Learning of Architecture_2

Learning of Architecture Gerardo Ruiz-King Segment I Portfolio Boston Architectural College

"Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world."- Arthur Schopenhauer

Learning of Architecture

Introduction Practice Reflection Essay I was asked to reflect on my work at the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and to indicate how it has been critical to my education at the BAC. In order to answer that question I will lead with the following questions. First, what is Architecture? And second, what is an architect? These two questions although general apply very well to my current place in my education as well as my current position in the workplace. If these questioned had been asked of me two years ago I would have most likely given you a dictionary definition, but because of my current job I feel differently about them.

Architecture is defined as “the art and science of producing built form…” and an Architect is defined as “a qualified professional or organization who designs buildings and supervises their construction.” These definitions are not even close to defining either one of these terms. Architecture and the architect are about so much more than just the built form. Architecture and the architect are both about the people or users of these built forms. They are about learning how people will interact with different types of spaces, their needs, their wants and what will make a space integrate into the preexisting context. At the base of this list we have a set of personal qualities that are essential to an architect and they are a commitment to learning, communication and problem-solving skills, flexibility and the ability to make decisions. These qualities are not only important for an architect but are also important for an interpreter and translator.

The originating question for this essay was “how has my work at the BHA been critical to my learning at the BAC?” I can safely say that while working at the BHA as an interpreter and translator I have gained and improved on the qualities mentioned above. As an interpreter I must follow a code of ethics and also possess excellent communication and problem-solving skills in order to seek the best way to convey accurate and complete interpretation. I must also have certain flexibility and a commitment to learning, because without it my vocabulary would not expand or adapt to better and more accurate terms. Last but not least an interpreter and translator must, like an architect, be able to make decisions. Without good decision making every written translation work would be an uncertainty and in order to consider a translation work finalized I as a translator must be certain of my work and my peers’ work.

I feel that I have and continue to grow as a professional in every aspect of the word while at the BHA. On my day to day work I demonstrate a strong interest in people, objectivity, flexibility, good Judgment, reliability and Integrity. I feel that all of these qualities including the previously mentioned make me a candidate for your approval to submit for Segment I portfolio review. ______________________________________ Works Cited:Davies, Nikolas, and Erkki Jokiniemi. Architect’s Illustrated Pocket Dictionary. Great Britain: Elsevier Ltd., 2011.

Gerardo Ruiz-King Objective: As a designer I have an interest in public-focused design, it has been be a unique experience to be part of the BAC community because I have developed and will continue to develop and broaden my architectural design knowledge. It is crucial for me to move onto segment II so that I may grow as an individual and as a designer.

I am currently an undergraduate architecture student. Over time, through stepping stone jobs, I have gained the right attitude for any opportunity. I have developed a great professional demeanor at my current job with the Boston Housing Authority. Currently I am looking to broaden my knowledge and improve my skills as a professional designer.

Education:

Design Skills:

Boston Architectural College Boston, Massachusetts Candidate for Bachelor of Architecture 01/2009- Present

Laser-Assisted Model Building 2D CAD Drafting 3D CAD Modeling Advanced Sketch Up Modeling Intermediate Freehand Sketching Intermediate Level Photoshop Intermediate Level Acrobat X Pro Entry Level InDesign Entry Level Hand Drafting

Merrimack College North Andover, Massachusetts Studies in Spanish 09/2007- 12/2008

Work Experience: Boston Housing Authority Boston, Massachusetts Translator/Interpreter- Office of Civil Rights 11/2010- present

Boston Housing Authority Boston, Massachusetts Bilingual Intern- Office of Civil Rights 6/2010- 11/2010

Dunkin Donuts Boston, Massachusetts Sandwich Maker 12/2008 – 09/2010

Organizational Skills/Communication: Advanced Proficiency Microsoft Software: Outlook, Word, Publisher, PowerPoint, Excel Office administration experience Developed meeting agendas and handled the logistics Digital document directory development Team coordination Inventory of catalog Good time-management Skills.

Able to multitask Speak, Read and Write Spanish Fluently

Translated more than 150 documents (350+ pages) of BHA vital documents Excellent communication skills.

Interpreted at hearings and pre-conferences to ensure clear communication with limited English speaking residents.

Created a compact English-Spanish-Chinese Glossary of housing terminology Supervised Junior High school Science experiments to assure safety and learning.

Outside Interests: Digital and Film Photography, Bycicling

Table of C

Studio A-1 1 Dream Space Life Through Books Creation and Destruction of a Cube Contemplation Space

3 5 6 7

Studio A-2 13 The Path The Ritual

15 19

Studio B-1 25 Re-Inventing the House Boat House Project

27 33

Studio B-2 43 Project Zero – Apparatus Project One – Educational Pavilion Project Two – Chinatown Cultural Center

45 55 67

Programming and Codes TM685

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Competitions

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Gateway Projects

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Coursework

103

Evolo 2012 Skyscraper Competition

Patrick J Kennedy School Yard

Freehand Drawing Orthogonal Drawing 2D CAD 3D CAD Laser Assisted Model Making Perspective Drawing Black and White Rendering

105 110 111 112 117 119 123

Contents

A-

Studio

Sophia Lau Fall 2009

-1

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Dream Space The project shown on here is the dream space project . It was the start to my design curriculum here at the BAC. The conceptual focus of this project was on how a user would experience water. In this case the user would be my self.

