ALEJANDRA POUJOL DESIGN PORTFOLIO
PROJECT INDEX SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER URBAN STRATIFICATION STRATASCAPE PLAYHOUSE BOUTIQUE HOTEL HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER DOWNTOWN BRYAN,TX
SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER DOWNTOWN BRYAN,TX PARTNER: JOSHUA WALKER SITE DOWNTOWN BRYAN, TX IS KNOWN FOR ITS MAIN STREET. MAIN STREET BECOMES THE SETTING FOR “FIRST FRIDAY”, AN EVENT WHERE LOCAL BUSINESSES, THE ARTIST COMMUNITY & THE CITIZENS OF COLLEGE STATION & BRYAN TO INTERACT. FIRST FRIDAY HAS BECOME AN ICONIC EVENT & WITH IT BRYAN HAS BEEN ABLE TO IMPROVE ITS IMAGE & BOOST ITS ECONOMY. SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER CREATING ACTIVITIES THAT ONLY FOCUSED ON SENIOR DEMOGRAPHICS WOULD NOT BE OPTIMAL FOR LONG TERM USE. THE BEST SOLUTION WOULD BE TO DESIGN A PLACE WHERE DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS WOULD BE ABLE TO INTERACT.
MAIN STREET
FINDING COMMON ACTIVITIES A SMALL SURVEY SHOWED THAT MOST POTENTIAL USERS ENJOYED SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE IN SPACES WITH AMPLE VEGETATION. OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES INCLUDED READING, PLAYING IN THE GRASS, AND GARDENING. AS A RESULT, THE DESIGN OF THE CENTER WAS GREATLY INFLUENCED WITH THE ATTEMPT OF BRINGING WHAT IS TYPICALLY KNOWN AS OUTSIDE GREEN SPACES INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING.
PLAN
SECTION
MAIN STREET PRESENCE
GREENSPACES THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES WHERE GREENSPACES AND ORGANIC LIFE BECOME THE HIGHLIGHT & CONCEPT OF THE BUILDING. IT IS POSSIBLE TO DISTINGUISH THE CENTER FROM THE SURROUNDING STRUCTURES BECAUSE OF ITS CURVED ROOFS. CURVED ROOFS CREATE NORTHERN FACING CLERESTORIES WHICH ALLOW NATURAL LIGHT INSIDE. SINCE THE LOBBY FACES SOUTH & THE NEED FOR NATURAL REMAINED IMPORTANT, A SCREEN WAS DESIGNED TO DIFFUSE HARSH SUNLIGHT. THE DESIGN OF THE SCREEN IS BASED ON HOW LIGHT IS PASSES THROUGH LEAVES. IMMEDIATELY NEXT TO THE LOBBY IS A GREENHOUSE WHICH SERVES EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES & IS A MAIN COMPONENT OF THE BUILDING’S CIRCULATION.
MAIN STREET ENTRANCE
URBAN STRATIFICATION BARCELONA, SPAIN
URBAN STRATIFICATION
BARCELONETA METRO NAUTICAL SCHOOL
BARCELONA, SPAIN PARTNER: ALLIE BECK
CORREOS
SITE
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS PASSEIG DE COLOM
THE PROJECT LOCATION IS PLACED ALONG A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA ACROSS PORT VELL’S FRONT & HAS HIGH VISIBILITY FROM THE SURROUNDING AREA. THERE ARE 6 IMPORTANT POINTS OF INTEREST; THE PASSEIG DE COLOM, CORREOS, NAUTICAL SCHOOL, BARCELONETA METRO, PORT VELL, & THE BRIDGE TO MAREMAGNUM. AS STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS, WE FIT INTO A STRANGE DYNAMIC IN THE PERMANENT (LOCAL) & TEMPORARY (TOURIST) COMMUNITIES: WE ARE NOT CONSIDERED LOCALS, YET ARE IN BARCELONA TOO LONG TO BE CONSIDERED TOURISTS. THIS DYNAMIC, ALONG WITH THE 6 POINTS OF INTEREST, LED TO THE COMPARISON LOCAL & TOURIST USAGE OF PUBLIC SPACE & THEIR TRAFFIC PATTERNS, AND HOW THESE PATTERNS VARY DURING TIMES OF DAY.
