A Dusty Reality: Ramifications of a Sand Crisis

F22-S23
Critics:
Cara Liberatore
Evan Farley

Five sand factories dot the coastal beach town of laguna beach, California. After noticing a lack of tourists, the homeowners took it upon themselves to replenish the pristine beaches through a bottom-up sand-making initiative. Their single-family home topology made it conducive to occupying the space between, beside, and adjacent to one another.  The thesis looks at this proposal in 50-year increments. What does the beach look like in 2025 versus 2175? Rocks are brought in from local home development projects and pulverized into sand. As the year's progress, factory workers occupy the homes they share close contact with. The owners grew weary of the constant sound, dust, and work necessary to preserve beaches and fled to other destinations. A dystopian future is produced, all in the act of preservation.

Growing Stems

Integrated Building Systems 
Critics:
William Ryall

The What Cheer flower farm in providence, rhode island is looking to expand their organization to fully grow, package and ship flowers around the nation. We wanted to capture a flower’s growing or “steaming” features with three prominent characteristics: the facade design, the building mass; and CLT structure.

F our Big Columns 

F22
Critic:
Silvia Acosta 

During Emperor Hadrian's reign in Rome, he ordered Apollodorus of Damascus to rebuild the Pantheon. Upon arrival at the Pantheon, you are greeted by a typical Etruscan-style Temple, large overhanging eaves, widely spaced columns, and a deep front porch. It is not until you venture inside the structure that you witness the magic the pantheon reveals. Similarly, the four columns in my pier along the entry port of Miami act as an element of deception. They individually highlight a given element: water, wind, rain, and atmosphere. To partake in the magic, you must venture beneath the pier into each individual column.

Volume of Inhabitation

F20
Critic:
Hansy Better Barraza

Tasked to design a multifamily residence in Washington Park, Providence, on a 3,200 SF lot, we prioritized six actions for human inhabitation: a place to sleep, a place to work, a place to wash, a place to eat, and a place to socialize.

The two units interlock with each other and create simultaneous moments of presence and absence-through transparent mask facades. The units sit diagonally on the site, following the hypothetical diagonal grain.

Indiscriminate Arrangement

S19
Critic:
Jonathan Knowles
Laura Briggs

Tasked to design lightweight furniture for the Walk & Talk Arts Festive in Ponta Delgada, twelve RISD students were crunched for time and material. Utilizing the local wood called cryptomeria, we completed this task in just three days. The Festival coordinators asked for modular pieces with multi-purpose functionality. Apart, our chair contains four seats with angled backrests. As one, the chair transforms into a tabletop, making it an ideal gathering space.