Turning Pointsa collection of work that changed the direction of my architecture journey

Kelsey Angle | Masters of Architecture | Kansas State University

contents

02 The One that Hit Close to Home, Literally Black Box Brewery | Kansas City, MO

08 The One with the Real Client Courtyard Garden | Abiquiu, NM

14 The One that Reached A Community Project Grazie Mille | Orvieto, Italy

20 The One that Got People Talking The Pavilion Project | Eureka, KS

The One that Hit Close to Home, Literally

Black Box Brewery | Kansas City, MO

Kansas City was a pretty cool place to grow up. And now that the Royals are good again, it’s a pretty cool place to be associated with. So working on a brewery project near downtown KC during my fourth year of school turned out to be one of my favorite semesters of college. Taking the design from conception all the way through construction documents forced me to look at architecture from a real-life perspective. That is, after the caffeine addiction and sleep deprivaton wore off...

Right:View from the beer garden of the

perforated metal facade and ground floor restaurant and bar02

Black Box Brewery got its name from the concept of the black box theater: simple, unadorned, and utilitarian. The beer brewed here is no joke either: a family recipe kept secret for generations.

Situated directly across from the River Market in Kansas City, Black Box Brewery is the perfect place to stop for an afternoon snack and a cold pint.

The user experience of entering the brewery was taken into great consideration, as the exterior beer garden is protected on all sides by a large retaining wall. Users must enter

via a semi-hidden walkway and make their way under the heavy boxiness of the building to achieve the full effect.

The building’s perforated metal screen facade directs views and filters sunlight, while serving as a dynamic cladding for three sides of the building. However, the proverbial skirt of the screen is pulled off the ground, revealing the restaurant and bar and thereby establishing and indoor/outdoor relationship between the interior spaces and the exterior beer garden.

On the inside of the building, waffle

slabs are utilized for the main structure both as a way to show off the beer tanks and ensure easy maintenance of the equipment.

The roof deck is a hidden gem atop the building, disguised from the ground by the metal facade. It frames views of downtown Kansas City as well as the public park to the north, and acts as an elevated sister space to the beer garden below.

Clockwise, from above:

- Roof deck and tour group-Metal facade detail- Section perspective showcasing brew tank suspension and exterior beer garden- Diagram highlighting the purpose of the largest screen perforations

04

The Pivot Point

The Black Box Brewery project turned out to be my favorite “typical” studio project. I learned to design with a practical eye, while still maintaining a sense of playfulness and mystery.

The hours (or rather days and weeks) spent working on construction documents also gave me a new appreciation for the enormous amount of work that goes into any architecture project, large or small. I consider it rather miraculous that buildings grow from drawings on a page to a functioning structures.

From this point forward, I have remembered how important it is to design with intent and, in doing so, the final product can create a dynamic experience for the user.

Far left:Interior rendering of restaurant and bar (featuring my brother in the foreground)

Left:Context placement sketch of the brewery and downtown Kansas City 07

The One with the Real Client

Courtyard Garden | Abiquiu, NM

Every once in a while, a game-changing project comes along. This was that project. Working with a real client forced me to focus on selling the project to him instead of pleasing my professor. I loved it. I threw myself into the marketing side of architecture and never looked back. Is it too late to switch majors...?

Right:The devil is in the details. This model

took over one hundred hours of labor, cost more dollars than I’d care to remember,

and caused its builders to curse like sailors. But just look at the result. 08

During my third year in school, my studio was presented the opportunity to work on a real project with a real client. The client owned a resort in Abiquiu, New Mexico and was looking to construct a courtyard garden area on his property in hopes of attracting new guests and hosting events such as wedding receptions and art classes.

Studio members paired up and began working furiously, as we only had four weeks to take the project from conception to a full-blown proposal. I got lucky: My partner and I possesed opposite strengths. He was a master

of all-things computer-related and I knew how to talk to people.

Halfway through the project, I had an idea that I thought would give our team the edge. Since this project was all about selling our idea to the client, I decided to fabricate and publish a fake magazine featuring his new courtyard garden on the cover. I went all-out, writing three articles, creating advertisements for businesses in the area, and incorporating photos we had taken on our site visit.

When we presented our ideas and the

magazine to the client, he was blown away. Our studio mates thought we had the project bagged. Alas, we were not the winning team. But I will never forget how much I loved working on this project, and what a sense of joy and accomplishment I felt when I saw the client’s eyes light up at that our presentation.

Above and below:Pages from the Southwest Architecture magazine

Right:Plan and renderings from our presentation to the client

Right:Article featuring

some of the nearby outdoor attractions in Abiquiu; photos taken

during site visit10

Right, from top:

- set up for wedding reception- set up for a movie night- various activities taking place during the day- reading nook and fireplace- “roofless room”, shaded during the day

central, open courtyard

exterior gardens

“roofless room”

sitting room with fireplace

The Pivot Point

The Abiquiu Project showed me how powerful it is to watch a client see his dreams become a reality. The capacity of human relationships is not to be underestimated, and the way in which architects interact with their clients is of the utmost importance.

From this point forward, I have always made an effort to keep the client in mind (even if I have to make one up), and fine-tune my communication skills to create more meaningful and genuine connections with people.

Far left:Model of courtyard garden (shown without roof) made with wood, chipboard, bondo putty, and lots and lots of sanding

Left:Hand-rendered site plan 13

The One that Reached A Community

Project Grazie Mille | Orvieto, Italy

It is hard to put into words what this project means to me, and that’s saying something because I know a lot of words. Watching this project grow from an idea into a reality was the single most powerful experience I’ve had in my life. Since then, I’ve known without a doubt that what I want to do when I grow up is touch people’s lives by creating experiences. Now give me a few minutes, I need to go fold some more birds...

Right:Sign on site explaining the exhibit to

visitors; translation: “A giant thank you from the University in Kansas; 1,000 birds for 1,000 thanks; please, take a

bird and write a memory of Orvieto; the memories will take flight!”14

The last project we were given while abroad in Orvieto was to create an “intervention” in the city. Every student presented an idea to the class for a total of 32 entries. Students then voted on which project they’d like to complete, and I was elated to be one of five chosen.

The inspiration for this project came from the first night we arrived in Orvieto. My roommates and I were dropped off in a dark piazza, lit only by Christmas lights for the holiday season. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. I

wanted to re-create that atmosphere as a way to thank the city for hosting our group. In addition, I wanted to incorporate some type of interactive element for the residents of the city.

The phrase “grazie mille” literally translates to “one thousand thanks.” I had the idea to fold one thousand birds, with the words “Grazie Mille, Orvieto!” written on them and suspend them from trees in a park on the edge of town. In addition, we asked the residents of Orvieto to take a bird to remember us by, and leave a note with one of their favorite memories of Orvieto.

I led a team of eight of my peers, and over a period of two weeks we collected yarn, gathered materials, and folded lots and lots of birds (one thousand, to be exact).

The exhibit stayed up for three days. Hundreds of notes with memories and gratitude were left for us, but nothing will ever compare to watching adults and children alike wander through the park and gaze at the birds. I am forever grateful for this powerful, emotional experience.

clockwise from top left:

- original inspiration drawing presented to peers- the folding begins- lots and lots and lots of folding- helping our Italian friend Valerio clean his ladder so we can put it in his car to transport to the park - some trees are a little bigger than our arms reach- the exhibit starting to take shape- Renee talks to a local craftswoman who asks to keep a few birds for her hanging mobile art pieces- the exhibit near completion, being checked out by the Director of Centro Studi and our KSU professors- the Project Grazie Mille team upon project completion16

The Pivot Point

Witnessing my idea become a reality was incredible. But watching the people of Orvieto enjoy the atmostphere I had created was lifechanging. I have become addicted to creating real, human interactions and experiences. Isn’t that what architecture is all about anyway?

From this point forward, I have known in my heart that I need to interact with people to be truly happy. I need to talk to them, listen to them, and strike a match to ignite interactions with them. Wherever the next chapter of my life takes me, these interactions are an absolute necessity.

Left:A woman and her father share a special moment amongst the birds 19

The One that Got People Talking

The Pavilion Project | Eureka, KS

Small towns are host to a unique kind of community dynamic, and Eureka is no different. I became a part of the Small Town Studio during my final year at school and boy did I learn some things about south-eastern Kansas that I never thought I would. For example, the people of Eureka get most of their news from each other’s Facebook feeds. So when our studio began the “build” part of this design-build project, word in Eureka spread fast. Hmm, sounds like there might be a need for a marketing coordinator...

Right:Members of Small Town Studio mark

pavilion columns for notching20

Working on a design-build project was an incredible experience for me, but if I’m being honest, I didn’t have much to do with the design part. Or the build part. (Okay, I did swing a hammer a few times.) At the beginning of the semester, I saw the need for someone to establish relationships with the community, create flyers and literature, and generally keep the town of Eureka updated on why we were taking over their city park. So I appointed myself marketing coordinator of Small Town Studio and set to work.

I created a blog, a Facebook page, and an Instagram account, and updated them frequently. I produced many materials for fundraisers and presentations, and jumped at opportunities to speak with locals about the project.

One of my peers and I presented our design to the town council, and I often coordinated with the city manager for equipment such as scaffolding and the scissor lift.

The best part about doing this sort of work was seeing peoples’ excitement help the project move forward. Several

people in Eureka had a cousin or an uncle or “knew a guy” who worked construction or specialized in some aspect of the project and these people were always willing to stop by and lend a hand. The Facebook page and blog generated a ton of interest, and many people commented on how they appreciated being updated on our progress.

I look forward to the day when I can take my (probably grumbling) kids to Eureka, Kansas and show off the project I helped complete. That will be a pretty cool feeling.

clockwise from top left:

- Small Town Studio blog; progress updates posted approximately once a week- Instagram account, available for any studio member to post pictures- Project site sign, designed to inform the community about the reason we were making such a ruckus in their park- Orange Leaf fundraiser promotional poster, passed out to other studio classes on the day of the event - Classic structure shot- Small Town Studio Facebook page, updated multiple times per week- Project site sign in action

24

The Pivot Point

Sometimes if you want something, you just gotta take it. Going into this project, I knew I had a passion for communication but I had not yet had an outlet for it. Serving as the marketing coordinator for Small Town Studio let me unleash my creativity in this area, and I am truly grateful for the experience.

From this point forward, I have known I have value in the industry of architecture in a unique way. I love talking to people. I’m not afraid of picking up the phone and asking for help. And I definitely know these skills will carry over into the next chapter of my life.

Far left:Small Town Studio members take a seat outside the local newspaper building at the end of a long work day.

Left:Studio member Brian catches a nap on the ride home from Eureka. 25

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know.You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

Dr. Suess, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!