segment ii portfolio

SEGMENT PORTFOLIOIIboston architectural college | bachelor of architecture | may 2011 | emilie pickering

Choi + ShineArchitectureBrookline, MA11/2008 - 03/2009

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

MPA

GDA UWM

Alriti C+S

BACAOP

The Governor’s Academy09/2001 - 05/2005

High School

The University of WisconsinMadison, WI09/2005 - 05/2006

Albert, Righter & TittmannArchitectureBoston, MA04/2008 - 11/2008

Brown, Richardson & RoweLandscape Architecture & PlannersBoston, MA06/2010 - present

Margulies Perruzzi ArchitectsArchitecture and Interior DesignBoston, MA07/2006 - 01/2007

The Boston Architectural CollegeBoston, MA01/2007 - 05/2012 (expected)Candidate for Bachelor of Architecture

BRR

C-1 STUDIO | VENEZIA

INSTRUCTORS | Andrea Vendramin and Gregory Zurlo

LOCATION | Venice, Italy

DURATION | 12 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION | The course began by reading the book of poems by Italo Calvino and selecting a city to analyse in “reality” and “abstraction”. To then complete extensive studies of Venice and then interpreting the site in reality and abstraction.

The student was then asked to determine what would be an appro-priate program for the site based on the site analysis and complete a design which will revitalize the area.

CONCEPT | establish a physical and social connection from the site in the neglected south side of Giudecca Island to the affluent north side and the rest of Venice.

6 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Venezia | FROM ABSTRACTION TO REALITY

ISAURA“Isaura, city of a thousand wells, is presumed to lie above a deep underground lake. All around, where the inhabitants have been able to find water by digging long vertical holes, up to there and no further the city extends.... Some say the city’s gods live deep below in the lake which feeds the subterranean veins... in all the columns of water, the vertical pipes, the plungers, the drains, all the way up to the weather-cocks that surmount the airy scaffoldings of Isaura, a city that moves entirely upward.”

INTERPRETATIONThese two images represent my interpretation is the city Isura de-scribed in the Poem by Italo Calvino. The poem speaks of a town above an underground lake; the first watercolor represents the “reality” of how the town is described. In the second drawing it is showing the “abstract” with the entire town consisting of nothing but pipes extending far down to where the gods dwell.

REALITY ABSTRACTION

Our first assignment was to read Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities and choose a city to interpret in “reality” and “abstration”. This exercise would be the basis of our investigation and interpretation of our site.

SITE ANALYSISThe location of the studio in Venice was very exciting, however problems arise when you can not visit the site you are designing for. Therefore we spent quite a lot of time studying Venice and Giudecca in particular to allow us to better understand the nature of the site. We were required to present 15 boards highlight-ing particular cultural features.

These boards focus on the island of Giudecca and it’s view in plan. The center board is historical maps of the region.

These boards focus on the water and how it permeates every corner of Venice life

SYNTHESISThese final three boards had a great deal of influence on the final design. They set the seed that was to become a basis for exploration.

FESTA DEL REDENTORE

For one day a year, during the Festa del Redentore, Giudecca is connected to Venice proper by a long wooden bridge, making it a walkable part of the city.

This connection helped inspire the design which is meant to revitalize the area by bridging the gap between the affluent north side of the island and the neglected south side.

ABANDONED BUILDINGS ON GIUDECCA

These images are of Giudecca and specifically areas surrounding the site. I noticed how every photo seemed to have many abandoned buildings. This seems odd in such a small city where space is at a premium.

The final design will attempt to revitalize this area of low use and hopefully build a feeling of commu-nity within the residents.

ACQUA

Sea levels in Venice are perennially a major problem. This study shows where the sea levels have the potential to rise and invade the site.

The design must understand this and be able to adapt to changing conditions.

10 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Venezia | ANALYSIS

FACTORIESAnalysis of facories in the area conclude that the closer they are to Venice, the wealthier and more prosperous.

SITE SECTIONSThis diagram over the cross section

of Giudecca demonstrate the varying levels of income with red

being the highest, yellow being the lowest and gray being abandoned

property.

SOCIOECONOMICIn plan view, the areas of affluence and low-income in the same method as the Giudecca sections

TRANSPORTATIONThe main form of transportation in Venice is by boat. Creating a vaporetto stop on the south side of the island would allow pedestrians to enter the site more easily, increasing the area’s exposure.

12 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Venezia | ANALYSIS

diagram showing the connection of Venice and Giudecca during the celebration

CONNECTIONSCreating a monumental entrance to open up the site and the abandoned south side of the island to pedestrians. This will bridge the gap

across the barrier of the facories, much like the bridge does for Giudecca.

PROPOSALThe program proposed in the midterm review was a football field for the residents of Giudecca. Football is a very common sport and since space in Venice is at a premium, it would be appreciated.

The main critique is that the football field would take so much space on the site and that perhaps other programs might be more beneficial while using less square footage.

MIDTERM REVIEW

DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Venezia | 14

FINAL DESIGNCreate a set of pavillions which establish the heart of the Giudecca community. The largest center pavillion will be an enclosed function hall for use year round. The flanking pavillions will house farmer’s markets and designated areas to sell goods. Create a boardwalk along the south side of the site to allow for pedestrian movement in those areas. Finally establish a new vaporetto stop so that the site itself becomes a destination.

These connections and pavillions will enliven the neglected South side of the island and be the much needed catalyst for further development.

A

A

D

F

E C

B

B

18 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Venezia | PROGRAM

A. Public GardenThis garden gives space to the general public to grow fruits, vegetables and flowers of their own. Green space in Venice is at a premium and there are few gardens which are available to the public. This space allows the people of Venice to not only experience the natural world but also participate in it.

B. Farmer’s Market PavilionsThe market is a place to sell the goods both grown in the gardens and elsewhere. It is an open air bazaar filled with fruits, vegetables, flowers, and goods by local merchants.

