Rodolfo Tovar_Selected Works Portfolio

KU Architecture PORTFOLIO

RODOLFO TOVAR

ABOUT ME

Born as a First-generation to Mexican Immigrant parents and raised in the United States, I already had an interesting perspective on culture and my surroundings, both social and built environments. Over-time, I learned that even though we may have our differences, we share similar needs, wants, hopes, and dreams. From speaking two languages, I came to understand how crucial is the ability to COMMUNICATE. The ability to: present information, admiration for our best qualities, and convey respect for our eccentricities. But humans communicate through language, so we need one that all can understand and utilize. I believe architecture can be that language; a multi-sensory, immersive medium that can express the best qualities in ourselves, our communites, and our world.

RUDY RODOLFO TOVAR

EDUCATION

JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE (2017-2019)

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS (2019-PRESENT)

5-year Master of Architecture

HONORS

ROYAL PRESTIGE SCHOLARSHIP (2018 & 2020)

KU HONOR ROLL (2021-2023)

ARCHITECTURE MASTERPRIZE

Institutional Architecture : TERRA MURA (2021)

INTERESTS

• Industrial Design

• Homage to Heritage / Culture

• Architectural History

• Ecology / Environmental Issues

• Hands-on Learning and Work

WORK EXPERIENCE

HALL TURF Kansas City, MO

On-site Laborer 2020

• Prepare areas that were designated for turf restoration

• Operate machines to spread, smooth, level gravel on grade

• Coordinating safety mats on top of gravel for padding

• Installing artificial turf rolls over prepared landscape and securing it to site

Server/Backserver

• Maintain a clean and happy environment for incoming guests

• Assist other teammates in serving and meeting guests needs

• Selling a product; convincing a guest that our products will surpass their expectations by engaging in wholesome presentation and descriptions of products available

SKILLS

•

•

Kapila Dharmasena Silva kapilads@ku.edu

(785) 864-1150

Keith J VanDeRiet kvdr@ku.edu

(785) 864-2431

Gregory Crichlow

gregory.crichlow@ku.edu

g387c606@ku.edu

ARCH 609 | Spring 2022

ARCH 608 | Fall 2021

ARCH 208 | Fall 2019

ARCH 509 | Spring 2021

ARCH 508 | Fall 2020

KYOTO HERITAGE PRESERVATION CENTER

ARCH 609 | Spring 2022 | In collaboration with Ericka Nadeau Celebrating Kyoto with the functions of a tourist/ information center and history museums in one place.

Kyoto is a Japanese city rich in history. The preservation of the history and context of the city is captured in this building using the journey, environmental and sustainable methods.

The Kyoto Heritage Preservation Center is the gateway to Kyoto. A beautiful urban space connecting tourists to the city.

To truly celebrate Kyoto's history and heritage, we implemented several iconic Japanese architectural archetypes, traditional building materials and methods, and formed the massing to properly respond to the adjacent context and its unique character, while still successfully following Kyoto's strict Heritage Zone Building Codes.

The KHPC is strategically opened on all three sides, creating a flow on and around the site. Without hindering any existing context, it's several lookouts allow people to stop and take in the city.

Concept Sketches

Shrines, Pagodas, Engawas, Gardens, Carpetry and Materials. All these traditional tropes were implemented into the KHPC with a new contemporary variations as we attempted to merge .

ORGANIC GESTURE

Merging Tradition and Contemporary

Keeping a traditional style typology and materials on the street facing facades while integrating large, curved, glazed envelopes around the central courtyard for a contemporary style light-well.

Kiyomizu-dera

MARK SPOT FILL SITE ORGANIC GESTURE

Plans prepared in collaboration with Ericka Nadeau

Gogjo-zaka

Matsubara-dori

1 - Audio Visual Room

2 - Permanent Exhibit Space

1 - City Lookouts

2 - Temporary Exhibit Space

3 - Administrative Space

4 - Heritage Center

5 - Conference Rooms

6 - Executive Office First Level

Second Level

ENGAWA AND LOCAL PLANTS

TRADITIONAL JAPANESE ROOF TILES

YAKISAGI / SHOU SUGI-BAN

WOODEN LATTICE AND WARM GLOW

The East Elevation of the KHPC is the side facing Kyoto valley which contains the city of Kyoto. To capitalize on this, the galleries and several city lookouts are placed on this sector to fully capture the view as a panoramic scene.

The Permanent Exhibit Gallery room features an array of historical heritage pieces and artifacts. Natural soft-light entering the space is diffused by the East facades louver system and Triple-pane UV protected glass to prevent damage.

