Dyan Castro // FA2017 Portfolio

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SELECTED WORKS UP TO 9/30/2017 Welcome to my portfolio. It has been composed to outline my growth and development starting from my final semester thesis project from Taubman College on 2016 until my very recent work done at PennDesign this semester. What I hope to convey in this compilation of work is the path I took to get to where I am now, as a student, as a designer, as a citizen. If I were to describe myself in how I differ from my colleagues, this is what I would say: that I take on too much, so much so that my general execution of projects end up suffering because I don’t know where to draw the line between what I want to do and what I’m actually capable of doing.

I try to be critical of prompts when I can. I try to look at different perspectives when I can. I try to question the status quo. I try to assume some social responsibility as an architect. I try to promote environmentalism when I can. I try to practice sustainability to the best of my ability. That’s why I’m pursuing a certificate in Ecological Design alongside my M.Arch. That’s why I’m applying to the Landscape Architecture Program on January next year. And that’s what I’m trying to convey in this porfolio and my overall design work.

DYAN CASTRO dycastro.co.vu

DYAN CASTRO | SPRING 2017

HYPERIONS agroecology and sustainable food systems growing up around wooden & timber towers Vincent Callebaut Architects Jaypee Greens Sports City, New Delhi, India 2014-2020

GROWING TOMORROW : PROTOCELL from inert to living matter Yuen Fung Cheung and Artur Nitribitt Next7 Competition June 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS CLOUD POWER HOUSE mazowieckie centrum promocji zrownawazenego rozwoju w radomiu Mikolaj Scibisz Radom, Poland June 2012

首都圏外郭放水路 metropolitan area outer underground discharge channel Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan 1992-2009

SUPER LEVEE adaptable flood defense Arakawa-Karyu River Office Arakawa River, Tokyo, Japan 1985-2009

Chasing Storms?

Project Bagyo Historical Context?

Laurentia Ecological Architecture?

Building Performance Studies

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PRINCE BUILDING PIERS commercial street resiliency district Stephanie Goldberg + Mark Reed Boston Living With Water Competition Boston, MA June 2015

8 FOLDING WATER™ ventilated levee for a living estuary Kuth Ranieri Architects BCDC Rising Tides Competition San Francisco, CA August 2009

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Artificial Natures?

Galleries at the Grotto

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Culture=Community?

Cumulonimbus

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Sustainability?

Mayor Daylight Be Autonomous 40 Architecture of Occupancy?

Cuneiform 46 People vs Plants?

Crop Upgrade

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CHASING STORMS | PROJECT BAGYO

PROJECT BAGYO

Tacloban City, Visayas, Philippines Thesis on Climate Change|Architectural Agency Raoul Wallenberg Senior Thesis Studio Competition participating project in winning the ARCHITECT Studio Prize sponsored by SLOAN

critic: Dawn Gilpin

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TCAUP | WINTER 2016

HYPERIONS agroecology and sustainable food systems growing up around wooden & timber towers Vincent Callebaut Architects Jaypee Greens Sports City, New Delhi, India 2014-2020

GROWING TOMORROW : PROTOCELL from inert to living matter Yuen Fung Cheung and Artur Nitribitt Next7 Competition June 2014

CLOUD POWER HOUSE mazowieckie centrum promocji zrownawazenego rozwoju w radomiu Mikolaj Scibisz Radom, Poland June 2012

首都圏外郭放水路 metropolitan area outer underground discharge channel Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan 1992-2009

SUPER L adaptabl ArakawaArakawa 1985-20

PRINCE BUILDING PIERS commercial street resiliency district Stephanie Goldberg + Mark Reed Boston Living With Water Competition Boston, MA June 2015

FOLDING WATER™ ventilated levee for a living estuary Kuth Ranieri Architects BCDC Rising Tides Competition San Francisco, CA August 2009

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CHASING STORMS | PROJECT BAGYO

RESILIENCE SEA LEVEL RISE RADICAL + PREPOSTEROUS MINDING THE GAP

ARCHITECTURAL A G E N C Y When put in the context of rapidly changing climate and global warming which result in extreme effects that completely wipe out entire cities, countries, and civilizations, the position of architecture is a position quite opposite to that of the forces of climate change.

When we go to the very roots of architecture, we can think back on the primitive hut, the “pure, best stage of architecture,” lying within the myth of origins. It is when “savage people” must come up with ways to protect themselves from storms, discover fire during the process, leading to the creation of society and the more widespread construction of shelter. This shelter can be seen as the earliest architecture.

However, architecture evolves constantly and has since deviated far away from the “purity” of the primitive hut. Throughout history it has continuously transformed to become concerned with a plethora of other things such as form, culture, politics. Architecture has evolved into an absorption of many complexities and became concerned with so much more than just simply “protecting savage peoples from the storm.”

Now the situation is coming back to something similar to the situation of the primitive hut. We will soon be needing architecture to sufficiently protect ourselves from the storm. Climate change has been pervasive since the beginning of civilization (from natural effects), but ever since human activity began to significantly affect it, the effects have blown up in intensity and frequency. In thinking of architecture in this web of climate change and the world, it can be seen as one of the more significant forces that cause climate change. Something more significant needs to change within the discipline, it needs to be shaken up in order to more substantially respond to the ailment of climate change effects.

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Vulnerability is "the characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard."

Applied to the phenomenon of natural disasters, circumstances could be described as the susceptibility of a country to natural hazards; characteristics cvould be described as the current conditions of the societies within said country.

