natalia enriquez goyes | portfolio 2024

table of contents

natalia enriquez goyes portfolio

sitopia

the bank

if we fix the housing crisis without addressing the climate crisis we’re still fucked

ha/lf studio mass timber work samples page 2 urban planning page 11 circularity page 19 policy | urban planning page 29 LCA | research page 32 institutional retrofit page 33 new build design

sitopia

From the Greek word sitos meaning ‘food’ and utopia meaning ‘good place’ or ‘no place’, sitopia translates to ‘Food Place’. Sitopia aims to connect food producers with food consumers by taking advantage of the underutilized open space networks in Toronto’s declining industrial employment lands. Sitopia becomes an urban agriculture conceptual tool to help emphasize the dynamic relationship between food and place: how we produce it, access it, and consume it.

Employment lands are a vital part of Toronto’s economy, however, more core employment is moving out of the city. They are seen as places of opportunity to rethink the urban fabric. Bermondsey is a diminishing core employment area experiencing poor access to fresh foods while near open space networks like the Don Valley and the hydro corridor.

Sitopia aims to preserve these employment lands while promoting density and mixed-use to create more balanced work-life districts through food production (food districts) in areas that experience uneven access to fresh food.

Sitopia is a prototype of what employment lands could be to augment food production (food sovereignty) and allow for greater social intervention through the right to grow.

Roberto Damiani

Natalia Enriquez Goyes

Jenna Gauder

Clara Ziada

access to food

Eglinton LRT

bus route

proposed bus route supermarkets (500m buffer)

food banks

convenience stores

multi-use area

new food services

PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS

goals porosity

increase porosity / accessibility between industrial & residential areas

food security

improve access to amenities + food security for local workers + residents

densification

increase number of affordable rental housing units how?

aquaponics & hydroponics

soil based

roof garden

individual communal commercial

possibility for urban agriculture pedestrian networks

sidewalk

existing pedestrian path

proposed pedestrian path

proposed pedestrian network

cycle path

existing community building

proposed community building

greenspace

by using existing third landscapes to introduce pedestrian paths within large industrial blocks, fragmenting large industrial blocks

by adding a public interface between industrial buildings and building realm through the use of commercial + “green” units

by introducing food-related program and amenities for local workers + residents

by implementing continuous mixed-use corridor with affordable rental units and food providers

by fragmenting commercial streetfront - functioning as an appealing public interface between industrial & residential zones while maintaining local business & the character of the neighbourhood

Agriculture is possible outside of urban areas where there is room to grow outwards. As land value increases, and space is limited especially in cities, we must rethink the ways in which we grow. Instead of growing outwards, we must grow upwards.

utilize open space

Ample open space offered by Bermondsey’s employment lands gives great opportunity for agricultural intervention. Vertical farming, utilizing open rooftop spaces and converting hardscapes will allow for the integration of urban farming within the city’s industrial areas.

program grow + recreation type of intervention community node scale of intervention n/a % of intervention: n/a F.A.R. n/a

grow + commercial industrial (public interface) green roof small 15% 0.17

grow + industrial (public interface) greenhouse medium 100% 0.16

grow + multi-use (residential, parking, retail, production) greenhouse / terrace gardens medium 30% 5.5 office solar panels n/a n/a varies (0.95 - 2.0)

grow + mixed use green roof / balcony gardens medium 15% 5.8

grow + commercial greenhouse medium

grow + industrial / institutional greenhouse green roof large 80% 1.4

multi-use (residential, parking, retail, food production) green roof / greenhouse roof medium 30% 3.0

grow + mixed use greenroof / balcony gardens small 5% 3.2

grow + industrial greenhouse roof medium - large 30% varies (0.95 - 2.0)

grow + waste green roof large 100% 2.7

buffet of agricultural typologies

initial interventions focus on optimizing underutilized industrial building areas, open parking lots, and public green spaces - co-opting them for food production at various scales

o’connor drive | phase two

by integrating urban food networks and agriculture into subutilized employment lands, areas like Bermondsey can have access to affordable, sustainable, and nutritious foods - helping to support growing communities

o’connor drive | public realm

the bank

Through a continuous circular flow of materials, the material bank connects donors to builders, users, and consumers. Following material networks of supply and demand where social interactions of lending and borrowing these materials are created, The Bank becomes invested in the neighborhood and connects it to the larger market as a whole. In this way, it not only becomes a bank of materials, but also a bank for information.

