Angelic Williams Design Portfolio
Fall 2010 - Office Studio Instructors: Andre Caradec California College of the Arts (CCA) OFFICE was an advanced architecture studio designed and fabricated an exterior grade structure with an envelope of roughly 8’x10’x7’ using ALPOLIC as the primary material. Alpolic is conventionally used as a at sheet cladding material that relies on a structural substrate or armature for support. Mitsubishi Plastics Composites America, INC, has partnered with CCA through a significant donation of their ALPOLIC material to this studio. Given this arrangement, it was understood that we would be looking to find material/construction strategies to implement the material as much as possible. This partnership created a professional working environment that is atypical to the academic experience, and gave insight to the methods of digital fabrication and decision making outside the academic envelope. Final fabrication took place at the shop of Studio Under Manufacture where we were be able to digitally fabricate and test options real-time
Fall 2009 – NYC Hotel/Gym/Gallery/Café Instructors: Jason Anderson/Lalo Zybelberg The site was located on W 19th St & 10th Ave, in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. Upon arriving in New York, I wandered around Manhattan with no real direction or purpose, other than to experience the city. I later realized that I could’ve potentially been walking in a dangerous area and not known. I turned that observation into a map of the area using a method James Corner describes as a derive map or a drift map. The turns of my trip are unrolled into a straight line and all the documented crimes that occurred in those areas in the summer of 2009 are documented. The form that emerged through the mapping inspired the hotel design. From the map I was drawn to the blue spine of my trip and the events that are, though unrelated, tied together through my trip. The hotel program struck me as something very stagnant and unyielding and the rest of the programs seemed to be were all the life of the building would be. Thus, the armature and core of the project was born respectively. It is a hybridized setup where on some levels it as all core programs, others it is all hotel rooms and on others it is a hybridization of the two. Finally, the skin of the building attempts to reflect the tourist culture of New York City. Each room has seven or eight windows that are 3’x5’ In dimensions that act as life sized postcards of the city. Furthermore, the varying heights of the windows allows for individual control of light and a constantly fluctuating façade.
Spring 2009 – Bay Area Analysis / Barge / Angel Island Retreat Center Instructors: Mark Donohue/Igor Siddiqui This semester long project occurred in three phases. The first was mapping the Bay Area. Together with my partner we mapped culture, demographics/population, property value and transportation. From the mapping we were able to pull out information to inspire the design of a barge that would transport people between Pier 45 and Angel Island. I found the density of the population in certain areas fascinating and invented a system that tried to emulate that through the form of the barge. The barge would be experiential where there would be different events or a series of small events that highlights activities around the Bay Area. Finally, the retreat center on Angel Island is a continuation of the barge. The barge can only hold so many different programs and so the activities act on a small scale. Angel Island is a much bigger site and so every two weeks there would be a different event/host city that showcases what it has to offer. Furthermore, through the rooms are arranged so that the single rooms, doubles, shared rooms and suites weren’t grouped together but were arrayed so that different types of people can meet each other. Each group of four rooms creates its own pod with a center courtyard and creates its own community.
S
EUROPE
EBRO RIVER (WATER PARK)
11
2
5 km
Zaragoza, Spain
METRICS WATERSHED AREA 80,093 km2 RIVER LENGTH 910km
Conventional Detention Ponds
PROJECT LENGTH 2.5 km
POPULATION DENSITY 659.8/km2 PROJECT COST 55,413,449 Euros PROJECT TIMEFRAME 2000 - 2010
OBJECTIVES
WATER QUALITY IMPAIRED
The Ebro is the most important river in Spain, 928 km in length and with a drainage basin of 85,550 km². The Ebro Delta is one of the largest wetland areas (320 km²) in the western Mediterranean region. Today the delta is a heavy agricultrual resource to cultivate rice, fruit, and vegetables. In addition, the delta also has numerousbeaches, marshes, and salt pans that provide habitat for over 300 species of birds. Consolidated Stormwater Management
PROJECT DESCRIPTION Expo 2008 was an international exposition held from June to September 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain, with a theme of “Water and Sustainable Development” and positioned in a meander of the Ebro river. The expo held many thematic events and pavillions such as: The Bridge Pavilion, which was designed by Zaha Hadid and hosted the exposition Water. The expositons goal was to portay water as a universal human right as well as to act as an informational tool to explain water management procedures and encourage citizen participation. Another landmark was the Water Tower which held a 23-metrehigh sculpture called Splash, which represents a splash of water, “the arrival of life on our planet”. It also hosted the exposition Water for life where “audiovisual media and lighting play a key role in the way the contents are communicated”. The Aquarium, which is still in operation after the expo, is the largest freshwater aquarium in Europe, hosting over 300 species of fauna from rivers around the world in 60 tanks or terrariums. Rivers represented are: -The Nile: containing species of the great African lakes, croco diles and an exhibition on theMediterranean and the Red Sea. -The Mekong: here are species of the Himalayas, gardens from the river’s lower course, the Pacific Ocean and coral reefs. -The Amazon: This section is divided into three different areas. First, the Amazon jungle higlighting its coconut trees and man groves. Second is the Amazon forest and the third is the man grove swamp with an exhibition on the Atlantic Ocean. -The Murray-Darling river: This showcases the full spectrum from the flooded regions through the desert areas. -The Ebro: It is also represented in two areas. The first area is a mountain cave and the second is the course of the river. -The “World River”: It represents the past, when “all the continents were united as a single island surrounded by ocean”.
DIAGRAM
PLAN
MODEL
SECTIONS
50 m
The city of Zaragoza, greatly benefited from the expo. It was estimated to have receieved 7.5 million visitors over its span. It also now has a permanent feature which was built for the Expo which is the pump-powered artificial whitewater course “El Canal de Aguas Bravas.” Along with being a part of the high speed rail route Zaragosa has solidified itself as a communication hub.
IMAGE CAPTIONS 1 2 3
View of the overall project connecting to the Ebro River corridor.
4 5
A bridge crossing over a small channel of the river.
A shaded pathway crossing over a channel of the river. Pedestrian pathway lining the river with a series of aquatic gardens in the background.
A pedestrian and bike pathway zig-zagging along the water’s edge.
PROJECT CREDITS DESIGNER/PLANNER
Alday Jover Arquitectura
4
65
3
EUROPE
S
DIJLE RIVER
50 m
Mechelen, Belgium
METRICS WATERSHED AREA 700km2 RIVER LENGTH 86 km
Conventional Detention Ponds
PROJECT LENGTH 0.25 km
POPULATION DENSITY 1200/km2 PROJECT COST
3,800,000 euros
PROJECT TIMEFRAME
2005-2007
OBJECTIVES
WATER QUALITY GOOD
The Dijle is a small confluence that meanders through the countryside. Although it is not a major water body it has acted as major life force for the community. It runs through many small towns including Mechelen which is often called “Dijlestad” or Dyle City. The river used to be navigable for small ships. However, today commercial and pleasure navigation is limited only to Mechelen. Consolidated Stormwater Management
PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Melaan is a tributary of the Dijle River. The project is the first of a series of daylighting projects. It has been excavated and newly landscaped in the old city center of Mechelen. It is reflects the increasingly popular notion of the importance that water plays in the relationship with old city centers. It is also trying to be a possible solution for good water management in many North-West European cities. It became a popular notion that a well layed-out center in Mechelen could enhance the quality of life for the residents. First the Lamot Brewery was transformed into a heritage and cultural center on the banks of the river Dijle. Following that was the plan to call the waters of Mechelen back into being. Around the same time, the municipality decided a public car park. Because of that it appeared more convenient to build underground car parks through the public private cooperation construction. The Melaan is not just a daylighting project that had had no affect on its surroundings. In fact it had a great impact. The importance of the project is reflected by the town’s rise in a ‘quality of life list’ in Belgium. Before 2000, Mechelen was at the bottom of the list of 13 municipalities, by 2004 the city was at the top. It has also become a major attraction in the heart of Mechelen. The Melaan provides an attractive atmosphere that invites one to linger and quietly enjoy. It attracts more people from the wider city and the region than it previously did. It has become a tangible element within the network of historic public spaces in the city center. The reconstruction of the Melaan does not only mean the opening up of a stream in the centre of the city, but also the creation of a new location with meaning. It is a new quayside in the heart of the city: a quay along which people will live, work, where small boats will have their moorings, where people will take a stroll. It is also a quay that offers opportunities for long-term transformation, both in the buildings and in the public space.
DIAGRAM
PLAN
MODEL
SECTIONS
5m
IMAGE CAPTIONS 1
The difference in level has been used to create a continuous bench that intermittently opens up into steps that join the two levels. A line of trees separates pedestrians from cars.
2 3
Pedestrians walking the central promenade. The central promenade is set at a slightly lower level than the street.
PROJECT CREDITS DESIGNER/PLANNER
ARA, Atelier Ruimtelijk Advies, OKRA, Landschapsarchitecten
1
2
3
Fall 2008 – Precedent Study Instructors: Mark Donohue/Kristen Sidell Each student was assigned a dwelling to study to inform the design of a modern loft. This particular precedent was the Tugendhat House by Mies van der Rohe. After tracing over the original plans we conducted a diagrammatic study of the main components of the precedents that was then followed by a volumetric study. I concluded that, what made this project so stunning was that it was so simple when broken down to its bare essentials. It utilizes an open floor plan through a continuous row of columns on the main level, which allows for free movement at the users discretion. Only on the upper level does the plan change due to the fact that it is where the private program spaces are located. Another note is that Mies makes an analogy between nature and man-made structure by having a grid of trees on the outside of the house.The two meet in harmony through another unique feature of the house. The large panels of glass in front roll down similar to a car window to allow for more connection to the outside. These principles played a big role in the design of the loft. The circulation was also open through the same use of a colonnade with a set of trees in line with the colonnade upon reaching the exterior of the project. The loft was located on a top level of a building in San Francisco. Therefore, to achieve that harmonious meeting of nature and man-made structure, the front glass panels rise like a garage door to access the outside balcony. Taking into consideration the project’s location there is a small interior courtyard for the occupants to enjoy if they don’t desire for the entire loft to be exposed to the elements.
Fall 2008 – Dwelling Instructors: Mark Donohue/Kristen Sidell This site was a dwelling located on beachfront property in Pacifica, California. There is a one hundred foot pier located directly in front and mountains off into the distance. The client was a teacher that enjoys surfing and nature. The goal of the project was to take advantage of the views as well as accommodate his needs by providing an office to grade his papers as well as a place to store his surfboards. The strategy started with observing the views from various positions on the site. Once that was taken note of, a hierarchy was necessary to decide where program spaces would be located and the appropriate view for each program space. The house was essentially split in half, with beach side being the exciting portion due to the fact that surfing is his passion and mountainside acting as the relaxation/business side, where he entertains guests and has his office. The surfboard storage area and the office where the program spaces on the lower level facing opposite directions. The main level has his bedroom located adjacent to the biggest window in order for him to check the waves if he wants to go surfing. The upper level acts as a small retreat where he can relax and look towards the mountain.
Apt Hotel Business Rec Center Community Center School Food Beauty Services Parking
Spring 2010 – Housing Instructors: Kory Bieg/Sandra Vivanco This project’s focus is sound transfer from unit to unit and creating exclusivity within a housing complex. From the mapping I discovered that there is a density of land use around our site and acts in a pinwheel formation as it reaches our site. The walls become angled in an attempt to give sound more surface area to bounce off of, as opposed to having it reverberated against a straight wall. The interior of the unit is arranged so that the living room is the main welcoming space and the bedrooms acts as caves or spaces of retreat. There are communal outdoor spaces for the tenants to enjoy. The ancillary program is an underground recording studio as well as a relaxation therapy center. The center is located at the rear of the lot on Wetmore St., away from the noisy main street. The idea behind that choice is that Powell St. is the noisest and as you move closer to Wetmore St. the noise begins to dissipate, thus renderig the allet as somewhat of a retreat from the bustling downtown area. Atop the ancillary space is a relaxation garden for the tenants as well as the users of the ancillary program.
Floor-plate Communal Space Ancillary Program Balcony Void Relaxation Garden
PHASE SHIFT
One Story Building
Fourty Story Building
Different Programs -- Different Goals / Interests
Potential Factors in Transformation
Smooth Surface (Landscape)
Program A wants to push surface down to create social space
Program B wants to push surface up to create storage space
Flat Surface (Floor Plates) Transition
Step Condition
BUILDING AS LANDSCAPE STRATEGIES Walkable Surface / Exterior informs Interior
Scala Tower by BIG
TEK by BIG
Stepped Floorplates
Cutouts
Morph with Surroundings
Faste Batteri by BIG W57 St by BIG
Lego Towers by BIG
Cooper Union by Morphosis
Trysil Ski Resort by BIG
Boscolo Hotel Nice by BIG
Spring 2011 - Hong Kong Tower Instructors: Andrew Kudless The primary focus of this project was to take a set of parameters from an existing building, understand them, manipulate and adapt them to fit within a new urban fabric. My particular precedent was the Maritime Youth House by Bjarke Ingels Group. The essence of BIG’s final design lies in the two programs that occupy it and their conflicting desires resulting in a landscape that can accommodate both. Moving from a one-story project to a forty-story project proved to be a bit more of a challenge. An investigation of building as landscape showed various strategies such as: the walk able surface, the stepped building, the cutout and the morphing out of its landscapes. Having this in mind provided me with a unique approach the site located in the Central District of Hong Kong Island. The tower is located next to the newly relocated Star Ferry Terminal. Previously, the terminal was located near City Hall, convenient to commuters and locals alike. Though with its relocation to an unfinished development and the much faster subway, the terminal has lost millions of dollars since the move. Hong Kong is known for its shopping, high-rise residential towers and a wide array of offices and hotels. What it is lacking is an amount of open space for locals and tourists alike. The resultant strategy was derived from the metaball function found in Grasshopper. Through varying levels of intensity one can achieve a façade of louvers, a stair condition as well as the floor plates for the programs to occupy. The program transitions from a public market and mall, to a grand lobby directing traffic to the hotel, offices and residential floors. In between are multipurpose spaces such as gyms, lounges and ballrooms. The residential tower reaches an altitude of five hundred feet where the occupants can enjoy panoramic views of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon across the harbor. The ultimate goal was to bring all of Hong Kong’s culture into one building, as if it were a mini city itself.
ECOLOGICAL NICHE Since the Central Star Ferry Pier has been moved from its old pier next to City Hall to the new location outside International Finance Centre, the number of people using the Star Ferry to cross the harbour has fallen drastically, nowadays only tourists and only a few commuters use the system. This has meant the Star Ferry company has lost billions of dollars since the relocation. Therefore it is planning to stop operating the pla Hung g Hum ferry pier and the services to and d from it.
Distance between old pier and new pier: Over 300 meters. Pros of old pier: Close to City Hall, multiple hotels, banks, popular venues, malls etc.
SOLUTION: Stitch multiple ascpects of Hong Kong culture to breathe new life back into the area and create more traffic for the ferry.
Cons of new pier: Not easily accessible, not many activities around the area, located close to controversial Final Reclimation area (currently not completed)
Hotels
Offices
Shopping
Markets
Fall 2011 - The Anomaly at UC Davis Instructors: Lisa Findley, Bryan Shiles, Adam Woltag The program/function of the project is an experimental campus building type that we are calling The Mixer. The goal of The Mixer is to sponsor conversations, spark informal and unexpected collaborations, and support shared creative impulses. These educational environments draw together students and faculty from wide-ranging disciplines to interact in a variety of loosely programmed space. These include a place to perform (a black box theater), a place of exhibition/review/display (a gallery), places for making (shops and laboratories), a place for socializing (cafĂŠ/lounge/commons), places of interaction (classrooms), places of work/one-on-one student/faculty conversation (offices) and additional program specific to UC Davis. The basic parti was to split the building based on program and to allow the visbile connection from the mall to the arboretum. The program was distributed based on its privacy levels with the offices enclosed by larger and more open program spaces. The bike kitchen acts as the main attractor in the south building with the laboratory spaces stacking on top. Based on our reaction to the architecture in Davis we wanted to give the buidling a dynamic facade by showcasing the circulation.
C
SEE PARAPET DETAILS
Performance Space Cafe Ca C afe af a fe
OPERABLE WINDOWS
FIXED LOUVERS
A
A
Lobby L obby
DOUBLE LOW-E GLAZING
FIRE STOP RADIANT HEATING/COOLING
INTEGRATED LOUVER + MULLIONS INSULATION
POST-TENSION CONCRETE HUNG CEILING
B
B Bike Kitchen Showroom
Bike Kitchen n Repair