Built (Copy)
20K House v15: Idella’s House
Hale County, Alabama | 2013–14 | B.Arch. Thesis
Idella’s House builds upon the legacy of Rural Studio’s ongoing research project: the 20K House, an exploration in affordable, rural housing. Idella’s house prioritizes the comfort and safety of disabled clientele by fully complying with FHA and ANSI A accessibility requirements. Paired with a FEMA-rated tornado shelter disguised as the main washroom and a built-in ADA-accessible ramp cast directly into the slab, Idella’s house stands out as one of the most gracious of the 20K Houses to date. To meet the strict budget—determined by the maximum FHA-backed mortgage that a family living on Social Security alone could afford—Idella’s house eschewed many interior walls, instead organizing the open plan through the careful placement of the central utility hub which houses the bathroom.
Changing Perspective
Jacksonville, Florida | 2017–2019 | Moed + Maddox
Charged with the task of outfitting downtown Jacksonville with bicycle parking, design team Moed + Maddox chose to accept the challenge posed by citizens at a public panel to address local inequity in public representation. Instead of merely serving as a functional sculpture, the piece acts as a way-finding device across space and through history. Each panel is angled toward a significant African American historical site around the city and includes the site’s name, distance, and a contextualizing description. All of this is united—from one particular perspective—under the slogan “DUUUVAL,” itself a product of Jacksonville's rich black heritage having been coined by local hip-hop artists during the mid and late nineties.
Hotel Clermont
Atlanta, Georgia | 2015–2017 | Gamble + Gamble Architects
Originally constructed in 1924, the Hotel Clermont remained a fixture of the seedy Ponce De Leon Corridor until 2009 when the hotel was finally shuddered. Meanwhile, the infamous Clermont Lounge, an Atlanta landmark, continued to operate in the building’s basement despite the increasing threatened of dilapidation. Today, the Hotel Clermont has been returned to a semblance of its former self, just slightly quirkier. The 94-guest-room boutique hotel now embraces its sordid past, boasting everything from NSFW photos from the Lounge to two-way washroom mirrors. Visitors and guests alike can take in sweeping sunset views of Midtown Atlanta from new rooftop bar. Historic preservation efforts included window replacement, restoration of the façade, and replacement of the iconic mast and its signage. Extensive interior work included restoration of terrazzo, plaster, doors, and trim. Structural repairs and rehabilitation of the central grand staircase were required to meet current building codes. Due to these efforts, the building is a candidate for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
Toccoa Timbers
Blue Ridge, Georgia | 2016–17 | Gamble + Gamble Architects
This large but inviting house unfolds along the banks of the Toccoa River, each room graciously opening up to the peaceful views and soothing sounds of water mere yards away. A distinctly rustic but elegant home for entertaining a large extended family, the house has been designed with multiple outdoor rooms, including a terraced yard, a serene hot tub escape, and screen-enclosed dining and living areas. The grand outdoor areas connect back to the main body of the home through walls of gliding windows that essentially disappear, allowing the atmosphere of the river to spill into the office, kitchen, dining room, and great room.