Portfolio - Ana-Maria Zagnat

PORTFOLIO

CONTENTS

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY (academic).................................................................2

1.2. SLOW TIME FACTORY - TECHNICAL STUDIES......................................12

2. URBAN OASIS (personal)....................................................................................13

3. THE NEST (practice experiene)..............................................................................15

3.2. THE NEST - TECHNICAL STUDIES................................................................18

4. UNITY QUARTERS( practice experiene)...........................................................19

Ana-Maria Zagnat

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY

Type: university project (final year)

Year: 2023

Project Stage: unbuilt

Coordinator: Loris Rossi, senior lecturer at Manchester School of Architecture;

Brief: design the urban regeneration of one of the interrupted sites straddling infrastructure in Mayfield. All the projects will be brought together in a new urban proposal for the area as a whole, proposing a green Archipelago.

Notes: this project’s site analysis and initial concept was meant to be a group prjoect, therefore pages 2, 4 & 5 contain images that were shared with another student, but they are drawn and made by me. The conceptual model shown on page 3 was made with the help of my team member, Josepth Marsden. All the other work is completly made by me.

Time is irreversible - Site’s background and history Manchester is known to be the first industrial city, being the epicentre of the country’s cotton industry. ‘Cottonpolis‘ was built on the back of slavery. The recognition of the industrial impact Manchester had is rarely associated with the heavy truth behind it.

I am designing a building with a programme that involves textiles in Mayfield to commemorate the slaves that worked on the mancunian cotton fields and brought the city its famous nickname, Cottonpolis. The building will not act like a typical factory, but would rather celebrate a slow time, and therefore, creates inclusive, safe spaces for everyone.

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY - manifesto: a city woven green

As a response of decay, vegetation has been growing from the cracks of the bricks in Mayfield. Rather than trying to destroy it, I decided to look at it as a new unique characteristic of the area, and celebrate it. Taking it as an example, I came up with A City of Woven ‘Green‘, which reffers to the development of the existing greenery to create a new object

The purpose is to create buildings that can constantly change their concept to adappt, similar to the vegetation used in the programme of the building, that changes its initial state until it reaches an optimal form (from seeds to textiles).

I want to express the idea of change in a way that is easy to perceive by everybody: by associating diferent colors to textures, sounds etc. I intend to emphasise the idea of evolution by using materials that react viisibbly to the weather but also remind the users of nature, such as corten steel, copper, timber etc.

1.SLOW TIME FACTORY - from site to idea

Inverted green archeology- Project’s concept

Mayfield is often described to be a ‘scary’ and ‘unsafe’ area of Manchester by the mancunians. Therefore, creative processes are needed to regenerate the space.

The almost abandoned part of Manchester has been strongly populated by greenery, that over the years has covered the red brick walls in moss. Rather than destroy it, I decided to use it as inspiration for my project.

The concept is to use the greenery as signs of properity and place constructions in those areas to help the city grow.

The purpose is to create buildings that can constantly change their concept, to adappt, similar to the vegetation around Mayfield. Moreover the programme proposed uses greenery that changes its initial state until it reaches an optimal form, stregthening the concept.

Archipelago map - conceptual map showcasing the areas of Mayfield where exceptional vegetation has been found / AutoCad+Illustrator+Procreate

Inverted Green Archeology conceptual model showcasings the vegetation of Myfield

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY - site analysis

Mayfield is an area that is hard to circulate for the pedestrians, as it is splitted by a motorway and a viaduct. The atmosphere feels hostile as the trains and cars make both air and noise pollution.

The site I chose in Mayfield is a especially harder one to build on as it is a very limited space and has the direct restriction of the motorway and viaduct, as it is separated by the two.

Site Diagram /

Site Diagram AutoCad+Illustrator

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY - concept development

Structure

As the climate emergency became reality in the past years, with temperatures constantly rising, the risk of flooding increased. Therefore, I chose to rise my building on stilts to create spaces that would resist the test of time.

Materials

I chose materials that could represent the programme (sustainable textile dyeing) and atmosphere of the building best, therefor I looked to be highly sustainable (CLT) and to react visibly to external elements, such as rain, sunlight (coppper changes its colour).

Programme

The programme is thought to be ciclic and displayed vertically in the building. Its purpose is to use the resources in a way that generates minimal waste. It starts from under the viaduct, where small greenhouses have been placed to grow moss. Then, it goes on an upper level to create natural dye from the greenery, only using solar power. The dye is used to colour garments or threads. On the next level the garments and threads are weaved and sewed into new clothes made sustainably. The remains of the vegetation left from the dyeing process and other vegetables that grew in the greenhouses can then be used into the restaurant that is placed on the 1st floor. Or people can have a deeper look into the process of it all on the last floor and participate in workshops.

