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UCL | Architectural Design MArch 2026 ID: 26211500

Architecture Portfolio / Juan Miguel Anzola Garcia

Profile

Juan Miguel Anzola Garcia ID application: 26211500

I explore architecture through materials and territory, using design to understand how spaces generate a meaningful impact. My work is grounded in experimentation and a close attention to detail. From territorial scales to material choices, I explore alternatives that aim for an architecture that is both resilient and responsive to its context. This portfolio is a selection of academic, professional, and exploratory works that have defined my practice over time. Each project seeks to answer a specific question, while always considering the social, political, and cultural factors of its immediate environment. Bachelor of Architecture | Pontificia Universidad Javeriana | Bogotá, Colombia | 2023 Independent Practice | 2023 - Present Contact: juanmiguelanzolag@gmail.com +57 3214508876 Bogotá, Colombia

Content

Between River and Shadow

Reactive Ruins

Urban Centers LAB

pg. 4

pg. 12

pg. 18

Rasante: A Column Kitchen

PSI 3000

pg. 22

pg. 24

01 Between River and Shadow

Fieldwork photography, Guaviare (2022)

Thesis Project / Academic Work, 2022

Contemporaneity, marked by uncertainty, environmental crisis, and social inequality, demands an architecture capable of offering alternative, sustainable, and efficient responses. This proposal advocates for a resilient, adaptable, transformable, restorative, mutable, and horizontal architecture, oriented toward the riverine communities along the Guaviare River. The river is understood as a regional axis of connection, explored firsthand through a 100 km journey from San José del Guaviare to Puerto Nare, engaging directly with local communities to understand their spatial practices, needs, and culture. The design proposes an itinerant floating facility that acts as a territorial articulator, providing basic services in health, education, and cultural expression, and responding to the precarious living conditions of a vulnerable and neglected population. All images and documentation presented here were personally produced during this fieldwork.

01 - Between River and Shadow / Academic Work

Thesis project / Selected Works

Barrancón

Comunidad Jiw - Cornelio El Mielón

Puerto Tolima

Puerto Colombia

Palmeras Mocuare

Resguardo Caño La Sal

San Lorenzo Puerto Nare Cachiveras de Nare

San José del Guaviare

Fig. 01 - Mapping of riverside settlements and territorial nodes along the 100 km Guaviare River corridor. How can we reimagine the river, shifting from a boundary that divides to an axis that connects?

Fig. 02 - Field research on riverside dynamics: (left) Institutional interface; (center) Sikuani family dynamics; (right) Domestic knowledge transfer. (Source: Author’s field research). The lack of adaptability in architecture to the needs of the Guaviare

responsibility of deciphering social complexities to propose uncon-

ability to grow and evolve; restoration: a commitment to environmen-

riverine communities is a direct consequence of systemic state neglect,

ventional, sustainable, and high-performance alternatives. From this

tal health and the landscape; mutability: allowing for constant modi-

persistent socio-political conflicts such as armed struggle and forced

reflection, architecture for the contemporary era must be defined

fication in response to context; and horizontality: a practice that en-

displacement and the rigorous climatic and topographical conditions

by its resilience: the capacity to withstand and recover from natural

gages in a reciprocal exchange of knowledge with adjacent cultures.

of the immediate environment. In an era defined by uncertainty, envi-

phenomena; adaptability: the flexibility to respond efficiently to im-

This approach seeks an architecture capable of transforming system-

ronmental crisis, and systemic inequality, architecture must assume the

mediate surroundings and emerging realities; transformability: the

ic challenges into opportunities for dignity and territorial resilience.

01 - Between River and Shadow / Academic Work

Thesis project / Selected Works

Fig. 03 - Field research on riverside dynamics: (left) four kids play at home; (center) Abandoned Sikuani communal structure; (right) Local inhabitant in his domestic environment. (Source: Author’s field research).

