McKENZIE LIEBL

design portfolio2014

CONTENTS

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56

2244Venice Culture Center

Transitional Exhibitional

Armitage Education

Center Pavilion

KC Brewing Co-op

McKENZIELIEBL

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE University of Kansas

1228 Bel-Air Ct.Lawrence, KS

66049

A:

785.760.1088P:

mliebl@ku.eduE:

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1photo courtesy of Matt Kleinmann

The Armitage Education Center Pavilion is the third project built by the Dirt Works Studio of KU’s school

of architecture.“The Dirt Works Studio, a materials and tectonics

studio composed of third-year architecture students, is dedicated to exploring the potential of earthen

architecture.” http://www.dirtworksstudio.ku.edu/

The studio offers an authentic design experience and provided myself and my peers with the opportunity to collaborate with clients to construct an actual project.

The Pavilion was designed for the University of Kansas Field Station to provide a space for group planning,

workshops, and meals. Inspired by the natural surroundings, the wooden

canopy and earthen wall design was actualized through the collective effort of the studio.

CENTERPAVILION

EDUCATIONARMITAGE

THIRD YEAR

2014

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The KU Field Station and the Armitage Education Center are located in North Lawrence, Kansas. The Pavilion, located on the northwest side of the Armitage Education Center, consists of five rammed earth walls that lead to a wooden canopy system, which shelters the Armitage Center’s

outdoor dining area. The walls lie between a section of natural prairie grass and the sidewalk that leads to the dining area, which helps guide visitors

toward the Armitage Center.

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photos courtesy of Matt Kleinmann

WALLSDESIGNING

Inspired by the natural formation of Kansas soil layers and the swaying prairie grass adjacent to them,

the rammed earth walls were designed in layers of waving lifts. Throughout each of the five walls is a

reoccurring ribbon of vibrant red earth that ties the walls together and acts as a guiding element, drawing

visitors to the pavilion.

Using pigment for color enhancement, the layers of the walls were designed to reflect the natural

qualities of the material, and each layer was carefully constructed to evoke the waving patterns found

throughout the landscape.

THE

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In order to provide views to the prairie grass, which was a great source of inspiration throughout the

design process, the walls were designed with gaps in between.

Giving the impression that they emerged from the earth itself, the tops of the first walls are angled and gradually increase in height until they reach the final

two walls, which support the canopy system.

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The construction process began by hand digging and building the form work for the foundations. Next we assembled the form

work and rammed each wall individually so that we could reuse the forms and save materials. The ramming process generally lasted a full day and involved a full team of workers. While two people were inside the form work with the pressurized rams, the

remaining studio prepared the dirt, delivered it to the top of the walls via ramps, and

instructed the rammers where to add dirt in order to create the desired patterns.

WALLSRAMMINGTHE

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photos courtesy of Matt Kleinmann

CANOPYDESIGN

The canopy system, like the walls, was inspired by the elements of the natural landscape surrounding the

Armitage Center. Each member of the wooden canopy is carved on the underside to evoke the waving nature of the prairie grass. To emphasize the waving motion, the louvers are notched at different depths so that they sit at various

heights atop the two structural beams.

The louvers were constructed in three sections. The east and west louvers cantilever off of the beams and

are supported using a system of wire cables, steel straps, and threaded rod. The louvers were assembled

in an interlocking pattern that blend together the three sections, creating a unified canopy.

The canopy system is supported on the west side by the rammed earth wall, and on the east by two wooden

columns. The columns integrate the idea of notching and interlocking as seen in the louvers in order to attach to

the beams.

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photo courtesy of Matt Kleinmann

The Armitage Education Center Pavilion was completed in May of 2014 and received an AIA

Kansas Honor Award in October of 2014.

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2KC BREWINGCO-OP

The KC Brewing CO-OP is a proposal to develop Kansas City’s first cooperative

brewing company.

The project’s mission is to enhance the local identity, generate an authentic, dense and walkable urban space, and encourage community engagement to build a more

sustainable neighborhood.

The primary aim is to provide a space for social interaction, support local

businesses, and bring people together in mutual support for the betterment of the

community.

FOURTH YEAR

2014

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Located at 31st and Holmes Street in Midtown Kansas City, the proposed site is in the heart of KC. The site was chosen on

account of the development in the area, the existing businesses, and its proximity to public transportation, connecting the

site with the rest of the city. The site is also valuable because of its vacant pockets of

space that have the potential to be in-filledwith activity that supports an emerging

economy.

N

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HAUS

SOL CANTINA

THE DROP

PROPOSED SITE

MAKER VILLAGE KC

816 BIKE COLLECTIVE

31st Street

Holmes St.

There are several surrounding business in the area that support my decision for choosing 31st and Holmes as

my site. To the northwest of the site is Martini Corner, a popular nightlife destination that draws people to the neighborhood and there are a number of restaurants. The brewery can provide the bars and restaurants with

locally brewed beer, forming partnerships between the brewery and the local community. Other potential

business partners in the area are Maker Village KC, 816 Bike Collective, and La Cucaracha Press, which

share a similar community focused mentality. Each of these locations falls within a 10 minute walking radius

which promotes ease of interaction.

