M A R C J O S E P H

Bayou Bartholomew Retreat

University of Arkansas Comprehensive Studio

Set in the extreme climate of a murky bayou, the project for a spiritual retreat and conservation center was a vehicle by which the specific climate of a region should affect the formation of the building in its parts and as a whole.

 

The facilities for the retreat include dormitories, a chapel for a moderately sized group, laboratories, and a refractory. In depth analysis of the indigenous ecosystem of the Bayou Bartholomew along with biomechanical studies of organisms that exist within the habitat were used to develop a building such that it has dynamic responses to the environment in which it lies. This results in an interactive field of cells envelopes the building as an exterior wall and arched roof. This field of units not only covers the building but also responds to the climate including extreme sun, water, and ventilation.

 

Embassy for a Foreign Nation

University of Arkansas

Mexico City: Urban Studio

With Mexico City as a backdrop, the project of this small Embassy was an exploration in the definition and refinement of the contemporary urban corner.  The program for this investigation is an embassy for a small generic country.

 

Facets of the program include a ballroom, library, offices, a small chapel for one, and residences for the diplomats. Issues addressed in the design of the embassy comprise of privacy, security, controlled transitions through levels of programming, and the transition of external public interaction into intimate space.

 

Good Shepherd Ecumenical Retirement Center

University of Arkansas Community Design Center

The project for the expansion of the Good Shepherd Ecumenical Retirement Center was an investigation into the innovative ways in which tenants of varying social classes and preferences may coexist within the same housing typology. Tower Housing is one typology where more contained, self sufficient living environments are defined while providing views over the wooded landscape.

Personal Space was articulated through use of sun porches or terraces of varying sizes, along with the availability of two bedroom units. This resulted in plan variations which, when stacked on top one another, lend to distinct customized facades on each tower.

Danteum

University of Arkansas

Rome Center for Architecture

As a rethinking of Giuseppe Terragni’s Danteum, the project explored the adaptation of Danteum’s original design principles in a contemporary vernacular. Using the original site along the Roman Forum, ideas of Heaven, Purgatory and Hell were explored using Dante’s Divine Comedy as inspiration.

Carving into the site, the design bridges the gap between old and new by transporting the visitor from the urban street and down to the ancient ruins. The building also acts as an urban gathering place as the museum acts as an amphitheatre.