Graduate Admissions Portfolio

mhcascio@gmail.com

3108 N Williams Ave, Unit B Portland OR, 97227

M AT T H E W C A S C I O architectural portfolio

(415) 246-7513

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Throughout my life, and especially during my undergraduate studies, I’ve come to realize that to design in the present, you must design with the lessons of the past, for the needs of the future. To me, success in design is derived from its ability to enhance the world it exists for - from conception to cessation, and long after that.

As humanity steps into the anthropocene, my goals in architecture are to bring balance between the built environment and the earth’s natural systems; to ensure equitable access to healthy and beautiful environments in an increasingly urban landscape; to promise a bountiful future to coming generations of Earth’s species.

As the saying goes: We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.

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CONTENT

THRESHOLD

01 - 02 PSU Summer Immersion Program

POD

03 - 06 PSU Summer Immersion Program

RIVERHOUSE

06 - 10 PSU Summer Immersion Program

THRESHOLD The threshold project asks us to project a vision onto an original structure, with the goal of marrying the two in a way that compliments the original building, while elevating its livability and the overall experience of its occupants. We were to create a threshold where none existed, opening into an interior program of our choosing.

My subject was the Branford Price Miller Library on Portland State University campus. The building is already a blending of styles; its first half a brutalistic structure completed in 1968; the second a modern addition built in 1991. Its primary occupants are students of every variety and discipline, and my intention was to create a space to decompress, gather thoughts, and provide an environment to stimulate both creative and analytical works.

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Original context, orthographic

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Early iteration sketch

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Final intervention

Late iteration sketch

My final intervention serves as a transition between the two conflicting architectural styles, while claiming the library as a sanctuary to the studious.

Running up the height of the library, a greenwall obscures the divide between its two architectural styles; a living curtain bridging the gap between time periods, while honoring the library’s commitment to ecological sustainability.

A triangular threshold creates a sense of tension as students proceed inside. Doorways lining the walls lead to open, bright study rooms, which instantly provide relief upon entry. A single pane of glass lines the ourtward slanting walls of each room, extending to the outer door frame. During the day, sunlight travels through the glass bringing a warm ambiance into each room. At night, the light from each room travels out, highlighting the doorframe, enticing students to come inside.

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POD

Houselessness is an issue for which a solution remains evasive around the world. This is no less the case is Portland, where the Center for Public Interest Design (CPID) has enlisted local architects to tackle houselessness through design, in what’s known as the POD Initiative.

The POD project, based off the Portland CPID’s initiative, challenged us to design 12’x8’x11’ dwelling units, able to be moved with a forklift and transported by truck to temporary communities around Portland. My experience was one fraught with the challenges that come from designing within tight constraints while promoting community, safety, & livability. In addition, we were asked to provide a basic community site plan using Portland’s Lovejoy Fountain Park as a location.

To make the most of a tight space, I took inspiration from sailboat design: panels onlong the floor can be lifted to reveal a pod-length storage compartment. A basic twin bed with built-in shelving and an attached desk provide essential furnishing, while leaving room for personal decor. Finally, I included a modest front porch to promote a sense of community living, and to act as a gathering place for friends and family.

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POD model, interior

Early iteration sketch

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POD model, front-left

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POD model, front-right

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Final design, orthographics

Siteplan, Lovejoy Fountain Park

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RIVERHOUSE The Willamette River, which parallels downtown Portland, has long been the object of heated pollution debate. Historically the Willamette has been degraded by point-source pollution from sewage overflows, industrial waste disposal, and agricultural runoff. In recent years, however, the Willamette’s water quality has been dramatically elevated through the coordinated efforts of private and public organizations.

The River Huggers, our clients for this project, asked us to design a community riverhouse with the goals of creating a human habitat and more accessibility points to the Willamette River; inspire people to get into the Willamette River; and facilitate stewardship of the Willamette River and Watershed. With these goals in mind, I created iterative designs with intention of directing focus on the river, while improving the site’s ecology and providing an educational river experience for the community.

The site itself is comprised of a thin promenade featuring bike and pedestrian paths. The bank falls away steeply toward the water, and is prone to erosion.

My site intervention focuses on reintroducing native riparian plant species which will slow erosion and provide bioregenerative effects by slowing and cleaning contaminated water as it runs into the Willamette.

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Preliminary sketches

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Elevation orthographic (rough)

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Plan orthographic (rough)

The final riverhouse design features two changing rooms and a large river observation room, which will feature rotating educational river exhibits. The building profile was designed with the intention of “throwing� a viewer’s attention towards the river; the entire structure appears to be lunging over the bank. This experience culminated as one proceeds through the main entrance. The walls and ceiling quickly converge at the entrance, but as the occupant continues inside, the walls and ceiling gradually fall away before opening up to the observation room. Here, a huge glass-paned, vertically-rolling door provides an unimpeded view of the river and Tom McCall Waterfront Park, with downtown Portland as a backdrop. The rolling door can be opened in warmer months to provide an open-air experience, filling the riverhouse with the sights, smells and sounds of the river.

On either side of the main entrance, stairs allow access to a green roof, providing further observation opportunities, as well as habitat space for local flora. The green roof is also designed to reclaim rainwater for greywater systems and for supplemental landscape irrigation.

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Site and structure model, north-west angle

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Site and structure model, north elevation

Revit, east elevation

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Revit, south-east faces

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Revit, west elevation

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Revit, north-west faces

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