Architecture Portfolio 2020

Kristel Bataku Architectural Design Portfolio 2020

Atmospheric Light 4

Exploration and Study

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Technical Provocations

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Experiential Moments

Weaving Work Space 10

Occupiable Loom

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Scalar Explorations of Motion

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Decoding Explorations of Motion

Seattle School Of Arts 16

Live and Work Space

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Gray and Blur

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Technical Representations of Edgelessness

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Experiential Translations

Micro-grid: Energy For Africa 26

Understandings

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Applications

Generative Sketching Readings and Re-readings 30

ATMOSPHERIC LIGHT exploration and study Graduate Design 1 | Professor Bradley Walters, Professor Lisa Huang

this project emerges from an idea about a quality of light. as a point of departure, this inquiry began with an exercise on drawing light on a 10’x4’ sheet of paper. then began the process of replicating that light quality. this process involved material and assembly studies. translucent and degrees-of-transparent materials were explored to replicate the light quality. mesh fabrics, wire mesh with varying degrees of opaque plaster coating, plastics, molds, etc. were tested in attempts to find the right quality. a permeable fabric was selected which brought about structural challenges to hold the fabric while attempting to not obstruct the translucent quality as much as possible. metal framing was optimal because its structural integrity at thin dimensions is ideal to reduce the appearance of structure. using right angles, only the profile directly contacting the clothe, while the face side was offset from the clothe.. most of the structure was offset from the clothe as to allow light to fill the

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space between. a fragment of the proposed assembly was constructed at 1:1 scale and tested in the outdoors. building off these original studies, the assembly then informed a program placed within an extreme climate context. the program of a tea house within kuala lampur was chosen as the project within an extreme hot climate. tea farms are common in the area and the ritual of tea ceremonies inspires a meditative space. as a response to the climate, passive cooling strategies were implored: light wood framework is used, the structure is lifted from the ground allowing air to circulate around all sides, slippages and openings in the assembly allow circulation throughout, deep overhead profiles created shadow from sun, sunlight is diminished through opaque and semi-opaque materials. the translucent assembly occurs as an enclosure for the central tea ceremony space. the space remains well lit space but limits visibility to allow removal and invite introspection.

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1: Light Study; 2, & 3: Material studies; 4, 5, 6 & 7: Constructed fragment playing with light, 8. Early joint and assembly study; 9: Extension of assembly study; 10: Light quality results

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ATMOSPHERIC LIGHT technical provocation

Plan, shows the light structure, the rigidity of the structure against the organic tea space, and the meandering quality of the looping circulation.

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section showing verifiability of the tea space, individual viewing spots, and suspension bridge that initiates the procession towards disorientation and removal.

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ATMOSPHERIC LIGHT experiential moments

threshold showing the compressed space that leads to the open vertical space for the tea ceremony

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exterior view of descending figure showing the layers of transparency and translucency that gradually disorient the occupants as they proceed to the tea ceremony space.

interior tea ceremony space showing it’s introverted quality and light connections to the surround spaces

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WEAVING WORK SPACE occupiable loom Graduate Design 2 | Professor Jason Alread, Professor Michael Montoya

as a short abstract exercise preceding a more extensive project of a similar nature, this project served to explore a work space through the lens of “making�. with intrigue from the intricate components of a loom, the process of rug making derived. this process is a laborious one and breaks down into four distinct steps: spooling yarn, dying and drying the yarn, weaving and constructing the rug, washing and drying the rug. the yarn begins as a fine light fiber and it transforms into a large weighty rug. the rug has a functional purpose but it also holds varying modes of expression. it has meaning in the documented motion embedded in the layers of its construction as well as the colors, patterns, and techniques transcribed unto their surfaces. in its final state, the rug appears as a solid through the densely packed and woven yarn but ultimately the actual thing behaves as a porous object. this duality of the product also serves as a point of intrigue and inspiration.

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Photos from Loloi Rugs

the exercise begins with diagramming the steps of rug-making into a language of points, lines, and tones. the motions and tools involved in each step generates multiple readings. With each pass, a new question takes prominence, a new component is the focus. the following sets are a few of the readings.