All street facing elevations are articulated with SHOU SUGI-BAN style wood cladding, wooden louvres, and the buildings roof stacks upward along the sites incline with the intention of emulating the adjacent context language and form.

Staying true to our original concept, the curved formation of the central courtyard adds an organic gesture to the buildings formation, while the systemic and polygonal street facing facades keeps in touch with traditional Kyoto archetypes.

Natural light is diffused by the leaves of the 60' bamboo stalks standing tall and proud in the central lightwell to provide soft light to all points inside the wide building's mass.

Low-level ceilings create a much more intimate space, similar to traditional Japanese architecture.

Interior walls are Cross-laminated Timber panel assemblies sourced from Japanese manufacturers. The ceilings are also composed of wooden composite panels, they share the same warm, natural faces on all planes.

The courtyard's lightwell perforates the building's mass from top to bottom, insuring a clear and full supply of natural light to all the inside spaces.

This also means the garden and its articles are also visible from all angles inside the building, but especially the gallery, so they can also be celebrated as a signature piece of Kyoto heritage.

Interior gardens are another staple of Japanese architecture. They are a tranquil and serene place for solace, which is a useful feature especially in our time.

We integrated a Karesansui, a Rock Zen Garden, into the courtyard and have the lowest level open to the public so visitors can marvel at the lightplay as it permeates down the through the buildings and bamboo.

Wooden structures were common throughout historic Japan. Hinoki wood is strong and light-weight, which was ideal for this region plagued with earthquakes. So we choose to implement Glulam Construction for the entire aboveground assembly, which is not only aesthically pleasing, but also extremely effective at handling the loads induced by seismic activity.

| KYOTO, JAPAN |

Since this was an Integrated Design and Technical Documentation Studio, so we focused heavily on the technical development of the building, code and zoning compliance, material fabrication, and methods of composition and construction.

Because of this we were now capable of making code compliant detailed sections and drawings.

With research and creativity, we were able to integrate the traditional tropes (Roof tiles, timber construction, wood screens, fusuma) and implement them as a contemporary translation, mixing heritage and the current.

1” X 4” Louver

Inverted_V Steel Bracing

360MM X 560MM GLT Column

Bamboo Floor Finish

175MM 5-Ply CLT Panel

Eaves covering Exposed GLT

Coated Steel Eaves Support

Sloped Metal Cap Flashing

3/8” Yakisagi/ Shou Sugi-Ban

Air Space

3/4” Perforated Cross Furring

Moisture Control Layer

2” Rigid Insulation / R-10

Vapor Control Layer

3/8” Yakisagi/ Shou Sugi-Ban

2X12 Timber

Flashing

9-1/2” TJI 110 Joists (16” O.C.)

Hanging Steel Support

Curtain Wall Detail

X 8” Aluminum Transom

Low-E Coated Glass (3) Pane

3/4“Plywood Sheathing

180MM X 380MM GLT Beam

3/4” Plywood Sheathing

R3.0 BATT Insulation

(2) Laminated 1/2" Low-Iron Glass

360MM X 380MM GLT Beam

Callout 1A03

Callout 1A02

Callout 6A05

Callout 6A04

THE EXHIBIT

ARCH 608 | Fall 2021 | Eddy Tavio

Reimaged 18th St. pedestrian corridor that brings flexible art programming and curation in KCMO.

One of eleven projects proposed in our Transform KC Studio (KC PATH) development proposal for KCMO's 18th St. corridor, pushing for a surge in culture and amusement.

This new mixed-use concept located in the heart of this new district. At the ground level, a large entertainment hall provides public lounging for the increased foot traffic, family-friendly restaurants for the multi-generational crowd to pause for a while strolling through 18th St.

Flexible cross-cultural art program and curation are also present, becoming a new hub for fine arts closer to the downtown KCMO.

The program proposes 129 new residential units, servicing young professionals, to cross-generational tenants. four south-facing community terraces provide great views of the surrounding city and new communal spaces for residents.

Our Transform KC Studio tackles a unique, high-impact area of Kansas City and collectively builds an everevolving large scale model that is used as a tool for conversation and ideation. The broad goal of the studio was to transform 18th Street into a complete pedestrian friendly corridor. This corridor would connect two separated arts communities into one. On one end is the crossroads district where First Fridays exists, and the other end is the jazz district with a rich history. THE EXHIBIT proposal is stationed in the first district, capatilizing on the foot traffic.

Kansas City, Missouri

Studio proposal for new 18th Street Corridor

Site at intersection of E 18 St and Locust St

CARVE

A full mid-rise development is just to massive for this current context, so I stereotomically carved away the corner near the corridor, and it becomes striking.

LocustSt 37

To make the ground level more inviting to the foot traffic while conserving the street front, THE EXHIBITS RELIQUARY is an all accessible display of KC life.

COMMUNITY

To help support and celebrate KC culture, as well as advance the monthly KC Crossroads festival FIRST FRIDAYS into a daily event, THE EXHIBITS RELIQUARY space is dedicated to KC pedestrian life and traffic, with large overhead doors opening the building to its guest with an array of restaurants catering to all folks of life as well as large sculptures as you amble about through the lower indoor plaza.

Exposed outdoor terraces on the highest floors of THE EXHIBITS roof provides a perfect mixture of charming yet modern recreational space for all its tenants.

To bring the fun and pleasure of a trip to the local park or plaza right next to our tenants, while also having the striking advantage of having the best panoramic views of south KC and its surrounding areas.

STITCH

ARCH

208 | Fall 2019 | Gregory Crichlow

A mediatory station for cyclist working in Lawrence. Capturing the movement of cycling.

The theme of the STITCH was to introduce a new intermediate point for biking commuters who not only need a safe place to park their vehicles, but also a lavatory to freshen up after a hard trip, to properly prepare yourself for the day ahead.

To represent the unique function of this little project as well as celebrate the relationship this building has with its guests, I took inspiration from biking movements and themes to give the STITCH its unique form.

The existing contents of the site included a mural at the end of a series of concrete planters with various trees and fauna.

I didn't want to disrupt this little green oasis, so I chose to bring the project to the front toward Mass St.

When anaylzing the movement of bikers to obtain a source of inspiration, I became interested in how the components of the human body interact relative to one another while peddling.

The core and hips remained mostly stable as that's the center of gravity, but the legs and feet of course were much more dynamic during the process to stimulate movement.

The planes of the project represent the stability of the core (orange), while the undulation represent the dynamic movement of the legs (blue and purple).

The distinct shifting path carved in the planes represent the flow of movement through the structure represents a biker’s center of mass shifting as they shift their weight from one side to another while turning.

This path allows foot traffic to flow with minimal disturbance, and even provides a beautiful cavernous effect that completely engulfs those who pass through.

Concealed within the wooden planes are hook-rail systems to hang bikes with ease. The extending volutes can be used as seating for friendly bikers to sit and marvel all they want.

First Step into Building

Front Entrance

Last Step looking back at Building

Back Entrance

TERRA MURA

ARCH

Through KU's Design-Build Program, a "living" facade was installed on the facade of the ICRC. This building is used by the KU ceramics departments. The terracotta tiles installed pay homage to the ceramics program, and the tiles scattered across the installation give visual interest, while housing pollinators and birds native to the area. As a team of 6, our class worked together from Pre-Design through Construction Documentation to create a creative bio-amalgamation of several natural and ecological precedences as sources of inspiration which would then be implemented into the final tile design, now on full display at ICRC's southeast corner.

Interdisciplinary Ceramics Research Center (ICRC)

38°57'24.2"N 95°15'50.0"W

In collaboration with:

Eliott Freeman

Hoaxun Ma

Jeffery A. Mcbee

Olivia Erickson

Ryan G. Nguyen

509 | Spring 2021 | Keith J VanDeRiet Design-Build, Institutional-Revitalization Project bringing in natural paradigms into Terracotta Tiles.

Gathering research and inspiration to produce an early tile iteration to develope at the next stage.

PROPOSAL CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT PREPARATION 1 2 3

Once we've refined our inspiration selection, we combine their features and then make a final tile iteration.

Gather all necessary materials and supplies, cast the molds, and get ready for production of the tiles.

PRODUCTION INSTALLATION PRESENTATION 4 5 6

Using the resources at the ICRC, we press and process the tiles to prepare them to be baked in the kiln.

As a team, we coordinate in installing the NBK track onto ICRC and the assembly of tiles.

We gather one for last time to present our semester long endeavor and reflect on the lessons we learned.

This project revolved around biomimicry, trying to emulate the characteristics of nature and use them to our advantage.

Eastern Dogwood (Local species) Fungus, Lichens, etc. All play a vital role in the ecosystem that we wanted to include and support.

Early Concept Sketches

Eliott Freeman and I were primarily in charge of Tile Design.