Fig. 04 - Scenario: What if the Guaviare River became a regenerative axis, where architecture moves with the water to restore social and territorial equity? 6

01 - Between River and Shadow / Academic Work

Thesis project / Selected Works

10.5m

21m

N 01. Health service floor plan

N 03. Educational hub floor plan

5.5m

02. Arts & culture floor plan

04. Longitudinal elevation

05. Longitudinal section a-a’

06. Transverse elevation

Fig. 05 - Architectural set plans

07. Exploded isometric view

09. Top-view isometric

08. Transverse section b-b’

10. Worm’s-eye isometric view

mts. 1

01 - Between River and Shadow / Academic Work

Thesis project / Selected Works

Detail 01. Roof junction assembly.

HEALING SANCTURAY

CULTURAL VESSEL

LEARNINNG COMMONS

Fig. 06 - Sectional perspective - spatial sequence: This sectional view captures the intersection of the three primary axes: health services, education, and arts & culture. the modular junction facilitates a shared spatial sequence where diverse public programs overlap under a unified rainwater management roof system.

Fig. 07 - Visualisations - clockwise from top left: [1] general riverfront view; [2] perimeter gallery; [3] roof intersection; [4] interior of the cultural vessel. 8

01 - Between River and Shadow / Academic Work

Thesis project / Selected Works

Photovoltaic array Solar energy system

Detail 02. Solar array integration and mounting brackets.

Reclaimed timber roofing Upcycled wood deck

Fig. 12 - Accordion-fold screen: handcrafted guadua & steel profiles.

Detail 03. Reclaimed timber roof pattern.

Primary bamboo structure (Guadua)

Detail 04. Structural bamboo joint: column-beams connection.

Recycled PVC slatted flooring Synthetic timber decking

Fig. 13 - Base module: 3x3m ordering principle.

Detail 05. Reclaimed timber deck pattern.

Guadua bamboo sub-frame Primary floor joists

Detail 06. Sub-structure spport nodes for flooring deck.

Buoyancy system: Upcycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) barrels

Fig. 14 - Scale model picture (1:50)

Detail 07. Fixing straps, barrel frame, and flotation logic.

Fig. 08 - Exploded isometric structure. 9

01 - Between River and Shadow / Academic Work

Thesis project / Selected Works

Program: Crew quarters. Crew & public facilities.

Healing Sanctuary

Galley. Rainwater harvesting & photovoltaic system.

Total area 658 m²

Primary care unit.

Health 205

Oral health studio.

Arts and culture 235

Clinical observation wards (a-b-c).

Education 218

Incestral knowledge chamber o traditional healing space. General consultation suite.

NIN

Crew & guest changing rooms.

Cultural Vessel

Diagnostic & imaging laboratory.

R LEA

M CO

Open-air multipurpose forum: - Keynote exchange. - Screening & media sessions. - Acoustic ensembles. - Performing arts stage. - Circular assembly: peacebuilding through arts. Open culinary lab: regional gastronomy workshops.

Learning commons

Storage: seating inventory, av equipment & musical instruments. Educational tech repository: - Technical hardware. - Cutting station. - Digital workstations.

SEL

LTU

Modular open-air learning studio. - Mobile interactive board. - Computers - Modular workstations. - Therapeutic education activities.

ES LV

Social Infrastructure: How does a mobile program respond horizontally to territorial needs?

The architectural program is conceived as a dynamic social infrastructure designed to address the historical lack of basic services in the Guaviare re-

S ING

HEA

AY UR

gion. Organized into three specialized floating modules: Healthcare (Healing Sanctuary), Education (Cultural Vessel), and Arts & Culture (Learning Commons). The system operates through a logic of fluvial itinerancy. Each unit functions as an autonomous, self-sufficient vessel equipped with specialized facilities, including medical consulting rooms, technology workshops, and a peace communication center. By decoupling the program into mobile artifacts, the project transitions from static architecture to a responsive territorial network, ensuring a continuous presence along the river through strategic deployment and 15-day anchorage cycles.

