Communal Underground
This college of architecture prioritizes the work process, community, and, like anything else in the desert, water.
Work is messy. This is a given when it comes to architecture. The school wants to lift this process up instead of focusing solely on the finished product. This is encouraged through a glass passageway between the studio and shop towards the gallery so the works in progress are always visible.
Just like the communities that came before in the Sonoran Desert, the place for social gathering is placed in the middle of the site as a way of bringing people together from every building. This promotes intergenerational interaction as well, as it avoids isolating students from faculty and staff.
Water is scarce in the desert. This is why it’s encouraged to collect any water produced on site. While the site is currently placed below grade and flooding might be a concern during the monsoon season, the site encourages water to flow toward the garden spaces where it is collected and stored for future use.
This college of architecture prioritizes the work process, community, and, like anything else in the desert, water.
Work is messy. This is a given when it comes to architecture. The school wants to lift this process up instead of focusing solely on the finished product. This is encouraged through a glass passageway between the studio and shop towards the gallery so the works in progress are always visible.
Just like the communities that came before in the Sonoran Desert, the place for social gathering is placed in the middle of the site as a way of bringing people together from every building. This promotes intergenerational interaction as well, as it avoids isolating students from faculty and staff.
Water is scarce in the desert. This is why it’s encouraged to collect any water produced on site. While the site is currently placed below grade and flooding might be a concern during the monsoon season, the site encourages water to flow toward the garden spaces where it is collected and stored for future use.
Studio Building Rendering The studio is split into two buildings: the studio and the shop. The path between the two buildings leads directly to the gallery to highlight both the works in progress and the finished products.
Interior Studio Rendering The studio has a lot of natural light coming from the south through the sawtooth roof. The shop can be seen from the glass mullion wall to reflect transparancy of the work process.
West View Rendering The site is approached from the west via a singular paved path and various footpaths. Due to the college being sunken into the ground, only the roofline and various greenery is visible.
Precedent Study
Ewha Womens University, Seoul, South Korea
Site Model
Water Collection Study
Framing Study Model
