2. STUDY LOUNGE
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
TOWERVIEW STUDY
STUDY CARRELS
DN
DN
“LEARNING
COMMONS”
COLLABORATIVE
WORK AREA
IT & WEB SERVICES
TOWERVIEW LOUNGE
GREAT READING ROOM
UP
DN
UP
DN
N
GROUP STUDIES
STUDY TABLES
LIBRARIANS’ OFFICES
PUBLIC COMPUTER LAB
STUDY LOUNGE
CAFÉ
UP
DN
UP
1st
2nd
3rd
8. CL
PRECAST STONE STEPS
MARVIN COMMERICAL CLAD
ULTIMATE INSWING FRENCH DOOR
2X4
2X6
1/4” x 12” x 10” ANCHOR
PLATE BEYOND SEE STR DTL
SUBFLOOR
FINISHED FLOOR
STEEL REBAR SEE STR DTL
CONC FOOTING FOR STAIRS
EXG STONE WALL
CONC GRADE BEAM
SEE STR DTL
WATERPROOF MEMBRANE
AT NEW FOUNDATION
GRAVEL VFY SITTING
AT 90% COMPACTION
SET ON 3/4” CEMENT BED
W8 x 48 STL COLUMN BEYOND
+/-1'-4"
+/-3'
3"
2'-2"
10"
11"
2"2"3"
1'-6"
3"
CL
BATT INSULATION
1-5/8” METAL STUD 2’-0” O.C.
5/8 “ GWB
RIGID FOAMBOARD INSULATION
2X6
GWB CLADDING FOR HSS ABOVE
GAP 1/4”W X 1/2”D TYP
HSS 4X6X1/8 ABOVE SEE STR DTL
3/4” WD TRIM
TYP WIDTH AT LG. OPENING /
DIRECT GLAZE WINDOWS
TYVEK
BLOCKING AS REQ’D
3/4” PLYWOOD
2X6 P.T. WOOD
BRICK TIES
EXT TRIM
CONCEALED CLEAT
NO EXPOSED
FASTENERS
W8X48 COLUMN
SEE STR DTL
NEOPRENE
THERMAL BREAK
1”X12”X10” STL BASE
PLATE SEE STR DTL
EXG BRICK
2X4
CAULK BEAD
CLAD ULT. INSWING
FRENCH DOOR
HSS 6X6X1/4” ABOVE
PRECAST STONE
STEPS
3
1
2
"
1
1
2
"
CL
WINDOW TRIM
OPERABLE MARVIN WINDOW
TRANSOM MARVIN WINDOW
WINDOW TRIM
INT 1”X8” PVC TRIM
3/4” WD FRAMING
SHIM AS REQ’D
HSS 6X6X1/4” SEE STR DTL
2X6 P.T. STUDS
2X6 P.T. WD FRAMING
CONC GRADE BEAM
SEE STR DTL
W8 x 48 STL COLUMN BEYOND
1/2” GWB (2)
OPERABLE MARVIN WINDOW
STATIONARY MARVIN WINDOW
+/-8-1/2”
FULLY TEMPERED BUTT GLAZE
LAMINATED OIL-FINISHED
WOOD HANDRAIL
SILICONE GASKET
1/4”X6-1/2” CONTINUOUS
STL PLATE SEE STR DTL
WOOD FLOORING
SUBFLOOR
EXG 3X8 BEAM
1/2” GWB CEILING TYP
3/4” NAILER
2X6 NAILER
2X4 NAILER
JULIUS BLUM 1142
ALUMINUM SHOE CUFF. PROVIDE
GALVANIC SEPARATION BTWN STL
AND ALUMINUM. SEE STR DTL.
W6X20 COLUMN BEYOND
SEE STR DTL
W6X20 BEAM SEE STR DTL
+/- 8”
3’-6”
1/2"TYP
4 6
7
5
DETAILS NOT TO SCALE AND NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION.
Please note: All project details are the intellectual property of Komita Design LLC.
9. The neighborhood of lower North
Philadelphia has undergone the
following transformations since 1950:
50%
29%
21,400
39%
41%
51%
60%
Of Philadelphia’s vacant lots are located
in lower North Philadelphia.
Of Philadelphia’s vacant structures are
located in lower North Philadelphia.
Structures demolished between
approximately 1970-1990.
