ALEXANDER MONTANILE
SELECTED WORKS 2022 - 2024
ÑOOM ÑAAR
Primary School | Baghere Village, Senegal
Design Competition | Individual Work
Net-zero K-8 Public School | Chicago, Illinois
Academic Competition | Group Work
Self-cleaning Urban Garden | New Delhi, India
Academic Studio | Partner Work
Marketplace | Urbana, Illinois
Academic Studio | Individual Work
Library
Academic Studio | Partner Work
Baghere Village, Senegal
Baghere
Senegal
Design Process Connecting Program
As lifestyle continues to worsen in Baghere Village, life expectancy follows the same trend, specifically amongst children. The programming of Ñoom Ñaar is designed to target these individuals, ensuring basic human needs are met and exceeded, while fostering opportunities for education, health, and community growth.
Born Sick
Undereducated
Malnourished
Design Process Sketches - Interiors and Materials
Fountain Pen on Trace Paper
Physical Model
Central Courtyard
Cross Ventilation
The large openings on each sides of the central courtyard allows for a constant circulation of fresh air, naturally cooling the building in warmer months.
Pedestrian Circulation
This structure allows for easily accessible circulation paths from each of the sides, using the center as the main wayfinding point.
Rain Water Collection
Water is collected from the roof and dropped down into the atrium gardens, allowing for low maintenance for interior vegetation.
Exploded Axonometric Material
Thatched Roof
Timber Truss
Sandbags 3 Wooden 2” x 4” Planks
5 Perforated Banco Brick Wall
Perforated Banco
Brick Wall
Sandbag Walls
Rammed Earth Wall Exterior
Wooden Truss 7 Woven Bamboo Frame
Ñoom Ñaar incorporates locally sourced materials, keeping construction costs just under 18,000 USD. Most materials are reclaimed, with a few newly added elements designed for future reuse and recycling. Economic
Woven Bamboo Frame
Wood Columns
Wall Section
Exterior View Front Entrance
Gymnocoronis splinanthodies
Communal Gardens
The establishment of communal gardens in Ñoom Ñaar goes beyond traditional horticulture; it symbolizes a collective commitment to sustainable education and community unity. These native gardens serve as living metaphors, fostering a sense of growth, interconnectedness, and shared responsibility among students. Beyond the cultivation of plants, the act of tending to these gardens becomes a collaborative endeavor, instilling values of teamwork and environmental stewardship.
Anubias barteri
Ensete ventricosum
Nicotiana africana
Anubias barteri
Phoenix reclinata Musa paradisiaca
IDEALS
Net-zero K-8 Public School
Spring 2024
DoE Solar Decathlon Competition
Group Work | Architecture and Structures Lead Role | Overall design, Renderings, Energy Analysis
Revit, Rhino 3D, Photoshop, Illustrator
Fourth Place
IDEALS: Innovation, Design, Engineering, Arts, Learning, & Sustainability. Situated on a 250,000 square foot parking lot that contributed to environmental degradation and heat island effects, IDEALS is designed to lessen the gap between public and private education in Chicago.
Catering to students from underdeveloped Chicago south and west neighborhoods, the building incorporates ultra-sustainable elements, such as a bio algae and double skin façade, exposed mass timber structure, and low carbon materials. High-tech classrooms blend with abundant natural light, reducing reliance on artificial lighting. Expansive indoor and outdoor green spaces, a green roof, and open communal areas foster both academic and social growth.
By re-imagining a neglected space and transforming it into a forward-thinking institution, this project not only prioritizes sustainability but also strives for equity in education, setting a new standard for public schools.
School District Funding Chicago-land Water Color on Paper Pad
Chicago’s South and West suburbs face challenges of poverty, housing instability, and inadequate education, leaving many children disengaged or seeking refuge in schools.
IDEALS is designed as a safe haven, offering security, guidance, and opportunity beyond the school day. Strategically located in a community in need, it serves as an anchor of stability and care.
Its design, symbolized by open hands, provides the support and structure many students lack, standing resilient amidst the city’s shifting landscape.
Highly Funded
Adequately Funded
Underfunded
Severely Underfunded
IDEALS Site and Target
Imagine
Where stories come to life, sparking creativity and transporting children to worlds beyond their own. Its design fosters a sense of wonder and curiosity, encouraging young minds to dream and imagine endless possibilities.
Gather
The heart of the school, where students naturally come together to connect and share experiences. Its open design, with an architectural stair as a central feature, encourages interaction, creating a sense of community and belonging.