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ACTIVATING THE PUBLICSPACE

The first phase of the proposal, while the brewery is gaining funding through member-owners, is

developed over a series of phases that consists of infilling the site with a food truck park and urban

park space. The intent of the first phase is to activate the underused and vacant lot at 31st and Holmes with programming and installations that attract community engagement. Ultimately, the first

phase will strengthen the connection between the community and the spaces that they share.

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The first phase focuses on creating the site as a public gathering place by placing temporary urban furniture interventions on the site with help from local volunteers. These volunteers will be aided by local organizations including Maker Village KC and Second Life Studios, that can provide the necessary workspace, skill sets, and know-how to help build the furniture. The furniture

installations will be constructed in flexible way to accommodate the growth and expansion of the

space in the following phases. To attract attention to the space in the second phase, local food trucks will be placed on the site’s

unused parking lot. The food trucks will act as a magnet to encourage locals to utilize the space for

public gathering.

Also proposed for the first phase are added bike lanes and the right-sizing of the streets to

accommodate for pedestrians, make the site more accessible, and promote walk-ability.

The third phase uses the space to host community events and public art installations. Events will range from movies in the park and

live music performances to food truck cooking competitions, craft brewing competitions, etc.

The art will be locally produced and continuouslychanging, and once the brewery is built the installations will be reincorporated into the

program.

The final phase in my proposal, which is the development of the brewing co-op, is taking the energy, atmosphere, and success of the park and

transferring it into a built form.This will be a co-operative brewery, meaning

that the primary focus is on the community and the businesses success relies on the power of

local involvement.

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The final phase is the development of KC Brewing CO-OP, Kansas City’s first cooperative brewery. According to the International Co-operative Alliance, “a co-operative

is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural

needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.” KC Brewing CO-

OP will be formed around these same policies.

To gain funding for the start-up, the brewery will feature member ownership, meaning anyone can pay a fee to

become a part of the brewery’s community. The brewery will be structured around the idea of a democratically

managed workplace, where the member’s have the ability to participate and contribute to important decisions. The collective efforts of the brewery and its members will be

undertaken as part of a larger effort to meet the needs and aspirations of the community.

BUILDING A BREWINGCO-OP

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The programmatic layout of the site once the brewery is developed will be similar to the first phase, with the brewery

taking the place of the event space and a beer garden will replace the public seating area. The Beer Garden will provide a space for the community to gather and add to the existing nightlife of the neighborhood. The food truck park will stay in the same location.

The brewery will function as an intermediary space between the food trucks and the beer garden, with circulation cutting across the brewery’s interior to connect the spaces. That connection

will be emphasized with the use of bi-folding doors that open the brewery up to the public spaces.

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The brewery will function as an intermediary space between the food trucks and the beer garden, with circulation cutting

across the brewery’s interior to connect the spaces.

UP

UP

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The connection between the beer garden and the food truck park will be emphasized with the use of bi-folding doors that

open the brewery up to the public spaces.

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The internal program of the brewery is divided into the three levels. The first level contains the brewpub with a small kitchen to accommodate it; although, the primary source of food will be provided by the food trucks.

The first level also contains the brewing facility with service entry, storage, brewing and bottling.

The second level includes two terraces that overlook the brewpub and brewing equipment so that people can observe the brewing process. These

terraces will incorporate the public art installations from the first phase. The main space on the second level includes a tap room and lounge area with

open space for public events, as well as exterior seating that overlooks the food truck park.

The third floor consists of two spaces, a members lounge/meeting space, and a rooftop seating area that overlooks the beer garden. The members

lounge and meeting space is where the member-owners of the brewery can congregate, plan events, and discuss concerns regarding the brewery and its

operations.

first floor

second floor

third floor

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3For this second year project, the objective was to design a culture center to infill a vacant lot located in Venice’s old industrial district.

The Culture Center is intended to accommodate the Venice Biennale and related events with spaces for exhibition, performance, and lectures. Designed to accommodate public and private needs, the Culture Center evokes the idea of “skeleton and cocoon”, using glass facades to provide open views across waterways and opaque surfaces where more privacy is required.

VENICE CULTURECENTER

SECOND YEAR

2013

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The proposed site is located along the southern coast of Venice’s central islands, along the Giudecca

canal.

Inspired by the boundary lines of the surrounding structures including the church, the industrial

smokestack, and old industrial buildings, I developed a pattern of boundary lines across my site.

These lines provide a connection between the surrounding architectural context as well as a

connection with the waterways, which is important to Venice’s identity.

After establishing an irregular boundary across the site, I overlaid an orthogonal grid to organize the

structural layout and relate the new building to the organization of the industrial district.

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The form of the Culture Center is developed by a layering of orthogonal spaces underneath a

large, asymmetrical canopy. The canopy’s shape, determined by extending boundary lines from the

surrounding context across the site, connects the site with the waterways to the north and

south, provides covered protection below, and an observation deck on top.