I explored trough the diagrams below how water would interact with this space and me as the user. In this space I would experience the rain by watching it hit the roof and gather in the concave roof and then flow above me and through the hearth of the space, down to a self-sustained artificial pond.

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South Side Elevation Plan

I developed the above plan and elevation, and then explored it in model form.

Afterward I explored it in SketchUp and what it would look like with other materiality.

Bass Wood Model

SketchUp Model Rendering 4

Life through books This project is a physical manifestation of the importance of three books in my life.

I chose to work with the following books: Book#1 - Velocity by Dean Koontz Book#2 - Becoming an Architect by Lee W. Waldrep Book#3 - The Green Building Revolution by Jerry Yudelson.

In the model book #1 is on the top as the least important, because it can easily be removed and replaced.

Book #2 is the most important as it provides stability to the other two almost acting as a locking mechanism.

Book #3 acts as the base and may not be easily removed without affecting the other two just as it acted as a base for my part of my own education.

This project was a good exercise in creating a physical object from an abstract idea.

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Creation and Destruction of a Cube This project helped me develop the skill to create a narrative for any design. This is crucial for creating a connection between architecture and the user. The story below is that of a seed growing into a culmination of solids and then decomposing into a flat artifact.

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The Contemplation Space This project was the final for A-1 Studio it was also the first attempt at a building design. It was the initial transition from conceptual abstraction to a tangible dimensional space which needed the user to be considered. A transition which was critical to me as a architecture student.

The client is a meditation instructor. She practices meditation through the use of nature’s sounds. She required a space for individual contemplation, as well as an area for social interaction/ group meditation. In the process I was to keep in mind that nature was in fact very important to her, and it should be part of the site and space. As I approached the site I looked at how light, sound and access to the public would affect my design.

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The site is across the street from the BAC. This open site is much larger than the required program and we were responsible for the design of the entire site adjacent to the structure.

The site is in a shadow encumbered location, not only did little light actually made it onto the site but it was also very nosy. The lot size was 4,674 Sq. Ft. and the program square footage requirements were only 550 Sq. Ft. The Program consisted of 50 sq. ft. of Private contemplation and reading space with a single seat , 300 sq. ft. of Social Space for up to 6 people with an appropriate work surface and seating for 6. It also asked for 100 sq. ft. of Open Program space for circulation, entry as it was necessary, 100 sq. ft. Occupiable outdoor space directly related to one or more of the main program spaces.

Site diagrams show final building plan

ic Publ

Alley

Noise Diagram

t

S ord

ef Her

Site Green Connections

reet

New

St bury

Site plan Circulation Diagram

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Site Plan with building

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Detailed Plan

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Longitudinal Section

The program strategy

was to create a small structure where one may go either for private contemplation and reading or to entertain a small social group. There were two primary spaces the individual reading space and the larger social space. All other program was secondary and should support these spaces.

To put my site analysis to work, I placed the structure towards the back of the site and created a water feature to act as a buffer for the noise coming from Newbury Street.

I also added a lot of green even on the brick walls surrounding the structure not only to create the feeling of an oasis but to reduce the sound travel distance in turn reducing the sound.

Within the design of the structure I created a large amount of openings to connect them with newly developed greenery. To prevent the pedestrian flow from entering the contemplation space I created to separate entrances with a wider staircase for the back which was for pedestrians to enjoy without disturbing the users of the contemplation space.

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A-

Studio

Sarah West Spring 2010

-2

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The Path Rose Kennedy Greenway: This chain of parks is a revitalization project to battle the effects of the Big Dig, one of the most expensive

construction projects to have ever been realized. For this project we used it as a case study to learn how a user would experience each moment that the ornaments or vegetation frames and hides through out it. Below you have an analytical map each with a diagram of a moment which each park captures.

Chinatown Park Story line I. Checker = Tradition II. Scales Patter = Culture/Folklore III. Gateway = Crossing the Sea IV. Curvy Passage = Travels V. Sail Boat Reference

V

III

II

I

Cold

al Curves =>

al =>Parti = Orthogon

to Transition in IV

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Sense of incompleteness might be a catalyst for change

Dewey Square Park

t Park

Wharf Distric

Curves

Gathering Areas Wharf District Park

Water through both parcels Larger tree at the northern end In grade fountain with double use for summer/winter There is a constant action and reaction between grassy areas

Influence: The parks above were all great leads to my project but the most influential were the Chinatown Park and the North End

Park. The sudden openings in the Chinatown park and the water feature in the North End park offering a calming and serene environment for the user.