The center acts as a physical and social infrastructure mediating between people and materials. It provides a space of education, information sharing and material distribution. Besides serving as a storage facility, The Bank inventories incoming construction material, catalogues upcoming demolitions, and tests/educates the public on new assemblies. It lends the community a toolkit for building and constructing change.

website year project location studio instructor team

https://materialbank.cargo.site/ Spring 2021

Harlem New York

Sam Dufaux

Natalia Enriquez Goyes

Clara Ziada

linear consumption take make | throw energy from finite sources

circular consumption take make | repeat energy from regenerative sources

developing a strategy

Challenging the canon of linear economy, The Bank highlights the lost potential of material “waste.” We treat the building as a new home for materials within a continuous recovery and reutilization process.

This narrative lends itself to a focus on embodied energy where the material choices, their life cycle considerations, and design for (dis)assembly become main strategies. Its role as an urban mine makes it an interface in which materials can be stored, regulated, and transformed. The project stands as an intermediary between multiple iterations of disassembly and new assembly.

community resource

material catalogue + depot dismantle, process, trade tool library makerspace skillsharing design for disassembly

mass timber structure panelized enclosure system adaptable mechanical systems

community resource

rainscreen cladding exterior shelving material bank in 3 ways

use a standard structural grid provide a full inventory of materials used

pv panels / retractable roof panels

geothermal radiant ceiling panels for heating / cooling

large openings / double height spaces for natural ventilation

flexible enclosure for passive heating / cooling

water from porous paving / rainwater on roof / greywater systems collected in underground cisterns

geothermal + ground source heat pumps

materialwarehouse adminbuilding

threethermalenvironments

recycled windows as roof panels

regularcolumngrid

mass timber structure with sherpa connections

CLT walls DLT floor deck reclaimed exterior cladding

lightweight ETFE enclosure

rubble trench foundation with concrete slab

fixedcoredoubleheightstoreys

mutlipurposesemi-enclosed publicspace structuredesignedfor fill-insinglefloorslabs

a place for neighbourhood gossip for retreating for playing for learning for hiding from the rain for thinking and for snacks a space and stucture built from and for material reuse

abuilding

for “waste”

the afterlife of a building

once the complex has reached the end of its useful life it serves as a mine, building components are deconstructed and reabsorbed into the urban fabric

How do we reduce carbon emissions in the suburbs while accommodating a rapidly growing population?

if we fix the housing crisis without addressing the climate crisis, we’re still fucked

Canadians have some of the highest carbon emissions per capita in the world. Our culturally entrenched demand for space, privacy, and personal property has made Canadian housing standards financially and environmentally unsustainable.

This project revisits the post-war bungalow, a generic typology, mass-produced and typical throughout Canada, as an opportunity to provide low cost, low carbon dwellings.

Focusing on my parents’ house in London (Ontario’s fastest growing city) as a prototype, I explore how the average homeowner can provide new dwelling units using carbon-conscious retrofits and additions, while minimizing material and operational carbon emissions.

year project location thesis advisor Spring 2022 London, Ontario Kelly Alvarez Doran

where s our carbon footprint coming from?

the “dream house” problem

what does success mean to Canadians? a big new house with a white picket fence

our carbon-intensive lifestyles are a cultural problem, and culture is shaped by policy, finance, and design - converging in the CMHC

response at federal / provincial / municipal levels primarily focuses on appealling to large scale builders and investors

canada is one of the biggest culprits in the climate crisis

canadians have some of the highest per capita carbon emissions in the world - largely due to the way we live

at 58 sqm per person, we have some of the biggest houses in the world, material-intensive enormous spaces with high heating demands, car dependency, and large lots taking over more and more greenfield areas

we can’t afford to buy... or rent

a lack of affordable housing options, along with profit-driven commodification of housing is (in theory) driving booming new housing construction

however, affordable housing stock is being torn down for luxury housing - over 90% of new housing in canada is bluxury housing uilt for ownership, not rental (this is just not profitable)

why is new construction pitched as the only solution to the housing deficit?

