Architecture



Senior Thesis : (
Agri)cultural Center


South Burlington, VT 
Instructors: Misty Kaplan and Trea Sweeny 

Competed January 2025, as part of the requirements for the major of Architectural Studies at Middlebury College

Fall 2024-Winter 2025

Design an agricultural center in South Burlington, adjoining to the Burlington farmer’s market on the existing vacant plot.


In order to design both an arts and agricultural center on the proposed vacant site in the South End of Burlington Vermont, this senior thesis solution used materials of wood, glass, and steel to create an open and modern solution to the historic site. A simple exterior paired with a complex and surprising interior and unique roof system set this design apart from the existing architecture on site. Situated between public and private sectors, creating a new setting for cultural and agricultural growth in Burlington was paramount for the community. The concept of polarity is central to the design, with architectural elements of void and space emphasizing the relationships between life within a city, and life removed. This project is a reimagined market hall that aims to foster the local food system and community through its design elements and proximity to both the natural and the urban. Feeling small, yet connected, to this big world is first and foremost in both agriculture and architecture today.

A map of the South Burlington proposed site. Red lines and squares represent the Burlington farmer’s market stalls and tents, while the ideal walking pathways and stops on the way to the designed agricultural center are depicted by the red lines. To the left,  is the coast of Lake Champlain. 










Sketches: 

Concept Model: 

The concept of polarity was central to the overall market hall design. This first iteration concept model (10”x8”x4”) made from corrugated cardboard explores the ideas of space and void with a goal of evoking axial relationships between two sides of massing, with cut-out details going through the model to allow a “tucked away” experience that juxtaposes the busy central space.

Final Thesis Presentation - January 2025Midterm Thesis Presentation - November 2024