SYMBIOTIC STRUCTURES
ANTONIA PACHECOPrinceton School of Architecture|Masters of Architecture|Fall 2024
Selected works 2022-2023
CONTENTS
Desierto Public Transport Hub
Symbiotic Spaces:
Study lounges + observation platforms + transport hub 1 4
Viento Oeste Research & Cooling Center
Symbiotic Spaces:
Research laboratories + cooling center
Andalucia Student Housing
Symbiotic Spaces:
High density housing + library & learning hubs
8 13 19 15 Antonia Pacheco |Princeton Architecture School of Architecture | Masters of Architecture | Fall 2024
DESIERTO PUBLIC TRANSPORT HUB & HUB & LEARNING CENTER
PROJECT TYPE: ACADEMIC COURSE: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN V YEAR: FALL 2022
FACULTY: PAULINA LAGOS, ALEXANDRA CORTEZ
The project focuses on creating a semi-enclosed space The focuses on a semi-enclosed space tailored to transnational students in D owntown El Paso to students in Downtown El Paso. It forms a symbiotic space integrating study nooks, It forms a space integrating nooks, lounges, an obser vation platform, a streetcar station, a an observation platform, a streetcar station, a bus stop, and pedestrian access across the Bataan Trench bus stop, and access across the Bataan Trench Memorial This design uniquely addresses the mobility, Memorial. This addresses the equity, accessibility, and transit needs of local students. equity, and transit needs of local students.
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CONTEXT + FORM DEVELOPMENT
El Paso downtown: border crossing hub, educational needs of unattended ciudad juarez students explored.
RATIO BETWEEN PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND K-12 INSTITUTIONS
GIS analysis evaluates K-12 schools in downtown El Paso, contrasting them with accessible student study hubs.
In the early morning, K-12 students eagerly wait to cross El Paso’s Downtown bridge.
WALKING DISTANCE FOR STUDENTS IN DOWNTOWN EL PASO
A GIS map illustrates the walking distance from the proposed site to Ciudad Juarez, offering an ideal accessibility measure for downtown students.
Urban environment: High schoolers traverse Downtown El Paso, Texas streets.
THE UNATTENDED NEED OF A VULNERABLE SECTOR
GIS research reveals necessity: secure, central hub for K-12 students in the downtown area.
FORM ON SITE
Strategic site: 417 N Oregon St, poised for an observation platform overlooking Bataan Memorial Train Tracks.
SITE MUNICIPAL CODE CONSTRAINTS
Building footprint
Type IV Building, Max Height 85’, IBC 504.3
Property line
Baatan Memorial Airway Rights = 15’
Building extending to garage (approved by zoning official)
Antonia Pacheco | 2
Photographed by Univision Noticias
Proposed site location
Photographed by BBC Mundo
CURVILINEAR FORM STUDIES
The form design process was influenced by the daily experiences of border-crossing students, seamlessly blurring the transition between Ciudad
and El Paso.
Repeated filleted rectangles shape a seamless, continuous curve defining the building’s form.
Staggered repetition of filleted curves crafts distinctive, dynamic spatial configurations within the structure.
Iterative process forms ample spaces within the filleted curve, accommodating essential programs seamlessly.
Emergence of a captivating, student-centric structure, exuding uniqueness and dynamic allure.
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Juarez
THIRD FLOOR
The third floor serves as a semi-enclosed viewing platform, providing views to the Bataan Memorial and the other street.
PROGRAM
SYMBIOTIC SPACE: Study nooks and lounges.
GROUND FLOOR
The ground floor serves as an intermediate place between the student’s school and the transport that will allow them to return home.
6 3 4 C 6 A D 7 5 E F 1 2 8 B 5 1 4 1 3 2 B 3 F 5 7 8 1 2 E C 4 D A 6 2 5 13 1 8 6 4 5 9 10 5 3 3
Public gallery at service of the community.
