Workshop in a Nest

This studio emphasized the use of video as a means of inquiry and presentation, as we developed proposals for a community workshop on an empty lot. The site was analyzed using timelapse photography, and the understanding of movement which resulted from that led me to develop a gestural sketch of a spiraling oval building. The shape facilitates movement around and into the building, while sheltering its entrance and garden from the busy highway it sits alongside. The spiral plan draws visitors through a sequence of spaces as they move deeper into the building, culminating in a central egg that houses the exhibition space and completes the metaphor of the building as a protective nest. The angled roof and clerestory windows capture southern light from over the adjacent building and bring it deep into the building. The main product of this studio was a segmented physical model, which was used to create a stop-motion video that explored the building’s spaces.