newport boathouse
A rowing and field house that translates tectonic and material explorations into architectural form and site organization.
Overview
Located along the levee in Newport, Kentucky, this project proposes a rowing and field house for Cincinnati rowing teams. The design explores how tectonic investigations can generate architectural form, using studies of light, material, and construction to shape both the building and its relationship to the surrounding site.The project began with a series of formal and material explorations that examined how construction methods influence spatial organization and the building envelope. Light and shadow studies were conducted using a cube wrapped in fishing line, producing abstract patterns that revealed relationships between mass and void. These compositions were translated into collages, from which linework and geometric forms were extracted to generate three-dimensional studies.
Design
The resulting forms evolved into folded paper models that investigated voids, structure, and enclosure before being translated into a fully realized architectural mass. Rather than serving as isolated exercises, these tectonic explorations established the formal language that guided the design of the rowing center.The final proposal applies these investigations across multiple scales, from the organization of the site to the building envelope. Shapes derived from the early studies informed both plan and section, generating the spatial organization of the field house and rowing facilities. The site plan was similarly developed by overlaying these geometries onto the levee, organizing building placement, circulation paths, and spectator areas into a cohesive architectural framework that responds to the waterfront context.
Home