Eliott created all the phenomonal patterns for the tile, then passed it onto me to use Rhino to generate the Final Tile with the refined hollowed cavities and my custom diagonal mounting flange.

Once we completed the Final Tile design, we immediately got to work transfering the files to a RAM Press die model, CNCing the molds, pouring the Hydrostone, and mounting the finished dies into the press.

Eliott operated the RAM Press to produce every single one of the +100 tiles for the project. I was in charge of cleaning and organizing them to prepare them for the kiln. I also hand modifed the 10 tiles that sweep the corner.

After Ryan and Hoaxun completed the skematics for the track, and Olivia and Jeff completed their bee hotels and birdboxes, we all cooperated to install the aluminum NBC tracks and mounting the tiles.

We often had to improvise and adapt on-site to complete the project: grinding down tile edges, improvising single flange clips, cutting down tracks, we all worked together to get this job done.

Presentation Day: May 24

This was the first real group project I worked on at KU. The most important thing I learned wasn't the new skills with computers, fabrication, concept and skematic development, but the value of teamwork and what it means to be a competent part of a studio.

CONNECTING DOMAINS

ARCH 508 | Fall 2020 | Gregory Crichlow Engaging the core of Lawrence and its rich history of social, economic, and agrarian diversity.

Our site is located at 825 New Hampshire St, Lawrence, KS 66044. The surrounding context consists of commercial and residential zoning. The Mass St. corridor is a staple of Lawrence's character with its array of fine cuisine restaurants and small local businesses that revolve around window shopping.

Since the site's experience is most rewarding as a pedestrian, I wanted to further promote that mode of transportation by creating a project that encourages the flow of foot traffic from between Mass St. and NH St. and present a new setting for local activity with a large open plaza space.

I didn't want the building to interrupt the flow of the alleyway, so by continuing the pathways through the mass of the building, the site feels much more inviting to the public, and gives a chance to view the building from more angles, not just from the street.

CONNECTING DOMAINS

Since the journey along the city's sidewalks and pathways are the best ways to experience and connect with the Lawrence's urban environment, then the paths must carry on from New Hampshire St. (NH St.), through the new project and then link to Massachusetts St.'s (Mass St.) existing paths on the other side of the block.

The Bridge Plaza will be the new connection between the domains of Mass. and NH street. The current characters of each streets presents a dichotomy. Mass St. is composed of Low-rise brick buildings standing uniformly all the way down the street, while NH St. has four new Mid-rise mixed-use complexes with a more diverse assembly of surface articulation: metal composite panels, cement-fiber boards, block masonry, etc.. A contrast between old and new.

So I wanted the Bridge Plaza to connect both sites not just literally, but also as a physical representative.

I wanted the project to have a balance of Rustic and Contemporary, so we were assigned to search for sources of inspiration, both architectural and material.

We then took the best features out of our selections and worked with them for the remainder of the project: Terracotta, Glass, Green courtyards, Plazas, Tectonics, Opaque vs Transparent, etc.

FOUND OBJECTS MODEL

ESTABLISH PARAMETERS

The site is set in a parking lot on the block between Mass and NH St.. I wanted to make full use of the entire site, but fire code required a set distance away from the neighboring buildings.

A PATH TO DOMAINS

I selected two primary points of access from either side of the site to be the primary bridging line between the two domains: one was the Mass St. Alleyway, and the other the Farmer's Market crosswalk.

EMPHATIC GESTURE

To encourage the passage of foot traffic between the two domains through the buildings mass, the two wings sink toward the central path to create a funneling gesture that sways from any approach onto site.

EMBED VISUAL ARRAY

To manifest a "visual threshold" from the primary approach on NH St., I embedded a radial array that sweeps across the site from the Farmer's Market crosswalk that gestures the building to that point.

PROJECT MASS OFF ARRAY

To further emphasize the gesture to the threshold point, the mass of the building projects/protrudes from the radial array, which also creates and interesting tectonic movement and creates nodes for buildings program.

PROJECT VISUAL ARRAY

To create a more interesting performance with the buildings surface articulation, I now had the radial visual array project across the massing vertically, and used the embedded datum to set the pallet.

ALLEY TO MASS ST.

NeaCera ® Terra-cotta

As mentioned before, the material pallet of the two domains is strikingly dichotomous: Old Rustic Modern vs Contemporary. But both contained some manner of terracotta masonry. So I elected terracotta to be the material representative of the new project. Traditional / standard terracotta bricks uniformly make up the face of Mass St., the Rustic domain, but I wanted the terracotta to also have a contemporary flare to them.

