Joppee Community Centre | Joppa - Joppee Neighborhood Community | Dallas, Texas
Site Analysis and Key Features
Location and Key features
The chosen site is strategically positioned to capitalize on its surroundings, particularly Central Park, a central hub for community gatherings and activism. The park’s proximity offers a vital green space for recreation and social activities, reinforcing the project’s aim to serve as a community anchor
Churches
The site is flanked by 10 historic churches, including the prominent church directly across from the site, one of the first to be established in the area. This proximity fosters a sense of continuity and connection to the town’s historical roots.
Community Gardens
Situated just a 2-minute walk from the site, community garden known as, Joppee Momas Farm, provides an essential resource for local residents, promoting sustainability and local food production.
Design Considerations
The project’s unique form is inspired by the desire to o er an aerial view of the Trinity River, creating a visual and symbolic link to the town’s origins. The design opens up towards the park and the historic church, integrating these elements into a cohesive and meaningful spatial experience.
Interactive architectural features, such as a multifunctional staircase that serves as both seating and bookshelves, enhance the functionality and dynamic design of the space. These elements aim to create a versatile and engaging environment that caters to various community needs.
Initial Concept and Form Development
Ground Connection and Interactivity
Extension and Curvilinear Harmony
The first concept centers on integrating key principles while symbolizing the Trinity River’s organic curves from an aerial view. Its inviting form embraces the park and historic church, maintaining harmony without overshadowing either. However, the design felt too boxy and lacked distinct character, prompting further refinement.
The second concept strengthens the connection between the structure and the park, incorporating wedges to interact with events and activities. While more engaging, the design felt overly massive for the site and lacked su cient interior programming, leading to the next iteration.
The third concept refines the curvilinear form by adding an elevated second-floor overhang. This extension provides shaded outdoor spaces for gatherings while enhancing the flowing design. It balances functionality, community interaction, and harmony with the surroundings.
Materials
The choice of materials for this design focuses on harmonizing with the neighborhood's existing aesthetic while creating a sense of warmth and belonging for the Joppee community. Brick was chosen to reflect the local context, arranged using Grasshopper to achieve a unique yet cohesive pattern. Colored glass is thoughtfully integrated between the brick spacing, creating pockets of light that illuminate the staircase, which leads to a vibrant creative hub. This space serves as a community gathering point for reading, storytelling, live presentations, and guest speakers. The design blends functionality and artistry, fostering a welcoming atmosphere and a sense of home for the people it serves.
BETTER BLOCKS
CALIBRATION AGGREGATE SYSTEMS
[ Grad school | Fall semester 2924 | Brad Bell ]
Project unites two contrasting design philosophies: 1) An organic lattice structure and 2) a rectilinear, brutalist stacking blocks. Using parametric design principles, we developed a modular wall system that balances simplicity and complexity, where cantilevering pieces create engaging spatial configurations. The design emphasizes precision and efficiency, with a focus on achievable assembly methods that ensure structural integrity and material strength. Its adaptable form challenges conventional approach while advancing innovation within an aggregate syste m.
Collaboration WithChancellor Tessman
Jackeline Alvizo
Ben Afrid
Chiyoda Resting and Culture Event Center
Lorena To er | Spring 2023 | ARCH 3554
Situated in Tokyo’s culturally rich Chiyoda City, this project strategically unites two ends of the city divided by a river. Inspired by the torii gates, symbolizing the framing of sacred views or spaces, I placed torii gates within the site with that idea in mind. The left wing frames the Tokyo Skytree, the right faces the Imperial Palace, and the bottom mirrors the left, maintaining the view of the Skytree. The skewed building design preserves this connection, seamlessly blending the bustling cityscape with the serene garden of the Imperial Palace. Drawing inspiration from the Palace of Assembly, the roof’s design is influenced by traditional Japanese architecture, seamlessly merging modernity with cultural heritage.
My site analysis for the Tokyo Cultural Center focused on pedestrian traffic, vehicle noise pollution, and framing views. Understanding traffic patterns helped me strategically design the entrance and exit for optimal accessibility. By mapping vehicle noise, I determined where to place sound-sensitive rooms, ensuring a quiet interior. This created a peaceful resting area for the city's busy, hardworking residents. I also identified the best location for the main façade to make it eye-catching and prominent. Additionally, I assessed natural light availability, considering the surrounding high-rise buildings, to maximize daylight in key areas.
This analysis was crucial in making informed design decisions, enhancing functionality, and improving the user experience.
This project draws inspiration from traditional Japanese architecture, specifically the gabled roof known as iramoya, interpreted in a modernistic style. The aim was to harmoniously blend the historical essence of Tokyo, exemplified by its proximity to the Imperial Palace, with the contemporary urban landscape characterized by high-rise buildings. This fusion of old and new Japan was a foundational element of the design, with the roof being the first component conceptualized.
The building’s shape evolved from the strategic placement of tori gates around the site to capture the best views. Tori gates traditionally mark the entrance to sacred spaces or highlight significant natural vistas. I positioned three tori gates to create a Y-shaped layout, symbolically and functionally connecting these viewpoints. This Y form not only adheres to the cultural significance of the tori gates but also dictates the functional flow of the building.
Through this design, I aimed to create a space that seamlessly integrates Japan’s rich cultural heritage with its modern urban environment, providing a unique and meaningful experience for visitors.
The program seamlessly integrates Japanese culture, featuring gallery spaces for art and historical displays alongside a convention floor with an auditorium. The bottom floor offers a tranquil space for tea, outdoor seating, and lunch. Acknowledging Japan’s intense work culture, a dedicated area provides citizens with a space to rest or nap, enhancing their well-being after long workdays. A reflecting pool serves dual purposes, acting as both a meditation center and a serene landscape ornament, further enriching the cultural and experiential aspects of the space.
Chiyoda
WEST
EAST
SOUTH
SANTA FE TRAIL
Dallas Loop
Spanning two semesters, this project began with an in-depth site analysis, laying the groundwork for design decisions. In the second semester, my team refined topographical and tree-location data to ensure minimal environmental impact, ultimately preserving all but one tree, which was already dead. The project was a highly collaborative e ort, with teams handling everything from shop drawings to fabrication and construction. Throughout the process, I developed hands-on skills such as welding and metal laser cutting while also problem-solving material sourcing and custom tool-making to bring the project to life.
[ Renders Collaboration work with Dylan Martos and Ariel Morales ]
Project Contributions |
Designated Welder
Bracket shop drawings [ Collaboration with Marcello A. De Magalhaes ]
Graphics and presentation cordinator
Assembly
Roof Design
Bijan Youssefzadeh | Fall 2022 | ARCH 3553
This project, situated on the fourth floor of a SOHO building in NYC, involves designing a gallery space for exhibiting photographs by Andreas Gursky, with an additional focus on photographers Andre Kertesz and Barbara Crane. The design is influenced by Gursky’s 2011 photograph, “V&R,” which features a compelling play of repetition, horizontal and vertical compositions. The gallery layout mirrors the models in Gursky’s image, with equal-length walls symbolizing the uniform height of models. The strategic placement and repetition of walls mimic the width patterns of model dresses, creating a cohesive spatial organization that aligns with the visual rhythm found in Gursky’s work.
This project, while modest in complexity, holds significant value in my journey as a designer. It marked a shift in how I approach design, transforming the style and imagery captured by the photographer into a meaningful architectural space. Mimicking these visual elements through the floor plans, the gallery reflects the power of design to create purposeful and significant environments, a principle that shapes all my subsequent work.
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
Selected Works
This course focused on developing visual communication skills to e ectively represent architectural concepts and convey complex information. Emphasis was placed on creating clear diagrams, compelling presentations, and high-quality visualizations to enhance design communication. Additionally, the course introduced AI as a tool for generating innovative solutions to natural disasters, exploring how machine learning can assist in design strategies for resilience and adaptation.
Software Utilized |
Lumion [ Rendering & Video Animations ]
Illustrator [ Vector Graphics & Diagrams ]
Photoshop [ Image Editing & Visualization ]
InDesign [ Layout & Presentation Design ]
COASTAL HOUSING TYPOLOGIES MAUI DRIVE, CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
OTHER WORK Design Build Project 01
CONTINUOUS STEEL BEAMS WELEDED ON SIGHT AND BOLTED ONTO METAL SHEETS
METAL SHEET ROOF BENT UPWARDS AND METAL CEILING BENT INWARDS
BOLTED METAL SHEETS ONTO STEEL BEAMS
This project focused on analyzing the Collaborative Pavilion by Snøhetta and Architexas in Dallas, Texas, with the goal of designing a chair inspired by its architectural elements. Drawing from the pavilion’s structural composition and standout features, the design translates its essence into a functional piece, bridging the principles of analysis and creation in design-build.
FUTURE PROJECTS
Digital Fabrication Lab new tool shelf + oranization
In an e ort to improve workflow e ciency during the busy final season, I have taken on the task of reorganizing the Digi-Fab Lab’s tool wall and managing the storage of finished 3D prints. This initiative aims to create a more structured system for tracking completed prints, reducing misplacement, and ensuring students can easily locate their work. By optimizing tool placement and implementing a streamlined organization method, the lab will operate more e ciently, allowing for a smoother fabrication process and better accessibility for all users.
