGN
LE P
IAGG
E A
PONT
E AL
L’IND
IANO
Family Apartments
Family Unit 1
Single Unit Double Unit
Family Unit 2
Social Housing & Co-Housing
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CHICAGO CHILDREN’S HOSPITALFall 2010
The modern social movement that we witness on a day to day ba-sis has greatly increased the inter-dependence within society. The extent of this interdependence has spread to many professions, with the architect always maintaining one of the closest involve-ment in shaping the modern world. In approaching the design of a hospital, the accountability of the architect reaches far beyond the appeal of their buildings. The hospital is a chance for the architect to play a role just as important as a doctor’s in the healing process.In designing this hospital, the responsibility given to me was to create an environment that would be well suited for the care of children.
Sited in a medical complex, the goal of this project is to not only fi t into the urban context of the Streeterville medical center but to also fi t into a child’s vision. While speaking medically, the building should also read as a comforting place where children can forget the fear they face on a daily basis. The relationship between these qualities has laid the foundation for my design. The use of effi cient layouts serves as an aid to the staff, while also creating momentous spaces for patients and parents in the sky lobby and each individual room. Looking over Seneca Park and onto Lake Michigan, The Chicago Avenue Children’s stands as a shelter, an escape, and most importantly as a Children’s Hospital.
CHICAGO CHILDREN’S HOSPITALSTUDIO DESIGN
CHICAGO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Service
Patient Room
Family Room
Nurse’s Station
Vertical Circulation
Public Space
Garden Space
Outdoor Space
Waiting Space
Outdoor Space
Vertical Circulation
Service
Gift Shop/Retail Space
Cafeteria
RehabilitationRoom
RehabilitationRoom
RehabilitationRoom
RehabilitationRoom
Ambulance Bay
Loading Bay
Vertical Circulation
Service
Main Reception
Cafe
Emergency Reception
Patient Floor Plan
Sky Lobby Plan
Ground Floor Plan
STUDIO DESIGN
CHICAGO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
lobby
surgery fl oors
mechanical
sky lobby
patient fl oors
staff offi cesmechanicalhelipad
Section Perspective
structural
fl oor plates mechanical
vertical circulation egress
STUDIO DESIGN
CHIC
AGO
CHILD
REN’
S HO
SPITA
L
section model
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Section Model Perspective 1
Section Model Perspective 2
RURAL STUDIO
Fall 2009
Auburn University’s Rural Studio program offers students a unique opportunity to design and build their work. The typical semester at the Rural Studio for underclassmen includes the designing and construction of a house for an impoverished community member.
During my semester at the Rural Studio my colleagues and I were charged with designing a kitchen expansion for the Morrisette house at the Rural Studio main offi ce. Additionally we formu-lated a master plan for future expansion of the Morrisette gardens.
The new vision of the Rural Studio to develop an ethic of thinking more holistically about how we live, what we eat, what we make, and the waste we produce can be showcased in the third-year kitchen project.
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In order to develop a successful expansion strategy for the Mor-risette Kitchen, our team worked together to research and present information about the Morrisette campus, kitchen case studies, and many other resources.
Site Evolution Site surveying and site analysis.
Client Interviews and Group Presentations.
Case studies of commercialkitchens in the surrounding areas.
RURAL STUDIODESIGN + BUILD
During charettes we designed collectively through model building and sketching at the Red Barn. After several plausible iterations, a fi nal model for a detached kitchen that would be a continuation of the current kitchen’s roof was collectively chosen.
This design would allow the vernacular of the existing Morrisette House to be uncompromised while allowing the kitchen to be easily heated and cooled.
RURA
L STU
DIO
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Design Development
Final Model
With the help of the Rural Studio staff, third party engineering sup-port, and countless others, our team was able to construct founda-tions, level the Great Hall (pictured), and construct the framework of the Morrisette Kitchen Expansion (pictured). The work completed by this group was continued by the following semester’s team and the project is still continuing to expand.
RURAL STUDIODESIGN + BUILD
LITTLE SUGAR RIVER FARM
Summer 2010
Located outside of Monticello, Wisconsin, Little Sugar River Farm is an organic farm sponsered by Worldwide Opportunies on Organic Farms. Along with a class-mate, I lived and worked on this organic for 3 weeks.
During my time there I gained knowledge on the patterns and diffi culties of organic farming.
In addition to farmwork, we also completed small scale design-build projects.
Not pictured work includes drainage design, soil grading, and the design and construction of garbage organizing/collector system consisting of four 4’x4’ bins with latched doors and lids.
Our main task was to create an outdoor shower for the owner of the farm. Using only scrap wood and other leftover material, this shower was designed and built over the course of three days. The total construction cost was $5.
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MATERIALS & METHODS 1
Spring 2009
Taught by professor Robert Faust, this class sought to introduce artchitec-ture students to the reality of the built world. These drawings were assigned to display the artistic nature of the different textures found in and outside of buildings.
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Kunsthaus Bregenz Lead Drawing
THE AMERICAN SCHOOLFall 2010
Taught by professor Robert Faust, the American School aims to de-velop compositional skills through the analysis of work by architects, artists, graphic designers, and in-dustrial designers of the early 20th century.
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Louis Sullivan Lead Drawing