PORTFOLIO Andreea Maria Nistor
Performer, but future architect.
CONTENT 1000 rooms the palace of my mind
Botanical Greenhouse wild interior into the urbane exterior
Tower House it opens as it grows
Mountain Refuge signal for the lost travelers
01. 02.
03. 04.
1000 rooms
the palace of my mind
The brief The aim of this first exercise is to learn about a concept based on our personality and mind. Therefore I had to develop three spaces from three key words, three songs three works of art, all of them close to my heart. The last space, also being the top of a tower was my personal room, transformed into the avatar room. Briefly, this room is supposed to represent my colorful mind.
01
My principal feature I like to think of myself as a performer, considering that i spent a good amount of time on stage. I am familiar with it. Because of that, I like to think of my room as my space where I can be the artist I need to be. That’s why my avatar room tendes to be a studio where I can sincerely express myself in front of my favorite audience : myself.
The concept I had to choose nine subtantial parts of my personality and to make them work together. The idea was to create a citadel full of thoughts, where you enter as in a dream and encounter different challenges. It is the journey that you made when you decide to go on stage and express yourself to the whole world. At first you throw yourself into the unknown, then you expose yourself, assuming that other will judge you, but at the end you fully understand who you had become and you are proud to show it to everyone. Every space is different from the other likely to our complex emotions. But they allways work together and make the complex human that we are.
“Stop chasing shadows just enjoy the ride” - Morcheeba
All in all, being the first time I had to deal with representing my work, I managed to confer the right atmosphere for my story and to communicate my ideas as well. My whole story has a beginning and an edning. However, the route is more or less circulate, especially made for showing hits of what comes next. For instance, at the very beginning of the route, after “entering the dream” (the underground course) it can be seen the final point (the exterior garden As for the size, I included objects that where everyone dances). It has the role of were at the scale of the ensemble, for the a skeak peek. dreamy atmosphere I was seeking. By using monomateriality, I managed to offer Because each space has the role of inducdifferent qualities to the walls, by using ing powerful emotions, the final place is a thickness and texture. I also used the verti- place for freedom, joy and release. It is the cal move as a form of communication be- visitor’s reminder to have a great time no matter what. tween spaces and in the spaces itself. During the six weeks I confronted with my first architectural project and, therefore, I learned as many things as posible. I learned to develop forms, starting from the main platonics, using adition and substraction where was needed. Among all the spatial organisations, I found that the clustered one was working the best in my case. As well, in plan I used the rotated grid to organize all my elements.
The light played an important role in my rooms. The only “alive” element of them all, was the light that in certain moments were showing the right path. Also, the rithmic repetition found in some of the spaces were representing the idea of continuit and evolution.
Botanical Greenhouse
wild interior into the urbane exterior
The brief The aim of this exercise is to work with a real site, located in the Botanical Park from Timisoara. I had to imagine a greenhouse for low plants, one containing a lily pond and one for exotic trees. Among these, I had to place a restroom, a storage room, an auditorium and a study place located high up. Besides these requirements, it was given a frame of pillars and I had to find a way to integrate my object into this frame, communicating as well with it. The whole ensemble had to integrate in the context, the site being situated near the historical centre, next to the hospital.
02
The concept My concept is to create a space that integrates the natural into the artificial, to create a whole new world, but also to be in communication with the exterior. The solution came as a result after the analysis of the site. I observed that people tend to access the area from the park or next to the fence. Therefore, I also tought of two accesses, one through the greenhouse with low plants and the other through the one with exotic trees. No matter which is the visitor’s choice, the lily pond area stands as a rest area, a static place, animated only by the people who come to visit. From this point it can be seen the area with low plants, from above - a new perspective.
The greenhouse with low plants was escavated underground. Thus, people are at the same level with vegetation. Each level change is perceived due the transparecy. The servant spaces were solved in the basement, under the greenhouse with waterlilies, which is high up. So, the restroom benefits of a waiting aisle regarding the microclimat from the water. All in all, this space benefits of belonging, the man is at the same level with plants, fishes and the vegetation from outside. The greenhouse with exotic trees is situated at the level 0, having noumerous walkways solved with Raumplan. The first perception is from under the trees, the man feeling small towards the grandiose vegetation. The climbing to auditorium represents the first step to discovering new perspectives. It is orientated on the dominant diagonal of the entire complex, offering a vision of the entire ensemble. From the walkways, the palm trees can be seen to the level of the leaves, fruits or even above the crown.
