ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO - Valentina Maidana

ARCHITECTURAL

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VALENTINA MAIDANA

THE PROJECTS ON THIS PORTFOLIO ARE ALL BASED ON REAL PLACES OF THE CITY OF MONTERREY, NUEVO LEÓN, MÉXICO.

"THE WAY TO GET AT WHAT GOES ON IN THE SEEMINGLY MYSTERIOUS AND PERVERSE BEHAIVOR OF CITIES IS, (...) TO LOOK CLOSELY"

- JANE JACOBS, PAGE 13 OF THE DEATH AND LIFE OF GREAT AMERICAN CITIES.

ORINOCO´S CULTURAL CENTER

- ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT

SITE OF PROPOSAL ORIOCO´ STREET

n the city of Monterrey, Mexico, there is an important street called "Calle Orinoco". It has gained recognition for its vibrant nightlife scene, boasting an array of social gathering establishments, including nightclubs and restaurants However, this concentrated commercial during nighttime, gives way to a desolate environment during the day. Moreover, the street and its surrounding businesses predominantly cater to vehicular traffic, leaving little room for pedestrian movement or communal interaction in public spaces.

In light of these circumstances, the primary aim of this project is to establish a cultural center that fosters community engagement through dynamic spaces dedicated to knowledge acquisition and cultural enrichment. Achieving this objective necessitates a harmonious fusion of architectural and landscape elements. This coalition of design approaches seeks to transform Calle Orinoco into a hub of activity that promotes shared learning, cultural exchange, and social interaction

For the accomplishment of these spaces, 4 strategies where consider:

The site faces a significant challenge with a street running through its center, necessitating connections between its two sides Furthermore, the site's elongated shape, although a constraint, was ingeniously turned into an opportunity This allowed for the creation of distinct architectural elements, linked together through public spaces and pathways.

Throughout the design process, maintaining a seamless flow between the three volumes was pivotal This journey begins with a distinctive landmark, infusing the place with character and identity. Next, a divided building intentionally draws attention to the street's prominence within the site. Finally, the largest building serves as a concluding gesture, reinforcing the path's purpose as it culminates from a starting point to an endpoint This deliberate sequencing creates a harmonious narrative of spatial progression.

Green barrier

To keep out the noise of the city, improve the views and the air quality

flow at a street level

pacifying the space

path

Volume justification

Arrangement of the volumes, their connection and relationship with the public space

Working zone, classrooms and workshops

Fronts Showcasing Community Center Information and Schedules Water Feature Enhancing the Path with Refreshment and Serenity

Landing spaces

Areas for relaxation and recreation along the path. Design furniture: ergonomic, durable, static because of the weight to avoid stealing

Aperture for crossing

Vegetation

Vegetation as a border between the street and the sidewalk. Bumps and differences in the grass volume to create spaces to coexist with nature.

Ramp museum

Library and study zone

Pedestrian transition under building spaces

SITE OF PROPOSAL

The heart of Monterrey city is becoming a focal point for new urban ventures, drawing in a growing populace through recent developments. Amidst the current land uses, there's a noticeable absence of educational institutions, highlighting a crucial gap

MEXICANO SCHOOL

SINGLEFAMILY HOUSING MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING SERVICES COMMERSE AUTO-REPAIR GREENSPACES

Once housing the "Franco Mexicano" school, which shuttered its doors some years ago, this very site has been earmarked for our project The necessity for an educational hub resonates deeply within the city, particularly in a place where less than half the population attains the basic educational threshold

Historically, this site was home to a Catholic school administered by nuns. Our vision entails reimagining the educational ethos of yesteryears for a contemporary approach, one that embraces modern methodologies. This transformation will be embedded in the architecture, crafting an all-encompassing space that rejects hierarchy and fosters community and nature integration. Our design aims to address the evolving challenges we've encountered in recent times fashioning spaces that resonate with the needs of the present and the future

Simple and non-invasive structuration of the spaces to avoid confusions, being a school typology

Volumes facing to the middle or inside of the site, functioning as barriers for the colindal constructions

Contrasting the simplicity of the structure by some interesting alterations to the volumes, like sloped ceilings, double heights and even an seaming floating plant

Seeking a participant community toward the education and citizen participation, the project is divided in a private section and a semi-public section, lending some facilities to the rest of the population that didn't have the same opportunities.

