University of Florida Graduate Design Portfolio by kcasasus

STAGNATION AND FLUIDITY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS ARCHIVE AND LIBRARY PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

The city of Philadelphia has a very inviting character for the pedestrian, as walking is the primary mode of transit through the majority of the city grid. The site for the intervention, located adjacent to the Barnes Foundation and the Parkway Central Library, is situated where the orthogonal grid of the city alters and Pennsylvania Avenue diagonally interjects the northwest corner of the site. This angled street creates a segway straight to the site for both vehicular and pedestrian travel.

The site surrounds itself primarily with large-scale public buildings, with the exception of the mixed-use structure to the north, which consists of storefront shops and restaurants on the first level, and apartments on the remaining seven levels. Although the building is taller than some of the other surrounding buildings, the repetitive, structured faรงade makes the building appear more relatable to the human figure. The building seems as though it shorter in height and more inviting than most other buildings in Philadelphia, which are monumental and at times, dominant. In considering how to intervene on a site that lies in between the Parkway Central Library, which is very grand and traditional, with a series of repetitive arches and columns, and the mixed use building to the north that stands as an outlier in the context, the proposed Free Library serves as a mediator between the very public and the more personal design strategies. The library intends to occupy the site in a manner that creates a threshold linking the different characteristics of the surrounding buildings. It will stand slightly taller than the mixed-use structure and be situated on the northwest region of the site, with the primary faรงade running from west to east, where the intervention sits closest to the mixed-use building. This portion of the site is most welcoming to the pedestrian because it is where Pennsylvania Avenue abruptly ends and it faces the shops and restaurants to the north.

The intervention mirrors the rhythmic and repetitive notion of the building to the north, while altering and manipulating the linear structure of the existing structure. The modules will be stretched and compressed in order to accommodate the varied programmatic elements of the library as well as create volumetric voids running through the site from north to south. This gesture maintains pedestrian access through the site as well as establishing new access points and framed views of the Parkway Central Library and city skyline that creates the dynamic Philadelphia skyline. At various points, walkways run through and along the intervention at the pedestrian level, facilitating the relationship to and from the new and existing libraries. The programmed elements of the library are stacked vertically to create the zones of the design. There is an elevated horizontal datum, which runs throughout the building, creating a moment of fluid circulation and movement throughout the building. It shifts at points to accommodate the scale of the programmed elements, serving as the spine of the building, linking the sections together. Stacking the program vertically alters the way in which one occupies a building, controlling the flow of circulation and emphasizing vertical movement within and between the spaces. It allows the spaces to feel more intimate, while still serving the needs of a large public structure, linking the surrounding designs with one another and establishing the threshold between them. This strategy creates new connections between programmatic elements that generally would not be situated in conjunction with one another as well as separates functions, which are usually placed together. It also allows for very dissimilar elements to be placed next to one another, such as cold and hot, dark and light, grounded and floating, mass and void, and loud and quiet. Appealing to opposing sensory qualities in adjacent spaces allows for different elements of the program to become more or less activated at different times of the year when the climate varies drastically, creating comfortable spaces to occupy throughout the seasons.

The thresholds between each vertical chamber become an important aspect of the project, some becoming thickened, carved walls, or a series of walls and others deconstructing, to allow specific programs to begin to blend together. The series of concrete walls dividing the spaced linearly become the dominant system of parallel walls, whereas the walls on the north and south facades serve as a cap for these spaces characterized by a different design language. This second language of walls consists of either opaque concrete walls or translucent glass structured walls with a smaller scale than the perpendicular series of walls. They contain a wood fin faรงade than varies in its density to allow for a variation in translucent and opaque spaces within. The Prodema wood faรงade gives the building a natural feel while maintaining the integrity and longevity of the material. The paneling of the faรงade breaks down the scale of the six-story intervention, creating connections to the human scale and becoming more sparse to create entry points into the building.

LIGHT PHENOMENON BUILDING ENVELOPE - FACADE DESIGN

The lighting phenomenon of a slot canyon is unique in the aspect that there is a constant quality of diffused light that occurs as a result of the undulating contour of the eroded rock. When the sunlight is directed into the rippling rock formations under very specific circumstances, a heavenly beam of light appears within the canyon. The streak of white light only appears if there are particles in the air, such as dust or water which reflect light for a few brief moments.