1. Exhibition Space Arrival Hall 2. Exhibition Space 3. Individual Exhibit Spaces 4. Youth Center Arrival Hall 5. Restroom 6. Study Spaces + Lounges 7. Auditorium Arrival Hall 8. Entry Hall 9. Restroom 10. Auditorium 11. Transportation Hub 12. Seating Area 13. Ticket Kiosks 14. Traffic Control Room 15. Restroom 1. Enclosed Viewing Platform 2. Restroom 3. Storage Room 4. Semi-enclosed Viewing Platform 5. Restroom 6. Connection to parking lot Antonia Pacheco | 4
PROGRAM
SPACE: OPEN
SYMBIOTIC
LEARNING ZONES
SYMBIOTIC SPACE: OPEN LEARNING ZONES
SECOND FLOOR
The second floor houses an archive that also serves as study space, as well as office spaces, viewing halls, and smaller viewing platforms.
UNDERGROUND FLOOR
The underground level allows the user to set themselves at the level of the Bataan Memorial Train Tracks, providing a different perspective of Bataan memorial.
1. Exposed Viewing Platform
2. Enclosed Viewing Platform
3. Bataan Memorial VIewing Platform 4. Archive + Study Spaces
Viewing Hall
Restroom
PROGRAM PROGRAM
Paso Transport Archive open to the
3 6 F 4 C E 2 7 A D 8 5 1 B 9 1 7 6 5 4 3 8 2 4 C A D 8 B 5 3 7 1 6 4 2 2 3 4 5 2 2 1 2
6.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
7. Storage Room 8. Offices 9. Arrival hall
5.
Enclosed Lounge
Restroom
Storage Room
Semi-enclosed VIewing Platform
Arrival Hall
Semi-enclosed observation platform.
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El
public.
LONGITUDINAL SECTION
LONGITUDINAL SECTION 1/8”=1’-0”
TRANSVERSAL SECTION 1/8”=1’-0”
Observation platforms adjacent to Bataan Tran Memorial
Antonia Pacheco | 6 SECTION CUTS + AXONOMETRIC PERSPECTIVES
from
The train’s cool... Let’s
here!
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VIENTO OESTE RESEARCH INSTITUTE & COOLING CENTER
COURSE: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN VI YEAR: SPRING 2023
FACULTY: STEPHEN MUELLER
AWARDS & RECOGNITION: SELECTED FOR TTU HCOA CROP MAGAZINE, 10TH EDTION. SELECTED FOR TTU HCOA EL PASO, END-OF-YEAR EXHIBIT, SPRING 2023
The project centers on the Viento O este Research The project centers on the Viento Oeste Research Institute, dedicated to transnational dust flow study. Its dedicated to transnational dust ow Its dynamic skin channels wind and dust , fostering learning skin channels wind and dust, and research on dust-related respirator y ailments in and research on dust-related respiratory ailments in the Chihuahuan D esert Additionally, this skin facilitates the Chihuahuan Desert. this skin facilitates the conversion of the ground floor into a cooling center, the conversion of the oor into a center, catering to the extensive summer foot traffic in El Paso, catering to the extensive summer foot tra c in El Texas.
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FORM & SKIN
Comprehensive exploration of Chihuahuan Desert winds in El Paso driving innovative dynamic facade.
CHIHUAHUAN DESERT DUSTSCAPES
El Pasoans’ resilience amid allergen-prone Chihuahuan environments.
SELECTED SITE & WIND
The strategically selected site is hit by the fastest wind of the region
FACADE & WIND INITIAL EXPLORATIONS
Form innovations to channel and stir wind dynamics
FORM & WIND DYNAMICS
Form innovations to channel and stir wind dynamics
Wind simmulation on module clusters.
FINAL FORM DESIGN DECISIONS
Three diagrams narrate the architectural evolution, capturing meticulous design decisions.
Program Research Gallery Circulation + emergency stairs Antonia Pacheco | 9
WIND EXPLORATION:
6 k 7 k 8 k 10 Wind Spe Proposed
Photographed by Aaron E. Martinez for El Paso Times
FORM & SKIN
Comprehensive exploration of Chihuahuan Desert winds in El Paso driving innovative dynamic facade.
FACADE & WIND INITIAL EXPLORATIONS
Form innovations to channel and stir wind dynamics
FINAL MODULE FORM
Final facade module innovations to funnel wind.
