PEYTON STEURER

FALL 2016/Undergraduate Architecture Design Studio UG1

When Viewing a Giorgio Morandi still life, a person might begin to wonder where one object ends and the next begins. While there are many questions which beguile the viewer, the conundrum of the seemingly-continuous object presents a particularly difficult problem. Is the still life focused on four separate vases, or one single white vase with three necks and one purple vase in the background? Is the deep purple even a vase, or is it a door in the wall behind the objects? Plan drawings of the real life arrangement of these objects represent an investigation into the solution to these questions. The first drawing shows the possibility that each of the four objects are distinct, while the second depicts one connected being with the dark image int he background acting as shadow reaching out from a darkened doorway.

Charged with translating the two-dimensional investigation into a three-dimensional stack model, the process becomes about extruding the plans. When turned on its side, the stack model is almost identical to the plan drawing. Lines are carried through the model, creating a language of slipping that allows the viewer to see moments of connection and separation between the three pieces of the top as well as the base.

Project mediums: pencil on bristol hand drawings/sketches, museum board stack model

FALL 2016/Undergraduate Architecture Design Studio UG1

A space for Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning studios as well as a tutoring center for children, Meander aims to entice students of all ages to follow a wandering path up through the building, connecting to the neighboring infrastructure at several points along the way. At its most basic, Meander challenges visitors to learn through exploration: exploration of the building and the surrounding environment. Meander uses a ramp and stair pathway where different space types are carved out of the circulation system itself. Each “gathering” area is flexible and can be used for a variety of programs, including studio review and pinup, play, lounging, and tutoring. They can also be used simply as observation points throughout the building. Elevators pass through each level, allowing access to all floors by people of all abilities. Additionally, the outpost connects to the parking garage situated on the North side of the site. The language of the garage also flows into Meander through structure and material, the goal being to blend the inside and outside worlds while still maintaining some sense of identity as a beacon for the community.

Project mediums: pencil on bristol hand drawings, museum board and basswood model

WINTER 2017/Undergraduate Architecture Design Studio UG2

When given the opportunity to design a small writer’s cabin, the question of necessity and comfort come into play. With a limit of 5000 cubic feet, as well as a requirement for bookshelves, a reading space, and a writing space, what type of design allows for a productive yet desirable environment? This cabin was designed according to the basic human instinct to seek out a refuge, or a place of concealment where one can look out onto the prospect but cannot be seen by the prospect. On the other hand, the cabin should also include, or least lead out onto, the prospect—open space that provides an interaction with environment, along with the promise that comes with this unimpeded view. The refuge area, which is submerged underground, has a cave-like quality; low ceilings, combined with a hearth stretching the length of a wall, as well as a bed that sinks even farther into the ground suggest to anyone entering the space a place of protection and shelter. From above ground, the chimney, as well as the roof leading out onto the prospect interrupt the landscape, signaling the presence of a nearby refuge. In order to enter the space, a single staircase acts not only as the circulation but also as bookshelves enabling the occupant to choose a book to read on their way in and out of the building.

Project mediums: pencil on bristol hand drawings, museum board model

WINTER 2017/Undergraduate Architecture Design Studio UG2

Upon further dissection of the term “refuge,” this 10,000 square foot library focuses on refuge as a place of safety, both for people and for books. Situated on an island in Ann Arbor, MI, with the Huron River to the south and the Argo Cascades to the north, the Argo Park Library contains its entire collection of books on the third floor. The greatest threat to these library books is the water that surrounds them; thus, they are places as high up (and as far away from the water) as possible. The third floor contains browsing, collections, and the childrens’ library, as well as a reading room. On the first floor, the library goer enters by continuing on the existing pathway that runs along the island, and walking through the double doors in the middle of the space. To the left is the main circulation desk, and a porch-like reading and working area is just beyond the entryway. Walking further into the library, people are able to travel onto the rooftop terrace that looks out over the water. The basement floor houses the computer lab, restrooms, and a reading room which is underneath the terrace. Glass walls int he basement computer and reading rooms allow for the feeling of safety and refuge by calling attention to the position of the person walking underground, yet allowing for light to come in through the south facade, as well as giving visual access to the outdoors.

Project mediums: Rhinoceros and Illustrator digital drawings, museum board and chipboard model

WINTER 2017/Undergraduate Architecture Studio UG2

The University of Michigan’s Hatcher Graduate Library has a distinguished layered quality. Built in stages, each addition made to the library surrounds the previous one. Visitors see doors that run through floor plates, half floors, and floor plates that should correspond across wings but do not. The library is effectively a maze. It is easy to get lost in Hatcher, browsing the never-ending rows of shelves, taking the next door to anywhere in a frequently failed attempt to find an exit. Many places in Hatcher present themselves as worthy hiding places, including floors 3 and 3A, which currently house the Asia Library.

These two floors present such a unique opportunity because of the way they connect to the south stacks of the library. If floor 3A did not exist, it would not be missed; it is easily mistaken for poché. For this reason, Level 3A is the clear choice to transform into a secret collection and reading room for banned and taboo books. The reader starts on Level 03, where they take a secret staircase disguised as a janitor’s closet up to 3A. This half floor becomes the tunnel that guides the reader through the sculpture-like shelves towards the main reading room. Passing through into the space which was previously a double-height attic, a balcony looks down onto more bookcases as well as a reading room. The reading room is reachable via the staircase on the opposite side of the balcony. If a reader prefers more privacy, a further room with more books and small reading nooks is situated on the north end of the previous attic space. Further plans will involve the addition of an elevator opening into each space allowing for readers of all abilities.

Project mediums: Rhinoceros and Illustrator digital drawings

FALL 2017/Undergraduate Architecture Studio UG3

The museum as an institution typically holds a permanent collection of works. However, when this collection is based in history, it might make it difficult for the museum to engage with the people of today, whose lives are in a constant state of change and growth. With the addition of an artist community, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago will turn from an institution based in history to one which also embraces the present. The artist community will include live-work spaces, a print shop, and an artist-run gallery which will exhibit and sell the residents’ works.

Part of embracing the present involves making the space inclusive to all members of the community. While the front of the existing MCA features a threatening monumental staircase, the MCA Artist Colony will provide a much more inviting way to enter. Although traditionally ramps serve as transitional spaces, the ramp at the MCA Artist Colony becomes the destination itself. Museum visitors can walk through the ramp-gallery, winding their way through studio spaces and eventually into the greater museum.

Project mediums: Rhinoceros and Illustrator digital drawings

COMPLETED 2021/Perkins&Will Dallas CI Studio Team Project

150,000 SF/Dallas, TX

All materials and photography belong to Perkins&Will and are used with permission.

When Signify Health decided to rebrand and update the office to reflect the changes happening in the company, they brought in the Perkins&Will CI team to help them bring their vision to life. The company wanted to foster connection among its employees, so the team conceptualized the office as a living organism; organic, flowing space with clean lines, colors to reflect branding, and ample amounts of community space where positive employee interactions can happen.

The project spanned across six floors of an existing office building. Each floor required space planning and layouts to adjust to the company’s current needs. The space was designed to be flexible as Signify had plans to expand their workforce in the future. Each floor was assigned one of three main colors as a method of wayfinding, which were used in the painted graphics for elevator lobbies, stairwells, and breakrooms. The team also coordinated with Big D Metalworks to design and fabricate the main stair that connects the large breakroom on Level 07 and the executive offices on Level 08. This opens the space, provides more transparency between employees, and creates casual seating underneath. There are smaller breakrooms on every floor, and there is no shortage of collaboration space.

My individual contributions ran from the beginning of the project until the end. I was charged with leading field verification and completed a majority myself. I drafted the plans sketched out by the lead designer, as I had no prior knowledge of Revit and was required to learn. Although we were challenged with our budget, our team used paint and color to design simple, fun, and cost-effective graphics. My idea for the elevator lobby paint stemmed from the desire to invite people into the space, bringing the paint around the corner to inspire curiosity and a visual connection to the office. The same concept takes place at stairwells, where a splash of color runs down the stair door and up into the opposing collaboration space. I was also responsible for designing the area rugs made from carpet shape tiles that can be seen throughout the office, as well as the lighting fixture at the main staircase. This project continued to be an incredible learning opportunity after the design and CD phases. I worked very closely with my project manager and project architect as I was the only designer left on the project for construction administration. I quickly learned how to see a project through the CA phase, answering all RFIs and submittals.

Project mediums: Revit digital model and drawings, Enscape renders, physical construction project

FALL 2021/Graduate Architecture Design Studio 6603

There are very few places in the world where lighthearted family fun and unrestrained promiscuity exist simultaneously within mere inches of one another. New Orleans’ French Quarter is a prime example. It’s a city where the line between darkness and daytime is blurred. Alcohol can be found and openly consumed anytime, anywhere, and the party never seems to stop.

The task was to design a multi-use market hall at the edge of the French Quarter on the waterfront of the Mississippi River. It would be 200,000 square feet and would include market stalls, private halls, and four wildcard programs. I wondered: would it be possible to gather the saints and the sinners in one place? At first the concept of a building as a community center for wholesome activity as well as a mecca for disrepute seemed to require a stark division of space. However, it became clear that the two types of programs should intertwine to reflect the very real comingling in the French Quarter. After visiting, it was also clear that a bike path through or around the building was a necessity, as the site is the last remaining unbuilt link connecting Jackson Square and Crescent Park, which inspired the bike and walking path through Level 2.

A series of tight winding alleyways came to life between random-shaped extrusions that turned into casinos, bars, clubs, and dispensaries on the first floor, and carried up through the second level to become market stalls, restaurants, and event spaces. Greater visual connection was achieved when some extrusions were chipped away, leaving openings for skylights and opportunities to experience the other side as a casual onlooker from above or below. Visitors can also enjoy views of the river and city from the rooftop.

Project mediums: Rhinoceros and Illustrator digital drawings and model, Photoshop renders, hand sketches

FALL 2022/Graduate Architecture Design Studio 7600

Collaboration with Cynthia Sac

On the east side of Santiago de Queretaro sits the neighborhood of Hercules, a place with very little money but great spirit and pride of community. Working with visiting professor Alfonso Garduno, whose office is located in the heart of Hercules, the goal of the semester was to provide the community with inexpensive, simple interventions that bring the people of the neighborhood together. Ultimately, the structure needed to be affordable and buildable by the community members themselves. One of the five designs would be chosen for further development and construction to be completed in the summer of 2023.

After many weeks of background research and a short trip to visit and speak with the community of Hercules, La Sombra was a proposal that directly responded to the lack of shade structures in a climate where the sun is relentless. It also addressed the need for a flexible gathering space and crossing point, as the north and south pieces of Hercules are divided by dangerously steep cliffs and train tracks with very little ability to travel back and forth. Choosing an existing futbolito field and playground as our site, La Sombra was designed as a space activator. The main structure, which runs along the south and west sides of the existing field, was created with reuse in mind. The structure itself is modular and consists of 3m x 3m steel tubes which are then clad in 2x4 wood slats to provide shade. On the bottom half of the structure, the existing chain link fence pieces are recycled into safety barriers which also provide the additional safety factor of clear views, eliminating potential areas of crime. Brick footings from the original fence line are untouched in order to provide additional seating. On the north side, existing brick seating is also reused, but with an added steel and canvas structure. This provides necessary shade, protection from the road that runs directly above/behind it, and a pop of color to embody the spirit of the community.

Project mediums: hand sketching, Rhinoceros/Illustrator/Photoshop digital drawings, renders, and models, CNC milled hard foam insulation/basswood/metal/fabric physical model