The canvas-covered pavilion to the west is specifically designed to accommodate the public with ample space for whoever wishes to set up a stand.

The pavilion to the east is designed for the women of the prison to sell their own goods. The minimum security prison was designed to rehabilitate the women and a farm stand would allow them to interact with the outside world.

D. FUNCTION HALLThis structure is enclosed for year-round use. It is large with an open plan so that different types of events and func-tions may be held there. Taking advantage of a structural glass roof, it has the best view of the lagoon making it a beautiful and serene space. Since the site was originally a film studio, one major client would be the annual festival of the Biennale di Venezia, which displays art, architecture, cinema, dance, music and theater.

C. ORCHARDThis space is set up as an open fruit picking location, offering figs, pears, apples, lemons and whatever else thrives on Italian soil. It is a public space open to all.

20 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Venezia | PROGRAM

E. BOARDWALKThis bridge connects the site to the Gino Valle residences and the abandoned Trevisan factory across the canal. To effectively open up the south side of the island to visitors, they must be able to walk the shoreline between these two islands. The pathway also continues to the east around the wall of the prison.

F. VAPORETTOThe one way to connect the south side of Giudecca to the rest of Venice is to incorporate a Vaporetto stop to the location. For too long has the southern end of Giudecca been neglected and abandoned due to its distance from Venice proper. Now that there is a stop, foot traffic in the area will increase and the surrounding sites once abandoned will be revitalized.

FINAL MODELMaterials used are copper mesh, chipboard, and bass wood for the dock.

22 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Venezia | SECTIONS

section A | north-south

section B | east-west

C-2 STUDIO | HACIENDA

INSTRUCTORS | Luis Montalvo and John Pilling

LOCATION | Jalisco, Mexico

DURATION | 12 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION | This is a long studio open to both Masters and Bachelors candidates that met twice weekly for extended hours in a dedicated workspace.

This studio began with the study of the influence Mexico had on 20th century architecture and design; specifically looking at the works of: the writers Octavio Paz and Juan Rulfo; the architect Luis Barragán and Louis Kahn; and the artists Chucho Reyes and José Clemente Orozco.

The second part of the studio included travel to Mexico to experi-ence its culture, art, and architecture firsthand. Our travels took us to the Sierra del Tigre in the state of Jalisco, the city of Guadalajara, and the metropolis that is Mexico City.

Our return brought us to concept development done through a rigorous set of writing and plastic art exercises based on each participant’s experiences from preparation and travel. Project design required translating the results of concept development into concrete designs, including expression of materials and human use.

The subject of the project design was Los Corralles, a Hacienda of Dreams. The site, in the state of Jalisco, is that of the Barragán family’s confiscated land near the village of El Volantin.

CONCEPT | coalescing the spirit of Mexico though specific rep-resentative gestures into a fully-functional and self-sustaining Hacienda.

26 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | PRECONCEPTIONS + REACTIONS

REACTION | CANDYThis sculpture is a reaction to the Pulparindo

candy seen below: a sweet and spicy tamarind paste. The first taste was salt followed by a long

sweetness finalized with a mild spicy flavor which slowly tapered out.

REACTION | PEPPERSThis reaction was to a class taste test of various hot peppers. The first few were not very strong but the last one, a habanero pepper, had an extremely hot spice which lingered. The reaction seen here happened after the tasting when I went to bed: nightmares and a restless sleep.

PRECONCEPTIONSWhen I think of Mexico I imagine certain images high-lighted for the tourist trade: the Mayan Pyramids and the party lifestyle. Combining these two, I created a drink glass out of an inverted pyramid, complete with ice cubes, and umbrella and a straw. The ice cubes have images on them of the more seedy aspects of Mexico shown in the media: illegal border crossing, kidnappings and tequila.

REACTION | OCTAVIO PAZSketch reaction to a poem by Octavio Paz about the struggles of the typical Mexican man and woman.

The man is bound by his traditions and burdened by his responsibilities. He is unable to show his true self and must shoulder on through life.

The woman wears a stoic mask of passivity, unable to show her true face. She can withstand great hardship without complaint but is unable to show her personality. She is a black vessel without individuality.

REACTION | MEXICAN TOY This is a toy I created to represent the beauty and mystery of Mexico. The mechanism works by spinning the lever which builds tension in the rubber band on the interior of the box. Once the tension reaches a certain point, it is released, spinning the cactus flower wheel very fast. This toy represents the unknown nature of Mexico where anything can happen at unexpected times.

28 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | TRAVEL

ITINERARY

Day 1 | Laguna de Chapala Ajijic Chapala house of Barragán Transfer to Mazamitla

2 | Walking tour of Mazamitla Hacienda Los Corrales La Manzanilla de la Paz

3 | Hacienda in Sierra del Tigre Transfer to Guadalajara Orozco Murals

4 | Orozco Paraninfo Casa Gonzalez Luna Casa Cristo Iglesia Calvario Paloma Goeritz

5 | Panteon de Belen Hospicio Cabanas Orozco Mercado San Juan de Dios Tlaquepaque

Day 6 | Transfer to Mexico City Zocalo Azulejos Palace Bellas Artes Palace

7 | UNAM & Sculpture Garden Tlalpan Chapel Casa Prieto Pedregal

8 | Casa Gilardi Ortega Gardens Casa Barragán Eco Museum

9 | Satellite City Towers Amantes fountains Egerstrom Cuadra San Cristobal Anthropology Museum

10 | Teotihuacán Pyramids Basillica de Guadalupe

GESTURESEach student selected three distinct inspiring features from the trip to Mexico. We then interpreted those features whether they be a building shape, cultural artifact or detail into physical gestures.

The three gestures I chose were trapezoids, translucent glass and colorful ribbons.

