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Progra
The Shaping Of Urban Spaces: PIAZZA BRUNELLESCHI 4th year, Advanced Topical Design Studio: Urban Piazza Brunelleschi, located in Florence Italy, is often overlooked because of its location between two major nodes: Piazza del Duomo and S.S. Annunziata Piazza. At a first glance, Piazza Brunelleschi comes across as hidden, which is what my partner and I chose as a concept. The plan for the existing piazza is to divide it into three programmatic sections: vehicular space for parking, built-up space for student housing and a public library, and open space for a newer and smaller piazza. The new building is L-shaped, with the library located along the street and the housing along the parking lot and attached to existing university buildings. The exterior faรงade of the building (facing the street and parking) is solidly composed of a paneling system with limited openings. This faรงade is interrupted by two elements of glazing: the interruption along the street indicates the entry and circulation of the library, and the interruption along the vehicular space indicates division of program within the building. The interior faรงade (facing the new piazza) is much more transparent and is mostly composed of glass. This is to maintain the hidden concept and give a more literal sense of public vs. private.
We focused on three elements that helped our re-design fit in with the Florentine context. The first being the new piazza. It is a large, open and multifunctional space that can be used for many different events by the library, school, or city. The transparency of the ground floor allows a connection between the interior spaces and the piazza. The upper floors have a louver system that provides shading and privacy, but still allows for a connection with the piazza. The second element is a connection with the existing important architectural feature on the site, the rotunda. This is achieved through a completely transparent façade in the library wing, allowing the rotunda to become part of the library’s interior. This wing is also aligned centrally with the rotunda. The third element is a strong exterior and corner solution, mimicking much of the existing architecture in Florence.
ADDITION TO NELSON BAYARDO’S COLUMBARIUM 3RD YEAR, ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO LOCATION: MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY “For this studio, we will explore Gottfried Semper’s two central elements to the making and definition of architectural space: the mound and the fabric. The first, in landscape, will become the ungrounding of the earth and its becoming or emerging into (an)other. The second is of defining space and its effects through carpets or materially rich planimetric forms reminiscent of fabrics. These will all find expression in the architecture + site, their materiality, and their spatial development. The aim of the studio is to explore and to give form and architectural intentions to these (of ungrounding, of the void, of enclosure, etc.) through representational and discursive strategies (textual, graphic, three-dimensional, composite, etc.). As a point of departure we will utilize representation to alter and modify our perceptions and understandings of the world to centralize the void and enclose through textiles. Programmatically, the studio will articulate these through a proposed addition + expansion to Nelson Bayardo’s 1962 Municipal Columbarium in Montevideo, Uruguay.”
pROCESS: BOOK CARVING This project began with carving a randomly assigned book to help get an understanding for carving into a site. The book: Mellon’s Millions, a biography about Andrew Mellon. Mellon was the owner of multiple successful companies as well as a significant art donor. I carved Mellon’s silhouette into the cover of the book, as well as a silhouette of his brain into the pages. I printed gears on a blank page of the book and pasted them into the brain area to represent his thoughts and ideas. I then searched throughout the book to find the words to make up the following quote by Gandhi. “A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes.” This quote was revealed through carving; it can be read when looking directly at the front of the book.
process: ungrounding
The first exploration of an addition to the columbarium was through carving. This scheme is meant to feel heavy on the site. The form seen in the top right is based off of a part of the book I had carved. I used this shape to form voids in a solid cube, identical to the building already on the site. The voids were carved out of the cube, creating spaces for people to reflect upon their loved ones, whose bones would be stored along the interior walls of the building. I created “drawdels� (part drawing part model) to present my scheme. The drawdel to the right represents plans and sections through my building. The top row consists of plans of each floor, the second row displays sections of the voids, and the third row portrays sections of the remaining floor plates created by the voids. The drawdel above that represents the voids, with sketches drawn on top of select voids.
pROCESS: fabrication
This second exploration is a complete opposite of the ungrounding; this scheme is meant to feel as light as possible. I chose to distribute multiple spaces throughout the site for the addition. The six additions are exposed in the site; the walls for bone storage are approachable from any direction. Each of these spaces are slightly covered by crystal-like structures. The structures jump up off the ground and cover each space in a unique way; two of them actually enter the existing building by climbing above and underneath it. These structures are bare to emphasize their lightness.