Diagrams of Rug-making process by step

balling and spinning

drying

weaving

washing

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this portion tracks the movements in the first two steps. it depicts the phases of the yarn as it is spooled to be dyed and then hung to be dried. these steps are closer in relation because the yarn is in its beginning form processing in preparation for weaving.

WEAVING WORK SPACE

scaler explorations of motion

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The final step is the cleaning process which requires washing and drying. this stage highlights the transformation the yarn experiences turning into a larger, unmanageable item. the thing that was once dragged between the fingers becomes larger than the individual.

this tracks and reinterprets the most complex step of rugmaking, the weaving. a loom is the tool used to construct the ensemble and it is intricately structured. the bones of the rug exist in this dense web of an instrument. the loom is very measured and also loose, allowing there to be a universal foundation but with an individual identity. the motions used in the weaving process range between small local movements to larger broad strokes - alternating between both scales. everything is interconnected and through these connections, the integrity of the whole increases.

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WEAVING WORK SPACE decoding explorations of motion

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the diagram served as a study and manipulation of the movements the rug-making process engages. within the diagram live spatial qualities that are of the making process but it requires a reading (and rereading) to interpret into occupiable space. reading the diagram as section, questions about measure, mass, layers, ground, thickness, etc. were imposed. the reading exercise generated iterations of potential sections that are translated to a final translation. the vertical space is largest and reserved for a large loom that the weavers can move around. the weaver can scale upward as the rug progresses or the loom can be adjusted. the horizontal courtyard space is for cleaning and drying of the rugs. the courtyard wants to remain private so it is held between the loom space and the yarn processing space, on the far right. the storage of yarn and spooling occur in the lower levels of while the dying and drying are dispersed around the upper levels.

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mass

layers

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t hi c k n e s s

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SEATTLE SCHOOL OF ARTS live and work space Graduate Design 2 | Professor Jason Alread, Professor Michael Montoya

drawing from the bauhaus school of design, this project is a work and living space for craftsmen. this is a school of arts located in seattle, washington. students require a flexible working space that encourages collaborative work. this school embraces 7 disciplines that are all of equal importance and equal influence; therefore, the school houses a single large shop space for all disciplines to work in a reciprocal fashion. the shop requires unique conditions of a furnace for heating material as well as a pool for cooling material. along with particular amenities, the school needs to be a well lit and flexible. this need for flexibility inspires an attitude for malleable edge conditions. edgelessness presents itself in a permeability of indoor + outdoor, sky + ground, water + ground, as well as public + private. although this school has private space of living and working, there is also a public courtyard bound between the private work space and the public gallery. there exists an additional smaller, floating gallery that is physically only accessible by water.

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SEATTLE SCHOOL OF ARTS gray and blur Moments of Blur Around Seattle

weather

reflection

material

depth

the atmosphere of seattle is gray, a place bound by polar beacons black and white. this in-between condition transcends into the way you experience the city. due to the gray qualities of weather in seattle, the light behave differently. the diffused glow engages reflections, material and depth in a different way unique to the place.

Diagrams of Blurred Edge in Combinations

sky + ground

sky + water

water + ground

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work + live

the gray atmosphere is misinterpreted into a condition of blur. by identifying important aspects within the project the focus became the moment when these aspects interacted. these important components are identified as ground, sky, water, live space and work space. this project aims to dissolve the distinction between these components; it experientially blurs the edge conditions and creates a gray inbetween space.

Longitudinal Studies section

edges

Transverse Studies

section edges

context

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SEATTLE SCHOOL OF ARTS technical representations of edgelessness {Includes work from] Detailing Elective Course | Professor Bradley Walters

this porous material allows the students to experience hovering above a shallow volume of water as well as a deep volume of water which provide two separate experiences.

the facade has a series of operable glass panels that allow fresh air to move through the shop when open but also weather-tight enclosure when closed. the glass allows natural light to flood the open shop space. indoor and outdoors blur.

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this moment allows a blurring between the actual ground and felt ground.

light and heavy converse in the development of edgelessness. the waffle ceiling behaves as a massive ground hovering overhead. the ceiling is both mass and hollow. parts of the waffle module open into a skylight window - this restores the sky in the hovering ground.

the flexibility and dematerialization of the sliding wall system further blurs edges through their duplicity as a solid and porous edge.

