Architecture Portfolio

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

GUSTAVO A. RODRÍGUEZ

DESIGN WORK

8. Urban Unexpectedness 7. Pixel Plaza 6. Loreto Beach House 5. Underhouse Plug-In 4. Cuicuilco Kiva 3. CG Museum Expansion 2. SDO Regional Center 1. ISSSTE Nursery

CG Muse Expansion/Ad SDO Regional Center Cultural Complex ISSSTE Nursery Welfare Institution

eum daptation

Cuicuilco Kiva Intervention on Ruins

Underhouse Plug-In Student Accommodation

Loreto Beach House Summer Cottage

Pixel Plaza High Square

Urban Unexpectedness Research Thesis

ISSSTE NURSERY Design Team: Gerardo Ezquerra, Carlos DurĂĄn, Gustavo RodrĂ­guez The ISSSTE (Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers) in Mexico is the official organization in charge of government workers' health care and social security. Together with the IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute), the ISSSTE provides health coverage for between 50 and 60% of the population of Mexico.

Taking into consideration the increasing role of the working woman in today's society, the need for child care institutions is continuously rising. The proposed nursery attemps to satisfy those requirements while creating an appropiate interaction with its surroundings; taking into account the necessary saftety conditions, while mantaining a stimulating and didactic atmosphere.

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THE SHAPE BOX

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LOBBY NURSLING SLEEP ROOMS RESTROOMS INFANT ROOMS MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM 7 DINING HALL 8 KITCHEN 9 TO UNDERGROUND PARKING LOT

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A PEDAGOGY CHIEF OFFICE B GESSELL CHAMBER C MEDICAL OFFICE D OBSERVATION E ODONTO-PEDIATRY F NUTRITION G PSICOLOGY H EMPLOYEE´S LOUNGE I STORAGE ROOM

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GROUND FLOOR PLAN

CONCEPT

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ISSSTE NURSERY

ANALYSIS

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THE SITE TLALPAN

ANALOGUE TYPOLOGIES

GREEN SPACES

MAIN ROADS & ROUTES

SECTION

FUNCTIONAL DIAGRAM

NORTHEAST VIEW

VENTILATION Ceiling gaps favor natural ventilation.

COLOR

DIDACTIC ENVIRONMENT

Primary color palette.

Carefully planned setting for children’s nurture and development.

ILLUMINATION

NATURAL HEATING

Ceilings optimize Especialized climate maximum indirect conditions for nursing sunlight. infants.

VIEWS

LANDSCAPE

Low views Natural scenes for small for shading & children. playground.

SOUTHWEST VIEW

W

W

GARDEN

INFANTS

NURSLING

OFFICES

ACCESS

NOCTURNE

REGIONAL CENTER SDO Located in southwestern Mexico, the state of Oaxaca is best known for its indigenous settlements and cultures. It is divided into 571 municipalities, one of them being the town of San Dionisio Ocotepec.

Faced with issues of migration and illegal drug trade, the rural community of San Dionisio is in need of urban planning and an infrastructure that promotes local commerce and culture.

The proposed Regional Center takes inspiration on the traditional Pre-Columbian architecture of the state of Oaxaca. Cooling courtyards regulate both space and route, and the prehispanic element of platform takes form on esplanades that distribute transit and circulations upon a north-south axis. The San Dionisio Ocotepec Regional Center attempts to display simplicity and honesty, as well as create harmony with the actual context.

REGIONAL CENTER S.D.O. 1

EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT, RECREATION & HEALTHCARE: A COMPLEX SUITED TO SATISFY THE COMMUNITY'S MAIN NEEDS

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AUDITORIUM

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PARKING LOT

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ESPLANADE

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REGIONAL CENTER

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CAFETERIA

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SCULPTURE SPACE

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ARTS GARDEN

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GREEN AREA

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TECH. SCHOOL

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MEDICAL CLINIC

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SPORTS FIELDS

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PROPOSED CENTER

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EXISTING SPACE

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FUTURE EXPANSION

URBAN PROJECT SAN DIONISIO OCOTEPEC, OAX.

GROUND FLOOR PLAN INSPIRED BY THE MEXICAN TRADITIONS OF EARTHEN CONSTRUCTION, THE CENTER USES COOLING COURTYARDS & VEGETATION TO SUSTAIN ITS OWN MICROCLIMATE.

NORTH ELEVATION

A B C D E F G H I J K

ACCESS ADMIN. OFFICE CURATORIAL OFFICE STORAGE ROOM EXHIBIT ROOMS LOBBY / CONTROL GIFT SHOP KIDS' PLAYROOM LIBRARY / FORUM PROJECTION ROOM RESTROOMS

L COOLING YARDS M ARTS GARDEN N CAFETERIA 1 2 3 4 5 6

WORKSHOPS: POTTERY ARTS & CRAFTS TEXTILES DISTILLERY MUSIC HALL DANCE STUDIO

CG MUSEUM EXPANSION Located south of Mexico City, the Carrillo Gil Art Museum showcases a large collection that ranges from contemporary and modern art, to experimental and avant-garde exhibits. Furthermore, the Carrillo Gil hosts numerous works from world-renowned mexican artists such as JosĂŠ Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera.

Following the remarkable design made by Augusto Ă lvarez in the 70's, the proposed expansion intends to follow the clarity and simplicity of the original project, while adequately providing the required infrastructure for a museum of such relevance.

3 1

1

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3> THIRD FLOOR

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2> SECOND FLOOR

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1> FIRST FLOOR

1 1

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/ 0> GROUND FLOOR

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-1> BASEMENT FLOOR

1. SKYLIGHTS 2. RESTROOMS 3. PEDESTRIAN RAMP

1. ELEVATOR 2. EXHIBIT AREA 3. LARGE EXHIBIT AREA 1. PLAYROOM 2. DESIGN DEPT. 3. RESEARCH DEPT. 4. COLLECTION DEPT. 5. MEETING ROOM 6. ACCOUNT & MGMT. 1. CAFÉ 2. LIBRARY 3. OFFICE SPACE 4. MUSEUM DEPT. 5. PROJECTION ROOM 6. EMPLOYEE’S LOUNGE 1. LOBBY 2. WORKSHOP 3. PARKING LOT 4. ITEM STORAGE 5. OUTDOOR CAFÉ 6. CURATOR’S OFFICE

" "ARCHITECTURE IS THE LEARNED GAME, CORRECT AND MAGNIFICENT, OF FORMS ASSEMBLED IN LIGHT." - LE CORBUSIER

CUICUILCO KIVA Reminiscence of Mexico City´s prehispanic background, and surrounded at the present time by two of the city's most important roads, the Cuicuilco archeological site requires a precise and respectful architectonical intervention. A clear adaptation that emphasizes and restores its historic and architectonic relevance, taking into consideration the urban context upon which Cuicuilco resides.

The proposed intervention consists of a discrete alternative before the remains of one of the most important pre-Columbian centers in Mexico City. Inspired by our prehispanic architecture, the route is manifested through a "kiva" (ancient subterranean rooms used for religious ceremonies), while the urban sign takes form in two vertical elements made from volcanic rock, the indigenous building material.

Two monoliths, like doors, which emphatize and frame both path and pyramid.

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8 ACCESS

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URBAN SIGN

ACCESS STAIRS LOBBY TICKET OFFICE STORAGE RESTROOMS SKYLIGHT GARDEN GIFT SHOP EXHIBIT AREA

SITE MUSEUM

PARKING LOT

KIVA

DRIVEWAY

-1 FLOOR PLAN LOWER GROUND SERVICE MODULE

underhouse plug-in There is a strange phenomenon occurring in the Bosques de las Lomas neighborhood, an upscale region located in northwestern Mexico City built on an area of canyons characterized by its rugged terrain.

Houses have been built on top of concrete structures reaching up to eight stories high. These vacant architectures -which contain nothing inside them- support false flat terrains and generate residual space, economic waste and an excessive building surface.

