Belen Desmaison Portfolio
Index
UPenn Sophomore year (2006 - 2007) Fall Summer
Inhabiting a deserted room
Junior year (2007 - 2008) Spring Summer
Senior year (2008 - 2009) Fall Spring
Adaptations to different climatic regions in Peru throughout the ages
Street Portraiture/ Architectural Details (Photography)
Edgar Allan Poe Library and Scholar Residency
Convivium The Marriage of two neighborhoods
New School of Design for the University of Pennsylvania
Professional Work
PUCP
Barclay & Crousse Architecture 2010 2009
Thesis Project 2012-2013
Memory Museum/ Winning Entry
New Study Center/ Cafeteria for La Pontificia Universidad Cat贸lica del Per煤
Sailing Center in Paracas, Ica
Introduction to Photography Street Portraiture/ Architectural Details
Dissolving the barrier between inside and outside. Projecting oneself out to the exterior
Architecture Studio 1st Year Inhabiting a deserted room
Inspired by “A Descent into the Maelstrom”. Embarking into an unknown journey, viewing the city for the last time. Travelling, disorientated, through darkness. Encountering a fantasy world hidden in pages and ink. Pausing and submerging. Discovering this alternative reality without distraction. Emerging under a new horizon, disclosing the world around you. A 10
B
C
11
6
9
7
D
D
1
4
2
3
8
5
A
B
C N
_entry level plan
_site plan (Location: Bartram’s Garden, West Philadelphia) Key: 1. Scholar’s Kitchen 2. Scholar’s Living and Dining Room 3. Scholar’s Study Area 4. Scholar’s Bathroom 5. Scholar’s Bedroom 6. Main Entry 7. Conference Room 8. Library (Roof) 9. Open Terrace 10. Public Rest Rooms 11. Coat Room
_section A-A
_section C-C
_section B-B
_section D-D
Architecture Studio 2nd Year Edgar Allan Poe Library and Scholar Residence
“A singular change, too, had come over the heavens. Around in every direction it was still as black as pitch, but nearly overhead there burst out, all at once, a circular rift of clear sky - as clear as I ever saw - and of a deep bright blue - and through it there blazed forth the full moon with a lustre that I never before knew her to wear. She lit up every thing about us with the greatest distinctness - but, oh God, what a scene it was to light up !� - Edgar Allan Poe, A Descent into the Maelstrom
_underground level plan
Architecture Studio 2nd Year Edgar Allan Poe Library and Scholar Residence
Project: Design a wedding banquet hall in North Philadelphia located on an urban farm which will provide the food for the ceremony. Locate an inhabited lot in the city for the farm and the building. Proposed solution for our site: Use geometry and topography to alter the function of a wall. The wall not longer separates two neighborhoods but becomes the center of communication and interaction between the two. The wedding ceremony is seen not only as the union between two individuals, it becomes the marriage of two communities.
Norris Square: First or second generation Puerto Ricans. Spanish is still their first language. Heavily influenced by Puerto Rican culture in their cuisine and their religious and social ceremonies.
Fishtown: Young urban middle class caucasians who reject mainstream American culture. Many of them are either vegan or vegetarian and grow their own food.
_existing wall
Team: Tonia Chi Belen Desmaison Charles Harris Leonard Klipper
_studies showing how a wall can be used to connect people
Architecture Studio 3rd Year Convivium - The Marriage of two neighborhoods
The main building is constructed from different zones that interlock with each other at different levels and spiral around a central cloister, which is visible from all the surrounding environments. The only instance in which the wall is not visible is in the cloister, the place where the two communities are completely merged into one.
Outdoor movie theater
Proposed addition to the existing community center _panoramic view from North to South Green houses
Existing marketplace (El Mercado) 2
6
3 5
N _section 1-1
2 1
6
6
3 4
7
_section 2-2
_section 3-3
Key;
6
4
1. Banquet Hall 2. Banquet Hall Exterior Terrace 3. Community Center 4. Cafeteria 5. Cloister 6. Promenade 7. Deposit/ Rest Rooms
1
5
1 2
5
10
20
Architecture Studio 3rd Year Convivium - The Marriage of two neighborhoods
By breaking the existing wall and creating particular moments using its fragments within the site, one creates different environments that propel interactions between the two neighborhoods. Contribution: Revit Modelling, Main Building Section Cuts, Site Section Cut, Furniture Design, Furniture Model, Menu Design
_site section facing East
_moving throughout the site
Architecture Studio 3rd Year Convivium - The Marriage of two neighborhoods
We thought of our building as an extrusion from the earth which was altered by a series of forces taken from urban and natural phenomena surrounding the site. These forces broke what was seen as a solid extrusion from the earth, transforming it into a series of blocks and voids that bind the PennDesign community through the interior spaces of the building. The building reaches out and binds to the external community by creating a microcosm of urban and natural phenomena.
