Portfolio

portfoliomarie williams

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architectural intent 3

virginia society competition 5

primitive hut 9

sculpture gallery 13

library 19

house for an inventor 21

garden shed 25

haus 31

construct 37

other works 41

architectural intent

The collision of irregular, jutting forms produce intense moments of interaction that can be difficult to harness. I want to explore the nature of these interactions and the spaces they begin to define. I am intrigued by the prioritizing of these forms—how one may domi-nate another, what determines this order, and there-fore the resulting interaction. I am also interested in the spaces these irregular forms define—how to define an irregularly shaped space that is inhabit-able and what effect the limits of the material have on these spaces. These spaces will be dark, defined by sharp punctuations of light that acts as guides.

In essence, I want to create dark, heavy spaces that are defined by sparse interjections of light. These beams of light define the space for the visitor, who will be forced to assume areas of the space around them while others will be clearly defined by the light. In doing so, my archi-tecture will offer a different experience for every visitor.

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virginia society competition

Main Entry: his·to·ryPronunciation: \ˈhis-t(ə-)rˈ\Function: noun 1 : tale, storyHistory is the compliation of individual stories and personal experiences. Spatial inves-tigation offers an opportunity to tell these stories through a physical and psychological experience. These spaces allow for a individual interpretation of their implications which promotes conversation about and further investigation into the historical sites. The cem-etary, Civil War prison, and quarry pond have poignant stories that provide clear oppor-tunities for spatial investigation. The use of glass walls in these spatial investigations mantains a transparency of space that doesn’t visually interfere with the rugged land-scape of the island. It results in gentle gestures that maintain a minimal impact on the site.

The cemetary’s feeling of isolation and confinement is aply shown in the row of three trees to-ward the back of the site. Their placement mimics the rows of tombstones that once covered the cemetary. The glass boxes constructed around the trees are based off of the typical length of a coffin--6’-2”. The trees grow around and above the confining glass boxes symbolizing regrowth and the opportunity for new life--a clear anaology to the island’s own cycle of reuse.

The Civil War prison was overcrowded and claustrophobic. Twenty foot long tunnels produce a sense of anxiety in the visitor as he is encountered with the tightness of the space . This feel-ing grows as the walls increase in height and the width of the tunnel gets smaller as he moves through the space. The glass walls are transulenct barriers to the “freedom” of the open space beyond them giving a sense of imprisonment and confinement. The orientation of these tun-nels is unimportant, as long as they are situated in the field where the prison once existed.

The story behind the quarry pond exhibits the overall trend of the island--nature tak-ing over things that were once manmade. To illustrate this, a glass box is con-structed in the quarry pond, reaching the nineteen feet down into the water that rep-resents the depth of the quarry before it filled in. The box is sealed and the water is pumped out of it, resulting in a “re-exacvation” of the pond. The visitor is able to walk out on a floating dock and stare down into the darkness of the box. The shear power of nature and its ability to take over and reshape an entire landscape is a dif-ficult concept to fully comprehend. However, this glass box offers an opportunity ob-serve and understand this phenomena. Once again, the placement of this box and its ajoining dock isn’t a concern, it simply needs to be somewhere in the quarry pond. 5

History is the compilation of individual stories and personal experiences. Spatial investigation offers an opportunity to tell these stories through a physi-cal and psychological experience. These spaces allow for an individual interpretation of their implications, which promotes conversation about and further investigation into the historical sites. The cemetery, Civil War prison, and quarry pond have poignant stories that provide clear opportunities for this. The use of glass walls in these spatial investigations maintains a transparency of space that doesn’t visually interfere with the rugged landscape of the island. It results in gentle gestures that have a minimal impact on the site.