Decline in population density.
Decline in number of housing units.
Decline in number of households.
Decline in population.
Project H.O.M.E. Affordable Infill Housing Design Challenge
The traditional rowhome, completely rethought.
"In speaking about city sidewalk safety, I mentioned how
necessary it is that there should be, in the brains behind the
eyes on the street, an almost unconscious assumption of general
street support when the chips are down- when a citizen has
to choose, for instance, whether he will take responsibility, or
abdicate it, in combating barbarism or protecting strangers."
Jane Jacobs
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Architectural Designer / Graphics Specialist
BWA Architecture + Planning
Philadelphia, PA 2005
Rendering by Brian Szymanik, AIA LEED
"Eyes on the street" echoed across the sketch paper as we erased and redrew this widely abandoned block of
North Philadelphia. Outside, the new block configuration eliminates the dangerous, unsupervised back alley by
making each home "double-front" and semi-detached to provide each unit with its own private side yard. Inside,
the new rowhomes draw residents ever closer to the public realm. By placing each home's key living spaces
(kitchen, bedroom, etc) along two sidewalks, we effectively double the “eyes on the street” and maximize each
family's ability to add life to their sidewalks and contribute directly to the sense of safety in their neighborhood.
The design process was front-loaded with site visits, resident interviews, and research to give our work a rich
source of inspiration. By generating new forms that respond directly to the current residents’ modern needs, the
finished product results in a fresh look and provides an original new adaptation of the low-income Philadelphia
row-home typology. By provoking such critical questions of density, safety, and access in this desperately blighted
neighborhood, this project aims to advance the conversation on the future of effective low-income infill housing.
VACANT UNITS page 1 of 2
Project Team
William K. Becker, AIA
Partner-in-Charge
Brian Szymanik, AIA LEED
Project Manager
Jessica McCollum, IIDA
Project Designer
Jai P.Agrawal
Project Designer
Role:
• Client interaction
• Editing & Research
• Design development
• Design production
10. PROBLEMATIC CONDITIONS
Unsupervised back alley attracts crime.
Property density is far too tight.
Extremely narrow streets preclude
adequate parking in this heavily car-
dependent neighborhood.
Very hostile crime & policing environment.
1. ELIMINATE THE BACK ALLEY
No more unsupervised space.
2. DOUBLE-FRONT ROW HOMES
Doubles the eyes on the street.
3. WIDEN THE STREET
Adds 83 parking spaces in front of 82 units,
as well as supervised play space for kids.
6. LIVING SPACES TOWARD THE STREET
Bedrooms, lofts, kitchens, and living
rooms placed along sidewalks to enhance
residents' supervision of public realm.
9. ADD TREES SPARINGLY
Residents in this high-crime area disapprove
of trees that block supervision. We add
trees behind the wall and in planters that are
pushed away from the sidewalk.
4. SEMI-DETACH ROWHOMES
Adds amenity to each unit with private
outdoor space positioned within earshot of
sidewalk.
5. CONTINUOUS SIDEWALK WALL
Reinforces street edge with a human-scaled
and inviting, yet defensive perimeter.
7. "CRANKED" FAÇADE
Angles the bedroom window to optimize view
and allow for greater street supervision.
8. BALCONIES
Adds amenity while giving residents a great
perch from which to view the street.
page 2 of 2
Rendering by Brian Szymanik, AIA, LEED AP
11. [byron story founda
FLOOR PLAN
1/8”=1’-0”
3
[byron story founda
[byron story founda
Rendering by BWA Architecture + Planning
“A Beacon Of Hope”
The Byron Story Foundation
Alternative education center for troubled and at-risk teens
Francisville, Philadelphia, PA
Project of the Year 2006
AIA Philadelphia Community Design Collaborative
BWA Architecture + Planning, Philadelphia, PA
TRANSLUCENT
TILE GRADIENT
IMAGES PROVIDED
BY BSF COMMUNITY:
TRANSLUCENT
ORANGE CHANNEL
GLASS EMITS GLOW
AT NIGHT.
PROVIDES
NATURAL LIGHT IN
CLASSROOMS WHILE
MITIGATING VISUAL
DISTRACTIONS.
EMITS FAINT GLOW
AT NIGHT.
