Amandine Di Ciaccio - An architectural portfolio

PORTFOLIO

architectural projects by Amandine Di Ciaccio B.Arch Honours DSA

2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS Curriculum vitae

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The contemporary ruin- Architecture of permanence and change

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Black church community housing

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Dublin city centre public library

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Study trip, The medieval city Hall in the Po-Valley, Northern Italy.

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NAME

Amandine Di ciaccio

BIRTH

21| 04 | 1987

CONTACT

amandinediciaccio@gmail.com 0894834983 amandinediciaccio.tumblr.com No 44 woodcliff Heights Howth Co. Dublin 13 Ireland

EDUCATION

LANGUAGES

DUBLIN SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE | Dublin, Ireland 09|2010 - 06|2015, Bachelor of Architecture, 2.1 B Arch (Hons), level 8 Thesis studio Working Life in collaboration with the IDA Ireland (Industrial development agency) tutored and created by Professor Dermot Boyd and Sima Rouholamin.

INTEREST& ACHIEVEMENTS

COLAISTE DHULAIGH COLLEGE | Dublin, Ireland 09|2009 - 07|2010, Architectural design portfolio, FETAC, level5 MELBOURNE LANGUAGE CENTRE | Melbourne, Australia 12|2008 - 02|2009, Cambridge English Advanced certificate intermediary level SAINT JOSEPH DE LA MADELEINE | Marseille, France 09|2004 - 07|2008, Baccalaureate of technical science, fist class honours

SKILLS

In design Illustrator Photoshop Sketchup Vray Autodesk Revit Autocad Vectorworks Os window 7 Microsoft office Model making Laser cutting Leadership Team work Driving

Advanced Good Advanced Good Beginner Beginner Advanced Beginner Advanced Advanced Advanced Beginner Strong -Team leader and class representative Strong- Best thesis group strategy Full driving licence

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French English Italian

Native Fluent Beginner

Award 2010, Department of Architecture Prize for best progression of the year.

Volunteering 2014, Member of organizing team for MEDS 2 weeks of design workshops for design students.

Exhibitor Summer 2015, INDUSTRIA, best of show from this year graduated architects.

Sport 2009 - 2015, Yoga advanced level 2009 - 2010, Tribal fusion dance with Junonia dance company.

Travel Interest for different cultures, landscape and architecture. Past travels include : Study trip to Switzerland, Northern Italy, Venice, London Personal travels to Australia where I lived for one year. Thailand , Laos .

Photography Interest in individual and family portrait Currently learning traditional photography development techniques. Owner of family’s vintage development equipments as well as a Nikon DSLR D200 camera.

JOB HISTORY THE DOG HOUSE | Dublin, Ireland (recent years) 08 |2015- current, waitress

REFEREES ( see attached page 7)

RYAN W . KENNIHAN ARCHITECTS | Dublin, Ireland 06|2015, Architectural intern, Project _refurbishment of private apartment _Paris.

Tasks included translation of construction documents and detail drawings as well as participating to the construction of a temporary archipod pavilion for Carlow Art Festival.

Meeting of European Design Students (MEDS)| Dublin, Ireland 03|2014 - 08|2014, Organiser, part of a team of 5 event managers.

I was responsible for organising advertisement ,finding sponsorships, manager of dinner’s organization for 12O participants and general co-ordination of the workshops.

AGENCE OLLIVIER ARCHITECTES | Aubagne, France 06 |2014 - 08|2014, Architectural intern, Project_ Les Solans housing complex_ Aubagne. Tasks included altering the houses and apartments layout for planing application as well as producing renders of project on site and presentation boards for meeting with local authorities.

AGENCE OLLIVIER ARCHITECTES | Aubagne, France 06|2013 - 09|2013, Architectural intern, Project_ refurbishment and survey of AOA office’ façade _ Aubagne. As an architect intern I worked primarily on the survey of the existing facade and the details drawings for this project.

EXPOSITION D’ART SINGULIER | Aubagne, France 07/2012 - 08/2012, Docent for the temporary exhibition. I was responsible of the opening and closing of the exhibition everyday as well as welcoming visitors to the exhibition and organizing translated tours of the show for foreign visitors.

