Architecture Portfolio Application | Luis Mendez

Architecture Portfolio

Selected work 2019-2023

Luis Mendez

Projects

Pages 2-16

Youth Centre

Pages 17-26

Social Housing

Pages 27-33

Additional works

Group Modelling

Pages 34-35

Sketches and Renders

Pages 36-49

Photography

Pages 40-41

Revit, Photoshop, Twinmotion

Luis Mendez

Bristol Environmental Learning Centre

Univeristy of the West of England 2022-23

This project, based in the Cumberland Basin, is a learning centre designed to serve as a community hub for environmental awarness and education. It aims to reconnect people with nature in innovative ways, fostering positive lifestyle changes. The centre will offer spaces for farming and growing natural foods, as well spaces for artisanal workshops. Additionally, it will educate the public about the surrounding ecosystem and teach them how to preserve and protect endangered species. The main objective is to transform outdated notions about nature, encouraging greater appreciation and empathy for the natural world.

Cumberland Basin

Historical Context

Contextualisation | Cumberland Basin

The site is located 10-minute walking from the popular area of Clifton. It is surrounded by the natural landscape of Leigh Woods. Although limited in size, it features three small bridges connecting the islet to the mainland. The main disadvantages of the site are its isolation from the rest of the city and its restricted size. However, the site provides excellent views of both the natural and urban landscapes.

Site map 1:200

Site Location Diagram

Key site features

Site’s traffic congestion points

Project Intervention & Considerations

Sustainable development goals Interventions

—Provide access to safe and inclusive green spaces and public spaces.

—Reduce the mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health.

—Combat desertification and restore degraded land and soil.

—Take urgen action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species.

—Reduce food waste (from producers, retailers and consumers).

—Reduce the release of chemicals and waste into the air and soil.

—Innovate and adopt technological solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

—Protect the most vulnerable against climate change impacts.

Advantages of the typology

Potential future housing development: Opportunity to teach the new tenants about Bristol’s nature, ecology and sustainable ways of living.

Suspension bridge may attract more visitors and locals to the learning centre

Large and well preseved natural areas. Great area to explore and learn about the ecosystem

Educational Facilities - Bristol archives (Accessible Historic knowladge)

Pro-active and engaging community that wants to enhance the living conditions of Cumberland basin and see the area thrive.

Biodiveristy found near the site, Asthon court and Leigh woods

Close proximity to Bristol’s Industrial museum

Damp

Vapour Barrier

Green roof

- Vegetation

- Growing medium

- Water resorvoir

- Root barrier

- Waterproof membrane

- 150mm Rigid Insulation

- VPC

- 80mm CLT panel

Exterior Wall

- 250mm Reinforced Rammed earth wall

- VCL

- 120mm Polyiso insulation

- 250mm Reinforced Rammed earth wall

Foundation

- 20mm Wood laminated floor

- 100mm Cement screed with radiant heating

- Vapour Barrier

- 120mm EPS Rigid insulation

- Damp proof membrane

- 200mm Hardcore Gravel

- Reclaimed Concrete footing 1:20

Green roof

- Vegetation

- Growing medium

- Water resorvoir

- Root barrier

- Waterproof membrane

- 150mm Rigid Insulation

- VPC

- 80mm CLT panel

Internal Wall

- 20mm Wood laminated flooring

- Service void

- 100mm Rock Mineral wool Insulation

- 150mm CLT wall

- 200mm x 350mm - Glulam secondary beam

- 200 x 350 Main Glulam Beam

Foundation

- 20mm Wood laminated floor

- 100mm Cement screed with radiant heating

- Vapour Barrier

- 120mm EPS Rigid insulation

- Damp proof membrane

- 200mm Hardcore Gravel

- Reclaimed Concrete footing

Timber Shade louvre

40mm Steel bar to support louvre

Timber support panels

Rough Plywood Buck

250mm Rammed earth wall [Reinforced]

120mm Polysio Insulation

250mm Rammed earth wall [Reinforced]

Drip Groove 25mm

Clazing wall

Scale Bar (mm)

Rough Plywood Buck

Glazing Foundation water proofing

10mm Horizontal Rebar

10mm Vertical Rebar

Reclaimed Concrete footing

Scale Bar (mm)

Structural strategy

Key

1. Light Vegetation/Grass

2. Growing medium

3. Water Resorvoir

4. Roof barrier

5. Rockwool Mineral insulation

6. Vapour Control Layer

7. Green roof waterproofing

8. CLT roof panel

9. Glulam Rafter

Key

1. Skylight and Greenhouse roof glazing

2. Green roof

3. Cross-Laminate-Timber roof

4. Glulam beams and rafters

5. Glulam columns

Roof Technical Detail

Roof composition diagram

Glulam Skeleton structure

Rammed earth wall intregated with the structure

Process Modelling

Conceptualisation

Form Finding

Exhibition space

Revit, Photoshop, Enscape

Luis Mendez

Bristol Youth Centre

Univeristy of the West of England 2020-21

The objectives for this project were to create a building where adolescents could socialise and support each other to focus on their mental and physical well beings. The design of building was designed to help its users feel ‘like home’ and comfortable to enabe them to learn and develop trasferrable skills in a variaty of areas and a place where they could feel inspired and motivated. Moreover, the centre had to make good use of the natural light and provide well-ventilated rooms with abundant greenery.

