Undergrad Architecture Portfolio by Abigail Arredondo

01 02 03

WELLNESS: GENTRIFICATION IN RiNO DISTRICT

MOLTING CAP: CREEKFRONT PARK

SHELTERING CURIOUS: DENVER

03 04 05

SHELTERING THE CURIOUS: CU CAMPUS

EMPOWERING

VOICES: BESSEMER’S

BROADCASTING

STATION

MISCELLANOUS: SELECTED WORKS

01

WELLNESS: GENTRIFICATION IN RiNO DISTRICT

This group project focuses on the accelerated development in the RiNo district. Which has displaced the long-standing historic neighboring communities resulting in gentrification, increased eviction, and unemployment rates. In turn, these actions cause measurable anxiety and depression for the residents. The two types of Thinkers, Tattoo Artists and Social Psychologists, will interact with the affected residents to develop positive mental and physical transformations.

The Residency design creates the space and opportunity for a personal reset to improve the Thinkers’ wellness and creative process. The enfolding approach to the design blocks off the street behind it to minimize noise and to embrace the healing courtyard. Thus, encouraging selfreflection, collaboration, and interactions between the Thinkers.

GENTRIFICATION MAPPING

Early/ongoing gentrification

Low-income/succeptible to displacement

South Platte River Roads around the site

38th St. Rail way Bike path

MAPPING by Mahelet Denbaw

River View

• Winter time (Janurary)

• Spring time (March)

• Views to nature become a great distraction from stress and discomfort

Skylight

• VELUX Commercial

• Modular skylights to filter the sun into the hallway

Healing Garden

• Horatios Garden, Glasgow, Scotland

• Relieves the patients from symptoms of pain, stress reduction, and improves wellness

Pathways

• Gardens of the Ministry of Education and Health, Rio de Janeiro

• Guides the observer through the garden while leaving room for choosing which paths to continue on or move away

Tattoo artists, hailing from diverse backgrounds, possess the ability to connect with people through their expressive and intimate work. They collaborate with clients to create a personal art form using tattoo machines. These artists require a clean workspace for tattooing and artistic development, often exhibiting their work in galleries and drawing inspiration from artist books in libraries.

A social psychologist delves into the interpersonal and group dynamics of communities, examining social challenges like prejudice, criminal activity, substance abuse, anxiety, and depression. Their focus includes understanding how individuals influence and are influenced by others, external pressures, and social and physical environments. Engaging in community research, they investigate the impact of gentrification and displacement, sharing findings for collaborative discussion and further research. Additionally, these psychologists require a designated space for relaxation, decompression, and detachment from the distressing aspects they encounter in their work.

Glass

• Natural light boost production levels and wellness

Cork

• Sustainable material that can perform rigid points

• acoustic insulation

Ash Wood

• In a construction heavy site, wood is a byproduct that can be reclaimed for a different use

Frosted Glass

• filters the light of heat and glare

• provides privacy into the hallway near the bedrooms

Concrete

• Requires minimum materials and energy to create

SECOND LEVEL PLAN

MORPHOLOGY

by Mahelet Denbaw

The project’s objective is to establish a space for a personal reset, enhancing the well-being process of the thinkers through enfolding and transforming design. The interior design transformation, with walls transitioning from sharp to circular, emphasizing the change occurring the structure and the thinkers themselves. The exterior design mirrors this concept with a folding The structure’s program is designed to shift from public to private spaces, accommodating and collaborative thoughts.

Phase 1 Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 4

well-being and creative design reflects this occurring within folding effect. accommodating both intimate

PROGRAM

by Mahelet Denbaw

02

MOLTING CAP: CREEKFRONT PARK

The inspiration for Molting Cap draws from the cicada insect and its resemblance to a fictional augmented character named Tien. Tien, much like the cicada, sheds remnants of his existence with each move, leaving a trail of past actions in the present. In the insect world, cicadas molt only 3-4 times in their 17-year lifespan, culminating in a final molt where they emerge above ground. To immerse myself in Tien’s augmentation, I designed an apparatus capable of mirroring my movements, creating the visual effect of shedding with every step, capturing the essence of the cicada’s transformative process.

I traced a cicada onto the south-facing wall of the CU building. The bug’s anatomy then established the spatial levels and with ladders and a rockclimbing tunnel anyone is able to circulate throughout the building. The southwest-facing wall of Molting CAP is a curtain wall, giving the structure an ant farm comparison. The structure also has two other apertures on the south-facing wall. To help shade this structure I established an almost translucent fabric that still allows a bit of sun into the building. Molting CAP is meant to invite pedestrians from Speer Blvd. and Larimer St. to circulate throughout the structure.

SHELTERING THE CURIOUS: CU DENVER CAMPUS

ITERATION: TREE PLACEMENT

MODEL ITERATION

The hybrid piece aims to serve as a refuge for the curious, drawing inspiration from the precedent study “ReCasting” by Alison Brooks Architects, which aimed to evoke mystery and illusion. This concept evolved into the idea of sheltering the curious. The shelter’s design, characterized by distortion, manipulated surfaces, and a subtle dip in the walking path, is crafted to pique interest and captivate those exploring it.

The design process began with a site analysis, with a particular focus on tree placements. A study model mimicking the trees, connected by black string, allowed for the visualization of a walkway path and sloping surfaces. This led to the design study model, embracing “Deconstructive Architecture” with distorted and sloped surfaces. Inspired by Anas Asghar, only three surfaces were thickened with minimal subtraction and deep slits. The hand drawings guide the viewer to visualize the depths and sloping surfaces through shades of grey.

SITE PLAN

PLAN

Encouraging curiosity involves thoughtful consideration of both design elements and intentional site selection. Placed strategically between 11th Street and Speer Boulevard along a gravel path, the shelter becomes a captivating spectacle visible from various vantage points, including St. Elizabeth Church and Speer Blvd. This deliberate placement serves a dual purpose, establishing the shelter as a focal point within the urban landscape and enhancing its accessibility. As people traverse the area or drive along Speer Blvd, the shelter’s central location beckons with a mysterious presence, prompting curiosity and inviting engagement with its unique design. This integration of design and site placement transforms the shelter into a curated experience, capturing the imagination of those who encounter it.

NORTH ELEVATION

SOUTH ELEVATION

PHYSICAL MODEL

EMPOWERING VOICES: BESSEMER’S BROADCASTING STATION

The physical process of demanding a wage increase and the urgent health risks emerged from Bessemer, Colorado. From the late 1970s to the 1980s, steel workers were on strike, and many began to resort to food stamps and welfare. “We’re not living, we’re existing. And yet we live in a rich man’s world and we’re starving,” said William Espinoza. These were physical experiences that are tied to the steel mill which shaped the city of Bessemer.

1927

Union workers marching to the mines in Huerfano, Colorado

1969

Colorado and Wyoming (C&W) railway strikers

1988

National Labor Relation Report

1970

Pueblo Farm workers on strike

1989

2018 Teachers together to better

Pueblo steelworkers local 2102 finalized a 3-year contract for CF&I Steelworkers