CLT floor slab and walls

CLT support columns and beams

CLT pillars

CLT floor slab and walls

CLT floor slab and walls

CLT floor slab and walls

CLT support columns and beams

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY - reaching the viaduct: GA drawings

Section A 1:200 /AutoCad+Illustrator+Procreate

A. main entrance

B. kitchen

C. restaurant

D. dyeing area

E. dyeing lab

F. drying/exhibition area

G. sewing area

H. observation/visitors space

I. workshop/observatory space

J. link bridge over the motorway

K. circulation tower

Section B 1:200

/AutoCad+Illustrator+Procreate

/AutoCad+Illustrator+Procreate A. greenhouse B. bikes parking

C. recycling centre

D. main entrance

E. bridge entrance

A. dinning area

B. kitchen

C. hallway

D. toilet

E. dyeing area

F. drying/exhibition area

G. sewing area

H. observations/visitors space

I. workshop/observatory space

A. dinning area B. storage area

kitchen

toilets

reception

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY - reaching the viaduct: GA drawings

Section C 1:200 /AutoCad+Illustrator+Procreate

A. terrace

B. sewing area

C. observations/visitors space

2nd Floor Plan

/AutoCad+Illustrator+Procreate

A. dyeing area

B. drying/ exhibition area

C. dyeing lab

D, bridge

Elevation 1:200 /AutoCad+Illustrator+Procreate

/AutoCad+Illustrator+Procreate

A. sewing area

B.observation/ visitors space

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY - structural strategy

- wooden board

- CLT beam 200mmx200mm

- fiberglass insulation 70mm thick wirh perimeter insulation upstand to prevent thermal bridging

- damp proof membrane

- corten steel envelope layer

- 200 mm thick fiberglass insulation to prevent thermal bridging

- vapour control layer

- brick wall

- timber beam 40mmx40mm

- corten steel envelope

- steel window frame

- double glazed glass

-parapet cappin

- sheet metal clip

- bitumen waterproofing,

- 2-ply

- 130mm thick plywood engineered soil with planting

- loose gravel

- moisture-retention layer/ drainage layer

- protection mat

- waterproof membrane

- 50 mm plywood deck

- corten steel envelope

Brown roof

Wall

Floor

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY - creating colours: interior views & construction

process

Construction process

1. concrete is poured for the strip footings foundation.

2. the CLT primary structure is built.

3. the floors are assembeled with a crane.

4. the exterior walls are installed first, with the help of a crane, and the interior ones afterwards by workers.

5. rooftops are installed with a crane, and the drainage system for the brown roofs is provided.

6. the services and internal finishes are getting done by workers.

7. vegetation is planted for the landscape plan.

The main architecture feature of the building is its adaptibility and constant ‘play‘ with the external natural factors.

Light plays a huge role in its beauty, as it helps delimitating the spaces and creating unique sensible atmoshperes throught the building.

1. SLOW TIME FACTORY - light, the creator: atmospheric vignettes

Oil paintings on canvas

1. 2. SLOW TIME FACTORY

Technical studies

1. timber beam

2. steel screw

3. steel hooks

4. timber columns

5. steel chain (inspired by safety pins)

1. parapet cappin sheet metal clip bitumen waterproofing, 2-ply

2. 130mm thick plywood

3. engineered soil with planting

4. loose gravel

5. moisture-retention layer/ drainage layer

6. protection mat

7. waterproof membrane

8. 50 mm plywood deck

9. corten steel envelope

10. 200 mm thick fiberglass insulation wirh perimeter insulation upstand to prevent thermal bridging

11. vapour control layer

12. 90 mm thick screed

13. corten steel envelope

14. steel window frame

15 double glazed glass

16. mesh fabric layer

17. plastic cilinder container 900mm diameter

18. timber support boards with wheels 80mm diameter

19. water collecting tank

20. perforated glass lid

21. mesh textile layer anti insects

The building’s connection with water was explored through 3 key features: brown roof, dyeing tanks, and water colllecting tanks. They all use water in 3 different ways: absorbs it to help vegetation flourish, evaporates it to create unique prints on textiles, and it collects it for services use.