VULNERABILITY

CIRCUMSTANCE

PROJECT: BAGYO

dyan castro raoul wallenberg studio 2016_ refuge studio dawn gilpin_ the radical + the preposterous: mind the gap

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION FREQUENCY OF NATURAL HAZARDS

CLIMATE CHANGE

CHARACTERISTICS

POLITICAL SITUATION CORRUPT GOVERNMENT

EXTREME POVERTY UNPLANNED URBANIZATION

In the case of the PHILIPPINE TYPHOON CRISIS, extremes in both ends of the spectrum are met: -the archipelago is situated within the Northwestern Pacific tropical cyclone basin (the most active one on Earth) therefore experiences an average of 16 to 20 tropical cyclones a year (usually 6 to 9 making landfall), -sea level rise in the Philippine area of 90 cm (approx. 35 in.) occurred in about a hundred years, between 1901 and 2014, compared to the world average of 19 cm; the country experiences extreme poverty in large parts of the population, -high population density that cause unplanned urbanization, -corrupt government that, while establishing the most robust disaster policy in the world, falls short on practicing them

Victims of Supertyphoon 'Yolanda' line up for food behind a Department of Social Welfare and Development relief truck amid the ruins of Barangay 88 in San Jose, Tacloban City, on Saturday. RICHARD REYES Arceo-Dumlao, Tina. "Outpouring of Support for 'Yolanda' Survivors Aid Groups Band Together to Help Central Philippines." Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The INQUIRER, 17 Nov. 2013. Web.

TCAUP | WINTER 2016

architects are responsible for all constructed space

「 Due to this inherent complexity, we have consciously approached the task of attempting to write a "history" of contemporary developments in architecture... [by opening up a few breaches in the wall of established "histories" of modern architecture, and by extension of their current manifestations. Through this process it becomes possible to sort through the multiple offspring that had extended beyond the confines of the "original" locus of operation, i.e. the Western world, to all corners of the world.] 」

RADICAL When we go to the very roots of architecture, we can think back on the primitive hut, the "purest, best stage of architecture," as narrated by the myth of origins. "Savage people" needed to come up with ways to protect themselves from the storms. This led to the discovery of fire, the creation of society, and ultimately, the more widespread construction of shelter-the primitive hut, the earliest architecture.

Haddad, Elie G, and David Rifkind. A Critical History of Contemporary Architecture. Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, 2014.

mind the gap_

Jencks, Charles. "Evolutionary Tree to the Year 2000."

Architecture 2000: Predictions and Methods. 1971.

DISCIPLINE Architecture has since deviated far from the "purity" of the primitive hut and the myth of origins. The act of constructing space grew more and more nuanced over time and the orchestration of this act became the discipline of architecture. As time progressed, the discipline kept evolving and transforming, it became concerned with a plethora of other things; for example, functionalism, utopia, consumerism, parameters, mobility, revolution, to name off a few. Architecture is a discipline with deep historical roots characterized by the continuous questioning of our paradigms, capacities and fundamentals-witnessed in the many movements/ changes experienced by the discipline.

Architecture has grown to a point where it, as a discipline, absorbs many outside disciplines and involves itself in a myriad of complexities, that it is now so much more than just simply "protection from the storm." The discipline is responsible for all constructed space.

refuge /ˈrɛfjuːdʒ/ [mass noun] The state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or difficulty

NBC News. Typhoon Haiyan's impact revealed in before-andafter satellite images. November 12, 2013. www.nbcnews.com/news/other/typhoon-haiyans-impact-revealed-after-satellite-images-f2D11583383

What is architecture's position in the unrelenting and ever-growing issue of global climate change, especially as natural hazard-caused disasters continually increase in frequency, intensities, and impact; most obviously witnessed in what are defined as high-risk areas like the Pacific Islands and Central America regions. The top ten countries with the highest risk recorded by the United Nations University - Institute of Environmental and Human Security's annual Global Risk Report are, in order in the 2015 report, Vanuatu, Tonga, the Philippines, Guatemala, Solomon Islands, Bangladesh, Costa RIca, Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, and El Salvador Many of these countries listed lie on or near the equator and have boundaries that are exposed to the oceans. The world risk report [defines] "the risk of a natural event turning into a disaster’ as dependant not only on the ’force of the natural event itself,’ but also on ’the living conditions of the people on the regions affected and the options available to respond quickly and to provide assistance."

Evangelista, Patricia. The Edgardos. Rappler, December 21, 2015. www.rappler.com/ move-ph/issues/disasters/typhoon-yolanda/115172-the-edgar dos-tacloban-yolanda.

"Those who are prepared, who know what to do in the event of an extreme natural event, have a greater chance of survival.. Countries that see natural hazards coming, that are preparing for the consequences of climate change and are providing the financial means required will be better prepared for the future. The WorldRiskReport should contribute to look at these links at a global level and draw future-oriented conclusions regarding assistance measures, policies and reporting" (Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft 2011) A disaster is defined by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction as "a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources."

UNU Office at the United Nations New York, USA Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNUINWEH) Hamilton, Ontario , Canada Programme for Biotechnology in Latin America and the Caribbean UNU-BIOLAC Caracas, Venezuela

...the scientific community is virtually unanimous: climate change is real, it is caused by human activity, and we have a moral responsibility to transform our energy system...to energy efficiency and sustainable energy and leave this planet a habitable planet for our children and grandchildren.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the Building Sector consumes nearly half (47.6%) of all energy produced in the United States*. Seventy-five percent (74.9%) of all the electricity produced in the U.S. is used just to operate buildings.

Globally, these percentages are even greater.

Why the building sector? architecture2030.org

33 percent of the 960 design professionals we surveyed this summer said skepticism about climate change was ’common’ in their professional network, while nearly 13 percent answered that global warming was "a myth."

Kolson Hurley, Amanda. "Do Architects Believe In Global Warming? Readers Weigh In." The Journal of the American Institute of Architects.

Hanley Wood Media, Inc., 6 Oct. 2009. Web.