CHÂTEAU DE L’ ARC |Fuveau, France 06|2011 - 09|2011, Waitress and hostess for the restaurant of this 4 stars hotel.

O’ SHAUGHNESSY ARCHITECTS |Dublin, Ireland 02|2009 - 03|2009, Architectural intern, Project_ St. Gerard’s school _ Bray.

As an architect student I was primarily helping with the planing drawings.

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Patrick Flyn, Lecturer DIT mail : patrick.flynn@dit.ie Thomas Ollivier, Director AOA mail : t.ollivier@aoafr.com tel : +33 4 42 03 28 12

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Ryan W Kennihan, Lecturer DIT fonder of RWKA architects mail : office@rwka.com tel : (01) 888 1916

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Automated warehouse - 10000sqm

WORKING LIFE TUTORS : Dermot Boyd, Sima Rouholamin The brief for “Working Life� challenged us to transform the current urban morphology of Waterford city. By rethinking the working place, each student was to propose an innovative investment option for the IDA which is currently working on improving the struggling economic situation of Waterford.

This project was exhibited at the INDUSTRIA show in June 2015.

THE CONTEMPORARY RUIN ARCHITECTURE OF PERMANENCE THE CONTEMPORARY RUIN AND CHANGE ARCHITECTURE OF PERMANENCE AND CHANGE

The thesis proposes a romantic vision of

the industrial architectural project. My research on the theme “Working Life” leaded me to propose a automated working place where the sublime world of the machine dominates and co-exist with the The thesis proposesdecreasing a romantichuman visionworkforce. of the industrial architectural project.and Mytectonic researchstructural on the theme “Working lead me to propose an My interest for monolithic systems lead meLife” to develop opposing automated workingoneplace where the sublime world of the machine co-exists with the machine occupation. architectural languages, of the permanent human occupation and thedominates other one and of the more temporary decreasing human workforce. interest and tectonicThe structural systems lead me to develop opposing The project was always envisioned as My a ruin afterfor themonolithic machine occupation. thesis proposes an architecture which leaves a positive trace on the architectural languages, one of the permanent human occupation and the other one of the machine occupation. landscape, a sort of re-usable ruin and offers romantic visions of more a posttemporary machine occupation.

The project was always envisioned as a ruin after the machine occupation. The thesis proposes an architecture which leaves a positive trace on the landscape, a sort of re-usable ruin and offers romantic visions of a post machine occupation.

“ Perhaps the most enigmatic time aspect of the time of ruination is the manner in which it points toward the future rather than the past, or rather uses the ruined resources of the past to imagine, or re-imagine the future� Ruins. Dillon, Bryan. The MIT Press, 2011.

My interest for post-industrial ruins developed strongly during our visit to the city of Waterford which was to be the location for our thesis proposals. I observed and recorded a number of industrial ruins dating from 19th century to the 21st century. These desolated industrial landscapes were the main inspiration to my architectural reflection.

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Portlaw tannery 19th Century

Waterford flour Mill 20th Century

Ard Ri Hotel 20th Century

Ferry bank shopping centre 21th century

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Ferry bank

Secondary school

The warehouse

Water treatment plant

South quays

St John's river

“SEMPER’S PRIMORDIAL DWELLING WAS DIVIDED INTO FOUR BASIC ELEMENTS : (1) THE EARTHWORK, (2) THE HEARTH, (3) THE FRAMEWORK, AND (4) THE LIGHT WEIGHT ENCLOSING MEMBRANE. ON THE BASIS OF THIS PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

TAXONOMY SEMPER WOULD CLASSIFY THE BUILDING CRAFTS INTO TWO FUNDAMENTAL

PROCEDURES:

THE

TECTONIC OF THE FRAME, IN WHICH LIGHTWEIGHT LINEAR COMPONENTS ARE ASSEMBLED SO AS TO ENCOMPASS A SPATIAL MATRIX, AND THE STEREOTOMICS OF THE EARTHWORK, WHEREIN MASS AND VOLUME CONJOINTLY FORMED THROUGH THE REPETITION OF PILING UP OF HEAVY WEIGHT”

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

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The building proposes an architectural language of

two opposing orders. One the one hand, the base of the building is of a monolithic nature. It is made using the technique of cast in situ rammed earth and concrete walls. It creates a heavy plinth which host the logistic program of the automated warehouse such as the import and export of products. The plinth symbolises the permanence of the industrial occupation on site. It will remain post warehouse occupation becoming an artificial landscape for further occupations or developments. The second part of the building is an assembled galvanized steel system which sits inside the plinth and provides shelving facilities for the automated warehouse.

