The comprehensive design of this large scale, recreational building in an urban site focuses on the design, development and tectonic of the building envelope and its ability to articulate contemporary formal organizations. A more ‘spherical’ building typology is explored using a methodology of aggregated assembly, pursuing issues of part to whole relationships and the notion of an awkward or less coherent whole. Assemblage vs. monolithic form, surface vs. mass, iconicity and image, the intentional obscuring of hierarchical mass, layered and graphic assemblies, tectonics and materiality constitute a range of concerns in the work. By introducing “joinery” to assemble the programmatic volumes, we can further reorient, pull apart, and overlap the volumes into new postures using the mechanical movements of the joinery. After careful consideration of contemporary practices in building envelope design, we deploy it against formal, spatial, aesthetic, and environmental criteria.

Recognition: SCI-Arc 3B

Program: Athletic Facility, Commercial Space

Instructor: Jenny Wu

Collaborate with: Atharv Bhole