DANIELLE PECORA DESIGN PORTFOLIO
PRATT INSTITUTE : M. ARCH 2010 PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN : BFA, PRODUCT DESIGN
PORTFOLIO DIREC TORY
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Instant City : Pre-Fab Housing for Natural Disaster Prone Areas Vertical Design Studio VI : spring 2010
02
Structural Intricacy : Filigree Museum + Design Center Vertical Design Studio V : fall 2009
03 04
Electric Car Showroom Comprehensive Architectural Project Studio : spring 2009 United Nations NGO Annex + Art Gallery Core Studio II : spring 2008 be-B : Braille Education Ball Toy Design : spring 2010 Children’s Building System Product Design Senior Thesis : Parsons School of Design Communication Device for Bike Messengers Parsons School of Design Bend Chairs personal project 3D Computer Modeling // Digital Fabrication fall 2007 // fall/spring 2008
+01 INS TA N T C I T Y program: pre-fab housing for natural disaster prone areas location: Cite Soleil : Port-Au-Prince, Haiti semester: spring 2010 professor: James Garrison
Pre-Fab Housing
5
10% have
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
electrical services.
50% have access to potable water.
C IT E S OL EIL
PORT-AU-PRINCE’S LARGEST SLUM
The challenge of this studio was to design pre-
6 Pre-Fab Housing
2/3 of Haitians live
on less than $2 a day.
fabricated housing for 200,000 people living in a disaster prone area. Designed to address some
of the many issues facing Haitians today, the primary structure is composed of 3 levels — the
ground level is a flexible space that can serve as
66% of Haitians work in the agricultural sector.
an informal retail shop, while the two (or three) upper floors serve as the home.
The over-
all goal was to produce a type of housing that could be self-sustaining by producing its own electricity, harvesting rainwater, and serving as
51%
of Haiti’s food needs are imported, including 80% of all rice eaten (compared to just 19% 30 years ago).
a place for income generation. The homes also surround an inner courtyard where families can
grow produce for their own consumption or sell it to others for a profit.
The structure of the house is created
with 4 10’x20’x 8’ steel frame mod-
ules. The balconies are framed with 10’x20’x4’ modules. These dimensions
were chosen to take advantage of the
10’
intermodal transportation system, allowing the units to be quickly transported.
10’
Precast, reinforced concrete
forms the ground level ‘shop.’ Railings
20’
and walls come built into the modules, speeding construction time. The shut-
8’
20’
ters, which would be locally-made and come in a variety of styles and colors, are one of the final components to be
4’
“clipped” on.
4 mini modules added to the 4 standard modules
4 mini modules added to walls addedhouse completed the 4 standard modules
walls added
walls added completed house
completed house
Pre-Fab completed houseHousing
7
Photovoltaics
owned by the local electric company would cover the roof. Each house would be connected to a smart micro-grid, which would allow the local community to share resources and feed surplus energy into other sources, such as schools, street lights, and libraries. Each 60 sq. meter roof would potentially generate about 28, 000 kWh of electricity annually.
8 Pre-Fab Housing
Cross-ventilation would reduce the
need for mechanical cooling and, therefore, electricity use.
Rainwater Harvesting
through the use of a roof gutter and water cistern (located in the ground level storage area) would provide families with muchneeded water for washing, drinking, and irrigation. After being captured, the water would be treated with a simple microfilter or sand filter.
URBAN FARMING BENEFITS
Environmentally Productive
Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Local Food
Improved Air Quality
Noise Filtering
Biodiversity
Sociologically Productive Creation of Community Capitals
Local Businesses & Shopping Habits
Urban Agriculture — lessening food insecurity and creating economic opportunities.
Education & Leisure Activities
Economically Productive Improved Diet & Health Habits
New Product-Cash Flow Patterns
Private housing with communal benefits — those living within the community can share responsibilities for things such as childcare.
Local Employment
Socio-Economic Thinking
The ground level “shop” gives residents a permanent/ established place to sell handmade wares, produce, food, art, etc.
Pre-Fab Housing
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1
SECTION // small house
10 Pre-Fab Housing
1’
4’
10’
1
PLANS // small house 1’
4’
10’
Pre-Fab Housing
11
+02 STRU C T U R A L I N T R I C AC Y program: Filigree Museum + Design Center location: Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy semester: fall 2009 professor: Ludovica Tramontin + Kristine Mun
Filigree Museum
13
this supports this which supports this
14 Filigree Museum
This studio began with the study of a piece of filigree
jewelry, mainly in examining how active and passive
forces were acting within the piece. A physical model
was then created based on the principles learned from
the filigree. In this model, fixed points are acting as active forces, restraining and influencing the movement of the wire. The wire, in turn, is acting as a passive
force, bending and curving to the will of the fixed points. These ideas were then further developed by producing
a parametric model in Generative Components. By ad-
justing a set of established variables, a wide variety of densities and shapes were created.
