Tamia Arias Collection of Work
A collected volume of work from September 2016 - January 2024. Edition 2024.
02
03
Statement of Intent
04 - 05
PNW Sustainability Center
06 - 07
Adaptive High-Curvature System(s)
08 - 09
Court du Millénaire
10 - 11
Towers of Monument
12 - 13
The Dynamic Theater
14 - 15
Additional Works
16 - 17
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Statement of Intent
05
Throughout my undergraduate degree, I’ve searched for my motive within architecture. While there were always topics that interested me and aesthetics that I tried to follow, my approach changed in the first year of my master’s degree abroad. Assigned with the task of designing social housing for the people of Algiers, I was met with a project with no pre-defined limitations or specifications. As much as I appreciate a challenge, the idea of designing housing for a country I had never set foot in seemed inappropriate. I found myself with a moral dilemma. “Am I the best person to design these spaces?” The importance of learning to design projects like social housing cannot be understated. However, parallels with colonialist mistakes arise when foreign architects, especially from the West, undertake projects in developing nations. I began to examine spaces important to me where I’d seen this type of design influence. The sustained influence of Spanish colonialism in my father’s community in Ecuador is one that I have always felt is wrong. The impact can be seen in everything from people’s last names to their building design. The traditional material for housing in Otavalo is rammed earth, but the majority of the existing houses are constructed from concrete, a material that is not suitable for the region. This is not only creating unsuitable habitations but also resulting in the erasure of indigenous knowledge. Many architects from the capital city Quito come to our community in Ecuador with radical ideas that do not refelect the needs of the community. It is important to be ambitious, but those ambitions should also take into account existing cultural dynamics. Ultimately, “The best designer for a community is the community itself.” There is a lot to learn from exploring new cultures and places, but the distinction between architecture that infringes versus architecture that restores is found in two things: the mentality of the architect and the architect’s relationship to the community of their tasked project. To preserve cultural knowledge within the communities I engage with, my aspirations lie in Public Interest Design and Non-Profit work. My primary interest is in vernacular architecture, and I aim to synergize emerging technology with traditional building methods regardless of my location. Overall, I think this portfolio is an accurate reflection of my journey, but not a limit to what I hope to accomplish.
06
PNW Sustainability Center F22/ University of Oregon/ T. Hahn/ Site: Portland, OR
Exterior perspective from Glisan looking towards Hoyt
In Portland, Oregon there is an undeniable push from the community for more “green” space. Whether this refers to sustainably built spaces or actually physically green spaces (parks), people want it. This is my first project that I completed at University of Oregon, beginning my master’s degree. We addressed a series of complex issues ranging from seismic preparedness to houseless services. This site is a particular region of interest in Portland, as completes the Northern Park Blocks it’s neighbor is the Pacific Northwest College of Art. With the area in development, and the city pushing to create a greenway along with the greenloop in the area, this building seeks to act as a notch in the urban landscape. As a center for sustainability, the program includes educational facilities, houseless resources (housing, food pantry), pop-up retail spaces, a high-bay research lab, etcetera. Experiential image of interior quality.
Experiential image of skybridge atmosphere.
07
View of deck and landscape.
West Elevation
Floor Plans - Levels 1 to 7
Exploded axonometric with steel structure removed.
East Elevation
08
Adaptive High-Curvature System(s) W23/ University of Oregon/ D. Wood/ Site: Portland, OR
Front elevation of strucutral component in a building.
As a class, we conducted several experiments to test out the process of creating curvature. We started out with an introduction on how to laminate and attach these different wood types to eachother. There are three main components for a lamination: the active layer (saturated piece of wood), the restrictive layer (thinner dry piece), and the passive layer (thicker dry piece). From there we understood the process of how to create these laminations. Then we were able to select a shape of our choosing in order to conduct our individual experiments. I selected the “S” shape to try and create. I was successful on the first try and quickly began to understand the different ways to manipulate the curvature using this simple methodology.
Zoomed-in view of how component snaps into custom beam.
09 The primary concept for this “Pod” Component is that it can be flat-packed in transportation in order to be easily accessible and more affordable. Given the base dimensions of a semi-truck, the component was made to fit with extra room available. The components then clip into the lateral beams in a roof structure. On top of that, I placed a glass roof structure toprotect the space from water damage, and to allow ample amounts of light inside The “Pod” Component really shines in it’s sectional view, where the connection to the lateral beam is visible as well as the entirely of it’s shape. The top of the component acts structurally, while the bottom three-quarters of the component work to try and diffuse acoustics and lighting in the space. The glass roof is primarly to let light in, and to protect from the exterior elements.
“Pod” Component front view
“Pod” Component Flipped Side View.
Mass transportation diagram.
Short end, section cut.
Wood layering lay-up for processing.
Acoustics Absorption (red) + Sun Diffusion (blue) diagram.
Long-end, section cut.
010
Court du Millénaire F23/ Meiji University/ J. Tamura/ Site: Aubervilliers, France (Paris Metro)
Elevated Public Pathway around the Site
Defining the Issues to be addressed: The previous industrial district of the Avenue des Magasins is now in the process of being developed to revive the area. Parc du Millenaire consists of office buildings and commercial spaces and while there are some residences they are isolated in the northern sector and there lacks a third-place for people to occupy. Site + Surrounding Context: I propose a series of inverventions in the area, but my primary focus includes creating aordable housing that will create safe community spaces through the implementation of a 24/ hr loop to keep the site active.The result is a series of courtyards that share a larger courtyard with the surrounding area.