The faรงade study is an interpretation of the light quality of a slot canyon. There are vertical major planes that shift to create gaps of various sizes. Some of the sheering planes create light pockets, while others are large enough for occupants to inhabit. The vertical planes are comprised of textured layers that create a secondary scale with a linear horizontal gesture. The linear elements result in variations of transparency across the screen and are assembled to create a decomposing or peeling back effect. Diffused light enters the building through the horizontal pieces, creating textured shadows on the interior surfaces. In contrast, the sheering gaps within the large vertical panels allow harsh streaks of direct light to enter the building at angles that mimic the light phenomenon of the slot canyon. These direct light beams are temporary and fleeting, resulting in an interior lighting condition that is constantly transitioning.

RITUAL RELEASE SACRED SPACE FOR CATHARSIS

Burning Man festival symbolizes many ideologies, most of which involve the concept of catharsis, or the release of a burdensome emotion. Burning man is unique in the fact that it is an extremely precise and calculated city layout that is constructed, celebrated, and deconstructed in less than a monthâ€™s time. The radial grid system consists of a monumental human figure at the center with a ring like city of festival attendees surrounding it at a distance. This fleeting or temporary essence allows the city and its inhabitants to live with a sense of unrestrained freedom and an influx of whimsical creativity because everything that is created will either be burned or disassembled after the duration of the weeklong ritual. This aspect of impermanence enables people to create in a manner that would not occur in reality because they face the limitations of criticism by others.

The festival aims to distance visitors from the burdens of everyday life, allowing them to reconnect with nature and the purest form of their soul. The ritual of burning the forty-foot statue symbolizes a return to the essential elements of nature and a release of societal toxicity. The intervention inhabits the ritual of a cathartic release of negative emotions such as anger or grief. It welcomes all visitors including one suffering the loss of a loved one, recovering from substance abuse, someone who has recently been released from prison, or simply someone who is enduring the stresses of daily life. The vertical sequence of spaces aims to facilitate emotional reflectance, acceptance, and release that results in a sense of calmness and faith. It is situated deep in a pine forest to alleviate the influences of society, similar to the isolated location of Burning Man. The approach through the woods to the intervention allows the process of reflectance to begin, inspiring visitors to look inwards as they immerse themselves in nature.

The threshold to the building is a narrow, partially enclosed corridor that facilitates an individual flow of circulation, not allowing individuals to gather in this space. The resulting space is slightly larger in scale, with a low ceiling that is sculpted to allow only streaks of light to enter into the interior, inciting visitors to look downwards in order to proceed safely. This dark space allows individuals to reflect and mourn in silence as they are isolated from society and are almost entirely devoid of their senses. As the visitor ascends, the subsequent spaces gradually become more deconstructed to incorporate the sights, smells, and sounds of the surrounding environment into the sensory cathartic experience, giving them a sense of hope and purity from nature. As the program ascends, the spaces become more strenuous to access, enabling visitors to persevere with determination in order reveal the final stages of the cathartic experience. This leads to the final vertical spaces provide various platforms where occupants can gather and observe the migrating butterflies that surround the structure, symbolizing the final release of their burdens.

ARCTIC BATH HOUSE BLUE RIVER l GREENLAND

This intervention is located along the remote Blue River in Greenland, where the terrain is constantly shifting due to the melting ice sheet. The bath house serves as a resting point that responds to the changing landscape, creating a comfortable pool of water submerged in the arctic river. The melting ice sheet creates a river that flows calmly until a point at which there is a crack in the ice sheet, where the water rushes forcefully through the ice sheet and into the ocean.

The structure hovers along the edge of the steep ice wall which gradually shifts away from the bath house as it melts, revealing an intricate glass wall that reflects direct and diffused light. It is visited primarily by researchers because of the harsh climate and difficult accessibility. Occupants access the structure by kayak, choosing either to dock at the threshold of the building or paddle through the structure straight to the access point of the pool.

The building is comprised of three zones with a series of piles marking the approach as well as the level of melted ice sheet over time. The entry zone sculpts direct low sunrays along the river side and diffused light rays bouncing off of the ice wall and the crystal clear water along the sheltered edge of the building. The tower contains a deep pool with a fire pit hovering over it and an option to descend a ladder and plunge into the freezing river. The end of the structure reveals a glass wall that allows the occupant to experience the deep ridges that have been carved into the eroding ice wall by the flowing water. The tower is anchored by a deep pool that allows occupants to experience a similar exhilarating plunge into the river, but in a controlled climate. Lastly, visitors can swim to a shallow bath in a structure that resembles a boat and allows one to occupy a pool of warm water at the level of the river.

