Architecture Portfolio 2022

Columbia GSAPP

MArch Candidate

ERISA NAKAMURA

PORTFOLIO

2015 - 2022

ARCH + DESIGN selected works

CONTENTS Hair Salons New Commons THREAD Artist Residency

4 6 10

Inscriptions Pattern + Time Heritage Intervention 2D Motion Drawing Polyhedral Fragments Design for Happiness

14 18 20 24 26 30

Work Experience

34

Core I Studio

HAIR SALONS

Critic: Alessandro Orsini

Columbia GSAPP

FALL 2021

Site: 142-143rd St. between Broadway and Riverside Dr.

What spatial qualities of a hair salon allow for exchange of knowledge?

Hair salons and barbershops are prominent in African American and Latinx cultures that reside in East Harlem neighborhood. These shops are often at the center of knowledge exchange and provide the residents with important news, gossip, and information. I was inspired to explore the history of hair salons and was especially interested in the Madame C.J. Walker Beauty Shop.

By comparing the spatial qualities of the Madame C.J. Walker Beauty Shop and a contemporary hair salon in East Harlem, I began to analyze the similarities between the two that provide the optimal spatial arrangements for cultural exchange.

Core I Studio

NEW COMMONS

Columbia GSAPP

FALL 2021

Street view

How do you create a “commons” through optimization of urban voids?

This project reimagines the commons by utilizing the interstitial void behind residential buildings to create a new typology of the commercial corridor. These backyard spaces that are often neglected and under-utilized can be repurposed to support local businesses that may not be able to afford the rising property values of the main commercial storefronts on Broadway.

By inverting Broadway from the edge of the block to the interior, the vibrancy and activity of the street is brought into the residential block, giving spaces for the neighbors to come together. The collective of property owners of the residential block will be renting their backyard space to the businesses at an affordable rent price, which can then be used to provide funds for rental assistance for the residents of the block.

Critic: Alessandro Orsini

Site: 142-143rd St. between Broadway and Riverside Dr.

8

The form would take a modular system as well by recycling ephemeral street objects such as scaffolding and outdoor dining structures, and reusing them to create an expandable and flexible space. By using accessible items and simple construction, the system will be low cost and easily transplantable.

9

Architectural Drawing and Representation I

Columbia GSAPP

THREAD ARTISTS’ RESIDENCY

Instructor: Jelisa Blumberg

FALL 2021

THREAD Artists Residency and Cultural Centre Toshiko Mori Architect / Sinthian, Senegal 10

11

12

13

ARCH 301

University of Pennsylvania

INSCRIPTIONS

FALL 2017

Model Photograph

How do you inscribe geometry from a mass to create distinct spatial qualities?

This project began with an exploration of tessellated parametric design through the application of grasshopper scripts to inscribe or subtract from simple geometries.

Through multiple iterations, successful tessellations were chosen based on its ability to convey self-defined qualities.

The three qualitative adjectives developed out of the exercise were feathered, frayed, and shattered. Each provided a different approach in deconstructing the initial polygonal form, which was then translated into form-making within the urban context of South Philadelphia.

Instructor: Joshua Freese

Site: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 14

Programs used: Rhino (Grasshopper), Illustrator tile 1 inscription sequence

tile 1 inscription sequence

tile 2 inscription sequence

tile 2 inscription sequence

tile 2 inscription sequence

Project 1B Taking the tiles created in 1A, we created a tessellated pattern using given Grashopper scripts. This allowed various scaling, random rotatation, and various options to show variety without too much uniformity.

tile 3 inscription sequence

tile 1 grid A - scale attractor tile 3 inscription sequence

model

tile 1 grid B - random rotator

model

tile 2 grid - random rotator

model

tile 3 grid - random rotator

model

tile 3 inscription sequence

Project 1B Taking the tiles created in 1A, we created a tessellated pattern using given Grashopper scripts. This allowed various scaling, random rotatation, and various options to show variety without too much uniformity. tile 1 grid A - scale attractor

model

tile 1 grid B - random rotator

tile 2 grid - random rotator

model

model

tile 3 grid - random rotator

model

line drawing

line drawing

line drawing

line drawing

line drawing

line drawing

line drawing

line drawing

figure-ground drawing

figure-ground drawing

figure-ground drawing

figure-ground drawing

figure-ground drawing

figure-ground drawing

figure-ground drawing

figure-ground drawing

Project 1C Starting from the adjectives we used to describe our tiles, we created three-dimensional shapes that had similar qualities. The three adjectives used were feathery, frayed, and shattered, respectively.

plan

isometric

plan

isometric

plan

elevation

elevation

elevation

perspective

perspective

perspective

elevation

elevation

elevation

model

model

isometric

15

model

The process of inscription and subtraction on the larger scale deconstructs the typical rowhome form, allowing for the building to fit into the urban context while introducing curvilinear language that guides the flow of people around the street corner.