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WIND EXPLORATION:
Final module design & aperture variations
Initial design axonometric
Skin modules assembled.
Module study models.
Skin module iteration.
Comprehensive architectural diagram showcasing facade panels and wind pressure distribution.
Skin wind pressure diagram.
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WIND PRESSURE ANALYSIS
Section cut exhibits wind-funneling façade, enabling precision dust analysis.
AIRFLOW THROUGH CONTROLLED APERTURE
HIGH PRESSURE FLOW THROUGH MODULE
AIRFLOW THROUGH CONTROLLED APERTURE
Antonia Pacheco | 12 SIMULATING ENVIRONMENTAL
PERFORMANCE
FACADE + BUILDING SECTIONSCALE 1/8”=1’-0”
SYMBIOTIC SPACE: COOLING CENTER
An architectural symbiosis: façade channels air, nurturing a desert refuge.
COOLING CENTER: PUBLIC INTERACTIONS
GROUND FLOOR PLAN: COOLING CENTER
Antonia Pacheco | 13 OFFICE RESTROOM 1 COURTYARD RESTROOM 2 R COURTYARD O RESTRO E R R T OOM1 OM OFF CE E O S O
INTEGRATED LAB ENVIRONMENT
Integrated lab realms, purified environments, experimental outdoors, dynamic façade filtration.
WET LABORATORY SPACES
Dynamic wet labs for wind analysis.
OUTER EXPERIMENTATION SPACE
Experimental space harnesses wind dynamics.
TYPICAL PLAN: WET & DRY LABS
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ANDALUCÍA FAMILY HOUSING & PUBLIC LIBRARY
PROJECT TYPE: ACADEMIC
COURSE: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN VII
YEAR: FALL 2023
FACULTY: MARIANNA GONZALEZ-CERVANTES
The high-density family housing tower redefines spatial The housing tower rede nes boundaries through a ventilated enclosure Ventilated halls boundaries a ventilated enclosure. Ventilated halls connect via a central arter y, challenging notions of privacy connect via a central artery, notions of privacy and property Four communal libraries per floor encourage and property. Four communal libraries per oor interactions, diverging from traditional Western ideals. The interactions, from traditional Western ideals. The tower ’ s podium integrates learning spaces and computer tower’s integrates spaces and computer labs accessible to both residents and the community, labs accessible to both residents and the community, further challenging established spatial concepts further challenging established spatial concepts.
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CONTEXT, DRAFTING AND DEVELOPMENT
Medellin’s cartel impact dissected; sketches evolve into detailed, impactful design.
1988-1990: Years of Terror
1988
January 13th - Bomb car
Monaco, where Escobar’s family lived. This event started the Cartel War.
January 18th - Mayor candidate, Andres Pastrana arango is kidnapped by the Medellin Cartel.
January 25th - Attorney General Carlos Mauro Hoyos is kidnapped and assassinated by the Medellin Cartel.
March 10th - Bomb car
of newspaper El Colombiano.
August 2nd - Brothers Munoz Mosquera are rescued from Penitenciaria Bellavista by the Medellin Cartel. Two guards are killed.
August 19th - 3 hitmen of the Cartel de Cali are killed by Escobar’s hitmen in Escobar’s barrio El Poblado.
November 11th - 43 people killed by the Medellin Cartel.
MEDELLIN CARTEL: CRIME TIMELINE
Crime timeline reveals Escobar’s impact. Muder statistics in 1988 and 1990 demonstrate the danger to the public.
1990 January 17th - March 30thFirst truce between the Medellin Cartel & Colombian government.
March 30th - 2,000 hitmen prepare themselves for a new wave of terrorists attacks.
April 26th - Carlos Pizarro Leongomez is assassinated.
May 21st - Hitmen assassinate senator Federico estrada Velez.
June - 150 homicide victims. 20 masacres. Death squads swept through all the barrios, taking young men and women and killing them.
June 28th - Bomb car leaves 14 dead and 30 injured in front of police station.
July 9th - Special forces attempt Pablo escobar’s capture but fail.
August 30th - Journalists
Juan Vitta, Hero Buss, Richard Becerra, Azucena Lievano, Diana Turbay, and Orlando Acevedo are kinapped.
Semtember 25th - Hacienda Los Cocos Masacre. 19 dead. Masacre was a direct order from Escobar.
December 31st - 5,434 people dead due to homicide in Medellin. End-of-year statistics.
Excerpts of timeline depict Escobar’s reign of terror.
GROUP PROJECT: MEDELLIN URBAN & HISTORICAL ANALYSIS MAP
GROUP MEMBERS: Antonia Pacheco, Marissa Aguayo.
CONTRIBUTION: Urban & historical timeline, recollection of the Medellin cartel’s assasinations and crimes. Tables and data collection. Urban intervention image editing.
SEMESTER: Fall 2023. FACULTY: Marianna GonzalezCervantes.
1980 February 24th Aerocivil Director, Fernando Uribe Senior is assassinated by the Medellín Cartel. October 20th Judge Ana Cecilia Cartagena assassinated by Escobar’s orders. 1981 March 25th Director of Security of Medellin, Gustavo Carlos Monroy Arenas assassinated by Escobar’s orders. 1982 February 12th Pablo Escobar announces his candidacy for Colombia’s congress. March 14th Pablo Escobar joins Colombia’s Parliament with the help of Jairo Ortega Ramirez. 1983 June 7th Judge Decimo Superior requests for parliamentary immunity to be taken from Escobar. September 26th Journalist Nelson Anaya Barreto, who had denounced Escobar’s actions is assassinated. September 28th Medellin’s district attorney, Luis VFernando Giraldo Builes, who investigated the death of journalist Nelson Anaya, assassinated. October 26th Colombia’s congress expells Escobar and takes his parliamentary immunity. April 30th Attorney general, Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, assassinated by minor who shot him from the distance. November 26th A bomb car sent by the Medellin Cartel, explodes front of the Canadian embassy. 1985 April 8th Colombia supreme court justice Alvaro Medina Ochoa assasinated at his doorstep. June 23rd Judge Tulio Manuel Castro Gil, assassinated. 1986 February 19th Barry Seal assassinated by the Medellin Cartel. July 16th Journalist Roberto Camacho Prada assasinated by the Medellin Cartel. July 31st Colombia supreme court justice Hernando Baquero Borda assasinated by the Medellin Cartel. August 18th Colombia’s police captain Luis Alfredo Macana assasinated by the Medellin Cartel. October 30th Colombia supreme court justice Gustavo Zuluaga assasinated by the Medellin Cartel. November 17th Police assasinated by the Medellin Cartel. December 17th Director of the newspaper, El Espectador, is assasinated by the Medellin Cartel. 1987 January 13th Supreme court Justice Enrique Parejo riddled by the Medellin Cartel. He survived the attack. February 4th Carlos Lehder, fourth on command of the Medellin Cartel, captured. April Druglord, Hugo Vernan Valencia kidnapped and assassinated by Pablo August 21st assassinated by the Medellin Cartel. August 25th Human rights ambassador, Hector Abad Gomez assassinated by the Medellin Cartel. October 11th - Jaime Pardo Leal assassinated by the Medellin Cartel. 1988-1990: Years of Terror 1988 January 13th Bomb car Monaco, where Escobar’s family lived. This event started the Cartel War. January 18th Mayor candidate, Andres Pastrana arango kidnapped by the Medellin Cartel. January 25th Attorney General Carlos Mauro Hoyos is kidnapped and assassinated by the Medellin Cartel. March 10th - Bomb car of newspaper Colombiano. August 2nd Brothers Munoz Mosquera are rescued from Penitenciaria Bellavista by the Medellin Cartel. Two guards are killed. August 19th hitmen of the Cartel de Cali are killed by Escobar’s hitmen in Escobar’s barrio El Poblado. November 11th - 43 people killed by the Medellin Cartel. 