portfolio

JANUARY 2013

Valerie LechenePORTFOLIO

Contents1. @OMA: NAi TREASURY — Let Me in on a Secret 2 How can the architectural setup of an exhibition enhance its attractiveness?

2. @OMA: BORDEAUX EURATLANTIQUE — Creating Metropolitan Dynamism 6 How does urbanism infl uence the lifestyle and effi ciency of a city?

3. @BIG: ROCK PLOT 31 — High End Housing in Tianjin, China 9 How to make a massive housing volume look light and airy?

4. PIN HOUSE — Sustaining Natural Disasters 15 How to integrate the essence of New Orleans architecture into a hurricane resistant structure?

5. BLACKSMITHING STUDIO — Leveraging Tradition to Inspire the Future 17 How can architecture put tradition in a contemporary perspective?

6. MONTREAL ICON — Public Life in the City 20 How can advances in technology be used to address cultural and environmental concerns?

7. ALPHABET — Cultural Diversity in Public Space 24 Can public space encourage multicultural exchange?

NAi SCHATKAMER 2

It is the curse of museums that so many of their treasures appear insignifi cant at fi rst sight. How can the architectural setup of an exhibition enhance its attractiveness?

Director Ole Bouman decided to exhibit the jewels of NAi’s archive in a way appealing to a public of non-architects.

The principle retained to trigger curiosity was to set up a process of voyeurism. Such process works on a close and secret relationship between viewer and artifact that is made visible to other people to gener-ate the desire to see.

The Treasury is organized across two display sys-tems: a circular area in which an assertive curatorial approach fosters an overall understanding of the collection; and small private booths at the perime-ter, where single pieces are shown to the individual visitor.

By staging the artifacts in small penetrable cabinets bounded by a variety of meshed and translucent materials, model observation becomes a highly inti-mate act, ambiguously observable by other visitors.

In design of details, I strove to hide the connections holding the translucent materials to let them appear as if hovering in space; it reinforced the sense of mystery.

@OMA: NAi TREASURY — Let Me in on a SecretOffi ce for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Summer 2011, 16 weeksCarried the project from Concept Development to Construction Administration under project leader Saskia Simon.

Interior Shot

NAi SCHATKAMER 3

Overall View — The central area comprises four quadrants each dediated to a general theme. Two lines of perimeter booths provide the opportunity to show individual artifacts.

NAi SCHATKAMER 4

The artifacts are exhibited behind trans-lucent curtains made of PVC, leaving the intermediate space empty, but fostering the feeling of the presence of treasures.

Within the booths, semi-transparent res-in walls create intimacy but allow visitors to glimpse into the adjacent room.

These shileding materials create a dis-tance between visitors while allowing them to discreetely observe each other. A visitor’s intimate engagement in the discovery of a model becomes a secret spectacle for another visitor.

The duality of enclosure and exclusion sparks a voyeuristic intrigue and thus il-lustrated architecture’s capacity to aff ect psychologies and behavior.

Inspirational Concept Images

NAi SCHATKAMER 5

Connection Details — The assembly features were designed to preserve the transparencies purveyed by PVC and resin. This was achieved by a system of screws and connectors hidden in a double wall with a steel profi le stabilizer.

AIR DUCT

SUPPORTING WALL

PARTITION WALL

STEELPROFILE SUPPORTS CURTAIN AND

LIGHTING SYSTEMSTABILIZES PARTITIONSDETAIL PARTITION

DETAIL PARTITION

DETAIL FLOOR CONNECTION

DETAIL CURTAIN CONNECTION DETAIL PARTITION

CABINET SECTION

BORDEAUX EURATLANTIQUE 6

How does urbanism infl uence the lifestyle and effi ciency of a city?

“Euratlantique” is an urban masterplan project commissioned by the French Government to establish Bordeaux as a leading European city. It was triggered by the arrival of a new high speed train linking Paris, Toulouse and Bilbao. The challenge consisted in reorganizing an ill-defi ned 800 000 m2 area adjacent to the historic city center.

The objective was to compose a patch-work of distinctive neighborhoods each with a specifi c program: business, night-life, culture, shopping and housing. The strategy consisted in leveraging the site’s current diversity by outlaying the borders of each fragment and focusing their iden-tity on a specifi c function.