Bedminister | Bristol

Being located at the heart of the Bedminster, the site was mostly surrounded by industrial and residential buildings. Therefore there was limited green space available around the site with the exception of some green spaces South and South East which were classified as ‘positive views’. The site, however, was very accessibile by public transport and possesed a strong character. The form of the building was influence by the environmental conditions of the site in particular that of noise. It was for this reason that the building was designed with an inverted L-shape to block the loud noise from the road.

Photogrpahic study of the site

South Elevation

Multimedia room

Storage

Seminar

Music room

Recording studio 6. Studio/making 7. Lift 8. Stairs 9. Toilet

10.Central green space 11. Main entrance 12. East entrance

Structural strategy and Materiality

Concrete beam

Concrete floor slab

Concrete columns

Standing seam metal roof and sawtooth roof structure

The external finishes of the building were choosen to provide a unique exterior facing wall, giving a sculptural appearance to the centre. Coquina-sand concrete was the material implemented as it is a ligthweight concrete and low in carbon (its easily compressed and provides long-term durability). Timber wood panels were chosen for the external cladding of the west side of the building. Timber flooring used for the second and third floors as they add a welcoming and warm ambience to the space.

Exposed concrete wall

Conquina-Sand concrete

Timber cladding

Polished concrete flooring

Timber flooring

Environmental Strategy

The main environmental strategy of the building focuses on the saw-tooth roof structure. The 45 degree inclination of the roof towards the sun allows natural light to easily enter the building helping the rooms at the far back be illuminated by the midday sun during summer. Furthemore, the building benefits from cross ventilation in the multi-purpose hall thanks to the wall and window vents placed on the south and west facade of the building. A similar ventilation also happens on the third floor through the saw-tooth roof. This ventilation system will help to remove hot and cold temperatures from interior rooms

1. - Precast Concrete pavers

- Waterproof membrane

- 150mm Insulation

- Vapour Control layer

- Leveling screed

- Concrete deck

- Timber battens

- Plasterboard Ceiling

2. - 175mm facing concrete wall

- 50mm Air gap

- Waterproof Membrane

- 150mm wall insulation

- Vapour control layer

- Inner Block work

- Timber battens

- Plasterboard

3. - Polished concrete finish

- Screed

- Vapour Control layer

- Thermal floor insulation

- Additional insulation

- Waterproof membrane

- Leveling Screed

- Hardcore gravel

4. - 60mm Concrete blocks

- 30mm Sand Bedding

- Open graded crushed rock

- Compacted earth

Key Section

Revit, Photoshop, Enscape

Luis Mendez

Social Housing Project

Univeristy of the West of England 2020-21

This social housing project is based in the popular area of Barton Hill, Bristol. The main aims for this project were to challenge the traditional ways of living, playing and working through providing different sustainbale housing solutions. The project was designed in a way that space efficiency and social mobility would be significanlty increased as well as reduce alienation between its users for a intergenerational living space. This was done by creating 3 compacted unit blocks with main communal facilities at the centre of the livable space.

Barton Hill | Bristol

The surrounding architecture of the Barton hill varied from Victorian terrace housing to contemporary family housing. To respect this similar pattern, I took the typical Victorian streets as inspiration and implemented into the project by creating a row of houses on the north of the site. This was one of the first design decisions that was present through out the project as it was very important to minimise the noise coming from the road as well as to provide a more pleasent visual experience to the occupants.

Precedents

Site Elevation

Alvaro Siza Bouca Social Hosing

Peter Barber Architects Brick Terrace housing

The flat roof provides extensive space to install PV solar panels.

The three large openings allow to have terraces that extends from one side of the building to the other, helping to ventilate interior spaces.

Terraces and Balconies provide essential outdoors space for both dissable people and elders without needing to leave the building.

Young Professional units | 2 Beds

1 - Entry/Kitchen

2 - Living room

3 - Garden

4 - Toilet

5 - Bedroom 2

6 - Bathroom

7 - Main room

8 - Storage room

9 - Balcony

Mid-Large Families | 3 beds

1 - Dinning area

2 - Kitchen

3 - Bathroom

4 - Living room

5 - Front garden

Senior Apartments | 1 and 2 beds

1 - Living space

2 - Kitchen and Dinning area

3 - Storage space

4 - Main bedroom

5 - Bathroom

6 - Terrace/Balcony

7 - Communal lift

8 - Building entrance

Cross-ventilation

Sustainable materials

Double glazed windows

Structural Axonometric

Permeable pavement

Brise soleil sun shade

Clay roofing tiles

Timber stud partition walls

Timber framed wall (Primary structure)

Timber framed floor primary structure

Foundation

Outer Brick wall structure

Group Modelling

Wall-board presentation

The Engine Shed facade model

Jacobs house floor plan

Jacobs house model 1:200

Sketches

Inventive classical building

Sketche of St. Nicholas Market

Victorian Rooms sketch (Edited)

View from St. Nicholas Church Renaissance architecture sketch

Classical monumental building

Syracuse Cathedral

Acadamie Nationale de Musique

Digital Sketches

Bristol’s library

San Michele Arcangelo

Church of St. María of Belém

Domestika render exercise

House project render

Lisbon and Bristol Photography

Thank you for reading!

Spain Linkedin: Luis Antonio Mendez