EVEN LESS IS MORE

During warm weather, air vents

are opened at the base of the
double skinned glass facade
and drawn up into the air cavity,
preventing excess heat gain.
During cold weather, the vents
are closed, trapping in warm air,
creating a thermal buffer between
the two glass layers. Radiant
heating beneath travertine tiles
heats the interior space without
over-drying the air, while radiant
heated roof panels prevent snow
accumulation during the winter
months
Wall section detail emphasizing seasonal thermal conditions - 3/16 = 1 0

Excess warm air escapes through

self-regulating vents into the
central courtyard. Opposing walls
of the courtyard feature operable
Nanawall accordion-style bi-fold
sliding doors. These, coupled with
a shallow reflecting pool, allow
air to be drawn in and cooled as
it enters and exits the building,
creating a soothing microclimate. Water for the courtyard
is harvested from collected rain
and runoff from melted snow on
the roof
Details of wall section indicating performative heating and cooling properties - Various scales

Plan and exterior space with surrounding shading trees - 3/32 = 1 0

Section - 3/32 = 1 0

Flexible office and conference space

Interactive video and furniture gallery

Designed around the conceptual statement Even less is more as

an articulation of Miesian principles with a contemporary approach,
the New Farnsworth Visitors Center is seen as a subservient
supporting structure to the Farnsworth House. To emphasize this
concept as clearly as possible, the proposal attempts to literally
disappear into the landscape around it. The highly reflective thinly
framed glass windows surrounding the building form a visually
ambiguous plane that blurs the line between interior and exterior,
ground and sky, building and land. Once inside the focus shifts, as
the interior side of the glass skin is nearly completely transparent,
allowing for a visual connection to the surrounding landscape.
Embedded between the two glass skins hide the structural columns
for the roof plane, which double as the mullions for both glass
expanses. The interior volumes are composed of a primavera wood
core, a glass courtyard with opposing operable Nanawall systems,
interactive projected video displays, and original Mies furniture
designs from Knoll and Herman Miller. Upon exiting the Visitors
Center, the visitor is aligned centrally wish a bronze bust of Mies
van der Rohe framed behind by a mirrored pavilion within the larger
exterior gathering space. The path then leads the visitor on a raised
walking platform to the re-introduced sculpture garden, featuring a
tri-annual design competition to display modernist art in the style
of Richard Serra, Sol Lewitt, or Donald Judd. This new river walk
park encourages increased cultural tourism to the site, along with
providing an ADA accessible approach to the Farnsworth House.
The river walk park is made possible through the re-distribution of
earth on site, creating a controlled flood plane to help contain rising
water from the neighboring Fox River. The proposals organizational
approach is based on the golden ratio, which is applied to the plan,
courtyard, exterior gathering space, and the entire master plan of
the site. Ultimately, progression through the interior volume and
along the exterior path is composed as a homage to Mies rational
design approach, and attempts to memorialize his ideas for future
generations to learn from and enjoy.

Interactive virtual reality/panoramic interior

perspective of proposal. Compatible with any
mobile or desktop QR reader. Browser must
support HTML 5 to view. Supported browsers:
Internet Explorer, Safari, FireFox or Chrome

Views from exterior are reflected back while views from the interior are clear

Public vs. Private with golden section dictating layout and proportion
Exploded structural axonometric

Exterior gathering space featuring Mies van der Rohe statue

Before: Current site conditions offer no storm water management plan, causing frequent flooding along the southern edge of the Fox River

After: By re-distributing the earth on site, floodwaters are encouraged to expand into a new floodplain in the center of the site, surrounded by an 8-10 land
berm controlling water flow and preventing further flood damage to Farnsworth House or the New Visitors Center

Site Plan - 1 = 2000

Preservation

Implementation of
Robert Silman hydraulic
lift design to preserve
Farnsworth during
inclement weather

Sculpture Garden

Featuring Tri-annual
design competition
to display works of
modernist sculpture
within new river walk park

River Walk

Redesign of approach to
Farnsworth House into
ADA accessible
river-front park

Flood Prevention

Re-distribution of earth
on site to create a
permeable floodplain,
expanding the Fox
Rivers reach

Barnsworth

Relocated and
re-purposed as
restrooms

Gathering Space
Mirrored Pavilion
within exterior
gathering space

Parking

Pervious paving,
Includes spaces
for 50-75 vehicles,
with overflow

Site Organization

Site plan design and

spacing based off of
bisection of golden
section

Site Section - 1/32 = 1 0

Site Section: 1/32 = 1 - 0

New sculpture garden and river walk park