zippy cave is studio space where the roof structure
mimics a crescendo
Syracuse, New York, US
Program_ dance hall
PRE In an abstraction of a typical closet rod_ the easy fixation of the rod's form is sculpted in the way it eloquently sits on a supporting wooden piece that anchors itself to the wall. Starting with a formal cube, the basal shape is serrated and sliced to create two fragments in which would rest on each other. The form is then simply draped to allow for a more organic build to the cast. In a continued approach to the notch that happens when the two pieces meet, the void between the two forms is concocted as an expressive piece of the inverse of the joints. This middle mold between the two casts behaves as a compressive force and secures the notched condition of the concrete formwork.
Casted as an annexation to an existing parking garage structure, a roof canopy is articulated in a way it mimics a crescendo that filters vibrations and noise, permits rays of beaming sunlight, and accounts for the hefty snow accumulation. A crescendo (in a musical piece) is defined as an indication that the sound is gradually increasing over time. The playful use of this logic in a built context illustrates the volume of the growing awning; the rising roof is a reaction to the concrete formwork. The gesture in the ascending cave narrates the magnitude of a space as well as the resonance of sound in the cave. The programs based on the lowest height spaces, such as offices to the largest space being the studio gymnasium sit on opposite spectrums of the floor plan. The roof is structurally held up by a system of saw-tooth trusses that allow operable sunlight to come into the space in which the steel framework is also enclosed by a concrete shell. The structural grid slopes down along a central axis to allow for drainage of rainwater that runs through the pre-cast module into the columns that flows through the building.
s17_ 6 weeks design
Professor, Roger Hubeli of APTUM
design collaboration with Victoria Hughes