A framework for the development of a fi nal mass was then defi ned for each district. Their distinct geometries marked their respective identities, while they each presented public features to attract populations from other neighborhoods.

Eventually the central business district was compared to London’s Canary Wark and Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz.

@OMA: BORDEAUX EURATLANTIQUE — Creating Metropolitan DynamismOffi ce for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam, Fall 2010, 8 weeksCompetition project developed under Clement Blanchet.Author of all drawings presented, wth the exception of perspective renderings (p.8-9).

Conceptual Collage


Economic Complementarity

Spatial and Programmatic Complemetarity

Railway Valley Programmatic Nod

Pedestrian NetworkAn Autonomous Heart

Mutual Betterment

Metropolitan Congestion

A Public Counterpoint for the Train Station

Opening of Enclaved Areas

Diversity of Waterfront Elevation

Performance Diagrams — A set of diagrams developed by various techniques enabled to represent and understand how the diff erent neighborhoods work and interact together.

Defi ning Areas Final MassingInjection of Program

Traditionnnnnnnn

Business

Housing

Shopping

Nightlife

History

SpeedSpeed

Housing

Culture

TraditionTradition

Metropolitan Trio


Central Business District

The Central Business District (CBD) drives the Euratlantique’s economic development. Located some 500 meters away from the new train sta-tion, people come from accross Europe to settle business deals and attend conferences.

The CBD is structured around a central public park in which pavilions hosting amenity programs such as a cinema, a daycare, a sportshall and restaurants attract a varied popula-tion. It is a landmark of dynamism for the Euratlantique area where people meet and mix.

Rendered View — The urban park foster a balance between dynamism and calm.

Central Business District Plan — With its rectangular geometry, the business district is urbanisti-cally autonomous, leading the zone’s devleopment while respecting the diff erent pace of surrounding neigh-borhoods.

15200 m2 SHON1 plateau

1020 m2 SU

8 plateaux9 260 m2 SHON





Massing Taxonomy — Standard volumes are based on a typical layout and natural light considerations.


Birdseye View — The cultural center (left on the riverfront), new train station (middle) and business district (top right) yield a balanced metropolitan dynamism.

ROCKEFELLER PLOT31 10

How to make a massive housing volume look light and airy?

At the intersection of several major urban elements, namely the Rockefeller Financial Center, the Tianjin riverfront, a park and Convention Center, Plot 31 seeks to create a landmark in which people want to live.

The challenge is to generate an urban form that strikes the right balance between seemingly incompatible design criteria: dense Floor Area Ratio, high-level sustain-ability target, careful insertion within con-text and optimal condition for each housing unit. Each apartment has minimum 2 hours of direct sunlight on winter solstice, views to the waterfront or fi nancial center, cross ventilation, and exterior space access.

A multi step process enabled to fi nd a form responding best to the program require-ments. It consisted in: 1) Generating sev-eral dozens of forms fi tting the urban village concept; 2) Filling the forms with modular apartment types; 3) Testing and optimizing them versus sunlight criteria; 4) Optimizing views and vis-a-vis by folding facades.

@BIG: ROCK PLOT 31 — High End Housing in Tianjin, ChinaBjarke Ingels Group, New York City, Spring 2012, 12 weeksWorked on Concept Development and Schematic Design phases under project leader Daniel Sundlin. I am the author of all drawings and studies presented in the following pages.

Rendered View — The geometry echoes that of the Rockefeller Tower in the background.


The End Result — Combining the idea of a folded slab with the court-yard/tower typology, a unitized conditional massing is proposed. It congests urban, commercial and residential requirements into a rich urban hybrid: the twin peaks.

Plot 31 Building Guideline — Rectangular slabs are staggered on a courtyard like podium. The podium holds a variety of commer-cial program components to en-sure urban activity and street life.

Conservative Tianjin Residen-tial Typology — The footprint is folded to maximize sunlight pro-vision and effi cient unit layouts. The building typology is multiplied within the designated parcel with minimal urban consideration.

All apartment types are unitized so they can be stacked like a game of lego.

1 BR

2 BR

3 BR

4 BR

4+ BR

DUPLEX

+ =

Process Work — Evolutionary mapping: existing typologies were cross-breeded to create a new hybrid that combines the liveliness and intimacy of an urban village with the airness and expansive view of a skyscraper.