The Plug-In iniciative attempts to densify the area by transforming these wasted structures into containers for student housing, reinterpreting the unused underhouse constructions as an urban shelf in which the required purposes can be placed.

In addition to the connecting capabilities of each housing module, Plug-In’s are constructed based on a precast catalog, allowing each lodger to choose their favored combination for living. A flexible alternative for furniture -alterable and interactive- according to the needs of each user.

ENVIRONMENT A JUVENILE ATMOSPHERE GENERATES NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS AND WALKING DESTINATIONS IN AN OTHERWISE VEHICULAR ZONE

UNDERHOUSE PLUG-IN INTERCONNECTING MODULES PLACED INSIDE RESIDUAL CONCRETE UNDERHOUSE STRUCTURES NORTH ELEVATION

COMPOSITION USERS DECIDE THEIR OWN LOCATION, COMBINATIONS AND CONNECTIONS

FLEXIBLE FURNITURE A WIDE CATALOG OF ALTERABLE FURNITURE RANGING FROM WALLS, FLOORS, CEILINGS & DESIGN ELEMENTS

MAIN FACADE

SOUTH ELEVATION

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNATTRACTIVE AND UNUSED SPACES

CONNECTION CAPABILITIES ENABLE COUNTLESS COMBINATIONS

PLUG-INS: HOUSING MODULES ORGANIZED & PLACED MECHANICALLY

STUDENT ACCOMODATIONS PLUG-IN CATALOG PROVIDED WITH SERVICE & COMMERCE CORES

PLUG-IN CATALOG DESIGN OPTIONS FOR CREATING FLEXIBLE SPACES

1. WALLS BREAKFAST BAR

FOLDING BED

DESK

WINDOW

PICTURE WINDOW

SLIDING WINDOW

SLIDING DOOR

1. Place wall piece vertically.

2. Fold wall frontward.

1. Place wall piece vertically.

2. Fold wall frontward.

1. Place wall piece vertically.

2. Fold wall frontward.

1. Place wall piece vertically.

1. Place wall piece vertically.

1. Place wall piece vertically.

1. Place wall piece vertically.

3. Fold again.

4. Rest folded panels on horizontal peg.

3. Fold again and rest on the floor.

4. Place matress to convert into bed.

3. Fold again and rest on the floor.

4. Fold back, rest panel on peg and place chair.

2. Leeet the sun shine in. ♫

2. Leeet the sun shine in. ♫

2. Slide glass. Leeet the sun shine in. ♫

2. Slide privacy.

2. CEILINGS

3. FLOORS

LADDER

1.Place ceiling horizontally.

SKYLIGHT

piece

2. Pull string down to reveal ladder.

1.Place ceiling horizontally.

door

for

4. OTHER

SEAT

BRIDGE

DOUBLE HEIGHT

BALCONY

piece

1. Place floor piece horizontally.

2. Fold strip upward.

1. Place wall pieces vertically.

2. Lift floor tiles to reveal secondary tiles.

1. Place floor on top of desired space.

2. Lift panel dismantle.

and

1. Place wall piece vertically.

2. Fold wall frontward and slide lower floor for additional support.

2. Leeet the sun shine in. ♫

3. Fold again, resting first panel on the floor.

3. Fold again, rest last panel on peg.

3. Secondary tiles conform link between.

4. Place tiles on the floor and connect.

3. The four resulting panels conform the railing.

4. Assemble and place around gap.

3. Remaining panels conform the railing.

4. Embed railing for security and support.

LORETO BEACH HOUSE Design Team: Alonso Martínez. Gustavo Rodríguez.

Just off the coast of the Gulf of California, the proposal for the Loreto Beach House is located on the Baja California Peninsula’s east coast, in the city that gives the house its name. In order to provide diversity for the client, four designs were proposed for the project, ranging from different shapes and concepts. The following design comprises what was later known as Housing Option C. Following a rational geometry, Option C is created by offseting two rectangular volumes, thus creating the upper and lower floors and generating an indoor patio. The ground floor is destined for social activities and entertainment, while the second story is reserved for private accomodations. As the sloping terrain merges into the house, the exterior reveals a pool and a sunbathing terrace which extends towards the neighboring sea.