UNU Centre - Tokyo Tokyo, Japan - Headquarters Centre for Policy Research UNU-CPR Tokyo, Japan Computing and Society UNU-CS Macao, SAR, China UNU Centre - Administration Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability UNU-IAS Tokyo, Japan International Institute for Global Health UNU-IIGH Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Bernie Sanders, Democratic Debate, October 2015

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CHASING STORMS?

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SUMMER 2016

ASIDE_ That semester of thesis opened up many new doors for my architectural career. It started to carve out the path I would take in my architectural career. It made me think that there’s more to the discipline than the simple articulation of spaces in aesthetic and harmonious fashions, that it was more than just the manipulation of movements and flows, that architecture was obligated to a responsibility beyond itself.

On the left, you see the people who worked alongside me in studio, who supported me when I was down or too deep in research without enough drawings, who helped me figure out this path I’m currently on. Having gone through this thesis semester with them is an experience I’ll never forget, and I’ll always owe my life’s work to this rag-tag team of rebellious and radical architects.

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT | LAURENTIA

LAURENTIA

Garrison, New York Manitoga Pavilion Competition Honorable Mention: Best Presentation collaborators: Yanlong Huang, Yili Zha, Yi Zhu critic: Miroslava Brooks

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT | LAURENTIA

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

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CELERY TRAY

CURVE SHAPE

14 VERTICES

6 VERTICES

4 VERTICES

SUGAR AND CREAM SET A

CURVE SHAPE

15 VERTICES

8 VERTICES

4 VERTICES

SUGAR AND CREAM SET B

CURVE SHAPE

12 VERTICES

6 VERTICES

4 VERTICES

DIVIDED BOWL

CURVE SHAPE

14 VERTICES

6 VERTICES

4 VERTICES

CREAMER

CURVE SHAPE

20 VERTICES

7 VERTICES

4 VERTICES

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B. VOLUME REDUCTION

QUARRY INQUIRY + MONOLITH

Before Russel and Mary Wright settled onto the site that is now Manitoga, it was an abandoned rock quarry at the Lower Hudson Valley. With that in mind, the title of our project is “Laurentia.” The rock found in this region of upper New York state is mainly from the Pre-Cambrian Era, and in that time period, what is now much of the East Coast of North America stretching to Greenland was the super continent of Laurentia. Just as this supercontinent was a part of the whole that was Pangea, we wanted to imply that our monolith could be the remains, one of the parts of an historical whole, and named it as such—Manitoga’s geological roots are applied to the studio’s overall part-to-whole discourse.

In response to the topic of part-to-whole, our group focused on mimicking the monolith. Monoliths are characterized as large single blocks of stone, that usually served as a pillar or monument. However, we break down the monolith as an autonomous object. Our monolith reveals that it is actually a whole made up of many smaller parts, seen on the interior. This can be seen in the section, as well as the differences between the interior and exterior renders. The partto-whole relationship is the aggregation of smaller, “high-res” components on the inside, to make up the big “low-res” monolith seen on the exterior.

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CELERY TRAY

1000 FACES

200 FACES

80 FACES

10 FACES

SUGAR AND CREAM SET A

1000 FACES

200 FACES

80 FACES

10 FACES

SUGAR AND CREAM SET B

1000 FACES

200 FACES

80 FACES

10 FACES

DIVIDED BOWL

1000 FACES

200 FACES

80 FACES

10 FACES

CREAMER

1000 FACES

200 FACES

80 FACES

10 FACES

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT | LAURENTIA

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REDUCTION + WRIGHT’S MANITOGA

The smaller components that make up these aggregations were originally our individual group members’ assigned Russel Wright artifacts from the American Modern collection: the celery tray, cream and sugar holder, divided bowl and the creamer. In direct correlation with the switching between resolutions, we go down in scale and the supposed high-res components are actually low-res reductions of the American Modern pieces.

Russel Wright rejected the superfluous and aristocratic snobbery of the American home in his ‘Guide to Easier Living.’ His pursuit for a simpler yet more elegant modern American home led to a design ethos that was highly reduced from the popular culture of the 1950s. We took this ideology applied it onto our project in close ties with the part-to-whole studio discourse. Our project takes the site’s geological history, Russel Wright’s ideologies, and the Part-to-Whole discussionthe result is our monolithpavilion, Laurentia, which could be placed in multiple locations around the quarry, guiding the visitors through the site - mysterious objects that would sometimes reveal their softly glowing interiors. To quote the philosopher Timothy Morton, “we can never see all the dimensions of a thing at once. Things are what they are independent of us, yet never as they appear. Things are tricky, playful.”

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

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HISTORICAL CONTEXT?

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FALL 2016

ASIDE_ One can imagine the excitement upon entering the halls where great architects and designers once were students in, like Robert Venturi, Denise Scott Brown, and James Corner. These names were constantly thrown around in theoretical discourse and the marks they left, on the architectural institution, imprinted on my own design philosophy are signficant. It’s as though I’m learning from the source itself.

One can then imagine the excitement upon entering an institution laced with the energy of multiple interlaced disciplines--I was thrilled to get exposure on programs other than architecture and planning, already aiming from the beginning of the semester to apply for a certificate in Ecological Architecture.

Something I took from my thesis endeavors was that I wanted to do something beyond architecture, that the exsiting academic institutions of architecture do not cover the studies I’d wanted to undertake, even though I believed that such studies ought to be part of the main curriculum.

So I looked onto interdisciplinary options in order to satiate my desire to learn about the other.