BRANDED SOUTH TOWER374 units

NON-BRANDEDNORTH TOWER578 units

Banded Duplex4 units

Non-Branded 4 Bedrooms99 units

Branded 4 Bedrooms52units


Branded 3 Bedrooms26 units


Branded 2 Bedrooms134 units

Non-Branded 1 Bedroom162 units

Branded 1 Bedroom158 units

Non-Branded Studio74 units

Unit Organization — Lego like units are stacked under the building envelope like a game of blocks.


By segmenting and rotating parts of the solid walls, view and light are restored, while vis-a-vis remains solved.

The folded facade creates vis-a-vis. How to preserve the privacy of each unit without reducing glazed area?

By making half of the folds solid, there is no more vis-a-vis but the views and light radically decrease.

Facade Study — System ensuring the total privacy of each unit.

Optimized Facade Confi gurationSimilar amount of glazing and no vis-a-vis

Fully Glazed Facade Generates vis-a-vis

50% Wall Ratio


Sunlight Exposure — I computed hours of sunlight were via Ecotect and adapted the massing to ensure each apartment has 2 hours of direct sunlight on Winter solstice.

PIN HOUSE 15

How to integrate the essence of New Orleans architecture into a hurricane resistant structure?

The competition called for new housing typologies to rebuild the Katrina devastated neighborhoods of New Orleans in a sustainable, economic and ef-fi cient way. The strategy was to design a non site specifi c house that would fi t on any standard New Orleans plot.

The house is concieved to sustain violent wind and streams during hurricanes and surges. Made of pins, bolts, I-beams and steel cables, its struc-ture fl exes like a dynamic truss. During a strong blow, it adapts instead of resisting. This concept is illustrated by Jean de la Fontaine’s “Oak and the Reed” where an oak and a reed fi ghts against a windy storm. The oak stands still and gets uproot-ed while the reed bends eff orlessly and survives.

The house is raised by 2 meters to create an in-habitable shaded outdoor space where residents could park their cars, hang a hammack and bar-becue. The new type of meeting space provides continuity for New Orleans’ tradition of conviviality while responding to new requirements for sustain-ability.

Porches and interior spaces intermingle on the fi rst and second fl oors to accomodate living com-ponents. A central shaft is left empty for air circula-tion to keep the house cool. All windows are shut-table to hermetically protect the interior spaces during hurricanes.

PIN HOUSE — Sustaining Natural DisastersMcGill University, Winter 2009, Independent Project, Instructor Michael Jemtrud, 4 weeksCompetition Finalist

Rendered View — The raised house enables a covered gathering space under the house.

Interior View — The house opens to the exterior. The Oak and the Reed

PIN HOUSE 16

GROUND FLOOR FIRST FLOOR SECOND FLOOR CROSS SECTION

AIR FLOW

BLACKSMITHING STUDIO 17

BLACKSMITHING STUDIO — Leveraging Tradition to Inspire the FutureMcGill University, Winter 2009, Instructor Tom Balaban, 6 weeks

How can architecture put tradition in a contemporary perspective?

The goal of the project is to leverage the ances-tral tradition of blacksmithing to inspire young students preparing their future. It seeks to mix two main references: the industrial revolution and the mystery of the forge.

The building is encroached on the slope. Stu-dents walk down from the main campus and ac-cess it from the roof. They descend into the metal working space as if they were entering into Vul-can’s kingdom. The penumbra is lit by the glow of burning coal.

This impression of entering into a diff erent world is reinforced by the circular geometry. It gener-ates a sense of enclosure and distance from the exterior; a distinct sense of place emerges.

With its play of levels and plunging openings, similarly to Piranesi’s Carceri or an Escher draw-ing, the ensemble opens unexpected perspec-tives. The studio space faces a hollow center that breaks open to the surrounding mountains. It is an invitation to contemplate nature.

The extensive use of brick and ochre concrete evocates the industrial revolution. It tints the at-mosphere with a soothing honey-like light.

The studio space is a homage to Rogelio Salmo-na while it introduces discrete elements of our contemporary hypermodernity.

Interior View — Skylights, porous surfaces and windows with overhangs fi ltrate light. Brick and ochre con-crete evocate the industrial revolution.