1989 January 18th 12 judicial Medelin Cartel. February 20th Bomb car exploded Drogas La Rebaja in Ibague. February 25th Bomb exploded Drogas La Rebaja in Pereira. February 26th 17 people assasinated by 25 hitmen snet by the Medellin Cartel. February 27th other locations Dinamita La Rebaja are bombed. March 29th Lawyer Hector Giraldo Galvez assassinated by the Medellin Cartel May 4th Former governor Alvaro Gonzales Santana, is assassinated by Medellin Cartel. Cali Cartel sends and his men to kill Escobar, July 4th people, including governor Antonio Roldan Betancur. July 5th Masacre in Altos del Portal. people killed. July 7th Bombing of Tecminas. July 15th 60 men from the Medellin Cartel assassinate six technicians from tecminas and security guard. July 26th Bombing Ganaderia Nare. July 28th Judge Maria Helena Diaz Perez is assassinated by the Medellin Cartel. August Curfew enforced in Medellin. August 15th Terrorist attack against Blanca Lilia de Molina. Survived. August 16th Supreme court justice Carlos Ernesto Valencia assassinated by the Medellin Cartel. August 18th Colonel Valdemar Franklin Quintero assassinated the streets of Medellin by the Medellin Cartel. August 18th Virgilio Barco delcares war against the Medellin Cartel. August 30th explodes Pintuco September-November- 100 bombs explode Colombia. September 2nd Terrorist attack agaist the newspaper El Espectador. September 11th Former Medellin Mayor Pablo Pelaez Gonzalez assassinated. October 10th Martha Luz Lopez and Miguel Soler from Espectador are assassinated. October 11th Jose Rafael Abello Silva, 7th in command in the Medellin Cartel detained. October 19th people killed by the Medellin Cartel. October 30th Three bombs explode. No deaths. November 1st Supreme court justice Mariela Espinosa Arango riddled by the Medellin Cartel. November 15th Alvaro Ortega, professional soccer coach, assassinated by the Medellin Cartel. Avianca Airlines, 107 people people dead due to homicide in Medellin. end-of-year statistics. 1990 January 17th March 30th First truce between the Medellin Cartel Colombian government. March 30th 2,000 hitmen prepare themselves for a new wave of terrorists attacks. April 26th Carlos Pizarro Leongomez assassinated. May 21st Hitmen assassinate senator Federico estrada Velez. June 150 homicide victims. 20 masacres. Death squads swept through all the barrios, taking young men and women and killing them. June 28th Bomb car leaves 14 dead and 30 injured in front of police station. July 9th Special forces attempt Pablo escobar’s capture but fail. August 30th Journalists Juan Vitta, Hero Buss, Richard Becerra, Azucena Lievano, Diana Turbay, and Orlando Acevedo are kinapped. from Escobar. December 31st 5,434 people dead due to homicide in Medellin. End-of-year statistics. 1991 January February 1,200 people killed Medellin. May 13th Bomb attack to police vehicle. dead. June 19th Pablo Escobar surrenders himself prison La Catedral. July 4th New Colombian Constitution approved. December 31st 8,954 people dead due to homicide in Medellin. End-of-year statistics. 1992 April 23rd Jaime eduardo Rueda Rocha is killed. August 4th Bomb car explodes inside Monterrey mall in Medellin. November 15 Villatina Masacre. December 31st 807 people dead due to homicide in Medellin. End-of-year statistics. 1993 January 6th Bomb kills 2, harms 39. March 29th The Medellin Cartel is left with 130 men, out of 500 that joined the group 1992. October 12th Aguas Frias Operation. Almost captured Escobar, but failed. December 2nd Pablo Escobar killed with three bullets. Sun Temple Style: Prehispanic Colombia Basilica of Our Lady of Style: Neoclassical Medellín, 18th Century 950- 1537 Prehispanic Colombia Established by Herrera Campuzano and named San lorenzo de Aburrá Prehispanic Period 1500s 1600s 1800s 1700s 1900s 2000s 1540 Colonized by Spain 1675 Founded as mining town and named Villa de Nuestra Señora de Candelaria de Medellin 1810 Colombian war of independence 1826 Medellin declared the capital of Antioquía 1914 1980 Beginning of organized crime coincided with increased demand for cocaine from the United States and Europe 1977 The Medellín Cartel founded. 