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BASE CA ECOLOGICAL DESIGN | PERFORMANCE

COMFORT MAXIMIZATION Detroit, MI typical home office space instructor: Mostapha Roudsari course: building performance simulation

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INTRODU

ASE PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

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ECOLOGICAL DESIGN | PERFORMANCE

THERMAL AND VISUAL COMFORT MAXIMIZATION DESIGN PROCESS OF AN UNCONDITIONED HOME OFFICE SPACE IN DETROIT, MI WEATHER DATA : USA_MI_Detroit.Metro.Wayne.County.AP.725370_TMY3 LAT: 42.33 | LON: -83.05 | CDD: 149.7 days | HDD: 3775.6 days

To comprehend the scope of the project, an analysis of the climate in Detroit is necessary. Mapped out on the adjacent page are charts and graphs that illustrate exterior factors that characterize the Detroit climate, acquired by using the Detroit Metro Airport EPW data. The figures plot out annual Detroit weather to demonstrate temperature, humidity, radiation and wind patterns typical of the four seasons experienced there.

Through Ladybug and Honeybee, skies are simulated for the location and tested with the 3d model for a specific set of days and times in order to evaluate the existing daylight quality of the base case. The existing daylight quality of the base case can be seen in the charts on the left; values over 2000 lux implies potential glare and values below 300 implies a lack of daylighting.

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

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ECOLOGICAL DESIGN | PERFORMANCE

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

GENETICS APPROACH | OPTIMIZATION The method in which this study undergoes more or less follows the theory of natural selection, in which traits of a single category are taken side by side and based on which trait has better results, it will be the one inherited by the new design. In this case, the same energy simulations are run while keeping all but one aspect of the design constant; three instances of window sizing, rotation, and blind applications are tested. Whichever change ends up with the best results is then matched up against the base case.

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ARTIFICIAL NATURE | GROTTO GALLERIES

GROTTO GALLERIES Garrison, New York Art Galleries at Manitoga critic: Miroslava Brooks

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

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ARTIFICIAL NATURE | GROTTO GALLERIES

TOTAL DESIGN + ARTIFICIAL NATURE Russel Wright approached the design of Manitoga with a sensitivity to the existing conditions of the site—he desired to blend together the elements of the place, such as the rocks, boulders, and trees, saying, “this place has been here forever, will be here forever.” Wright designed the property top to bottom in a way that made it appear as though it had been that way since before he settled onto the site. Walking through Manitoga, around the quarry pond, through the trails and into the Dragon Rock, one can feel the sublime of such “untapped” nature, which then discreetly transitions into the elements that make up the studio. It seems like the entire place remain as is since the glaciers melted.

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However this is untrue. Before the Wrights settled onto Manitoga, it had been a site to quarry rocks, so the existing “nature” had already been heavily tampered with. When Wright locked in on the site, absolutely everything was planned and designed. Manitoga is a total design of the site, an artificial nature with the intention of making the illusion that “this place has been here forever.” With this in mind, the approach in which the design of the Grotto Galleries took is similar in that the area the galleries would inhabit will be totally designed from the ground up. The first big move made on the existing topography is the creation of a new pond, upstream above the waterfall that feeds into the current quarry pond. As of now, the pond has been the center of focus of Manitoga, and the creation of the new pond is essentially the creation of a new focus point; this focus point would orchestrate the design of the galleries.

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

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ARTIFICIAL NATURE | GROTTO GALLERIES

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

dragon rock perimeter extrusion center point extraction

cone aggregation radial orgranization to center point

perimeter boundary

RIGID VS LOOSE | GROTTO CAVE By definition, a grotto is “any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic, or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide.”

Therefore, the galleries are built upon the new pond like a grotto, making use of the boulders and rocks that characterize Manitoga as they also characterize traditional grottos. The cave-like qualities of grottos are highlighted in the form of the building complex, produced by an aggregation of the primitive geometries of cones, which also dictate the way in which the topography of the pond and site around it is shaped. An overall rectangular prism binds the cone aggregation to create the building’s whole, while the cone aggregations make up the parts. The combination of cones+prism was chosen to echo Russel Wright’s desire to juxtapose rigid flatness with loose curvatures in his designs of both Manitoga and some of his ceramic collections.

void cone aggregation also applies to topography

subtraction

column ogranization based on grid 45 degree mirror of Dragon Rock posts

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Upper Basement Plan

scale: 1/8” = 1’-0” ARTIFICIAL NATURES | GROTTO GALLERIES N

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Lower Basement Plan scale: 1/8” = 1’-0”

Site + Bldg Section B scale: 1/8” = 1’-0”

Grottoes take natural elements such as rocks, vegetation and water and combine them in a composition of caves to be used by humans for various functions; Russel Wright took the elements of the site, the quarry rocks, trees, the stream and designed his own space using these elements.

The Grotto Galleries build upon the “nature” design language of Russel Wright and constructs the program with the façade artificial nature of caves and grottoes.

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2016

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ARTIFICIAL NATURES? ECOLOGICAL ARCHITECTURE?

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WINTER 2016

ASIDE_ The end of the first semester at PennDesign felt like the biggest sigh of relief. None of us in studio were aware of the intensity of this first semester--coming straight from undergrad, I initially thought it would just be a step up from the usual. Was I ever so wrong!

Another thing that made the semester so hard to get through was the result of the 2016 election. I remember how enthusiastic we were during election day, and how heavy the atmosphere was the day after. It was when the PennDesign Social Justice group was first established; everyone who couldn’t get the result of the election out of their heads came down in the middle of the lower gallery to share how utterly baffled or upset we were that the results ended up this way. We mourned about the future that was about to come, and the many ways this election could destroy all the progress that’s happened in the recent past.

Upon returning to Philly from winter break, one of the first things I did was take to the streets and march. The past few months were a wake-up call. A call to action. The time to act is now, whether it was within academia or outside of it.

Everything I do must have meaning from now on, I pledged.

