RdV Portfolio

SHOREDITCH SCHOOL OF ARTS

Design of a new art school in Shoreditch | London, United Kingdom

Master Thesis | December 2022

The redevelopment to which the area will be subjected will have to meet the needs of a resilient place toward the resident community, taking into account the needs of a heterogeneous neighbourhood of recent development. In order to make the building an element of regeneration for the neighbourhood itself, it is first necessary to study the public spaces connected to it.

The entire intervention area is embedded within a dynamic context. The place, therefore, must be able to adapt to this constant evolution.

The first step in this direction is represented by a thorough analysis conducted. The artistic character of the area is certainly one of its main assets, combined with the presence of a sizable park and the good connections to and from the center that characterize the neighborhood. At the same time, in-depth analysis has led to the identification of its limitations as well, particularly the presence of the canal, which bisects the area, and that of densely trafficked roads positioned right next to the park.

The proposed intervention has one main purpose: that of improving the livability of public spaces for the entire community residing in Shoreditch Park, emphasizing and enhancing the characteristic artistic aspects already present. At the level of the Master Plan, this goal is pursued first and foremost through a redesign of the residential area north of the park, the redevelopment of which is already envisioned by a recent district notice, paying particular attention to how the resulting negative public spaces can relate to those already present in the area. The theme of the park comes, then, as an additional element of priority interest, both in its design and in how it relates to the urban fabric in its various conformations.

New housing

The theme of the courtyard as an element enclosing a new public space underlies the new residential fabric. With the exception of the ground attachment, the volumes will be occupied by new residences. The public ground floor allows another need to be met: that of integrating the artistic vocation of the neighborhood within the residential area. These spaces can fulfill public functions such as extensions of art galleries, spaces for workshops and creative work, or exhibition spaces.

A further defining element of the courtyards concerns the theme of permeability. The surfaces facing the interior spaces are thought of as transparent, to extend the dimension of the outdoor courtyard even inside the building. Conversely, the exterior facades are almost entirely opaque, as if to conceal what lies within the courtyard itself, making it a more fascinating and protected environment at the same time

Garden Squares represent a distinctive element for the city of London. These gardens are thought of as wide spaces but completely enclosed by a curtain: this distinction is deliberately sought, so that you can enter a completely wide and green space that gives you a respite from the surrounding buildings.

Courtyard

Public ground floor

Shoreditch New Housing Diverse permeabilities Garden Squares

Public space, especially in a contemporary city, is a key place to encourage citizen participation in neighborhood life, transforming a given space from a place of passage to a place of rest. This is possible by multiplying the uses that public spaces can have and incorporating functions for different types of interests. Such as, for example, the presence of art works both in the lowered plaza that is created to the north of the building, and which can host art exhibitions when the occasion arises, and in the other public areas that are located nearby and that have been designed with this very purpose in mind.

Not only that, but the design of the exterior then focused on the creation of spaces to stop and open to the whole community, both in the park and in the square, which becomes the thus the heart of the new art center. Doing so achieves the effect anticipated earlier, namely the dilation of the threshold space. Various functions of the new art school, such as exhibition spaces and artworks themselves, especially way of its ground attachment, are brought out. Thus, there is no longer a threshold space, but the boundary of the building is also dilated outside.

In addition, new portions of public green space are inserted into the areas adjacent to the building, returning part of the lot to green use. These portions remain to serve the park and allow the parking spaces to be protected from traffic and noise pollution, directing flows toward the plaza to the north and the green pedestrian path that crosses the residential fabric and leads to the banks of the canal.

Concept and promenade

As it stands, the area is characterized in its almost entirety by this large excavation, now used as a parking lot. The project proposes to maintain part of this 2.50 m height difference and connect it to the park level through the design of a lowered plaza so as to take advantage of the pre-existence by bringing natural light to the semi-basement level. The conceived volume is a single volume, a parallelepiped, on which excavations are made in order to introduce as much natural light as possible into the building.

The excavation operation allowed not only luminous advantages but also the creation of optical telescopes and different views of the areas adjacent to the volume, which from the outside thus project into the building.

A key character of the building is that it is entirely connected by a public promenade. The promenade starts outside in the park and lowered plaza, entering via an access ramp and steps inside the building into the large central atrium. From this point, the promenade continues by connecting the ground floor to the second floor via two ramps and then to the subsequent intermediate levels, so that all connecting elements are always articulated around the large central void, overlooked by the interior terraces.