TRAPEZOIDSThe base of the model is the trapezoid shapes which define the spaces. They

represent the exaggerated perspectives often found in Barragan’s work. In many of his spaces, there were areas of compression within dark passageways which would

open up to high ceilings at the end. This method was most prominently seen in the Eco museum designed by Mathias Goeritz where the floor at the entrance was

significantly wider than at the end of the hallway. This was also seen vertically in the towers in Mexico City designed by Barragan.

The Eco Museum, Mexico City

The Gilardi House, Tacubaya

Amantes Fountains, Mexico City

The Satellite Towers, Mexico City

GESTURES

32 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | GESTURES

TRANSLUCENT GLASSThe plastic pieces on the model are the result of the morphing of previous designs. The originals were brightly colored paper squares of various sizes. Over the design process, there needed to be a feeling of translucency in the squares to let light into the building. The strokes represent the way light can be manipulated when entering a building. Coloring the glass, creating slats, reflecting off colored walls are all ways Barragan has chosen to play with light.

The Gonzales Luna House, Guadalajara

The Gilardi House, Mexico City

The Tlalpan Chapel, Tlalpan

Looking through colored glass, Guadalajara

COLORFUL RIBBONS AND PAINTED WALLSThe colors of the ribbons and painted towers represent some of the colors used on the buildings of Mexico. Many of the colors are inspired by those in nature and since there are so many bright desert flowers, the buildings reflect those hues. The ribbons also give a circulation flow to the building by cutting through walls. The tall towers are beacons able to be seen from far away as the guests arrive.

The San Cristobal Estate, Mexico City

The Gilardi House, Tacubaya The Gonzales Luna House, Guadalajara

34 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | MODELS

THE THIRTYWe took those distinct gestures and began building a large set of models in an extremely quick, often chaotic process. The first batch were meant to get out our initial reactions to the fascinating experience of traveling to Mexico. We were instructed to not think about exactly what we were modeling and go based on feeling. These first thirty were done in four days and as expected with such little time, are disjointed and simplistic.

THE TWENTYThese next models increase in complexity and specific themes begin to show such as the ribbons, colorful squares and strong black trapezoid shapes.

36 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | MODELS

THE FIVEThese models were built with the program and site context in mind. They were far more complex than the previous batch to allow for more usable space. The black trapezoids became the structure of the building, the transparent squares are focal points and the ribbons represent circulation.

THE ONEThe final model was designed with the site in mind. It takes pieces from the five models before and incorporates programmable spaces to account for the many activities which will take place in the Hacienda.

DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | 38

section A level one

level two

roof plan

section B

elevation

TRANSLATIONAfter each student finished their ONE model, they swapped it with another classmates’ to have another make a first interpretation of translating them into architectural drawings. These drawings of my model were done by Joel Isaksen.

THE SITE

40

THE SITELocated in the Jalisco, near the towns of Mazamitla and La Manzanilla. It is set on the shore of a river which has a variable shoreline depending on the season. The site houses the ruins of Luis Barragan’s childhood home.

Shown are the first attempts to place the model on the site.

42 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | PROGRAMMATIC STUDIES

PROGRAMThe hacienda is a place to come and experience the serene life of a country estate. With no easy access to major cities, the experience of the Hacienda revolves around the simple pleasures of rural Mexico.

Each room is spacious and is open to a terrace overlooking the water. There are two dining options, one is the formal dining space which has a light well open to the air. The second option is the breakfast terrace overlooking the water.

The bulk of the days will be spent riding the horses around the beautiful landscape. The horses needed to be tended to as well and can be brushed and fed by the guests if that is desired. Cheese making from the cow’s milk is another activity to be experi-enced. There will also be canoes on the boardwalk to explore the lake.

CIRCULATIONThis diagram shows the major circulation patterns both vertically and horizontally in relation to the spaces. The building is set up in an axial pattern to take advantage of the views

PUBLIC/PRIVATEThe dark blue represents private spaces, the medium blue is semi-private such as guest rooms and stables and the light blue are the public areas.The only major area not open to the public is the service area.

44 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | PLANS

46 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | SECTIONS

Section A through Restaurant

Section B through main axis corridor

SECTION BSCALE: 1:100m

Detail of pool and wall connection

Section C through lobby, pool, museum and bar

48 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Hacienda of Dreams | FINAL MODEL

C-2 STUDIO | RE-LOCATE

INSTRUCTORS | Abraham Ahn and Mark Urrea

LOCATION | Chinatown, Boston

DURATION | 13 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION | Studio RE | LOCATE asked the student to perform a bit of architectural alchemy. A symbiotic relationship has been proposed between a subway hub and a performance arts center to enliven public transportation and to provide a constant audience for the neighborhood’s creative outlet.

The program for the project has been split up into three categories: Theatre, Station, and Public. The aim is to analyze the urban scale and begin to devise strategies for how these three programs work together and with their surroundings.

CONCEPT | retain the existing site conditions by maintaining the physical and psychological separation between the residents and visitors of Chinatown.

52 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Re-Locate | SITE PHOTOS

Located in Chinatown, adjacent to the gate. This site is in a dense, urban area with a strong sense of community and ethnic identity. It is a hub for local residents, tourists and commuters of all ages which coexist within very small boundaries.

TRENDS OBSERVED

East side of vent - exposed to the expanse of the plaza - noisy due to high traffic volumes - sunnier and more windy - favored meeting place by seniors and men playing Mah Jong

West side of vent - enclosed and shaded by trees - feeling of a smaller scale due to surrounding site features - favored by loners and homeless

CONCLUSIONS

This site must retain its purpose as a spot for social gathering with the addition of a performance art center. Preserve the division between the more exposed East side of the vent and the enclosed West side, thereby maintaining a separation between the residents and the visitors.

54 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Re-Locate | PEDESTRIAN PATTERNS

9AM | Many seniors on each side of the vent sit by each other catching up on the daily news. Adults also meet at the gate and congregate around the bus stops. No tourists seen

12pm | Seniors sit in the pocket park and play mah jong in multiple locations. Adults with children play in the park. Tourists are seen congre-gating in front of the gate.

5PM | During the evening rush hour, commuters hover around the bus stops and often meet at the gate. Seniors have mostly left for the day. A few tourists are seen in the plaza.

CIRCULATION | The main thoroughfare spans east-west through beach street in between Chinatown and the leather district. Many also walk along the JFK surface road.

56 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Re-Locate | PROGRAM

PROGRAM AND MASSING

27,000 s.f. Theater lobby ticketing and information main performance space 3 smaller performance spaces backstage / flytower rehearsal spaces dressing rooms storage public / private rest rooms mechanical / maintenance space 27,000 s.f. Station ticketing queuing concourse staff offices mechanical / maintenance space 1,500 s.f. Public contemplative space memorial

the sectional separation of program

circulation massing

entry sketches

58 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Re-Locate | MIDTERM REVIEW

The Midterm review was attempting to bring separate the diverse programmatic elements. The aim was to bring the “private” functions of the performers above ground and pushing the public elements below. The main critique was that the entrance to the theater and the subway were in the same location, creating a bottleneck. Also that the vent was not being utilized in the design.

long section through performance space, lobby and station

cross section through vent

60 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Re | Locate | INSPIRATION

Chinese Shadow PlayThe Chinese have a long history of telling a story using lightweight puppets casting shadows on a silk screen. This intriguing method of actors performing through a medium is a theme I chose to explore through this project

ScreensIn Chinese culture, screens are used in many forms as a translucent barrier that can be manipulated to fit the needs of the space.

Theater and Auditorium by JLCG ArquitectosPointers, France

views through the building

vertical programplan program

62 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Re | Locate | PLANS

HUDSTON STREET

JFK SURFACE STREET

OPENTO

BELOW

LOBBYTICKET.

PUBLIC ENTRY

PERFORMER ENTRYFLYTOWER

M W

MBTA ENTRY

SMALLTHEATER

OBSERVEOBSERVE

REHEARSE

SECOND FLOOR PLANSmall theater, rehearsal, observation space

LOWER LEVEL FLOOR PLANTheater and Backstage

BASEMENT LEVEL FLOOR PLANMBTA Platform

64 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Re | Locate | SECTIONS

THEATER

MBTA PLATFORM

LOBBY

PUBLICENTRY

MBTA ENTRY

MBTAOFFICES

OBSERVATION SPACES

Section A through Lobby

THEATER

LOBBY ENTRY

REHEARSEOBSERVE

OBSERVE

BACKSTAGE

PLATFORM

Section B through Lobby, Theater and MBTA Platform

66 DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Re | Locate | ELEVATIONS

East Elevation

North Elevation

DESIGN STUDIO | C-2: Re-Locate | 68

PRACTICE

FIRM | MARGULIES PERRUZZI ARCHITECTS

OFFICE | 308 Congress street, Boston MA

EMPLOYMENT | June 2006 - January 2007

PROJECT | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts LOCATION | Hingham, Massachusetts

DESCRIPTION | Margulies was my first introduction to how an Architectural firm is operated. As an entry level intern, I learned all the fundamentals from many wonderful mentors.

I was put on the Blue Cross Blue Shield project during the construc-tion administration phase and learned basics of AutoCAD to pick up redlines and create sketches. I also traveled to the site every week to update the construction documents in the remote office, observe construction, create punch lists and answer contractor questions with my colleagues.

72 PRACTICE | Alriti | BALCONY RESTORATION

Staircase and balconyExterior facade

FIRM | ALBERT, RIGHTER & TITTMANN ARCHITECTS

OFFICE | 8 Winter street, Boston MA

EMPLOYMENT | April 2008 - November 2008

PROJECT | Balcony Restoration LOCATION | Boston, Massachusetts

DESCRIPTION | The responsibility of a small renovation and restoration project was given to me by a principal as an introduction to project management. I was the sole contact with the client and took the project through documenting existing conditions, designing the space, hiring the contractor and overseeing construction.

The goal was to restore an interior balcony which had been converted into a walk-in closet. With this project came numerous “surprises” and quickly turned into a structural redesign of the second floor as well as a major modification to the grand staircase. Managing this project came with a great deal of pressure but was very rewarding learning experience.

HOUSE ON A HILL | cardstock paper model built for a residence built in New Hampshire

STABLE HOUSE | model built for a house BEACON STREET | foamcore model demonstrating interior layout

74 PRACTICE | Choi + Shine | BROWNSTONE RENOVATION

FIRM | CHOI + SHINE ARCHITECTS

OFFICE | 358 Tappan street, Brookline MA

EMPLOYMENT | December 2008 - March 2009

PROJECT | Brownstone Renovation LOCATION | Boston, Massachusetts

DESCRIPTION | This house was renovated for a client who wished to modernize and personalize their new home. The entire house was gutted and each floor was carefully planned for a specific need. The client was very interested in the design process so it was my task to create both a physical and a computer 3D model to help them better understand and manipulate the space.

top floor kitchen, stairs to roof deck

main kitchen

stairs from living room

section

PRACTICE | Brown, Richardson & Rowe | Worcester Airport78

FIRM | BROWN, RICHARDSON & ROWE, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

OFFICE | 3 Post Office Square, Boston MA

EMPLOYMENT | June 2010- present

PROJECTS | Gateway Projects Whitehall Smokestack Lowell South Common UMASS Boston

DESCRIPTION | This firm showed me another side of the profession that most architects do not get to be exposed to. Creating landscapes is directly related to master planning as it typically takes place on such a large scale.

80 PRACTICE | Brown, Richardson & Rowe | GATEWAY PROJECTS

Brown, Richardson & Rowe is currently working on the Gateway Cities Initiative, which is a state-sponsored urban revitalization project in the Commonwealth. The purpose is to improve the public spaces within cities that have been deemed in need. Our firm speaks with each community to identify the areas in which a park would be the most beneficial and then works directly with them to realize these dreams. This is all with the hope to create beautiful landscapes that will hopefully breathe new life into these communities.

Locations | Haverhill, Lowell, Fitchburg, Leominster, Holyoke, Fall River and more

HAVERHILL SWASEY PARKDesign DevelopmentConstruction DocumentsPresentation Drawings

LEOMINSTERConstruction DocumentsDetails

HOLYOKE VETERAN’S PARKRenderings

FITCHBURGRenderingsPresentation Drawings

LOWELL SOUTH COMMONSchematic Design

Design DevelopmentConstruction Documents

RenderingsSections

FALL RIVER BIKE PATHSchematic Design

RenderingsSections

Presentation drawings

82 PRACTICE | Brown, Richardson & Rowe | LOWELL SOUTH COMMON

Lowell is one example of a “Gateway City”. We are working with engineers to create a historic trolley line through Lowell Common. We have also proposed deciduous tree planting, a basketball court and new pathways to the school.

84 PRACTICE | Brown, Richardson & Rowe | LOWELL SOUTH COMMON

WHITEHALL SMOKESTACKThis project is to restore the historical smokestack crown which was to be preserved during deconstruction. The clients of the luxury condo association who owned the stack wished to place it in the affiliated Chestnut Hill Waterworks Museum. We presented two separate proposals depending on the structural stability of the crown; one as a table and one as a bench.

86 PRACTICE | Brown, Richardson & Rowe | WHITEHALL SMOKESTACK

88 PRACTICE | Brown, Richardson & Rowe | UMASS

UMass is currently constructing an Integrated Sciences center with Architects Goody Clancy. We worked with client and architects to design a landscape that would be both functional and engaging to the students.

In the southeast side is a botanical garden which the sciences students will use for instructional purposes.

In the middle of the landscape is an amphi-theater for student performances.

This new building is also to be the location of graduation ceremonies so ample space has been provided for tents in and around the southern plaza.

sections

north side pathway

entry from the quinn building

view of terrace

overall perspective with contours

90 PRACTICE | Brown, Richardson & Rowe | UMASS

COURSES

COURSE | FRAMING ARCHITECTURE

INSTRUCTOR | Chala Hadimi

LOCATION | MIT Chapel, Cambridge

DURATION | 8 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION | “Looking at a work of architecture is, in many ways, like watching a televised football game; it can only be understood, even by professionals, if several cameras are constantly focused on what is going on, and instant replays are always available from whatever point of view may suddenly become necessary.” - Oleg Grabar The Great Mosque of Isfahan

Defining architecture beyond built artifact, we explored the potential of the moving image to document and analyze aspects of architec-ture omitted from the ‘scene’ of conventional representation. We completed weekly video productions, culminating in a work that presented a thesis on the limits of architecture.

CONCEPT | This video explores the story of the Kresge chapel. The way in which different people perceive and interact with the building brings its character into light.

The Chapel, designed by Saarinen, is not only a space popular with people wishing to worship but also architects, photographers, artists, students and tourists. Each person has a different viewpoint which then models the various aspects of the space. My own eye focuses on certain details, mostly influenced by light and details. The worshippers use the chapel for it’s designated purpose as a place to gather as a community. The children use the water surrounding the building to play in. Students and photographers look with interest at the unusual proportions and reflections of water on the walls. It is through these multiple viewpoints and uses that the chapel is eventually brought into focus.

94 COURSES | Workshop | MIT CHAPEL

1. Still shot of a man walking around the chapel, looking up. Birds chirping in the background, the water ripples in the soft morning light.

3. This scene is filmed by the young man as he observes the details of the interior. The reflections of the water seem to dance on the brick wall.

2. Heavy wooden doors of the chapel creak open to find a young man filming the interior.

4. Looking upwards at the oculus, signifying a transition to the another experience.

5. Looking through the vestibule’s stained glass, a procession of worshippers makes their way to the chapel.

7. Transition out the doors to another experience.

6. The entrance of the parishioners during Palm Sunday. The camera is steady as they sweep by. The scene then continues to parts of the ceremony.

8. Walking 360 degrees from the exit around the moat of the chapel. Steel drum music is heard, people are laughing and playing frisbee on the lawn. It is a stark contrast to the church service taking place inside.

96 COURSES | Workshop | MIT CHAPEL

9. Children are seen playing in the water of the moat. They are not using the chapel as intended but are enjoying themselves nonetheless.

3. The rest of the chapel is deserted. His experience is calm and spiritual.

10. The doors open once again to the interior. A lone worshipper is seen praying at the altar.

4. The view moves upwards from the alter to the oculus. The final scene is a transition to the face of the child with the ghost imprint of the oculus. Her laughter is heard.

COURSE | STRUCTURES 3

INSTRUCTOR | Amir Mesgar

DURATION | 8 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION | This course examined techniques for determining the required size of individual structural members in wood, steel, and concrete based upon the gravity and lateral loads they may be required to carry.

Emphasis was placed on the design of beams, columns, walls, slabs, foundations, and retaining walls.

COURSE | ARCHITECTURAL DETAILING

INSTRUCTOR | Kristine Royal and David Stuhlsatz

DURATION | 8 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION | Designers who understand the art of building create good architectural details.

This class covered the following topics : thinking of a building as a set of systems; a method for designing architectural details; archi-tectural details and the building process; architectural details and the problems of public safety and ethics, site design, the building envelope, and the building interior. Outside experts will review students’ solutions to an architectural detailing design problem.

98 COURSES | Structures III | STRUCTURAL PLAN

FLOOR PLAN

100 COURSES | Structures III | ROOF PLAN

SECTIONS

102 COURSES | Architectural Detailing | DETAILED SECTION

WALL SECTIONS

104 COURSES | Architectural Detailing | WALL SECTIONS

COURSE | IDEAS AND DESIGN

INSTRUCTOR | Tatiana Berger

LOCATION | Leça da Palmeira, Portugal

DURATION | 9 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION | Regional architecture is firmly rooted in specific practices based on climate, geography, local materials, and local cultural traditions. We studied representative built works from the 20th and 21st century, focusing on contemporary Spanish and Portuguese architecture.

After choosing a specific work, we built a model demonstrating the connection to our thesis. We then spent time writing a thesis-level research paper, comparing our chosen work to those of other architects. This all culminated in a presentation of our work.

CONCEPT | Siza’s rigorous observation of the topography of the Swimming Pools at Leça da Palmeira allowed him to abstract his geometries; much in the way Frank Lloyd Wright crafted his home at Taliesin and Picasso captured his subjects.

106 COURSES | Ideas and Design | PISCINA DAS MARES SITE PLAN

1. Ramp2. Changing Room Entrance3. Men’s Locker4. Women’s Locker5. Chlorine Disinfection6. Water Treatment7. Men’s Toilet8. Women’s Toilet9. Feet washing10. Bridge to Pool11. Shower12. Children’s Pool13. Adult’s Pool14. Stairs15. Parapet16. Diving Board17. Floating Limiter

18. Storage19. Filter20. Access with Shoes21. Women’s Toilet22. Men’s Toilet23. Bar Storage24. Men’s Locker25. Women’s Locker26. Men’s Toilet27. Women’s Toilet28. Bar29. Bar Prep30. Terrace31. Beach Car Parking32. Limit of Pool Area33. Raised Beds34. Proposed Restaurant

PLAN

ELEVATION

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

321

108 COURSES | Ideas and Design | PISCINA DAS MARES

“In these first works, there ripened a definite, undeniable feeling that archi-tecture does not end at a specific point, but extends from object to space and thus - through the relation to space - finds its completion in nature.” - Alvaro Siza

In every work of architecture there is a polarity between the natural environment and the artificial structures placed upon it. In the early 20th century, many were exploring this subject; one visionary was Picasso with the Cubist movement. He carefully analyzed his subjects trying to capture the visual and emotional truth from different perspectives and then converging these views into a single form. Frank Lloyd Wright around the same time independently was making a similar intellectual leap, specifi-cally in orienting his designs towards the “inner nature of things” and not a specific form. With his work on Taliesin in Wisconsin, he took his visions, feelings and memories of the place and translated them into a home. Both artist and architect had the ambition of discovering the truth in their subjects through careful interpretation. Fifty years later, with the opening of Portugal to the world, Alvaro Siza seized his opportunity to explore the great works of others and come out with his own interpretations. With the Swimming Pools at Leça da Palmeira, Siza’s rigorous observation of the topography allowed him to abstract his geometries much in the way Frank Lloyd Wright crafted his home and Picasso captured his subjects.

The essential moment in the Piscina das Mares is the way the building fits into the site and the visitor progresses through the pathways. Designed in 1959 and completed in 1973, this project morphed through many phases into the popular swimming complex it is today. Siza’s main challenge was to effectively transition from the human built environment to the untamed rocky coast. At first glance, the Piscina das Mares looks like ruins set into the rock with the concrete almost matching the jagged granite formations. The stark difference being the strong orthogonal lines extending horizontally, parallel to the seawall, which he chose to extend with his building. From the outside it appears to be a simple structure but serves a very defined purpose, decisively planned by Siza. He wishes to ritu-alistically bring the users from the concrete city, across the sea wall, through the dark mediation space of the dressing room, then gradually out to the pools carved into of the craggy rocks. To accomplish this task, Siza obsessed over the contours; abstracting them much like Frank Lloyd Wright would abstract the nature at Taliesin.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s childhood land in Spring Green Wisconsin was where he chose to build his home, attempting to capture the essence of his favorite place through his architecture. Taliesin meaning “shining brow” in Welsh was the name he gave to the great hill on the land which he wished to incorporate his home. In deciding exactly where to place his building he thought, “I knew well that no house should ever be put on any hill or on anything. It should be of the hill, belonging to it, so hill and house could live together each the happier for the other.” He wished to build a natural house and took a great many steps to ensure his home felt of the land. To do this he took stones from a quarry a mile away to get the same look as the rocks exposed on the hill. With this it was not easy to determine where the walls and pavement ended and the ground began. FLW layered the stone like the strata of the land, these layers reached around into the four sections of the house. The materials used were to be a combination of stone and dark cypress. Where the two met would be in the same fashion as the forested hills. The lines of the hills were translated into the slopes of the roofs. Fully completed, Taliesin was the essential translation of a natural to built form.

Picasso’s Cubism period, which he developed from 1907-1911, was influential in architecture since it was a breakthrough in the way to abstract a three-dimensional object. Picasso described it as “an art dealing primarily with form” instead of pure realism. At its base, Cubism was the translation of a new organizational pattern combining visual perception from multiple angles with emotion, giving the art a sense of memory. In particular, Cubist art gave much importance to the line, a movement which was also taking off in architecture. “The line does not delimit the surfaces but cuts into them, weights upon them, causing them to penetrate space.” Cubism and Wright’s work agree on many fronts: the preference of the right angle, the breaking up of forms in order to combine their parts, and the striving to fuse many small parts into one whole.

They also have in common the application of new materials, and new construction methods and the aspiration to keep up with the changing modern world. In architecture there was a building up of a new order recognizing the value of proportion and placing great importance on the solid and void. Cubism and Wright’s design approach was able to express this directly and clearly.

The next 50 years marked an explosion in the new era of architecture particularly the International Style, and Siza was no stranger to its influence. When Siza was a young man, the formerly isolated Portugal began to lessen their restrictions on traveling abroad and information censorship. Siza then took the first opportunity to travel to Europe and to bring back ideas and inspiration in order to create a more universal Portuguese architecture. He studied the buildings of Aalto and others, including Frank Lloyd Wright, then translated his own more modern interpretations onto the swimming pools. William J.R. Curtis said of the architect:

This description of the way Siza chose to abstract topography is reminiscent of what Cubism was trying to accomplish. Siza’s obsession with contours, terraces and routes leads him to set up carefully planned views and vignettes which guide the visitor through Siza’s building as he determines.

One cannot speak of the swimming pools without speaking of its precedent, the Boa Nova Tea House, about 1.5km away and built in 1956-1963. On the same craggy rocks, Siza constructed the small restaurant out of many materials: exposed concrete columns and roof structure, dark wood cladding and trim, wooden roofs with copper flashing and terra cotta tiles. In deciding on the form of the restaurant, Siza studied the large rocks and used the profile of the promontory as the defining roof line, much like how Frank Lloyd Wright studied the hills at Taliesin.

“Siza’s work has to do with the intuition of lines of force in the topog-raphy and with the stretching out of planes, profiles and edges. If one were to strip down a Siza building to its essential image, one might discover a network of vectors drawn in space delineating surfaces of varying shadow or light attuned to the rhythms of a particular terrain.”


It might be in- ferred from this that Siza developed every aspect of his architecture around the site, but this was not his intention. Siza explicitly has said, “I am not in favor of submitting to context. The very idea fills me with horror.” This statement

may seem surprising to anyone who knows Siza’s works as they are often sited very deliberately to fit in the context, use local materials and reference vernacular architecture as well as the surrounding topography. It was because of his experience with the Boa Nova Tea House, that he decided to change his direction in the way he approached his new design.

Perhaps because of this, he was fearful of letting the context determine his design. Instead when he initially began to design the pools, he studied the site to determine its predisposition to accommodate a particular geometry, instead of determining geometry directly from the site. He had determined that he wanted to define two separate elements (nature and structure), each with its own language but to be interconnected. Only the large lines of the landscape affected the construction of the swimming pools.

Even though the Boa Nova house is in close proximity to La Piscina das Mares, the pool takes a different approach to the natural setting; the architecture is more independent of the landscape. Siza has done away with traditional architectural elements and instead focused on the massive orthogonal lines of exposed concrete. There are not many disruptions in the landscape since everything extends from the existing sea wall. There are platforms and ramps but they mostly go along the existing grade as they make their way down to the sea level.

The entrance to the Swimming Pools allows Siza to disorient the visitors, impacting the entire experience as you ritualistically enter the complex. As you approach the building, the high sea wall (10m at some points) is visible with the roof jutting out beyond at the street level. This obscures most of the views to the pools and building interior with only the edge visible beyond. The main entrance is a long ramp with walls rising upwards as the ramp descends. The ramp is larger at the beginning, funneling down to the dark underbelly of the building. In the case of the ramp entering the structure, he frames the entrance with an exaggerated perspective to create the feeling of compression into the dark interior space. This effect works both ways; in exiting, the visitor feels the psycho-logical liberation to the outside world. At the bottom of the ramp is the entrance to the dressing rooms. It has cut off corner with a roof overhang instead of a door; giving the feeling you are entering a dark void instead of a defined structure. This method of an inset entrance is very similar to what Frank Lloyd Wright did at Taliesin. He was known for his side entrances which caused a compression moment, only to be released upon entering the building.

The dressing rooms themselves are meant to be dark and disorient-ing, cutting out the senses to the outside world. Looking out towards the sea there is a black painted wall obscuring the view. The dressing rooms themselves are made from black painted wood which are hung from the rafters so the compartments do not touch the floor or the ceiling. The only light which enters these spaces is by the separation between the bottom of the rafters and the roof. The effect creates a dark atmosphere cutting of the senses like being in a cave, far away from both city and ocean. The language Siza used is characterized by abstraction and the dominance of the horizontals. It has longitudinal, rectangular volumes staggered on a number of levels with none of the traditional details of windows or doors.

“I found [the Boa Nova Tea House] much too dependent on the exist-ing landscape. For the swimming pool I thought to myself, this time, as in many compositions, there should be two completely separate elements, each with its own language, but where they should be con-nected.”

Taliesin is often times described as cave-like since the roofs are often times very low with a large overhang. Since the house was located in Wisconsin, Wright wanted to create “a house of the North”. The structure was low, wide and snug, a broad shelter seeking fellowship with its surround-ings, but yet could open up in the summer to the breezes. The dominance of the horizontals is seen in this house for reasons of not just climate but also for the mimicry of the hills and valleys.

The transition from interior to pools is made through a series of ramps, narrow hallways and terraces, all of which work to fragment the landscape. From the dressing rooms there are two options to get to the beach; the first is emerging from the dark dressing rooms and walking down a narrow hallway, down a ramp and out into the open air terrace. The terrace is an expansive concrete platform with steps at the far side, down to the beach level and over to the pools. The second option is to walk out of the dressing rooms onto the open-air promenade. There is a high wall obscuring the view of the sea so that the user must continue to progress through the building without the feeling of being next to the ocean. Walking towards the left eventually brings you to a glimpse of the water between two parallel walls, which overlap but are not touching. This is Siza’s way of slowly introducing the natural landscape to the user. Continuing through a covered archway finally brings the user out in full view of the ocean and the pools, a gateway to the coast. The next section at the beach level is a series of complex steps and elevation changes to bring the user down to the level of the pools.

Wright also employs many of these methods in the gardens and pathways he snakes in between each building. There are numerous driveways, porches, balconies, courtyards, and loggias which cut through the landscape with stone pathways connecting them. Much in the way Siza layers his terraces, Wright explores the experience of movement through different layers. This interlacing of this fragmented landscape is what truly integrates the built and the natural environments and is reminiscent of Cubist art.

The pools are of course the main attraction, and Siza spent a significant amount of time perfecting the way the pools transition from built space to open ocean. From the building there are steps down to a terrace and then a small bridge, steps again and then ducking under the bridge brings you to the children’s pool, the only curvilinear shape in the entire project. With bright blue water and a curved seat wall, the children’s pool stands out in contrast against the rest of the building’s sharp lines. Why Siza chose to add this one curved shape may be a mystery; it could be because he wanted to give the children’s section a softer edge but some have compared it to Corbusier’s famous free-plan curves.

The adult pool further towards the sea, does even more in connecting to the landscape. The walls give a feeling of fortification by their wide shape where they meet the ground, narrowing at the top. There are three walls in the adult’s pool with the fourth only defined by rocks which invade the far side of the pool. In this sense, Siza’s structure appears to be literally trans-forming into nature. Standing at the edge of the pool, the water appears to be contiguous with the ocean and therefore an extension of the horizon on the sea. In a sense, one could argue that pool blends into nature the further it extends or it could be the opposite in that nature is invading the man-made structure.


Taliesin has a similar aspect with the balcony extension of the building over the canyon. He took steel trusses and projected the walkway coming straight from the living room through the branches of an oak tree. The balcony he termed the “Bird Walk” is perched far above the hill slope looking down to the lake below. This extension is meant to bring the user out in the middle of the hill which Wright loves so much. The experience of being surrounded by trees out over a lake was a magical moment he wished to capture.

Siza’s use of materials references the site, gaining even more permanence as it ages. The walls and floors are made from rough-shell, in-situ concrete. The local aggregate blends in with the sandy grey color of the natural rock. Despite its orthogonal geometry, it seems to dissolve into the landscape. The walls find a continuation in the stairs and platforms of the same concrete, which then seems to continue to the areas of rocks and sand. The profiles of the narrow wooden moldings can be seen, giving the

concrete a more humane feel. The only other wall material is the wood of the dressing rooms, painted black and surrounding only in spaces on the interior. The wood was denied of its natural quality by the paint, making it austere in the opposite way the wooden forms made the concrete softer. The wood

allows Siza to hang the dressing room compartments from the ceiling so that they are suspended, touching neither the floor nor the ceiling. The roof made from heavy timbers, was originally covered by tarpaper and later was replaced by copper sheathing. Again the copper was meant to age gradually, looking more and more like the surroundings in the same way as the concrete. Looking down from the street level, the patinated copper takes on a similar color to the pools.

The materials Wright uses in Taliesin are of the greatest importance to the project. Using only local stone and wood, he wished to literally take the surroundings and form them into his home, giving them the greatest importance. He spoke of the stone as if it was the thing he wanted most, “there was a stone quarry on another hill a mile away, where the yellow sand-lime stone, when uncovered, lay in strata like the outcropping ledges in the facades of the hills. The look of it was what I wanted for such masses as would rise from the slopes.” He even went so far as to dig up sand from the river bed nearby and use it for plaster on the light wood walls. In this sense, Wright accom-plished his goal in making the house be of the hill and not simply on the hill.

The study of Picasso’s art shows us that with careful observation, he was able to determine the true nature of an object and represent all sides: perspectives, emotion, and memory. Frank Lloyd Wright also takes that step to show how through observation and feeling of the land, one can create a fantastic design which speaks to the heart of those who enter it. However, Siza followed along the same path in a more modern approach, chose to not take his inspiration directly from nature. Instead, he wished to combine the two aspects of the built environment and the site context harmoniously. He recognized that any interven-tion by man is by definition unnatural and simply did not attempt to make it so. While Wright’s approach is perfectly acceptable, it overlooks this simple fact. Picasso’s paintings are not attempting to be realistic in any sense of word, so in a way he is true to his intentions of abstracting and transforming the natural world much in the way Siza has done in Leça da Palmeira.

FINAL MODEL

EXPERIENCE

EXPERIENCE | ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

TRAVELS | 2005 | London - Paris - Rome 2006 | Tlalpac, Mexico - Belize - Puerto Rico

2007 | Playa del Carmen, Mexico - Chichen Itza New York City Botanical Garden Road trip to South Carolina

2008 | Montreal, Canada

2009 | Maui, Hawaii Munich, Germany Athens - Paros - Santorini Greece

2010 | Philadelphia, PA Mazamitla - Guadalajara - Mexico City New York City architectural tour 2006 | Tlalpac, Mexico - Belize - Puerto Rico 2011 | San Francisco, CA

CONCEPT | capturing the subject in a angle not typically seen, which aims to give the viewer a deeper understanding of the space.

santorini, greece

fog over boston

fort point channel snapshots

BOSTON

modern wine exhibit at SFMOMA

vinyard hilltop in napa

de young museum

SAN FRANCISCO

brooklyn bridge series

cooper union the new museum view from the high line

NEW YORK CITY

hearst towerthe high line

view from the high line

MONTREAL montreal subway rue saint paul jardin nelson

beinecke rare book library

NEW HAVEN

habitat 67olympic park

jardin nelson

sketching

sunset over the caldera

houses on the edge of the cliff

GREECE

lefkes path, paros

bougainvillea, paros

incense burning over a cenote, chichen itzacasa barragan, tacubaya the feather-serpent crawling down the pyramid, chichen itza

the feather-serpent pyramid, teotihuacanMEXICO

ave fenix fire station, mexico city

schoolgirls before a fountain, guadalajara

anthropology museum, mexico city

the feather-serpent crawling down the pyramid, chichen itza

segment ii portfolio

Documents

design studio c

studio hacienda

site analysisthe location

rest of venice

reality abstractionour

giudecca island

island of giudecca

gregory zurlolocation