Project Team
William K. Becker, AIA
Partner-in-Charge
Brian Szymanik,AIA LEED
Project Manager
Jessica Brams-Miller
Intern Architect
Jai P.Agrawal
Project Designer
Located one parcel down from their existing re-
purposed facility, this pro-bono project sought to
develop a tailor-made facility for the Foundation’s
unique approach to the mentorship of troubled
teens. Featuring flexible spaces for instruction
andcounseling, and a fully night-lit translucent
façade, this proposal aims to reinforce the Byron
Story Foundation’s well-earned reputation as a
“Beacon of Hope.”
Role:
• Client interaction & research
• Building programming
• Primary design co-development
• Design co-production
• Primary project co-presentation
• Complete written proposal
• Award submission documents
12. Redwood Resort
A 35 acre luxury resort master plan near Bhubaneswar, India
Project Manager
SKDAS Associated Architects + Urbanists
New Delhi, India 2008
Our team of four collaborated closely with the client
(pictured below) to achieve his vision for this fully
detailed proposal.
Primary responsibilities:
Master planning
Blocking (see right)
All CAD, proposal, and presentation production
Client Interaction
Regular overnight site visits
Near-daily communication of progress
Team Management
Assigned tasks and oversaw progress
for team & consultants
74 condos
artisan colony
dual
banquet
facilities
sports club
food court
tree-lined street
ayurvedic
retreat
temple
20
single-family
houses
40
double-family
houses
Rendering by Metal Gothic Studios, New Delhi
Rendering by Metal Gothic Studios, New Delhi
gettyimages.com
13. Competition Packet
Design Competition Packet
InfIll.cdesIgnc.org
REVITALIZING
URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS
THROUGH GREEN
STORMWATER
INFRASTRUCTURE
Project Director: Beth Miller Executive Director
Co-producer: Linda Dottor,AICP Communication Manager
Partner Agencies: Philadelphia Water Department & U.S. EPA Region 3
Website developer: Panoptic Communications
Stormwater runoff rinses pollutants into waterways, creating a direct threat to Philadelphia’s drinking
water. The City’s groundbreaking Green City, Clean Waters program is a 25-year plan to incentivize on-
site stormwater management with a two-pronged approach. First, incentive is created by gradually taxing
lanowners by their runoff amount. Second, new design methods and technologies known as Green
Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) are presented as cost-effective solutions. I was selected for my ability to
understand the underlying issues and translate them into a competition meant to inspire these new solutions.
• Produced competition guidelines & authored the internationally-released Call For Entries (above left).
• Prepared Executive Summaries & Talking Points from comprehensive background research.
• Promoted Call For Entries via placement in relevant global design, policy, academic, and press outlets.
• Developed structure, processes, layout, and graphic identity for the official competition website.
• Launched site on-time and on-budget via extensive coordination with partners and web developer.
Competition Design Summer Internship
Infill Philadelphia: Soak It Up! Phase 1: Design Competition
AIA Philadelphia Community Design Collaborative Philadelphia, PA
14. THINK
RAIN“trickle down”
(it’s something Reagan taught me)
Color Concept:
Lots of watery blues, with green as a secondary.
Hints of Collaborative Orange as accent to tie
visual identity back to blog.cdesignc.org
“Official” Collaborative Orange
hex D96F29
via banner at blog.cdesignc.org
accent color for watery blue & green pallette?
seed color for pallette-makers, kuler, etc
15. CONVENTIONAL HSS FRAMING
ENABLES LIGHT STACKING &
CLUSTERING OF UNITS.
FLEXIBLE PARABOLIC ROOF IS
REVERSIBLE FOR RAIN COLLECTION.
HINGED INSULATING DOORS
OFFER A WIDE VARIETY OF
CONFIGURATIONS FOR SHELTER
AND PERSONAL EXPOSURE.
MODULAR SIDEWALL GRID
PROVIDES CONTROL AND PRIVACY.
MODULAR FLOOR GRID REVEALS
LOCKABLE PRIVATE STORAGE.
GROUND ISOLATION PRESERVES
WARMTH, ISOLATES MOISTURE
VERMIN & FILTH, PHYSICALLY
UPLIFTS THE OCCUPANT,AND
RESTORES HUMAN DIGNITY.
part 1: STREET SHELTER
PennDesign ARCH601 Scott Erdy Studio // Philadelphia, PA 2011
DIGNITY FOR THE HOMELESS
16. THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF RITUAL
ARCH601: HOMELESS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING
Gardening, Residential Institutions, & Architecture As An Agent For Social Change
PennDesign ARCH601 Scott Erdy Studio Philadelphia, PA 2012
EQUINOX SOLSTICE EQUINOX SOLSTICE
10°
30°
50°
70°
90°
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
AVG ºF
MAX ºF
MIN ºF
Solar arcs split mass by
garden season.
BEANS, bush
BEANS, pole
BEANS, lima
BEETS
BROCCOLI
CABBAGE
CANTALOUPE
CARROTS
CAULIFLOWER
COLLARDS
CUCUMBERS
KALE
MUSTARD
OKRA
ONIONS (mature)
PEAS, garden
PEAS, southern
PEPPERS
POTATOS, irish
POTATOS, sweet
RADISHES
SPINACH
SQUASH, bush
SQUASH, winter
TOMATOS
TURNIPS
WATERMELON
CORN
EGGPLANT
LETTUCE
MUSTARD
BEANS, bush
BEANS, pole
BEANS, lima
BEETS
BROCCOLI
CARROTS
CAULIFLOWER
COLLARDS
CUCUMBERS
KALE
POTATOS, Irish
RADISHES
SPINACH
SQUASH, bush
TOMATOS
TURNIPS
CORN
EGGPLANT
LETTUCE
Cultivation marks the moment at which humans ceased a nomadic existence. This proposal
for homeless transitional housing renews the impact of gardening by deploying solar massing to
provide a sun-soaked light well for maximum vegetable harvest. This scheme provides each
formerly-homeless resident with a thoughtful home complete with private balcony, reading nook
with a skyline view, and private space for cultivation. Drawing upon models of monasteries,
dormitories, and prisons, this project seeks to provide the healing ritual of gardening in everyday
life to guide the inhabitants towards a psychology of pride and self-sufficiency.
18. Natural Systems formal concept:
Lithification:
The process in which layers of sediment compress, transform, and
cement into rock; a natural process that creates a “mineral archive”.
Marblization study
interior/exterior massing & façade conceptual studies
Layering study
20. How does an art archive catalog a flock of pollution-sensing robotic pigeons, a website from
1992 that let visitors control the electrode-fired muscle twitches of a dead frog suspended in
mineral oil, or a dot-matrix printer that has been programmed to screech out melodies like “I
Heard It Thru The Grapevine” or “Oh, Susanna!”?
Interior Rendering by Richard Fisher, M. Arch/MLA 2015, et. Al. Physical Model by Alexander Holstein, M. Arch 2014, et. Al.
Physical Model by Alexander Holstein, M. Arch 2014, et. Al.
21. Using formal languages of “layering”, “ordering”, and “compression”, this proposal packs modular rolling archives
towards the solid ends of the plan, and creates a gradient of disorder towards the center that results in a flexible
sequence of spaces for study and equipment repair, staging, separate installations, and rotating open galleries. PennDesign ARCH602 Ben Krone Studio // Philadelphia, PA 2012
FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ARTIFACTS
RHIZOME ARCHIVE
22. Level 1
0' - 0"
Level 2
22' - 0"
Level 3
36' - 0"
Basement 1
-14' - 0"
Basement 2
-28' - 0"
Basement 3
-42' - 0"
Prof. Franca Trubiano // Philadelphia, PA 2011
REVIT Part A: Modelling
ARCH532 Construction Technology
23. Level 1
0' - 0"
Level 2
22' - 0"
Level 3
36' - 0"
A110
2
1" = 1'-0"
3
Section Detail at Green Roof
3’-6”6”6”
2”
1’
Tubular Metal Handrail
6” Planting Soil
6” Rigid Insulation
3/4” Waterproof Membrane
1” Nautical-grade Plywood
5” Concrete
2” Corrugated Metal Deck
5” Nelson Bolt
12” W13 Beam
6” W13 Column
1" = 1'-0"
2
Callout of Section Detail at Curtain Wall
1/2" = 1'-0"
1
Section Detail at Curtain Wall
Prof. Franca Trubiano // Philadelphia, PA 2011
REVIT Part B: Detailing
ARCH532 Construction Technology
the “Parabolic Curtain Wall”