DESERT BATH HOUSE LENCOIS MARANHENSES l BRAZIL

LenĂ§Ăłis Maranhenses National Park, located in Brazil, is a unique desert containing pools with fluctuating levels of water from a nearby river and collection of rain water. The larger pools, spanning up to 300 meters in diameter, remain filled throughout the year because impermeable rock below does not allow the water to drain. The intervention hovers over the water, anchored at either end in the dunes. The vast approach to the structure reveals itself and becomes hidden as the dunes shift. The interior contains a series of paths that are connected with a stream of water that reveals the level of rainwater collection to visitors as they near the building. One path leads to a floating pool that shifts up and down with the fluctuating water levels. It is partially indoor and partially exposed to the natural environmental elements, making it necessary for visitors to swim under a dividing wall to reach the outdoor portion of the pool when it is at its highest level. The water level also determines whether occupants step up or down in order to enter the pool.

The continuing path leads to a secondary bath that is temporary in its nature because it fills naturally with rainwater during the rainy season and evaporates during the dry season. This pool is connected to a well with a tall wind chamber that serves to direct the breeze and works with the folding faรงade screen to naturally ventilate the interior. The tower serves as a landmark among the vast dunes as well as a vantage point where visitors can ascend a ladder to gain an aerial perspective of the landscape.

ILLUMINATED HORIZON OCHLOCKONEE BAY l FLORIDA

The experience of the coast along the Florida panhandle is restrained to the ground conditions, as there are few opportunities to view the landscape from an aerial perspective. The terrain is primarily understood through automobile, boat, or foot and when driving along this coast, only glimpses of the water are obtained periodically, as there is a buffer of lush pine forest along most of Route 98. It is part of human nature to desire a view from ground level as well as a more distanced aerial perspective in order to gain a complete understanding of the landscape and the relationships between its components. This allows visitors to comprehend the shifting edges of water, vegetation, wildlife, and the city grid systems that intertwine and comprise of the organic coastline of the Ochlocknee Bay. Along this edge, the fluctuating boundaries of the horizontal plane shift towards a vertical axis where the water from the Ochlocknee meets the edge of the pine forest.

The intervention comprises of a star gazing tower along with dwellings for six individuals, both locals and snowbirds. The structure serves as an interruption amongst the monotonous horizon and stitches the hybrid landscape together while highlighting the different experiential boundaries. Wakulla County, located along the forgotten coast of the Florida panhandle, has some of the darkest skies in the region, making for optimal star gazing conditions. The characteristics of the site make it an opportunity to view and photograph the core of the Milky Way to the south with the naked eye without the disruption of city lights.

The visitors engage with the landscape at a personal scale as they walk through the array of pines from their car to the extended boardwalks leading towards the vertical portion of the star gazing tower. The boardwalks shift vertically as the tide fills in across the landscape each day, gradually elevating the floating platforms. This creates connections and separations between each platform, changing the manner in which one experiences the approach with tidal and seasonal shifts. One might walk across a flush threshold at high tide whereas the link between two planes might become a two-foot difference that the visitor climbs at low tide. The vertical elements of the structure are rooted and heavy with the intention of withstanding the test of time and the forces of nature along the hurricane prone coastline. They are sparse on the outskirts of the project and become dense where the itinerary is more profound. The dwellings are delicately suspended throughout the structure, creating intermediate horizontal zones within the dominant vertical datum.

The individual dwellings for visitors have operable screened features that change the spatial character of each pod to accommodate the shifting climate throughout the stay. The walls, floors, and overhead conditions can be modified to enhance the lighting, cooling, and visual qualities of the space. The dwellings are intended to be permeable and allow nature to pass through them, meaning that they exist in a temporal state and may not survive a strong storm, whereas the structure will endure.

The vertical circulation core links the long expanse at ground level with the quick expanse that the star gazing space provides at the top of the 100-foot tower. The tide gradually fills a container with water which is released with a pulley system into a deep cavern, in turn, allowing the visitors to gather and ceremoniously ascend to the top of the structure each night as they embark of their star gazing experience. The vertical core is enclosed with a wooden screened skin that frames specific views, while denying the sight of the expansive horizon in order to emphasize the panoramic view at the height of the tower.

REPRESENTATIVE DRAWING MECHANICS l TIME l MEASURE l MEMORY