we can’t afford to buy a home... but we can’t afford to rent one either

we can’t afford to buy a home... but we can’t afford to rent one either

small cities are carrying most of Canada’s population growth and new construction boom

why is more construction pitched as the only solution to the housing deficit?

shortage of dwellings, not houses

why should toronto care about the suburbs

while much focus and research focuses on densifying urban cores, the majority of current population growth in Canada is concentrated in small and mid-size suburban cities

suburban sprawl cancels out the carbon footprint savings of dense urban cores

how much of this is the builder’s choice? how much is the homebuyer’s decision? how much influence does an architect have in this process?

understanding the role of policy + the CMHC in shaping “the norm”

key takeaways

what if carbon-conscious living starts with picking aluminum siding over brick?

how can we convince people to ditch their car for short trips (<5km)?

how do we address the issue of carbon emissions without acknowleding as a cultural phenomenon?

can we better utilize our existing buildings for dwelling?

garages & basements are either vastly underutilized / serve as multipurpose spaces

carbon-conscious living is seen as expensive and unattainable (I can’t afford a Tesla!)

people live together (only) out of necessity (independence is king)

we demand a lot of space (that we don’t need or use)

people love their cars (I value my time and my comfort)

people travel the furthest to socialize individualized amenities

buying a new house is (still) the american canadian dream

can we create shared spaces that prioritize privacy and independence? can we decrease car dependence by providing more / better gathering spaces and externalizing them from the home?

housing shortage + construction frenzy

existing manufacturing industry proximity to natural resources local trade college one of the fastest growing cities in canada

london as a prototype

london as a prototype opportunities in southcrest

london as the generic (replicable)

london as a unique intersection of opportunities

already a neighbourhood with pockets of density proximity to a range of amenities

southcrest

and provide a wider range of housing types for a wider range of people?

how do we house a growing population while staying within the city growth boundary?

room for 118,227 more people

the space currently remaining within the urban growth boundary could only accomodate up to 120 000 new residents

if we continue to build single family homes at periphery, we will overwhelm the urban growth boundary by 2030

opportunities in the bungalows of southcrest

scalable intervention approx. 3000 bungalows in this neighbourhood alone

value trapped in a house living space land home equity $

central air conditioning

ground floor: 83 sqm

basement: 79 sqm

how can we free up existing underutilized resources while allowing the homeowner to age in place

... and make way for everyone else

owner occupied

gas furnace

floor area: 83 sqm

26% lot coverage

plot size: 324 sqm

1-car household

near public transit

poor natural lighting

residential zoning

2 residents

purchased in 2005

400% increase in property value over 15-years

semi-detached bungalow

41.5 sqm / person

81 sqm / person

inc. basement

do current models of zoning, financing, and design allow the homeowner to contribute to available housing options?

do current models of zoning, financing, and design allow the homeowner to contribute to available housing options?

what’s the next iteration of this house in order to...

decrease sqm / person by 50%

increase density on existing lot by 50%

decrease gwp from heating

small houses on big lots (why don’t more people live here?)

small houses on large lots built for living within our means opportunity to provide affordable and diverse housing options for diverse demographic

generic, mass produced typology facilitates a generic, mass produced, low-cost, standardized retrofit / addition applicable throughout north america

built to be sturdy, equire minimal maitenance, meet quality of life needs in minimal space

radial growth of suburbs, 40s-60s housing stock therefore close to city core

well connected to social and transit infrastructure

underutilized residential land, room for growth preservation of existing material stock and avoiding demolition / new construction cycle freeing up value of property while remaining in your neighourhood opportunity to implement alternative ownership models bungalows as a tool for cultural change bungalows in southcrest

470 dwellings 1410 bedrooms

A CULTURE OF EFICIENCY + SUFFICIENCY

a culture of efficiency + sufficiency

SMALL HOUSE DESIGN

‘23

policy | finance | design

facilitating large ADUs within OBC restrictions

regulate affordability of additional housing units to avoid price gouging reframe sqm/capita metrics

facilitate access to existing housing strategy funds for homeowners

generate financing models facilitating loans to retirees

generate standardized accessible adu retrofit solutions

provide guidelines for efficient and carbon-conscious material choices

bungalows in southcrest

+ basements

+ garages

+ detached ADU

1609 dwellings

2549 bedrooms

+81%

ha/f studio mass timber

How do we half the greenhouse gas emissions of the GTHA’s building stock this decade?

Initial research focused on provenance within Ontario’s wood construction, including visits to Ontario mass timber harvest and production sites. What are the supply chains that extract, harvest and transform wood-based construction materials? What is the geography, ecology, and forms of labour that they engage from cradle to gate? Is wood sustainable?

Through “cradle-to-gate” assessments of in progress or recently completed commercial and academic mass timber projects from across the GTHA and other northern climates, this research challenged broad assumptions that mass timber is a more sustainable, lower-carbon form of construction.

Utilizing Life Cycle Assessment tools, and engaging leading practices to understand the design and material drivers of each project, our team calculated the embodied impacts associated with mass timber projects around the world. Results, analysis and recommendations from this research were presented to the architects, published in Canadian Architect, and used by the City of Toronto to establish embodied carbon benchmarks for Part 3 construction.

Bahia Marks

Robert Raynor

Rashmi Sirkar

Jue Wang

Clara Ziada

10 mass timber case

research focused on the building envelopes of ten buildings located in Canda, UK, and Sweden

findings indicated that upfront and operational emission reductions can achieved by reducing windowto-wall ratios, and incorporating mass timber into the façades themselves

lifecycle carbon analysis

what are the gaps in the supply chain for meeting Ontario mass timber construction demands with Ontario timber?

the provenance of mass timber has significant and disproportionate impacts on the resulting global warming potential

much of Ontario’s mass timber construction is still extracted, processed, and transported from Europe and western North American sources

end of life considerations

demolition / disassembly approach - GWP analysis should take into consideration the lifespan of the elements within the building, how long does carbon sequestration really last?

detailed 3d models were produced to quantify and analyze the embodied carbon of major assemblies

high carbon drivers were identified and isolated in order to understand whole-life carbon implications and offer alternative material and design solutions

canadian architect 06-22

mass timber building enclosure assemblies - understanding the trade-offs between operational, embodied carbon, and carbon sequestration

work samples

At 17|21 I worked with institutional, commercial, and municipal clients - including renovations and new build work in universities, schools, subsidized housing complexes, corrections facilities, and tenant fit-outs

I participated in SD, DD, CD, including client/consultant meetings, site visits, render mock ups & colour boards, revision of specifications & shop drawings.

The design of specialized program spaces (i.e. educational medical labs, correction facility) required me to familiarize myself with the OBC, standardized specifications from institutions and manufacturers, as well as coordination with specialists/consultants.

I had a leading role in the renovation of subsidized housing units for ontario municipalities, including cataloguing existing housing stock by typologies and production of existing drawings for dozens of apartment and house types, design of structural reinforcements, complete interior re-design and functional improvements to envelope.

I worked on multiple interior and exterior renovation projects for schools from various school boards. Including design of new flexible/adaptable program spaces, selection of finishes, millwork, furnishing - in coordination with OBC accessibility requirements and school board standards and specs.

years project locations

firm team

2018 - 2020

Ontario, Canada

17|21 Architects

Sonia Diaz

Randy Wilson

Matt Unternahrer

Natalia Enriquez

Located in Gibbons Park, this field house for city of london to services the park and splash pad.

The Gibbons Fieldhouse consists of a new build structure, designed for expedited tilt-up construction, using precast concrete sandwich panels on a floating slab foundation. It is fully accessible design to OBC standards.

roof construction details

I led the process from schematic design through construction documents - producing all technical drawings, renders, specifications, and visibility/ accessibility diagrams. I engaged in all project presentations, site visits, and meetings with the City of London, and engineering consultants.

year project location firm team 2022 London, Canada 17|21 Architects

Natalia Enriquez Matt Unternahrer WR