Part 2 Architectural Assistant Portfolio by Ardavan Shirzadi

Part 2 Architectural Assistant

ARDAVAN SHIRZADI 2021-2024

TODMORDEN VISUAL ARTS CENTER

Thesis Project, 2024

MANCHESTER’S SPRIT DISTILLERY

Academic Project, 2023

RINGWAY HAMLET

Academic Project, 2023

BRIDGE OF LIFE Competition, 2021

TODMORDEN VISUAL ARTS CENTER

Thesis Project at Manchester School of Architecture, Atelier Continuity, 2024

Location: Todmorden

The objective of this project was to propose architectural solutions to foster economic growth and empower the local community of Todmorden. Given the town's vibrant artistic scene, the visual arts center focused on painting, photography, and sculpting, emerged as a central component. This complex caters to the needs of local artists by offering ample spatial facilities and serves as a platform for younger generations to engage with visual arts.

In addition to serving as a creative hub, the center plays a pivotal role in bolstering the community and economy of Todmorden. Local people can utilize the space to produce artworks, which they can then showcase and sell at the weekly market hosted on the ground ﬂoor of the building.

Revit Rhino Grasshopper Lumion Photoshop

Context

Todmorden is a market town in the Upper Calder Valley in, West Yorkshire, England. It is about 17 miles from Manchester and has a population of just over 15,000 people.

1.Market Hall

2.Open Exhibition Space

3.Central Methodist Church

4.Parking

5.Todmorden Visual Arts Center

Design Process

1- To address the main environmental concern, the risk of ﬂooding, the building is elevated and a resilient open space on the ground ﬂoor is created.

2-To enhance visual connections between the internal and external spaces, a central void was incorporated to the ﬁrst-ﬂoor plate.

3-According to the precedents, required light condition and the context, the layout of spaces has been arranged.

4-A ramp starting from the open exhibition and aligning with the location of trees and park routes connects the building to the

1.Lobby, Café, Shop, Ofﬁces and Seminar Room

2.Adults’ and Kids Studio

3.Photography Studio

4.Sculpting Studio

5.Painting Studio and Galleries

park.

1.GlulamColumn

2.PrimarystructureGlulamBeam

3.SecondaryStructureGlulamBeam

4.GlulamStructuralFraming

5.CLTDeck

6.FoamConcrete

7.150mmOPTIM-RInsulation

8.WoodenFlooring

9.15mmInsulation

10.VaporControlLayer

11.OSBPanel

12.veneeredplywood

13.TrippleGlazingWindow

14.SteelLouver

15.SteelBeamShoe

16.150mmRigidInsulation

17.GlulamBeam

18.SteelDeck

19.FoamConcrete

20.WoodenFlooring

Structure

The Primary structure has been designed thoroughly by Grasshopper and is fully parametric. The following features are changeable:

• Columns’ dimensions

• Columns’ heights

• Columns’ proﬁles

• The spans

1.Drawing grid lines

2.Drawing columns’ proﬁles

3.Determining the spans

4.Turning the proﬁles to a spatial form

5.Converting the form to a structural system

The secondary glulam structure is installed on top of the primary structure to support the ﬂoors and the roof

Secondary Structure

Primary Structure

CLT Deck

Timber Truss

Concrete Pedestal

Steel Baseplate

Curved Glulam Elements Connecting Glulam Elements Horizontal Glulam Beams

Section A-A

MANCHESTER’S SPRIT DISTILLERY

Academic Project at Manchester School of Architecture, Atelier Making, 2023

Location: Manchester, Ringway

The project aims to design a distillery for The Spirit of Manchester that produces, stores, and showcases both novel and traditional whiskies. The facility must accommodate 200 additional barrels and reﬂect the client’s passion for innovation in whisky making. It should also provide an immersive visitor experience, allowing them to learn about the whisky-making process and enjoy tasting in a complementary atmosphere.

