DONESH VICTOR FERDOWSI

C O N T E N T SConstructions for: CROWDS. BODIES. HANDS. HEARTS.

CROWD CRAFTclass. pool. school. plaza. park.

PRAIRIEGRASS CLASS

Students were asked to design a pavilion and outdoor classroom for a protected prairie near Saint Louis.

I entered this project by researching prairie ecology and history in the Midwest. A sectional look at the site’s biology shaped these spaces: two thirds of a prairie’s bio mass exists under ground. In fact, seasonal wildfires destroy the grassy iceberg tip we think of as a prairie’s substance. This space aims to heighten awareness of the site with its 5ft tall grass and 10ft deep roots. Long cuts in the landscape marked by corten steel shards and concrete retaining walls lead visitors through a covered gate way into an open-air space organized by its furniture. Three massive steel tables provide work surfaces for students and their mess, while three terraces provide space for groomed educational gardens.

Intro to Design Processes III 3 credits Tyler Meyer/Liane Hancock FL2009

a classroom in a nature preserve.

Prairie in SectionMISSOURI NATIVESechinacceaasterblack eyed susandandelionjoe pye weedswitch grasslittle bluestembuffalo grassprairie dropseed

subsoil- permanently dry

lime layer- the limit of rainfall penetration.

rich black humus

6ft

da b c

a) Two ways to control plant growth: fire and livestock.

b) Three terraces offer a formal and organized space to cultivate and study prairie plants.

c) Three massive steel tables define two classroom spaces. Teachers organize students around or inside these work surfaces.

d) A steel tunnel brings visitors down a slight incline to evoke feelings of submerging before re-entering day light and the open air classroom.

Outdoor Classroom

FIRES remove old growth, control invasive species, and revitalize the soil.

1/8” model built in folded sheet metal and scorched aspen.

Students were asked to design a public pool for a Saint Louis city park. My proposal strives to bring an urban sense of traffic to the oasis. The park is for peace and quiet. This place is for motion and activity. The series of individual pools, internal gardens, and ramps descending down a slope act as a knot in the path around the lake. Runners, walkers, bikers, swimmers, and people-watchers alike move through these lanes. The concrete shells that form the groundplane and roof structure contain sand, soil, water, and wood, bringing us back down to earth without leaving the city.

a pool in the park for saint louis

Architectural Design I 6 credits Gia Daskalakis FL2010

TROUGH TERRACE

city park

city pool

a b c

a. terraced beach

b. steel + concrete forest

c. stepped lawn

city street

sand

soil

wood

water

PLAN 1/64”

east elevation. plastic lead on mylar.

1/8 sectional model built in cedar, maple, steel, resin, plaster

east elevation. plastic lead on mylar.section perspective. pencil on paper. collage.

a campus on the street for sam fox school

UNIVERCITY

Architectural Design II 6 credits Zeuler Lima/Iain Fraiser SP2011

Thinking about our own educations, JD Scott and I have come to appreciate that where we do is near as important as what we do. Just as murder in a Cathedral is different than murder on the street, we conclude that making art on Delmar is different than making art on Hoytt.

We propose a new attitude for Sam Fox with an urban addition to its suburban campus. We aim to bring students off the monestary onto the street. With housing and studios for 40 artists, “Univercity” aims to facilitate a study abroad, close to home. The site sits dormant between 2 strips of activity. The project aims to mediate between them with a quiet, contemplative posture that embraces a library with a student-run art gallery, a small café, and a semi-public courtyard.

UNIVERCITY

m. l. k. j. i. h. g. f. e. d. c. b. a. n.

n. loading dock

m. upper level classroom and gallery

l. street level space for outreach design program

k. lower level metal/wood shops with outdoor workspace

j. re-purposed brick building

i. sunroom/outdoor balcony

h. semi-public courtyard with mounds, trees, and paint walls

g. library entrance

f. rammed earth bearing walls

e. roof vegetable garden

d. public gallery and cafe

c. hallway: the life of the dormitory.

b. lofted bedrooms

S C H O O L F E A T U R E S

a. Delmar Blvd: a top 10 street in America

Raingarden and interior library entrance.

Class and gallery space. 1/8” sectional model in oak, poplar, OSB, and steel.

First Floor Plan Showing storefront and cafe.

Second Floor Plan showing dormitories.

East Elevation of dorms and library.

East elevation of academic space.

Section through dorms and library.

Section through repurposed restaurant.

View of the courtyard looking towards the library.

The Cathedral effect describes the influence of space on human thought. As the Goths knew so well, high ceilings encourage abstract ideas and creativity, while low ceilings motivate a concrete focus on detail.

