Oscar De Leon - Columbia GSAPP

Advance Architectural Design

Selected Works Oscar DeLeon

Columbia University : Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Advance Architectural Design

Contents

Advance Architectural Design

Garden of Resilience

01

Stacking

13

Resilient Prototype

23

Social In-filling

33

Rethinking BIM

43

The MoMA Experience

53

Noah’s Ark

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Columbia University : Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Garden of Resilience The intention of the project is to explore an alternative imagination of Parque Dom Pedro II, one of São Paulo’s largest parks, located in the center of the city. The current condition of Parque Dom Pedro II finds itself disconnected from the rest of the city, abandoned, and neglected. Garden of Resilience aims to reconnect the park to the rest of the city, and most importantly, it aims to revitalize the park by using existing conditions and newly introduced elements. Firstly, at urban scale, the Garden of Resilience proposes the use of the existing urban grid as a tool to reconnect, which results in a grid that helps organize elements within the park. Second and most importantly, the design proposes the use of sports activities to activate an revitalize the park, while simultaneously, helping mitigate the flooding that occurs during heavy rainfall.

Advisor: Pedro Rivera Collaboration: Jean-Pierre VillafaĂąe

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Model. The design creates a grid for paths from existing contextual site conditions, urban gestures.

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654,438 FT3 BASEBALL VOLLEYBALL FUTSAL BASKETBALL SKATEPARK AMPHITHEATRE FUTBOL FUTBOL BASEBALL CAPOEIRA VOLLEYBALL GYMNASIUM FUTSAL FUTBOL BASKETBALL RUNNING SKATEPARK AMPHITHEATRE FUTBOL FUTBOL CAPOEIRA GYMNASIUM FUTBOL RUNNING

423,947 FT3 BASEBALL VOLLEYBALL FUTSAL BASKETBALL 1,505,347 FT3 SKATEPARK AMPHITHEATRE FUTBOL FUTBOL 423,947 FT3 BASEBALL CAPOEIRA VOLLEYBALL GYMNASIUM FUTSAL FUTBOL BASKETBALL 1,505,347 FT3 RUNNING 379,866 FT3 SKATEPARK AMPHITHEATRE FUTBOL 361,655FUTBOL FT3 CAPOEIRA GYMNASIUM FUTBOL RUNNING 379,866 FT3

392,228 FT3

696,792 FT3 1,505,347 FT3

696,792 FT3

654,438 FT3

654,438 FT3

392,228 FT3 423,947 FT3FT3 980,583

392,228 FT3 980,583 FT3

696,792 FT3 1,505,347 FT3 379,866 FT3

696,792 FT3

361,655 FT3 980,583 FT3

980,583 FT3

379,866 FT3

361,655 FT3

GESTURE/ NECTION

654,438 FT3

392,228 FT3 423,947 FT3

361,655 FT3 177,786 FT3 432,774 FT3

98,443 FT3 177,786 FT3

98,443 FT3

432,774 FT3 145,075,020 L =

145,075,020 L =

5,123,276 FT3

GESTURE/ NECTION

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

RETENTION BASINS 432,774 FT3

177,786 FT3

5,123,276 FT3

98,443 FT3 177,786 FT3

RETENTION EXISTING BASINS CONDITIONS 432,774 FT3

145,075,020 L = 5,123,276 FT3

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

RETENTION BASINS

98,443 FT3

EXIS CONDIT

145,075,020 L = 5,123,276 FT3

RETENTION EXISTING BASINS CONDITIONS

EXIS CONDIT

3

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

PERFORMATIVE SOFTSCAPE

PERFORMATIVE PERFORMATIVE SOFTSCAPE HARDSCAPE

PERFORMATIVE HARDSCAPE

PROPOSED SHADING

PROPO SHA

PERFORMATIVE SOFTSCAPE

PERFORMATIVE PERFORMATIVE SOFTSCAPE HARDSCAPE

PERFORMATIVE HARDSCAPE

PROPOSED SHADING

PROPO SHA

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654,438 FT3 392,228 FT3

696,792 FT3 654,438 FT3 392,228 FT3 980,583 FT3 696,792 FT3

980,583 FT3

98,443 FT3

145,075,020 L = 5,123,276 FT3

98,443 FT3

EXISTING CONDITIONS

145,075,020 L = 5,123,276 FT3

EXISTING CONDITIONS URBAN GESTURE/ CONNECTION

4

RECRE A

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

PROPOSED SHADING PROPOSED SHADING

Columbia University : Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

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Site Plan. A large stripe, north to south, enabled by urban gestures from the site creates a promenade-like space.

