Edgar Cabadas
← Selected workProject 08 / 10
Academic / 2020

Afterlives

A former desert hotel provided the setting for an artist’s retreat. I used the body, screw and grip of a C-clamp to shape a small dwelling and its place within a larger assembly.

The clamp bodies rise around the glazed rooms. Folded sills and timber shade blades mark the depth of the artist’s work bays.
FIG. 01The clamp bodies rise around the glazed rooms. Folded sills and timber shade blades mark the depth of the artist’s work bays.Retreat assembly
Project brief

From a C-clamp to an artist’s retreat

At ground level the clamp bodies spread apart. Above, their curved returns fit around sleeping, bathing and cooking spaces. A work ledge runs along the glazed wall, where the depth of the sill and a line of shade blades make a place to draw in daylight.

Setting
Woodbury University
Studio
Open Studio · ARCH 4931
My role
Studio research, architectural design, model development, plans and sections.
Project drawings

Drawings and studies

From tool to building

The curved bodies wrap the room enclosures. Threaded shafts and grip bars pass alongside the occupied floors.
FIG. 02The curved bodies wrap the room enclosures. Threaded shafts and grip bars pass alongside the occupied floors.Clamp and room assembly
At ground level the clamp bodies spread apart. Higher up, they draw together around repeated artist units.
FIG. 03At ground level the clamp bodies spread apart. Higher up, they draw together around repeated artist units.Ground and unit plans

Inside the unit

Kitchen and washroom share a service edge. The route past the sleeping area ends at a work ledge in the window.
FIG. 04Kitchen and washroom share a service edge. The route past the sleeping area ends at a work ledge in the window.Artist’s unit
Read drawing key
  1. EntryClear route into the unit
  2. WashroomA compact enclosed core
  3. Micro-kitchenWet services on one edge
  4. Sleeping areaAway from the entry
  5. Window work ledgeA seated place for making
A worktable sits just behind the glazed corner, with a continuous ledge and stools along the studio window.
FIG. 05A worktable sits just behind the glazed corner, with a continuous ledge and stools along the studio window.Studio window

Section and elevation

The cut passes through two groups of rooms, the open ends of the clamps and their screw assemblies.
FIG. 06The cut passes through two groups of rooms, the open ends of the clamps and their screw assemblies.Section A
Threaded shafts rise between the units while the curved clamp bodies return toward the ground.
FIG. 07Threaded shafts rise between the units while the curved clamp bodies return toward the ground.Long elevation

Project credits

Open Studio, ARCH 4931, Woodbury University. Design by Edgar Cabadas. Instructors Aaron Gensler and Erin Wright.

Drawing excerpts are resized for screen viewing. Refer to written dimensions.