Loma Parkfrom Adaptive & Resilient Design Studio with Prof. Robert Fryer
Loma, the Latin root of the term loom, which is in connection with Jefferson's history as a Textile School. This project is a bus stop for SEPTA'S route 32 and the limited run 400 series. This stop is located on the corner of Henry Ave and West School House Lane in Philadelphia's East Falls neighborhood and sits within Jefferson's East Falls Campus. My design proposal utilizes both structure and vegetation to manipulate the site's microclimate while also providing various experiences for the occupant. In terms of materiality and aesthetics, my concept is taken from Jefferson's history as a Textile Institute utilizing wood, metal, and stone manipulated into a weave-like construction (rendered as a single pink material). The weave can change in density to allow or prohibit airflow, sun, and views. The structure itself also weaves through the site manipulating winds and informing the landscape and footpaths. The structure's varying heights helps direct views either towards the softball field or out to the street.
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Allie Prescott
M. Architecture '22 Listening to Demon Daze by the Sports I see myself in a city setting, working for a firm that does multi-family and multi-income housing. I also want to do some hospitality and retail spaces that feel trendy, but do it in a way that is sustainable and allows for an ease of rotations with the trends. I would also love to work at Disney at some point, as I have always been fascinated by playful spaces and creating an immersive environment such as their theme parks |
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How do you know if your project is successful?
I often base my success off of how interested I am in a project. Some projects I just want to finish and be done with it, while the more successful projects make me want to put more time into it. I feel successful when the jurors have to get nit picky with their critiques. The more successful projects often do not have any obvious questions, so they have to really get into the project to search for feedback. What is the best piece of advice that has been given to you? So I remember some of my favorite “advice” from a song “Work in Progress” by the band Set Your Goals: “Life is about doing - the process - and not the result” and I take this phrase to heart a lot, especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed with a project or anything else in life...I remember that what I’m doing, right now, is an experience that will be useful during the next experience, and to just soak up what I can from the moment, the current lesson, rather than trying to get through it quickly. How has your undergraduate degree in furniture design influenced your architectural designs? My undergraduate degree in furniture design gave me a sculptural background that has influenced my overall forms and composition. The use of geometry in furniture designs has helped shape understanding of form. |
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How has your move from New Hampshire to Philadelphia impacted you and how did you adapt to this new environment?
Coming from the Southern seacoast of New Hampshire, the area is 99% white. I was raised to be an open person and don't consider myself racist, but until I had come to Philly, I had never seen someone wear a hijab or even had a black person in my class. Moving to Philly, allowed me to learn from so many new people and put me on the path to become less ignorant and more educated. Being around a strictly white Catholic community for 29 years was detrimental to my design ability and moving to Philly has really opened my eyes to design for everyone in general opposed to a singular type of person. Living in this densely populated area of Philly, I have grown to become aware of the dynamic between the population and the space they inhabit. How can these long lines wrap through a space? What do people experience while waiting in line? How is the traffic being handled, and how can my designs help combat these issues? Where are you off to next? I would love to move to Columbus, Ohio. The residential architecture in Columbus is beautiful and I really think I could slowly fall in love with the space and keep adapting to these new environments. I would also love to live and work in Denmark for a few years. It's amazing how sustainable they are and I am fascinated by the way in which they live. |
