This is our first of two design projects of the semester in this class. We were tasked by our teacher to create a 2021 version of the Bauhaus school in Dessau. We were given a predetermined set of criteria and a predetermined site located equidistant between the original Bauhaus Campus and the Bauhaus Museum. We were told to provide a site plan, floor plans, two elevations, two building sections, a detailed wall section, two structural details, a 3D building section showcasing sustainable strategies, and a series of photo-montaged renderings.

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I started on the project by doing a site and typological investigation to gain information on Dessau, the Bauhaus, and other art/architecture schools like the Bauhaus. After this research, we started conducting site studies using macro site forces that stood out to us, like surrounding buildings, natural features, and neighborhoods/developments. I chose to create my initial building footprints using micro site forces like predominate streets, the adjacent railroad networks, and other similar features. I then started on a series of conceptual models that depicted versions of our footprints that we then applied action verbs to in order to change their shapes. After deciding on both a footprint and a form, we started doing schematic design, which in this case involved hand-drawing the footprint of our building and laying out major rooms; we didn't have to go too in detail like adding doors or windows or showing the real wall thickness. Once we finished the schematic design phase, we entered design development in which we plugged our designs into our computers and directly added the program into the building, which led to the footprint and design of the building evolving further. My design stayed very similar from beginning to end but I did make some changes based on critiques my teacher gave me. My initial concept with this building was to create a series of breaks in the façade and each of these breaks were to have a different architectural style, both on the exterior and the interior as a way of showcasing the change in architectural styles since the Bauhaus to the present day. However, I was told to change my design early on so I changed the façade to a very simple white concrete façade; I added the design of the façade into the shading devices along the building as a way of adding interest to the façade but not as dramatically and contrasting compared to my prior ideas. After the design development phase, we entered the post-production phase in which we created our final presentation images. I chose to create a motif using the concept of starting at a point and radiating outward, an idea that I had used to drive my design from the beginning.

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In terms of sustainable features, the major features are a solar array and a series of shading devices, other systems are heavily insulated walls and the use of local building materials.