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Project 2: Contextual Fit
This project involves designing an addition to the Smith House, originally built in 1965 by architect Richard Meier. The project requires creating a design that respects the integrity and architectural significance of the original structure while introducing a new and distinct presence that responds to the homeowners’ changing needs.
Emphasis is placed on analyzing the existing three-dimensional massing and ordering systems, using extruded elements of the original design as a starting point, and developing a concept that both fits contextually with the house and incorporates new architectural ideas not found in the original building.
Narrative
The Rivera family recently bought the Smith House on the shore of Long Island Sound in Connecticut. Mr. Rivera is a landscape painter inspired by the water and light, and his family shares a strong interest in art. They requested an addition that includes a bright painting studio, a gallery to display their work, and an exercise room for staying active. The goal is to create spaces that support creativity, family life, and health while still connecting to the design of the original house.
Hierarchy: Family room
Meta Idea: Painting Palette
Sorting of Spaces
Public
Patio
Dining Room
Kitchen
Living Room
Family Room
Deck
Exercise Room
Individual
Master Bedroom
Master Bath
Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Private
Exercise Room
Patio and Deck
Family Room
Group
Master Bedroom
Master Bath
Bedrooms
Bathrooms
Existing Floor Plan
Lower Level
Entry Level
Upper Level
Contextual Analysis
Conceptual Diagrams
Hierarchy
Structure
Beams
Girders
Bearing Walls
Movement
Mass/Void
Mass
Void
Preliminary Designs
Preliminary Design 1
Preliminary Design 2
Preliminary Design 3
Conceptual Meta-Idea
Floor Sections
Lower Level
Entry Level
Upper Level
Elevations
Left Elevation
Front Elevation
Back Elevation
Right Elevation
Sections
3D Sections
3D Orbit
Final Renders
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