Meshal_Portfolio

T H E IM A G INARY V A R I A N C E

The Imaginary Variance conceptualizes a constellation of three programmatic scenarios that challenge the rise of global capital and counteract dominant narratives of spatial privatizations in New York. By overlaying both established and emerging spaces that reside within the collective memory, the framework confronts the standardized and restrictive behaviors imposed by the urban environment. The project the city’s collective visual memory to interweave fra ments of New York’s past and present, fostering a dynamic dialogue between temporalities and spatial experiences. This approach mediates time and space to re-imagine the city, positioning narrative as the primary catalyst for architectura production within collective spaces.

In collaboration with: Halie Kim

Prof. Lawrence Blough + Jason Vigneri-Beane

DEFAMILIARIZED SPACES

The central inquiries explored in this proposal are: What different narratives can emerge through the defamiliarization of formal fragments and the externalization of collective memories? How can a grammar of the collective facilitate the translation and framing of the relationships between architecture and the public? The three chosen sites are Museum of Modern Art (MoMa), in order to focus on forms of ideological distinction in the art world, the New York Stock Exchange, in order to question the centralization and globalization of finance capitalism, and the Roxy Hotel, in order to rethink the privatization of hospitality and domesticity. In the process, the project reconstructs and re-imagines poss bilities for public space within the global city. In the first site, the MoMa, the fragments are embedded to counteract the existing narrative regarding the privatization of art. The second site, the New York Stock Exchange, is transformed by grafted fragments that bleed out from the facade to counteract the privatization of the exchange. The third site, the Roxy Hotel, expands upon the existing program, which deals with the privatization of domesticity, and mutates it for public access. these sites have the potential to shape collective memories and shared experiences. By intervening in these emblematic spaces, The Imaginary Variance aims to stimulate a dialogue around public participation, accessibility, and inclusivity.

REWORK OF PRIVATIZATION OF ART

The Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA, stands as a cultural beacon in New York City, a bastion of artistic prestige that echoes notions of cultural elitism and institutional exclusivity. It is a key player in the commodification of art and the homogenization of public spaces. Its vast collection of modern and contemporary art, spanning a multitude of genres and eras, not only draws a global audience but also caters to the cultivated tastes of the cultural elite. The Imaginary Variance reimagines the MoMA not as a static entity, but as a dynamic force with immense influence on the city's cultural narratives and the very definition of art. This influence, however, carries with it the potential to inadvertently restrict public access and engagement, to close off the artistic conversation to all but a select few. The proposal challenges this exclusivity, seeking to democratize the MoMA, to create an atmosphere of wider public participation within cultural institutions of its caliber. Through this reframing, the MoMA becomes a canvas onto which new stories can be written. As the fragments bleed and embed themselves into the existing architectural fabric, they generate a variety of conditions and spaces, fostering a sense of curiosity and exploration. These interventions serve to suggest an alternative gallery model, one where the production and collaboration of art-making are driven by the collective, not dictated by a singular institution. This transformative approach aims to create a more inclusive, equitable, and dynamic cultural experience within the city. By redefining the boundaries of participation, it invites a broader, more diverse audience to engage with art, thus amplifying the cultural resonance of the city

REWORK OF PRIVATIZATION

The New York Stock Exchange, an gy of privatization of public space. has played a pivotal role in shaping has become a symbol of corporate power extends beyond the confines public spaces. The district has been where only a select few can genuinely onto the NYSE facade, it initiates might of financial institutions, often imposing edifice blocking the public for financial elites, but as an outward-facing scenario, where public interaction

REWORK OF PRIVATIZATION OF DOMESTICITY

The Roxy Hotel, the last site, is a luxury establishment that epitomizes the privatization of public space. This high-end retreat, with its extensive amenities, is only accessible to an exclusive clientele. By catering to the affluent, the Roxy both benefits from and reinforces the gentrification of its surroundings, which has the side effect of limiting access to public spaces for more diverse populations. This exclusivity underscores the divide between the public and the privileged, intensifying the privatization of spaces that could, and should, be more open and inclusive. In the face of such stratification, The Imaginary Variance challenges the status quo. By hacking into the existing program, it designates a portion of the Roxy's spaces for long-term housing, serving the neighborhood at large, not just the transient hotel guest. Additionally, the proposal redefines the hotel's existing amenities, such as restrooms and the bar, to be more accessible from the street. This transformation blurs the boundary between the hotel and the city, allowing a dynamic interaction to take place between the two. The Imaginary Variance thus creates a new type of domesticity, one that is integrated with the public realm. By manipulating the hotel’s uniform, vertical grid design of stacked floors, the proposal engenders interconnected spaces that invite public engagement. This not only changes the physical structure of the hotel, but also redefines its social dynamics, fostering an environment where public and private spaces can coexist harmoniously. The result is a more inclusive, equitable, and socially responsive urban environment.

