Zachery Howser

Site Plan.

A vacant lot rests West of 1 East Camelback. The lot is on of the few spaces zoned for mid-to-high rise. In the 1980s, a Philip Johnson highrise building was proposed, but never came to fruition.

With the area surrounding 1 East Camelback becoming more urban and walkable, I proposed that the vacant lot can be leased to the area/building, allowing tenants and the surrounding community to grow crops. The crops can be for personal use, or they can be sold to the local grocery markets in the surrounding areas. When the times comes that a building it due to be constructed in the lot, the tenants of 1 East Camelback can still use their rooftop garden.

Floor Plan 1

The first floor is open to the elements. Serving as a plaza and communal space for the tenants, it also allows the street to be engaged. A water-collection pool is located in the base of the atrium where water from the shower tower is collected.

Adapting 1 E Camelback into a mixed-use building strengthens the growing urban community surrounding the site. Arizona State University is launching its fashion degree program in Fall 2017; including a studio within the building will give students a place to work in Downtown Phoenix once they graduate, surrounding themselves with the growing culture of the city. AR/VR is also a growing practice; providing an AR/VR studio will allow the further investigation into the medium.

Fashion and AR/VR can also collaborate in a mixed use studio space.

One does not need a lot of square footage to live. By maximizing the numer of units per square foot, dense living is possible, contrasting the sprawl of Phoenix and looking towards the future of living.

Opening the first floor to the elements allows the street to be engaged. Opening the atrium allows for a downdraft to occur. Cross ventilation within each unit allows for minimal usage of HVAC. With the addition of a shower tower in the atrium of the building, cool air is stored and moved throughout the building and units.

The Saharan silver ant lives in an arid desert climate, and has adapted to its context/environment. Silver hairs covers the ant's body and change orientation depending on how the hairs move along its body.

Silver hairs covers the ant's body and change orientation depending on how the hairs move along its body.

Microscopically, each hair is a triangular prism that self shades during the day.

Nanoscopically, each hair has corrugations, which help with more shading. The silver hairs also reflect sunlight, which reduces the solar gain on the ant's body. Biomimetically adapting attributes of the Saharan silver ant are appropriate, as their environment is similar to Phoenix.

Bi-fold, corrugated panels surround the building, helping with shading. Perforations of the corrugated envelope allows light to enter the units, mitigate intense, direct sunlight, as well as allow views to towards the surrounding contexts. The envelope adapts depending on the façade of the building; the south façade has a horzintal envelope, while the north façade has a vertical envelope.

The shower tower acts as a passive system, architectural element, as well as an aesthetic element.

The bi-fold, corrugated envelope influences cross ventilation that occurs within each unit; as the envelope opens, the windows open, allowing cross ventilation. The envelope can also be controlled manually, depending on the user.

During the night and evening, the shower tower lights up, acting as a security element as well as an aesthetic element.