Structure

Blueprints, isometries and threedimensional visualizations of the project structure were made, seeking a reticulated and modular shape, in order to obtain a simple and economic skeleton.

PRIVATE SEMI-PUBLIC

Guided by the Montessori educational approach, the interiors embrace an environment where learning is embraced willingly rather than forced. To embody this ethos, spaces that foster activity and creativity have been conceived, featuring materials that are easy to maintain and a structure that is clear and intuitive

In pursuit of this vision, bespoke furniture has been meticulously designed for every corner of the classrooms This facilitates the segregation of activities by zones, amplifying the learning experience Furthermore, the floor's design, characterized by intersecting circles, ingeniously demarcates spaces while also serving as a creative and practical solution for promoting social distancing

In essence, the Montessori principles underpinning the interior design create an atmosphere that nurtures intrinsic motivation and provides a conducive platform for engaged and immersive education

MACROPLAZA´S WOMAN CENTER

- ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT

Headcuarters of the most imprtant jornal in Monterrey "EL NORTE"

2. Historical building where there were admisnistral ofices of the federation "PALACIO DEL CORREO"

3. Palace of the goberment of the state of Nuevo León, "PALACIO DE GOBIERNO"

4. "MACROPLAZA" ,the giggest square in méxico and top 5 in the wolrd, know for being sourranded by cultural and important buildings.

5. "PARQUE FUNDIDORA", park that pays tribute and memory to the old iron foundry where the men of the city worked

SITE OF PROPOSAL

This area stands as the heart and soul of Monterrey, embodying both its rich historical narrative and its political influence. However beneath the grand facades of these buildings lies a darker reality: they not only reflect the city s historical and political dominance but also its oppression of women This district is infamous for its perilous atmosphere, where the very structures that surround it perpetuate discrimination and the denial of women s rights. These architectural landmarks serve as stark symbols of the city's deeply entrenched inequality, contributing to its current status as one of the most perilous places for women in the country

The site is currently utilized as a parking zone In pursuit of revitalizing and rehabilitating the city center while also aspiring to create a nationwide impact, the project is strategically situated amidst these prominent patriarchal structures It serves as a community center exclusively for women, contributing to both the empowerment of women and the revitalization of the city center.

The project comprises two distinct components: The first part aims to provide shelter education and healthcare to women in need, particularly those who have experienced violence and discrimination. This section operates as a private space, prioritizing the safety and security of the women it serves

The second part consists of public spaces d faced by women These spaces seek to f distinguish between the private and public a our city's historical building techniques, draw

Structural breakdown

A collaboration between modern and vernacular architecture was made, with the strong and durable steel structures that allow to achieve long spans and overhangs, and these cultural and historical material that is the adobe.

Acetylene + Oxygen Mixture

blowtorch

reinforcement angles

metal support structure

perforated steel panels

Photo taken by myself

Adobe Steel Rooftop Roof slab Gate with extruded aluminum profiles Level 3 Level 2

DUOVENT glass

20 cm thick air chamber between wall and lattice Steel panels with perforations Fixing system for corten steel panels with PTR profile structure

Mezzanine slab with steel deck system Concrete floor

Double skin façade system

Steel structure Adobe wall

V steel column

flame filler rod filler metal section to be welded

Steel and adobe wall

SITE OF PROPOSAL

n the center of the city of Monterrey, there is an abandoned railway station, where all the old rails and slops remain. This station is an image that represents the past of the city, but that also represents the lack of growth in the urban and mobility aspects in the city of Monterrey The purpose of this project is to regenerate and reactivate these forgotten centers of the city, projecting an urbanized center that conserve the memory of the ferrovial station as an identity, but allowing urban spaces to coexist.

Since it stopped working, the railway station has been a symbol of fragmentation and a physical border for this part of the city. What used to mean connection and mobility became a limitation, which is why this project seeks not only to repopulate the area, but also to provide different modern mobility methods, as well as a restructuring of the streets and avenues, to achieve greater permeability and connections in space

THE RAILWAY DISTRICT - URBAN PROJECT

PERMEABILITY + INTEGRATION + REGENERATION + IDENTITY

These are the 4 objectives that the project seeks to archive, by the creation of an urbanized center.

To achieve the objective, the project was divided into 4 specific points to attack:

Mobility, inverting the actual impact of the site functioning as a divider.

The environmental impact, to inject green spaces and clean air to the center of the city.