Fig. 09 - Spatial Program Diagram: Internal Distribution. 10

01 - Between River and Shadow / Academic Work

Thesis project / Selected Works

HEALING SANCTURAY: A-I Linear Sweep (weekly) CULTURAL VESSEL: I-A Strategic Linear Deployment (15 day stationary phase) LEARNINNG COMMONS: Zonal Operation (x2 weekly) Zone A: E-D-C-D-C-B-C-B-A Zone B: E-F-G-F-G-H-G-H-I

Fig 10. - Fluvial itinerancy: territorial logic & operational cycles. 11

02 Reactive Ruins

Fieldwork photography, La Calera (2022)

Industrial Heritage / Academic Work, 2021 In collaboration with: Gregorio Lizarazo & Juan Camilo Arcila

Due to its strategic location bordering the Chingaza National Natural Park, this site serves as a vital node for a science and environmental hub. The project explores first-hand the conservation of the Páramo, a unique and fragile ecosystem found in only a few countries worldwide.The proposal seeks the revitalization of a former industrial structure, reimagining its purpose to mitigate its historical impact on the landscape. By transforming a site once dedicated to quarry extraction and cement production, the intervention acts as a symbolic and physical counter-balance: it acknowledges the environmental cost of the cement used to build the modern city and proposes a new era of ecological stewardship and scientific research.

02 - Reactive Ruins / Academic Work

Industrial Heritage / Selected Works

Parque Natural Nacional Chingaza

La Calera La Siberia, Industrial Complex La Calera Mine Palacio Mine Fig 01. - Industrial landscape: Mapping of extraction quarries within the Eastern Hills (Parque Natural Nacional Chingaza). a) Ecological Framework: Impact & Restoration.

b) Vulnerable Structure: Pre-Intervention State

c) Macro-Infrastructure Rethink.

g) Teusacá River Canalization

d) Infrastructure Deficit: Civic Scarcity e) Landslide Susceptibility Fig 02. - Territorial Identification: Solid vs. Void

f) Territorial Disarticulation

Fig 03. - Territorial Diagnosis: Ecological & Urban Tensions 13

02 - Reactive Ruins / Academic Work

Industrial Heritage / Selected Works

Fig. 04.1 - Riverfront Observation Deck

Fig. 04.2 - Repurposed Aerial Tramway

Fig. 04.3 - Multimedia Arts Plaza

Fig. 04.4 - Industrial Flue & Heritage Plaza

Fig 04. - General axonometric view: Spatial synthesis of the industrial complex and the urban landscape treatment within its immediate context. 14

02 - Reactive Ruins / Academic Work

Industrial Heritage / Selected Works

Fig 05. - What if we treat the industrial ruins of the Páramo as a new ground for ecological evolution? 15

02 - Reactive Ruins / Academic Work

Industrial Heritage / Selected Works

Fig 07. - Ground Floor Plan: Public Realm & Urban Ecology

Fig 08. - Second Floor Plan: Knowledge & Research Hub

Fig 06. - General site plan of the industrial complex

Fig 09. - Third Floor Plan: Eco-Labs 16

02 - Reactive Ruins / Academic Work

Industrial Heritage / Selected Works

Fig 10. - Sectional Perspective A

Fig 11. - Sectional Perspective B

Fig 12. - General Exploded Axonometric View

Fig 13. - Sectional Perspective Primary Volume 17

03 Urban Centers LAB

Fieldwork photography; Centro Intenacional, Bogotá (2022)

Urbanism / Academic Work, 2020 In collaboration with: Gregorio Lizarazo, Juan Camilo Arcila & Federico Uribe The Urban Centers LAB seeks new paradigms to address systemic challenges, focusing on the development of innovative devices driven by emerging modes of local development and contemporary global dynamics. This study specifically examines the Centro Internacional in Bogotá, a district defined by its strategic location as a historic business hub, its proximity to the eastern hills (a vital natural boundary), and its connection to Calle 26, a primary urban axis.

03 - Urban Centers LAB / Academic Work

Urbanism / Selected Works The Nolli map and axonometric projection, acting as multiscalar tools for urban deciphering, enable the formulation of efficient strategies within the contemporary city. This study specifically examines the Centro Internacional in Bogotá a district defined by its strategic legacy as a historic business hub, its proximity to the Eastern Hills (a vital natural boundary), and its connection to Calle 26, a primary urban axis. The analysis reveals a sector fundamentally fractured by the very transport arteries that, while serving as regional connectors, act as physical barriers at the local scale. Key phenomena are identified: Fluctuations through district displacement; Reorganization marked by generational shifts and ‘hidden poverty’; and Confluences where rising tourism and cultural growth fuel new hospitality and service nodes. In response, a catalogue of strategies is proposed, resulting in the deployment of a tactical architectural toolkit designed to mediate between global flows and local heritage, ensuring the urban

Fig 01. - Nolli Plan

Fig 02. - Programatic Nolli Plan

Fig 03. - Urban Axonometric: Centro Internacional (1:500)

Fig 04x. - Urban Axonometric: Cementerio Central (1:500)

center remains a resilient, inclusive, and integrated living laboratory.”

