With a mission to expand the architectural possibilities through both form and name, the ORDA makes every effort to look past the traditional for ideas that are both eloquent and thought-provoking.
Easton Moss Exploratorium & Memorial Boardwalk (Concept): Located in the City of Easton Pennsylvania there is a lonely moss covered wall that has the potential to be a great natural attraction. Without overpowering the wall the exploratorium and boardwalk is meant to draw people in to explore this unique habitat.
The Family Observation Tower: A Modern Prototype, 2011: The observation tower’s purpose is to change one’s relationship with the world around them. Every step you take to go higher slowly changes your perspective. Trees are shorter, clouds are closer, and that rabid dog frothing at the mouth as it runs after you is further away. Your relationship to your “family” also changes as you climb a tower. You can easily isolate yourself from those below in the tower, or by encouraging others to also come up provide a retreat to enjoy each other’s company. Even with company there are plenty of opportunities for the occasional moment of solitude by focusing outward at your surroundings.
Menomonee Valley Museum & Foundry, 2010: A very diverse area, the Menomonee Valley in Milwaukee cannot be easily defined. Museums and entertainment venues stand side-by-side with the grungiest industrial buildings as if that was proper protocol. The MVM & F addresses this by treating them as a single entity with each building type informing the design of the other. In the process you realize that they have a considerable amount in common.
view flickr set: Orchard Ridge Development Agency, LLC
view documents: The Epitecture Studio
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