Filigree Museum
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16 Filigree Museum
S TO R
CONTEMPOR ARY EXHIBITION AREA
CAF
AGE
HEN
T RAN TA U RES RAGE S TO
K I TC
PREP R OOM/ ANNEX
EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITION AREA
E/B AR
R E S TAU R A N T
STOR AGE
RETAIL SHOP
STOR AGE
COAT CHECK
E D U C AT I O N ATRIUM K I TC H E N E T T E
SMALL CO N F E R E N C E ROOM
L ABS
LARGE CO N F E R E N C E ROOM
HUMAN R ES O U R C E S
E N T RY / I N F O DESK
ANCIENT EXHIBITION AREA
C U R ATO R ’ S OFFICE
D I R E C TO R ’ S OFFICE
AUDITORIUM
R E S TAU R A N T M A N AG E R ’ S OFFICE
10’
40’
100’
200’
Filigree Museum
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18 Filigree Museum
Cagliari
A large public open space was created to serve as a bridge between two very different communities—Cagliari, the affluent capital of Sardinia, and Sant’Elia, a
neighborhood blighted with poverty and a large social
Sant’Elia
housing project. Complete with a futbol field, bocce courts, and a promenade with bike lanes, a running
path, and benches for taking in the scenic views, the park seeks to reclaim the waterfront and make it accessible to everyone, regardless of class.
Filigree Museum
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20 Filigree Museum
Filigree Museum
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+03 CO M P R E H E N S I V E A RC H I T E C TUR AL PROJEC T
program: electric car showroom location: Los Angeles, CA semester: spring 2009 professor: Alexandra Barker Integrated Building Systems instructors: Nico Kienzl, Sameer Kumar, Matthew Clark additional group members: Breanna Crispo, Nicole Hill
CAP Studio / Car Showroom
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Having a site located in the middle of one of downtown LA’s highway traffic circles provided the unique opportunity to tap into this vast network of transportation. More than just a showroom, this
bamboo
building also includes a rooftop area with Better Place electric car battery charging stations. It can be accessed by exiting onto a ramp that leads onto the roof. While waiting for their battery to charge, customers can take the opportunity to relax in the roof-
low-e glass
top cafe, which overlooks downtown LA. Located on the lower level, is a second smaller cafe for customers waiting for their car to be serviced, a reception area, and a small lecture space that includes wide stairs that double as seating. Efforts were made
steel
to reduce the building’s energy loads as well — radiant heating
and cooling are built into the concrete floors, permeable pavers make up the outdoor landscape, and bamboo, known for its lowembodied energy, was chosen as the material for the exterior louvers.
24 CAP Studio / Car Showroom
concrete
CAP Studio / Car Showroom
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26 CAP Studio / Car Showroom
CAP Studio / Car Showroom
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expansion joint curtain wall anchor mullion louver bracket (mullion attachment) finish enclosure radiant coils finish floor (concrete) concrete slab on metal deck finish column enclosure
head transom at parapet bamboo louver solarscreen low-e laminated insulating glass metal shadowbox furring channels interior furring hat channels 3/4” particle board 1x4 bamboo strip ceiling finish gaurdrail
roof to facade detail 3/8” = 1’-0”
28 CAP Studio / Car Showroom
facade at showroom level detail 3/8” = 1’-0”
louver bracket (concrete anchor connection)
oint
top soil
anchor
gravel concrete trench drain
ket achment)
undisturbed earth
sure
finish concrete enclosure
s
(concrete)
steel column footing, size per schedule
ab on metal deck
undisturbed earth
mn enclosure
gravel (4”) sand (2”)
foundation & drainage detail 3/8” = 1’-0”
CAP Studio / Car Showroom
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ge e tre as gi or
cherry street
t o 10 e1 tat ers int nra
inte
1 te 1 rsta
0
10 exit tate 1 inters
mp
venice blvd
interstate 10
30 CAP Studio / Car Showroom
fire stairs/ elevator
fire stairs/ elevator
offices
showroom cafe restrooms
service area
reception
CAP Studio / Car Showroom
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32 CAP Studio / Car Showroom
CAP Studio / Car Showroom
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+04 UNITED N AT I O N S program: UN NGO annex + art gallery for collection of gifts location: New York, NY semester: spring 2008 professor: Karel Klein + David Ruy
34 United Nations
Initial Photographic Study of Applied Architectural Ornamentation
United Nations
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Spline Drawing
Spline Drawing with highlighted curves
36 United Nations
Precedence Study: Paolo Nervi
United Nations
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entry
office office
office kitchen bathroom
office office
co n ro fere om nc e
office
conference room reading room
tele. room
gallery for UN artwork
lecture room
open to below
room office
open to below
e offic
e offic
office
kit ch
en
gallery for UN artwork
readin g room
bath
office
office
entry
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
38 United Nations
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
THIRD FLOOR PLAN
United Nations
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+05 b e - B : b ra i l l e e d u c at i o n b a l l course: Toy Design semester: spring 2010 professor: Rick Van Velsor
Game Changers Competition 1st Place Winner be-B (Braille Education Ball) allows users, both blind and sighted, to learn Braille letters in a fun and playful way. The ball has 26 magnetically attaching pegs on it (one for each letter of the alphabet). One side of the peg has a Braille letter on it, while the other side shows the corresponding Latin letter. The ball also has 26 indented circles on it, each with a Braille letter. There is a raised line on the side of each peg and underneath each Braille letter on the ball to orient users as to which side is down. The object of the “game” is to match each Braille peg to its corresponding spot on the ball. The toy also has an electronic device in it that “speaks” the letter that is touched on the ball and which emits a chime when a Braille peg is correctly matched with its corresponding letter on the ball. Both fun and educational, be-B is a toy that turns learning into a challenging game that engages multiple senses and encourages cognitive development.