The UniverCity Library is the sacred space on campus, conducive to lofty thoughts, deep imaginings, and their realization. A two-story atrium accompanies an open stack of reading nooks. Visitors may find their inspiration while wandering the sunlit stacks below and further pursue their thoughts in the “people shelf” above.

L I B R A R Y F E A T U R E S

a. roof nooks and balconies

b. skylight behind “human shelf”

c. wood-clad Western wall warms skylight sun

d. “human shelves” conducive to focused thought

e. elevator shaft

f. groundfloor with stacks, meeting space, and

exit to school complex.

CAMPUS LIBRARY

a

b

c

d

e

f

The Cathedral Effect

basement interior showing skylights open to atrium.Basement Plan

First Floor Plan showing open atrium and corner entrance.

Second Floor Plan showing elevated stacks and reading nooks.

Third Floor Plan showing skylights along concrete piers.

A shelf for people.

THE COLORS OF COPENHAGEN: public spaces for orsteadl kollegium

Urban Design I 6 credits Line Schultz/Rasmus Fisk FL2011

Local Color: “The distinctive peculiarities of a place.” Orsteadl Kollegium is home to dependents of the Danish government: immigrant families and university students. Though full of diversity, life, and latent energy, the complex feels as grey as it looks. The life between its buildings has yet to be born. This proposal aims to bring color to an anonymous place. Associating activities with spatial and material qualities, this spectrum of public spaces hopes to give residents a reason to go outside and visitors a reason to come in.

-

“Colors speak all languages.” (a 17th c. Englishman)

KULOER

rød

blå

gul

grøn

QUALITY MATERIAL

peacetranquility calmnesscoolnessserenity

water stone concrete plum

intensitypassion heat thrillactivityvibrancyradiance

woodgranitebrick steel maple

warmthenergyglow

stonegravelwoodsandgingkobirchsunflower

lifesoftnesscalmnesscoolnesshealthfertility

earthturfgrasstreesivy

ACTIVITY

sittingreflectingconversingrestingcooling office skating

dancingcelebratingskatingcompetingperforming

playingeatingsun bathinggardening

runningbikingwalkingsleddingpicnicing

LOCAL COLOR

grøngrey

site plan

10

50m

50

20

we parked..

.

a park for patrick henry elementary schoolLEARNING LANDSCAPE

Architectural Design IV SP2012Forrest Fulton/Mikey Naucus6 credits

12 students expanded the 2011 Learning Landscape at the Patrick Henry Elementary school and rendered an asphault parking lot fit for children.

In consultation with the teachers of the school, we added features to further enhance the school’s sustainability-themed curriculum. Yurina, Parker, and I worked to add human scale and finer detail to the masterplan. We rescued wood logs from the chipper to build over 50 pieces of furniture at a total cost of $777.77

a. sculptures and tables in wood chip allee shaded by birch

trees.

b. granite border and path.

c. earth mounds and native prairie plantings.

d. redwood tree donated by MO botanical garden.

e. fabric shaded cedar pergola.

f. gingko and locust trees add shade to raised planters.

g. subterranean irrigation system waters garden beds.

h. cedar storage boxes for tools and stools.

Features

d

c

b

a

e f g

h

photos courtesy of Forrest Fultonsite plan drawn by Lyn Wenzel

2012 Urban Studio Site

MASTER PLAN

4 X 8 ROUGH SAWN CEDARTIMBER BEAM-MITER CORNERS, TYP.-BOLT TO BEAM PLATE

12" DIA GALVANIZEDTHRU-BOLT W/ GALVANIZEDWASHER & NUT, TYP-RECESS BOLT HEAD & NUTINSIDE FACE OF TIMBER,TYP

-CENTER BOLTHORIZONTALLY ON 4 X 4COLUMNS - TYP

7" X 7" X 14" THICK

GALVANIZED STEEL BEAMPLATE W/ 1

2" DIA HOLES OFBOLTS-WELD CONNECTION

516" DIA 3 1

2" DEEPGALVANIZED STEEL LAGBOLT

21/

2"2

1/2"

21/

2"4

3/4"

2�-3

"

"

12" CONC PIER MIN 36" BELOWGRADE W/ 5 �4 REBAR

7" X 7" X 14" THICK GALVANIZED

STEEL CRUCIFORM BASEPLATE- 12" DIA HOLES AT BOLTS-WELD CONNECTIONS

4 - 4 X 4 ROUGH SAWN CEDARTIMBER COLUMN-BOLT TOGETHER � BAS EPLATE & BEAM PLATE

CL

CL

CL

CL

SHADE STRUCTURE COLUMN DETAIL SECTION

6"4"

1�-�

"4"

3"1"

2�-6

"

2"

1�-6

"

4�-�

"

1�-1

�"

Pergola Column Detaillag bolts

4x8 cedar timber

galvanized steel corner plate

through-bolts

4x4 cedar timber

steel anchor plate

concrete pier

fabric sun shade strips. Pergola team led by Elana, Mike, and Sam.