The story behind the quarry pond exhibits the overall trend of the island--nature taking over manmade structures. To illustrate this, a glass box is constructed in the quarry pond, going nineteen feet into the water—the depth of the quarry before it filled in. The box is sealed and the water is pumped out of it, resulting in a “re-excavation” of the pond. The visitor is able to walk out on a floating dock and stare down into the darkness of the box. The shear power of nature and its ability to take over and reshape an entire landscape is a difficult concept to fully comprehend. However, the glass box offers an opportunity observe and under-stand this phenomena. Once again, the placement of this box and its adjoining dock isn’t a concern, it simply needs to be somewhere in the quarry pond.

The cemetery’s feeling of isolation and confinement is aptly shown in the row of three trees toward the back of the site. Their placement mimics the rows of tombstones that once covered the cemetery. The glass boxes constructed around the trees are based off of the typical length of a coffin—six feet two inches. The trees grow around and above the confining glass boxes symbolize re-growth and the opportunity for new life--a clear analogy to the island’s own cycle of reuse.

The Civil War prison was overcrowded and claustrophobic. Twenty-foot long tunnels produce a sense of anxiety in the visitor as he is encountered with the tightness of the space. This feeling grows as the walls increase in height and the width of the tunnel gets smaller as he moves through the space. The glass walls are translucent barriers to the “freedom” of the open space beyond them giving a sense of impris-onment and confinement. The orientation of these tunnels is unimport-ant, as long as they are situated in the field where the prison once existed.

Main Entry: his·to·ryPronunciation: \ˈhis-t(ə-)rē\Function: noun

1 : tale, story2 a : a chronological record of significant events (as affecting a nation or institution) often including an explanation of their causes b : a treatise presenting systematically related natural phenomena c : an account of a patient's medical background d : an established record <a prisoner with a history of violence>3 : a branch of knowledge that records and explains past events <medieval history>4 a : events that form the subject matter of a history b : events of the past c : one that is finished or done for <the winning streak was history> <you're history> d : previous treatment, handling, or experience (as of a metal)

virginia society competition

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primitive hut

Landscape is perpetually in a state of change. This constant transformation gives landscapes a sense of being—a lifespan defined by its many chang-es. The act of putting a structure into an empty landscape is an attempt to interject a static nature into a transient space. The structure interacts with the site around it. Its veneer is weathered by the elements. Vegetation grows around it in an attempt to regain its lost territory. Humans and animals use the structure to seek refuge from the elements. The structure begins in an attempt for stability in an ever-changing environment. However, the effect of nature takes it’s own toll on the building--giving it a life of its own, marked by changes in its condition, inhabitants, and interaction with its surroundings.

The primitive hut is created as a shelter, an oasis from the harsh surround-ings of the desert. It is an attempt to create some order in the constantly evolving desert landscape. Its many visitors leave their own marks on the building. One might leave something behind. One may carve a message into the concrete wall. Another might make changes to the space to suit his needs. These instances connect the visitors to the primitive hut, as they all played a part in the lifetime of the building. The bright sun and harsh winds of the desert weather the hut, bleaching it out and roughing up the concrete façade. The shifts in the sand around the building changes its interaction with the ground plane and redefines its entrance. Some visitors may have to dig through the sand under the building’s first “shell” to reach the inner shelter. Others will be encountered with the full height of the shell when the sand is blown away. The hut can never be experienced the same way twice.

The primitive hut is a refuge--a very human attempt to seek shelter and make sense of the surroundings. However, the hut is never static in nature. Its existence is defined by a story of change and evolution.

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primitive hut

This hut is an exploration into the expression of “progression.” The primi-tive hut features a progression into the building, the transition between the in-doors and outdoors with the use of two shells on either side of the central room. It focuses on a progression into the ground through a series of rooms that delve into the earth. Finally, the hut itself shows a progression through time..

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sculpture galleryThe translation of one building into another presents an ex-ploration into the implications of boundaries and how they begin to define and enclose space. With the sculpture gal-lery at the forefront of the site the extension of the building’s major lines define the two buildings behind it--the artist and student residences. This relationship carries on into the site by excavating along these axes, creating a dynamic ground plane that clearly defines the relationship between the three buildings. Pathways overtop of these excavations give the visitor a sense of being suspended between ground and sky.