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
be B s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
braille education ball
braille education ball
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Initial Observations + Challenges
How can a toy make learning fun and interactive? How can a toy foster a sense of independence? How can a toy create a connection between a blind child and a sighted parent, sibling, or friend?
42 braille education ball
Can the shape of the toy be visually intriguing enough to those who are sighted to create a sense of curiosity? Can this lead to reducing ignorance about visual impairment? How can the shape of a toy be exciting to both the eyes and hands?
braille education ball
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44 braille education ball
braille education ball
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+06 CH I L D R E N ’S B U I L D I N G S YS T EM Senior Thesis : Rituals of Play Parsons School of Design thesis advisor: Richard Penney
Exhibited at the 2002 Award of Excellence for the Child’s Play competition
Children’s Building System
47
During my investigation of children’s toys I noticed that many of them lack inspiration, possibilities, creativity, and imagination. They didn’t seem to challenge kids to think intuitively on their own or to be inventive and creative. Discouraged by the lack of these important qualities, I decided to create something that would possess them. I began by thinking back to my own childhood and what I really enjoyed doing. One memory I was particularly fond of was building “forts” and tunnels out of furniture, blankets, pillows, and whatever else my friends and I could scavenge up. This ritualistic activity became my main source of inspiration for designing a new creative building system that would allow children to build their own unique structures, including domes, rooms, tunnels, canopies, walls, and anything else that could be dreamed up.
48 Children’s Building System
Through an examination of architecture ranging from contemporary architects to Native American huts and tee pees, to animals and nature (i.e. bird’s nests, leaf structures, etc.) I developed a six component building system. These components create skeletal structures that are covered with a skin, a system that I believe represents a more realistic version of the way structures are built in nature and contemporary architecture. Besides offering many possibilities and solutions, the variety of components and their range of uses also provide children with an understanding for how things function together.
Children’s Building System
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50 Children’s Building System
Children’s Building System
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+07 CO M M U N I C AT I O N D E V I C E FOR BIKE MESSENGERS course: Design, Research, + Development Parsons School of Design
Communication Device
53
OBSERVED PROBLEM Traditional two-way radios make it difficult and dangerous for urban bike messengers to safely perform their job since they require the rider to take one of their hands off of the handlebars to hold the radio while they ride. By splitting the device into two, the messenger can now communicate with dispatch by only briefly taking his hand off of the handlebars.
54 Communication Device
This two piece device helps to free up the hands of the messenger, making his job safer and more efficient. One component attaches to the bag strap and acts as a speaker and microphone, allowing the dispatcher and messenger to verbally communicate. The other, which straps to the hand, acts like a pager allowing dispatchers to send information like addresses to the messenger in the form of text (eliminating the need to pull over to write it down). Incoming calls vibrate since calls cannot always be heard over noisy traffic. To answer a call the messenger simply presses the answer key once. Pressing the same key automatically dials dispatch.
Communication Device
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+08
B END CHAIRS materials: molded plastic + wood
Bend Chairs
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+09
CO M PUTER MODELING | course: Computer I : Autodesk Maya + Rhino semester: fall 2007
58 Computer Modeling
sec tion of an existing spor ts stadium
Computer Modeling
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+09.2
3 D M ODELING course: Materials + Assemblies semester: spring 2008
60 Computer Modeling
Computer Modeling
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+09.3
3 D M ODELING/DIGITAL FABR I C AT I O N semester: fall 2008 professor: Ken Tracy The precedent for this project was the lotus flower. The aim of the initial project was to
1
recreate the flower as something which could be laser cut from a flat sheet of material and then assembled. Modeling its structure, I formed a nesting of increasingly smaller “petals.� The first two components are latched together with a barb connection and the last two connect with a slot connection. The individual components are all joined with strips that hook in through a barb connection. In the second phase of the project, 3D modeling and rendering were done in Rhino and Maya. Photoshop was used as a final tool to create an imaginary
1
dream scene.
2 2
1 2
2
1 3
2 2
3
3
@ 65% 3
62 3D Modeling / Digital Fabrication
3D Modeling / Digital Fabrication
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