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Close-Up. The design calls for textures commonly used in Brazil such as Portuguese stone patterns.

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Isometric. A 3D chunk of the site shows the relationship of the basketball courts and skatepark to the river.

Section. A section taken from the above 3D chunk of the site.

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Isometric. A 3D chunk of the site shows the relationship of the soccer field and existing school to the river.

Section. A section taken from the above 3D chunk of the site.

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Render. The sports activities are meant to help activate and revitalize the park.

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Render. The sports activities are meant to help activate and revitalize the park.

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Columbia University : Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Stacking

The aim of the project is to create a building composed of parts, with the aim to function autonomously, both in its character and its structure. The intention is to challenge the conventional building where only the structure is permanent and rest of a building’s characteristics (facade/spatial quality/material) can change over time. The stacking of parts is meant to be permanent/fixed. In this case the structure (stacking parts) including its characteristics, are meant to be never changing. And, while permanent, there are some programmatic qualities in the parts that are meant to be flexible as to adapt to changing programs or concept of use.

Depending on the orientation and placement, the I–beam-like autonomous parts, can create different types of spaces, either by themselves or combined with other parts. The objective is to create various types of spaces that can accommodate different types of programs.

Advisor: Emmet Zeifman Collaboration: Felipe Rocha

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Model. Initial process model of stacking exercise.

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Model. Overall model of what the design intention.

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Plan Oblique. Oblique plans of the ground level and the fourth level.

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Isometric. Isometric render showing relationship of stacking parts.

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Render. View of interstitial space.

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Model. Physical model showing middle space in between the two towers.

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Short Section. Site conditions create a relationship with two levels, ground and Highline.

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Long Section. Various stacking positions create varying spatial conditions.

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Resilient Prototype The design of the prototype is driven by the idea of collaboration and sharing in terms of resources including electricity, water, and space. The prototype allows two families to share a single set of solar batteries, solar panels and a water collection system, hence significantly reducing the cost of installation and maintenance. Each unit also allows the possibility of future expansion, as and when families grow or have the financial ability to expand. The outdoor shared areas provide the two families a shaded social space.

In terms of hurricane resilience, the hexagonal form of the prototype allows high speed winds to cut around it reducing the pressure of winds against the walls and reducing chances of damage to the home. The concrete cores of the units provide a sturdy safe space for families to take shelter during a hurricane. The deployable solar panels behave as hurricane shutters and at the same time protect the solar panels from any damage. Advisor: Richard Plunz Collaboration: Shriya Sanil

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Model. Shows finished and exposed conditions.

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Aerodynamic Geometry Wind Units Geometry

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Cross Ventilation Wind Units

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Spacial Growth Void space Used space

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Layers Of Resistance Core - Concrete Shell - Wood Outer Shell - Steel

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Energy collected from solar panels are stored in shared Energy collected from solar solar batteries panels are stored in shared solar batteries

Solar Batteries Solar Batteries

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Water Tank Water Tank Water collected from roof is stored in shared tank under Water collected from roof the decking is stored in shared tank under the decking

Shared Resources Shared Resources Electricity Water Electricity Water

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Model. Shows finished and exposed conditions.

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Solar Shutters Panels

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Solar Shutters Panels

Solar Shutters. Retractable shutters for shading and protecting.

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Shared Resources (Solar+Water) 1

Deployable Solar Panels 2

4

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Fixed Louvers

Metal Roof with Wooden Framing

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Steel Frame

Deployable Hurricane Shutters

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6 10

Possibility of Expansion

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Integrated Gutter for Rainwater Collection

Concrete Safe Core

Shaded Patio Space

11 5 7

Raised Plinth

Aerodynamic Geometry

Shared Common Space

Axonometric. The prototype is ideal for two families to share a lot.

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Long Section. The prototype is meant to be strongest (concrete) at its core.

Longitudina

Short Section. Two units, one house.

al Section

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Columbia University : Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation

Social In-filling The project proposes to rebuild community through housing and social spaces with the intention to create community resilience.