2.URBAN OASIS

Type: personal project

Year: 2024

Project Stage: unbuilt

Brief: design a space for the community from a rural part of Iasi county, Romania to gather and decompress; it needs to act as a meeting point for the locals, that would help them connect with each other and with nature.

It starts with a dot.

The design process started with a in depth research on the terrain, studying precedents I found suitable, and a fesability study.

From that, the need for a fountain in the centre of the park arose. (fig. 2). As the main road is on the south part of the site, it seemed obvious to create the main entrance there and place most of the pavements and cement tiles on the way up from entrance to the fountain. (fig. 3)

To maximize the greenspace but to still offer relaxing and peaceful areas for socializing, I decided to break down the alleyway in a zigzag. (fig, 4) The irregular shape would help highlight the need for connection between humans, and nature.

fig.

fig.

Exterior view / ArchiCAD+ Enscape

2.URBAN OASIS

The Urban Oasis is placed in a deprieved area of Iasi, Romania. There, the local council repeatedly raised the issue of the lack of a communal space where people can detach from their struggles and connect.

The design tries to express that through the alleyways that interconnect and all lead to a bigger meeting point, the fountain. The steel pipe assembly placed around the main way accentuate the idea of conectivity, and can also be used for future hanging plants to further develop the park.

With the terrain slight inclination, the need for steps occured, and especially since the area’s population is mostly eldery, the placement of ramps was considered to make it accessible for everybody.

The plants, trees, and flowers propsed were chosen to esnure minimal costs. Not only has the initial price of the species has been considered, but also the maintainace they take and adaptibility at the climate, as this project focuses on a long term improvement for the area.

Renders

3. THE NEST

Type: practice experience

Year: 2024

Project Stage: in the process of being built

Coordinator: Stefan Todiras, architect at S.C. ARHTO SRL;

Brief: design 2 houses with the same footprint and functional wanted by the client that respect the site restrictions.

Notes: the chosen design was decided by the whole team, but all the drawings/ renders used are made by me. My role on this project was to design two identical houses on the given site that met the conditions imposed by the client, to consulte with my co-workers about it, and to create a set of GA drawings and a documentation in oreder for the project to be built, as well as a couple of renders the client could use for commercial purposes.

Located near a bus stop and busy roads, ‘The Nest’ was designed with its surroundings in mind, particularly the challenge of noise. The layout of the two houses carefully considers noise reduction, creating a tranquil living environment.

The design provides valuable outdoor space for residents to enjoy, enhancing the overall quality of life. This open space creates a balance between the urban setting and the need for a peaceful, familyfriendly home.

The houses have an identical design: a compact footprint that maximizes the use of available space while ensuring affordabi;ity. The design strategically adds a second story to offer ample living space, all while keeping the footprint small and efficient.

Exterior views / ArchiCAD+ Enscape

Exterior view / ArchiCAD+ Enscape

3. THE NEST - layers of space

Despite their compact nature, the homes feel spacious, offering families an affordable option without compromising on functionality. The use of thoughtful materials and spatial organization ensures that each home is not only functional but also a place where families can truly feel at home.

Interior views / ArchiCAD+ Enscape

Exploaded axonometric drawing / ArchiCAD+ Procreate

3. 2. UNITY QUARTERS

Technical studies

Construction process on site

Technical details

During my practice experience I got to work with and assist multiple engineers to gain more knokledge regarding the structure. Therefore, for this project I attempted to create some of the structure details myself, and verify them with my co-workers; they turned out to be successful.

For this project, I got to see some of the construction process stages, mostly the initial ones, such as the foundation construction (when the concrete footings are poured), waterproofing of the foundation, the installing of the drainage, framing preparations (setting anchor bolts to connect the framing to the foundation).

4. UNITY QUARTERS

Type: practice experience Year: 2024

Project Stage: in the process of being built Coordinator: Stefan Todiras, architect at S.C. ARHTO SRL;

Brief: design a couple of blocks of flats that would maximize the land the client has. Noes: the chosen design was decided by the whole team, but all the drawings/ renders used are made by me. My role on this project was to design alongside my co-workers four apartment buildings on the given site that met the conditions imposed by the client, and to create a set of GA drawings in oreder for the project to be built, as well as a couple of renders the client could use for commercial purposes. The structural aspects were decided in close collaboration with my co-workers.

This residential project consists of four apartment buildings. The design was developed in response to the challenges of a slightly narrow site with a steep slope, turning these constraints into opportunities. By carefully adapting the buildings to the terrain, the projrct mnimizes extensive earthworks while ensuring accessibility and maximizing natural light and views.

4. UNITY QUARTERS