Innovate
Designed as a dynamic space that inspires creativity and forwardthinking, encouraging students to explore new ideas. Its adaptable layout and integration of modern tools empower learners to innovate in their educational journey.
Library
Atrium
Tech Labs
Nourish
A welcoming space where students gather to refuel their bodies and minds, fostering well-being and connection. Its design emphasizes comfort and warmth, creating an environment that nourishes both health and community.
Grow
A vibrant space where students can connect with nature and each other, promoting personal and social growth. Its open design and greenery encourage exploration, play, and a sense of renewal, making it a place to grow in every sense.
Inspire
IDEALS - welcoming families with an inviting design that sparks curiosity and excitement. Its thoughtful architecture and sustainable goals creates a sense of possibility, reflecting the school’s role in fostering growth and ambition for its students.
Cafeteria
Courtyard
Front Lawn
Exterior View Front Entrance
Total luminous flux
Total power
Total power per area
Lighting Analysis - RELUX CAD
Computer Lab
Cause and Effect
By placing IDEALS on an empty parking lot adjacent to a residential zone, the site lacks tall structures that would block light from any given direction. With that, the site gets direct sunlight from sunrise to sunset.
To solve this issue, aluminum louvers are hung on the west and north façades. The louvers are able to twist at highly specific angles to conform to sun changes throughout the day, providing unique shadows, adding dimension to the spaces.
Bio-algae Facade Panel Layer Breakdown
INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
Given the limited space and highly populated towns, zoning districts within New Delhi are within extremely close proximity of one another. Each zone contributes in some way to the increasing rise of pollution and crop reduction. The project is sited within a transition zone, being equidistant to each of the adjacent zones within this area.
BOX
1: Base-Leg Connection
Each elevated leg is secured to a wide steel base, which then is bolted to a concrete foundation. The leg itself consists of four steel plates that encase a reinforced concrete pedestal. Each leg has a steel joinery system that gets bolted together.
The steel facade is anchored on the exterior beam-column wall system. A spider connection is used to create an all glass look from the interior. A layer of non-conductive plexiglass separates the ionizer from the steel to prevent an electric current.
3: Base-Top Connection
The elevated legs are anchored by a series of steel plate and pin connections. The legs attached directly to the bottom structure of the building, securing them both laterally and horizontally. Each leg is connection on both sides of the beam.
Cultural Patterns
The façade mimics traditional Indian geometric motifs, standing as a representation of Indian culture. The panels are painted white to symbolize purity.
2: Facade System Connection
INTERMARK
Marketplace
Spring 2023
Professor Andrea Malgarejo de Berry
Individual Work
Revit, Rhino 3D, Grasshopper, Photoshop, Illustrator
Intermark, nestled in Urbana, Illinois, stands as a culinary haven designed to enrich the diverse and underrepresented community of Urbana and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a global array of cuisines previously absent in the region. With its open floor plan, Intermark goes beyond being a marketplace— it becomes a dynamic space fostering community growth and engagement.
The layout encourages social interactions, creating a vibrant atmosphere where people from various backgrounds can connect over shared culinary experiences. Adding to its innovative design, Intermark features a solar shading façade. More than a functional element, this system not only provides comfortable spaces but also metaphorically embraces the city. Inspired by the native fish of Urbana, the façade symbolizes a comforting presence, weaving the city’s identity into the very architecture.
Intermark Target
Modern Tech
Large Retailers
Design Process Sketches - Form and Façade Exploration
Fountain Pen on Trace Paper
Physical Model
Tensile Material Exploration
Intermark boasts an innovative architectural floor plan that seamlessly harmonizes form and function. The absence of interior walls within this marketplace fosters a fluid and dynamic circulation, allowing visitors to traverse effortlessly between the diverse array of food stalls and vendor offerings. The triangular site with its absence of traditional barriers creates inviting entryways on each of the three sides, encouraging a free flow of foot traffic and promoting accessibility.
