Architecture Projects

Troy, NY contains a rich history, from its early days as a settlement on the Hudson River to its emergence as the “Collar City” due to its pivotal role in the production of detachable shirt collars. Like many industrial cities, Troy faced decline during the 19th century as the U.S. entered a post-industrial era. Today, however, the city is experiencing a revival, and the development of a new city hall would significantly contribute to this revitalization effort. Drawing inspiration from Troy’s existing context and local architectural features, the proposed design for the city hall aims to meld together the community. The building takes the form of a circle, symbolizing unity and wholeness, and is designed to integrate public and administrative functions. The circular layout fosters a sense of connection between the city’s government and its residents, with all programs linked by an inner circulation path. The use of glass and an open courtyard invites transparency and visibility, allowing the public to see and engage with the functions of city hall. The courtyard itself serves as a communal space, becoming the centerpoint of the design—an area where the people of Troy can gather and connect. Positioned near the waterfront and the popular farmers market, two essential parts of Troy’s fabric, the city hall creates pathways that connect to these features. The grand entrance, facing the Hudson River, offers a welcoming gesture to the city from the water, reinforcing Troy’s connection to its historic riverfront.

The Bennington Museum is located in Vermont and it sits on a 10-acre site. The Bennington Museum connects the Town of Benningiton and Old Bennington. The muesum, founded in 1852, is essential to the local community, holding collections, and providing public spaces. The muesum holds a wide variety of collections, some being historic relics and interesting art. The museum has seen addition on top of addition. It is made up of many different kinds of exhibits that all have their own feel to them. There are a lot of inconsistencies that came along because of all of the additions. This new addition played off of the inconsistencies. The different shaped brick stones take inspiration from the original museum. The masonry is modernized but also exhibits the idea of the form inconsistencies of the existing musuem. There is also a play between view vs. lighting. The small windows in the eroded part of the addition can only act as lighting. However, the large end windows act as specific views. There is a cafe that is central to this addition. It is in a location that is accessible at the beginning or end of your tour.

The site is located in the heart of Chelsea. Chelsea has a lot of art gallaries and is the home for The Highline, an elevated park that spans part of Manhatten. The library sits on 10th Ave. and 27th St. North. It acts as a connection from the street to The Highline while being a part of the community. The library is made up of two different sections. The lower half acts as a public area that is shown to be more open via the atrium and facade rythems. This free flowing space acts as a connection to the com nity where people can socialize. The upper half of the building is quieter and compact. This allows library goes to read or study in the library without being as distracted by the travelers in the lower part of the building. This library gets to serve all kinds of people and preferences of the community.

The adaptive reuse of the Guild House at 62 South Swan St. seeks to reintroduce the original funtions of this historic site into the modernday landscape through the concept of folding. There are two dimensions to the folding. There is a physical folding of the facade and interior partitions, and a conceptual folding of the past into the present. The main entrance has been moved from the west face of the building to the north face to provide an easy and accessible entrance to all. Upon entering the Guild House, one is greeted with an imagery of a building inside of a building. The Guild House as it currently sits, is a shell of what it has been. Our proposal will bring life into this shell by emphasizing the interstitialspaces between the old and new. This space allows both mental and physical acknowledgment of the gap that the decline of the Guild House has left in its community. The large architectural bay window allows one to peer into the new future of the Guild House, a place to once again server the immigrants and children of its community. It will provide a variety of classes and services for immigrants to help them navigate life in the United States, child care for working class families, and after school programs to help students reach their full potential.