Materials Study

This is a 'door-wall' in one of the public spaces of the hotel...perhaps just beyond check-in, before you reach the elevators to go to your room.

Each time you engage in a regimented act in the space, you then engage in an act that represents individuality. Each person who uses the space will have opportunities throughout the space to influence the architecture.

In this case, it is by way of moving different types of doors and creating different passages and implicit spaces in the process. Each time a door is moved, a new type of space and path of movement is created.

The top drawing is of the 'door-wall' in the completely closed position. The bottom drawing is of the 'door-wall' in the completely open position. Obviously there are numerous variations and configurations of the wall and the space between these two extremes, depending on which doors are open and how wide.

The materials I chose are directly influenced by the site. The Highline is an adaptive re-use project. The building, 450 W. 14th Street, will also be an adaptive re-use project, from a meat packaging company to a hotel. I will focus on using environmentally consious materials througout the space. Since this space is adjacent to the Highline, I use steel, concrete, reclaimed wood (representative of railroad ties) and bamboo (representative of grasses and plants that have taken over the High Line).