Corbelletti Competition Entry #1

This is my first submission for the annual Corbelletti Design Charette. 

My proposal for the new Arts and Architecture pavilion is inspired by the cellular construction of plants. The region of campus that now houses the College of Arts and Architecture was formerly referred to as "Ag Hill" because it was the home of the College of Agriculture. I wanted to pay homage to the history of the site, while recognizing that it now has a vibrant new function. The program for the pavilion specified that the space should be able to accommodate dance, theater or musical performances, gallery shows, presentations, or workshops. It could not be larger than 1,000 square feet.  

Above you see a bigger image of my floor plan. As you can see, there are three primary spaces, and three secondary spaces. The regions that are shaded are closer to the top of the pavilion and those lighter are further away. In this plan, you can see the stage area which can be accessed by a ramp snaking around the right side of the largest space (the auditorium). The darkest green region is the observation deck looking over the first primary space and the party deck that extends outside.

My design is also intended to be broken down, relocated, and reconstructed easily. To accomplish this, my pavilion is constructed of individual modules or "cells." These units are made of a steel frame that holds a pane of glass, and a green cladding of recycled green plastic. This plastic membrane is designed to be easily popped on or off of the steel frame, depending on whether the pavilion needs to be shaded inside or in direct sunlight. 

Here are two sections that show the scale of the space. The image on the left is a cut through the the front of the  pavilion, looking back towards the stage area, and the one on the right is a cut through the right side of the building, looking left through the first primary space and parts the auditorium/Immersive Environments Lab.

{More about the Corbelletti Competition}

The Corbelletti Charette is held every year in honor of Raniero Corbelletti who served as the head of the Department of Architecture for twenty years. For the competition, all 2nd-5th year architecture students in Stuckeman have a design problem posed to them, and each of them has to design a structure that fulfills the program and must illustrate that structure using only one board. Students are encouraged to be inventive and experimental in their designs. 

The catch is that all of this must be done entirely by hand, without exception.

Out of over 200 anonymous entries, 7 finalists are chosen by a board of professors. A silent vote decides the winner.