CONCEPTS Antonio Fernández Vargas
SELECTED PROJECTS 2017-2023
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CONTENT
ACADEMIC PROJECTS
URBAN MUTATIONS (THE ENCLOSURE) / ALAJUELA / 2020 ............................................................................... ............4 Academic Project
MARYLAND HOTEL (THE STAIRS) / SAN JOSÉ / IIC 2019 ....................................................................................................... 14 Academic Project
NIMBU (THE WINDOW) / GUANACASTE / IC 2019 ....................................................................................................................... 20 Academic Project
RESILIENT CAÑAS (ROOF) / GUANACASTE / IIIC 2018 ............................................................................................................ 26 Academic Project
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Conceptual illustration of my context
OTHER PROJECTS
docexdoce COMPETITION - 56 HOURS / 2020 ................................................................................................ ............32 Competition
A LANDMARK FOR BARRIO ESCALANTE / 2019 .............................................................................................. ............33 Competition
RCR SUMMER WORKSHOP / 2020 ........................................................................................................................ ............34 Personal Project
MONDO NOSTRUM MAGAZINE / 2020 ................................................................................................................ ............35 Personal Project
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01 URBAN MUTATIONS GRADUATION PROJECT HONORS THESIS
PROF. CARLOS UMAÑA & WALTER LEONE 2020 | ALAJUELA 48´000m²
BRIEF SCALE: XL More than 25% of shopping malls were to close in the United States by 2022. In Costa Rica, the massive closure of malls began in the 2010s (a delay compared to the United States, where the phenomenon began in the 1990s). There are more than 1’400’000m2 of shopping malls in the Great Metropolitan Area (Costa Rica), so it is urgent to find alternative uses for them before they become empty. Since the mall is defined as an enclosed, private, guarded, exclusive and impermeable space, the questions arise: can a space designed for a particular use become its own antithesis? To carry out the project and answer this question, we studied the International Mall of Alajuela, a building that once housed the most important commercial space in the province and can now described as a postmodern ruin.
Province: Alajuela
District: Alajuela
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The dividing walls: Inspired in Rem Koolhaas’ Exodus, the mall is located in a strip of landcompletely segregating it from its context with a series of introspective spaces.
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1. Mall Internacional 2. City Mall 3. San Rafael Hospital 4. Outlet Store 5. Milling Plant 6. National Technical University (UTN) 7. Supermarket 8. Outlet Store
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These ruins have contaminated the context in such a way that it can be categorized as Terrain Vague (de Solá Morales), therefore the damaged fabric must be regenerated. This property activated the lot in the main entrance to the city since 1993, and was completely displaced by the arrival of the City Mall in 2017 -at just 50m away. Being left as a ghost mall, the project seeks to turn it into its antithesis, and make it an urban generator capable of maximizing relationships with its context and making it an urban actor.
To achieve this, I first had to define the mall through its program and the spacial features it had. closed private guarded exclusive impermeable
Consequently it was decided to eliminate some parts of the building that gave it introverted characteristics and deprived it of its surroundings. By operating directly on the building and regenerating parts of the surroundings, it was possible to open it up to the public realm. Then I defined what its anthisesis To make these changes to the site, meant. Rem Koolhaas’ design theories were open studied, such as the free section and public the programmatic strips of the Parc free de la Villette. inclusive permeable
By applying these theories, a programmatic instability is generated that facilitates urban accidents. This allows spontaneous activities to occur without being completely manipulated by the architect, thus allowing the building to respond to urban needs and the times of the city. All this is facilitated through mechanisms that allow it to mutate over time.
Urban fabric generation scheme
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Current mall: ravine in poor condition to the north surrounded by abandoned lots and houses in poor condition.
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Built section is eliminated and opened up to the neighborhood, using the existing level difference to create public space.
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The modules are offset to create shadows with the eaves. The flows of the city towards the public spaces are traced.
Cross Section
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Passive techniques are used to allow natural lighting and ventilation. The auditorium receives the flows coming from Alajuela with green areas.
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Handrail details
Ramp arrival and connection with walkway
Seating detail
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D02 Metalum galvanized iron roofing sheet with rectangular profile calibre .26 Wooden parasol with 6”x24”x2” slats Tempered glass (6mm width) Vilax Deep Red Black structural iron nailers 2 x 3 " OSB wooden board with acoustic insulation
Concrete slab 210kg/cm3 with polished finishing 25x12cm gutter, stainless aluminum
Steel joists 4”x3” @ 60cm Angular 12 "x12" Steel 4mm calibre IPN 180 beam with boreholes in the neutral axis for cable feed-throughs Movable panel with steel cable anchor for 1" pulley Klein frameless commercial sliding door
D01: Gutter detail
D02: Pulley detail Isometric: Operation of pulleys and details
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Access and roofed plaza
Topography unevenness, and free section along service bands and urban space.
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02 MARYLAND HOTEL UNIT XI
PROF. ADRIÁN AGUILAR & LAURA SOTO 2019 | SAN JOSÉ 2200m²
BRIEF SCALE: M The project consisted in readapting the Maryland Building (an art deco building from 1937 designed by Costa Rican architect -Chisco Salazar) to create a hotel. The design challenge was to interpret Escher’s work in an urban context while adapting it to a hotel chain’s needs. To relate it to the artist, the stairs were the hierarchical element in the interior spaces. The metamorphosis of the artist was also interpreted along the facade with a slow rhythm of volumes coming in and out. The design features environments where the penumbra plays a key role in its interiors, as well as dichotomies such as light-dark and full and empty. In order to respect the original building, the new addition steps back 1 meter on the third level to show the change of temporality and the architectural richness that the building already provides.
Provincia: San José
Cantón: San José
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South facade
Step 1: Original Building
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Level 8 - 7 rooms
Step 2: Vertical Circulation + 1st Block
Step 3: 2nd Block B
Level 3 - 5 rooms
Step 4: 3rd Block
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Step 5: Staggered effect
Ground Floor - Lobby, back of house, kitchen, restaurant
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Isometric Section 1
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Isometric Section 2
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03 HOTEL NIMBU UNIT X
PROF. JOSÉ VARGAS & DANA VÍQUEZ 2019 | GUANACASTE 3´400m²
BRIEF SCALE: M The project consists of a hotel located in Playas del Coco, where there is a mangrove that few locals know about. The mangrove was kept as a very important axis throughout the project because it is a very difficult ecosystem to regenerate and is unique in its kind for its various biological functions. The concept of the project was the window, so the axes in the distribution were extremely important. The main space is the lobby, which consists of a triple height that serves to frame the views of the mangrove swamp and the beach, which is located in front of the hotel. To enhance the feeling of “being in the mangrove”, corridors were designed at water level leading to the rooms.
Province: Guanacaste
District: Carrillo
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Roofing
L2 - Spa, rooms
Beach - restaurant public space connector
L1 - Restaurant, admin, rooms
GF - Lobby, reception, pool, bar, rooms
Facade concept - The big roof covering the room volumes
Isometric - Hotel Components by Block
View from beach towards main facade
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View from 2nd floor corridors facing rooms and mangrove
View from mangrove towards beach
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To Beach 01
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Reception
Lockers
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HC
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06 Laundry 6
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Bar
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Toilets S
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08 Toilets 8
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09 To Mangrove
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Pool Daybeds
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GROUND FLOOR PLAN
SECOND FLOOR PLAN
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Cross section
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Spa
Admin. B
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Restaurant 5
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Kitchen
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THIRD FLOOR PLAN
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“Listen or your tongue will make you deaf”
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04 RESILIENT CAÑAS UNIT IX
PROF. WALTER LEONE & ALEJANDRO VALLEJO 2018 | GUANACASTE 50m²
BRIEF SCALE: S Resilient Cañas seeks to rediscover the identity of Río Cañas, a community which has been threatened by the emigration of inhabitants due to the floodings caused by the river. Multiple workshops were carried out with the community for them to become part of the design process. The project sought to design a glocal architecture (global and local), thus responding to the context without invading it: rescuing traditions such as the palo encebado, roof thatching and facilitating program shifts. The use of local materials was indispensable since the idea was for the community to build and take responsibility of the project. In terms of flexibility, sunshades were generated with the legs and tabletops that could then be assembled in a simple manner. The panels can be rotated and allow the outside to mix with the inside to strengthen this relationship at different levels.
Province: Guanacaste
Canton: Santa Cruz
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Ideation process with the youth of the community
Ideation process and brainstorming with the whole community
Section Cut - Scenario 1 (Free interior space)
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Team-building activities with the community
Image of one of the final built projects (Proposal by Carolina Moraga)
Process sketches (from left to right): 1) study of Latin American references for a communal space, 2) study of local building archetypes and constructive techniques in Río Cañas, 3) study of materiality, enclosures and modulation.
Section Cut - Scenario 2 (Classroom inside)
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Exploded isometric with material count
Table assembly
Table leg assembly in enclosure: Step 1
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Table leg assembly in enclosure: Step 2 -ZoomIn
Table leg assembly in enclosure: Step 3
Model of the constructive concept that was presented to the community during the final presentation
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05 ANNEXES 56 HOURS - DOCEXDOCE COMPETITION
Special edition for “Amigos Solidarios-Honduras” - 2020 The goal for this 56-hour competition was to think of new ways to reuse the fuselage of abandoned aircrafts. The competition’s requirements were an image and a text explaining each teams searches. In our case, we explored how these objects could maintain their purpose as a structure capable of transporting migrants through international borders. I was in charge of most parts of the image and part of the text.
The aircraft no longer flies. How do we preserve its capacity to transport if it remains static? The democratization of its parts is proposed in order to maintain its character as a mediator between nations separated by imaginary limits. These spaces question the border, promoting migratory flows through walls conceived to be inaccessible.
Illustration and text for “56 hours” (First place with team member Jorge Barzuna) 2020 - docexdoce Competition
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A LANDMARK FOR BARRIO ESCALANTE Edilex Facade Competition - 2019
Collage of existing conditions for “Concurso Edilex” (First place) 2019 - Universidad Veritas Competition
Facade diagram and illustration for “Concurso Edilex” (First place with team members Alejandra Fernández and Daniela Rumoroso) 2019 - Universidad Veritas Competition
This competition consisted in the design of a facade for a Communications and Marketing Office in San Jose, Costa Rica. It’s located in a neighborhood known for its modern brick houses: thus the selection of this noble material for a contemporary application. The team also decided to use a sliding corten steel panel for the access as it matches the color palette as well as the intentions of using pure, well-aging materials. For this competition, I was part of the design process, rendering views, and drawing construction plans.
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RCR Summer Workshop 2020
This workshop ‘s objective was to create a “space of comprehension” where Catalan chef Ferrán Adriá’s book “Sapiens” would be displayed. After a series of interpretations of the site and multi technique experimentations, inspired by various artists, the group I was part of (with Gianfranco Morales from Peru and Soledad Larraín from Chile) decided to merge architecture with landscape, thus creating a sequence of introspective spaces where the user would be prepared to access the final space of revelation where the book would be kept.
Interpretation of the macro site - “The topography of the fog” (Olot)
The entrance to the built space.
A very valuable aspect of this workshop was to learn and put to practice the design methodology of RCR, which requires a very thoughtful process and sensible critical thinking in order to create an architecture that can be easily read as belonging to the site.
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The space of comunion
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The space of water
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The space of revelation
Mondo Nostrum Magazine 2020
MANIFESTO MONDO NOSTRUM is a document focused on the analysis and communication of poetic-philosophical -theoretical and critical thinking, and relevant and pertinent ideas and designs in architecture, urbanism, ruralism (and other areas of design) throughout the planet. MONDO NOSTRUM acts as an agent of change to “promote sustainability, social justice and beauty in the built environment - architecture, cities and human settlements - throughout the Planet, by publishing ideas and advanced solutions for environmental design and construction. MONDO NOSTRUM is made up of experts, activists, intellectuals and professionals from different disciplines from all over the planet. *(Nomad School for Planetary Design)
Director: Álvaro Rojas Editorial staff: Mauricio Quirós, Fredy Masad and Luis Alberto Monge Coordinator: Sharon Salas Edition and translation: Antonio Fernández, Alejandra Fernández, Martina Massad and Marta Fúster. Design and production: Rocío L. Berenguer and Nicolás M. Rueda
Translation and edition of Peter Stutchbury’s article by Antonio Fernández. Translation and edition of Jiat-Hwee Chang’s interview by Antonio Fernández.
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Antonio Fernández Vargas 36