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Sketch of 1st iteration for end destination Travel path through site

Abstract model of site

Sketch of Waterfall

Site: The site for this project had no specific context. For the purposes of this project I decided that the site would be located in an urban

context which would allow for nice dynamic between the cityscape and the natural landscape of the site. The site is inside a busy city grid making it a great place to getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city and appreciate what the city has to offer from a more relaxed natural environment. A unique feature of the site context is that it is only surrounded by Glass Skyscrapers , all which would have the reflection of the sky on them making them almost invisible to people when on the site.

Site Narrative: You approach the site by walking in between two glass giants, as you arrive at the entrance you already feel a sense

of curiosity as you cannot see what awaiting you around the corner in this heavily wooded park. You walk around your first turn and you encounter yourself. Your are watching yourself and reflecting on your day on a long mirror-like reflective waterfall. As you finish walking alongside yourself you are curious as to where is the water coming from and where this hilly path is now leading you too. As you make your way up this small hill a bright light blinds your sense and you are mesmerized by the beauty that awaits you. On your right you see a small body of water that seems to run into the glass building just past it. You then look left and see a large stone feature which just calls you to stand atop it to getter view of your journey from a different perspective.

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Site Section

Rendering of pond and reflective building

Rendering of waterfall

Site Plan

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The Ritual The goal of this project was to study a formal ritual of my choosing and use the ideas and concepts extracted from it and to design a space based on the program developed later from a daily ritual.

Los Voladores

I chose to study the formal ritual . This ritual is a public event where anyone can join in observing. It begins with five men circling a tall pole. One of the men plays music with a flute and a small drum.

They then climb the pole, and position themselves on a small wooden rotating platform at the top. The man playing the music stands centrally on top of the pole, playing his flute and drum, and does a dance, facing each of the four cardinal directions in turn.

The platform begins to spin and the four Voladores launch themselves off, and begin rotating around the pole upside down. They are attached by a rope around the waist, but they twist a leg in the rope to maintain an upside down position. The flute player remains at the top of the pole as the others descend.

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Phases of the Ritual

Physical model representing the ritual.

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Bathing is the washing of the body with a fluid, usually water, or the immersion of the body

in water. It may be practiced for personal hygiene, religious rituals or therapeutic purposes or as a recreational activity. Bathing can take place in any situation where there is water, ranging from warm to cold. It can take place in a bathtub or shower, or it can be in a river, lake, water hole, pool or the sea, or any other water source.

I looked at bathing and how it may be broken down in a way that it would inform a space program, and found the following as necessities for such ritual: Privacy | Ventilation | Access to Water | Towel | Soaking | Shower | Cleansing | Drying After this breakdown I applied these to a space to determine what programmatic elements I would need. It resulted in a program which consisted of multiple stations each one with its own use. These uses were: Soaking Shower

Cleansing

Drying

Diagram of bathing stages

As a result of the cleaning stations all the study models focused on creating a path that the users could follow through as a way to complete this ritual.

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Site Model

Study Model 1

Study Model 2

Study Model 3

Study Model 3

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Materiality

was a very important aspect in developing my narrative of my concept for this project. As I said before the program for this project consisted of multiple stations, each with its own specialized use. Therefore, each station required its own atmosphere to bring about the feeling that you were moving through the steps of cleansing yourself.

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Program Narrative: It is a cool summer night and you arrive at the top of this structure, where you are greeted with a blue, moonlit, warm water pool dug into a floor of red stone.

Here you open your pores and break away all the impurities of the day. You then make your way to a private, translucent, light-filled room where you are showered with a cool stream of water.

You then look toward the next room where are you can see is a wall of white cloud-like objects through which you walk caressing your skin and lifting all water droplets from it.

Finally you arrive at the last platform, which opens up to a vibrant green lawn which is embraced by a hill which keeps all the city noise out, bringing serenity to the end of your daily ritual.

Form Concept Model

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B-

Studio

Claes Andreasen Fall 2010

-1

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Type/Variant House

Northern Wisconsin

by Coen + Partners in collaboration with Vincent James Architects This project was focused on understanding the project at hand through analysis and documentation. Once we understood the architects intent we were to design an intervention which would incorporate what we understood of the architect as well as the needs of our client.

Northwest Corner Perspective

Southern and Eastern facade of the building

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North main entrance to the building

I began my research about the Type/Variant House by finding photographs and existing drawings. Here you see the recreated drawings for the house. These drawings were a useful way of understanding how each volume of this house interacted with each other.

Through this excercise and the pictures I realized how much like a factory this building looked.

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House portrayed as the industrial building it is.

Water

Sketch model of volumes interacting at different levels.

Diagram of prominent views of the water obstructed by the sorrounding trees.

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From recreating the drawings I noticed the large number of bedrooms in this house and figured that the tenants for this space must be a large

family. In addition to a lot of bedrooms it also had a number of large gathering spaces both inside and outside.

Gathering Space - Bedrooms -

All of these spaces have distinctly dominant

views towards the water but they are obstructed by the trees sorrounding

the building and I feel this creates a disconnect between the building and the water the two most prominent bodies on the site.

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3D model of the intervention Site plan with intervention

I wanted to create a connection between the main building and the water, so I placed my intervention at the water’s edge. This action created an oportunity to create signage to the lakeside space which was unique to the design.

