STEPHEN SCABORA UNDERGRAD PORTFOLIO

Selected Works

Kent State University

06 About

06-09 Makespace 10-13 Makespace II: Adaptive Reuse14-17 Library18-21 Addition to Piazza Brunelleschi

22-31 Semester Abroad

30-33 Winterburn

Youngstown, OHYoungstown, OH

Cleveland, OHFlorence, ITALY

Florence, ITALY

Pittsburgh, PA

Architecture

Sketches

Misc

Contents

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Stephen Scabora

sscabora@kent.edu

+1 412 443 4641

Education

Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School 2007-2011Kent State University B.Arch Fall 2012 - Present

Skills

Proficient in:AutocadRevitSketchupRhino

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PhotoshopIndesignVrayHand drawing

About

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The objective of this project was to revitalize the downtown Youngstown area. A task as ambiguous as this has no overt solutions upon first glace. Only after researching and analyzing does an answer begin to elucidate. It turned out that the city was lacking any reason to come downtown. The atmosphere in general was not an affable one. A growing interest for digital fabrication and additive manufacturing, however, has been brewing in Youngstown. This project intends to take advantage of this by expanding upon it and making it more accessible to the general public.

Youngstown MakespaceYoungstown, OH

4th year

The Youngstown Business Incubator is corroboration of the expanding market of digital fabrication. They recently bought the Vindicator’s nearby building specifically to make more room for such equipment. The pro-posed Youngstown Makespace aims to bring this technology together with the creativity of the community. It is a space where digital fabrication can be learned, used, and displayed for the public. Or simply, it is a building where one can think, create, and share.

The geometry of the facade introduces new language while respecting the proportions of the existing context. At night it becomes a warm beacon to soften up the square.

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The blue shaded region represents the event space, and particularly how it evolved to per-meate the program.

The site lies in the shadow of the abandoned high rise structure adjacent to it and the bank across the street, leaving passive heating and cooling options very slim. By reaching the roof upwards in the rear, morning sun catches in the event space during the cold months until almost noon. This is an opportunity to utilize a thermal mass to help reduce the heating load for the rest of the day. During the summer, shown at the top right, the sun is blocked much earlier, keeping the work hours shaded.

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The Youngstown Makespace proposes a revitalization of the downtown area by providing a flexible digital fabrication facility for beginners to professionals. The core program grew from the concept of Think, Create and Share; it is a place where one can learn to use the software and machines, realize their ideas, and share them with the community. The three components of the program are visually and spatially connected to reduce creative bar-riers. Students can see the machines in use from the classrooms. Visitors in the store can see work by Makespace members while also glimpsing the process. In addition, a cafe in the backside of the building and an event space on the roof help to keep the building activated while drawing public interest to the Makespace.

Youngstown Makespace II: Adaptive ReuseYoungstown, OH

4th year

The interior spaces promote collaboration be-tween the new-comers and experienced users.

The existing building holds a strong position on the corner of Federal and Phelps. It’s style and vocabulary blends nicely with the context, so it did not make sense to interfere with the facade. Instead, subtle enhance-ments were made to the front while more dramatic changes in the rear draw the eye around the corner. The geometry of the addition evolved from a need to let more sunlight into the back of the building, while also allowing wind to flow through the event space on the roof. The reflec-tive properties of the perforated steel reduce the heating of the envelope in the summer. In the winter, sun is allowed into the rear spaces during the majority of the day, reducing the heating load during the cold periods.

At night, the building has a different presence that offers warmth to the street.

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A k-5, high school and library were all designed for this site in consecutive projects. The library was the last to be designed, and performed the task of uniting the students and offering a place for them to gather. A monumental staircase carries the visitors to the black box theater and gymnasium on the basement floor. The two disparate program elements, combined with the occupiable staircase, present opportunities for different groups of students to meet that might not have otherwise.

LibraryCleveland, OH

3rd year

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1918

The culture shock during the first few weeks of settling in to Florence was immensely exciting and informative. Deciphering the overload of new information into usable knowledge for this project, however, was chal-lenging; new textures, new geometry, new codes, new lifestyles, new food, new transportation. It was a much needed palette cleanser for my design process.

Piazza BrunelleschiFlorence, ITALY

3rd year

One of my favorite differences in Italy was the treatment of ground level facades and their immediate adjacency to the streets and sidewalks. There often was a buffer zone between the interior and exterior of cafe’s, restau-rants, and shops. It became a space of it’s own that could be used to help avoid heavy pedestrian traffic, get out of the rain, or simply occupy for coffee. The ambiguity of it added to the dynamic atmosphere of the busy streets.

A transitional space emerges in the ground level facade, offering a destination as well as exploration.

These diagrams illustrate how the new structure alters the existing circulation on site.

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This selection of sketches was taken from class work and personal time during my semester in Florence. The accepted method of documenting the semester seemed to be taking thou-sands of photos, but I much prefer the slower, more thoughtful method of sketching. Photos can help you remember a building, but drawing can help you actually learn from it.

All sketches on this page were done during the length of one (hand rolled) cigarette, an exercise in drawing under pressure.

Sketching and DrawingFlorence, ITALY

3rd year

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When I first began learning how to use the laser cutter, I wanted to make something interesting for my first test run. I decided to attempt a layered Pittsburgh skyline using some left over birch plywood that I had. Shortly after I hung it up at my desk in studio I got so many requests for gifts that I just launched it as small business under the name Winterburn. Im-provements were made by staining, finishing and adding hardware until it became a high quality product. With the help of Tech Shop Pgh for the laser cutters, I was able to make this into a successful summer side proj-ect. I became featured in multiple stores in Pittsburgh, several markets and festivals, and made a significant profit.

Although it is only a side project, attention was still paid to every last detail of the product.More photos at www.winterburndesign.com

WinterburnPittsburgh, PA

4th year

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End