Semester: Fall 2011
Professor: Stephen Mueller
This core studio focused on creating a multifamily housing project located on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis. We explored issues of residence through multiple scales, from single family dwellings up to a large collection of living units.
The site of this building was located in a young and energetic neighborhood in the heart of St. Louis. My project focused on creating nodes of communal program from the street up through a central atrium of the building. These nodes would encourage interaction between residents who, given the neighborhood, would most likely be young professionals transitioning out of a dorm-like lifestyle.
A test animation for my housing studio
Semester: Spring 2012
Professor: Zuler Lima
This project explored the possibility of an underground addition to Florence's Uffizi gallery. My project sought to slow visitors down on their way through the open courtyard of the Uffizi and create some physical interaction with what was inside. This was to be accomplished by using a series of glass chasms that would protrude from the ground and form furniture, encouraging visitors to slow down on their way to the Arno, and to generate couriosity for what might be below the surface.
Semester: Fall 2012 (Abroad in Buenos Aires)
Professors: Gerardo Caballero & Gustavo Cardon
This studio focused on the challenges of living in informal settlements. These challenges are being presented cities across the globe as incredible numbers of people move to cities in search of economic prosperity. The situation in Villa 31, in the heart of Buenos Aires, are particularly evident as the villa sits on some of the most valuable land in the city, across from one of its wealthiest neighborhoods, and straddling one of it's busiest highways.
My project sought to give the residents of the villa a place in the city's skyline. Each node of this building is part of a proposed school for the villa residents. The nodes reach above the highway, and become a visible beacon for the upward mobility of the Villa's residents. Meanwhile, they work together to hold down much needed open public space and parks, securing open land from continued settlement under the highway (something state has forbidden). The nodes are constructed in a way that is easily replicated and can be built as needed throughout this and other villas in the city.
Semester: Spring 2013 (Design Build Studio)
Professors: Andrew Colopy & Ken Tracy
Clients: Audbon Society at Riverlands & United States Army Coprs of Engineers
This studio designed and built a bird viewing pavilion to guests to the Audbon's Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, MO.
I was one of the 11 students who participated in this studio and one of about 40 who ultimately helped see it through to completion. My role in the project began with formal studies about possible shapes and investigations in to the activity of birding.
After the first few weeks, the studio split into smaller groups further investigating specific aspects of the program. I was part of the group who began studying camouflaging and skins. After research, and discussions with our clients, about how birds see and what ideal camouflage would be arrived at the conclusion that what ultimately mattered in the pattern was the obfuscation of movement. We began creating patterns that gave the structure a sense of movement. Later, we would begin figuring out who to panelize the structure in a way that would allow the sensitive, expensive pieces to be demountable from the sturdy, easy to fix cedar frame. The US Army Corps of Engineers regularly floods or burns the prairie in the bird sanctuary in order to maintain the local ecosystem, making it necessary to safely store the aluminum and richlite exterior, and further necessitating a raised mound for the frame to rest on, away from flammable prairie grasses
Meanwhile, other groups in our studio were optimizing the shape and grading for the best views; designing and detailing the foundation and form work; producing presentation, construction drawings; and generating a site and grading plan.
Later I became more involved in the construction and fabrication of the structure. It was my role to research, order and assist with budgeting for the necessary materials for construction. We researched, several types of phenolic panels, ultimately choosing the ecofriendly (and cnc mill friendly) Richlite material for the exterior panels. We sourced the marine grade aluminum from a local sheet metal supplier, and the cedar frame from a local lumber yard.
I was fortunate enough to continue to work on the construction of the observatory through the summer until it's ultimate completion in the early fall of 2013, while working for Cobalt Office on other projects. There were a lot of dusty, hot days in West Alto, but we were often rewarded with dinners and drinks at Fast Eddy's across the River in Alton, Illinois. This is an experience I will cherish, and I am grateful to Andrew Colopy, Ken Tracy, Bruce Lindsay, our wonderful clients at the Audbon Society and Army Corps for allowing me to be apart of it.
For many many more in-progess shots please check out my instagram page (you may have to scroll way down): https://www.instagram.com/daavbro/
Milling an edge purlain for the beams to receive the corrugated ridges of the suntuf roof. Mill-master Chris Quinlan is at the helm in this photo.
Semester: Fall 2013
Professor: Adrian Luchini
This project explores the potential for revitalizing St. Louis’s defunct infrastructure by using the inherent qualities of a structure to radically change the way it can be used. As a skateboarder uses a park bench, or a rock climber sees a cliff face, this project capitalizes on aspects of MacArthur Bridge that lay outside the bridge’s original design intentions. Its situation on the site, height, and proximity to downtown lay the foundation for making the bridge an excellent climbing gym and hostel. This degree project serves to showcase these inherent qualities of the bridge through a choreography that brings the two structures together to serve a completely new purpose.
Single-Family Home Renovation
Paul Lukez Architecture
Summer 2015
This project was a proposal for a series of renovations for a young family living in the Beacon Hill Neighborhood of Boston. This beautiful home dated back over 100 years, but the family had outgrown many of the spaces in it's tight federal style floor plan. Our office proposed many improvements to the overall organization of the house, but some of the most dramatic were on the first floor. We proposed several options for a new kitchen and living space, that would make room for the growing family as well as allow them to entertain guests.
Single-Family Home Renovation
Paul Lukez Architecture
Winter 2014-2015
The goal of this project was to create a new gathering space and entrance to this cozy single family home in Concord. The renovation included a living space in the basement, ample storage for winter gear, and a way to close off the mechanical spaces. This space would also be creating a new front for the home, due to the way it is situated on the site.
Rennovation Project
Commercial
Summer 2015
Scott Vaughn Associates
Art Gallery and Music Venue
Cobalt Office
Summer 2013
The Luminary is a St. Louis based arts incubator. In the Summer of 2013, the Luminary asked us to begin preliminary studies for a space they were planning to move on Cherokee Street, a lively arts district in St. Louis. The main components of the space were to be the art gallery, a small library and office space (with tiered seating) and a stage for live music.
The building itself was a patchwork of former tenants. In order to unify the eccentric facade, we proposed giving it one, unified dark color and wrapping it in a steel mesh. This would give hints of the original character of the building, while presenting a single identifiable property for the Luminary to make their own.
A collection of small projects completed in addition to design studio or professional projects
Mapping Metropolitan St. Louis
Spring 2012
Professor: Natalie Yates
Partner: Kyle Fant
This project proposed using a series of networked recorders to visualize the sounds generated at the St. Louis waterfront and broadcast them throughout the rest of the city. We also generated a prototype script in the programming language Processing that visualized sounds,
Aalto Critical Studies
Spring 2013
Professor: Peter MacKeith
This project explored the diversity of scale in Alvar Aalto's work, from the building down to finishes and furniture
Aalto Critical Studies
Spring 2013
Professor: Peter MacKeith
This project explored the diversity of scale in Alvar Aalto's work, from the building down to finishes and furniture
Mapping Soft Bodies
Professor: Sung Ho Kim
Fall 2011
This project aimed to translate the form and function of a type of a particular cell in the human into a functional architectural object. I chose to explore Glial Cells, a type of structural brain cell, for my project. The final outcome was three modular pieces that could be configured in multiple ways to generate an expansive, flexible structure. This image is a collection of photos the final 3D printed prototype and a conceptual rendering.
Dynamic Architecture Visualization
A521K
Spring 2012
A roofless church on Spring Avenue in St Louis Missouri.
Music: Erla's Waltz by Olafur Arnalds
Modelling, rendering and, animation done by Dave Orndorff
Programs:
Rhino v4
3D Studio Max
Adobe Premier
Color and Space
Architecture and Film
Professor Stephen Leet
Fall 2013
David Orndorff
This animation is an exploration of color and space in Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey"
It was created using Rhino3d and Adobe Premier.
The music is Waltz 2 from Jazz Suite - performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
from the soundtrack for Eyes Wide Shut.
New Single-Family Home
Paul Lukez Architecture
Winter 2014-2015
Our client asked us to design a new vacation home that would incorporate the spectacular views presented by it's site on the cliffs overlooking Cape Code Bay. It was requested that the home have a subtle, vernacular exterior, while incorporating clean, contemporary detailing on interior. The result was a cozy, refreshing space with spectacular views.
My work on this project involved many of the exterior details, as well as designing and detailing the interior stairs, the exterior roof of the basement, and the exterior stairs that connect the parking area to the first level.