PRIVATE AREA PUBLIC AREA SITE LORETO, B.C.S. TOTAL AREA: 3,071.04 M2

LOCATION

EASTERN LIMIT: BEACH SIDE

EASTERN VIEW: SEA OF CORTÉS

CONTEXT: HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

AXON

SOUTHERN VIEW: NEIGHBORING LAKE

SITE

SECTION

DINING HALL LIVING ROOM TV LOUNGE KITCHEN RESTROOM LAUNDRY TERRACE PATIO SUITES SWIMMING POOL LOBBY

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

1ST FLOOR PLAN

PIXEL PLAZA Design Team: Soledad García, Gustavo Rodríguez.

Located in western Argentina, the province of Mendoza is bordered at the west by the Andes mountain range that acts as the international limit with the republic of Chile. Its homonymous capital rests on a region of foothills and high plains. A world famous wine capital, the city of Mendoza is laid out on a classic spanish grid centered around a large plaza -which in turn is surrounded by four smaller ones.

As of 2009, Mendoza has become the most dispersed metropoltan area in Argentina. The increasing population and need for public space demands a modern intervention that enriches and links the Old City Plan with contemporary typologies.

Pixel Plaza is designed as a high square that connects the satellite Chile Plaza with an emerging tramway line. A versatile, open space built upon an artificial landscape which enables a series of social, cultural, sporting, commercial and leisure activities. Pixel Plaza includes a playground, picnic areas, a museum, an outdoor theatre, dance and crafts workshops, bikeways, cafés, shops & a parking lot.

1. TERRAIN MOrphology

2. 4X4 METERS GRID LAYOUT

FOLLOWING the pixel theme, the HIGH SQUARE IS BUILT ON A GRID- WHERE EACH MODULE IS INTERPRETED AS A SINGLE PIXEL: a FLEXIBLE element with which to CONSTRUCT the URBAN picture.

BOUNDARY

MODULE

NEIGHBORING CHILE SQUARE

LANDSCAPE

5. PROGRAMMATICAL> GROUND LEVEL

6. PROGRAMMATICAL> 1 FLOOR PLAN

•museum •sculpture space

•bikeway elevator

concrete

concrete

metal

metal

stone

stone

asphalt

asphalt

water

water

wood

wood

gravel

gravel

earth vegetation grass

earth vegetation grass

shrubs

shrubs

trees

trees

•skate path

•shops •cafÉs •parking lot •handicap SERVICES •waterworks

•outdoor theater

•bikeway •skate path

•shops •cafÉs

•facilities •handicap SERVICES

Social Culture

•library •arts & crafts workshop •dance hall

elevator

•picnic area

Infrastructure Commercial Sporting

•meeting point

•LOOKOUt

Social

•pedestrian TRAILS

Culture

4. MATERIAITY> 1 FLOOR PLAN

4m

4m

BOUNDARY

3. MATERIAITY> GROUND LEVEL

ANDES MOUNTAIN RANGE

N

MATERIALITY IS AN IMPORTANT MOTIF: A WIDE and varied palette allows an eclectic mix that further suggests the presence of pixels which PERMIT for diverse activities to be performed on defined spaces, based by their conjunction and general distribution.

4m

Infrastructure Commercial Sporting

BUILDING--THE--IM.AGE

URBAN UNEXPECTED Our architectures are flexible. They perform activities we could have never anticipated. And even more so happens in the public spheres; that which we create without a specific user, that which belongs to everybody and no one at the same time.

We see the unexpected happenings of public space every day. Their frequent appearances surpass every notion of "phenomena", as they are now an undeniable part of the city.

The open, anonymous and ever-changing platforms of public space contain a range of uses and emergencies that are beyond our memory and perception.

What would we do in case we saw them?