This innovative solution is called structural clad rack system and is used in large automated warehouse around the world. This system has been developed to function on an extremely efficient grid and to be assisted by computer and robots picking systems. The warehouse will be used by Amazon which is currently one of the leading companies for online retail. There is an opportunity for Amazon to open a warehouse in Ireland which will facilitate both the national delivery system and also the international connection with the presence of Waterford airport. The building articulates the relationship between heavy and light architectural elements.

When the plinth appears as a solid earth wall the metallic “cage� is wrapped with a translucent polycarbonate facade which glow across Waterford river at night time. The plinth, by its design and materiality, embraces the idea of ageing. On the other hand the metallic structure and polycarbonate wrapping are by their nature and design temporary parts of the building which could be re-used for a different site|warehouse. The unusual shape of the building was born from applying the structural grid of the clad rack system on to the triangular site. The site was chosen for its ideal proximity to the train tracks allowing for railway imports and exports of merchandise .

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After reflection on the functions and life span

of the automated warehouse it was decided that the program would be divided in two major time frames. The first time frame encompasses all the logistic programs of the automated warehouse. Because of the proximity of the railways it was decided that one railway would arrive inside the warehouse allowing the loading of the products in a sheltered place. The second railway follows the edge of the site and allows for external loading bays. The warehouse also proposes an urban program linking an urban pedestrian route on the river front of the North Quays back to the suburb of Ferry bank ( the plinth is situated 5m above water level and meets the topography of the road located behind the site).

The second time frame encompasses a public program mainly. The site will remain as an artificial landscape transformed by man. This landscape could potentially host further programs or be left to degradation and become part of Waterford’s fabric. The thesis proposes a romantic view of the project, which will eventually be flooded by the rising water of the river Suir and create an artificial pond.

PERMANENCE VS CHANGE

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Connections details investigation Temporary structure Ceiling construction:575mm polycarbonate roof sheet-35mm DPM-8mm Raised access floor-100mm Insulated sound proof panels-38mm Steel rafters-90mm Galvanized steel box section-300mm Facade construction:225mm Kalwall insulated translucent wall panels-65mm Aluminium long span C connectors-60x25mm Aluminium columns-300mm Permanent structure Ceiling construction:135mm DPM-13mm Cast in situ reinforced concrete beam-120mm Rammed earth tiles-25mm Wall construction:2000mm Concrete base up to 1000mm above ground level Layers of concrete and rammed earth coated with lime stone finish.

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2015

2075

Mixed units development - 4555sqm

COMMUNITY HOUSING TUTORS : Patrick Flynn Currently one can observe that community housing faces a difficult crisis in Dublin.

Dublin School or Architecture decided to challenge their students to propose alternative solutions to the housing crisis .

After a number of site visits and case studies of existing mixed developments around Dublin city centre, each students were given a derelict site within North Dublin city centre to be re-developed. The project was to be sustainable both economically and environmentally but also socially in order to enhance a healthy community life.

ST MARY’S PLACE VILLAGE St Mary’s place ”village” proposes a community residence in the heart of North Dublin city centre. The mixed units scheme provides

accommodations ranging from 1 bedroom apartments to large 3 bedroom penthouses. The scheme was developed from a study of architectural thresholds between public and private realms in Dublin city centre, mainly observed in Georgian architecture. The concept was to propose both public and private face to the scheme. The public façades wrap around the edge of the site like heavy city walls to protect the privacy of the inhabitants. The entrances to the apartments happen on the street and are articulated by a change of material and architectural expression. Once inside the scheme, a private courtyard is shared by the apartments which all have a common deck access to it. The internal façades facing the courtyard are more open and tectonic. All the apartments benefit of a natural cross ventilation as well as natural daylight from both side either east/west or north/south.

Unfolded elevation.