PERGOLA

L G

5-30lb. 32 stools. storage box.

SMALLred cedarosage orangeblack walnutyellow poplarwhite oaksycamoreelm

MEDIUM400-600 lb. 3 tables. 12 benches.

cast concretesteelred oak

LARGE1000-3000 lbs. 5 climbing structures.

crane-dropped, chainsawed oak

furniture and oddities

photos courtesy of Forrest Fulton

photo courtesy of Forrest Fulton

BODY CRAFTchair. bench. table. bed.

make a monster.

CHIMERA CHAIR

thonet rocker

ply and steel school chair

chi·me·ra [ki-meer-uh] a mythological, fire-breathing monster, com-monly represented with a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail.

Furniture Design. 3 credits. Lindsey Stouffer. SP2009

tubes grown and forged, brass, waxed linen, sisal, beeswax

BAMBOO CHAIRFurniture Design. 3 credits. Lindsey Stouffer. SP2009

Square - Circle-Bench house-warming gift. kimia ferdowsi kline. SU2012.

black walnut, red cedar

17” 36”

17”

Through-Tenon-Table wedding gift. kimia ferdowsi kline. SU2010.

curly cherry, black walnut, beeswax

a bed in a home for ignacio and benicio

funCIO TWIN SLEEPER

built in collaboration with Catalina Freixas and Pablo Moyano Saint Louis SU2012

It’s something quite different to live in the home you’re building for...

8” twin foam mattress

1/2” birch plywood slat

1/4” counter-sunk stainless steel hex bolt

3/4” stainless steel lock washer

5” yellow pine strut

1.5” decking screw

5” yellow pine cross beam

3/8” red oak plug

1.5” pine ceiling connector block

1/2” birch plywood cieling

a. loft detail

a. loft

b. column

c. drawer

5” yellow pine slat joint

1/2” birch plywood slats

1.5” caster

CNC cutout wheel anchor

drawer front

lower foam mattress

3/4” birch plywood front facade

3/4” wood screw

c. drawer detailb. column detail

1/4” counter-sunk stainless steel hex bolt

2x2” quarter sawn maple column

1/2” radiused corner

3/4” maple plywood with 1/2” radiused corner

1.5” counter-sunk decking screw3/8” red oak plug

installed and inhabited

the first climb

HAND CRAFTglass. fiber. metal. wood. ink. pixels. plastic.

GLASS: BLOWING

FIBER: KNITTING

carve wooden pattern + establish parting line

cast pattern in 2 part plaster mold

cast wax patterns in resin-bonded sand

build flasking + attach spacer

pour aluminum matchplate

sandblast and polish

stamp matchplate into oil-bonded sand

cast in bronze

machine and polish castings.

Foundry 3 credits Noah Kirby SP2012

Match-Plate Fabrication

METAL: FOUNDRY

WOOD: CARVING. TURNING. JOINING.

INK: PRINTMAKING

Monotype Prints

Zinc Etching

PLASTIC: CASTINGPIXEL: RENDERING

ORIGINAL BOTTLE

CUT SECTIONS + SCAN

RENDERING

DESIGN SKELETON

aXE: KEEPIN

G D

IRTY B

OYS

C

LEAN

S

INC

E AD

AM

LO

ST A R

IB.

LASERCUT RIBS

CAST PLASTER MOLD

EMBED RIBS IN RUBBER “FLESH”

SOUL CRAFTillustration. book. film. curriculum.

Illustration: The Fire Tablet

Independent Study. 1 credit. Bob Hansman. FL2009

“Coldness hath gripped all mankind: Where is the warmth of Thy love, O Fire of the worlds?”

Drawings to accompany 1871 verses of a Persian prisoner in the Ottoman city of Akka.

Independent Study. 1 credit. Bob Hansman. FL2009

BOOK: Learning to CopeAn illustrated tale of 100 days spent in Denmark.

Screenplay: Under the StaircaseTells the story of the Iranian Revolution through the experience of the Ferdowsi family.

Shown in Switzerland 2012Directed by Kimia Ferdowsi Kline 2010.

“It’s easy to love thy brother. Is it possible to love thine enemy?”

Curriculum: Alberti Program.Aims to help kids to think laterally, act consciously, and play constructively.

Organized by Professor of Architecture Gay Lorberbaum 2009-11

donesh.ferdowsi@gmail.com