sam c miller

Layers of Change

axon: subtraction
carving creates more variation in the sizes of rooms - floors get pulled away, as do parts of walls

axon: addition
material stock is recombined to enable extensions, subtraction as a means for addition

material source map
the idea can be expanded to take advantage of material from the rest of the site and the larger region

model making
the model was used as a means of designing. the building as it is was originally replicated in the model then partially deconstructed. new elements then exclusively used the material stock from that process.

the model

rendering
this render presents an exploration for communicating the design process to occupants - material residues or painted inidcators of where elements were removed

Layers of Change

The building is not an object. Architecture's portrayal of the building as an object is only our discipline's attempt to work beyond our sense of temporal and spatial scale. A building, a design, the environment are all communal acts - defined by thankless and endless maintenance over time. But it's through these layers of maintenance or ruin that a true architecture emerges. This project is located in the Hudson Valley, a region whose history is defined by layers. Today, the area awaits what is next while still holding remnants of all it was. The West Point Foundry is used as a case study for underutilized subtractive design processes enabling material salvage and reuse. Expanding the argument to a regional scale shows the opportunities for extending building lifespans and developing a regional style by treating the ruins as an opportunity and resource.

Advisors: Maria Alvarez Garcia and Gail Brager
2023

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Alley 1723

site plan
showing the central location of the site, as well as the widespread retail vacancy issue

exploded axon

floor plan showing various shop layouts and scales

front entrance

inside the central alley

looking into one of the smaller shops

Alley 1723

Downtown Oakland, like many American cities, faces a retail vacancy problem. Main thoroughfares, lined with cultural attractions and handsome buildings, now sit largely empty. In some areas, one in four storefronts are vacant. This proposal uses 1723 Broadway as a case study for adaptive reuse through the subdivision of a large retail floor plate into smaller stalls. Minimal façade changes expedite planning approval, and the shared marketplace model lowers rents and shares overhead to reduce barriers to entry for small businesses. Variations in stall sizes create a dynamic undulating interior streetscape with protected buffer zones for interaction. Translucent materials and display shelving draw light and interest deeper into the space, reinforcing the relationship between the interior activity and the public street. Construction relies on durable, off-the-shelf materials and straightforward assemblies to ensure affordability, adaptability, and ease of replication. The result is an activated urban storefront that extends the public street indoors and supports local enterprises. Grounded in a bottom-up, micro-urban approach, it demonstrates how small, scalable interventions can produce meaningful impact on our cities.

Partner: Elaine Forbush
Shortlisted for the Buildner competition, Reform: New Life for Old Spaces
2026

Paul's Workshop

catenary model analysis
a physical model helped us define the general shape and load distribution of our desired arch

load analysis
defining two tributary area types allowed us to calculate the load carried by the arches

graphic statics
this was used to understand the load distribution throughout the arches, we used the lightest, heaviest, and end forces to define the cross sections

plan
the north portion acts as the administrative space, the south as the active workshop

reflected ceiling plan
glulam panels hang from the narrower, steeper portions of the arches to create the asymmetric shape

section perspective

Paul's Workshop

Driven by structure rather than stifled by it, this project pays homage to its program. Meant to house a laminated veneer lumber (LVL) research workshop, this design utilizes interlocking LVL arches. The cross sections of the arches are optimized according to the necessary internal loads while the hanging glulam panels act as counter weights to facilitate the asymmetric quality of the form active system.

Partners: Elaine Forbush, Gene Lee, Joseph Ongaco
Instructor: Paul Mayencourt
2022

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Torre Cube Detail Study

redrawing the original published detail

extrapolating the detail into an axon, referencing photos of the original building, to provide better understanding

welding the flat bar to the steel tube
i am not good at welding

collecting the pieces before assembly

front view

rear view

Torre Cube Detail Study

A study of the facade design in the Torre Cube Tower by Carme Pinós, in Guadalajara, Mexico. This project involved the drawn reproduction of the louver connection detail and fabrication of 1:1 model of said detail. Production of the model required material sourcing as well as welding, drilling, and sanding of steel angles and a 4in steel tube. This project acted to illustrate how much labor goes into even the smallest aspects of a project’s construction.

2023

Bridging Dimensions

the turkish map fold

original concept model
automated opening of a turkish map fold

mechanism tests

final mechanism

mounted map fold

full installation
modeled on the scorpio constellation

Bridging Dimensions

This installation consisted of seven robotic sculptures automating the opening and closing process of a turkish map fold. each map fold presented a kaleidescope-esque still life painting. These scenes portrayed small mundane moments unfolding from a parallel universe, making them familiar yet unrecognizable. Stylized to reference the uncanny, this work depicted an intersection of the routine with the other worldly and was an artistic exploration of the multiverse theory.

Advisors: Fernando Orellana and Laini Nemett
2019

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