"BROOKLYN MIDDLE SCHOOL"
My proposal to build a middle school that will inspire students to create and innovate by working in experimental and multipurpose spaces. A staple of the building are the courtyards, which are spaces that create vertical voids and connect the entire structure. Each space is multipurpose. For example, the courtyards, serve as sites of circulation for people to travel to classrooms, libraries, and more, while also serving as static spaces meant for conversation and collaboration.
​
These courtyards revolve around my aperture system, created out of the series of cuts into the building. The lighting channels allow natural light to flood the interiors. The natural lighting, openness, and emptiness of the courtyards give the students a mental break from learning so they can rest and process the information they've learned.
Spring 2019
Arch 602: Interiorities & Itineraries
Professor: Erich Schoenenberger
​
Course Description: This design studio addressed the specific site through its interior. It emphasized the related conceptual and material impacts of the "inside out" approach. Circulation and its material and spatial qualities were explored through the design of a small building that responded to a detailed ensemble of architectural programs and the multiple contexts of a local institution. We explored the contemporary structural and representational techniques and were introduced to the basic ideas of integration and comprehensive design.
From Cuts to Apertures
​
At the beginning of the semester, we made experimental plans where we explored spaces that poche. Here is an example of one of the plans that I chose to utilize in my building. I used this initial plan iteration as a template for me to experiment with how the spaces could be developed through these preliminary vertical deep cuts. I used the major vertical exterior lines of the template to plan my cuts and incorporated a central void to connect the building.
Strategy:
-
Exploring Spaces using poche
-
Template to explore how to develop spaces using deep vertical cuts
Cuts Explained
​
These cuts form two types of spaces, the apertures and the multi-functional courtyards created from apertures. The apertures, as my window system, filter light that trickles into the building and create different lighting patterns. They can lead viewers to the exterior courtyards.
Strategy:
-
Visualize cuts made into the building
-
Two types of spaces appear
-
Multi-functional courtyards and apertures
-
Apertures work as light sources that filter light into the building