Path and View Diagram

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I created a set of bluestone pillars which would be visible from the main building. Bluestone was the material used in most exterior ground cover.

These pillars were tall and slim to mimic the sorrounding trees, I spread them through the strech between the main building and the lakeside space to create a visual connection between the two.

The concept for my intervention was material driven, whether it was the use of the bluestone to contrast a warm fire or the douglas fir to warm the space with its warm glow, it all was derived from the earlier done studies. As a result you have a gathering space large enough to fit the large family and provide a direct connection to the lake, a connection which did not exist before.

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The Boat House

Charles River Esplanades

For this project my primary focus was on site analysis. I had to investigate an area of my choice along the Charles River in Boston and then design a boathouse based on my site analysis. This project demonstrated how important an influence site analysis is.

I began this project with site visits during which I documented and analysed everything from site conditions to identifying the primary users of the site, who later became the driving force for my own design. I was in fact trying to capture the already existing uses rather than add another use to the site.

Biking

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Walking

Playing in playgrounds

Sun tanning

Rowing

The existing activities and the points of interest were crucial in my choice of site later on, as well as my design for the boat house.

Existing activities on the site

Through the site analysis I observed there was too little green space in comparasion to the city grid, which led to my concept.

Expanding the existing green space

Environmental conditions on the site were influential on a specific feature on my design.

Sun and Wind Diagram

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Site One is in the water and visually the least dominant.

Site One View

Site Two is extending off of the dock that is in place on the site.

Site Two View

Each gave the opportunity for a different site 35

Site Three is the little peninsula which currently seems to be welcoming to only one person or a couple (romantic) at a time.

Site Three View

strategy on how to approach a design.

I chose site Two because of all the activities that already take place here, and I wanted to capitalize on this usability.

As you can see that site Two is centrally located, making it place though which everyone will pass by.

My intial design strategy was to create a form that would keep views unobstructed while some sort of indoor space.

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Conceptual model to develop a form based on site analysis and observations.

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As I said before the focus for this initial form was to create space without obstructing the views.

The form for this spaces was influenced primarily by the organic shapes I observed in the site, ranging from the waves in the water to the branches of the trees.

With unobstructed views I was able to maintain the current uses as people are still encouraged to visit this area.

View of Cambridge through the building.

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Group 1

Light Refraction

Group 2

Organic Shape Sampling of inspirational

Contrast between nature and man-made

images that affected the rest of my design.

Community Rowing Boathouse, Brighton, Massachusetts

Precendent study which helped me understand the spaical

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needs of a boat house.

Group 1 The model from Group 1 was derived from the need for unobstructed with light refraction through materiality.

Group 2a

views and a play

The digital model from Group 2a focused on unobstructed views through both form and the use of glass. This model also helped me with my program organization.

The model from Group 2b helped me derive the form which I would use in my final iteration of this project.

Group 2b

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The public space programming for this project was very important, as the oublic users were the driving force behind this project. The private space programming was logically organized to best suit the use by the rowers and coaches.

1 2

2 1

2

2

1

5

3

1 4

Top Level

Second Level

1. Viewing Platforms 2. Green walkway

1. Large event room 2. Athlete Meeting Spaces

green walkway

1

4

Ground Level 1. Boat Stoarage Yard 2. Shop/Storage Space 3. Canal (Dock) 4. Men’s and Women’s Lockers 5. Kitchen/Prep Area

I devoted most of this project to creating the which is one of two of the most prominent features of this building. The second feature is the that runs through the boat storage yard; it is a replacement for your typical dock. On it you are able to unload and load boats. The canal is wide enough for the oars to clear but rowers may also take advantage of its orientation which pushes the current through and facilities launching the boats.

canal

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view from entrance towards cambridge.

Bird’s eye view

View of the northwest canal entrance

View from walkway into boat Storage yard.

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B-

Studio

Chris Johnson Spring 2011

-2

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Project Zero Project Zero was a series of exercises in which I developed a tectonic language which would be used throughout the B-2 Studio. First I analized two abstract details to derive two words which I would use to guide the rest of the design process.

They were a set of parts connecting at an which had the capabilities of expanding.

axis

Some of these parts seemed to be acting as .

extensions

Mechanical

Detail 1 had a lot of features. There were pieces that seemed attached with nuts an bolts, others made of mechanically bent metals, many of which could be part of a mass produced item.

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Study models of the mechanical detail revealed a

rotary movement.

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Detail 2 featured an

interlocking system.

The interlocking system consisted of both a male and a female components.

The female is composed of two parts which themselves interlock to create an embrace.

The male is composed of three pieces locked in place with the female component.

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Interlocking system shown in 3D

Interlocking detail revealed

Study models of the the ability to create solid structures

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Interlocking/ Rotation From the two details analyzed I derived two systems one of interlocking parts and the other of rotary parts. The larger interlocking volumes act as a skeleton/ structure and the volumes which rotate on an axis act as a screen/envelope. I put the two ideas into one assembly but didn’t use them as one, which for the assignment was not the most succesful.

