Architectural & Building Engineering Portfolio | Thesis Selection

04.

Scuola secondaria in Senegal [Tesi]

01.

Secondary School in Senegal: [Thesis, 2025-2026]

Portfolio | Maria Brunella Conti

Selected works| TESI

Climate Analysis

Site plan

Enclosing and Sheltering Original acts of building and dwelling, inherent to human beings across every culture and era.

This leads to a deep reflection on the conditions of 'being on the earth' among different peoples, who differ by context rather than by human need. Climatic and social conditions shape both composition and construction: simple wall diaphragms placed beneath large shelters.

Rain and wind North-West Sea Breeze: cool and constant wind North-East Trade Wind: dry, hot, sand-laden wind

Aliseo N-E

South-West Monsoon: humid wind, storm-bearing

Permeability and large porticoed spaces Protection and mass: opaque enclosure Open area (relief valve) protected by windbreak tree rows

Passive Thermal Comfort Solutions Passive Ventilation

Shading

Ocean breeze

Rain Protection and Water Harvesting The raised, overhanging roof system ensures cohesion among the three passive architectural strategies, being supported by a diffuse shading system — from the portico adjoining the masonry block, to the structure's placement on an elevated podium, to the rainwater harvesting system (valley gutter).

Symmetries and Asymmetries: Different Spatial Definitions Enclosed Spaces

Monsone S-O N 0

5

10

20

50

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Portfolio | Maria Brunella Conti

The enclosure

Selected works| TESI

Modularity

The Straight Line of Interior Spaces

Curves for Open Spaces and Vegetation

Space as a Continuous Indoor-Outdoor Flow

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Portfolio | Maria Brunella Conti

Selected works | TESI

North Elevation

5.28 m 3.38 m

Sud Elevation

The concept

The View from the North Entrance

The Dialectics of Learning The architecture translates the journey of learning into a dialogue between gravity and ascension.

MASSIVENESS OF THE MASONRY: STRUCTURING OF INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS

LIGHTNESS OF THE ROOF, shaped according to wing profiles: THEME OF THE FLIGHT OF THE MIND

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Portfolio | Maria Brunella Conti

Selected works | TESI

East Elevation

5.28 m 3.38 m

West elevation

Craftsmanship Violin-Making and the Music Hall

The Textile Workshop Domestic and Ritual Reality Economic Activity Visual and Celebratory Language (fabric as a symbol of rites of passage)

Attention to living materials for artistic purposes: Environmental and Economic Sustainability: Circular Micro-Economy Study devoted to listening, attention to detail and auditory sensibility Attention to Plant Materials and the Chemical Processes of Color Extraction Environmental and economic sustainability: from production to performance

Language of celebration and mourning: from listening to the active creation of the instrument Social cohesion and identity

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Portfolio | Maria Brunella Conti

Lavori selezionati | TESI

Stratigraphy

Aluzinc Sheet Metal: Function: Protective, water-collecting and structural Dimensions: thickness 0.6 mm, 3 mm at the ridge

Materials Aluzinc Sheet Metal

Timber Ventilation Battens Function: Ventilation cavity to dissipate radiant heat and support the sheet metal Dimensions: 8×8 cm thick

•

Superior corrosion resistance compared to standard sheet metal, essential in coastal areas to withstand salt exposure • •

Thermal reflectance limits internal overheating • Lightness and workability Durability: long service life with low maintenance

Coconut Fiber •

Sustainability: repurposing of palm by-products, reusable in construction • Resistance to tropical humidity • Fireproof: mass/insulation ratio (low in nutrients, unappealing to insects) — dense yet offers excellent thermal lag • Insect resistance

Coconut fiber insulation Function: Thermal insulation layer Dimensions: 8 cm thick

Woven Bambusa Vulgaris Matting Function: Load distribution and support layer Dimensions: 1 cm thick

Bambusa Vulgaris •

Purlins in bambusa Balcooa Function: Secondary support structure Dimensions: 14 cm thick

Bambusa Balcooa Truss

Widespread local availability (grows spontaneously near watercourses) • Ideal for secondary or finishing structural elements • Workability (medium diameter) and zero transport cost • Requires natural surface treatments (starch-rich, attractive to xylophagous insects)

Function: Primary structure Dimensions: 2.5 m span, variable thickness

Bambusa Balcooa •

Woven Bambusa Vulgaris Matting

High structural strength (thick walls and high density) • Biological resistance • Mechanical strength • Low vulnerability • Adaptability and carbon sequestration • Erosion control

Reinforced Concrete Ring Beam Function: Load distribution, horizontal restraint Dimensions: 45 cm thick, 25 cm high

Function: Visual screening Dimensions: 1 cm thick

Rammed earth Bambusa Balcooa Columns Function: Structural support Dimensions: Ø 12 cm, 0.15 cm thick

• Thermal inertia • Hygrometric regulation Zero material cost (excavated soil used directly on site) Low environmental impact (minimal embodied energy, no firing required)

• •

Laterite Rammed Earth Wall Function: Structural support and thermal inertia Dimensions: 45 cm thick

Laterite Base Function: Hydraulic protection of the rammed earth wall Dimensions: 48 cm thick