One of the main challenges set out by our tutors

was to develop a scheme which only used timber as the main structural material. The system of columns and beams was used for the structural stability of the apartments. A structural grid was developed based on the existing urban grain of the area and on the timber span capacity. The social and circulation spaces use engineered timber wall panels which are of a more monolithic nature. Those spaces are then finished with brown and black bricks cladding in order to differentiate the social space of the program to the private spaces which have a timber finish. The scheme proposes a public gymnasium and a community space at ground floor level which open onto the street and allow for an urban connection.

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A detail investigation was carried in

order to protect the external timber columns from dampness rising. The columns have a 2.5m span from centre to centre and support the external deck access. Woodspec Ireland specifies that timber columns have to be raised of a minimum of 150mm from ground level to avoid moisture rising up. A connection detail was investigated between the timber column and a protective steel shoe. The connection explores the relationship between the two opposing materials and with the human body.

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Public library - 5525sqm

PARNELL SQUARE CULTURAL QUARTER TUTORS : Paul Kelly Dublin city council and the Parnell square foundation open in 2014 a deign competition for the redevelopment of Parnell square in inner North Dublin city. Dublin School of Architecture is a neighbour of Parnell Square and also shares a great interest in the re-development of the area. As students we were to participate in the re-thinking of Parnell square by designing the new city library to be part of the general master plan of the area.

ROTUNDA CITY LIBRARY Urban context and site strategy inspired the concept of my proposal for the Rotunda City Library. The site offers a great opportunity to re-define the vista of O’Connell street and create a generous public space at the entrance of the library. The existing and listed structure of the Rotunda represented an other design challenge to the project. I proposed to hang a new structure above the existing Rotunda.

This new addition would create a shelter public space bellow and be oriented to face O’Connell street. The interior would offer a special experience where historical architecture meet with bold contemporary moves. Six substantial concrete columns are proposed inside the Rotunda in order to provide a lever arm to the warren truss structure hanged above.

By creating a civic urban gesture to Dublin city, the Ro-

tunda City Library offers both a new vista and a public space to O’Connell street. Researches into the history of the Rotunda have proven that the front of the building was used as a public space. Today this space seem compromised and does not offer a convivial urban experience anymore. As the city grows and extends it needs public spaces of a similar scale.

The Rotunda, O’Connell street Late 19th century

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City Hall - 3614sqm

THE MEDIEVAL CITY HALL TUTORS : Ryan Kennihan, Noel Brady House of early European democracy, the medieval city hall and associated market square were the chosen typologies for our research trip in Northern Italy during October 2012. Our task was first to study and record medieval city halls within their urban environment. After the observation phase we were to challenge the medieval city hall by proposing a contemporary version for the historical city of Bergamo in Northern Italy.

MEDIEVAL CITY HALL A loggia is the term use to define the public space often find under the city hall. Structural colonnade is the architectural language of the loggia which supports the city hall located above and create an open urban room within the city. Loggias are often used as spaces for markets or public gathering. They offer shelter and shadow for the passer by. Most commonly, city halls are part of a larger urban square with the presence of yet another authoritative figure of the medieval era : churches. Both city halls and their urban environment were studied and recorded in order to understand their historical and urban importance.

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After analysing the place of the city hall within the medieval city, we were chal-

lenged to re-think the city hall as a contemporary typology. The scheme proposes a mix program for Bergamo Co-op and city hall. The site is located along the medieval city wall on the edge of the city and offers a grand view out . The site strategy was to respond to the existing context by having layers of step buildings. The first building is the co-op shop and administration. Its height matches the street scale and it offers direct entrance points from the pedestrian path. Once past the first building, one enters in a public space semi sheltered allowing for the co-op weekly markets to occur. Standing in front of you is the city hall. The scale and heights of the city hall matches the grandeur of the landscape it’s facing.

At ground level the porous plan link the public back to the view and the city wall.

A procession of steps cut the city walls open and wrap around the scheme. The design ambition was to offer a civic space with a sensibility of the human scale. One lesson observed during this exercise was that the most successful city hall we visited in Northern Italy seem to always provide both a sense of civic authority and human intimacy.

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Light study of the assembly room and street entrance perspective.

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