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Interlocking joint

Rotary Axis joint

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Interlocking volumes constructing space

Interlocking joint

Rotary Axis joint

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Interlocking/ Rotary axis From the two details analyzed I derived two joint systems, one of interlocking parts and the other of rotary parts. The larger interlocking volumes act as a skeleton/ structure and the volumes which rotate on an axis act as a screen/envelope. I put the two ideas into one assembly but didn’t use them as one.

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Perspective of apparatus in use

In trying to develop a spatial and architectural application, the volumes became panels that could be placed in multiple positions creating habitable architectural and user friendly applications.

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These panels resulted from the

rotary movement of the mechanical detail and the interlocking volumes.

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Project One Project One is a continuation of Project Zero and it begins with a reexploration of the apparatus developed during project zero, in which the were used mainly in a vertical manner to create a wall with an overhang.

panels

During the reexploration I studied how the panels could be used in a horizontal manner and how a person may experience a space made of these panels. The panels in this space are acting as a screen system. The screen assembly consists of the interlocking panels that are slid onto rods that keep them in place.

The panels at this point had no specific material to them. Where normally materiality informs a user of different elements in a space, in this study recognizable markers such as an entrance, window, and a set of stairs play that role.

Entrance into space

This exploration of the

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Hallway with stairs

View of entrance from inside and stairs

apparatus has no site and the site introduced will only apply to the rest of the project.

Site Context: Harvard Arnold Arboretum The Arnold Arboretum is a large, planned landscape with many undefined paths, inviting the users by to explore and experience the park at a deeper level through unguided explorations.

undefined paths

main paths

In addition to the there are some . One main path in particular meets directly perpendicular to a rather unused undefined path (Marked in red) that leads straight to the tops of the tallest hill on the site.

1

There is a destination point on top of the hill. I chose to place my site here, allowing me to use this sense of destination.

Site Plan Legend 2 4 2 1 3

Site

Building Site ----------Path Axis ---Point of Interest ---------Undefined Paths ------------

3

Main pedestrian intersections ------------

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Site Exploration Site Construct

The site construct is an abstraction of the site. In it I used both the panels and rods that I used in the apparatus. The primary influence on the site construct model is the site forces plan diagram, in which I imagined the hill as a force pushing on the path. In the diagram are also forces from two sinkholes pulling on the path.

Pulling Forces

Site forces plan diagram

Sink Hole 2

Sink Hole 1

Hill

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The most important element in this diagram is the axis formed by the path with the hill which counters the pushing forces of the hill. This element creates the sense of destionation I mentioned earlier.

During the production of the site construct I also explored how lighting would play out in this screen like system. In the image below the panels are now being used both as a ground surface and a ceiling for a walkway.

Site forces section diagram

The site construct drove this project, by creating a direct path to the top, to a vantage point from which to experience the site.

This elevation view of the site contruct represents the hill as observed.

There is an undefined path which creates direct access to the top of the hill.

And also the terrain around the path that, because of its hilly quality, I represented as an upward and downward motion.

Site Construct

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First Iteration

Gallery Space

path

This is the first iteration of the which like in the site construct would assist the user to get to the top. It also touched ground at various points which was derived from the up and downward part of the site construct.

Office Space

At the points where the path touched ground I created what I am calling “Office Space” and “Gallery Space”. These were part of an educational component of the path. Due in fact to the arboretum being a center of learning about the natural environment.

The already existing education center at the north end of the arboretum is too far from the communities on the southern edge of the arboretum. This new gallery space is balancing the site, by providing a learning component at the southern part of the site.

Gallery Space

Office Space

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Topographic site model top view Program Diagram

As I worked through this iteration I maintained similar construction methods to the study models. I used panel like pieces to create the upward and downward movements from the site contruct.

Path

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Second Iteration

Bird’s eye view of the path

Top view of the path and covered path

In the second iteration all of the programmatic elements of this project moved to the top of the hill. This pushed all users to really want to go to the top, in a continuous flow preventing the need to look back on their venture before getting to the top.

Section of Gallery and Office Space

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View of the entrance into gallery space

Moving all the program to the top of the hill made the space act as a dead end for pedestrian traffic.

At the top of the hill is where the user is rewarded with knowledge and views back on the immense arboretum. My hope was to create a meaningful experience going back as they would reminisce on their experience.

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After exploring the design and program oganization I applied the tectonic ideas of and the I had used in Project Zero in the materials I would decide to use.

interlocking

rotary axis

I chose wood because I felt it was an appropriate material, with the arboretum being a natural site

Circular Interlocking Pieces

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Screen System similiar to the one developed in the revised aparatus

Interlocking wood pieces

Final Iteration

Rotating red line is representative of the motion of people to the gallery which acts as the axis of this space.

In the final iteration of the gallery and office space on top of the hill, I incorporated both the material study and the two ideas of

interlocking and rotation.

tectonic

The path leading to a structure in which all the circulation rotates around a central axis(Gallery Space).

