The ISSUE: Collective

March 12, 2013

Reclaimed Space

Design Excellence Award Winner, Fall 2012: John Cunningham (M. Arch 2014)

In December, the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture announced the Design Excellence Award winners for Fall 2012. The Issue Collective is proud to feature the work of John Cunningham (M. Arch 2014), the winner the Design Excellence Award for Vertical design. John’s project, titled Red Bluff Circuit, was completed in Vertical design studio taught by Ulrich Dangel (Instructor) focussing on reclamation and environmental processes as they relate to architecture.

The Red Bluff Circuit is a live / work development that derives its organization and spacial articulation from three distinct assertions: all creative people do not work in the same environment, live / work is a call to economization, and large developments must (continue reading) →

November 5, 2012

Measuring the Ability of Slat-Type Blinds to Reduce Heat Gain through a Commercial Curtain Wall

I recently completed a series of experiments at the UT Thermal Lab which tested the performance of slat-type blinds. The study formed the basis for my Master’s thesis in Architectural Engineering (Building Energy and Environments) at the Cockrell School of Engineering.

First, a plug for the UT Thermal Lab: this is a wonderful resource for building physics research. Many current studies of multi-layered window assemblies are conducted using numerical models and simulations, or reduced scale experiments in small test chambers. That type of study can be useful for refining our understanding of a limited set of physical phenomena, but does not directly predict the interactions of multiple building elements at full room scale under real weather conditions. The Thermal Lab is designed exactly for this purpose (continue reading) →

October 29, 2012

Interior Skins: Constructing a Second Skin for the Body

On a Friday afternoon, The Issue: Collective attended a show of student work from Lois Weinthal‘s advanced design studio and spoke with her students about their process. Professor Weinthal’s course is an experimental studio using interior skins to inform a way of thinking about the built environment. Below is a brief description of the studio topics, followed by interviews with a selection of students from architectural and interior design disciplines.

“Architecture and interior design provide historical references to skins that enclose the body and space. The textile designer, Anni Albers makes reference to a second skin in her own writings, while Gottfried Semper and Adolf Loos previously lay the groundwork by referencing skins and textiles as the first marks of enclosure.

“No designer should conclude their formal studies without designing for the body. This assignment asked students to take a position on designing a second skin/garment/detail for the body at full scale. Students had multiple paths to begin with established earlier in the semester using precedents, programs, tools, materials, and formwork.”

- Lois Weinthal, Instructor

(continue reading) →

October 16, 2012

Imperceived Light: An Iterative Matrix Approach to Solar Analysis

While engineering literature provides highly valuable information regarding daylighting strategies, the data is often presented in manner that is not relatable to designers. Our goal was to present technical information in a more spatial manner, thereby making the information more informative and helpful for the designers interested in addressing sustainable innovation. Illuminance and radiation data was mapped directly onto the surface of rooms and buildings in order to provide an immediate and perceptible understanding of the space’s imperceptible environmental conditions. The matrices produced over the course of the summer focused on daylighting issues from an urban scale to the scale of a room.

Under the guidance of Assistant Professor Matt Fajkus and Lecturer Dason Whitsett, we examined various conditions including the relationship between the proportion of an opening to the depth of a room, the impact of various common solar shading devices with (continue reading) →

August 31, 2012

PID: A Water Tank Enclosure in West Austin Park

See the previous post entitled “Public Interest Design: A Mobile Tool Shed in Holly” for a description of the PID program at UT Austin.

The Issue: Collective conducted an online chat with two students from one of the groups that took part in the Summer 2012 PID program – Drew Wilson (M. Arch 2014) and Claire Edelen (M. Arch 2014) – about their project: an enclosure to house a reclaimed water tank.