PORT VELL
MAREMAGNUM
POINTS OF INTEREST
WEEK DAY
WEEK NIGHT
WEEKEND
WEEKEND NIGHT
RESULTS SOME AREAS WERE EXCLUSIVE TO EACH GROUP, & SOME AREAS ARE SHARED. IN ORDER TO INCREASE PEDESTRIAN INTERACTION WITH THE SITE, PATHS WERE ALTERED. THIS NATURALLY CREATED AREAS THAT ARE CONSIDERED SHARED PUBLIC SPACE & SPECIALIZED AREAS FOR EACH GROUP.
FINAL PATHS
MARKET THE MARKET IS OPENED TO THE AIR & THE STALLS ARE SET IN THE CAVERNOUS INTERIOR OF THE STRUCTURE. THE STALLS ARE FREESTANDING TO ALLOW FUTURE VERSATILITY OF THE BUILDING. AT THE MOUTH OF THE CAVE IS A COURTYARD. IT IS SET DIRECTLY IN THE OPEN AREA HOUSED BETWEEN THE MARKET & THE RESIDENTIAL AREA. THIS PERMITS A FEELING OF INTIMACY WHILE STILL MAINTAINING THE PUBLIC NATURE OF THE SPACE. THE COURTYARD ACTS AS A BUFFER FOR THE TRAFFIC WITHIN THE OUTSIDE & INSIDE SPACES. IT CONTROLS THE PACE OF ENTRANCE INTO THE MARKET & ALLOWS THE POTENTIAL “MARKET-GOERS” AN AREA WHERE THEY CAN REST & TAKE IN THE AMBIENCE SURROUNDING THE MARKETPLACE.
3 4
2
3
2
5
1
1 RESTAURANT 2 PLAZA 3 MARKET 4 REST ROOMS 5 GREEN ROOF/ PUBLIC SPACE
0’ 5’ 10’
20’
50’
100’
1.5 3.04 6.09
15.2
30.5
STRATIFICATION DESIGN LOCALS USE THE MARKET IN A MORE RAPID PACE. THEY WOULD COME TO GET WHAT IS NEEDED & QUICKLY EXIT. SOME MAY INTERACT IN THE PUBLIC GREEN SPACES. TOURISTS HAVE THE TENDENCY OF OBSERVING & MOVING PASSIVELY THROUGH SPACES. THEIR MOVEMENT IS ORIENTED TO THE VIEWS & PERSPECTIVES GIVEN. AS A RESULT, THERE ARE 3 TYPES OF STRATIFICATIONS THAT HELP EACH TYPE OF USER TO INTERACT WITH THE BUILDING. ONE IS A STAIR SPACE THAT SLOWLY MAKES THE ASCENSION TO THE SECOND STORY GREEN SPACE. THESE STAIRS ARE ORIENTED AT THE ENTRANCES FACING PORT VELL & THE BARCELONETA METRO STOP. THE SECOND ONE ALLOWS A FAST MOVEMENT TO THE TOP SPACE. IT IS FOCUSED ON THE MAJOR STREETS SURROUNDING THE BUILDING THAT ARE ACTIVELY USED BY LOCALS. THE THIRD SERVES THE FUNCTION OF A FAÇADE. IT IS NOT CLIMBABLE BUT THIS HELPS DIRECT USERS TOWARDS THE SPACES THEY ARE MEANT TO HAVE CONTACT WITH.
LEISURE
DIRECT
FAÇADE
MATERIALITY THE INTERACTION OF HARD AND SOFT WAS DESIRED. THE MARKET IS A LIGHT CONCRETE FOR STRUCTURE & AESTHETIC PURPOSES. THE GREEN ROOF/PUBLIC SPACE WAS COVERED IN GRASS TO MIRROR THE MAREMAGNUM BRIDGE PARK ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SITE. GRASS PROMOTES AN INVITING & LEISURELY ENVIRONMENT. SINCE THE CIRCULATION SPACES SERVE AS A CONNECTION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, ITS MATERIALITY IS A COMBINATION OF BOTH CONCRETE & GRASS. THE CHANGE OF MATERIAL ALSO CREATES A STRONGER DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE NON-CIRCULATORY STAIRS OF THE FACADE & THE STAIRCASES USED FOR VERTICAL CIRCULATION.