NEW FORMS OF PUBLIC

The proposal is a speculative proposal ways. These fragments act as filters, dynamic interaction between the future of global cities as more equitable, for type-form relationships is an diminished the possibility to picture and reposition. The process of Therefore, the new forms become

The Imaginary Variance seeks to redefine the role of architecture in public spaces by using collective memory and defamiliarization to challenge existing norms. By focusing on fragments of the city and reassembling them into new narratives, we can create more inclusive and equitable urban landscapes. The use of various techniques to manipulate and spatialize images allows us to disrupt the traditional understanding of architecture and propose alternative visions for the city. Through this process, we aim to break free from the constraints of institutional exclusivity and create a more accessible urban environment for all.

UNWINDING R E VERI E S

An EV charging station that deploys an art exhibition as its core program. An exhibit that is created for the purposes of unwinding. It examines the notion of a resting stop and its correspondence to a resting mind. The exhibition explores various qualities that underpins the idea of unwinding. Not only does the project engage the occupant spatially, but also through the senses. The art exhibition re imagines the meaning of architecture as it is defined by three fundamental qualities, spatial, durational and sensorial qualities

R E STING ST OP FO R A RE STING MIN D

Prof. Richard Sarrach + Scott Sorenson

SENSORIAL STUDIES

The diagram on the left presents an in-depth depiction of diverse human senses and their potential programmatic applications, suggesting a more holistic, multi-sensory experience. It proposes an intriguing concept of interaction among the senses, hinting at the possibility of a richer, multi-dimensional engagement. On the other hand, the right diagram investigates various spatial typologies in exhibition spaces. It uncovers the underlying influence of these layouts on the visitor's journey and their interpretive process, stressing the importance of architectural design in shaping user experiences.The intersection of these diagrams lies in the innovative idea of embedding sensory programmatic studies within these spatial typologies. By doing so, it opens up the possibility of transforming exhibition spaces into highly immersive environments.

SITE ELEVATION DIAGRAM

The diagram on the left presents an analytical study of varying heights and elevation points within the Great Smoky Mountains. Given the project's aim to design a gallery, this analysis offers valuable contextual information about the landscape. It explores how the unique topographical features might enhance sensory experiences derived from the environment, thereby providing a meaningful context to situate the project within.

SITE ELEVATION DIAGRAM SLOW-SPACES

The diagram on the left presents an analytical study of varying heights and elevation points within the Great Smoky Mountains. Given the project's aim to design a gallery, this analysis offers valuable contextual information about the landscape. It explores how the unique topographical features might enhance sensory experiences derived from the environment, thereby providing a meaningful context to situate the project within.

The design aspires to create a meaningful nature. In a future where a fast-paced tive reality for audiences seeking super-charging stations, constructing unwinding scenarios for otherwise rial elements, the exhibition meticulously like the parallax wall, fragrance wall, goes beyond mere spatial organization,

SUPERCHARGING STATION

Located on the lower floor of the Exhibition gallery, the Super-Charging station uses a sphere lens to power the gallery and charge electric cars. The rig's large water-filled orb concentrates daylight or moonlight onto a solar cell using optical tracking. Unlike traditional dual-axis counterparts, this device incorporates a fully rotational, weatherproof optical tracking system, suitable for inclined surfaces and curtain walls, thus enhancing any building surface.

COLLECTOR BATTERY

1. PV PANEL

2. HYBRID

3. STIRLING ENGINE PV

Architectureisoftenconsidereda back drop in an otherwise non-static world. It has primarily relied on euclidean geometry and Cartesian coordinates. Thus, it provides a straightforward and static means of understanding space. The measurable qualities of space results in a space that is mainly defined by its objectivity.

The project strives to imagine a new space of architecture that is not defined by its objectivity and its staticity. Spatially, the design explores the meaning of slow space

PARALLAX WALL CURTAIN ACOUSTIC FINS MOUNTAIN ROCK

oftenconsidereda an otherwise world. It has primarily euclidean geometry and coordinates. Thus, it straightforward and of understanding measurable qualities in a space that is by its objectivity.

The project strives to imagine a new space of architecture that is not defined by its objectivity and its staticity. Spatially, the design explores the meaning of slow space

Time is necessary mentally world around. the art exhibition with architecture spatially but

PARALLAX WALL CURTAIN

ACOUSTIC FINS

MOUNTAIN ROCK BLEEDING LANDSCAPE

D E C ON S T R UCTION UNDE R WAY

A look into African vernacular forms and African Art through the process of deconstruction and stripping them of their formal fidelity. Within the forms, there is an obsession of intricacy, detail, and process that would come to propose a new meaning of inhabitation. The deconstructed forms heavily emphasize exposed structure as a means of highlighting the significance of incompletion. Those deconstructed solutions counteract an otherwise imposed space that is reinforced by colonial ideals, evoking a new reality. One that introduces an opportunity for endless reconstruction so as to heal and nurture the African American community.

In collaboration with: Halie Kim

Prof. Scott Ruff + Jeffrey Hogrefe

R e b ui l d , R e v i t a li z e , and H e a l

GRID DISCONTINUATION CENTRAL ARRAY GRID ALIGNMENT

Underlying the urban fabric of the city, there is an existing grid layout. In order to break this grid, we arranged our units that would run diagonal and disconnect from the pre-existing layout. This iteration is more dispersed throughout the landscape, which contrasts the setting of the urban layout. There’s a sense of clusters within the whole, placing emphasis on some units over the other.

Because the existing site has a central auditorium, we thought we could resonate that through our design using one of the units as a focal point. Spread out around the center are smaller units that face inward. There is a sense of hierarchy with the central elongated unit. This reflects our program that focsues on the “core” programs, also known as the communal spaces. Comunity comes first in this design.

As previously stated, there is the underlying grid of the site. In this version, we tried following the pre-existing layout to make the design “adapt” to the city. It takes into consideration the views that the arrangement could and could not allow from the outside. There is no sense of hierarchy, but rather focused on a dispersed arrangement that puts emphasis on the cluster as a whole.

AFRO-SURREALIST

The small clusters of pavilions forms are scaled appropri can art productions, like t cance of the Black commu ing art, The project strives

The analysis of African homes enabled the project to utilize the construction aspects of The vernacular forms as a medium for healing as it emphasizes on intricacy and the significance of the process. The notion of process over product became the core of the design that informed fundamental aspects of the proposal, from program, forms, structure to organization. A process suggests an idea of incompletion; an incompletion that calls for a community to complete through making and sharing. The proposal invites those who were generationally traumatized to engage within a ceremonial space through making and sharing as means of healing and nurturing.

The project focuses on a revival of Herbert Von King in Bed-Stuy. The project proposes small clusters of forms or pavilions, inspired by African houses, that are dispersed within a landscape, the Herbert Von King Park. Those proposed forms are scaled appropriately to the body and re-configured differently which is reminiscent of some African American art productions. Because our site is a park, it was important to consider the existing topography. This will help to expand the boundaries of the site and make it more engaged with the surrounding community through connecting to the streets and nearby community gardens. Although the park holds the traditional aspects of the pre-existing park, the project incorporated different programs and embedded units within the new landscape of the park to make it a more productive and active community.

ARCH 403: EMERGENCY HOUSING

Prof. Richard Sarrach + Ajmal

Aqtash

In Collaboration with: Elizabeth Bobyr + Halie Kim

XATA

FLEXIBLE MODULAR SYSTEMS

The project explores the use of existing 40-foot-long shipping containers as an emergency housing module that would investigate the potential transformation that needs to occur to establish the basic fundamental programmatic needs of Ukrainian refugees in Poland. The core mission of the projects is to create the essence of a Xata or traditional housing for Ukrainians who were affected by the war. Due to uncertainty of the war, the development of the project will establish a more extensive communal array of units to formalize necessary amenities to support growth needs over time. Through the use of flexible modular systems, Spaces correspond to different scales of individuals, Family, Mothers and singles. Also, it allows for and personable design expressions.