The deck is accessible via the observation tower, which extends through the canopy. The tower provides support and reflects the cultural

significance of towers in Venice. Two smaller towers are incorporated to add structural support for the

canopy and to add a sense of repetition.

observation deck

green roof

observation tower

support towers

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performance hall

gallery

MEP

cafe

lecture room gallery

bar

green roof

observation deck

Level One Level Two Canopy

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SKELETONCOCOON&

The idea of the “skeleton” is to provide light and open spaces for the public. These spaces are distinguished by glass facades that expose the

activity occurring within and also provide views to the landscape outside.

The spaces defined by the idea of the “skeleton” are those that promote social interaction

including the gallery spaces, the bar, and the cafe.

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SKELETON

COCOON&The “cocoon” are the spaces in the Culture

Center that require more privacy. As opposed to the “skeleton”, “cocoon” spaces don’t have solid glass facades but incorporate opaque surfaces

for protection.

Spaces included in the “cocoon” category are the performance hall, the lecture room, and all

service spaces.

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4“Transitional Exhibitional” is a project designed during

my fall semester abroad at Newcastle University in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

The project was based in the old industrial district of Barcelona, and the goal was to design a workshop

and exhibition space for the French art collective La Machine by renovating Can Ricart, an old industrial

complex.

The project develops the space to accommodate La Machine’s large metal and wood productions by using

renovation and reclamation techniques to maintain the industrial qualities and cultural heritage of the

site. To highlight the site’s history, the design focuses on the juxtaposition of existing conditions and new construction, using transitional spaces to mediate

between the two.

TRANSITIONALEXHIBITIONAL

THIRD

YEAR

2013

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EXPLORINGBARCELONA

Site of Can Ricart Barcelona PavilionOutside Santa Maria del Pi

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THESITESTUDYING

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Avinguda Diagonal

Site of Can Ricart

The site of Can Ricart in the Poblenou district of Barcelona conforms to a separate geometry than

the surrounding neighborhoods. Instead of following the same axis of the orthogonal grid of the modern

city, Can Ricart is more irregular like that of the old city. The converging grids across the site was of great interest to me and inspired my primary design

concept.

The diagram on the left depicts extended boundary lines from Can Ricart and the surrounding area to

compare the intersecting geometries.

Directly south of Can Ricart is the Avinguda Diagonal, which is an important avenue that cuts across the city from east and west. The avenue

intersects the rational grid of the new city, which is an idea I reincorporated into my site plan via the parade

route established for La Machine’s exhibits.

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12

3

6

4

5

Site plan 1:500

1

2

3

new build proposal

green space

cafe seating

4performance area with

temporary seating5 exterior exhibits

6 childrens play area

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The French art collective, La Machine, is known for their elaborate, larger than life, metal and wood productions.

La Machine starts with the public realm. They use their theatrical pieces to interact with the public and parade throughout cities.

This project focuses on the challenge of accommodating the production company’s needs, providing a space to exhibit their

work, and doing so in a way that relates to the context of the city.

The diagram on the right marks the proposed parade route for La Machine exhibits. The route cuts through existing structures, weaving between the new build and the old. The route also cuts

across the site in the same fashion as the Avinguda Diagonal, tying in the history of the surrounding site.

LaMACHINE

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ENGAGING WITHTHE EXISTING

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The primary design concept for La Machine’s new workshop space is to reveal the past and integrate the present. By using the converging grids as guidelines, the proposal for the new build overlays the existing

structure and aligns with the grid of the modern city. In doing so, the northwest wall of the existing

structure, which was previously an exterior wall, becomes a primary interior element.

The key idea for the new build is to blur the boundary between internal and external, private and public. In order to do so, the primary facade of the new build is a curtain wall system that allows the public to see beyond the exterior and observe the exhibits within.

New Build

Existing Wall

The exterior wall on the northwest side of the existing structure is the key element to the circulation throughout the interior. The existing wall maintains the layers of history and industrial qualities of the site, which contrasts with the glass facade of the new addition. It also reflects the contrasting

grids on the site, reincorporating the theme into the interior.

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1

2

3

exhibition space

4

wood workshop

plant room6cafe

5

metal workshop

Ground Level 1: 200

A

A

(8)3

gift shop7

Level 1

B

B

metal workshop4

8

cafe

exhibition space

F

F

Level 2

C

metal workshop4

4

C

8

cafe

exhibition space

information center

Level 3 D

D E

E

metal workshop

4

8

exhibition space

box o�ce

administration

drawing/modeling gallery space

wood workshop

toilets

kitchen

La Machine canteen

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

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section DDsection BB section CCsection AA

The primary existing wall, as mentioned previously, hosts a series of galleries that branch off and extrude through the all at varying

levels. The gallery spaces provide views into the workshop spaces of La Machine. By doing so, the typically private realm of workspace becomes semi-permeable and allows the public to visually interact

with the production.

The galleries scale up the wall, leading to an information center that extrudes out into the exterior providing a connection to the

courtyard outside. This follows the notion of blurring the interior and exterior, and the private and public spaces.

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Exhibition Space Workshop

Cafe Exterior Courtyard

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west elevation 1:200 east elevation 1:200

north elevation 1:200

south elevation 1:200

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McKENZIE LIEBL

THANK YOU