I finally chose NeaCera Rainscreen panels as an amalgamation of the traditional materials of the context, but a new generation of modules. Now the facade has a combination of uniform module bands running across its face, with a new age style of solid and diffused surface play with tiles.

RECEPTION (NORTH SECTOR)

COURTYARD PLANTER / SEATING AREA

LOBBY TO AUDITORIUM

Double-Pane Fenestration

Window Specification

NeaCera Rainscreen: 26 mm

Adaptive System Support Profile (ADS)

Powder-Coated Steel Column: 6” x 12”

Mechanical

Vapor Barrier

Rigid Insulation: 1 - 1/2”

Building Sheathing: 3/4”

Cavity BATT Insulation: 6”

Gypsum Wallboard: 1/2”

Suspended Ceiling System

SECOND LEVEL ASSEMBLY

NeaCera Rainscreen: 26 mm

Adaptive System Support Profile (ADS)

Vapor Barrier

Rigid Insulation: 1 - 1/2”

Building Sheathing: 3/4”

Cavity BATT Insulation: 6”

Gypsum Wallboard: 1/2”

Finish Floor Floor Sheathing

Radiant Heating System PEXS

RDZ Insulating Subfloor Expansion Joist Foundation

PERSONAL WORK

My favorite non-studio works from my college career or from my personal ambitions and innovations.

As mentioned in my resume, I am Latino by blood, and because of this multicultural background, I've come to greatly appreciate the diversity and variety of all histories and cultures around the world, but especially that of my Mexican heritage.

When KU offered a Historical Mexican architecture course, I was the first to sign up. Here I was introduced to over 2000 years of my heritage and absorbed it all, taking illustrative notes of them to best represent their story and impact.

DMT SHARP 'N GO

An All-in-One sharpening package that will work anywhere and everywhere and sharpen any blade!

Using the best, portable sharpening stones by Diamond Machining Technology (DMT) and putting them in one convenient package.

READY TO GO

Convinently-sized and protected carrying chasis.

EASY DEPLOYMENT

Release protective cover from stone mounting block, flip it over 180° degrees, and reinstall to block to engage sharpening mode.

DMT 70mm Mini Diamond Whetstones: Coarse (Blue), Fine (Red), Extra Fine (Green)

CONVERT INTO ONE

Sharpening stones must be used sequentially by grit to get the best quality edges. But DMT didn't have a package or system that contained all these features, only individually. So I created one with the Mini Stones.

UNIVERSAL TOOL

We all use blades to some extent in our day to day lives, but we often don't carry on hand the necessary tools to maintain them, until now. Dull Kitchen knives, Utility blades, EDC carries are no longer a problem.

RELEVANCE TO STUDIO

My work as an architecture student requires me to have a sharp blade, whether at a desk, the workshop, or on-site. With this gadget, I now don't have to spend more on blades, nor carelessly waste resources like steel.

SHARPENING

Sharpen any utility blade with full surface contact on stone.

WORK THRU GRITS

Easily rotate through each stone while working the grits.

READY TO GO AGAIN

Just rinse and repeat these steps anytime you need a sharp edge.

Original DMT Mini Whetstone Individual Carry Approach VS My Approach

This is something I made for my father, for a sermon he had to give at church one time.

He requested an image of the Father (El Padre), The Son (El Hijo), and the Holy Spirit (El Espiritu Santo) surrounding Earth in a gentle yet supporting embrace. His sermon theme/title was, "TRES PERSONAS, una expresión de amor", or "THREE ENTITIES, one expression of love", which he wanted present as well. He also requested a heart to be present on the planet as well. He left the rest up to me and my judgement.

There were a lot of things to consider, especially religiously. For one, Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) are anti-Icons, which means they disapprove of illustrative or physical depictions of religious figures because they believe it is a pagan practice and that it distracts from the real deal. So I knew couldn't just put a standard image of Jesus on here, and opted instead to only have the glowing hands reaching to support the Earth which is acceptable by the church.

I originally planned to make a heartshaped continent. But the SDA's are very orthodox/conservative, so they wouldn't approve the idea of a regular man trying to reshape the planet the way they see fit, almost like a sign of hubris. So I chose to keep the Earth as is a use the whisping clouds as the medium to display the heart, which is less presumptuous and gets the theme.

Eventhough we have a mixed history and we have different beliefs, I can still put my pride aside for family. Because I am so grateful for the sacrifices my parents have made to give me this incredible life.