1988 Medellín: The most dangerous city the world Iglesia de Veracruz Style: Baroque Maestros José Ortiz, Joaquín Gómez José Peinado Comfama Claustro San Ignacio Style: Colonial, Neoclassical Medellín,1803 Rafael Uribe Uribe Style: Gothic Revival Agustín Goovaerts Style: Modern Viera, Vázquez, Dotheé Arquitectos Biblioteca España Urban Intervention Urban Intervention Medellín, 2004-present day Puente Mirador Andalucía Urban Intervention Urban Intervention Medellín Metro Urban Intervention Comuna 13 Medellín, 2011-present day Centro Coltejer Medellín, 1972 Esguerra, Sáenz, Urdaneta Samper ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS URBAN INTERVENTIONS HISTORICAL ANALYSIS 1995 Medellin Metro opens to the public. Juan Gomez Martinez elected Mayor. Luis Perez Gutierrez elected Mayor. 2002 Orion Operation. 2004 First MetroCable line opened. 2006 First Library Park completed. Sergio Fajardo is elected Mayor. 2008 Alonso Salazar elected Mayor. 2011 Comuna 13 escalators completed. 1993 Informal housing improvement program initiated. Colombia peace agreement 2016 Pablo Escoba’s home Medellín,2019 Gangs Metro Cable Parque Biblioteca España Puente Mirador Andalucia Parque Recreativo Andalucia Metro Cable Route HISTORIC URBAN ANALYSIS ANTONIA PACHECO MARISSA AGUAYO
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URBAN INTERVENTION + UNIT DEVELOPMENT
Urban interventions & sketches evolve into detailed, impactful design.
THE STREET IN THE SKY
Sky streets mend urban fabric, ensuring safer circulation.
SOFT BOUNDARY: VENTILATED VEIN
Versatile soft boundary creates flexible, interstitial spilling spaces that immitate a street within the unit.
THE PARK
Parks foster safety, enriching neighborhood security and community cohesion.
THE ARTERY
Each unit fronts a communal social artery, facilitating interaction and connectivity.
THE ARTERY CONVERTED
When mutually consented, the communal space extends into units’ interiors.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Strategic neighborhood libraries advance education, yet community faces closure challenges.
VERTICAL LIBRARY REDISTRIBUTION
Book collection spreads to floor libraries due to local
closure.
LIBRARY AT HOME
Accessible floor libraries for residents and community, extending along socializing artery.
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Ventilated veins define unified interior.
Photographed by Julieth Sepulveda
Photographed by Periodico MiComuna2
Photographed by Periodico El Tiempo
PUBLIC LIBRARY & LEARNING HUB
Interconnected libraries via ventilated arteries, accessible to residents and community alike.
GROUND FLOORPLAN: PUBLIC LIBRARY & LEARNING HUB
1. Tiny Library
3. Learning Space PROGRAM
2. Computer Lab
COMPUTER LAB + VENTILATED ARTERY
Computer hub flanked by dual ventilated arteries enhancing spatial connectivity.
SMALL LIBRARY + VENTILATED ARTERY
Ventilated arteries foster movement through different spaces.
PUBLIC INTERACTIONS
Engaging promenade, catalyzing community interaction for tower residents and locals.
MAIN ENTRANCE LEARNING SPACES + VENTILATED ARTERY
Accessible tower lobby, a communal hub merging resident and community realms.
Adaptable learning environment: serves schools by day, workshops energize evenings.
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12 3
SYMBIOTIC SPACE: LIBRARY AT HOME
A symbiosis created by the assemblage of eight linear units interconnected by ventilated corridors, accentuated by centrally positioned clusters housing four intimate libraries.
TYPICAL HABITATIONAL UNIT FLOORPLAN
Eight units linked by ventilated arteries, centered with four libraries.
VENTILATED ARTERIES + UNIT: LOOPED INTERACTIONS
Two units, through adaptable glass doors and internal circulation, merge seamlessly.
SCALE 1/4”=1’-0”
VENTILATED ARTERIES HABITATED
Ventilated arteries link spaces, fostering fluidity in unit connectivity.
LIBRARY AT HOME + PUBLIC INTERACTIONS
Four small libraries synergize seamlessly with the housing units.
SCALE 1/4”=1’-0”
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SCALE 1/8”=1’-0”
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