Site and context

In its de facto state, the area is characterized almost in its entirety by this large excavation, which is currently used as a parking lot.

Terraced Square

The project proposes to maintain this height difference and connect it to the park level through the design of a terraced square, so as to take advantage of the preexistence by bringing natural light to the basement level.

Volume

The designed volume is a single volume, a parallelepiped, which is placed aligning with the pre-existing avenue surrounding the north side of Shoreditch Park

Subtraction

The building site is wedged into a dense context between the abandoned manastery, the neglected church and a large school complex.

The concept of contamination reside in the desire to not compartmentalize the various functions, but rather creating fluid spaces. In this way it is difficult to understand exactly but, also to represent schematically, where one space begins and another ends: the exhibition route is also exhibition space but it is also, as for example seen on the second floor, study and break space. The fluidity of the spaces is even more emphasized the more the dividing elements between rooms are minimized in number. The hope is that, in this way, through the various arts, students will meet each other, and that these places will become opportunities for exchange and enrichment for them and for all visitors.

The sensation perceived inside the building, instead of a fragmented space, is that of a continuous environment, which keeps changing in its relationships with different spaces. The concretization of the interior landscape occurs in the negation of the plan as a static and definitive element, but rather in the creation of different levels, real terraces, which overlook each other by rising in level.

Technological Design

The technological development of the project focused on two insights. The first concerns the structural sizing of the beam-wall that supports the overhang without intermediate supports that characterizes the south elevation. The beam has vertical elements, called calastrons, that respect the rigid module that scans the façade. Technological insights involved the use of unitized façade technology, made easy again by the module that governs the design of the façade.

Pegs welded on the upper wing of the profile

Reinforced concrete slab floor, 40 cm thick

Upper current HEM 320

Calastron HEM 320

Pannello spandrel;

Spandrell panel

Porzione vetrata;

Glazed portion

Telaio modulare della facciata a cellula;

Unitized façade modular frame

Pannelli schermanti mobili;

Dynamic shading

Staffa di ancoraggio delle cellule al solaio;

Bracket for anchoring cells to the slab

Anchor bar embedded in the slab

Barra di ancoraggio annegata nel solaio;

Reinforcement plate, 4 cm thick

Welded union

Sottostruttura di tubolari;

Tubular substructure

Solaio a piastra in C.A.;

Reinforced concrete plate floor

Pilastro in C.A.;

Reinforced concrete column

Pegs welded on the upper wing of the profile

Reinforced concrete slab floor, 40 cm thick

Intermediate current HEM 320

Calastron HEM 320

Pistoni per la regolazione dei pannelli;

Pistons for shading adjustment

Shading system support bracket

Staffa di sostegno del sistema schermante;

Pegs welded on the upper wing of the profile

Reinforced concrete slab floor, 40 cm thick

Lower current HEM 320

Nel dettaglio riportato,si mostra come vengono gestiti gli ancoraggi dei vari elementi che compongono le chiusure verticali modulari dell'edificio.

Si nota dunque come nella struttura degli impalcati, composti da

apposite e tassellate sul fianco di ciascun impalcato; quest'ultime, attraversano la facciata a cellule in corrispondenza della giunzione dei vari moduli lasciando trasparire all'esterno solamente dei piatti ai quali viene fissata la struttura di tubolari.

Façade definition

The modularity of the elevation was also a key factor in defining the shading envelope, which is configured as a single skin enveloping the entire building on all four elevations. In this case, once the opaque and transparent portions of the modules were evaluated, it was decided to opt for a pattern obtained by dividing the rectangle at the diagonal, thus generating two triangular figures. The pattern thus obtained, arranged so that the hypotenuses of the various right triangles formed a second pattern layer, reminiscent of the figure of the rhombus, is not to be considered totally static and closed.

Two observations can be made. First, it can be seen that the pattern generated has a very precise pattern: a first level is given by the two triangles that are generated by dividing the module rectangle with respect to the diagonal. Some of these elements are more or less opened up, allowing the elevation design to also appropriate the third dimension orthogonal to the façade plane. Second of all, the only exeption to the envelope is made at the presence of the excavations: the interruption of the envelope at them enhances their presence.

