NATSUKO NOZAKI
Student at the University of Pennsylvania
Weitzman School of Design
MARCH’25
Previously at Washington University in St. Louis
Sam Fox School of Design
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
nnozaki@upenn.edu
Resume
Instagram
_aligned verbs
_comes from the yearn to first make nouns that make up our daily lives associated with verbs -- actions that illustrate and guide our ways. Aligned comes from these verbs being organized (and disorganized) in ways to address different values. This could be aligned geometrically, perspectively, or logically.
01
SEEING IS FORGETTING
The concept of legibility and illegibility becomes apparent when one starts to understand and put what they see into their own words. This museum aims to tackle monumentality through introducing a sense of collectivism - by exterior forms somewhat reading easily, it allows for an expanded level of reading and misreading. Subtle shifts in the overall form allow one’s perspective and understanding to be challenged the more they look.
Read moreMuseum in PHL
FALL 2022
Critic:
Anthony Gagliardi
UPENN
02 RAKING FOCUS
Raking Focus is derived from a technique used in cinema known as racking focus - within one still frame, the camera’s focus on an object can change, thus shifting the reading of the frame while retaining its compositional organization. The cinematheque investigates this concept by bringing unconventional theater spaces to be viewed in conjunction to the archives. By both altering what one sees and also how one sees, we allow for this Grind House-type cinema to allow for showings that reveal esoteric aspects and readings of the same film. The facade system reflects opportunities to bring these theater spaces to the outside and blend the relationship of interior and exterior.
Read moreCinematheque in LIC
SPRING 2024
In Collaboration With:
Kitachon Pimsri - Bradley
Critic:
Olivia Vien
UPENN
03 CENTRIFIGURAL
A four foot by six foot sculpture made of wood frames and CNC foams to be coated in plaster. This month long production allowed the group to explore concepts of light and challenge notions of the figural - layers of different materials and different effects of light to be explored. Figure - solid, figure - void, and figure - joint -- Exploring these concepts allow for a level of stability and instability to be explored in different ways that tackle framing.
Read moreSculpture
FALL 2022
In Collaboration With:
Taely Freeman
Yuwei Yang
Aotong Yan
Critic:
Anthony Gagliardi
UPENN
04 DRAWING from Lina Bo Bardi
Studying architect and curator Lina Bo Bardi, this project started out with an analysis of Lina Bo Bardi, and then an analysis of St. Louis as a site to situate Lina Bo Bardi. Tasked with choosing the site and program, I analyzed how to incorporate elements of adaptive reuse with a pre-existing church in which the interior of it had been burned down a few years ago. Looking at its proximity to museums like the Pulitzer Arts Foundation and Contemporary Arts Museum, I looked to design a exhibition space that de-idolizes art by bring it closer, allowing for different views to be celebrated and challenging the curators to play with the series of staircases.
Read moreAdaptive Reuse Museum in STL
SPRING 2022
Critic:
Zeuler Lima
WASHU
05 Democratizing Art
Studying the ZERO Group, I started to draw out themes that could guide me in my design. The site is situated across from the Menil Collection, questioning the presence of another museum, and how they can speak to one another. The different themes then lead to spatial relationships in not only program, but materiality, and massing. As the site is near several established art galleries, I looked to create a new experience of democratizing art, and bringing art closer to the museum goers.
Read moreMuseum in HOU
FALL 2021
Critic:
Stephen Leet
WASHU
06 House as Spaceship
Duplex in STL
SPRING 2021
Critic:
Sung Ho Kim
WASHU
07 Cloud(ing)Market
Market in PHL
FALL 2023
Critic:
Andrew Saunders
UPENN
08 Undergrad Thesis: TKB with DVT
An investigation of earthquake evacuation spaces in Japan, specifically looking at the circulation patterns and the problems they hold regarding causing Deep Vein Thrombosis. Starting with the 2D grid, to the 3D origami, an analysis of these systems in relation to its spatial and programmatic benefits to an evacuation center is taken to understand the effects of altering circulation patterns within an enclosed space. Origami is used as a starting point to understand the flexibility of space creating mechanisms - the reconfiguration of space as a whole is understood as being part of my investigation of space being “folded”. Efficiency, intended inefficiency and practicality prove to be the central topics of this investigation.
Read moreThesis
SPRING 2022
Critic:
Jonathan Stitleman
WASHU
09 uuuuuuu
housing
10 other misc
put thesis before 10
maya stuff