Donovan Wessel
3rd Year
My third year at Iowa State was very transformative, as it was my first experience designing what most people traditionally consider architecture - buildings. Moving past interventions and sculptural pieces, this year focused on designing more livable spaces. Each project was an investigation into arranging space and creating an intimate experience with architecture.
WEST HILL
Location
Greenwood Park, Des Moines, IA
Date
Fall 2023
Hidden within the trees, WEST HILL, a new event center and community space, provides a new perspective on Greenwood Park. Overlooking Greenwood Pond, the event center maintains a low profile in the park, only visible through breaks in the trees. The primary building includes a primary event space, classroom, kitchen, and flex rooms for events. These spaces are dispersed along the spine of the building, capturing the experience of walking through the park. Throughout the buildings, a constant elevation is maintained to emphasize the hilly landscape and remain accessible for all users.
Key elements such as the tree boundary, nearby bike path, Mary Miss structures, and dense tree coverage guided the placement of the buildings and unique features. Separated and obscured structures prompt a reconsideration of what an event center can be.
LOFT
Location
New York City, NY
Date
Spring 2024
Herbie Hancock, the client for this project, is a legendary jazz musician and pianist. His first international hit, “The Watermelon Man,” was the chosen inspiration for the design of the entry door and loft. As Herbie has explained, the rhythmic and groovy tune of the song was inspired by his memories of “the watermelon man” riding along the city streets of Chicago.
Taking inspiration from this pulsating rhythm, the door attempts to create its own rhythmic tune. As it rotates on its circular axis, the wooden, conelike dowels clang and beat against each other. The track, which operates the movement, also creates a memorable pattern of its own. Circular architecture follows the geometry of the rotating door. The forms and curves are molded by the circulating rhythm of the watermelon man’s rhythmic tune. These forms not only circulate the space but also follow an organization logic, as their centerpoints create an angled axis.
GEODE
Location
New York City, NY
Date
Spring 2024
Located on the bustling corner of 109th Street and 3rd Avenue in East Harlem, NYC, the "Geode" is designed to harmonize with the unique solar conditions of the area. This residential building merges functionalism with an aesthetic appeal, creating a living space that is both innovative and inviting.
The design of “Geode” is crafted around the sun's trajectory, particularly the path it follows during the summer solstice. This solar alignment is central to the building's primary feature, an atrium that is carved directly into the building’s form. This atrium is not only a focal point from the exterior, but it also serves as a special communal space for residents, both in public and private conditions.
