For my second semester Junior architecture studio at Washington University our long term focus was to create a rest stop on a rural site situated between St. Louis and Minneapolis. To kick off the project we first researched and designed play structures for a local park. These structures later informed aspects of our final project and design.​​​​​​​

My initial research had me interested in play structures that were bold and extremely tactile. I wanted to create something visually stimulating can be explored a variety of ways. The multi-cultural idea of the labyrinth and maze influenced my design as I wished to create an experience that was unique to the decisions of those occupying the space. By no means am I trying to ritualize or control play, this is supposed to be very user-defined.

Instead of traditional renderings for my project I decided to present the project as a proposal and branding project to help showcase the unique aspects of the design and how it could potentially be integrated further into the community by updating an old large-scale mural that wraps around the building next to the park's entrance. The idea behind this is that the visitors would see the mural, be led to the park, and then see the mural go from 2D on the wall to 3D in the landscape of the park.

By the time we arrived to the final project, a series of rest stops in the Minnesotan wilderness, I had an idea of how I wanted this all to materialize. As a photographer and someone with impaired vision, I wanted my rest stop to offer semi-obstructed views of the landscape for the most part, but include one "featured" view meant to be focused on by the structure.

Playing with vision in the wild in a very bold and graphic way not only feels like a way for people to interact with the building, but for the building to interact with the landscape. Jutting out like dazzle-camouflaged sails in the landscape, I wanted them to feel like large scale art dotting the hills.