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CULTURE=COMMUNITY | CUMULONIMBUS

CUMULONIMBUS

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Schenk-Woodman Competition collaborators: Andrew Homick, Yili Zha, Xieyang Zhou

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PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

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CULTURE=COMMUNITY | CUMULONIMBUS

UNDERSERVED | INTERSECTIONS Within the setting of these neighborhoods that have experienced marginalization for years, yet is witnessing more recently a blossoming in the sense of community, the prompt of a market-train stop hybrid in a drive-thru area riddles the project with apprehensions of displacement and self-destruction. Cumulonimbus is designed to be a floater space, not only to cater to the given program of market and train stop hybrid, but to also cater to the communities that are directly involved at this location on 41st street, Belmont and Parkside.

Both Belmont and Parkside, along with adjacent neighborhoods are rumored to be the less safe parts of town, sprinkled with crime and poverty; it is directly correlated to the demographics of the area—these neighborhoods are underprivileged, food deserts.

Household income is generally lower, transportation and resource accessibility is limited and the amount of residents with higher levels of education are lower compared to other neighborhoods.

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PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

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CULTURE=COMMUNITY | CUMULONIMBUS

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CULTURAL FLOATER SPACE Despite the negative qualities depicted by demography and data, both of these neighborhoods have flourishing communities such as church groups, charter school organizations, cultural associations. The intention for such a massive molding of space that Cumulonimbus does is largely for the sake of these community groups—more than just a train stop and a marketplace, it aspires to be a space for culture to take place.

Most of the spaces are semi-enclosed and open for various types of events to take place: performances, gatherings, festivals and the like. For instance, parts of the overall form of the cloud collides with the ground and courtyards are surrounded by loops of wall to be covered by murals of local artists. The proposal is to make this space a destination rather than a passing point, a landmark that might expose the issues the premise initially pose. Cumulonimbus seeks to be a vessel of culture for the local communities and directs attention to the existing and obvious lack of accessibility these residents experience.

Another layer of “float space’ can be seen by the extensive paths implemented throughout the the site. Seen as a setting for departure and arrivals, the intention behind the orchestration of long-winded pathways for bicycles, pedestrians and passerbyers with disabilities is to allow for all cultural events that take place in the main hub to be viewed, whereever an occupant may be in their journey. So instead of being just neighborhoods to pass through to get elsewhere, these neighborhoods may actually become destinations, or a place for one to float.

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CULTURE = COMMUNITY?

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SPRING 2017

ASIDE_ Other than the fact that a complete imbecile sits in the White House, many great things are happening! First, studio projects don’t feel like an extension of undergraduate-type formal studies and has a little bit of substance to it. Core studio feels as though a community engagement program, what with a few of us actually going in and reporting from the front and having discussions with residents of the community where our projects were to take place.

Going to more PennDesign Women in Architecture events such as firm visits and the symposium light up the semester with inspiring voices from women killing it in professional practice.

Climate change is starting to be seriously discussed nowadays rather than just simply overlooked!

The architecture community is starting to participate! Not to mention, Daniel Barber coordinating the semester’s history & theory course (as well as Dalal Musaed Alsayer being my TA) permits me to dapple on some deep studies on the histories of environmental design and green architecture, a topic I’d been interested in exploring since thesis.

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SUSTAINABILITY | MAYOR DAYLIGHT

MAYOR DAYLIGHT BE AUTONOMOUS

Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania collaborator: Nikita Jathan instructor: Jessica Zofchak course: daylighting

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PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

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A VARIETY OF MATERIALS. A VERY LARGE ROOM. SUSTAINABILITY | MAYOR DAYLIGHT

DIGITAL MODEL + MATER PHILADELPHIA CITY HALL DARK WALL MATERIAL

GOLD TRIM

COFFER WITH GOLD TRIM

««««««««DARKER SOUTH END

DARK WALL MATERIAL

GOLD TRIM

COFFER WITH GOLD TRIM

STRATEGY TO IMPROVE DAYLIGHT

COFFER TRIM IN COFFER This project focused on a popular and wellused room locatedGOLD in TRIM INGOLD Philadelphia’s City Hall building, and it explores how priorities and REFLECTIVE WHITE COFFER REFLECTIVE WHITE COFFER workflow in daylighting design can change when considering a space that engages historic preservation concerns, public funding, and multiple populations for usage (both public and private).

DARKER SOUTH END Philadelphia City Hall is amajor cultural landmark for the city, as well MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM

BRIGHT,

as a public building. It is the site of major events inside and outside its constructed spaces, as well as daily use by government employees LIGHT COLORED WALL LIGHT COLORED WALL and public servants. A building so visible and important to the city means there are several reasons to make sure this space is a well designed one.

RENOVATION STUDY EXISTING CURTAIN EXISTING CURTAIN Built in 1901, the building has stood the test of time. While it is no longer the world’s tallest habitable building, it is still the world’s TRANSLUCENT tallest GLAZING TRANSLUCENT GLAZING masonry building, with fully load bearing walls that go up 22 feet thick.

DOUBLE PANEDOUBLE GLAZING PANE GLAZING Upon visiting the site on March 28, 2017 around 2:00 PM, the room was MARBLE FLOOR notably dark. On this day, skies were for the most part overcast. Despite MARBLE FLOOR the apparent brightness of the diffuse daylight outside, the reception DARK CARPET FLOOR DARK CARPET FLOOR oom barely received any of it. Most of the lighting came from the large amount of artifical lighting on the ceiling. These images help to understand the scale of the building, its rooms, and the openings at entrances and glazing that were designed in order to bring light into the space.