•

• Ease of extraction Excellent for foundations and erosion-resistant loadbearing walls • Local aesthetic (red-brown color) • Porosity (limited natural insulation capacity)

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Portfolio | Maria Brunella Conti

The roofing system

Lavori selezionati | TESI

The Functional Diagram

Runoff along the roof slopes Runoff along the gutter

Sizing of the components

PRECIPITACION Source Il sistema opera secondo una gerarchia di priorità: la risorsa meteorica, accumulata nel serbatoio, viene preservata per i fabbisogni che richiedono maggiore purezza, mentre l'eccedenza viene immediatamente restituita all'ambiente per il mantenimento dell'equilibrio idrogeologico locale

Downpipes φ 15 (cm) Downpipes φ 13 (cm) Roofs Catchment surfaces

Gutter slope Roof slope Collection network Return network (reuse)

Gutters and downpipes Conveyance

Overflow network to the raingarden Tank

TANK Storage

UV-C disinfection system: reduction of

Usi prioritari

TOILETS AND WASHING MACHINES

Usi stagionali

XEROPHYTIC GARDEN

Irrigation

residual bacterial load

Benefit ambientale

Stand-alone solar pump, photovoltaicpowered

Gutter surface calculation

The gutter and valley elements were sized based on an average roof catchment area of 500 m², estimating a design rainfall intensity referenced to the Italian average, increased by 40%. ∗ ∗ ⁄ ∗ Q= = = 27,8 ⁄

Geometric parametres S T W FD

coeff. di altezza

FS

coeff. di forma

Safety coefficient depending on gutter channel type and building use (1<C<3), set at 2 to balance the gutter capacity needed to manage peaks with maintaining ideal flow velocities that ensure self-cleaning of the ducts and avoid oversizing φ inflow coefficient depending on the type and slope of the exposed surface (generally =1) S horizontal projection of the surface feeding the gutter

OVERFLOW Groundwater recharge

p

T

0,7 0,7 0,225

m m m

0,3

-

1,0 1,18

%

5

W

S

QSV  3.89 10 A

1.25 E

Q for a square cross-section

Qn  QSV Fd  FS  3.89 10 5 A1E.25  Fd  FS (l/s)

Nominal Q

Ql ( lungo )  0.9  FL  Qn (l/s)

Design Q

Qu

27,8

l/s

QL

36,0

l/s

The Downpipes Design Flow Rate Calculation

Q= i = 17,0%

p = 1,6%

∗ ∗

⁄ ∗

= 27,8 ⁄

technical standard for sizing vertical drainage pipes based on their fill ratio p = 1,6%

p = 1,8%

=

First Flush Device

Wyly and Eaton Formula

p = 1,6%

i = 10,5%

p = 1,8%

p i

The gutter

p = 1,2%

Principles of gravity and buoyancy

QRWP  2.5 104  k -0.167  D i2.667  f 1.667 (l/s) b Kb K₀ internal pipe roughness Di Dᵢ downpipe internal diameter f fill factor (0.20 o 0.33); regulations recommend not exceeding a fill ratio of 0.33 (pipe one-third full) to allow air circulation and prevent siphoning or air compression effects that would block the flow QRWP > Q

Design Flow Rate Calculation

i = 16,0%

Passive pre-treatment system installed along the downpipe line, designed to intercept and isolate the first liters of rainwater, which are highly contaminated with dust, sandy sediment, and organic residues accumulated during dry periods.

C

2

-

φ

1

-

i

200

mm/h

S

250,00

Q

27,8

m2 l/s

Q

31,6

l/s

d

15

cm

Internal diameter (phi)

Fill ratio 0.20 (l/s)

Fill ratio 0.33 (l/s)

80 mm

2.6

5.9

90 mm

3.5

8.1

100 mm

4.6

10.7

110 mm

6.0

13.8

125 mm

8.4

19.3

150 mm

13.7

31.6

200 mm

29.5

68.0

07

Portfolio | Maria Brunella Conti

Selected works| TESI

N1

N2

15

14

N3

17

16 13

N3

11

12

N1

N2

10 9 8

5 4

1. Reinforced concrete foundation 2. Laterite blocks 3. Gravel and crushed stone fill 4. Laterite bricks (6 cm thick) 5. Waterproofing osmotic mortar 6. Sand leveling layer (3 cm thick) 7. Rammed earth flooring 8. Rammed earth load-bearing wall 9. (45 cm thick)

Load-bearing capacity of notched ridge members

9. Movable bamboo window/door frames 10. Reinforced concrete ring beam 11. Bamboo matting 12. Truss framework 13. Purlins 14. Steel V-shaped connector 15. Insulation

6

7

1

2

Bolt shear verification

Fv,Rd = 2* 0,6 * fub * Ares

Pb = CEB * fc * A Vertical member (phi 10, Diagonal member (phi 12, sp 15) sp 12) A 11304 mm2 A 7850 mm2 ceb 0,4 ceb 0,4 fc 17,70 Mpa fc 17,70 Mpa Pb 80,02 kN Pb 55,57 kN N 42,6 kN N 33 kN

Class 8.8 M10 bolt fub 800 Ares 58 Vrd 44,5 V 33

3

N/mm2 mm2 kN kN

16. Ventilation battens 17. Sheet metal

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Portfolio | Maria Brunella Conti

Selected works| TESI

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