MOTHER & CHILD MOTHER & INFANT

UNIT CLUSTERS

When i t came t o un d e rst an d i n g t he l ivi n g c o ndi t i o ns requi re d fo r re f u gee h ou si n g , T he Pro je c t c a te gor i zed the ne c e ssa r y sp a c es p e r fami l y a n d p e r g ro u p. T hi n g s l i ke pr i vat e s l eepi n g qu a r t e rs , semi -pr i va t e b a t h roo ms, and c o - l ivi n g a re a s we re of imp o rt an c e w i t hin t he l a yo u t . O rg anizi n g t he b e d roo ms , the p ro je c t t a kes i n t o c o nsi d e ra t i o n t he minimal am o u n t of sp a c e e a ch p e rs o n wo u ld need . T he sma ll e st is t he individ u a l ro o m . Be d roo ms go t oge t he r t o m a ke u p ou r c l u st e rs .

T he fi rst c l u st e r c o nsi sts of 3 fa mi l ies an d 6 e ld e rl y c o u pl es w ho h ave a c c ess t o a sh a red b a t h roo m s p a c e. E a ch c l u st e r h a s a c c ess t o a deck a c c o m pa nied by a n aw ni n g ro of sy st em T he c lu st e rs ut ili zes Ki t of pa r t s all ow s fo r d iff s u b s c al e s of cu st o miz a t i o n T hese kits a re c reat e d u ti l izi n g sc ra p s of wood f ro m c o n str u c t i o n T he Fi rst ki t is f u r ni t u re, or the sma l le st sca l e, i t c o n t ains mo du l a r uni t s s u c h as c hai rs, she l ves an d d es k s. T he se c o n d ki t is t he p e g w all w hich is a st an da rdi ze d a d ju st a bl e w a ll t h a t exi st s in e ach b e d roo m spa c e. T he T hi rd k i t is t he op e ra bl e w all w hi c h is l o c a t e d in t he livi n g s p a c es of e ach c l u st e r, these w a ll s a re a d a p t a b l e an d res p onsi ve t o t he nee d s of t he o c c up a n t .

KIT OF PARTS

SCRAP WOOD FROM CONSTRUCTION

PARTS

002_PEG WALL// STANDARDIZED, ADJUSTABLE

FLEXIBLE SYSTEMS

Through the use of modular, cultural and personable design principles, we could provide expressions of heritage and identity. A kit of parts was developed allowing for self expression through customizable spaces mimicking Xata's exibility and shape shifting interiors. On the larger cultural scale, larger aggregations, communal spaces and outdoor areas are provided for cultural expression. Kit 3 is an operable wall system that incorporates the previous 2 systems. It is speci cally located within the living quarters of each cluster for users to recon gure their spaces. The peg wall system is located within each bedroom unit. Each bedroom space has 2 walls with this system. It can be moved along a c-channel to facilitate various events. Whether that be an individual study desk, a larger gathering table, or partition walls. The parts of kit 1 go hand in hand with this wall and allows users to reorganize and readjust their spaces. These walls slide along two channels allowing for further recon guration and the pegs allow for the furniture to be plugged in a variety of ways dependent on the user.

003_OPERABLE WALL// ADAPTABLE, RESPONSIVE

"Xata" is a reference to a traditional Ukrainian village homes. Xata's are typically small clay dwellings that house large families and have a strong connection to the outdoors. So with the project’s Xata, it aimed to break away from traditional refugee housing by providing these people with the most comfortable living conditions that might be possible given the current situation. In addition, it was important to address the issue of cultural identity within Ukraine

PALINDROME

Redefining The Community

A community center that has the capacity to transform its functions to an emergency shelter in the event of extreme weather conditions. The project is located in the Rockaway peninsula. The projects examine how architecture could be optimized within such a harsh environment, like hurricanes and flooding. Not only does the project labor for structural robustness, but also psychological tranquility. The design explores the very meaning of community and how that could be translated into architectural events. The notion of community is very reminiscent to the idea of the connection of the collective and alludes to a sense of embrace and belonging. The design then start to experiment with that notion by engaging different spaces through different nodes of connectivity, horizontally, vertically and obliquely. The whole project then becomes a community of spaces, which when joined together and can be perceived as one cohesive entity. An entity whose purpose is to subvert the sense of Euclidean distance between each space. The node/spaces will interconnect with another, creating a series of continuities. In doing so it creates an experiential feel for the inhabitant. a feeling of being a member of a community that expands beyond objective boundaries. Physical boundaries that regardless of their function have the capacity to adapt and reform as long as the occupant is willing to experiment and engage with the space in question. As a result, they can create their own sense of community and connectivity within the space.

EQUA

In collaboration with: Seif Aboushady

Prof. Beth O'Neill

NI MITY

CONNECTIVITY DIAGRAM

The diagram above shows different connect to each other. Conditioned outdoor spaces that are most adapt and change based on ity, retrospective to the idea The design expriments with various spaces are created The result is a sense of centrality follows the same process. It into the architecture, The composition that is used for the bases of ultimately, becomes a dialogue

ROCKAWAYS

The Rockaway peninsula is exceptionally vulnerable to sea-level rise due to its geographic location and its flat elevation. After hurricane Sandy, the peninsula recorded up to 10.7' of water. A report by the Waterfront Alliance also "estimated that 61 percent of Rockaway residents, or 74,800 people, had a one-in-two chance of a major flood in their homes by 2060".The global average sea level has risen by about 7–8 inches since 1900, with about 3 of those inches occurring since 1993. It is also estimated that sea levels wil rise between 10 and 32 inches or higher by the end of the century.Although New York is the U.S. city best prepared for sea-level rise, sea-level rise is still a pervasive threat to its metropolitan area. This was evident in 2012 when Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast, causing 117 storm- related deaths. This hurricane was also the second most expensive hurricane in U.S. history, causing damages estimated at $68 billion.

The platforms within the architecture is offset slightly as to maintain visual continuity along the Z axis. The elevation difference created by the offset protects it from extreme flooding. The small clusters of the architecture is appropriately scaled to the body as means to provide that sense of embrace. The body and human view play a significant role in constructing different perceptible events. As the body moves through the space, it enables some effects and forecloses others

ARCH 301: MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOUSING

E L E U T H E ROMANI A

The project is a multi-generational cohabitation housing complex that provides a new 100-bed on the site of 586 Sackett , Gowanus, Brooklyn, 11217. T The program of the project will consist of 65% being beds, 25% being kitchen, and 10% being circulation. The project radically redefines the conventional housing typology concept in which, conceptually, attracts an unconventional type of demographics where it would primarily tackle the psychological issue of claustrophobic and the fear of enclosed spaces. For these users, the complex design will utilize a non-hierarchal approach to spaces and prioritize continuity, openness, and user control in order to conform to the occupants’ needs.

AL L AG A IN ST CL AU STROPHOBI A

In collaboration with: Halie Kim Prof. Ane Gonzalez Lara

Cluster Design

The project consists of two modular units, an empty nester unit and a family unit In the units, In the smaller scale, the design concept reimagines enclosure and strives to establish boundaries without fully enclosing the spaces. Stepping platforms, band system, sliding doors and occasionally curtains are used to create boundaries. In the medium scale, there are two band system that organize the cluster design, vertical band system which arrange the units and horizontal band system which arrange the public spaces. Also, there is a curtain system that acts as a sublayer in further segregating the spaces while still maintaining some form of connectivity

ELEVATION

The strict plan organization is used as means to provide as much control to the occupant as possible. The Vertical bands and the horizontal bands are very evident and prominent in the plan and once the sliding doors, curtains and facade system open and have a direct exposure between the vertical band and the horizontal band system, the space begin to behave more fluidly and ambiguously. A quality in which it starts to blur and obscure the distinction between the private and public, the inside and outside.

Interior Views

Exterior Views

LIBERT Y OF CONTROL

The design looked into the idea of confinement and strove to address the psychological issue of “claustrophobia” by radically re imagines the meaning of space and seeks to establish spatial boundaries in an unconventional way. The project explored qualities like visual and spatial continuation as a means of provoking a sense of freedom, openness, and liberation that is primarily generated by the ambiguous behavior of spaces and their fluidity It also examined the rigorous organizational systems in relation to the spatial ambiguity that would ultimately obscure the hierarchical system and start to blur the distinction of what is private and public and what is inside and outside. A process that would come to liberate the architecture from its traditional constraints as it would grant the user the liberty of control.

INTEGRATED SYSTEMS

The building uses different systems to Maximize passive strategies for control of natural light and ventilation, ground-source heating and cooling with heat pumps, concealed ductwork, and electrical distribution. It utilizes a system for collecting ground rainwater and filter it for recycling. The project uses green roofs and thermal panels for domestic hot water. The Facade/ Skin System is comprised of Rain screen GFRC panels, metal panels, aluminum operable windows and curtain wall system with sun shading using louvers.

Prof. Robert Brackett III

C IN E M AT IC R H Y THM S

The project is a theater design that primarily experiments with the intersection of architecture and cinema and how that could address architecture as a narrative overall. The design draws inspiration from the Jussieu Library by Rem Koolhaas to study the flow of spaces and how that could translate into an experience of process and time. In the Jussieu Library, a ramp system is used to interconnect all floor planes to create that flow of spaces and they are supported by extensive columns. This project adapts the same ramp system and exag gerates it in a way that would dramatize certain spaces. Also, It explores those Vertical support elements and abstract it and use it extensively as means to serve as more than just structural support . Thus, the project would ultimately come to redefine those vertical elements as they start to engage with the design substantially.

INTE R C O NN E C TE D VE R T I C A L I T Y

F ABRI C F L O W

The Design closely studys the ramp system in the jussieu Library that almost feels like a carpet that is connected throughout all the planes. It experiments with that interconnected system by stretching and contracting the planes to respond to different aspects of the theater program. The project explores that sense of fabric flow within the Jussieu Library and looks on how to liberate its architecture from the its rigidity by mainly utilizing the vertical elements and abstracting it in a way that would dictate the form of the architecture through suspension and tension. The use of those vertical elements would extend beyond just structural purposes, they would eventually inform the the architectural form, the program and the building envelope.

RH Y T H M S

The extensive use of the vertical elements resulted in a rhythmic relationship between them. Not only are those rhythms used to support the floor planes, but also connect and disconnect spaces, control privacy and light exposure and generate the facade system . As the vertical elements starts to become extremely dense, a relationship between those vertical elements and the volumetric solids start to form; a relationship of densification and decomposition. The densification of the vertical elements that they start to feel and look like a volumetric solid and the decomposition of those solids that they form individual vertical components; a process that of which entails an experience of time..

Interior View Lobby

In this theatrical design, the rhythms are expressed in the structure, program, building envelope and the experience overall. there is this sense of linearity to it in which the vertical rhythms almost dictates how we are supposed to experience the spaces. spaces that are experienced by rhythms and sequence of events rather than experiencing architectural spaces synchronously. It is a poetic experience that entices a narrative

Interior View Production Room

BINA R Y LIB R A R Y

AN E X T ENTION T O T H E C LO I STE R

A library project that uses The Brick Country House by Mies van der Rohe as an architectural precedent . The Brick Country House is an unbuilt project that strives to challenge the way traditional classical houses are meant to be designed. It re imagined and reinvented traditional architecture through a series of interconnected spaces that formed spatial continuity. This project adapts that idea of re imagining and redefining and explores it further through more of a conceptual and theoretical approach that relies on subjective perception rather than the objective qualities of the spaces. The project borrows the same architectural elements from the precedent to create two systems that would ultimately examine the infinite possibilities of both systems.

The two systems are extreme opposites. As a result , hybridizing them would result in an architectural complexity. A complexity that would certainly obscure the reality of spaces. Nonetheless, it would prompt for a cognitive engagement to understand it fully. It is not a traditional space but rather a psychological space...

A P SC H O L O G I C AL S PAC E

T W OF A CE D

One system is organized through plan (Horizontally) while the other is organized through section (Vertically). the purpose was to examine how the spaces and objects would behave if they were to be perceived differently. From both systems, similar spaces were established; yet through opposite approaches.

CONTACT

E-Mail: malradad@pratt.edu

Phone: +1(323)-528-0049

Address: 1 West st, New York, NY, 10004

Pratt Institute

Undergraduate Architecture

Portfolio 2018-2023