N

A

A’

Furnice Studio

Water

Exterior Loggia

Coal Storage

Tool Storage

Crit Space

Tool Storage

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

SECTION AA’


ROOF PLAN FIRST FLOOR PLANTOWER ROOF PLAN

SOUTH ELEVATION WEST ELEVATION

ROOF PLAN FIRSTTOWER ROOF PLAN

MONTREAL ICON 20

How can advances in technology be used to address cultural and environmental concerns?

The project consisted in establishing an iconic building hosting both public and private functions at the crossroad of Montreal’s most important pedestrian streets.

It had to diff erentiate from the surround-ing stone cladded buildings and make a statement on contemporary issues like energy effi ciency and the growing impor-tance of biology.

The building combines an external glass cladded cube expressing a strong urban presence with an internal atrium of soft rounded forms evocative of biology.

The double paned facade with articulat-ed openings contributes to save energy.

MONTREAL ICON — Public Life in the CityMcGill University, Design Studio, Fall 2008, ARCH 405, Instructor Howard Davies, 8 weeks

Perspectival Section — Trees prosper in the atrium like jewels in a precious box.

MONTREAL ICON 21

Exterior View — The ex-terior expression is about presence, robustedness and rationality. It is achieved by the structure of the double glazed facade which pro-vides a sense of depth, and by a regular orthogonal pat-tern (red steel columns and horizontal articulated strips). The overall transparency off -sets what otherwise might have appeared somehow bulky.

Longitudinal Section — At the core of the building and of all programmatic functions, the atrium provides an im-pressive volume making ex-tensive use of rounded forms evocative of biology and life. The semi-circular glass pan-els refl ect the abundant light penetrating through the roof. Trees prosper underneath off ering the public with a wel-coming indoor garden in the harsh Montreal climate.

MONTREAL ICON 22

Curtain Wall Columns

Slab Panel

I-Beam Grid

Steel Columns

Mitoyen Wall and Service Shafts

Double Glass Passageway

Translucent Balconies

Glass Basket

Arc I-Beam

Steel Column

Double Glass Facade

Bracing Steel Stairs

Steel Skeleton — A sophisticated steel structure composed of I beams and arcs handles the complex load system generated by the atrium and the double glazed facade.

Interior Event — Standing under the atrium, one feels the organic resonnance.

MONTREAL ICON 23

Energy Effi ciency — The automated double glazed facade enables energy effi cient heating and cooling year round. During the winter, it acts as an insulating membrane; during the sum-mer it ventilates the interior spaces. As well, the space in between the two panes of glass allow for vertical circulation for people.

PARALLEL BRACINGtransfer loads from curtain glass to columns

AUTOMATED OPENINGmonitor the inside temperature and mediates inside/outside air fl ow for optimal heating andcooling effi ciency

LATERAL BRACING T-BEAMsupporting perforated steelseating between columns

PERFORATED STEELenables vertical air circulation

DOUBLE GLASS SKINcreates insulation for passive heating and cooling

RAISED FLOOR SYSTEMmechanical systems run above the slab, enabling exposed concrete ceiling on the fl oor below

COLUMNStransfer and support curtain wall load

LATERAL BRACINGsteel cables brace the facade

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T AI

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COLD

HOT

PASS

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HEA

TIN

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TILA

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Exterior view — Articulated openings reinforce the sense of orthogonality and suggest a sense of techno-logical effi ciency.

ALPHABET 24

Can public space encourage multicultural exchange?

Languages draw apart as much as they bring together.

This project was set up in the context of a competition aimed at reinforcing the cultural identity of a Montreal neighborhood inhabited by many diverse minorities.

The proposed answer is a playful and symbolic ap-proach to the Roman alphabet, common to Montreal’s two offi cial languages, French and English. Large three dimensional letters freely stand on the street. They are too heavy for one person to carry along by light enough to be lifted by two, thus providing an op-portunity for exchange. The letters enable infi nite pos-sibilities for public expression.

ABCD — Cultural Diversity in Public SpaceCanadian Center for Architecture, Student Charrette, Fall 2007, 1 week, First Prize

portfolio

Documents

public space

nai treasury

metropolitan architecture

individual artifacts

intermediate space

translucent materials

small private booths

public of nonarchitects