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sculpture gallery

This iteration of the interaction between the buildings and the site explores the conjunction of angles and excavation. By delving into the ground at an angle the site begins to mirror the buildings. This starts to erase the ground plane and offer a new way for the observer to interact with the sculptures below.

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The three buildings explore the implications of dominating forms and the interaction when two forms collide. In this instance, the taller form al-ways envelopes the smaller one when the two come in contact.

The plans of the three buildings carry on their already irregular forms. No room has ninety-degree angles in its walls. This division of space conveys the exterior condition in a way that the visitor can under-stand and interact with in the interior space on an approachable scale

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sculpture gallery

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libraryThe addition of a library to the site of the three build-ings added a new challenge to an al-ready complicated program. In the effort to begin to rationalize some of the site and the interior spatial conditions I inter-jected a grid over the entire site, cre-ating a collision of the two systems. Schematically, the library will strictly confine to this grid below ground, using square sky-lights to bring light into the space and clearly define the grid above ground. This grid will also override the existing plans of the other three buildings to de-fine a more dy-namic yet rational site as a whole.

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house for an inventor

Assigned with prompts written by members of another stu-dio and given a weeklong deadline, the focus of this project was to create a client-driven residence that harassed our initial instincts in architecture. The House for an Inventor prompt involved a two-person residence for a retired in-ventor and his wife built on a secluded, forested cliff over-looking a river. The program focused on including large spaces for entertaining and a workshop for the inventor.

Referencing sketches by DaVinci of his flying machine, the House for an Inventor is built on a series of “ribs.” Its cantilevering form provides a clear connection to the riv-er below and offers views of the surrounding landscape. The glass exterior walls allow for maximum sunlight while privacy is providing through the three concrete walls that cut through the building, shaping the plan and program.

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house for an inventor

The extension of the concrete wall closest to the cliff creates a space below the residence that serves as the workshop for the inventor. 23

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garden shed

Set in the New River Valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the garden shed and its adjoining dining area endeavor to illustrate the collision of tectonic plates that defined the area thousands of years ago. The jutting forms of the two structures break out of the ground in an angu-lar fashion, becoming “mountains” in their own sense.

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garden shed

A garden shed and a covered dining area radiate out from a central point. The dining area cantilevers out over a hill, creating its own ground plane. The angular forms of the garden shed and the dining area are emphasized by windows that appear to jut out of the ground, splitting off of one another.

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gard

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garden shed

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Haus is an exploration into self-isolation. Built for one, Haus has no interior walls to denote space and provide privacy. Its location close to the equator in the Chalbi Desert of Ke-nya has the advantage of abundant sunlight that only slightly varies throughout the year. Haus uses this sunlight to create interior divisions that move and change throughout the day

haus

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hausAfternoon

Morning Noon

Morning

Morning Noon

Afternoon

Noon Afternoon

Haus traps this sunlight through its prism-like win-dows and concentrates it to create sharp beams of light along the floor. These beams create boundaries and spatial divisions that change and move as the sun moves overhead. The transient interior is offset by Haus’s fortress-like exterior. This contrast is emphasized through its three-foot thick walls that allude the need for protection from harsh climate of the des-ert. Haus is an oasis from the elements and society. It provides both physi-cal and psychological shelter to the inhabitant.

Morning Noon Afternoon

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haus

This exterior render illustrates the wide expanse of harsh landscape that surrounds Haus. Its concrete exterior has been aged and rough-ened by the elements, alluding to the protection it can provide its inhabit-ant from the desert climate. Its can-tilevered floors seem to grow and lift off of one another, creating shelter around the building. Haus’s strong sculptural form and the resiliency of its concrete facade convey a state-ment of fortitude and endurance.

