impression of construct illuminated during the night

charleston dance sketch study

3D printed resin model scale 1:32

mapping of historic creeks, fires and buildings

impression of main entrance

ground floor: 1. lobby, 2. reception, 3. restrooms, 4. multi-functional space, 5. courtyard, 6. restrooms, 7. 'dancing' egress stairs, 8. multi-functionl space, 9. elevators

1st floor : 10 -12. dance classrooms, 13. auditorium, 14. backstage

2nd floor : 15. elevators, 16. cafe, 17. cafe seating, 18. outlook platform, 19. auditorium catwalk

3rd floor : 20. exhibit space, 21. restrooms, 22. restaurant

longitudinal section

impression of light cannons in auditorium

sections revealing light cannons

initial sketch design

section model highlighting main spaces and light cannons

light study of building foyer using diva modeling

screenshots of 3D rhino model

elevated, flooded with water and light

Charleston, South Carolina, USA : site

Bachelor Design 6 studio, UF, School of Architecture : status

Spring semester 2018 : year

A : mark

1st place, Inaugural Perkins + Will Studio Prize : award

Swing Charleston Dance Institute

The dance institute is a multi-functional construct that is situated in Charleston, South Carolina at the intersection of Calhoun st. and Meeting st.. Since the site chosen for this project is located next to the Marion square green space, it seemed ideal to keep the institute flexible, accessible and public. My idea was to elevate the functional spaces on thin pilotis and flood the site with water and light. Since this building is predominately a dance institute, it had to read as one for its visitors. Analyzing the movements of the Swing Charleston, I concluded that the pilotis should "dance" the Charleston. There are five steps to the dance but within those steps there are eight movements. All eight of which my building demonstrates. Historical research of the city of Charleston became a big part of my design process. Figuring out what connection my site could have with the development of the city as a whole, lead me to the idea with the water. Charleston was essentially a wetland, filled with creeks and streams. Most of which today mark the city as streets. The hybrid mapping explores the historical traces of Charleston, SC. Creeks, fires and edges of buildings are woven together. The auditorium is kept transparent to one side, in order to remain open to the park. As a result, visitors inside can view the city, while visitors outside of the institute can be drawn in by seeing the light tubes from afar. Keeping the north-western side of the building open to the park allows visitors to make note of three notable landmarks: the holocaust memorial (1), Calhoun statue (2), and the church (3). The perspective highlights the three light tubes that puncture through the flat roof and engage with the the auditorium. The idea was to redefine what a theater is, thus allowing for a more connected experience inside and out. Re-designing the auditorium and lobby space of the dance institute was a task conducted in my environmental technology 2 class. We were challenged with making the spaces more acoustic and lighting friendly. As a result, perforated wooden panels were added to the interior of the auditorium and carpet was placed along the floor. To help with the music from the stage, acoustic panels were placed above the stage and audience. The lobby space was re-designed using the lumen method, in order to find the appropriate amount of luminaries to illuminate the space. Simulations using Diva were also conducted for the lobby.