Dynamic shading

It was decided to apply rotation to the individual elements with respect to the vertical element, made possible by the presence of telescopic joints located at the various stringers that support the structure, while the rotation hinge was placed directly inside the tubular structure that makes the frame of the rectangle. Depending on the level at which the facade is opened or closed, the telescopic tube lengthens or shortens, allowing the rotation of the entire element in a single step. The panels are made in micro-perforated metal, so that, even if closed, they allow a certain amount of light to penetrate inside.

At this point, it was possible to define four combinations of the individual modules, which will vary in the percentage of opening and closing but also in the opening angle itself; these configurations will alternate throughout the day to reduce glare and maximize the average illuminance perceived in the classroom.

closed shading

30° opening on 50% of the panels and of 45° in the remaining

30° opening on 50% of the panels

open shading

WINTER TIME

2 1st December, 12:00

solar altitude: 19°

PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM

Placed horizontal roofing for artificial lighting Module efficiency 22,6% Efv = 38170,44 kWh/year

EXTENSIVE GREEN ROOF for the mitigation of internal temperatures

trasmittance: U = 0,13 W/m2K thermal lag around 24h

MICRO-PERFORATED METAL LINING

to ensure a homogeneous internal light diffusion

CV 01

trasmittance: U = 0,14 W/m2K

HEATING cieling. Air system

RAINWATER

Collected by a storage tank and used for irrigation

DYNAMIC SHADING

to reduce the effects of glare and maximise internal illuminance

CV 02 trasmittance: U = 0,87 W/m2K

TANK to store rainwater for the supply of drains and irrigation of the outdoor lawn, model ECOTank, volume 50kL

MIDDLE PERIOD

2 1st March/September, 12:00

solar altitude: 41°

PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM

Placed horizontal roofing for artificial lighting Module efficiency 22,6% Efv = 38170,44 kWh/year

EXTENSIVE GREEN ROOF for the mitigation of internal temperatures

trasmittance: U = 0,13 W/m2K thermal lag around 24h

RAINWATER

Collected by a storage tank and used for irrigation

DYNAMIC SHADING to reduce the effects of glare and maximise internal illuminance

CHIMNEY EFFECT for natural ventilation with opening continuous facade elements

MICRO-PERFORATED METAL LINING to ensure a homogeneous internal light diffusion

OPENING WINDOWS for ventilation and air circulation

SYSTEM

of accumulation in water cover for irrigation of the garden roof model DAKU BLUE LINE

SOLAR SHADING horizontal overhang: 1,20 m

TANK to store rainwater for the supply of drains and irrigation of the outdoor lawn, model ECOTank, volume 50kL

SUMMER TIME

2 1st June, 12:00

solar altitude: 63°

PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM

Placed horizontal roofing for artificial lighting Module efficiency 22,6% Efv = 38170,44 kWh/year

RAINWATER

Collected by a storage tank and used for irrigation

EXTENSIVE GREEN ROOF for the mitigation of internal temperatures

trasmittance: U = 0,13 W/m2K thermal lag around 24h

MICRO-PERFORATED METAL LINING to ensure a homogeneous internal light diffusion

CV 01

trasmittance: U = 0,14 W/m2K

COOLING cieling. Air system

of accumulation in water cover for irrigation of the garden roof model DAKU BLUE LINE

DYNAMIC SHADING to reduce the effects of glare and maximise internal illuminance

SOLAR SHADING horizontal overhang: 1,20 m

CV 02 trasmittance: U = 0,87 W/m2K

TANK to store rainwater for the supply of drains and irrigation of the outdoor lawn, model ECOTank, volume 50kL

BUON PASTORE

Design of a conference hall and library | Monza, Italy

Technical Architecture | June 2020

Design concept

Site and context

The building site is wedged into a dense context between the abandoned manastery, the neglected church and a large school complex.

Sinking

The area sinks into the ground creating a stepped level for the protected public square. This new public place is called the agorà, as it becomes the new attraction centre.

Library

The volume of the library reconstructs the bulding curtain of the street facade with the existing building. It connects three different levels, with a direct access on the agorà.

Auditorium

The auditorium volume is sitting on the public agorà, following and including also inside the evolution of the outdoor stairs.

The designated area, the Buon Pastore complex located in Monza, represents the result of three centuries of different uses and management, shared between nobility and religious organizations. The aim of the new construction is to create a new public space, a place of aggregation and enjoyment, but also private and protected from the outside, where one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city is located.