DARK COLORED WALL DARK COLORED WALL

TAKING DAYLIGHT READINGS AT TYPICAL OCCUPANT SPACES

42 MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM RENOVATION STUDY

VI C C

PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

RIALITY

DARK CARPET

CURTAIN

GLAZING

TRANSLUCENT GLAZING

BRIGHT, VISUALLY UNCOMFORTABLE NORTH END»»»»»»»»

DARK CARPET

CURTAIN

GLAZING

TRANSLUCENT GLAZING

, VISUALLY UNCOMFORTABLE NORTH END MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM

MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM

ARCH 632 DAYLIGHTING / SPRING 2017 / CASTRO + JATHAN

IEW OF SOUTHWEST CORNER OF CITY HALL 43 ARCH 632 DAYLIGHTING / SPRING 2017 / CASTRO + JATHAN

SUSTAINABILITY | MAYOR DAYLIGHT

01_MINOR DESIGN INTERVENTION

MINOR DESIGN INTERVENTIONS

NO CURTAIN

EXISTING CURTAIN

ALTERED CURTAIN

01_MINOR DESIGN INTERVENTION shading moved

EXISTING CURTAIN

NO CURTAIN

ALTERED CURTAIN to bottom half

DA ANNUAL

DA ANNUAL

DA ANNUAL

MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM RENOVATION STUDY

Shading device moved to bottom half of glazing

ARCH 632 DAYLIGHTING / SPRING 2017 / CASTRO + JATHAN

02_INTERMEDIATE DESIGN INTERVENTION TAKEAWAYS:

1. REMOVING CURTAIN INCREASES NUMBER OF SPACES ACHIEVING DAYLIGHT AUTONOMY 2. ROOM SHOWS INCONSISTENT DAYLIGHT IN BOTH CASES

MEDIUM DESIGN INTERVENTIONS ORIGINAL

NEW FLOORS

NEW WALLS

WALLS + FLOORS

MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM RENOVATION STUDY

ARCH 632 DAYLIGHTING / SPRING 2017 / CASTRO + JATHAN

02_INTERMEDIATE DESIGN INTERVENTION white plaster floor

white plaster walls

ORIGINAL

NEW FLOORS

NEW WALLS

DA ANNUAL

DA ANNUAL

Floor: (white plaster)

DA ANNUAL

WALLS + FLOORS

Walls: (white plaster)

DA ANNUAL

03_MAJOR DESIGN INTERVENTION MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM RENOVATION STUDY

TAKEAWAYS: MAJOR DESIGN INTERVENTIONS ORIGINAL

ARCH 632 DAYLIGHTING / SPRING 2017 / CASTRO + JATHAN

LIGHT SHELVES

CURTAIN WALL

CW + LS

1. CHANGING FINISHES TO WHITE BRINGS SOME MORE DAYLIGHT AND DAYLIGHT AUTONOMY TO THE ROOM 2. FLOOR CHANGES WERE SLIGHTLY MORE EFFECTIVE THAN WALL CHANGES

03_MAJOR DESIGN INTERVENTION MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM RENOVATION STUDY

ORIGINAL DA ANNUAL

Light DA shelves ANNUAL retrofitted within existing glazing

MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM RENOVATION STUDY

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light shelves retrofitted within existing LIGHT SHELVES glazing

ARCH 632 DAYLIGHTING / SPRING 2017 / CASTRO + JATHAN

wall replaced with curtain wall CURTAIN WALL assembly

Wall replaced DA ANNUAL wall with curtain assembly

light shelves installed along CW + LS curtain wall

Light shelves DA ANNUAL installed along curtain wall

ARCH 632 DAYLIGHTING / SPRING 2017 / CASTRO + JATHAN

TAKEAWAYS: 1. LIGHT SHELVES CLEARLY INCREASE DAYLIGHT AUTONOMY IN MORE OF THE SPACE

PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

HYPOTHESIS

HIGH PROFILE EVENTS

PUBLIC LANDMARK + SYMBOL

CONCLUSIONS

AREAS FOR AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT IMPROVEMENT

LOWER ELEC + ENERGY USAGE

PLACEMENT PLACEMENT OF INTERIOR OF INTERIOR SHADING DEVICES SHADING DEVICES

INCENTIVES FOR A BETTER DAYLIGHTING DESIGN

MATERIALITY MATERIALITY REFLECTIVITIES REFLECTIVITIES

MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM RENOVATION STUDY

BASE

MASSIVITY + MASSIVITY GLAZING OF+ GLAZING OF HISTORIC HISTORIC CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

ARCH 632 DAYLIGHTING / SPRING 2017 / CASTRO + JATHAN

MINOR

INTERMEDIATE

MAJOR

DEGREES OF DESIGN INTERVENTION MAYOR’S RECEPTION ROOM RENOVATION STUDY

We developed a hypothesis based in three areas in which we feel design change could translate to positive changes that respond to the incentives we identified.

These areas guided where we placed our methodological efforts: (1) Placement 632 DAYLIGHTING / SPRING 2017 / CASTRO + JATHAN of interior shading devices. (2) Materiality and reflectivities ARCH of materials.(3) Massivity and glazing of historic construction.

We found this study useful in understanding different degrees of impacting daylighting design, and of feasibility of options in a building with many coinciding responsibilities. This could present a good model for cost-benefit analysis in a situation where budgets and degrees of intervention can guide education options on how to use public funds. Looking forward, a stronger case could be made for these interventions by exploring usage of event types and hours dedicated to each, as well as a cost analysis of construction, materials, fixtures, etc. We are excited by the possibilities this study gleaned for better daylighting design

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OCCUPANCY | CUNEIFORM

CUNEIFORM

Farimount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Parkside Community Library critic: Danielle Willems

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PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

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OCCUPANCY | CUNEIFORM

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PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

AGENCIES OF OCCUPANCE | INSTITUIONS The mapping on the left overlay census data of greater Philadelphia over the past 8 decades. It illustrates the proficiency of education per neighborhood in Philadelphia. Some of the most immediate elements that could be picked from this visualization is the prominence of Center City and University City in consistently having high populations of residents that have a college degree or more. West Philadelphia tends to be on the lesser side during most decades. The isometric drawing below shows a zoomed in part of Parkside and Fairmount Park where the project is to be located. Also marked on this map are land use per property or lot in the surrounding area. This lot was chosen over the plethora of vacant lots located in Parkside mainly because of the opportunities it provides to connect the neighborhood to the park, but also because of a sensitivity to the situation of placing a monumental architecture in the midst of a mainly residential area.

