Carpenter Center, Harvard University

This is Le Corbusier's only major building in North America. It was designed to house classes of the visual arts such as architecture, film, and painting to name a few. It’s concrete construction leaves a unique texture on the exterior of the building. It exposes the formwork used for the cast-in-place concrete, the columns also reveal the formwork lines from its pour.





A great curvilinear ramp bisects the structure and connects with the main stair and an exhibition space as well as allowing a connection to the street on the opposite side of the building. As one walks along the ramp you can witness the studio spaces and the work of the students. This is a major design technique Corbu incorporated into the building. He also stayed true to his 5 points as well as incorporating many design devices from his earlier works such as ondulatoires and brise soleils.





The plan above shows the unique angles of the windows and how they are oriented toward pedestrian pathways. This is how Corbu created a visual connection between those passing by or through the building with the studios and works of the students. The plan also shows the path cutting the building in two and connecting the two streets that flank the building on either side.

Tent City Housing

Tent City is located on the backside of the Prudential Mall and across the street from Back Bay Station. The term Tent City is mainly used to describe a variety of temporary housing facilities using tents, and in this complex resides a mixture of familiies from different incomes, thus properly named Tent City.



The complex itself spreads out over a large area extending from the large scale Boston skyline to the smaller communities of the Back Bay on the opposite end of the complex. The design characteristics therefore are site specific. Keeping with the smaller buildings in the Back Bay, this complex starts out at the same scale as these communities. The buildings then begin to gently slope up and rise in height until they culminate at its highest point next to the Prudential Mall. The apartments surround an inner greenspace that makes the space extremely enjoyable and quiet. The site receives a great amount of sunlight that allows the vegetation to flourish. However the most remarkable aspect of this space was how quiet the area is. The height of the apartments on the northeastern side act as a noise barrier. It is a huge difference from the loud and busy Boylston Street that runs along side this part of the complex.



The construction of Tent City seems to be a brick vaneer, noticed by weep holes on the exterior. Due to the unevenness of the brick construction and the vast amounts of sunlight flooding the complex, an interesting moment occurs on the facade of the buildings. The window sills cast their own shadows upon the brick wall, but the brick walls themselves cast some interesting shadows. The protruding bricks cast small shadows and give the facade a unique texture, different from what the brick itself exudes. The trees in the greenspace act as protection from the sunlight during the day. These trees are very important due to the face that there aren’t any other forms of sunshading upon the facade.

Adams Park, Roslindale Square

Roslindale Square is located where Washington Street, Poplar Street, and South Street meet. At this intersection lies a triangular shaped park, Adams Park, lined with trees. This space is a small getaway from the hustle and bustle of the square. The streets that surround the park are lined with small shops and stores.


The encompassing trees create a transition zone between the streets and the park. Inside the park one can sit down and relax while enjoying a nice sunny day. They are the first layer in this site, next is the bounding fence that encloses the park and lastly the shops and buildings facing the park that serve as the walls of the space.



The park has a slight slope to it, starting from the intersection of Poplar and South and gentley trickling down to Washington Street. At the top of Poplar and South are tiny shops that are not more than one story high. Lined with store front windows one can enjoy the quietness of the park and gaze out between the trees to do some window shopping. Down at Washington Street, however is a different occurance, where there are taller three and four story buildings. This keeps the scale to the site in balance.

Northeastern West Village Quad

Northeastern always seems to be in the process of updating or renovating their campus, and to this day they have done a great job in beautifying this urban site. The West Village Quad is not exactly symmetrical, instead the dormitories which make up the quad bend and curve giving the space a unique shape which differs from the more linear geometry of the city. These buildings also seperate the quad from the busy streets which gives a more secure feeling to those living in the dorms.

However, the space does not have the privacy you might expect. Instead the quad serves as a pathway for commuters on their way to and from the Ruggles T stop. The most direct path through the quad starts from Parker St., continues through the large arched opening and runs straight through the quad to the opposite side where the continuity of the brick buildings is broken by two glass buildings that flank each side of the path. If one is entering the quad from this side, you are able to witness a unique moment where the dormitories seem to continue through the reflection in these glass buildings.

ICA Boston

The ICA, also known as the Institute of Contemporary Art, is located in the inner harbor of Boston. At first glance you might think the building has been oriented incorrectly, but yet this has been done purposely. It's oriented so that all views overlook the harbor with the Boston skyline as their backdrop. It is quite an enjoyable space, inside and out. The overlying theme here is the wraping of the exterior deck into the building and back out as a massive cantilever. This exterior deck is the site being examined.

The deck is a great place to have a seat and enjoy the view of the harbor. The cantilever overhead encloses the space and frames the views out into the harbor. There is plenty of seating on the deck, mainly to accomodate for outside performances if need be, but they also serve as a great place to enjoy a meal right off the cafe located inside the building.

Here is a view out from the exterior deck overlooking the harbor and skyline. On a nice day one can sit out here for hours experienceing the serenity of the waves crashing up on shore and these breathtaking views. One of the more intersesting aspects of the building deals with the curving and folding of the exterior deck into and out of the building. From outside the site examined you can follow the deck line up the building and back out as it creates a cantilevering platform where the art galleries are located.