CONCRETE PAVERS
GRASS
5
1
CONCRETE
2 3
1 2 3 4 5
RESTAURANT PLAZA MARKET WATER CLOSET VERTICAL CIRCULATION
4 3
STRATASCAPE PLAYHOUSE
STRATASCAPE PLAYHOUSE PARTNERS: CAITLIN DETTLING, ASHLEY RICKETSON & JOSHUA WALKER PLAY THE ACT OF PLAYING REQUIRES INTERACTION WITH OBJECTS REAL OR IMAGINED. STRATASCAPE CONTAINS VARIOUS SPACES USED FOR CLIMBING, HANGING, TOUCHING, & IMAGINING SPACES. TEXTURE TEXTURE IS FOUND THROUGH CONTOURS CREATED BY STACKED BLOCK BOARD. CHILDREN CAN FEEL & EXPERIENCE THE FORM MADE BY THE STRATIFICATIONS. FLEXIBILITY THE STRUCTURE ALLOWS FLEXIBILITY BY CREATING SPACES FOR VARIOUS ACTIVITIES. THE SPACES CAN BE DEFINED BY THE USERS. USING STACKING AS A CONSTRUCTION METHOD ALSO ALLOWS FOR FLEXIBILITY IN FORM. LIGHT LIGHT IS CREATED FROM THE VOIDS IN CERTAIN LAYERS. THE FORM OF THE STRUCTURE CREATES FRAMED OPENINGS WHICH BOUNCE LIGHT OFF OF THE CONTOURS & THROUGH THE SPACES.
EACH LAYER IS MADE UP OF 2” THICK BLOCK BOARD PIECES WHICH ARE CUT WITH A CNC ROUTER FROM 4’ X 8’ STOCK. EACH PIECE IS NAILED TO THE ONE BELOW IT. THE STRUCTURE IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS. THE SECTIONS ARE ASSEMBLED WITH A PEG & GROOVE SYSTEM. THIS ALLOWS FOR EASIER ASSEMBLY/DISASSEMBLY.
plexi-glass skylight
BOUTIQUE HOTEL WEST LIBERTY, KY
BOUTIQUE HOTEL WEST LIBERTY, KY PARTNER: CAITLIN DETTLING SITE WHEN WEST LIBERTY WAS DEVASTATED BY 2 TORNADOS IN 2012, ITS CITIZENS BEGAN TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES IN NEARBY CITIES SUCH AS LOUISVILLE. WITH THIS, THE JOB MARKET ALONG WITH THE TOWN’S ECONOMY BEGAN TO DROP. NOW, 2 YEARS LATER, WEST LIBERTY WANTS TO REVITALIZE ITS SUSTAINABILITY & ECONOMY BY REDESIGNING THE TOWN’S BRAND & IT’S MAIN STREET. THE SORGHUM FESTIVAL WAS A MAIN SOURCE OF INCOME FOR THE TOWN. DESPITE OCCURRING ONCE A YEAR WITH AN APPROXIMATE AMOUNT OF A THOUSAND VISITORS, THE FESTIVAL WAS INSUFFICIENT IN PROVIDING A STRONG MARKET FOR THE REVITALIZATION PROCESS. AS A RESULT, WEST LIBERTY IS LOOKING IN THE EXPANSION OF PRODUCTS CREATED & CENTERED ON THE GROWTH & HARVESTING OF SORGHUM. THE NEW SORGHUM MARKET WILL BE VENTURING INTO THE PRODUCTION OF PRODUCTS LIKE BEER, LIQUOR, SYRUP, FLOUR, & BIOMASS. THEREFORE THE OPENING BUSINESS LIKE BREWERIES, DISTILLERIES, & RESTAURANTS THAT FOCUS ON THE USE OF SORGHUM WOULD BE IDEAL IN WEST LIBERTY’S NEW MAIN STREET. IN ORDER TO HELP SOLVE WEST LIBERTY’S LACK OF ACCOMMODATION, THE BOUTIQUE HOTEL IS TO BE BUILT IN THE MAIN STREET DISTRICT, PROVIDING GUESTS ACCESSIBILITY TO LOCAL BUSINESSES, LIKE THE ADJACENT BREWERY & THE TOWN’S HISTORY MUSEUM.