Revit Rhino Grasshopper Lumion Photoshop

An acorn discovered on the site was chosen for form experimentation due to its aesthetic qualities and its symbolic connection to whiskey making.

The initial model, inspired by folding theory, consists of three segments: the structure, the functional space, and the exterior shell. This design illustrates the relationship between the distillery's layers, with the next step being to integrate the form into the site's context.

1. .A curvy path inspired from the acorns aggregations was drawn on the constructable area of the site.

Orthographic Section

1.Ofﬁce building

2.Service room

3.Barley Storage

4.Distillery’s entry

5.Fermenters section

6.Distills Section

7.Loading area

8.Barrels Storage

9.Museum

10.Experiential Room

2. To formally connect the distillery with the existing buildings, a proﬁle was created considering the adjacent building's section and in response to the noise coming from the airport

3. The proﬁle was extruded along a curvy path to create an initial spatial form. It starts at the same height as the existing building and gradually increases in height to accommodate various activities.

4. To maintain the picturesque view of the surrounding natural, the form was divided into two segments: one designated for the factory and the other for the storage area.

Physical Model

The storage's brick walls, inspired by the existing building, connect it to its surroundings and enhance interior light with unique shadow effects.

1-Glazing Panels

2-Wooden Panels

3-Bricks

4-Wooden soil containers

1-Steel Beam

2-Plywood Veneer

3-Vapour Barrier

4-150mm Thermal Insulation

5-Water Proof Membrane

6-Steel Thermal Break Connector

5-Two-way Rigid Steel Frame

6-One-way Rigid Steel Frame

7-Bracings

8-Concrete Footing

7-Hallow Plywood Frame

8-Soil

9-Gravel

10- Moisture retention

Technical Section

1-Wooden Panels

The glass facade was analyzed using Grasshopper's Ladybug plug-in, revealing low radiation levels (0.42 KWh/m²) and minimal impact on temperature.

2-Thermal Insulation

3-Purlin

4-Rafter

5-Ventilation pipe

6-Soil container

7-Displacement Ventilation

Unit

8-Concreyte Foundation

9- Foundation Drainage

Distillery Storage

Experiential Room

RINGWAY HAMLET

Academic Project at Manchester School of Architecture, Atelier Making, 2023

Location: Manchester, Ringway

The objective of this project was to design a hamlet centered around the activities of four families, The focus was on creating healthy environment that promotes human activity and supports long-term well-being by implementing human-centered design principles.

This hamlet consists of four residential units, a playground, a restaurant and several communal facilities and

To establish an inclusive community, communal spaces have been designed to be accessible to all users and by integrating living spaces with workspaces, communication among residents has been enhanced.

Revit Rhino Grasshopper Lumion Photoshop

The location of units was determined as following:

1.The site was initially divided into several zones based on geometrical guidelines.

2.The Zones were allocated to different uses considering the density of existing vegetation, and the distance from the motorway.

3.According to the size of the spaces and the needs of each family, a block was placed in each zone .

The Site

1.Residential

Windcatcher 1:100 Model

Secondary

Concrete

Plaster

Corrugated Zinc Panels

Site plan-Vehicle access

For dwellinghouses, access for a pumping appliance should be provided to within 45m of all points inside the dwellinghouse.

Distance to pumping appliance

Pumping appliance possible positions

Houses ﬁre safety

All ﬁre escape routes, Windows, and ﬁre alarm systems comply with Approved Document Part B.

First ﬂoor plan

All of the interior and exterior walls are 30 min ﬁre resistance.

East elevation

All of the windows in this project have the same dimensions

BRIDGE OF LIFE

Bridge of Life Competition (Shortlisted), 2020

Location: Shiraz, Iran

The "Bridge of Life" competition, organized by the Shiraz Council, sought designs for a pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the town's dry river. This river has signiﬁcantly inﬂuenced the urban development and orientation of Shiraz, serving as a lasting symbol of collectivism in the collective memory of its people. The project aimed to preserve this symbolic meaning while reimagining it in a modern form.