The approach in which program massing studies was taken stems from the chosen formal and relationship explorations. With the given amount of square footage allotted to each program/function, there were subcategories of programs associated with each function. The strategy is to break apart the programs into seven main categories and totaling the square footage for the sub-programs, then rationalizing the dimensions of the main component to conform to a more or less modular volume and area, and aggregating according to the total square footage of each main category. These aggregations then form clusters and a combination of strategies (packing, interlocking, and subdividing) were utilized to produce more complex relationships between each cluster of program. The way in which this massing is laid out is having the public space and areas as more of a focal point. The remaining program would wrap around public spaces.

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OCCUPANCY | CUNEIFORM

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PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

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OCCUPANCY | CUNEIFORM

EXTENDING THE STREET The architectural polemic this project endeavors then is rather than being occupied, an active architecture more directly participates in such events by the spatial strategies employed by the design--such as the extension of the public street cutting through the library, and the delamination of built space such that the gaps interact with these public activities.

The majority of the more public functions is located in the ground floor, such as open meeting spaces, cafeteria, public reading areas, open stacks, and open air reading space. The functions which tend to be more private, such as administration offices, storage facilities, closed/semi-closed stacks, and media centers would be located in the above floors, encircling the center of the entrances, as though viewing circulation activity is a main spectacle that occurs in this architecture.

The section below exhibits the interior space juxtaposed to the open air circulation space which leads to the entrance center point.

Mezzanine floors litter the southern portions of the building, to let in daylight for the more public subterranean spaces located below. Again, the skin is to be conceptualized as a transparent material, and in this section one can imagine looking down towards the entrance spaces from the stacks on the second or third floor.

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PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

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OCCUPANCY | CUNEIFORM

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PENNDESIGN | SPRING 2017

ACTIVE ARCHITECTURE | DELAMINATION OF BUILT SPACE Cuneiform script is one of the earliest systems of writing, distinguished by its wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets. This project looks at written word and archived records as an historical root of the library typology.

But as time progresses, and technology evolves, si tii does the typology of the library corresponding in the ways records change--for instance, from tablets to scrolls to books to digital documents to blogs. Contemporary libraries are in a moment of evolution, giving less and less space to archives and more and more space for public gathering. This project looks at the typology of the library as more of a public forum, and challenges the notion of enclosure and privitization of civic institutions.

Another large facet that drives this project that heavily relates to civic institutions and public spaces is the phenomenon of civil unrest and protest, which thanks to technology is becoming more and more common an occurence. Here we look at events such as protests occupy architecture in the city as a gesture of empowerment and democracy: a resistance to higher power. It is also worth mentioning how dependent protests are to the written word, as seen in signage, propaganda and documents such as petitions.

Cuneiform then takes this community at the mercy of higher institutions that are exploiting and depriving them of resources, which surrounding neighborhoods have access to, and posits as a platform to have their voices heard by way of assembly and protest. IIt seeks to be an active architecture, which participates in these events rather than just being occupied. This project proposes a sort of protest architecture, a stage for the performance of democracy.

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ARCHITECTURE OF OCCUPANCY?

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SUMMER 2017

ASIDE_ Towards the end of the summer, I decided to apply for the Landscape Architecture program and begin working for a dual degree after this school year. By this point, I’ve gotten some exposure to the types of work Landscape does and it happens to fit the type of studies I’d been looking for outside of architecture. They deal with the built environment’s relationship to the natural environment; this was essentially what I was looking for when I declared the certificate in Ecological Design. A significant querry that arose in both my thesis project from Taubman and my research paper from Daniel Barber’s theory class was: where is the architectural institution that deals with climate change? With natural disasters? That goes beyond recovery and deals with prevention or resilience or ecology? The architect’s anthropocentric responsibility? I had an inkling that it’d be found within this department. To that end, I am taking the LARP department’s theory course as an elective for the fall to do some recon before ultimately deciding whether or not to apply. But since they waive application fees for students who apply from PennDesign, I wouldn’t be losing anything, so I might as well apply!

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PEOPLE VS PLANTS | CROP UPGRADE

CROP UPGRADE

Olde Kensington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Community Garden + Urban Farm Hybrid critic: Brian Phillips

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PENNDESIGN | FALL 2017

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Philadelphia association would have another branch that promotes sustainable living in a social/community setting.

In creating an urban farm/community garden hybrid, it blurs the line between make and show. The intention of the hybrid (the urban farm part) is to provide the citizens of the neighborhoods a space to grow and share their own produce. A membership with the local organization or Greensgrow would be required to use the facility. At the same time, the space will become a community gaden, open to the public as a place of relaxation and serenity--to give a break from the bustle of the city, not to mention the constant running of the EL. There are already beer gardens on infill sites on Front Street along the EL, why not a farm garden?

PEOPLE VS PLANTS | CROP UPGRADE

The neighbohoods in question are known today for being a quickly developing and sometimes even gentrifying area that many forward-thinking populations flock to live. Based on the official visitor and travel site of Philadelphia, Fishtown has emerged as Philly’s truest harbor of artistic, culinary and musical action. Building a community garden/urban farm in the midst of this progression would further cultivate the forward-thinking attitude that already exists in this area, and make this neighborhood one that spearheads the move towards a more sustainable way of living.

Instead of relying on large corporate farms that are quickly becoming unsustainable food sources, residents can grow and share their own foodsource within their community. This hybrid make+show space will be a new resource for food, social gathering and community events.

