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Angela Albela portfolio f folio
There she is, only six miles away from our coast line, awaiting an event to occur to take her to her former glorious days. This is Vieques, an island-municipality of Puerto Rico, one of the island’s territories with the most historical experience known to our culture. At first, one may wonder what could be done, from an architectural point-of-view, in order to regain a sense of pride in our own history. Certain solutions arose, all deriving of what Landscape Architecture offers. Understanding the significance of Landscape Architecture goes beyond a simple definition, it goes beyond a design discipline; it could help us build the future. Land means to have available space, it is what provides us with many of our necessities as human beings, therefore, in order to give back we could manipulate the land to create a landscape that would merge the pre-existent and the future. Architecture is the technology to the future. Using its guidelines, we could shape our ideas and transform them into answers to design, social, political, and historical situations in a mode that would mark its presence in history. Understanding what landscape architecture means, could help formulate solutions to the various situations found in the island of Vieques. This island was discovered by the Spanish, bombed by the US Navy, and today there is an opportunity to reclaim the vanished history. How could this be achieved? A solution was presented as part of an architectural design thesis, Reclaiming Vieques; where the goal of this process was to create an architecture that stores and commemorates history, while providing a modern approach to form, space, and use. The approach to this design was based on what the land had to offer, and how the modern technology of architecture could be merged with the existent; which is the island’s history museum, previously used as the Spanish fort. The thesis design intervention is a school of arts, representing the culture that helped build the island. This design proposal merges, intercepts, interlocks, and infiltrates modern structure into the thick defensive walls of the fort, creating a visible contrast of history and architecture. Using the means of landscape architecture, we could develop numerous solutions on contemporary situations that the human beings are confronting on an every day basis, such as: over population, health issues, urban connections, and organization. All of these issues could be addressed using aesthetics as a principle, making it easy to its judges to appreciate what is being presented to the future generations. The Master in Landscape Architecture program in Florida International University has called my attention because it focuses in several of the issues addressed in Reclaiming Vieques, such as: designing for a tropical landscape and the sustainable design of the physical environment, while maintaining the basics of aesthetics. If these approaches are applied to architecture, we as designers could contribute to the development of tomorrow.
Statement of Purpose
PART I. MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE _ DIPLOMA EXPECTED MAY 2014 LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY. BATON ROUGE, LA. I. Stormwater Management
Residential
New Orleans, LA ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Latitude:29.9728° N Longitude 90.0590° W
II. Digital Representation
1. Photoshop CS6 / 3ds MAX 2. 3ds MAX : Jay Pritzker Pavilion - Frank Gehry PART II. BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE _ MAY 2011 SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY. SYRACUSE, NY I. Thesis Design
The Vieques School of Arts
Vieques, Puerto Rico ------------------------------------------------------------------- Latitude: 18.13º N Longitude: 65.40º W
II. Comprehensive Studio
Bank Design
Syracuse, New York ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Latitude: 43.2º N Longitude: 76.8º W
III. Urban Planning
Connect-ENCE
New Orleans, Louisiana ---------------------------------------------------------------- Latitude: 29.57º N Longitude: 90.4º W
IV. Italian Architecture
New Exhibition Area for the Uffizi Gallery
Florence, Italy ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Latitude: 43.47º N Longitude: 11.15º E
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Goal: Reduce stormwater runoff in a residence of 0.5 acres or less in the event of an 100 year storm. Process: 1. Reduce impermeable surface by more than 30%. 2. Collect rainfall and the overflow from the impervious surface, transferring the collection of water to the city pipes but only after filtration, thus reducing the amount of water.
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Residential Stormwater Management
Garden District, New Orleans, La
Render view of the proposed design aimed to reduced stormwater runoff into the pipes of the city of New Orleans. Techniques: increase tree canopy, rain gardens, foundation gardens, permeable surface, and the use of plant materials native to Louisiana.
