Chain of Rocks Bridge

Residence and Observatory

Washington University in St. Louis
Sam Fox College of Architecture

Chain of Rocks Bridge, St. Louis, Missouri
311 Studio - Professor: Derek Hoeferlin

A somewhat fantastical project, designed for architecture school, this concept was born from studying the properties and attributes of water, namely the reflective quality and water’s ability to direct and change light.  

The structure is created from the angles of the sun throughout the day and over the course of the year.  The surfaces of the structures affect the relationship of the light and the water, creating and distorting the original reflections and shadows cast by the bridge.

 The intervention exists as a living space and a studio/observatory space for a photographer working with the constantly changing interactions between light and water. As the ideas developed, the scale of work grew; I began with a small container, moved through a 1" = 200' concept model, and finished with a 1/4" = 1' detail model.