The aftermath of Hurricane Maria on Isabel Segunda, Vieques’ largest town, left some buildings in poor condition or completely destroyed. The current situation of vacant lots, due to destroyed buildings, or lots containing building in poor condition, has left gaps in the social and spatial fabric of Isabel Segunda. The gap in the fabric has created opportunity to explore strategies that help rebuild the community through both spatial and social in-fill.

The response to the spatial and social gap explores site conditions found throughout the city as a vehicle to inform massing typologies that can be adapted to multiple sites. Site conditions, including: corner, transverse, and in-fill, are found to be the more common site conditions in Isabel Segunda. By looking at existing site conditions and massing typologies, alternative variations are developed to better accommodate changing programs/use, making any social in-filling flexible for change.

Advisor: Richard Plunz Collaboration: Shriya Sanil

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Isabel Segunda, Vieques. Green areas indicate vacant lots.

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Massing Typologies. Varying corner lot conditions.

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Massing Typologies. Varying through lot conditions.

Massing Typologies. Varying in-fill lot conditions.

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Massing Typologies. Corner lot condition chosen. Private spaces on the second level and public spaces on the ground level.

Massing Typologies. Through lot condition chosen. Private spaces on the second level and public spaces on the ground level.

Massing Typologies. In-fill lot condition chosen. Private spaces on the second level and public spaces on the ground level.

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Plan. Corner lot condition.

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Render. Corner lot condition.

Diagram. Access to corner lot condition.

Diagram. Access to corner lot condition.

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Plan. Through lot condition.

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Render. Through lot condition.

Diagram. Access to through lot condition.

Diagram. Access to through lot condition.

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Plan. In-fill lot condition.

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Render. In-fill lot condition.

Diagram. Access to in-fill lot condition.

Diagram. Access to in-fill lot condition.

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Rethinking BIM

The intention of the projects is to develop robust data driven methodologies and computational frameworks that intensify creative iteration and validate design solutions by utilizing various parametric design platforms to build tools and workflows for analysis, automation, simulation , optimization, representation, and so forth. The project consist of a proposal for an adaptation/intervention of the Lever House building.

Advisor: Gui Talarico, Jared Friedman Collaboration: Carlos Nones, Adam Swietek

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Reference. The facade of the American Cement Building located in Los Angeles, CA.

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Exploded Diagrams. The proposed facade for the Lever House building is composed of triangulated panels.

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Axon. The facade system is to be placed mainly on the front side of the existing Lever House building.

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Plan. Level four of the proposed Lever House building.

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Plan. Level seven of the proposed Lever House building.

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Front Elevation. The facade system intends to be a design element that performs for shading and energy saving.

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Section. The scale of the panels in the facade are large enough to cover floor to ceiling heights.

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Performative Facade. The panels on the facade system will open and close as needed for shade and light.

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The MoMA Experience

The writing aims to analyze the building of the MoMA as a complex material trajectory, where “initial design, accidents, multiple interferences, evolutions, mistakes have gained agency in the capacity to inscribe their effects in the device.�

Advisor: Andres Jaque, Oskar Orn Arnorsson

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Photo. The lounge area/charging stations in the MoMA.

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The idea of visiting a museum has usually been assumed to be the idea of visiting a building that houses and displays works of art, accessible to the public. I have visited various museums and like my first visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York, more recently designed by Yoshio Tanigushi, my focus was in seeing the exhibits and other permanent collections being displayed. Given my early interest in architecture and design, the obvious notice of certain architectural aspects of the museum’s buildings was inevitable. The notice of certain architectural moves or aspects was not critical or even analytical but rather very lay and careless. Upon my most recent visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York my intention was completely different than that of my first. The intention of visiting the museum was not to see the art but experience the way in which the architecture and the building behaves and its capacity to influence the 55

visitor’s behavior. Through my most recent visit to the MoMA I got the sense that, whether intentional or not, the building has become more about the comfort of the visitors and the art has become a player in the visitor’s comfort. The art will always drive the museum, as it is the subject, but without visitors and the catering to visitors, the museum is just a garage or storage, not what we have come to understand today as more of an experience. Certain amenities and characteristics of the design such as an emphasis on a central garden for public gathering and lounges/charging stations, have led me to belief that the museum has in fact emphasized the comfort of the user. Let me elaborate through my most recent experience visiting the MoMA. To begin, the building is not outwardly expressive but instead felt introverted. The building does not make a huge fuss or pronounce itself as other museums do, such as the Guggenheim in New York and Bilbao or even the Broad Museum in Los Angeles.

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Not considering the large bright colored signs from the street, it

make a frame for their architecture, and a frame should not be

is not very obvious the museum is present on its site, maybe due

more conspicuous than the painting. Instead, I wanted to make

to the building being coplanar with its neighboring facades and

the inside dramatic.”

also considering the sides facing the streets are plain and solid with no real indication of art being present within the confined walls of their enclosure. In a way the attention to what goes on inside can be an indicator on the emphasis on the spaces that create the comfort for the visitors. In fact, this lack of attention to the outwardly architectural expression is a result of earlier designs, which Tanigushi intentionally responds to and respects.

Paul Goldberger, who wrote a piece for the New Yorker about the addition by Tanigushi affirms, “The first building that the Museum of Modern Art put up for itself, in 1939, wasn’t sumptuous, like the Met, or extravagantly sculptural, like the Guggenheim, two decades later. It was a crisp, blunt box”. The building was intentionally a crisp blunt box, which was different for its time.

“It was a matter of pride that the new building looked nothing like its neighbors.” Nonetheless, the building, at its present state no longer stands out from the rest as to call attention for itself and make a symbolic gesture or claim about what goes inside the building. “In 1997, the museum snubbed the radicals and hired Taniguchi, who represents…a cool and reserved aesthetic that has more in common with the Modern’s original credo…” The building’s design has given its back to the public and made the museum about what happens in the interior, in a way saving itself for what happens on the inside. In regards to the exterior and the focus on the interior, in an interview with Michiyo Nakamoto from Financial Times Tanigushi states:

As I continued my visit of the museum, I quickly realized the museum was in fact introverted. The outside facing the public seemingly gives its back to the audience while from the inside the full height glass walls open up to the interior where the garden is located. Rennie Jones from Arch. Daily on a piece for AD Classics writes of the garden: “Taniguchi envisioned the garden as the museum’s core, providing views from each of the surrounding buildings.” The garden, separating itself from the bustling city through walls, one forgets they are in the city, which attests to the introversion of the building. Jones continues, “The Museum represents a microcosm of Manhattan, with buildings of various character surrounding a central garden. The main lobby extends from the 53rd Street entrance to the Sculpture Garden along 54th, creating a porous transition between the interior and its urban context. While moving through the galleries, visitors encounter unexpected views of New York’s streets and skyline. Though the classic, white box galleries are typical of many contemporary museums, Taniguchi incorporated this system of vistas to reveal the MoMA’s unique context.” The garden is a central player in the emphasis on the visitor’s comforts.

Through observation of different segments throughout the building, one can see that there seems to be a tendency to give the users/visitors a lot of importance in other ways. For example, the charging stations where visitors, having exhausted the battery of their phones from so many pictures or videos taken on

“All of these [originally designed] buildings were made at differ-

their devices, allowed them to upload their pictures/videos to

ent times. So, I thought I should make the exterior very subdued

their social media platforms. The restaurant, with its great views

on purpose, not to compete with the three facades. I wanted to

of the garden and the museum’s surrounding, seemed like a

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place to be for a great dining experience with comforts of seating the inside dramatic. I wanted people to be able to feel that they arrangements and views. The building felt as though it gave a lot

were experiencing MoMA’s art in New York”. Although, Naka-

of importance to the users/visitors and it felt as though it was

moto’s desire was to design a museum built around the subject

more about the user’s comforts than the art. In being introverted

(art), because of how technology has had an impact on how we

the building becomes about the experience inside, an experience

experience things nowadays, the renovations and additions of

drawing one to the garden, restaurant, lounge, charging stations,

the architecture, have gradually strayed away from and deprived

where art is not focused on. Yes, the art is the subject at hand in

the visitor’s from the experience of the art and has swayed its

the museum and the users are only observers but given the intro- focus more on the comfort for user’s. That is not to claim that version and the heavy importance on the user/observer, the art

a museum’s architecture should not take into consideration the

felt as a tunnel through which an experience for users/observers

comfort of the user’s but instead the architecture should focus

could be built and catered around. Tagunashi claims, “I wanted

on the experience of the art rather than focus on what makes

to make the inside dramatic. I wanted people to be able to feel

people comfortable through offering amenities in its architecture

that they were experiencing MoMA’s art in New York.” Again, the

in an effort to attract more people.

focus on the comfort of the user.

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Furthermore, charging stations showcase the effect

The idea of user comfort has had a hand with the changes in

that technology has had on our culture, and the aspects it has

society and the developments in technology. An agent that has

changed in turn have resulted in the way museums spaces are

come to play a role on the user’s comfort in the experience of

being rethought, not so much in art showcase but user experi-

the museum is technology. Technology has had many effects

ence. In other words, the advancement of technologies such

in how we go about everyday life, it has also come to play a

as phones has been an agent of change in our culture and

part in the museum experience. The architecture of the build-

design. The change I speak of is more evident in social media.

ing, whether intentional or not, has embraced the way humans

Social media has become a lens into people’s lives, what they

have become accustomed to the use of technology, specifically

do, what they experience. Social media has enabled changes

the phone in this case. Having taken the idea of how dependent

in how we do everyday things, including museum visits. These

we’ve become on our phones, the museum has honed in on

changes have had an effect on how museums are designing their

the visitor’s comfort surrounding their phones and that can be

spaces. One can argue that museums have adopted new ways

seen in the charging stations and lounges where people seem

of designing spaces in order to enhance the art experience and

to gravitate towards at one point or another. Through these

not the user’s comfort. Through the use of amenities such as

observations, one can again make the claim that the building,

lounges and charging stations, museums are in fact promoting

through its charging stations, begins to hone in on the users/visi-

the art. Museums like the MoMA are adapting to new cultures

tors comfort. Going back to the interview with Michiyo Nakamoto and adopting the agents of culture such as phones and social from Financial Times where Tanigushi claims, “I wanted to make

media to promote the art and keep the art relevant and exciting

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by embracing the changes in our culture. The art is meant to

people can’t pass up upon visiting the city. Whatever the inten-

be focal through the lens of social media and new technologies

tion of the changes in the design of the spaces are or whether

that promote art. One can also argue that museum’s new ways

these changes distract from the art or not, one thing is certain,

of designing with new technologies and cultures in mind are an

museums seem to be focusing more on the user lately.

approach with the intention of promoting themselves and their business interests. Giving user’s comforts enables not only a good reputation but free advertising. As a user you have an ideal experience at the museum; you charge your phone, take a picture and tag MoMA. A person enjoys the museum all while also promoting the museum on social media giving the museum free advertisement, win-win. In this case, the art becomes secondary and the museum becomes a kind of pop icon that

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Photo. Musuem visitors taking in the views provided by the architecture of the building.

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Noah’s Ark The project explores city making in an imaginary world under imaginary conditions. The exercise references theories of city making such as Ville Contemporaine (1922) and Cite Radieuse (1947) by Le Corbusier.

Using the grid as an invisible system of organization, a superposition of nets that respond to different needs at different scales and infinite. Starting with the smallest unit (the cell), where individuals live, the cells are connected to the core and grouped into a block. The core of the block supplies all the infrastructural needs for the cell. Blocks are arranged on a hexagonal grid. At the center of each hexagon, a low boat with hexagonal shape has the function of production - it is a system. It can be agriculture, food production, manufacturing, storage, energy. The productive function is carried out by an army of drones, robots and other types of mechanical artifacts remotely controlled by individuals from the workstations in their cells. Each hexagonal cluster of blocks around a production center has its own energy production and protection system. An underwater infrastructure surrounds the edges of the cluster. Several appliances are connected to this infrastructure and react depending on the needs of each moment.

Advisor: Vishaan Chakrabarti, Skylar Bisom-Rapp Collaboration: Sidharth Somana, Anna Stokes, Gloria Coch, Emily Po, Quentin Yiu, Gabriel Vergara, Doris Xia Wang

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Reference. Ville Contemporaine by Le Corbusier (1922).

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1 block

1 cell 1 block

1 cell 1 cell

1 cluster

1 block

1 cluster

1 city 61

The Grid. The city grid starts at small scale and increases/ grows the city from there.

1 cluster

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Grid. The city grid is only imaginary, an organizing datum which allows for an ever growing city.

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Masterplan. The city has the potential of self sufficiency through the production of agriculture and other resources.

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Masterplan. A floating city for a flooded world.

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Reference. The city block makes reference to Cite Radieuse (1947) by Le Corbusier.

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SINGLE

DOUBLE

CLUSTER

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WIND MILLS

TIDAL ENERGY

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Collage. In an age of technological advances, everyday amenities would be catered to the users by elements such as drones and robots.

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