Palm Garden
Impervious Surface
Water Runoff Garden
A.B
TO CITY PIPES STORAGE
Driveway Garden
FILTRATION Cistern Planters
FILTRATION TRENCH
Water Runoff Garden
FROM IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
Vehicular Entrance
TRELLIS WITH NATIVE VINES
Pedestrian Entrance
REDUCE GROUND IMPACT
Existing Tree
Open Lawn Existing Tree Rain Garden
A.A
ADDED TREE CANOPY REDUCE GROUND IMPACT
TO CITY PIPES
Pedestrian Entrance Front Garden
Trellis Structure
Trellis Gate New Tree
Detailed Plan
Rain garden connects to the city stormwater system
Rain garden: collects rainfall and the overflow from the pervious surface. It transfers the collection of water to the city pipes, but only after filtration, thus reducing the amount of water.
Planting of native tree creates new canopy cover, slowing down the process of the water reaching the ground.
Trellis: Replaces the existing concrete wall in order to create friction to the falling water, therefore reduces the time in which the water reaches the imervious surface
Filtration trench collects the water from the impervious surface
SECTION A.A
SECTION A.B
Top: Section A.A through the front rain garden, which absorbs water runoff from the trellis in the pool area and filtrates it. Such water is transported into the city pipes. Bottom: Section A.B through the pool area over to the font lawn. The filtration trench captures water from the impermeable surface around the pool area. The rain garden in the front yard collects the runoff from the trellis.
Goal: Combining computer software to create a composite view between parameters of colors and themes. Color scheme is based on the movie The Fountain, and the theme is exploration through the lens of the sea coast. Process: 1.Design and develop a three dimensional terrain model of the coast in 3ds MAX and import a selected view of the model into Photoshop. 2. Adapt the color palette from the film and the theme of exploration.
www.apple.com
Digital Representation
Composite view. Using 3ds MAX and Photoshop, different layers were used in order to present a visual of exploration.
Goal: Study and analyze an existing structure through the use of three dimensional modeling software. Process: 1. Through the use of aerial photography a site plan was created in order to obtain accurate dimensions. 2. The model was elevated in the third dimension using3ds MAX. 3. After the model was completed an animation was designed in order to understand the methods of construction.
Digital Representation Jay Pritzker Pavilion _ Frak Gehry
Rendered view fom the public gounds.
Thesis sumbmitted for a completion of a Bachelor of Architecture Architecture can serve as a vessel to react and reflect to the visible perception of the history of a given place. The goal of this process is to create an architecture that stores and commemorates history, while providing a modern approach to form, space, and use.
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Vieques School of Arts Vieques, PR
NORTH
Second Floor 1’
Previous page: Site Plan. Vieques, Puerto Rico. Former Spanish Colony and Former US Navy Practice Range and Ammunition Storage Facility. Right: Ground Floor Plan. Intervention to the existing museum (Former Spanish Fort). Left: Museum’s re-arranged second level floor plan and The Vieques School of Arts top view.
5’
10’ 15’
30’
THE VIEQUES SCHOOL OF ARTS
Section A -A’ 1’
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10’
15’
30’
Top: Circulation. Bottom: Longitudinal Section. North: Vieques School of Arts. South: Entrance pavillion through exisiting building.
Section B -B’
1’
Top Left: Vieques School of Arts water collection system and cross ventilation. Top Right: Water collection system through intervention in the existing building. Bottom: Cross Section.West: Vieques School of Arts. East: View towards bombing range.
5’
10’
15’
30’
Photovoltaic Panels PV Metal Decking
Steel Truss
Concrete Slab Steel Beam
Operable Window Concrete Column
Glass Facade Splash Block
Stone Bed Retaining Wall Water Collection System Cistern
1’
5’
10’
Elevation C - C’ 1’
5’
10’
15’
30’
Top:Typical Vieques School of Arts section. Bottom: South Elevation, through Entrance Pavillion.
