Architectural Promenade

The final project for Fall 2025 explored the Architectural Promenade and how it interacts with Ching's Design Principles. We went through several steps of the process over a 3 week timeline. We drew inspiration primarily from a collage created by Daniel Libeskind, from which we chose an 11x17 section. Through the following process, we created overlays of the collage, models, formal design plans, and finally presented our Architectural Promenade in a critique.

4.1

4.1 Summary: This project shows my ability to translate an Architectural Promenade into a clear sequential experience through intentional manipulation of planes and thresholds. Moving between mental design and physical modeling strengthened my understanding of tectonic decision-making and how material feedback shapes spatial form. Throughout the process, I considered how enclosure, openness, and directional cues influence experiential ordering for someone moving through the space. The work reflects my growing skill in applying conceptual terminology to purposeful design strategies that create a coherent and engaging spatial narrative.

During the first portion of this project, I chose this section of Libeskind's collage to begin designing my interpretation of the Architectural Promenade. I use this section for the rest of the project to explore the connection between form and space with a guided path of movement and spatial experience, which forms the Promenade. The portion of this collage that grabbed my attention was the L-shaped portion in the center of the collage, which I saw as a ramp or series of ramps that connected the levels and drew someone up to the highest portion of space. Even in these early stages of design I made sure to think about how the Principles of Design, such as Hierarchy and Axis, would be shown throughout my process.

The next portion of this preliminary stage was to do our research and take notes on Ching's Architecture - Form, Space, and Order.

After this, we began by making 11x17 overlays of the collage to explore figure-ground, grid lines, and our circulation or Promenade. During this process, you can see how I vastly changed some of the positive and negative elements of the original design, even while keeping the defining features.

Daniel Libeskind's Collage

Figure-Ground Overlay

Grid Layout Overlay

Circulation Overlay

The final portion of 4.1 involved creating the first physical iteration of our design through a model at 1/8 scale. We used chipboard and balsawood sticks to craft our path of travel, taking our design from 2D to 3D.

As I reflect on 4.1, I enjoyed this first part of the project. Applying vocabulary to the idea of an Architectural Promenade made me design much more thoughtfully. The process of designing the model was interesting, and I found that the difference of designing a structure mentally vs physically also posed different challenges. I tend to design as though I can see through all the walls and angles, but this doesn’t always translate into an actual model. Likewise, my final model has design variations that would I never would have implemented mentally. Choosing what planes to leave open or close and further defining my Promenade was very trial by error. I like my first iterative model, and I look forward to the next ideas we will apply to this project.

4.2

4.2 Summary: In this phase, I refined my initial iteration into a more resolved Architectural Promenade, enhancing the sequential experience through careful spatial delineation and hierarchical organization of planes. Working with materials like basswood and Bristol helped me see how material choices influence the implied itinerary and inform tectonic decisions. Iterating on the design allowed me to explore new forms and sequences that make moving through the space more engaging. This work demonstrates my ability to turn conceptual ideas into physical form, producing a cohesive spatial narrative that communicates effectively in both design and presentation.

To begin the second portion of the project, we did further research on the Design Principles outlined in Ching's Architecture - Form, Space, and Order.

After doing research, we went right into changing our design to better exhibit the Architectural Promenade for the second iteration. We did this by completing another figure-ground overlay, a gridded overlay, and another overlay detailing circulation. We added a line-drawing overlay that depicted how the original collage image influenced our current design, and we also added overlays to depict a Design Principle.

Figure-Ground Overlay

Grid Layout Overlay

Circulation Overlay

Line Drawing Overlay

Design Principle - Hierarchy

Next, we created our final model for this project. It continued to be at 1/8 scale, and we used chipboard, balsawood sticks, basswood planks, plexiglass, and Bristol board. This expansion of our material list allowed us to design beyond our previous limitations. Below is my final model, which explores the relationship between positive and negative space along axes and how elements display Hierarchy.

I enjoyed this second portion of this project, and I was able to successfully transform my first iteration into a structure that more accurately shows the concept of the Architectural Promenade. Designing the model with additional materials in mind was interesting, and I’m happy with where I ended up implementing the basswood and Bristol. Having explored this creative design once before, my final model has design variations that would I never would have implemented the first time around and I’m glad we made two models. I like my final form, and I look forward to any more ideas we apply to this project. I also think that I will do a good job at presenting my design and my model during critique.

4.3

4.3 Summary: This final phase allowed me to strengthen my technical and visual communication skills by translating a 3D Architectural Promenade into precise 2D drawings, including floor plans, elevations, and sections. The process required careful attention to spatial delineation, hierarchical organization, and the relationships between forms, enhancing the readability and expressiveness of the design. Exploring figure-ground relationships and applying the 60–30 axonometric method deepened my understanding of sequential experience and implied itinerary. This work demonstrates my ability to communicate complex spatial ideas clearly through multiple media, turning conceptual intent into legible and compelling representations.

For this final portion of Project 4, we took our 3D model and drafted 2D orthographic drawings. To the right is the final Figure-Ground, detailing positive and negative space with black chipboard and Bristol Board. The other 4 drafted drawings below detail the Floor Plan, Elevation, Section, and 30/60 Axonometric Drawing. These architectural drawings provide details that the overlays and models cannot provide.

This final portion of Project 4 really helped me appreciate how much my technical and visual communication skills have grown. Translating my 3D model into clear 2D drawings made me think more intentionally about precision, scale, and how each form relates to the others. Creating the floor plan, elevation, and section gave me a better understanding of how designers share spatial ideas in a way that’s both readable and expressive. Looking back at my earlier figure-ground iterations also showed me how my design choices have shifted and improved. Learning the 60–30 axonometric method was challenging at first, but it gave me a new and exciting way to show depth and structure. Overall, this project made me more confident in using different visual tools to communicate my architectural ideas.

Overall, Project 4 broadened the way I think about creating and communicating architectural space. Moving between concept, model, and drawing helped me recognize the difference between imagining a design and clearly expressing it. Each revision—whether adjusting form, material, or spatial sequence—sharpened my understanding of how a user might move through and experience the space. I also saw strong growth in my visual communication skills. Converting my 3D ideas into precise 2D drawings taught me to think more carefully about clarity, relationships between forms, and how to represent depth. Learning new tools like the 60–30 axonometric expanded the ways I can communicate structure. This project strengthened both my design thinking and my technical abilities, making me more confident in developing and presenting architectural ideas.

Dec 5, 2025

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