Fig 05. - Detailed Axonometric: Spatial Interventions (1:50) 19

03 - Urban Centers LAB / Academic Work

Urbanism / Selected Works

0.1 Regenerate

a) Courtyard Park

0.2 Insert

b) Urban Garden

c) Urban Park

d) Permeable sidewalks

b) Artificial Cycle

a) Industrial Shed

0.3 Activate

c) Selective demolition

d) Epiphyte

e) Infiltrated Building

f) Parasitic Devices

a) Continuous Trace

a) Urban courtyard

0.5 Connect

0.4 Permeate

b) Platform

g) Versatile Box

b) Spatial Release

c) Active Courtyards

a) Bike lanes

b) Metro

Fig. 06 - Multi-Scalar Urban Integration: Strategic synthesis of intermodal mobility, parasitic architectural insertions, and regenerative ecological cycles. 20

03 - Urban Centers LAB / Academic Work

Urbanism / Selected Works

Fig. 07 - Atmospheric Imaginaries: Spatial Narratives - Centro Internacional 21

04 Rasante: A Column Kitchen

On-site photography, Cartagena (2023)

IProfessional Project, 2023

This experience developed my understanding of material logic and execution. I designed the second floor and managed construction, budget, and suppliers. A key challenge was the kitchen, where a disruptive column became a focal geometric anchor. Working with recycled materials and on-site craftsmen exposed me to a scale of precision previously unknown. Observing the assembly of bespoke furniture, where each joint functioned as a puzzle, allowed me to witness the tectonic synthesis of design and craft, bridging the gap between abstract planning and physical construction.

04 - A Column Kitchen / Professional Work

2023 / Selected Works

Fig. 01 - Construction Chronicles: On-site Craftsmanship & Material Logic

Fig. 02 - Built Work: Final Material Synthesis

Fig. 03 - The Column as a Structural Axis 23

05 PSI 3000

Fieldwork photography, Bogotá (2022)

Material Exploration / Built Object, 2025

The project originates from a discarded concrete compression-test cylinder (3000 PSI) retrieved from a construction site. Originally produced as a technical specimen to verify structural resistance, the cylinder was intended to be destroyed after testing. The project repositions this structural remnant within a domestic context, transforming an object of measurement into an object of light.

05 - PSI-3000 / Material Exploration

Personal Project / Selected Works

Fig. 01 - Field survey: Recovery of 30 concrete specimens from construction waste. 25

05 - PSI-3000 / Material Exploration

Personal Project / Selected Works

a) Drilling

b) Measuring/Marking

c) Electrical Wiring

d) Assembly

e) Soldering

f) Final Assembly

Figure 02. How can discarded fragments become structural through assembly alone? Materials and components: Structure: Refurbished concrete cilinder 3000 PSI Diffuser: Recycled opal glass sphere

we can re-evaluate the potential of existing materials—turning industrial waste into intentional design to minimize our environmental footprint. The environmental toll of modern construction demands a critical re-eval-

Ceiling Rose: Plastic 10cm diameter

uation of our consumption roots. This project serves as a material reflec-

Power Cable: 2x12 AWG jacketed cable.

tion on how industrial discards, often viewed as terminal waste, can be

Switch Type: metallic toggle switch. Light Source: Warm Lighting Bulb 15-25 W / 2700k Fig. 02 - Self-initiated study on construction waste and mechanical assembly.

By tracing the roots of construction back to its consumption patterns,

reimagined through intentional design. By integrating refurbished concrete test cylinders and recycled opal glass, the work shifts from mere fabrication to a circular architectural practice.

05 - PSI-3000 / Material Exploration

Personal Project / Selected Works

Fig. 03 - Final result: Inert Waste / Luminous Object 27

2026