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SEATTLE SCHOOL OF ARTS technical representations of edgelessness

the work space and living spaces have visual connections to one another. the courtyard pool footprint is the same as the floating gallery; the excavated void is displaced and redistributed to create this gallery. the floating gallery is only accessible by boat, rending it to be a visual gallery for the people on the main site.

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SEATTLE SCHOOL OF ARTS experiential translations

exterior overall view

exterior courtyard held between studio and gallery

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interior studio adjacent to courtyard showing the blurred edge of inside / outside

interior of studio showing an arrangement of steel partitions and porous ceiling

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MICRO-GRID: ENERGY FOR AFRICA sister cities - durum and micanopy African Architecture | Professor Donna Cohen

working in collaboration with peers, this project is a proposal for future energy solutions for africa submitted for a conference hosted by the center of african studies. the project seeks to link a local town comparable in scale to a town in africa; micanopy, florida was chosen as a parallel to durum, nigeria. studying these two towns in comparison, it is easy to see their commonalities of scale and typography and also their varying approach to city layouts, individual versus communal property, and local resources. the proposal bridges the two towns as a response that can apply to both locations.

Energy for Africa Design Team African Architecture Professor| Donna Cohen Center for African Studies and School of Architecture Ivan Smith Architect in Residence|James Inedu George Architecture Graduate Students| Kristel Bataku, Catherine Champagne, Li-Tzu Chen, Amie Edwards, David Gomez, Fhenny Gracia, Rama Hiba, Megan McReynolds, Frances Membreno UF Collaborator|Morgan Klaevemann

D U R U M durum is a small village in kaduna, nigeria; and is only a few miles away from the stream nearby. the city has a demographic that is mostly consisting of families. residents of durum often have more than wife and have on average up to six children. the average demographic is much younger than that in micanopy and does not have as many elderly. there are few to no single adults and the oldest single adult is 23 years old. these types of demographics normally suggest that this village, just like many other areas in nigeria, is rapidly growing as its youngest members grow up to marry and start their own families. this means that a growing electrical need is taking place and it is important to address it. durum does share several things in common with micanopy and it has some differences as well. for example, both cities have a higher solar radiation, with durum’s reaching an average of 5.25 kwh/m2/d, which is only somewhat lower than north nigeria which can reach as high as 7 kwh/m2/d. like micanopy, durum has seasons, however these seasons divide into the dry season and the wet monsoon season, with the dry season being in january and the wet falling around june. the temperature does not vary throughout the year as nigeria is very close to the equator, normally falling around the high 70s f and the low 80s f. both of areas do have a tendency for heavy rainfall, with durum having an annual average of about 60 inches. unlike micanopy, the wind speed in durum is much lower usually going between 4 to 8 mph. bamboo is much cheaper in nigeria than in micanopy therefore that shall be our main structural material.

M I C A N O P Y

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micanopy is a bit of a smaller slower town (606 residents) that is a few minutes away from gainesville and has access to the highway i-75. the city has a slightly older demographic, with the median age closer to 50 years old. just like the majority of florida, micanopy can be quite wet as it exists in a subtropical environment and can encounter rainy seasons all year long. the annual rainfall averages about 50 inches a year. it is quite humid, it not uncommon to have 100% humidity and the trees growing thickly to mask the undergrowth. despite the trees micanopy has a high solar radiation of 5.3 kwh/m2/d which leans towards the high end in the united states of america. despite the fact that florida exists in a subtropical environment, it does have significant change from season to season. in

the winter, it can be as cold as the 40s f at night, in the summers the temperature can soar to the high 90s f. interestingly, micanopy, like many other southeastern states also partakes in the yearly atlantic hurricane season, which starts in june and ends in november. recently the storms have come to cause less damage in micanopy but it’s still possible to have a powerful storm come through. despite the hurricanes, the wind speed in micanopy is not normally very high during hurricane season as its fastest wind was in january (almost 50 mph), the rest of the year the winds go between 10mph to 20 mph. there are other challenges, besides the elements that the structure would have to overcome. micanopy does have a high insect population, such as termites, so cyprus wood would be more ideal for this city, as it is insect hardy.