24 Hr Loop Distribution + Logic
011 I decided to address the lack of affordable housing in the Parc Millenaire of Aubervilliers, France. This location lies slightly outside the periphery of the Paris, and is in the process of being developed. According to the ICADE plan by the French government, they will develop more office buildings in this area. However, with the growing population of France, the Paris Metro area needs to expand in order to accomodate not only French citizens but also foreign migrants. In my project, I worked to create safe public space that brings the community in rather than making it private. This is achieved by the placement of public and resident program throughout the building in order to ensure community surveillance and observation. The logic behind the 24 loop is to create activity throughout the site at all times of day so people in and around the space can feel safe.
Ideation sketches
T4 Unit Typology Interior Image
T4 Unit Typology Axonometric
Layered Floor Plans with circulation + T types
Site Activity Timeline
T4 Unit Typology Floor Plan
T1 Unit Typology Interior Image
012
Towers of Monument F19/ Portland State University/ L. Seewang/ Site: Hanford, Washington
Sectional view of tower series.
With an impending seismic catastrophe long overdue in the West Coast, water security is now more important than ever. I attempted to address the potential threat that Nuclear Toxicity will pose to those of us that are influenced by the Columbia River. Currently, there is one immense site upriver of Portland that is home to 56 million tons of nuclear waste. With it’s proximity to the Columbia River, should this waste leak, and in the event of a seismic catastrophe, it would guarantee the toxicity of anything and everything that emerges out of the Columbia river. In order to draw attention to this issue of water security, I proposed a series of towers that will serve as monuments for the pre-existing nuclear power plants as well as observation towers that allow for anyone passing through to be educated on the issue at hand. Ideally, these towers would be deconstructed once enough attention had been brought to the issue and allowed all the hazardous waste to be cleaned up. This process of removal, even of the monument itself, was meant to suggest the landscape returning to its natural form free of human intervention.
Exploded axonometric of tower.
013
View of dock entrance.
Section cut of culminating tower.
View of hiking trail.
014
The Adaptive Theater S22/ Hochschule Luzern/ L. Molo + F. Wettstein/ Site: Genoa, Italy
Site Plan Gasometer with surrounding site context
Experiential image of interior daylighting setting.
This theater attempts to address the lack of programmed spaces within Stefano Boeri’s “Il Parco del Polcevera e il Cerchio Rosso”. Given the location of this abandoned gas holder in the industrial district of Genoa, it presents the perfect opportunity for a gathering space without disrupting the surrounding neighborhood. This theater mimics the original function of the gas holder; specifically the piston’s weighted metering system. My proposed central stage will be a moving plaform that is able to be fixed at any level. The new interior structure consists of CLT, Glulam beams, and columns. This material choice aims to create a warm, sound absorbing space that contrasts the original steel shell.
Site Plan with surrounding context.
015 The new interior structure follows the radial curvature, and results in 20 sided polygon (Icosagon) that relates to the surrounding shell. The columns are continued until they reach the roof. The columns create natural divisions of space, resulting in an exterior ring for program and audience, median ring for circulation, and interior core that houses the moving platform. The moving platform will be sustained by industrial grade chains that are similar to a warehouse lift. In order to ensure the platform is rigid as it moves up or down, there are metal tracks at each corner to act as stabilizers.
First floor
Second through eighth floor
Structural detail of platform
Section cut of entire volume.
Roof plan
016
Parametric Experimentation S23/ University of Oregon/ N. Cheng
Weaving pattern created, later modified
Atmospheric Image
Beyond learning how to understand the baseline mechanics of the grasshopper, I learned how to use a few different extensions (ladybug + galapagos). These extensions have proven to be very effective when conducting site analysis in architectural projects. I was able to create a paneled that I then aggregated into a larger paneled wall.
Sketch of simple geometry
Axonometric of both entrances
017
Lighting Design S23/ University of Oregon/ I. Elzeyadi/ Partner: Ryan Peden-Spear
Front Pamphlet Page
Plan and section of luminaire
The aim of this luminaire is to address the need for soft lighting within our designated cafe space. The existing lighting iin the Price Science Library is quite harsh, and is only amplified by the glare that accumulates in the space due to the large amount of glazing. The Woven Helix attempts to emulate something similar to the formation of DNA and the woven aspect of threads of knowledge and research. The frame is constructed using a veneer bilayer in order to form the top and bottom rings. There are several plywood fins that form the structure to ensure the structural integrity of the luminaire. The yarn provides a soft appearance as well as potentially addressing some of the excess acoustics in the space. Not only will it diffuse the light into the space, but it will help keep the space quiet.
Light Source Specifications:
Photometric Chart
Lamp: Type: LED A19 Light Bulb Quantity: 1 Watts: 9 Watts Lumens: 800 Lumens LPW: 89 Lumens CCT: 2700k CRI: 80 Rated Life: 15.000 hours Materials: 1/32” Cherry Wood Veneer 1/16” Pine Wood Veneer Plywood Sanded acetate Wool Yarn Picture Frame Wire
Photo of final luminaire construction.
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Tamia Arias Email: tamiaa@uoregon.edu, tariasolomo@gmail.com Phone: +1 (971) 506 - 1432 © This edition published in 2024.
Unless otherwise specified, all images and text appear courtesy of the author. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without consent of the author.