For a graduate studio project, I designed a building that tells the story of the clash between the indigenous people of Northampton and the first Western settlers of the land where the building was to be constructed. The east side of the building mirrors the shape of the Connecticut River as it flows through the Pioneer Valley; the west side draws from the geometry of 17th-century colonial settlement patterns in the region.

For the performance space's stage floor, I designed a tile that embodies the same tension. Half follows the borders of the towns in the region; the other half, separated by the river, remains untouched. After modeling the tile in Rhino, I CNC-milled a 1/8th scale version from foam. A flexible LED light placed in the river valley represents the infusion of life into both sides of the divide.

Pictured: River Tile Axon Line Drawing