Post-pandemic Live+work Units

Studio Project

Independent Work

Instructed by Daniela Leon

Winter 2021 (remote)

This project explores the daily cycle of live and work of students in perspectives of privacy, collectivity, and community. Initial analyses are conducted through the production of a series of relational maps and diagrams that illustrate, document and describe the relationships of a typical life of a student before the COVID Pandemic. The final objective of the design is to re-imagine the criteria of typical student housing in a post-COVID world and create a complex consisting of live/work units. The design was executed in two parts with different targets in mind: while the midterm project was for a small community of 10 with no designated site, the final project was a large residential building for 40 students located in downtown Montréal. The two phases explore different modes of living and working of students: the large complex proposal would take on a more systematic approach suitable for the city, while the small community proposal creates a homey co-living environment. Both aim to integrate the delicate relationship between live and work into the architecture

1

Precedent Analysis

An exploration of urban living and working spaces

2

The Pandemic

A series of diagrams studying the many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on student life pre-pandemic: work pre-pandemic: live post-pandemic: work post-pandemic: live

3 Small Community

A conceptual co-live+work compound for 10 students

The intention of this design is to emulate an apartment-like lifestyle, ensuring sufficient privacy while encouraging social interactions. This is achieved by drawing a clear distinction between individual and collective activities; the possibility of social engagement increases as one move up the building.

The ten live/work units are divided into 3 compounds, where each resident has their own bedroom and working unit with identical floor area. The first floor is the most private as it hosts 10 individual bedrooms. Within each compound, residents can ascend the private stairs to access the common room. The public staircase in the center leads from the first to the third-floor collaborative space. This staircase is intended to be accessed by all 10 residents, as well as visitors if they wish to work/study with on the third floor. From the collaborative space, each resident may enter their private study units. These units are placed on the top floor for optimal natural lighting and views. Each compound includes a terrace space, adjacent to the three gardens that are shared between two compounds.

Introduction to site for the final proposal: ecology

Place Ville-Marie, Montréal

1 Place Ville-Marie

The site analysis portion of this studio was a collaborative effort. I had studied the ecological relations between the site and its urban context. Located in the busiest urban area of Montréal, the central location of Place VilleMarie signifies its connections with the three major ecosystems in the city: Mont Royal, Parc Jean-Drapeau and the St. Lawrance riverfront.

This complex was designed to accommodate both the live and work of 40 students, with the intention of encouraging fluid transition between the two. Located in the busiest urban area of downtown Montréal, the building must ensure the passage of pedestrians on its ground level via the creation of a diagonal underpass.

The top floors include a large event space which is shared with the public. Hence, circulation is crucial to ensure the access of guests as well as safety of students. This is achieved by distributing study floors among the bedroom floors; students will only have to go one or two levels up or down from their bedroom to access the working spaces. The floor plates are split into halves to allow the passage of the central staircase, as well as create opportunities tor more natural lighting. Terraces are distributed throughout to create accessible green space.

This design ensures sufficient personal space while encouraging moments of social interaction. These moments can be found on the bedroom floors, through the contrast between private bedrooms and public programs such as the foyer

Moodbox

Studio Project

In collaboration with Chen Zhuofan&Diba Khamesan Instructed by David Covo Fall 2020

This is my first studio project in architecture school. Its intention is to introduce students to elementary architectural ideas such as rhythm, pattern, lighting, materials, etc. My group and I were assigned Bibliothèque du Boisé in Saint-Laurent, Montréal. We then designed and constructed a subjective, three-dimensional representation of our interpretation of the buiding.