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Four in one:

Grad students build a practical thesis

For most architects, the master’s thesis is a rite of passage, a four-to-eight month project that is the culmination of six years of architectural education. It’s an opportunity for the student to explore a topic of enormous interest. Occasionally, it launches an architect’s career. And rarely, very rarely, the project becomes part of the built environment. And so it is with Quad Space, a joint master’s thesis by University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning students Dan Strippe, Michael Bailie, Paul Dudkowski, and Ernest Ng.

Each wooden module protruding from the original structure represents an extension of the living space, so that each of the four occupants can inhabit their own space.

The product of four separate master’s theses, Quad Space is the renovation/reconstruction of an existing house in the Black Rock neighborhood. The four students were interested in designing and building a house divided into four distinct spaces that would be owned and inhabited by the students. Ideas about what constitutes public and private space, solutions for living simply and sustainably, and the relationship between an existing building and new construction were at the heart of the study. The result: A renovated traditional house with protruding additions, each uniquely configured to express the programmatic needs and design sensibilities of the users/students.

The project was then divided into four separate studies: owning, designing, building, and occupying. For “owning,” the students were interested in finding a house in an “emerging” neighborhood, where they could make a positive impact, and were able to purchase one for $10,000 at a real estate auction. The “designing” phase centered around options that would accommodate the minimum building code requirement for a bedroom—seven-feet-seven-inches by seven-feet-five-inches—which became the planning module for the entire house. Each living space is designed within this constraint, and protrudes from the existing building within this module. Steps mark the thresholds where the protrusions, or cubes, occur.

For "building," the existing structure was restored with traditional materials. Windows and new additions used plywood and recycled materials. Construction costs were $36,000, with many donations from local plumbing, mechanical, and electrical contractors. Begun in February 2009, the project was completed in October when the students gave their final presentation.

As for “occupying,” three of the designers—Dan, Michael, and Paul—are now living in the house and have found that the project, in the end, is a study in minimal living. The house was originally designed with four bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. A bedroom that was located adjacent to the kitchen has since become a dining room, with a bar and stools replacing the built-in bed. Otherwise, they do use the space as originally anticipated. Each module is an interesting volumetric study, where three-dimensional space is carefully considered. Each bedroom is unique, sometimes occupying two levels. Every inch of the space is designed with built-in furniture that maximizes space.

The next step is to design the landscape—front and back yards as outdoor rooms that reflect the design ideas of the house—as modern solutions to how we really live.

Three of the students are now living in the reconfigured house, which began as an experiment in minimal living. New features include a dining room, made from one of the original bedrooms, and built-in furniture that maximizes space. The use of plywood and recycled materials helped keep costs down.