solar panel + rain collector plant box holders

bamboo

cypress wood

solar panels

polyester cable

structural screen

micro-grooves fog catcher

hemp rope

accessible platforms

plant box holders

structural framework: bamboo + cypress

solar panels

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MICRO-GRID: ENERGY FOR AFRICA understandings

D U R U M : f a rmi n g loca tion

D U RU M : weat h er av erag es

D U R U M : v egeta ti on den sity

D U RU M : h ou s ing dens it y

Context: DURUM in durum the traditional family dwelling in the mid 1800s of the hausa people such as the sarkin magina village above consisted of a organic form complex of individual buildings that make rooms within a courtyard. there is one gateway into the compound. the separation of rooms consisting of circular and rectilinear geometry between men, women and children are spatially organized according the cultural norm. the complex is demarcated by walls to give privacy, security and r thermal comfort. the fences surrounding compound is open. in durum agriculture was and still is an important part of the hausa people. the farm land is positioned and cultivated outside the complex as a community. (dmochowski, 1988)

P h otos b y I rene B ec k er

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1: The Durum Facade consist of ornate patterns designed by hand by local Hausa builders. The mud plaster layer called makuba provided waterproof barrier for the structure. (Dmochowski, 1988)

2: (Dee_Zign, web, 2019); 3, 4, & 5: The Hasua builders constructed the structures compose of corbelled arches made of azara rods from Deleb palms grown locally. (Dmochowski, 1988)

6: The Hasua typical famer’s house. (Dmochowski, 1988); 7 & 8: Durum typical Hasua dwelling.

(Dmochowski, 1988)

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M I C A N OPY: wea th er av era ges

M I C A NOP Y: h ou s ing dens it y

M I C A N OPY: f a rmin g l oca tion

M I C A NOP Y: v eg et at ion dens it y

Context: MICANOPY in micanopy the traditional family dwelling in the mid 1800s such as the dudley family above were homesteaders. they farmed large portions of land that is equivalent to a village in durum. the single farmhouse structure was designed for thermal comfort with all rooms of the family in one structure. the dudley famliy agriculture was an important part and was adjacent close to the house. today the house is a national park site in micanopy. ( naturalnorth florida, web, 2019)

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9, 10, &11: Farm House and land layout of farms.

(Dana Holmes, 2003)); 1: The Micanopy Cracker house have several modular grid plans, windows

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and door position for cross-ventilation to passively cool the home. a.) Hall and Parlor b.)

Dog Trot c.) Double-Pen d.) “I“ House. (Dana Holmes, 2003)

13 & 14: In Micanopy the traditional home was constructed of local cypress that was insect resisted in a post and lintel construction. (NaturalNorthFlorida, web, 2019)

15: The Micanopy Cracker house has a pitched roof with stick frame construction. Milaminvirginia, web, 2019)); 16: Micanopy typical Single Pen Cracker house. (Dana Holmes, 2003)

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MICRO-GRID: ENERGY FOR AFRICA applications

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aerial of proposal in durum

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proposal in durum

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proposal in galma

aerial of proposal in micanopy

interior view

proposal in micanopy

horizontal assembly

proposal in tuscawilla lake

vertical assembly

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GENERATIVE SKETCHING readings and re-readings Elective Course | Professor Mark McGlothlin

the course explored multiple ways of using drawing as a generative tool for making space and concept. through different formats of study, sketching was the lens that originated and drove the process of work. one exercise aimed to study an object and reproduce a realistic render of the object with a special attention to light and surface. the exercise developed into a diptych where the pair was an abstract analysis of the object. this interpretation isolates major components of the camera and rearranges them in relation to one another mimicking the behaviors and surfaces of the camera. an additional exercise based off douglas darden’s condemned buildings, arranges a collection of household objects into a new related construct which are later are charged with an allegory and re-imagined into a house as a machine for living. this version explores the master and slave dialectic as an internal process. the construct depicts a space for the master, a space for the slave and a joint space that symbolizes the single individual that both characters exist within - a space that bridge and holds the two dichotomies.

a realistic rendering of an antique accordion camera.

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an visual analytical reinterpretation of a camera.

a house as a machine of spirit, the master and the slave as an internal dialogue.

Generative hybrid Imagery

Master Space

Slave Space

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Kristel Bataku Kbataku@gmail.com