Land use, redistribution of areas to convert them into superblocks for a better use of space

The Genius loci, as the identity of the space

Movility

To invert the border attribute that the abandoned railway station gives to the city, different forms of mobility were applied with external and internal impact on the site

The aim was to green the spaces of this new pole of attraction, creating a curved path that allows connecting the spaces for pedestrians and surrounding them with nature. In addition, small parks were integrated around the blocks and a general park with various recreational uses to increase the activity in the area.

Public bus Trolley car Bike way

bike stations bike way trolley stations trolley line bus stations bus line

SIidewalk Bikeway Green barrier Parking lane

Road for cars and public transportation Parking lane

To balance land uses, attribute diversity and activity in all areas of the project and not just in some, a distribution of uses was made based on metrics according to the needs and desires of the habitants. For this, the superblocks were provided with all the necessary services, however some more present than others according to their need.

The spirit of the space was preserved not only by integrating its context and maintaining an active railway, but also by the architecture itself By the industrial style of the buildings and the use of the materials it is possible to create a space with the personality and looks of its legacy, but in a modern and most durable way, giving the project its own identity.

These are some of the superblocks that were established. Different land uses are present on each one, but some have more presence than others, depending on their location and the need of that block.

CORTINES AVE INTERVENTION RATIOS

he city of Monterrey has experienced excessive growth in its urban sprawl, leading to the abandonment and neglect of spaces. Additionally the city faces the challenge of dealing with extremely long and complex avenues that act as barriers to urban life One prominent example of this phenomenon is Ruiz Cortinez Avenue, which cuts horizontally across the urban sprawl of the city. This avenue functions as a dividing line wherever it intersects, and due to its exclusive dedication to automobiles, it neglects the potential for urban and landscape integration beneath and around it.

This project aims to reverse the prevailing nature of road infrastructures designed solely for motorized transportation. Its goal is to repurpose these spaces to create new areas for communal activities and urban engagement, restoring a sense of humanization to the city.

HEALING THE URBAN SPRAWL - URBAN PROJECT

For these reasons, the three most conflicting points of the avenue were selected to create usable spaces on the residual urban interstices

A macro-scale site analysis was conducted to gather information that aids in comprehending the urban sprawl's expansion and its underlying causes. This analysis encompassed various aspects, such as the extent of the urban sprawl, population density, transportation networks, road capacity, and problematic intersections, among other factors

At each of the three intervention points, a comprehensive rehabilitation process was executed This involved a thorough assessment of the surrounding environment, identification of existing conflicts, and subsequent formulation of effective solutions

To gain a more nuanced understanding of the avenue's composition and its surroundings, the site analysis was refined to a smaller scale This focused analysis delved into aspects such as transportation patterns zoning regulations, and land value considerations This examination highlighted the necessity to address the disconnected segments of this divided route, emphasizing the need for integration.

A common thread among these interventions is the prominent role of Ruiz Cortinez Avenue, which has historically functioned as a barrier, hindering access to public spaces and thereby limiting their utilization. Through meticulous redesign, these spaces have been reimagined as connectors and vibrant hubs for the local community. Each of the nodes boasts a distinct program tailored to the specific needs and aspirations of both the space itself and the neighboring areas, maintaining a consistent visual language on all interventions

RUIZ

RUIZ CORTINES AVE PRINCIPAL AVENUES

Monterrey´s urban sprawl

Multimodal station

In addition to revitalizing each of the nodes intersecting with Ruiz Cortinez Avenue, a comprehensive intervention extended to the streets and avenues encompassing these nodes and the avenue itself. This initiative sought to establish a seamlessly interconnected space accessible through a variety of mobility options including bicycles public transportation, electric subways, pedestrians and automobiles

To achieve this, meticulous research and on-site visits were conducted to ascertain the present utilization of the streets and avenues and to identify specific needs. Subsequently, armed with the amassed data, the task of mapping and modeling the redesigned streets commenced This endeavor entailed the creation of shared streets, streets housing designated areas for freight vehicles and warehouses, and streets that temporarily close to prioritize exclusive pedestrian usage Notably, some streets were earmarked for hosting current markets, fostering vibrant local commerce.

These diverse typologies collectively contribute to an enhanced urban landscape fostering a deeper understanding of the city's dynamics while simultaneously promoting greater safety and accessibility.

Street typologies: