ALEJANDRA ORELLANA

COEXISTENCE/ EVENTS

CONTENTSMenil BookstoreHSPVAMaracan/MangueiraWorking ShopThird Ward Archive Center

4-78-1112-1718-2122-25

Alejandra Orellana19223 Buckeye ridge way. Houston, TX 77084

Tel: 281.989.7537 Email: alejandr88@yahoo.com

COEXISTENCETo me coexistence is about the connection between architecture and its context as well as the relationship between architecture and nature. This is important because architecture has the pos-sibility to impact the environment that allows each new project to exist. Therefore a project has to coexist in a relationship with its context.EVENTSThis coexitence can be generated by providng events to archi-tecture. By events I mean activites or public amenities that acti-vate the site and bring in public life to the area. I strive to design architecture that is not just responsive to the site but that is also actively engaged in the community.

CONTEXTFor the Menil bookstore it was necessary to understand its context. The surroundings are composed of the Menil Museum and the neighborhood houses are well known for maintaining a particular aesthetic. The design of the bookstore takes into account the neighborhoods charac-teristics, such as color schemes and overhangs, in order to compliment it. It also aims to compliment the Museum, which is just across the street.

CONCEPTThe bookstore is composed of two volumes (the bookstore and the coffee shop) that are connected by a core element that contains restrooms, storage, mechanical rooms, fire stairs and elevators. The folded planes are transparent, which allows them to have views toward the museum in order to compliment it.

SITE: 1515 Sul Ross St. Houston, TX 77006PROGRAM: Bookstore, coffee shop, sculpture garden and offices.PROFESSOR: Jason LoganSTUDIO: IV Spring 2009

MENIL BOOKSTORE

Concept Diagram

Circulation Diagram

South Elevation

Ground level

View from museum Section perspective through stacks

1.Coffee shop2.Rest Rooms3.Mechanical4.Offices

5.Terrace6.Stacks7.Storage

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Second level

CONTEXTThe High School for Performing and Visual Arts required to expand its building to accom-modate its growing student population. A new site was proposed. The site is located at the intersection of Richmond and 527 Spur. The High Schools site is found in a residential neighborhood so it had to address the houses. At the same time, its on Richmond streets which has several commercial buildings as well as moderately high traffic. A study of the neighborhood life was carried out. The projects design addresses the most prominent aspects of the site: Richmond, the Spur and the houses.

SITE: Richmond Ave. @ 527 Spur, Houston, TX 77006PROGRAM: Classrooms, theater, black box, recital hall, commons, library, offices.PROFESSOR: Gary MachicekSTUDIO: VI Spring 2010

HSPVA

Respond to Richmond/Spur

Richmond/Spur: Responds to Visibility

Respond to Residences

Jack/Colquitt: Responds to Residences

Ground levelSecond level

CONCEPTThe high school allows the students to interact with the art classes through-out the day. Regular classes are place so that as students move from their regular classes they get to experience the arts classes. Since this is a school where performance and exhibitions are central to the education of the students it maintains proximity to Richmond and the Spur, this allows passer-bys to look into the building. The Richmond faade of the school has large operable windows that create a change in the faade accord-ing to the occupants needs. The school pulls back from the surrounding houses in order to provide for a park/sculpture garden area. This is done as a public gesture that, while creating density, it also provides an outside space for students to exhibit their works. The black box of the school, which faces this garden, opens up to convert into an outdoor theater. There is also outside sitting areas for the students to hang out.

Theater

Art

Music

Dance

Classes

Tree/Sculpture grid

Outdoor seating

Outdoor theater seating

Parking

Third level Fourth level

Sculpture garden diagram

Longitudinal Section

Program diagram

CONTEXTThe purpose of the project was to pick a site close to the Maracan Stadium and develop housing units. Since each student had to pick a site I chose a location where the city, the favelas, the State University and public transportation met. I wanted the project to be able to connect all these different areas of the city and provide places where people could meet as well as activities that could vitalize the area.

CONCEPTMy approach was to intervene in these areas by creating two types of gardens. Type A gardens would be linear and function as a means of access to the different areas. Type B gardens would be courtyards and would serve as flexible spaces where people can come together. Both types have housing looking to the gardens; type A gardens have apartments whereas type B gardens have duplexes.

Site conditions diagrams. The left one explains possible access points to the gardens and the right one shows the different access routs that people are likely to walk.

SITE: Maracan, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.PROGRAM: Housing and Public Amenities.PROFESSOR: Bill TruittSTUDIO: VII Fall 2010

MARACAN/MANGUEIRA

Favela

Favela

University

City

Favela

Favela

University

City

PathsFavela

Favela

University

City

Gardens

Courtyard/Flexible

Linear/Programmed

The diagram shown here shows where the types of gar-den go and the pedestrian circulation through the proj-ect. The master plan to the right demonstrates the scope of the project. It features the types of activities that have been programmed for the public. The section shows the topography of Mangueira and how the housing is placed in it. Another section shows in detail one of the activities, in this case a flower garden, which has been designed for the residents.

Longitudinal Section

Longitudinal Section close up on flower garden

Paths

Plants

Flexible space

Programmed

Residential

Commercial/Residential

Favela

Favela

Residences

University

City

Courtyard Garden+Flexible Space

Flower Patch

Playground

Outdoor Sitting Area

Fishing Stand

Plaza/Courtyard

Linear Gardens + Programs:

Garden Types

A

A-A Section

A

TYPE A GARDENSThese are courtyard gardens. The diagram shows how the courtyards, which serve as flexible space for the public, are lined with duplex buildings with a first floor dedicated to commercial activities. The floor plans show a first level of the duplex apartments. The perspective shows the favelas to the left and the Maracana in the background.

TYPE B GARDENSThe linear gardens serve as pathways. They contain programmed activities, such as playgrounds or ponds. These activities bring life into the area and are open to the public. There are apartments along these gardens with commercial space on the first floor. The apartments have openings that have balconies and some terraces that overlook the gardens that way it connects them to the outside (shown on the close up section below.) The perspective displays how some apartments relate to the favelas to their left.

DuplexApartments

Vegetation

Commercial

Flexible space

Apartments

Vegetation Programmed Activitty

Commercial

Type A gardens Type B gardens

Courtyard Plan Example

Linear garden perspectiveSection close up on linear garden

Courtyard garden perspective

The WorkingShop Exhibition is a collaborative project between University of Houston fourth year undergraduate architecture students and graduate students from the Graphic Communications Program. Together, under the guidance of Prof. Patrick Peters and Prof. Cheryl Beckett, we designed, fabricated and installed the exhibition.

The exhibition honors the history of Third Ward by focusing on the com-munity history and the Ryan Middle School history. For this purpose the studios were divided into four teams, each of which would concentrate on a topic. I was part of Team 3 and our topic was Ryan Middle Schools building history. The exhibition is currently open and can be visited during school hours.

SITE: Ryan Middle School2610 Elgin St. Houston, TX 77004TEAM: Bin Fu, Moe Moe Khang, Alejandra Orellana and Stephanie WangPROFESSOR: Patrick PetersSTUDIO: VIII Spring 2011WEBSITE: http://rmsworkingshop.com/

WORKING SHOP

Our team decided that we wanted to show the physical changes that oc-curred in the school and how they tied back to the evolving needs of the Third Ward community. We also wanted to feature the people who were involved in the original design and construction of the school and the historic context in which the school was created.

Given that the exhibition is held in the former woodshop inside the school we also decided that it would be a good idea to incorporate the machines that were there. The machines were important because they were part of the Vocational Training Program, which used to prepare students with skills that would help them move onto jobs and business ownership. These ma-chines were no longer in use and we were able to design graphics on how they worked and show information about the school.

CONTEXTThe project is located across Emancipation Park in Third Ward. The park offers an important opportunity in the design of the project. Third Ward is currently being gentrified. There are many new developments taking place in the area. As part of the community, the building should respond to its neighbor-hood. It should keep in mind the scale and history of the com-munity. It should engage its surroundings and the people of the area so that the place feels inviting. It should also set an exam-ple about the progress in the community. Sustainable practices are an example of how this could be achieved.CONCEPTThe Third Ward Archive Center houses the history of Third Ward. In this design proposal the center becomes a place of reflection. The garden in the courtyard serves this purpose. The garden also connects the building to Emancipation Park by being a miniature green space that is housed within the archives. The opening in the building allows natural light to en-ter the building. It also helps with natural ventilation especially when a window wall that overlooks the parking lot is opened.

SITE: Tuam St @ Dowling St, Houston, TX, 77004.PROGRAM: Gallery, media room, archive rooms, processing rooms and offices.PROFESSOR: Patrick PetersSTUDIO: VIII Spring 2011

THIRD WARD ARCHIVE CENTER

Emancipation Park

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Skin Frame2

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Glazing3

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Structure4Core Structure5Roof6

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Second LevelFirst LevelGround Floor

The building is organized in terms of public and private spaces. The third level houses the offices and archive rooms. The lower levels are more public therefore the gallery space and the media room are located there. The ground floor has window walls that can open up to let natural ventilation cool the building. The parking lot can function as an outdoor public space, which is why instead of designing it with concrete I designed it as pervious surface. The surface makes it more inviting and it also helps with rainwater retention. One of the window walls opens up to the parking lot, which lets the outdoor space and indoor space come together. The skin of the building is made of wood, a material that is easily recyclable. They modulate light depending on what is happening in the interior.

Roof MembraneRoof Insulation

Corrugated steel deckConcrete topping

Corrugated steel deckConcrete topping

Concrete PiersConcrete Foundation

Double glazed aluminum and glass curtain wall

Wood skin/shading system

Synthetic gypsum suspended ceiling

Gypsum boards6 in. wide structural I-beams

Insulation

I-beam bracing

Metal plate

1 23

4

5 67

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Second LevelFirst LevelGround Floor Second LevelFirst LevelGround Floor