final product:
The addition to Bayardo’s columbarium is an outdoor expansion that begins under the existing building and extends out into the site. The organization of the addition is derived from existing elements and proportions of the original building. The procession of spaces provides a variety of experiences when visitors are remembering their loved ones. Strips of cor-ten steel connect spaces to one another and create a visual flow throughout the site. They guide visitors throughout the many spaces at a leisurely pace that allows for reflection. These layered elements constantly embrace temporary visitors and the per-
manent storage of their loved ones’ remains. The drawings to the right are abstract representations of the addition. I created these drawings that resemble collages as a way of explaining a person’s emotions when dealing with the loss of a loved one. When first dealing with death, one is confused, has clouded throughts, and has difficulty dealing with things other than the tragic loss. As time passes, one will learn to deal with and accept the loss. Although life will never be the same, it will become easier to move on. This addition reflects the process of grieving a loved one.
Visual arts center 3rd year design studio This new Visual Arts Center will replace the existing facility on the Roger Williams University Campus. The building focuses on a passage through it that allows for community participation. The passage enables people to gradually pass through the site and appreciate the art program while doing so. It physically separates the studios from the public spaces while also connecting them visually. The passage creates a place for people meet and engage in art simultaneously. The program is divided by the passage. The south wing contains a gallery open to the public, while the north wing contains six studios with adjacent faculty offices. The first floor plan is shown on the right and the second is nearly identical to it. The building is positioned particularly in the site to allow students to easily pass through it on their way to and from class. This building provides a much more convenient route through the site than the existing building does. The open studios encourage collaboration and interaction between students. The studios visually connect through double height spaces as well as a consistent passage that separates the studios from the faculty offices.
tENNIS center 3rd year design studio The Roger Williams University Tennis Center serves as a new athletics facility and a more convenient public passageway from the NCRH dormitory to the parking garage. The passageway is inspired by the campus landscape; in particular, trees. Its glass enclosure allows for views of all twelve tennis courts, as well as the Mount Hope Bay. It serves as an exciting way to travel across a part of campus that is currently dreaded by most students. The building works to integrate the six existing outdoor tennis courts with six new indoor courts. The natural form of the passage separates the indoor and outdoor courts physically while also connecting them visually. The solid form of the courts’ enclosure reflects this idea, by contrasting the light and airy form of the passage and anchoring the building to the site.
existing courts
tennis courts
new courts
passage
campus dorm 2nd year design studio The proposed campus dorm at the Roger Williams University Campus is a condensed “L-shape” building. The shape and small footprint allow for the dorm to be multiplied within the site, solving the school’s issue with not having enough dorm rooms for the amount of students that attend. The shape of the building along with the angled glazing elements within the dorm rooms allows each room to have a view of the Mount Hope Bay. The organization of suites within the dorm creates a dynamic façade through the alternating pattern of solid paneling and glazing. The northwest wing of the building is strictly residential. There are six-person, four-person and single suites that are organized in an alternating fashion on each floor. The suites are organized so that the kitchens and bathrooms anchor the entries down to the hallways. This allows for the bedroom and living spaces to gain the most amount of light by being placed on the outer edge of the building. The southwest wing has some residential suites, but is mostly made up of public spaces such as lounges, study spaces, outdoor balconies, and a classroom. These spaces are denoted by rectangular spaces that either pop out of or are recessed in the façade. The public walkways in this wing are shaded by a louver system. These differing facades help distinguish the building’s program.
typical RA room
typical four person suite
typical six person suite
facade 2nd year design studio Architecture is about provoking certain feelings from those who inhabit the space. In this faรงade design for a marketplace, I created a space where people would feel intrigued and tempted to interact. The skin that envelops the entire second floor of the marketplace brings a sense of dimension by contrasting the rigid, linear elements behind with the natural, curved forms on the skin.
artwork 2012-2015 Outside of architecture I enjoy creating art in many different mediums, my favorite being pencil drawings. I constantly have art projects going on in my free time. I feel that my constant practice in drawing has consistently helped me grow as an architecture student over the years. The following works are projects from drawing classes I have taken and freehand sketches drawn in Florence, Italy.