THE VIEQUES SCHOOL OF ARTS
Bottom Left: Entrance pavilion. Top Right: Entrance pavilion floor plan, showing how the new structures infiltrates the existing defensive walls of the Spanish fort.
1’
Roof Terrace T Viewing Platform
Fort Building Existing Fort Structure & Entrance Pavillion
Fort Wall “Momma Bear” & Viewing Walkway
Building Footprint
Building Footprint
15'
Left: Depth of facade and service area in typical floor plan of the Vieques School of Arts. Right: Vieques Spanish Fort and existing museum vs. the Vieques School of Arts. 10'
Photovoltaic Panels TTerrace Roof Metal Decking
Steel Truss
TTerrace Roof Dome outline & Truss System
Steel Beam
Steel Truss
Column Grid
Gutter Detail Down Spout
Roof Terrace T
Wood Deck
Floor Terrace T Support Structure
Support Structure Steel Beam
Existing Structure
Steel Beams
Roof Plan 15'
30'
0’ 1'
5'
5’ 10’ 15’
30’
10'
Left: Intervention on the existing building. Roof axonometric. Right: Detail of platform above the existing building.
Goal: Design a bank/office building considering issues of sustainability Process: 1. Analyzy the site 2. Study the needs of a bank/office building 3. Cinsider how the building could reduce energy costs Approach: Design responded to the direct program around it, a public plaza and business diagonal streets. Issues of shading and egress were considered into the design.
Bank and Office Building Syracuse, NY
Previous Page: Sun Shadow Studies. Current Page: Transverse section showing extraction of building mass in order to allow sunlight to reach the public plaza of Columbus Circle.
Bottom Left: Rendering from below; main entrance following the vehicular and pedestrian circulation. Top Right: Plan in context of the city; Syracuse, NY.
Section B-B. North/North-West section. Service core vs. open office plan. Set-back of upper levels.
CONNECTence
Goal: Break the pattern of the typical river front. Process: 1. Visit New Orleans and choose a site that would best represent the desired goal. 2. Study the city’s movement (vehicular, pedestrian, commercial, etc) 3. Apply the analysis to the goal and respond to it with architecture that would be part of the urban fabric. Approach: The final design combined Poydras and Canal Streets into the site where a levy wall and train tracks exited. The proposal addressed these obstacles combining the city with the river front.
Connect-ENCE N
New Orleans, LA
Previous Page Top: View from Canal Street. Previous Page Bottom: Site Plan. New Orleans, LA. Current Page: Night view of CONNECT-ENCE in relationship to the river and the city.
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Top Drawings: Diagrams analyzing the site and dividing the program into zones based on the pedestrian circulation of the city. Bottom: Section through Canal Street. (Continues of the next page)
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Hotel-Casino Plan
Recreation Center Plan
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Top Left: Ground floor plan. (Public Areas: Commercial/Dining/Lobby) Top Right: Detailed floor plan of the recreation level. Bottom: Section through Canal Street. (From previous page)
Goal: Provide the Uffizi Gallery with a new exit strategy, using the new space as additional exhibition area Process: 1. Analyze an existing painting in the gallery 2. Design an easel for the exhibition of the analyzed painting 3. Adapt the easel design into an exit strategy Approach: Extracted the concept of perspective from the painting and adapted it into the design, making it the principal strategy for the circulation and exhibition of new paintings.
Uffizi Gallery
FLORENCE, ITALY
Left: Exhibition Floor Plan. Top Right: Parti diagram; Existing building with the creation of a Vanishing Point. Center Right: Organizing exhibition spaces by means of the vanishing point. Bottom Right: Creation of vanishing points from mid-points in the section.
Top Left: Axonometric of the easel designed for the analyzed painting. Center: Section through gallery spaces.
Top Left: Exhibition room designed specifically for the analyzed painting. Shows how the easel sets the rules for foreground, background, and perspective. Center: Transverse section through existing museum and the new exit strategy be means of new gallery spaces.