The result we are trying to achieve is that of an intervention within which it is possible to recognize the individual volumes and the distinct intended uses, while seeking a certain unity through the transparent band located on the lower floor.

Unitized Façade System

Preliminary analysis

Corso di Studi in Ingegneria Edile-Architettura Corso di

GIUNTO STRUTTURALE

Three different solutions were analyzed at the beginning, evaluating both strenghts and weaknesses of each system. The decisive factor was the height of the beam in the end of the auditorium: pre-stressed concrete has proved to guarantee the minimum width of the all system, together with all advantages related to construction site facilitations. The volume of the building required also an expansion joint: from the preliminary concept stage, it was placed between the auditorium and the library, allowing the two volumes an independent behaviour during earthquakes.

Placement in the bracket Fixing and next placement Completed module

Corso di Studi in Ingegneria Edile-Architettura Corso di Architettura Tecnica

Verified structure

The load-bearing structure is mixed and combines the use of steel and pre-stressed concrete, with a structural framework of 6.5x6.5 meters.

The continuous masonry in reinforced concrete cast on site acts as a containment for the face excavated to create the basement floor. The beams have an asymmetrical IFB profile to ensure easier laying of the floors and present holes in their core to allow the passage of the systems, while the pillars have a circular and commercial HEA section.

Beams and columns system

Prefabricated honeycomb ceiling

Auditorium

Particular attention was given to the creation of continuity between different spaces. The project develops between inside and outside: the terraced environment with V-shaped pillars and the double and triple height open spaces of the basement communicate with the underground square. The intent is to create a single fluid and dynamic environment through the large curtain wall that runs entirely along the perimeter underground on the building’s square. In each of the different phases of the project the auditorium has always been an element treated with a certain independence from the rest of the complex: this is highlighted by its slight projection with respect to the underlying curtain wall, almost as if it were floating suspended in the void.

The choice of creating a wave ceiling derives from the need to obtain good acoustic characteristics inside the conference room: the aim is in fact to seek an optimal sound reverberation time equal to 1.7 s. The spatial conformation and the choice of materials is aimed at obtaining an acoustic reflection that allows a homogeneous distribution of the decibel level within the environment The false ceiling, in addition to assuming an architecturally relevant role, also allows the passage of the systems to be concealed and acoustically insulated. Between one panel and the other, to ensure proper ventilation of the room, there is an opening hidden by a black fabric that guarantees the visual homogeneity of the space. Using the EASE Focus 3 software it was possible to verify how different speakers within the room allow for better sound distribution. Therefore, the multifunctional space is suitable both for conferences dedicated to a small group and for more crowded events, making the necessary adjustments on the audio system.

Given the conformation of the building, we wanted to create a space with natural ventilation in the intermediate seasons and in the summer. It was decided to create a large sliding window, which overlooks the cover of the hinged body, which once opened is almost non-existent. This opening allows to create a single large environment and to eliminate the different perception between inside and outside. The intended use chosen for this place is aimed at making the place even more pleasant. the aim pursued is the well-being of the user, who can simultaneously visually enjoy the underground square, the double height with the helical staircase below thanks to the skylight; and at the same time, finding a raised green space.

The aim of our project was to take back the nobility the building deserves. The villa once home to wealthy families, however, now lies abandoned and in a decadent state. From the pictures we have identified a great potential, we decided to rebuild a livable green environment without affecting the naturalness of the place.

HILL OF THE ARTS

Regeneration of a noble villa into an art centre | Turin, Italy

YAC Competition Entry | April 2020

The original masterplan seems not to have undergone any alteration of shape as regards the two buildings and in fact the aim is not to be invasive on the surrounding environment and ecosystems. The main entrance to the public space is located on the zero floor of the ex depandance and a path leads to the yellow building, that houses the dining space and private rooms, and the theater, an underground space built on the hill, along the swimming pool. From this area it is possible to admire from above on one side the wood, which continues to live undisturbed, and on the other the city. In the middle of nature, scattered in the woods, small pods for artists are installed. The vast space is suitable for hosting art installations also outdoors creating different paths.

We have decided not to intervene on its facade, as it is of great value, and because we wanted to mantain the memory of the place as it was. The internal spaces have remained almost unchanged and have been exploited for the creation of a private environment for visitors, with rooms and apartments. To make the spaces more open and bright, we used glass partition walls where possible.