“Nature is actually unnatural” -Murakami The dinamic form on the diagonal is generated by the route of the visitor. Each articulation between greenhouses is made through hinge type objects - the lily pond, the two wood “boxes” representing the office and the study place. The highest box is the study place, followed by the office. These have 2/4 glass walls, allowing the view of the greenhouse. Therefore, the man feels like in a treehouse and the materiality of wood strengthens this idea.
The exterior space, from the city, highlights the historical monument which shouldn’t be forgotten. So, people sit on the bench and look respectable towards the prestigious area: the historical centre. On the other hand, the exterior space from the park is a little more “playful” and freer, being in proximity with nature, released from the rigid urban part. The swings animates the atmosphere and uses the frame of pilars effectively, as well as the seating spaces that can be used for picnics. All in all, the proposed structure shouldn’t steal the viewer’s gaze beacouse the principal subject is the course in nature. Thus, the exterior structure is made by steel, being in contrast with the naturalness and organicity from the interior world, encouraging as well the idea of heteroropia.
Towerhouse it opens as it grows
The brief The aim of this exercise is to propose a living space, working with both skeletal and massive elements. It was supposed to contain 4 levels. At the ground floor has to be an office space, a bathroom and a storage space. At the first floor is the bedroom with a niche for baby and a bathroom. Next it is a living room and a kitchenette. Finally there is an outdoor terrace space. All this elements must have been integrated into a tower house located in the same Botanical Park as the Greenhouses.
03
The concept I imagined my family as extroverts people and so, their house was also dedicated to social gatherings and parties. Therefore, the levels made with massive were dedicated for private spaces, and the ones with skeletal were dedicated for the others. The skeletal structure opens as it grows and in the same time, as you climb the levels, the socialization level increases. The last two levels are also conected in order to emphasize the vertical and freedom continuity between them. The tower house was located on the site next to the Greenhouses so as to stand out for the people who go to visit the Greenhouse. It has to be seen by as many people as posible. Also, it is orientated towards the park, because the place represets an escape for the urban life, facing as much as posible the nature. Part of the groundfloor is excavated underground and the surroundings are covered with vegetation. Like this, the entrance of the house and the space around it is felt like a jungle, emphasizing the idea of belonging to the natural.
“Some people like to rock Some people like to roll But movin’ and a groovin’ Gonna satisfy my soul” - Elvis Presley This last project of the first year of Architecture was all about ideal proportions and minimalist living conditions. It was about the vertical movement and the correctly use of stairs. Some of the relationships studied were interior-exterior, private-public, artifcial-natural. The towerhouse had to be in relation with nature, but private, exposed and singular into a public space. For me, nature is about freedom and joy. High up on the tower, surrounded by the city one one side, and the forest on the other side, is a place of expressiveness without preconceptions. You open among the wood structure towards the sky and let yourself to float in the will of wind. All in all, the tower house is for everyone benefiting of the perfect amount of private and public, goind hand in hand with the nature. The higher you are, the freer you are.
The low levels are made of bricks and so, the light gaps resolved by weaving the brick. Like this, the shadows generated were horizontally. These doesn’t grow to sky , so they cover the private spaces. In contrast, the other light gaps are vertical, generated by the wooden slats. These grow and opens to the sky the same way we open our hearts to other people.
Mountain refuge signal for the lost travelers
The brief The aim of this exercise is making architecture under zero degrees. The conditions are limited high up in the mountains. Therefore it is needed a solution that uses accesible material, is quickly buildable and resists at extreme conditions. Beside the refuge itself, it was required an area for hammocks and an observation point.
04
The concept My idea was to provide a protective space which conforms to the requirements of man.So, the volumetry answers to the conditions of the traveler: the roof is chamfered where they sleep, or stay at the table. In the same time, the lighting gaps shows the traveler the starry sky in night, while in the morning is woke up by the east light of the sun. The hole above the eating space offers southlight. The cooking space is higher, as the man stands on their feet. For materiality, the interior is made of wood, offering warm atmosphere. The exterior is metal plated in order to withstand interperions and extreme mountain conditions. The object is gray to f it into the mountain landscape and has as well a simple form. The exterior are is orientated to north.