1. Project Background:
I chose a thesis that centered around the interactivity between both humans and a building and a site
to a building. I initially realized that museums and other building types whose function was to display
materials were the ideal form to base this thesis around. An aquarium was chosen because of both
the fluidity of water and the constant state of motion that fish and other aquatic life are in. Both these
factors lend themselves to creating a program that is far from static.
Project Design Details:
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Choosing a site that had a strong connection to water was an important factor in the selection process.
Peirce Island in Portsmouth, NH was chosen because it does have this strong connection to the
surrounding water. The site features a number of water elements including a public pool and a waste
water treatment site. Peirce Island was also a site that could benefit from the addition of an aquarium.
Currently the island serves as mostly a park but is however located adjacent to a better utilized park
and suffers because of it. The aquarium will serve as a magnet to draw visitors into the island’s interior
where they would be able to fully explore the rest of the island.
Design Intentions:
In order to have a minimal impact on the surface of the site, the majority of the project was placed
underground. The minimal program that exists above the surface is divided into two masses that begin
to take on the form of aquatic creatures. This massing allows the surface to be utilized for plaza space
and exterior exhibits. The surrounding site is allowed to flow into the plaza space leading visitors into
its center. The experience of being underground is amplified by the contrast between the space at the
Site Plan water’s edge and the space closer to the island’s center. Visitors are led from the dark interior towards
the lighter edges by pockets of light that are allowed to enter and the height of the space that opens as
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it approaches the exterior spaces. The design also makes use of the existing cove as an opportunity to
show animals in a more natural habitat than is typically seen at aquariums.
The Seacoast Aquarium also differs from typical aquariums in the many opportunities that it gives the
visitor to view its collection. In a majority of aquariums, animals are held in tanks located within walls,
this only allows them to be view from one direction. The majority of tanks at the Seacoast Aquarium
are designed to allow visitors to walk around them and sometimes through them to give them a wider
Phillip Saltmarsh
Architecture Graduate Thesis Project Fall 2009
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Ground Floor Plan Sub Floor Plan
Phillip Saltmarsh
Architecture Graduate Thesis Project Fall 2009
4. Project Background: The project was designed under the guidance of visiting
professors from Sasaki Associates, Inc. and was split into two stages. The first was
the master planning of the University of Balamand in Lebanon. The second was the
design of a specific program within a specific site on the university.
Project Design Details:
The building was designed as a mixed use program that included housing for both
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students and faculty. And also one that would provide retail spaces including
a restaurant and theaters as well as club space for the students. The site itself
feature an existing parking garage and is situated along the main entrance to the
university. The parking garage exists as a popular hangout for the students of the
university.
Design Intentions:
The foremost factor of interest upon the site were the impressive views to the town
of Balamand to the west and to the Mediterranean Sea to the north. The building
was designed to give maximum exposure in these directions resulting in the
abundant plaza spaces that look in these directions. The program was organized
in such a way as to not interrupt these views. Large elements such as the cinemas
and the bookstore were placed under a plinth so as to not obstruct. The two main
plazas were split into two distinct uses. The northern plaza (left on plan) was given
over to the public use and included the restaurant and various shops on the plaza
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level. The southern plaza was retained for student use based on their earlier use
of the site and feature the campus store as well as student clubs on the plaza level.
The plaza that extends down the middle is intended to be a hybrid space where the
two groups will meet and interact. The housing acts as a spine along the road that
separates the interior program from the rest of the university as well as blocking
much of the harsh sun during the day. As one enters the site through the bar, they
are treated to a view of the town below. The projections of the rooms along the
buildings interior facade act as a shading device as well as breaking up the wall.
The depressions within the plazas are a reaction to the climate as well and function
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by storing the cold air of the night and retaining it during the day.
Dominant Views
Community v. Student Use
Programmatic Organization
Prevailing Winds
Solar Orientation and
Climatic Issues
Architecture Balamand Project Spring 2009
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Ground Floor
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Phillip Saltmarsh
Second Floor
Architecture Balamand Project Spring 2009
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Northern Site Perspective
Southeastern Site Perspective
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Project Background: The Green House® Project is a new vision for the care of the
elderly. The vision is about the deinstitutionalization of elderly care facilities.
To succeed in this, the number of residents in each unit is limited to about a
dozen and they are cared for by Shahbazim. Residents are encouraged to help
out with the cooking and other household chores and are given free range
throughout the building. The idea is for them to be part of a community rather
than simply a resident. A few of the key concepts that encourage a feeling of
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community are one large communal table to eat at and a large community space
to gather within.
Project Design Details: The site is located in Claremont, CA on the corner of an
existing retirement community. Three units to house a total of ten residents
each were required within the program, each resident would have a private
bedroom and bathroom. Central program elements such as the kitchen, great
room, and dining room were designed to be as open as possible to allow site
lines for staff. Each unit is designed to have its own private external space
where residents can gather. The three unit entrances are clustered together
around a central node to help create a community between the units.
Architecture Green House® Project Fall 2008
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Phillip Saltmarsh
Design Intentions: There was a strong intent to create a sustainable building;
this included creating green roofs and using sustainable materials within the
buildings. There was also an intent to create a warm welcoming interior, this
meant using natural materials and allowing for a large amount of sunlight to
enter the building.
Architecture Green House® Project Fall 2008
11. Architecture Green House® Project Fall 2008
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12. Architecture Green House® Project Fall 2008
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Phillip Saltmarsh
Project Background: The project was to create a multi-programmatic tower in the
center of Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh district.
Project Design Details: The tower would house both office and hotel spaces.
Architecture Chandigarh Tower Spring 2008
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Phillip Saltmarsh
Design Intentions: Designing in a different country provided some interesting
challenges. The first was the extreme climate; to solve this a large shading
device was suspended from the top of the structure. This device was designed
to both allow for the collection of rainwater as well as to block the sun. Natural
ventilation was also implemented, operable louvers located within the corners of
the building would open during the night to allow for air to cycle throughout the
building.
Architecture Chandigarh Tower Spring 2008
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Milwaukee Art Museum Structure
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Exhibition Hall Design and Structural Analysis of Milwaukee Art Museum
These two projects are from an advanced architectural technologies class that
dealt specifically with building structures. The exhibition hall structure is
designed to be uninterrupted to allow the transport of large items specifically
boats.
Architecture Structural Analysis 2008
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Phillip Saltmarsh
Renzo Piano’s San Nicola Stadium in Bari, Italy.
Modeled and rendered with Rhino. (Above)
Rendered with 3DSMax. (Below)
Architecture Other 3D Modeling Work 2008
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Phillip Saltmarsh
Dragonfly body modeled with Rhino. (Above left)
Alvar Aalto’s Paimio Chair modeled with Rhino. (Above right)
Lifeguard tower modeled and rendered with 3DS Max. (Below)
Architecture Other 3D Modeling Work 2008
18. Poster to raise global warming awareness. The poster
uses simple typography to express the shape of a
thermometer and get its message out.
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These images represent the expression of love. Each
image had specific requirements. The first image was
to use shapes, I chose to modify to hearts to act as lips
kissing. The second image was to incorporate a photo,
I chose to add a couple kissing. The third image was to
express the idea of loneliness, I chose to remove one of
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the people leaving the other alone.
Graphic Design 2008-2009
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Phillip Saltmarsh
This project was to redesign a corporate logo and then to create a series of
new materials using it. I chose to redesign the North Face logo because of the
obscurity of what the current logo represents.
Graphic Design 2008-2009
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Phillip Saltmarsh
This project was to design a six-sided cube to represent a certain typeface. The
design is meant to have no starting point and no ending point because of the
nature of a three dimensional medium.
Graphic Design 2008-2009
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Phillip Saltmarsh
This project was to emulate the style of a famous graphic designer and create a
new modern poster based on a speech given by architect William McDonough.
I chose the issue of renewable energy and designed it after designer A.M.
Cassandre.
Graphic Design 2008-2009
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Phillip Saltmarsh
This project was to create a booklet composed of various song lyrics. Each
page’s layout should be designed around a chosen meaning from that song.
The typography should also reflect the importance of certain lines from within
the song.
Graphic Design 2008-2009