The building, constructed as an extension to an existing Philadelphia rowhome, would primarily serve as an art gallery space with flexible public space for community engagement.

Mechanical room

Office space and back of house

Flexible program - pop-up cafe - polling place - event space - neighborhood meeting space

Rotating exhibition space for local artsits

Section Perspective

16

East Section

South Section

first floor plan

DN

UP

UP DN

DN

First Floor Plan

second floor plan

DN

UP

DN

UP

Second Floor Plan

0

17

5

15

AA Exchange Semester Program

Architectural Association School of Architecture

PATTERN + TIME

SPRING 2018

Pattern + Time Collage

Abstraction Model

What determines people’s path through space?

This abstraction exercise explored the Design Museum in London through the lens of “pattern” and “time.” After multiple days of observation, the pattern that emerged was the visitors’ occupation of space expressed through density and time.

Once mapping out the occupation density and occupation time on a grid system, the natural habits of people as they maneuver through the space becomes apparent, guided by the attractors and its relation to the location in which it is placed.

Instructors: Naiara Vegara, Marie-Isabel de Monseignat-Lavrov, Katya Larina, Dimitris Gyftopoulos 18

Site: Design Museum, London

2nd Floor 12:03

2nd Floor 19:54

1st Floor 10:34

1st Floor 20:48

Mezzanine 10:15

Mezzanine 21:05

Ground Floor 0:00

Ground Floor 23:30

KEY <1 sec

PATTERN & TIME Occupation Time

2 sec >3 sec 250

Photo Gallery

Gift Shop

Cafe

Key KEY Always AlwaysOccupied Occupied Mostly MostlyOccupied Occupied Sometimes SometimesOccupied Occupied

Pattern & Time PATTERN & TIME Occupation Density

Occupation Density

Barely BarelyOccupied Occupied

19

250

500cm

500cm

AA Exchange Semester Program

Architectural Association School of Architecture

HERITAGE INTERVENTION

SPRING 2018

Perspective Rendering

How can urban agriculture be used to strengthen cultural ties for locals and tourists?

This project studied the city of Morelia, Mexico, looking at the city from different perspectives in order to find an appropriate urban intervention solution. First, was through the analysis of its urban growth in relation to the historic core deemed as a heritage site by UNESCO. Despite its protection, the city center contains many abandoned lots that create visual and programmatic disconnections. By using these vacant lots as an opportunity for urban intervention, the new structure will respectfully integrate into the existing urban fabric.

Secondly, the project looked at the economy of the city which is supported by tourism from hosting festivals dedicated to the arts. Despite the popularity of the food festival, it lacked a permanent venue dedicated to the culinary arts.

Instructors: Naiara Vegara, Marie-Isabel de Monseignat-Lavrov, Katya Larina, Dimitris Gyftopoulos 20

Site: Morelia, Mexico

1541

1794

1869

1930

1966

1977

1987

3.3%

2.3%

4.8%

35.3%

54.3%

1541 1541 1794 1794 1869 1869 1930 1930 1966 1966 1977 1977 1987 1987

Mapping Morelia’s Growth with Heritage level

Aerial View Rendering

21

Monumental Monumental Relevant Relevant Traditional Traditional Popular Popular 20th 20th Century Century UNESCO UNESCO

The proposed project provides venue space for the annual food festival, as well as a communal kitchen space that could be used to host cooking class or serve as a community food pantry. The building also promotes sustainability through a vertical hyrdoponics garden and a rooftop farming station that recycles its water through an algae farm that provides a lookout point to the rest of the city.

Vertical Algae Farm

A

A Vertical Hyrdroponics Garden

Water Pump

Water Circulation Diagram

22

Section AA

B

B

23

ARCH 202

University of Pennsylvania

2D MOTION DRAWING

SPRING 2017

Renverse Motion Sequence

HandMovement Movement Hand KneeMovement Movement Knee Foot Movement Movement Foot

Instructor: Halee Bouchehrian

Movement: Renverse 24

How do you visually represent kinesthetics in abstracted form?

This project seeked to understand our own bodies and the way it moves through space through a movement of our choice. The ballet step shown, known as renverse, is a rotating space that requires the coordination of arm, leg, and torso in order to smoothly execute the step. The abstracted drawing seeks to convey the meticulous coordination of each body part in relation to the fluidity of the movement.

25

ARCH 401

University of Pennsylvania

POLYHEDRAL FRAGMENTS

FALL 2018

View from Lower Level

How do you create a memorial out of polyhedral geometry?

Following a site visit to Rome, Italy, we chose a site from Ancient Roman ruins to be the location of our new design for the Ara Pacis museum dedicated to a memorial for the ancient Roman slaves. The form making was developed out of splicing polyhedral masses and rearranging the pieces to reflect the fragments of ancient ruins that scatter around the site.

The design comprises of two fragmented masses that sit within the existing site, with a series of platforms providing a public space connecting the two. The elevated platform performs as the Memorial for Ancient Roman Slaves, providing a space for the unheard narratives of marginalized people of past and present to be heard.

Instructor: Richard Wesley, Scott Aker

Site: Augustus Forum - Rome, Italy 26

Polyhedral Fragments

27

Site Plan

Longitudinal Section

28

Construction Material

29

Honors Thesis

University of Pennsylvania

DESIGN FOR HAPPINESS

SPRING 2019

Excerpt from “Design for Happiness: an Urban Playbook for Public Space”

What design methods can be applied to public spaces to prioritize the user’s happiness?

As part of an optional honors thesis conducted in the final semester of our undergradute career, we had the opporuntunity to shape a field of study relating architecture to another discipline in the College of Arts and Science.

My thesis, “Design for Happiness: an Urban Playbook for Public Space,” sought to explore the intersection of happiness and architecture by looking at creating sociability in public spaces. Taking ideas from Jan Gehl, Kevin Lynch, and William Whyte, the methods used for successful playmaking was developed into an uban playbook. The goal of the playbook in action would be that it not only inspires architects and planner, but community members and neighborhood groups without design knowledge to be able to develop their own version of a successful public space.

Advisors: Sophie Hochhäusl, Eric Bellin 30

URBAN FURNITURE

GREENERY

WATER

VISUAL MARKER

PROGRAMMING

ELEMENTS

DESIGN FOR HAPPINESS

PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC SPACE CASE STUDY

an urban playbook for public space

John F.

C ol

lins

kP ar

Park

Clar

k

Grays F er

y

r

a Tri

ngle

Urban Furniture Greenery Water Accessibility Visual Marker Programming

Urban Furniture Greenery Water Accessibility Visual Marker Programming

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Urban Furniture Greenery Water Accessibility Visual Marker Programming

0

1000

2000

3000

5000

Playbook In sports a playbook is a collection of plays or plans of action that teams use in order to organize their players. They contain sets of nuanced and flexible instructions that are specific to each team and are essential for individual players to memorize for the team to work cohesively. Having this resource of possible actions allows athletes to strategize and deploy the best plays to maximize their chances of success.

Elements GREENERY

“Elements” can be thought of as analogous to players who are deployed according to plays in the book. For my purpose, these include urban furniture, greenery, water, visual markers, and programming. These elements are components of public space that have been shown to contribute to successful placemaking.

TEXTURE adding green surface

SENSORY

encourages visitors to interact with plants through senses such as touch, smell, taste;

texture adds visual quality to the space, encourages well-being and health.

SCENT

VERTICAL

greenery to cover a wall; creates a space encompassed by nature without having to occupy area.

HORIZONTAL

a natural carpet; helps delegrate different spaces. important to have soft texture for areas used for direct outdoor seating.

plants offer interaction through smell; an ambience created through scent.

EDIBLE

plants encourage interaction between community members through agriculture.

SPATIAL

plants used to create and divide space; architecting the space through landscape.

PARTITION

greenery used to organize and divide space. to use to create enclosement in spaces that require privacy.

CANOPY

primary use is to create protection from direct sunlight; creates an intangible space.

PROGRAMMING

URBAN

PERMANENT

usage can be built into the physical features of the site. permanent fixtures could still provide flexible use

FURNITURE

AMPITHEATER

staircase, not used to take user from one level to the next. offers various usage such as seating, entertainment.

P L AYS C A P E

encourage play and interaction for users of all ages; can be open ended spaces that encourage imagination

SINGLE

SEATING

the inaility to move; permanently located in one position; immobile

DYNAMIC

AGRICULTURE bringing back into setting community and

FIXED

the ability to be moved; can be relocated according to the userʼs wants and needs; mobile

agriculture the urban encourages interaction well-being.

STRAIGHT

BACK RECLINED

TEMPORAL

requires flexible space to be occupied for various uses; programming may repeat, but ephemeral.

BACK M A R K E T

a gathering event can encourage integration of food into community identity and local entrepreneurship.

SCREENING

encourages gathering of people of different ages. represents the variety in usage that the space can offer.

MULTI- FIXED

GAT H E R I N G

o p e n - e n d e d programming that can be used for variety of uses. look to urban furniture to choose.

SEATING

OTHER?

the inaility to move; permanently located in one position; immobile

EPHEMERAL

temporary placement; impermanent location and existence; mobile and transitory.

listed above are possible options of but the possibilities are e n d l e s s .

ELEMENT

WATER

INTER- DRINK ACTIVE

VISUAL

MARKER

provide a way for visitors to replenish; an essential act for living, provides a necessity.

IDENTITY

an image that gives the location a distinctive quality that could be used for orientation.

PLAY

physical engagement with water, a way to attract people of young or old age.

THERMIC

STRUCTURE

has a spatial relationship with its surrounding built enviornment anchors the location.

used as an effective way to control cooling in outdoor areas of warmer climates or for warmer seasons

VISUAL

AMBIENT

environment created through visual surroundings; not necessarily interactive

constructing or controlling the environment through sensory landscape.

AUDITORY using the sound of water to control the environment; white noise; an auditory connection to nature

EXISTING

LANDSCAPE

utilizing the already existing as a tool to incorporate water

FABRICATED

MEANING

building, designing, creating an object of visual marker to create a connection to nature and water.

the viewer should have a practical or emotional connection to the image.

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VARIABLE

dependent on the location and viewer. examples can be provided but they are un-enforceable

“A good environmental image gives its possessor an important sense of emotional security. He can establish a harmonious relationship between himself and the outside world.”

– Kevin Lynch, Image of the City

2pm

1pm

12pm

11am

9am

8am

10am

5pm

SHADOW STUDY -from 8am to 5pm in Spring months

4pm

BOUNDARY -physically intangible -different levels of permeability

3pm

The elements are organized within “fields,” which are the various types of public spaces that will be created by deploying the elements. For the purpose of this thesis, we will only focus on three fields—pocket parks, sidewalks, and parklets—which are public spaces on a tangible scale available in residential areas.

EDGE -tangible separation of space -different levels of impermeability

24th st.

Fields

pocket park

sidewalk

oxford st.

parklet

Plays “Plays,” serve as strategies for the elements to be placed in relationship with a given field to create points of attraction.

The two possible families of plays to be examined here exist along gradients of continuity vs discontinuity and itemization vs hybridization. These two families of plays offer a starting point for design by suggesting a range in the placement and choice of elements.

Final deliverables - presentation + printed book

33

Design Coordinator

Los Angeles, CA

WHY ARCHITECTURE

2019-2020

Published in Document Journal Winter 2019 for ‘Lunar Portfolio’ Produced image and text with direction from Creative Director.

TRANSCENDING GRAVITY by: wHY The goal of the lunar civilization should not be to replicate but to seek new conditions one is unable to find on earth.

The new citizens of the lunar habitation are adapting away from terrestrial constraints such as history, prejudices, and gravity. This new lightness of living is a bold exploration from earthly human conditions.

Freedom from gravity should liberate us from common gathering.

This new place-making for the lunar citizens enables fresh gathering of the body and the mind; a new human place that could only be made by Lunar lightness.

34

SECTION PERSPECTIVE

Watts Century Latino Organization Worked on a pro-bono project developing conceptual design to be used for fundraising package for the client to raise money for their new office space extension.

Developed presentation materials including various iteratation for the conceptual plan in collaboration with the project manager.

DESIGN OBJECTIVES

WCLO PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

MEETING 2 04.16.20 © wHY

WELCOMING SENSE OF ARRIVAL + SAFETY

SENSE OF COLLABORATION IN WORKPLACES

OUTDOOR-INDOOR CONNECTION

COMMUNITY + ART

BUILDING PLAN - OPTION 1 DOUBLE-HEIGHTED SPACE OPTION

1/8” = 1’0”

WCLO

OPEN WORKING SPACE 540 SF

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

MEETING 2 04.16.20 © wHY

LOBBY 185 SF

COMMUNITY OPEN SPACE 1130 SF

OFFICE 120 SF

OFFICE 120 SF

CONFERENCE ROOM 180 SF

KITCHEN 120 SF

STORAGE 80 SF

KITCHENETTE 75 SF

OFFICE 110 SF

COUNSELING ROOM 110 SF

1ST FLOOR

BATHROOMS

STORAGE 110 SF

BATHROOMS

COUNSELING ROOM 110 SF

2ND FLOOR

WCLO PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

MEETING 2 04.16.20 © wHY

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Architecture Intern

Tokyo, Japan

GO HASEGAWA AND ASSOC.

SUMMER 2018

Cafe and Seating at Kamigamo Temple Kyoto, Japan Led a team of four interns to create the site model and design proposal for the project. Several other iterative models were created, image shows model for client presentation.

36

T Project Tsuneishi, Japan Created one of the series of four images featured in JA Magazine - Living Together (Autumn 2018).

Ichigaya High rise Ichigaya-Tamachi, Japan Worked on a team of four interns in creating renderings and models for client presentation and competition entry.

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Columbia GSAPP

MArch Candidate

ERISA NAKAMURA

PORTFOLIO

en2498@columbia.edu (217) 621-0515