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Section through lowest part of the path

Site plan showing path perpendicular to the hill and its topography

View from path arriving to the top 65

View from platform before entering gallery space

Perspective of Gallery

Top view of the structure atop the hill

Section through Gallery Space

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Project Two I incorporated ideas of circulation, materiality, user experience and the two tectonic ideas of from the last two projects into this project.

Interlocking and Rotation

site

Project Two began with analysis of the given which is immediately adjacent to the Chinatown Gate in Boston. The Chinatown Gate is a landmark known by many and it is the end of a chain of parks known as the Rose Kennedy Greenway. This makes it a crucial point in the users experience, because it is the climax of the experience. The site itself is sandwiched between John Fitzgerald Surface Road and Hudson Street. It is also surrounded by many cultural elements of Chinatown, which is why I propose using this site for a cultural center.

The site is encumbered with tall, poorly maintained buildings which cast shadows on it. On the East there is a major road with a lot of noise pollution. On the West there is a very congested side - Expansion to site street. North of the site there is the Chinatown Park Plaza which - Site - Side Streets brings a lot of pedestrian traffic.

- Affecting Buildings

- Main Roads

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1

3 2 View of site from Hudson Street

1

Site

3

ëáí É

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Site Map

View from across Surface Road

View from Chinatown Gate

Buildings Trees Site Shadows Roads

Site in relation to the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

West Section through site

Panoramic View of the Site as marked by the blues lines.

ends abruptly

This images shows how the greenway where my site begins. After recognizing this is made the goal of my project to become the end to the greenway in which people are redirected towards chinatown as a final cultural destination.

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Chinatown Cultural Center: The site for this project is in busy Chinatown. This site is surrounded by a variety of Chinese cultural landmarks. If approaching the site from Beach Street (West) you would find Ping On Alley, the Chinatown Gate, and the Checkers plaza in front of the Gate. If you are approaching the site from the North you will most likely be walking through the Rose Kennedy Greenway and as the last stop on the Greenway there is the Chinatown Park.

All of these represent a different aspect of Chinese culture. Ping On alley was where the first Chinese immigrants settled, the gate is a symbol of the Chinese community, on the eastern face of the gate you have the general Chinese perception of the world (All under the sky are equal) on the west face there are the Chinese values written (Respectfulness, Selflessness, Integrity and Sense of Shame).

The park as the latest built landmark is actually an unfinished path. The path continues on the other side of the checkers plaza and abruptly ends parallel to the vent. Such incompleteness is the reason for the Cultural Center to act as a final stop to this path.

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Photo of unfnished park on he site.

This view of the site construct shows the relation of the site to other physical landmarks like the vent and Greenway. The site itself is located where the cloth representing the Greenway touches ground.

Vent

After conducting site analysis I produced a site construct, which used the tectonic ideas carried through out the previous projects as a method of construction.

The site construct here is a representation of the immediate buildings, the Rose Kennedy greenway, and the city. The buildings are represented by the volumes towering over a grid of roads/city, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway is represented by the more organic stretch of cloth that stretches from far outside of the grid finishing at the proposed site.

Greenway

Site

Site Construct

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Approach to the site from Greenway Primary movement through form.

Diagramatic Section showing Program -Extra public -Public -Staff -Performance Area

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I created a form that would redirect the pedestrian traffic from the Greenway into Chinatown.

I then refined this form, to better accomodate the program and to address some of the issues found in the site analysis such as blocking the sound from busy John Fitzgerald Surface Rd.

West Section

East Section

Diagramatic massing sketch of program elements

-Public -Staff -Performance Area

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Parti of tectonic gestures

Rotation

In this project I represented the tectonic ideas of the past projects through simple gestures. is represented by the circulation through the space, and is represented by the public and private programmatic elements which interlock with the performance area which acts as the the core or central node around which all other circulation revolves around.

interlocking

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public

private

I kept the and program components separate while still interacting with the central performance area.

Meanwhile redirecting people back into Chinatown through the circulatory component formed by the public and private spaces.

art exhibits

The public component included a series of which allowed the user to walk through them and end up inside of the Chinatown gate allowing the users to easily transition into Chinatown.

performance area

info kiosk

office

The private component consisted of a , a small and spaces for the personnel of the cultural center. Having a performance area would allow this new center to fit into the existing fabric of theaters in the larger context of that region.

Tectonic Study Model of 2nd iteration The final Iteration pulled primarily on this second iteration and also the first tectonic study done in the series of projects.

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Final Iteration Perspective showing earlier studied screen system.

Perspective showing earlier studied panels as a roof.

Roof of cultural center resembling panel system from earlier studies in the studio.

West Elevation 75

Screen system similarly used in earlier studies in the studio.

Entrance from the Rose Kennedy Greenway.

Exit onto Chinatown.

Screen system providing a partial view into the performance area to the passerby.

East Elevation 76

Pedestrian circulation off of the Greenway

Chinatown Side Exit/Entranceance

Greenway Side Entrance

The plans for this building although named for a specific floor in reality show multiple levels due to complex vertical circulation.