50’

THO

MPS

ON S TREE

T

20’

10’

24’-0”

8’-0”

SECTION | 1/4” = 1’-0”

COMMUNITY GARDEN + URBAN FARM HYBRID control centre

storage

kitchenette

UPPER LEVEL PLAN| 1/4” = 1’-0”

common area

LOWER LEVEL PLAN| 1/4” = 1’-0”

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PennDesign | ARCH601 | FALL2017 | Brian Phillips The showroom program consists of a hybrid of a community garden and a vertical urban farm. This concept is not new to Philadelphia by any means, since there are a variety of organizations based in Philadelphia that promote such causes. For instance, the Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) works with various neighborhoods to establish and maintain community gardens in abandoned lots. Greensgrow is another organization that works with other associations such as CSA as well as PHS, and it has a myriad of programs and locations across Philadelphia, and the intention of associating this orgranization with the showroom onsite is so that rather than arbitrarily opening a random community garden in the middle of Kensington, an existing Philadelphia association would have another branch that promotes sustainable living in a social/community setting.

In creating an urban farm/community garden hybrid, it blurs the line between make and show. The intention of the hybrid (urban farm) is to provide the citizens of the neighborhoods a space to grow and share their own produce. A membership with the local organization or Greensgrow would be required to use the facility. At the same time, the space will become a community gaden, open to the public as a place of relaxation-a break from the bustle of the city and the constant running of the EL. There are already beer gardens on infill sites on Front Street along the EL, why not a farm garden?

0 kWh/m²

beer gardens on infill sites on Front Street along the EL, why not a farm garden?

1000 kWh/m²

8’-0”

PENNDESIGN | FALL 2017

common area

12’-0”

The neighbohoods in question are known today for being a quickly developing and sometimes even gentrifying area that many forward-thinking populations flock to live. Based on the official visitor and travel site of Philadelphia, Fishtown has emerged as Philly’s truest harbor of artistic, culinary and musical action. Building a community garden/urban farm in the midst of this progression would further cultivate the forward-thinking attitude that already exists in this area, and make this neighborhood one that spearheads the move towards a more sustainable way of living.

Instead of relying on large corporate farms that are quickly becoming unsustainable food sources, residents can grow and share their own foodsource within their community. This hybrid make+show space will be a new resource for food, social gathering and community events.

SECTION | 1/4” = 1’-0”

24’-0”

LOWER LEVEL PLAN| 1/4” = 1’-0”

Gree

cult

Phila s com Ph

In be pa and s or G th plac cit bee

T

control centre 24’-0”

for and ha

storage

Ins uns food be

kitchenette

12’-0”

1’-0”

cu and m

Solar Radiation Analysis Philadelphia Internation AP PA USA TMY3 1 Jan 1:00 - 31 Dec 24:00

UPPER LEVEL PLAN| 1/4” = 1’-0”

0 kWh/m²

1000 kWh/m²

8’-0”

common area

1’-0”

SECTION | 1/4” = 1’-0”

Solar Radiation Analysis Philadelphia Internation AP PA USA TMY3 1 Jan 1:00 - 31 Dec 24:00

0 kWh/m²

1000 kWh/m²

LOWER LEVEL PLAN| 1/4” = 1’-0”

CROP UPGRADE: URBAN FARM + COMMUNITY GARDEN HYBRID solar radiation analysis informs massing + form

The showroom program consists of a hybrid of a community garden and a vertical urban farm. This concept is not new to Philadelphia by any means, since there are a variety of organizations based in Philadelphia that promote such causes. For instance, the Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) works with various neighborhoods to establish and maintain community gardens in abandoned lots.

Greensgrow is another organization that works with other associations such as CSA as well as PHS to “engages our neighborhoods in cultivating social entrepreneurship, urban agriculture, and community greening.”

Greensgrow has a myriad of programs and locations across Philadelphia, and the intention of associating this orgranization with the showroom onsite is so that rather than arbitrarily opening a random community garden in the middle of Kensington/Fishtown, an existing Philadelphia association would have another branch that promotes sustainable living in a social/community setting.

In creating an urban farm/community garden hybrid, it blurs the line between make and show. The intention of the hybrid (the urban farm part) is to provide the citizens of the neighborhoods a space to grow and share their own produce. A membership with the local organization or Greensgrow would be required to use the facility. At the same time, the space will become a community gaden, open to the public as a place of relaxation and serenity--to give a break from the bustle of the city, not to mention the constant running of the EL. There are already beer gardens on infill sites on Front Street along the EL, why not a farm garden?

24’-0”

The neighbohoods in question are known today for being a quickly developing and sometimes even gentrifying area that many forward-thinking populations flock to live. Based on the official visitor and travel site of Philadelphia, Fishtown has emerged as Philly’s truest harbor of artistic, culinary and musical action. Building a community garden/urban farm in the midst of this progression would further cultivate the forward-thinking attitude that already exists in this area, and make this neighborhood one that spearheads the move towards a more sustainable way of living.

Instead of relying on large corporate farms that are quickly becoming unsustainable food sources, residents can grow and share their own foodsource within their community. This hybrid make+show space will be a new resource for food, social gathering and community events.

12’-0”

FRO NT

STREE

T

Dyan Castro

kitchenette

UPPER LEVEL PLAN| 1/4” = 1’-0”

50’

THO

MPS

ON S TREE

T

20’

10’

comm

24’-0”

LOWER LEVEL PLAN| 1/4” = 1’-0”

1’-0” Solar Radiation Analysis Philadelphia Internation AP PA USA TMY3 1 Jan 1:00 - 31 Dec 24:00

0 kWh/m²

co

1000 kWh/m²

8’-0”

PennDesign | ARCH601 | FALL2017 | Brian Phillips SECTION | 1/4” = 1’-0”

control centre

storage

kitchenette

UPPER LEVEL PLAN| 1/4” = 1’-0”

61 common area

AFTERWORD?

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FALL 2017

ASIDE_

Thank you.

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