1. Meat and Dairy Inventory (2,340 sq. ft)
2. Fish Inventory (1,248 sq. ft)
3. Fruit and Vegetable Inventory (1,728 sq. ft)
4. Loading (1,000 sq. ft)
5. Kitchen (700 sq. ft)
6. Food Receiving (1,340 sq. ft)
7. Office (200 sq. ft)
8. Restrooms (1,500 sq. ft)
9. Handicraft Product Stalls (1,000 sq. ft)
10. Canteen Stalls (2,160 sq. ft)
11. Non-perishable Stalls (1,000 sq. ft)
12. Bar Seating (1,000 sq. ft)
13. Dining (6,000 sq. ft)
14. Outdoor Plaza (10,000 sq. ft)
15. Outdoor Balcony (600 sq. ft) 16. Strawberry Fields Cafe
Stalls
Seamless Design
Section BB East - West
Food and Community
Intermark’s interactive food stalls offer a delightful fusion of diverse culinary experiences, inviting individuals from various cultural backgrounds to savor and immerse themselves in flavors that might be novel to them. Situated just a brief six-minute drive from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Intermark becomes a culinary haven for both international and local students alike. Here, students can find a taste of home with cuisines reminiscent of their familiar flavors, creating a welcoming space that feels like a home away from home.
Interior View
Stacks
TEMPORAL TWIST
Library of Recipes
Fall 2023
Professor Akima Brackeen
Partner Work | Beni Lawson
Role | Graphic Representations, Diagrams, Sections Rhino 3D, Grasshopper, AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator Fall 2023 Edward C. Earl Prize | Third Place
Albany Park, Chicago, renowned for fostering unique connections among strangers, is facing challenges due to changes like gentrification. To preserve its vibrant culinary spirit, the concept of a recipe library has been developed, blending the essence of traditional kitchens with an archival inventory. This recipe library reimagines the traditional library as a place for learning, interaction, and new experiences. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the traditional culinary practices that have been the foundation of Albany Park residents for decades.
The design choice, a fusion of stainless steel and glass panels, reflects the beauty of the community, creating a more inclusive, inviting, and participatory environment. The proposal is a testament to immortalizing Albany Park’s current essence, ensuring its cultural connectivity endures.
By immersing themselves in this cultural heritage, new residents can gain a deeper understanding of Albany Park’s history and foster respect for the community’s long-standing traditions.
Below Poverty Low Income Median Income Storefronts
Similar to many West Chicago neighborhoods, Albany Park falls below the average household income. With higher rent rates, it makes living much more difficult
1890s 1920s
1950s (post-war)
1970s
Current Day
1890s - Introduction to the railway, small business trade
1920s - Family owned businesses, population double
Albany Park continues to fluctuate between societal hardships and economic booms
1950s - 80% population reduction, vacant businesses
Albany Park is anchored on one main road that houses a diverse range of businesses, allowing to create impactful architecture that will be seen and used by many.
Albany Park offers a diverse range of restaurants. These restaurants are segregated into certain areas on the main strip, not promoting cultural inclusion.
1970s - Economic boom, increase in Korean population
Now - Signs of gentrification, new apartment development
Extrude Extrude faces from a square base.
Form One
Add four more planes and complete a cube.
Stretch
Take the faces and stretch it vertically to elongate the horizontals.
Form Two
Complete the rectangular prism by adding the top and bottom planes.
Form Process Study
Shear
Shear both verticals in opposite directions from each other.
Twist Twist the front and top horizontal planes to create final form.
Lasting Impact
Temporal Twist is a visionary project that emphasizes the profound impact of generations, seeking to encapsulate not just the spirit of the present but to craft a narrative that spans across time.
Envisioning our Library of Recipes as a dynamic space, we foresee a continuous cycle where the wisdom of the older generation imparts knowledge to the younger, the younger eventually becoming the new bearers of tradition.
This perpetual exchange serves as an educational and inspirational force, bridging the gap for both those well-versed in cultural cuisines and those just beginning their culinary journey.
Rectangular Prism
Prism
Rectangular Prism
Twist
Rectangular
Twist
Design Process Sketches - Interiors
Fountain Pen on Trace Paper
Oblique
06 OTHER WORKS
[RIG]GED
Space to convey negative and positive emotion
Site: Gulf of Mexico | Summer 2024 | Buildner Museum of Emotion - Shortlisted Top 30 | Group work: Ben Romo and Deonante Sutton |
Contribution: Overall design ideation, all graphic representation and renderings | Software: Photoshop, MidJourney AI, AutoCAD
[RIG]GED is a conceptual project that explores the life cycle of an oil rig and its intersection with sustainability and emotional impact. Once abandoned in the ocean, oil rigs pollute the water, but by re-purposing the structure, we created an artificial marine environment that supports thriving fish and marine life. The space functions as a “museum,” guiding visitors through exhibits that address ocean pollution and the harm caused by oil mining. As visitors journey through the space, they are confronted with environmental issues, but are also uplifted by the revitalized marine life, offering hope for positive change in response to past mistakes.
thank you.