The furnishings of the two buildings are in continuity, minimal and valuable, making the rooms airy and spacious. We have removed the wallpaper where it has been ruined by time to dye the rooms with relaxing and bright colors. Art objects, musical instruments and greenery are integrated with the design of the rooms.

The theatre

This additional volume is an underground space, overlooking the large area created between the two main buildings. The idea of placing it underground is given by the improvement of the acoustics obtained in underground structures. It uses the existing arches to create the entrance to a 10x10m room. The light enters from a skylight set on the hill. The free space adapts to host the most diverse functions, it is not only a theatre, but a place of exchange, work, exhibition or a concert hall.

The pods

For those artists who need a private space to reflect and collect their thoughts and ideas are designed small self-sufficient houses located in the countryside. Their shape resembles that of stones. They are 3x2.5 m glazed boxes surrounded by micro-perforated sheet metal, they have independent ventilation, are powered by solar panels oriented on the faceted walls. Inside there is a small bathroom and a kitchenette, a room with a bed and a free space.The pods do not rest directly on the ground, but on stakes that allow to accommodate the differences in height and avoid contact with the mud in case of rain or snow. Below the platform there are two eaves and water collection tanks.

PIACENZA MUNICIPAL MARKET

Design of a new market for the city of Piacenza | Piacenza, Italy

Architectural Design 4 | December 2020

The city of Piacenza has an historic center whose urban fabric is determined by the presence of an orthogonal mesh, from which real insulae emerge negatively, densely built blocks that are thinning out and lose their regularity as they approach the project area. A path analysis was made taking into consideration two distinct types: real roads and covered paths, identified from a roof or obtained from an empty space within a building complex.

Design concept

The main idea behind the project lies in the will of not wanting to saturate the space to adapt it to the configuration of the historic center, but, instead, creating a stick that constitutes the dividing line between these two areas, which are different by their nature. This layout has a double value: in addition to delimiting the two different areas of the city it also aims at unifying them, becoming a permeable element and walkable in its entirety. The sign restores order but does not constitute a barrier.

the market’s relation with listed buildings

Palazzo Farnese

the market inside the urban fabric

A second the key principle is that it is not so much the building that is the catalyst, rather the space around it. The two main gaps relate to each other by dimension with those of the pre-existing context and at the same time give breath to the two interventions of greatest value that overlook the area: Palazzo Farnese and the former Chiesa del Carmine.

Precast concrete crossbeams

Proportions and structure

The theme of proportions was developed with the aim of designing a space that maintains a reference constant on the human scale. The definition of a module in plan and elevation was of fundamental importance, so that it made possible to generate a space not arousing an idea of monumentality, but rather that of a space on a human scale. The structure was an element of central importance: the main idea was that to create a balance, combining the primary function of the supports, to their fundamental role in defining the architecture of the building itself. The longitudinal beam, which creates the opaque portion above the sliding windows, is made through the use of a reticular truss in steel. The roof beams are attached to it and, unlike the beam-wall, they are made of precast concrete and fixed by using T-brackets on the reticular beam.

Fixing plate between the reticular system and the crossbeam

Steel reticular truss

COLD WAR VETERANS MEMORIAL

Design of a memorial at Pritzker Archives | Somers, Wisconsin

AMDL Circle team competition | June 2021

Design concept

The entire project design arises from a precise the geometric shape, that of a circle. The circle is a reference to the shape of the site, but also to the circularity of history. This circle is then elevated to create a wall, a perimeter to what happens inside. And inside we can find this amazing court, a hidden garden for people and nature. The theme was now how to get inside this new pacific court, so we created an access, just one, that leads to the inner forest, celebrating life in all its form at the end of the war. The final shape created is then one of a loop, geometrically a Moebius strip, which recalls to the infite cycle of life.

This is the final layout, in all its part, that we saw before. The loop alsocontains a path, where each stop is studied to demonstrate the greatness of America and its effort during the Cold War. For each stops, the sight is directed in a precise view: sometimes it focuses on the Wisconsin’s great lands, a symbol of American greatness, other times to the nature inside the court. Looking down at our reflection on the water reminds us of all the citizen who served America, but also light project us to what’s after and to the space out there.

© Guido Tarantola | AMDL Circle

© Guido Tarantola | AMDL Circle

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