WEST LIBERTY AFFECTED BY TORNADO
SORGHUM FESTIVAL
DESIGN
FLOORPLANS
MAIN
ST
TRIMB
LE ST
THERE ARE 4 LEVELS TO THE HOTEL, 2 ARE USED FOR THE GUEST ROOMS, THE GROUND LEVEL ACTS AS THE LOBBY & RECEPTION SPACE WHILE A BASEMENT LEVEL PROVIDES A MULTIPURPOSE SPACE. EACH GUEST FLOOR IS DESIGNED ALONG A DOUBLE CORRIDOR GUIDE WHICH ALLOWS FOR 8 DOUBLE & 4 KING-SIZED ROOMS PER FLOOR. WITH WEST LIBERTY’S URGENT NEED FOR NEW BUSINESS, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE HOTEL TO BE RAPIDLY CONSTRUCTED; THIS PROMOTED THE USE OF A PREFABRICATED CARTRIDGE SYSTEM. EXTERIOR
LE ST
BASEMENT
MAIN
ST
TRIMB
SINCE THE HOTEL HAS A LARGE EXTERIOR SPACE FACING A MAINLY PEDESTRIAN STREET, IT WAS DECIDED THAT THIS AREA SHOULD BE CONVERTED TO A SMALL SCALED “BOTANICAL” GARDEN TO BE USED BY GUESTS AND PEDESTRIANS ALIKE. THE GARDEN IS ON THE SAME LEVEL AS THE MULTIPURPOSE ROOM, MAKING IT IDEAL FOR WEDDING RECEPTIONS, AND IS ALSO ACCESSED VIA THE TERRACE ON THE LOBBY LEVEL. THE GARDEN IS POPULATED BY LOCAL KENTUCKY PLANTS: CRESTED IRIS, WOODLAND SAGE, SPIDER FLOWER, ZINNIA, EVERGREEN SHRUBS, A MAGNOLIA TREE, A VIRGINIA PINE, & A CAROLINA SILVERBELL.
LOBBY
GARDEN SPACE
ROOMS
STRUCTURE THE STRUCTURE IS MADE IN 2 PARTS: ON SITE CONSTRUCTION & OFF SITE CONSTRUCTION. ON SITE CONSTRUCTION INVOLVES THE BASEMENT & THE LOBBY LEVELS WHILE THE OFF SITE CONSTRUCTION IS APPLIED ON THE ROOM & VERTICAL CARTRIDGES. CARTRIDGES
OFF SITE
THERE ARE 3 TYPES OF CARTRIDGES: ONE SERVES AS THE VERTICAL CIRCULATION MODULE (PLACED ON EACH END OF THE BUILDING), DOUBLE ROOMS, AND THE KING-SIZED ROOMS. DIMENSIONS OF THE CARTRIDGES ARE DICTATED BY THE MATERIAL & THE TYPICAL MODULARITY OF HOTEL ROOMS. THESE DIMENSIONS ALLOW FOR 4 ROOMS PER CARTRIDGE WITH THE HALLWAY SPACE BUILT IN. ON SITE
CARTRIDGE VARIETY
OFF SITE STAIRS
DOUBLE
KING
ON SITE
TERRACE
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION, TX
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BRYAN & COLLEGE STATION AREA MISSION HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER TO BUILD HOMES, COMMUNITIES & HOPE. B/CS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY SERVES FAMILIES WHO EARN BETWEEN 30%-60% OF THE MEDIAN INCOME & ARE IN NEED OF QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING. TIME AT HABITAT B/CS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. HERE FAMILIES WORK ALONGSIDE THE WORK CREW & GREATLY INVOLVED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THEIR HOMES. IT IS HERE, AS A CONSTRUCTION STUDENT THAT A GREAT KNOWLEDGE IN RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION WAS EARNED. SA SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT THE CLASSROOM SETTING, HABITAT ALLOWED FOR A MORE HANDS-ON APPROACH WITH TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, & THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS