Ricardo Alvarado Portfolio 2024

R I C A R D O ALVARADO

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 VOLUMETRIC VEILS . VERTICAL FARM SKYSCRAPER

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02 CASTING CONTAINERS . ARTIST RESIDENCE/GALLERY

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03 TOWERS . CONCEPTUAL SCULPTURE & ICA EXTENSION

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04 AUTONOMOUS FUTURES . SPECULATIVE TRANSIT HUB

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05 FAIRSHARE LOS ANGELES . PRODUCE PARK

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06 THE LIVING BOTHY . SCHENCK WOODMAN COMPETITION

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07 DIGIBLAST . WEITZMAN SUMMER FABRUCORIENTATION

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SAM FOX SCHOOL OF DESIGN / FALL 2022 / KELLEY MURPHY MARINA CITY, CHICAGO

01 VOLUMETRIC VEILS VERTICAL FARM SKYSCRAPER This project reimagines Bertrand Goldberg’s Marina City as a proto type for an urban vertical farm fa cility while investigating the role of terracotta as a functional, liv ing, ornamental facade. Inspired by agricultural land in Illinois and the historic signifcance of terra cotta in Chicago skyscrapers, the the terracotta units use field geom etry as a displacement map to cre ate spaces along the towers’ facade for plant life to nestle and grow.

The terracotta “fieldscape” on the towers communicates with the city its new agricultural program. The robotic arms along the facade har vest and maintain plant life while also creating a sense of spectacle for the public. The agricultural program attempts to reconnect urban life with agriculture to mitigate carbon emissions and provide fresh fresh er food to people within thin Chicago.

The project also adapts pts Goldberg’s vision of a city within hin a city to an agricultural context; ext; food is grown within the towers, ers, processed through their ramps, and redistrib uted to the rest of the city.

UNROLLED ELEVATION TEXTURE MAP

TERRACOTTA T TILE PRECEDENT STUDIES STU

PROGRAM CONCEPT DIAGRAM/

CERAMIC FACADE STUDY MODEL

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30”X 30”

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NORTH ELEVATION RENDER

TERRACOTTA EXTERIOR RENDERING

CHICAGO RIVER PERSPECTIVE RENDERING

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GROUND FLOOR PLAN, URBAN FIELDS PLAZA

PRODUCE PROCESSING RAMP

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VERTICAL FARMS AND RESEARCH LAB TYPICAL FLOOR

WEST [LONGITUDINAL] SECTION DRAWING

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3’ X 2’, 1:32 PHYSICAL MODEL PERSPECTIVE CLOSE UP

3’ X 2’, 1:32 PHYSICAL MODEL 3D PRINTED PIECES, 1/32” BASSWOOD STICKS, BRISTOL PAPER, CHIPBOARD, MDF

3’ X 2’, 1:32 PHYSICAL MODEL SECTION AXONOMETRIC VIEW

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SAM FOX SCHOOL OF DESIGN / FALL 2021 / KELLEY MURPHY GRAND ARTS DISTRICT, ST. LOUIS first floor plan

02 CASTING CONTAINERS ARTIST RESIDENCE Located in the vibrant arts community of Grand Center in St. Louis, this project cre ates a residence, studio, and gallery for two artists. The massing of this project was in spired by an experimentation with cast con crete modules early in the semester. The modules served as the reference point for ar chitectural gestures and spatial organization wtihin the project. This project features two forms, the gallery is located closer to the street while the residence is placed in the back to connect with the alleyway. The forms point towards each other to create a open courtyard space between the public and pri vate spheres. Like the concrete modules, the roof of the project folds to bring in sun light into the gallery and studio spaces. The shape of the roof is also a way for the proj ect to fit within the surrounding site; it is a manipulation of the traditional gable roof of houses. The walls enclosing the courtyard are covered with striped cast concrete clad ding.

second floor plan enclosure detail

third floor plan

transverse section cut, artists’ residence

cast concrete modules 6” x 6”

site construction lines

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longitudinal section cut

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GALLERY INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE RENDERING

1:8 PHYSICAL MODEL INTERIOR GALLERY PERSPECTIVE MASSING ON 1:32 SITE MODEL

SCULPTURE COURTYARD PERSPECTIVE RENDERING

1:8 PHYSICAL MODEL BASSWOOD STICKS, FOAMBOARD, BRISTOL PAPER, CHIPBOARD

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WEITZMAN SCHOOL OF DESIGN / FALL 2023 / LAIA MOGAS SOLDEVILLA PHILADELPHIA INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, FOLDING TOWER

03 TOWERS CONCEPTUAL SCULPTURE & ICA EXTENSION

dance e move.01 TILT T

dance move.02 m KICK

dance move.03 BALANCE

dance n move.03 e FLYER YE E

Spatial al Chor C o eography ra

Kinetic Trilateration

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2.7’

Dynamic Facade Carving

Projection of Figure Poses

Convergence

Projection onto Towers Bounding Box

Connecting Lines

Formal Resolution “the dancer”

Folding Resolution

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Structural Resolution Supporting Arm Structure

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SAM FOX SCHOOL OF DESIGN / SPRING 2022 / CONSTANCE VALE GRAND/CIVIC CENTER STATION, LOS ANGELES

SPECULATIVE MAP OF FUTURE DOWNTOWN LA TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS AND HUBS

04 AUTONOMOUS FUTURES SPECULATIVE TRANSIT HUB GROUPWORK WITH Caleb Heusel Set within the Los Angeles of 2090, this project imagines a future where the rising tides have caused (SAM FOX CLASS OF 2022) a climate refugee crisis within the city. This proj ect centers around an intermodel transit hub that would be the center of arrival for climate refugees and feature an autonomous vehicle transportation system (AV). Within the hub, there are bus stops, a rail connection, AV pick up spots, a car museum, a theater, retail spaces, temporary refugee housing units, and city services that would help the cli mate refugees transition into the city. This proj ect speculates spatial relationships between people and autonomous vehicles in the future. The exterior massing is contrasted by the large open atriums in side. The atriums are spaces for visitors to collect and look through various parts of the hub. Inspired by the site, Bunker Hill, the project experiments with an architectural object making language. The hub’s form slopes towards the adjacent courthouse on ATRIUM DIAGRAM its southern side and on the opposite side it juts out towards Frank Ghery’s Grand LA complex. This form suggests a new connection between the new cli mate refugees and the surrounding city while also creating a new iconic shape within the site.

AXONOMETRIC SITE CONTEXT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE CONCOURSE GROUND LEVEL

INTERIOR OPEN SPACES DIAGRAM

ELEVATION RENDERING

speculative map of future LA zones of sea level rise, at risk of flooding, gentrifica tion zones, refugee communities

REFUGEE HOUSING ATRIUM LEVEL

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SAM FOX SCHOOL OF DESIGN / SPRING 2023 / DR. LINDA SAMMUELS SIXTH STREET VIADUCT, LOS ANGELES

05 FAIRSHARE LOS ANGELES URBAN PRODUCE PARK/ FOOD WASTE DISTRIBUTION CENTER Located between Boyle Heights and the Arts District in Los Angeles, spanning over a vast 10 acre expanse, lies Produce Park Los Angeles. This innovative urban space not only provides recreational amenities, such as basketball courts, bike paths, and a multi purpose stage for Angelenos but also addresses a pressing need within the neighboring communities access to fresh and abundant food. At Produce Park, a large scale hydroponics system has been implemented, with one section extending beneath the length of the bridge and another spanning over the LA River.

Within this system, an impressive array of produce is cultivated, ensuring a consistent and sustainable supply. The harvested produce is then made available to the community through an on site farmers market, bridging a gap in coverage left by traditional farmers markets in Los Angeles.

Produce Park Los Angeles stands as a visionary urban project, seamlessly integrating recreational spaces with innovative solutions to address food scarcity and promote sustainable practices. By combining hydroponics technology, food recovery programs, and culturally significant landscaping, the park serves as a model for holistic community development, empowering residents and nurturing a resilient and inclusive urban environment.

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WEITZMAN SCHOOL OF DESIGN / SPRING 2024 / ANNETTE FIERRO FAIRMOUNT PARK RESEVOIR, THE URBAN GRID AND PICTURESQUE

06 THE LIVING BOTHY 2024 SCHENCK WOODMAN COMPETITION groupwork with Spring Yu & Jessy Xu (WEITZMAN CLASS OF 2026)

Fence, a symbol of division and ownership; it represents bound aries. As we walked through the snow covered Strawberry Mansion neighborhood, we discovered the paradox of space a neighbor hood cradled by nature yet estranged from it, a neighborhood with boundaries between human and nature, and boundaries between human and human.

EXPERIENCIAL WALK MAP BOARD [24” X 36”]

Now we are dreaming as time flows by... The fences surrounding the reservoir have crumpled, vines and shrubs grow interwoven with the remnants of chained metal wire. The barriers once in hibiting our passage are breaking down, and instead of looking to build taller, greater boundaries, we want to blur them. m.

The bothy creates a bridge to connect nature to people, a tunnel to free the animals trapped inside the fences, a nest for r birds to land, a moving green land that brings nature to the neighbor eighbor hood. It is a moving structure, designed with multilayers rs for cohabitation of different species. I You can temporarily stay inside and slowly drift on water r across the reservoir. It wanders through the neighborhood bringing ing green space and fresh produce to residents. There are a lot of them so don’t be shy to take one and let the birds rest on top top. p.

MIDJOURNEY BOTHY ITERATIONS

DETAILS/ SOUND ANALYSIS ELEMENTS

FINALIZED BOTHY

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IMAGINED BOTHY PARK PROGRAM, DWELLING FOR ONE, RESEARCH CENTER, FERTILIZING AND POLLENATING LIVING MACHINE, BIRD NEST MATERIAL DIS TRIBUTOR, BIRD FEEDER, PLANT ROOT HEALTH MONITOR

IMAGINED BOTHY URBAN PROGRAM, DWELLING FOR ONE, TRAVELLING COMMUNITY RESEARCH CENTER, CLIMBING WALL, SEED LIBRARY, URBAN GARDEN POL LINATOR, FORAGAGED FOOD DISTRIBUTOR, SHADE STRUCTURE, ANIMAL CROSSING

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FINAL NARRATIVE BOARD [24” X 36”]

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WEITZMAN SCHOOL OF DESIGN / FALL 2023 / DANIEL MARKIEWICZ UPENN BLANCHE LEVY PARK

07 DIGIBLAST WEITZMAN SUMMER ORIENTATION

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Cast In Place Metal Reglet Sealant Over Vinyl Tubing

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