Public Exhibit

Performance Area Projection Room

Stairs to Staff Area

1st Level Plan Transient Exhibit overlooking Lobby Area

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Chinatown Side Exit/Entranceance

Greenway Side Entrance

Staff Viewing Room

Stairs to Staff Area Staff Offices

2nd Level Plan Transient Exhibit overlooking Lobby Area

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-Public -Performance Area

Section showing roof structural element and the relationship between Public way and the Performance area.

View of performance core at the Greenway Entrance

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View of East Exit that egresses into Chinatown

View of West Entrance through unfinished path

Performance Space

Interior stairs leading to the office space above.

Interior hallway leading to the Chinatown exit.

View of West facade from Accross John Fitzgerald Surface Rd East Exit hidden by the landscaping to not encourage it as an entrance.

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Programming & Codes

TM6

685

Programming andCodes-TM685-B Final project for the Codes Section of this course consisted of a Code Summary Sheet (Next Page), Graphic visual f or the proposed site and a adjacency diagram from the programming final which consisted of 35 pages and a collaboration between classmates and myself.

Graphic Visual Adjacency Diagram

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Competitions

Evolo

o 12’

Evolo 2012 Skyscraper Competition A very conceptual project offering a solution to the physical, economical and social disconnect between Downtown Boston and its neighbors East Boston and Charlestown. This are the final submittal boards and the result of team colaboration.

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Gateway Projects Gretchen schneider Micheal Immel

Patrick J K

Kennedy

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Patrick J Kennedy Elementary School

East Boston

This is a currently ongoing gateway project. The goal for this project was to create a meaningful experience through multiple thoughtfully designed spaces for the school and community out of the sea of asphalt that surrounds the Patrick J Kennedy Elementary School building.

Site

Current Main Entrance and Playground

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Current Playground

Initially we began the project by diagraming the grounds of the elemetray schools which we attended. Also diagrammed examples of an informal and a formal playspace, and found previos precedents of masterplans.

Charles River Esplanade Playspace I did some reaserch on recent playgrounds and this one stuck out because I am familiar with it having rode my bicycle by it tons of times.

I also noticed that there is another playground 5 minutes away walking.

I did some more looking and found that the main reason for adding this playground was that there was not enough playgrounds for older kids to play in.

So, I thought lets ask...

“What kind of open spaces exist in the context of our site that are similar to our project?”

Theater Seating at the Museum of Science in the Shapiro Family Science Live! Stage

opportunity

Children will find in everything. For example I was at the Museum of Science and while at the Bird Exhibit my nephew was more intersted in jumping like the other kids from theater seat to seat. He wasn’t even notcing the 100’s of birds there instead he would play on the handicap ramp and the theater seats.

BHA Old Colony Master plan This project is in a diverse community in South Boston which has been disconnected form the rest of the neighborhood by poor design. This project is an attempt to reconnect the community with the rest of the neighborhood and they are putting some emphasis on open space in the planning.

East Boston Master plan Excerpt The master plan outlines a series of expectations for East Boston, including open space resources for future considerations. On page 21 is the map below which shows the importance of our site in relation to its immideate context. Our site could act as a between the green buffer space between the site and the airport and the green space to the north of the site.

connection

I was drawn to this project because of its similarity in location and because it is still ongoing. this is a very large scale project divided into multiple phases affecting a large number of low income families.

I have learned that a community project has many voices but only a few will be listened to. This project has great intentions but it will permanently relocate some families because the redevelopment of this housing development will actually reduce the number of units available on site.

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Following some informal research we began our site analysis, with a site visit and with the resources provided by the Boston RedevelopmentAuthroity(BRA).

BRA Areas of focus showing daysquare (site location) as a major commercial site.

Shadow study during school hours.

Site plan from 1st presentation to client

Based on feedback from the client we determined what part of the ste would be exclusively used by the school and what part of the site we would have to give consideration for community use.

Site plan updated according to feedback from 1stpresentation to client

Main path refined after 1st client presentation and Accessiblity being addressed by handicap ramp separate from path.

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In the latest plan we have included a larger playground, a private school garden, a children’s sports area, Program Diagram and a community garden. During the design process we also tried to address both pedestrian and vehicular circulation.

Vehicular circulation was also an issue because there were too many different types of vehicles in the parking lot. In order to create some separation between the different types we decided to propose the following: Limiting the parent drop-off and pick to the front of the school, Moving the school bus drop and pick up zone to Prescott Street, Limiting the parking lot for staff parking only.

The two main issues with the pedestrian circulation was both too much and too little access. There was too much access to the back of the school during after school hours, which was address by enclosing the area and making it a private garden for the school. Then the issue of too little access was address by creating a path that would connect all the different spaces in a way that would make them accessible to everyone. This Path actually would connect to the lower level directly into the cafeteria.

School - Community Site usage Latest Site Plan

Drop off - Pick up Locations

Bennigton Street

Playground

Sports Zone

Saratoga Street

Site Section showing vertical relations between spaces

Overall Bird’s Eye View

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Aerial View of Playground

playground

The was designed based on a list of characteristics that define a successful playground. We drew from our own experiences and observations at playgrounds and the kids in action during our last visit to PJK. It was determined that a successful playground would need to create the following areas.

