I believe that the structures that we surround ourselves with are directly intertwined with our emotions. In that vein, infrastructure should not only be a building, but art with intention. In this model, I wanted to combine beauty through flowing structures combined with function.

I first sketched a central spiral upon which the town would be based. I aimed to control the perspective by converting the viewing experience from 3D to 2D. To do so, I gave the walls a progression to encourage a linear viewing experience. This project was created in a smooth style with poles on the outside to show flow through rigidity.

For this project, I tried to use paper which gave less depth than I aimed for. In future architectural models, I will use something thicker like museum paper. The flow of this project created a strong desire in me to live in such a community where the architecture lures me to the next space.

To me, infrastructure’s worth is defined by those who are in it. Therefore, our buildings must encourage community and have beauty in and of themselves. They need to be attuned to the environment around them rather than an isolated enclosure. Mars — A desolate environment void of community — seemed a fitting setting for a visual representation of this idea.

Using aluminum foil as the structure’s skeleton, I kept everything low and intertwined with the ground around it for a natural feel. The paths are used to create a sense of community even between the exits of each room. The tunnel between each clay hut links the two mounds encouraging a sense of connection.

Clay was a new medium for me and its fluidity created a challenge when trying to create uniformity. Despite this, the clay gave a more natural feel and created a more realistic model. A more complex design may have been more appealing to the eye and made the project more cohesive.

This project was completed with the ACE Mentorship Program West Michigan Chapter. I worked with the architectural group in that year’s chapter and received the AIA Grand Rapids chapter scholarship for $2000. It was a wonderful experience that taught me much about what it was like to work in a firm as well as with the construction group and engineering group involved on a project. I personally ideated and modeled the entire rooftop garden, glass bubbles on the main building and interior glass atrium.

Our multimodal transport hub, The GRHub, is strategically located to connect the many modes of existing transportation in Grand Rapids. Modeled on an existing site in Grand Rapids, The GRHub connects the existing Amtrak Train Station and Central Bus Station with other local modes of transport. These local modes in clude vehicular, ride-sharing, bicycle, city bus, and personal air transport. The GRHub intends to create a coordinated network that seamlessly integrates various modes of transport while considering emerging technologies.

Our transportation hub was designed to represent the City of Grand Rapids and what truly set it apart from other cities in West Michigan. The various bubbles emerging from open areas in the structure represent how central the Grand River is to the city of Grand Rapids. With the river flowing directly through the urban area, it is a key part of the bridges that the city is known for, the unique gap in the skyline, and landmarks like the Grand Rapids Fish Ladder.

The choice to incorporate a large grass park area on top of the building is a necessary one if a goal of the project is to follow the trends set by other structures in Grand Rapids. This upper common space is found on top of buildings like the Devos Place and the surrounding infrastructure.