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haus

This interior render shows the lighting conditions of the third and fourth floors of Haus at noon. At this time the skylights funnel light into the building and proj-ect it on the floor, creating an array of angular projec-tions. These light beams are intended to act more as pathways around Haus than boundaries to denote spaces. This condition re-flects the activity level of the inhabitant at this time of day, assuming that he will be doing the most amount of movement around Haus. It also alludes to the strength of the noon sun in the desert while maintain-ing a cool, dark interior.

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The architectural construct is a physical definition of an intent. This construct focuses on creating simple, clean structures whose beauty resonate through their strong sense of movement and rhythm. These structures will feel open and airy due to a strong emphasis on the interplay of light throughout the piece. This attention to light, as well as a focus on maintaining the simplicity of the form will help to preserve a sense of purity in the structure.

construct

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construct

The repetition and rhythmic movement of a single line adds a sense of vibration to a typically static form. It is given a sense of weightlessness through the use of plexiglas to form the sculpture.

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other worksThese other works show exploration into archi-

tectural forms in other media. Some focus on the definition of space through page layout, others through painting and writing. Architecture can be defined by much more than just buildings. True ar-chitecture can be found in films, music, and art. The following pieces attempt to harness just that.

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other worksJ"The designer does not, as a rule, begin with a preconceived idea. His idea is the result of subjective and objective thought, and the

design a product of the idea. In order, therefore, to achieve an honest and effective solution he necessarily passes thought some sort of mental process ... Consciously or not, he analyzes, interprets, translates ... He improvises, invents new techniques and combinations. He coordinates and integrates his material so that he may restate his problem in terms of ideas, pictures, forms, and shapes. He unifies, simplifies, eliminates superfluities. He symbolizes ... abstract from his material by association and analogy. He intensifies and reinforces his symbol with appropriate accessories to achieve clarity and interest. He draws upon instinct and intuition. He considers the spectator, his feelings and predilections." Paul Rand

43This graphic exercise was an experiment in the division of space using text and images.

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44 This painting was completed on a three-foot by four-foot canvas using painter’s tape and spray paint. It il-lustrates an architectural intent in two-dimensional form.

other works

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1.20.09

I want to design architecture with a strong sense of movement and rhythm. The overall form of my building will clearly reflect the values in my architectural construct—a shape growing out of a central point with an inward directional focus. In creating this form I will incorporate the char-acteristics of rhythm and movement by using the repetition of a simple shape as the module that shapes my building. My structures will feel open and airy due to a strong emphasis on the interplay of light throughout the building. This attention to light, as well as my focus on maintain-ing the simplicity of the form will help to preserve a sense of purity in my structure. I also want to give my buildings the sense that they are growing out of the ground, giving them a clear sense of being apart of the site. I will incorporate this focus on the site into the materiality of my buildings. I will design them out of locally found materials or materials that easily blend into the surround-ing landscape that make it relatable to the environment of its locale. In essence I want to create clean, weightless architecture with a clear sense of motion that truly belongs to its environment.

10.18.08

I want to design architecture with a strong sense of movement and rhythm. My structures will feel open and airy due to a strong emphasis on the interplay of light throughout the building. This at-tention to light, as well as my focus on maintaining the simplicity of the form will help to preserve a sense of purity in my structure. I also want to give my buildings the sense that they are growing out of the ground, giving them a clear sense of being apart of the site. In essence I want to create clean, weightless architecture with a clear sense of motion that truly belongs to its environment.

9.24.08

My architectural intent is to create simple, clean structures whose beauty resonate through their strong sense of movement and rhythm. My structures will feel open and airy due to a strong emphasis on the interplay of light throughout the building. This attention to light, as well as my focus on maintaining the simplicity of the form will help to preserve a sense of purity in my struc-ture. In essence I want to create clean, weightless architecture that has a clear sense of motion.

These writings illustrate a progression of architectural intents.