Spots to run -Spots to see -Spots to be seen -Spots to watch from -Spots to rest -Spots to climb -Spots to be spontaneous -Spots to chase -Spots to create a game -Spots to challenge others One requirement for the space was to have a flow of activities without a determined path so as to have the children find their own path.

The other requirement while designing this playground was to stray away from the typical playground feel and look. Playgrounds have been getting increasingly bland over the years and tend to look the same, so we drew inspiration from looking at unique and unusual playgrounds. I wanted this playground to be unique and stray away from the ordinary.

Perspective of Sports Zone

sport zones

The existing sports area was not very suitable for children. We are proposing instead of one large field having smaller .

These zones could consist of soccer, basketball, tether ball and foursquare, and football. Surrounding the zones there is a blue track path for the children to run around, and once they are too tired to run they can rest in the red zone, a large spot that sinks a bit into the ground creating a series of comfortable spots for the children to rest in.

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Aerial View of School and Public Gardens

Outdoor Class Room

The area is mainly an open air, natural learning environment for children. This area will enhance the learning experience of the children by making them more close to natural elements like observing insects, picking flowers, planting shrubs, playing in sand, sitting under a tree and just observing nature.

The space is mainly divided into two portions one an outdoor class area for children and other area is allotted for special need kids. Area for special need kids has special play equipment, as well as an outdoor class area with pergolas to give them a sheltered atmosphere, even when they are outside in the open. In order to make the environment feel more natural, logs and rocks are placed in the area for sitting, they also have a working table as well as planters to plant their own seeds and observe them grow and water them.

The other area has similarly two spaces that act as outdoor class room with pergolas with logs and rocks as an informal sitting and gathering area. One large tree with sitting underneath it divides the two classrooms areas; this tree provides shade for a sitting area underneath it. The area also has similar working tables and planters. In addition to that it also has a sand pit where children can have some fun building sand castles. Weather station and wind turbines are also located in this area. This area will give back the natural environment which the school is missing.

Project summary The Patrick J Kennedy (PJK) Elementary School Gateway project was a collaborative effort between client, students and team supervisor.

As a student I worked with my team members to design a meaningful experience in space for the PJK and its community. I focused on the overall site design, the primary circulation path, the parking lot design, the sports zone, and the community garden.

It was a very unique opportunity where I got the opportunity to work with real a client and real problems. Being able to present an idea to a client who is invested in the project personally is a great motivator. For this project I lent my SketchUp, InDesign, Photoshop and newly acquired Illustrator skills to the team to help pull the team forward with graphics and board designs. I also used my project management skills to provide the team a bit of immediate leadership.

I plan to continue forward with this project, during which time the focus will be on community outreach and gaining support for the completion of at least one phase of this project. Phase one for this project will be the community garden, located on the south side of the site.

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Course

ework

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Freehand Drawing

Studies in drawing techniques and value scale

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The freehand course offered at the Boston Architectural College, depending on the instructor, will vary in focus for the course.

I was fortunate enough to learn under William Hemmerdinger.

His focus was on the value scale, and so intensive exercises were used in order for the class to gather a set of tools for our future design work.

The course included exercises in still life, figure drawing, and perspective sketching

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Studies in value scale and the value scale in reflections.

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For this set of drawings we explored our ability to draw proportionately the human figure.

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Orthogonal Drawing Hand drafted plan of the BAC Boylston building

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2D CAD This course in computer-aided drafting introduced the basic concepts and operation of AutoCAD, emphasizing two-dimensional computer-aided drafting concepts, conventions and documentation production.

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3D CAD

= This design-focused course was oriented toward developing computer based, threedimensional architectural models. All types of 3D modeling techniques, from wire frame through solids modeling.

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The image above displays the technical aspect of what created this image. In it you are able to see the wireframe model as well as different techniques used to create backdrops for the model.

Thorncrown Chapel (Front Exterior Rendering)

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Thorncrown Chapel (Interior Rendering) 115

Thorncrown Chapel (Rear Exterior Rendering) 116

Laser-Assited Model Making

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=

The goal for this project was to design a set of parts that could be mass produced and sent to a country in need or for you during research expeditions where a compact assembly is required.

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Perspective Drawing

Villa Savoye Exterior Two-Point Perspective Framework

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Villa Savoye Exterior Two-Point Perspective

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Villa Savoye Interior Two-Point Perspective

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Two-Point Perspective

Villa Savoye Interior Two-Point Perspective Framework 122

Black and White Redering

Half Magazine Cut out Half Hand rendered 123

Hand rendered reflecting pool at the Christian Science Plaza

The goal of this course was to develop a skill of architectural rendering. Developing further my ability to draw perspectives in a way that will more accurately and aesthetically capture a moment in time.

The only pencil used for all of these drawings was a black Prisma color pencil. Limiting the use of a single pencil really pushed my abilities as an artist because it put a lot more emphasis on the technique rather than the type of led I would be using.

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Hand rendering of the NYC JFK Airport Terminal 125

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