Their group members were Alison Forman and Kristina Olivent. (continue reading) →

August 27, 2012

Public Interest Design: A Mobile Tool Shed in Holly

UT Austin’s Public Interest Design (PID) Program “connects advanced students interested in the built environment and public service with leading practitioners in public design, and equips them with the tools needed to create beautiful, sustainable, and community-enhancing spaces. The PID program offers design students the opportunity to investigate what it means to be a public servant. Much like public health is to medicine, this program contributes to the emerging understanding of the civic role of design professions.

The 2012 PID program was comprised of a research-oriented seminar, a service-oriented practicum, and an externship opportunity, which was held over eight summer session weeks. The 2012 program was coordinated and taught by Steven Moore and Francisco Gomes at the University of Texas, assisted by an array of special guest lecturers from across the country, University of Texas faculty, and members of the local Austin community.” - Adapted from PID program website

The Issue: Collective conducted an online chat with two students from one of the groups that took part in the Summer 2012 PID program – Jena Hammond (M. Arch 2013) and Natalie Ramirez (M. Arch 2013) – about their project: a mobile shed for gardening tools.

Their group members were Laura Edwards, Elizabeth de Regt, and Eden Lew. (continue reading) →

July 13, 2012

Detailing for Performance and Beauty

Jesefa Templo – Wall Section

Detailing for Performance and Beauty is a class that “explores how designers can develop the skill to create aesthetically beautiful details which enhance the design concept while responding to issues of moisture, energy, air quality…The course will use case studies, site visits to notable local buildings, conceptual exercises and a significant detailing project to assist students in developing this skill and…will conclude with a review of student detail projects.” Syllabus

The Issue: Collective sat down with Jesefa Templo (M. Arch 2013) to talk about her experience of the class. (continue reading) →

July 9, 2012

Draw Blood

Lauren Jones – Assignment 6

Draw Blood (Summer Session, 2012) is a class that “investigates advanced level drawing as a means of architectural communication and as an instrument of individual inquiry…Emphasis [was] placed on design inquiry and improvisation directly in perspective – primarily through rapid drawing studies.” Syllabus

See the class Facebook page (with some cool photos and demo videos) HERE.

The following is an interview with Lauren Jones (M. Arch 2014), a student in the class. (continue reading) →

May 24, 2012

Studio Mexico

In February, as part of the curriculum for Studio Mexico, I along with fourteen other students in the School of Architecture travelled to Mexico City to visit the site of our studio and immerse ourselves in Mexican architecture and culture.

Initially there had been some concern with safety, but upon arriving in the verdant city of twenty-five million I quickly felt at ease and on numerous occasions, was told how happy and grateful for our visit the people of Mexico were. Mexico City’s bustling street life and abundant areas of green space allowed for a considerable amount of interaction with the inhabitants of the city. Our trip only allowed for nine days of travel and the sheer quantity of the sites we were able to visit was impressive, but in acknowledging this I never feel rushed or overwhelmed. (continue reading) →

May 18, 2012

83 Days at Turenscape

“Turen (Earth-Man/Natives), act in the name of the Heaven and as the messengers of the spirits of our native forebears. Armed with modern technology, Turen observes the phenomenon up in the sky and the patterns down on the earth; follow the natural and social processes so that man, nature and the spirits can be understood as one.”

Walking in Turenscape in Beijing for the first time, I encountered the mission statement of the company (above). Little did I know at the time about the effect that these words would have in my understanding of landscape.

Turenscape is a large, continually expanding, award winning company of landscape architecture that works on a wide variety of projects, at many scales, and in many different environments. The principal designer, Dr Yu Kongjian, who is also Professor and Dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture of Peking University, gave me this unique opportunity to experience the professional reality in China. As my time working in Turenscape was spent in large part designing, I feel my greatest strength wasin bringing creativity and a fresh perspective from an outside culture into the studio; it was then that I came to my understanding of landscape as “the speeding up and slowing down of natural processes”, and that the role of plants in the landscape is to help pace the natural processes through the way they can affect ecosystem functions. It is the most amazing thing working in Turen as a young architect (continue reading) →

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