studioellsworth.

Sponsors // CTBUH, RoMF
Location // C-Ward, Mumbai, India
Date // Spring 2010
Project Team // Seth Ellsworth, JaYoung Kim, Prof. Antony Wood
Materials // Concrete, Steel

By the year 2030, 25% of the land area of Mumbai will be covered by parked cars.

The TATA Tower is a project which addresses the serious infrastructure issues currently found in Mumbai.  The city’s energy and transportation networks are at maximum and experience frequent problems.  This urban parking development aims to remove several vehicles from local streets, allowing for increased public transportation and open space at the ground level.  It also generates sustainable energy for its vehicles, itself and its neighbors.  Total residences: 930.  Total vehicles: 4050.

Client // Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Location // Chicago, Illinois
Date // Spring 2007
Project Team // Seth Ellsworth, Prof. Randal Kober
Materials // Precast & in-situ concrete

Vosges Haut-Chocolat is an up-and-coming exotic chocolate company based in Chicago.  The owner requested a new chocolate factory that would serve as an icon for the company, but also deal responsibly with the surroundings and the environment.  This design is based on the work of modern artists Daniel Buren, Donald Judd, and Sol Lewitt.  The mass of the factory is composed of repetitive concrete frames, which contain suspended garden beds for growing spices in-house.  The tower is another repetitive concrete frame which has exploded, leaving large voids.  These voids form large atria and connect adjoining spaces, including retail, office, and restaurant.  Environmental strategies include wind turbines, solar heating, and natural light & ventilation.

Client // Chicago Park District
Location // Chicago, Illinois
Date // Fall 2006
Project Team // Seth Ellsworth, Prof. T.J. McLeish
Materials // Prefabricated steel structure

Designed for the Taylor-Lauredson Park of the Chicago Park District, this field house is a study in steel and glass.  A geometric steel structure allows for prefabrication and efficiency of materials, and transparency for occupant safety and public enjoyment.  The large glass walls are modular, saving money and allowing for easier replacement of windows.  Silk-screened images are applied to the four elevations of the building depicting scenes from each season.  The spaces are arranged increasingly in height and volume, with a continuous grass roof, allowing the public to use otherwise inaccessible space.  An array of solar panels above the gym provide electricity to power the field house and the park lighting.