Margaret Ikeda: Work

INSTALLATIONS

I seek opportunities to provide a public platform through design that educates a community about its history.

Featured Installations:
A virtual exhibition “I am Islais: Visions for environmental justice now!” showcased collaborative work centered on work from CCA architecture students and Malcolm X Academy in Bayview/Hunters Point.
In San Francisco’s Hubbel St. Gallery, a joint exhibit presented the intersection between CCA’s Buoyant Ecologies Maldives studios and BioDesign work from Michael Bogan’s interdisciplinary studios.
Levy Architecture’s storefront exhibit in San Francisco featured Architectural Ecologies Lab’s Presidio Culvert Reef Project.
In Male (the capital of the Maldives), Buoyant Ecologies Maldives studio work was presented to the public, architecture school attended by former president Mohamed Nasheed.
A series of installations were designed for the South County Historical society showcasing a variety of cultural influences on the community. Exhibits were designed and fabricated on shoestring budgets.
Funding was secured for visits to Manzanar to investigate interpretive history.
Other exhibits integrated oral histories in partnership with students at the Cal Poly Ethnic Studies department for digital cataloging and exhibition.
Buoyant Ecologies exhibits at the Autodesk Gallery included a Design Night presentation.

Japanese American farming community exhibit

Farming valley

Historical photograph of Oceano Railroad Station

Historical photograph scaled to the exhibition hall

Map of California migrant farm worker housing in 1940s & 50s

Location and number of migrant housing based on data researched by Cal Poly Ethnic Study Department

Tranquility Disrupted: Japanese Internment exhibit at the San Luis Obispo History Center

California Stories Grant sponsored community visit to Manzanar

Cal Poly digital archive program where community members brought artifacts to be recorded by Ethnic Study and Computer Engineering students

Autodesk Gallery Buoyant Ecologies Exhibition

RESEARCH

Over 4 years of Buoyant Ecologies speculative studios and substrate prototype research has positioned Architecture Ecologies to be a Bay Area leader in coastal ecology work that enhances artificial structures to benefit marine animals.

In process design of creek reef to protect migrating fish and river banks from erosion in Alameda Creek Channel

Artificial creek reef prototype testing

Buoyant Ecologies research map of steelhead migration for Public Sediment

Resilient by Design, Public Sediment team mid-review design

Prototype geometries sketched by biologists, designed and fabricated by IBD students

Duplicate FRP prototypes fabricated by Kreysler and Associates to be tested in two sites

FRP prototypes deployed in Monterey Bay Harbor monitored by Benthic Lab marine biologists

Underwater monitoring of prototype plates

Proof of concept. Control plate on the left, contoured plate on the right

Time lapse images of prototypes

Presentation of Float Lab to the Port of Oakland for funding

Float Lab display at Material Innovation exhitibition

Pooling of water on Float Lab

Site visit to Presidio Crissy Marsh with Presidio Trust biologists

02_Ikeda_Margaret_floatlab speculation.jpg

OBSERVATION

I look to nature as a resource for form making both for ceramic work and for other material explorations and processes.

Unglazed ceramic plates made from the impression grape and persimmon leaves

Traditional Japanese air dried Hachiya persimmons

Glazed persimmon leaf plate with sliced dried Hachiya fruit

Glazed small plates made from impressed lemon leaves

Wall display of dried cilantro seed flower

Corn stalk using dried husk and plant stems for the green color

Grapes leave impressed in clay and used as a template for plates

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

A collection of built work within school curriculums situated in a way that students have a voice to contribute to the work. Programs have been set up with elementary school, middle school, high school, and college students. At each level the goal has been to introduce making as the basis for inspired learning.

Design It Green (DIG) program pioneered at Longfellow Middle School with CCA IBD alumni and BUSD

Participatory student and adult installation of plum branches and copper wire to create letters.

Longfellow middle school student presents to UCB architectural students about their design process to create signage that give their school a public presence

Buoyant Ecologies collaboration with Y-PLAN and the Middle Harbor Shoreline Park ecologists to educate 60 Oakland Skyline High School students about shoreline ecology

CCA Architecture student leads design workshop with high school physic students

City of Oakland presentation of student design proposals for coastal resilience

Presentation by students to a panel of regulatory agency representative about their design proposals

Presentation to Port of Oakland representatives about the Float Lab and its research and educational potential at Middle Harbor Shoreline Park

Presentation of the Float Lab to Port of Oakland representatives

PRACTICE

We approach housing and larger developments as making a home for a future community of people, not a generic development template. We detail materials and connections to provide space for the unexpected that allow people to adapt and be a part of a shared environment.

Detail of movable west facade shutters

University Avenue 35 unit housing west facade

Rooftop garden rooms

Roof garden rooms and views

Roof garden

Party wall floral design with stucco control joints and street reflectors

Details of party wall design and shutter facade

San Pablo Avenue housing facade (construction in process)

San Pablo 39 unit housing plan, cross ventilation in each unit, LEED silver design

Entitled 28 unit housing organized around a farming roof garden and shared spaces

Night view of facade with restaurant.

Entitled Specific Plan for 2 acre Japanese community garden with a vegetable retail stand, archive, senior housing, community building and guest residence.

Organization recently received a 501(C)3 designation to begin a capital campaign

39 Unit Mixed-Use Condominium Project

PEDAGOGY

Design pedagogy that operates at the threshold of academics and practice, that taps into the innovative vibrancy of the Bay Area.

Design/Build summer studio at UC Berkeley. Installation of contoured back seating on roof deck.

Student designed projects permanently installed in firm's housing project.

Trellis installed in 5th floor outdoor porch

Trellis pieces being fabricated for assembly in shop

Final review in UC Berkeley courtyard before the permanent installation in the housing building

Donation of materials and engaged clients were critical to the approval of projects for permanent installation

Pop-up storefront exhibit and final review of IBD studio on Broadway during Oakland's Art Murmur

Field trip and work session with Benthic Lab partners with students at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories

Research analysis of contoured prototypes for underwater and above water habitat

Design strategy based on the parameters of the marine research with Benthic Lab biologists, naval architect and fabrication specialists. 2016 AIA COTE Top Ten Student Award winner