URBAN UNEXPECTEDNESS <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< A THEORETICAL APPROACH TO UNFORSEEN ARCHITECTURAL AND URBAN OCCUPATIONS IN CONTEMPORARY CITIES

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the urban text THERE ARE MANY SITUATIONS IN LIFE WHERE THE ORGANIZATION IS TOO BRUTAL. -ALVAR AALTO

It’s not unusual to address architecture from the fields of linguistics and literature, We have seen multiple examples: From Aldo Rossi and his Tendenza’s structuralist attempts to transfer Ferdinand de Saussure’s methods of linguistic analysis to urban and architectural studies, to the deconstructions of language that Peter Eisenman develops alongside french philosopher Jacques Derrida.

Such relation is not a surprising one.

We, as users, are able to understand the meaning of architecture precisely because it is derived from the same linguistic and syntactic structures we

use to express our thoughts. We coordinate and unite words (elements) to form sentences (forms) and express concepts.

There are conventions of the language when referring to the city. Speech plays a pivotal role in the users’ conception of the urban environment- which is in turn, influenced by the particular and general uses its inhabitants play: slang mentions, atypical practices, folk customs...

Even in the collective imagination we find mentions to referential buildings and verbal attributions of recognizable architectures.

architectural syntax We refer to the familiar through articles; determining morphemes that transform the unknown and abstract into something known and concrete. In turn, that which is familiar is described by possessive determiners: grammatical units that indicate belonging. They state that which we appropiate, legitimately or not.

What about the anonymous?

Prepositions are spatial tools that help us locate vague structures. Those occurrences that are beyond the quick contemporary gaze, often disguised and camouflaged with their environments.

To understand the public space’s discourse, it must be read correctly. We must recognize the common terms of social and architectural languages and find the value that lies within the text.

open ownership spaces

Despite all efforts and actions of control, it is continuously demonstrated that the city grows and expresses its needs and shortages in any way it seems fit.

The consequences of globalization and local capitalism, often focused on the interests of economic and political elites (generating privatization and segregation) have brought a series of contradictions and inconsistencies in the use of public space.

Contemplating the city as a sum of recognizable landmarks implies a quick look that does not percieve through the cracks of the urban territory. It houses subtle architectures that are not documented or studied, unnoticed spaces that hold a series of questions and latent qualities.

Given the failures of urban planning, deviant tactics for the occupation of space have been developed, resulting from the need for survival and subsistence.

An informal urbanism acting as both replication strategy and alternative lifestyle.

The popular platforms of public space continuously modulate a number of functions performed by different users.

Overlapping activities are constantly performed on them, undertaken by the different layers of the same society.

They are unexpected outbreaks of activity that have no fixed location or name. Their location is fleeting and changeable, but always in the scheme of civic space: in s was ten in r (notopen plazas, subway stations, parks, streets, sidewalks, d was o her r 558vacant lots, alleys, etc.

owing from enant: child of the one in Him. [sic]; being at you dness; sss of etting;

Urban space has proved to be that open bracket of undetermined actions, where, in addition to the regulated operations, non-programmed actions take place.

Regardless of its legitimacy or appropriateness, these alternative practices have awakened a new conception of the city. By exploiting the extraordinary environmental and spatial conditions of the city, new uses and alternative occupations have been generated, revealing the metropolitan potential of contemporary cities.

regulated city vs. spontaneous city This is the spontaneous city: one made of informality, improvisation and marginalization. It is designed and trained to survive; it organizes itself, mutates, and manages to remain. It knows how to coexist and dialogue with its surroundings.

More than a typical rivalry, both areas appear to be superimposed.We see a scene of formality and informality interconnected, where legitimacy and illegitimacy are mutually spawned.

Therefore, it is mandatory to generate awareness of this alternative city.

One which may subsequently become an useful tool to account for in future urban plannings. An "inclusive city" posture that enables to make room for the unexpected and embraces the "improper" use of space- which is often revealed to be the most encouraging and interesting.

THANK YOU.

rodriguezpinedag@gmail.com