So
uth
Team: Pallavi Biswas Belen Desmaison Andrew Harris Jenny Hong
St
Architecture Studio 3rd Year New School of Design for the University of Pennsylvania
The series of blocks that compose the building result directly from dynamic forces that fracture an initial extrusion from the earth and city. The dynamic forces are light, people, and context. Topographical conditions are created within the school by actions of pushing, pulling, and cracking to delineate points of departure and points of arrival.
Floor Plans
_section looking West
1st
5th
2nd
6th
3rd
7th
4th
8th
The blocks that conform the building represent different programmatic elements within the school. To join these blocks the transitional spaces were treated as translucent and transparent elements that serve as glue. This resembles the way in which the city functions by providing circulatory spaces that are accessible to everyone physically and visually. These spaces are in fact the heart of the city since they are the ones used by everyone: they are places of encounter and communication. _section looking East
_section looking West
A. Graduate Architecture Studios B. PhD Students and Faculty C. Cafeteria D. Dean’s Office and Gallery E. Fabrication Lab and Supply Store F. Faculty Offices and Faculty/Student Meeting Areas G. Admissions and Registrar Offices H. Fine Arts Studios and Auditorium (1st floor) I. Faculty Offices J. Undergraduate Architecture Studios K. Large Classrooms
_section looking North
Architecture Studio 3rd Year New School of Design for the University of Pennsylvania
Contribution: Revit Modelling, Site Plan, Roof Plan, Tree Photograph, Site Model, Environmental Section, Detail Sections, Day and Night Renderings
Summer
9
10
8
1
3
2
4
12
9. Green roofs help to prevent the Urban Heat Island effect by remaining cooler than common black top roofs which can reach temperatures up to 150°F on a hot summer day. 10. Reinforced Concrete slab. 11. 2” Rigid insulation (R-15 value) 12. Double Glazing 13. Perforated Copper Panels
5
14. Skylight with mechanically operated light wells and air vents 15. Steel frame 16. Stainless Steel Rope
6 7
11
1. Ceiling finish 2. Glass hanger 3. Copper infused or double glazed glass unit 4. 3/4” glass 5. 1/2” stainless steel hanger rod 6. Base anchorage 7. Copper-faced insulated panel 8. Hydronic floor system
8
A
13
B
Winter
14
The building’s exterior materials are a direct result of the environmental conditions found in Philadelphia and also of the interior requirements of thermodynamic nature, social environment, and natural light maximization. Three main types of skins were chosen for the building: solid (A), translucent (B) and transparent (C). These skins were all made using glass and copper in order to unify the building as a whole. These materials also allow sufficient differentiation between the different blocks.
A
ROPE ROPE
16
STAINLESS STEEL
LAMINATED GLAZING UNITS WITH AN INTERIOR LAMINATE THAT MODULATES ENERGY ABSORBANCE AND TRANSMITTANCE.
A hydronic floor system was chosen as the main heating/cooling device throughout the building due to three main reasons. Firstly, it can be used in all the floors because the topmost layer is interchangeable, it can be either wood or ceramic tiles. Its also the most efficient way to provide heat since it does it by radiation, which is felt quicker than conventional heating and cooling systems that use the convection of air. Lastly, UPenn already uses cool and warm water to heat and cool its buildings and connecting the hydronic floors to this network will be very easy.
B
15
NOTE: The book “Facade construction manual” by Herzog, Krippner, Lang was used as a reference for the detailed sections.
C
C
Architecture Studio 3rd Year New School of Design for the University of Pennsylvania
The materials selected for the building allowed a differentiation between night and day by creating a reversal of the reading of solids and voids. During the day the voids read as sources of light, during the night time solids like the studio block and the gallery read as lanterns. In this way the different uses given to the building at different times of the day were clearly demonstrated. The exterior is a direct representation of the interior life of the building. The design sought to provoke a sudden confrontation with the open sky after a prolonged feeling of compression. This desire was inspired by particular moments found in nature in which the sky is framed in a particular way by solid masses. Liberation below the sky can be experienced through the compression, both horizontal and vertical, produced by a close proximity to large masses. Two instances of such feelings of compression and liberation were taken as sources of inspiration: the pressing verticality of canyons and the crushing horizontality of caves.
Architecture Studio 3rd Year New School of Design for the University of Pennsylvania
Entry for a design competition for a new student center to be located on one of the biggest green areas on campus. Due to favorable weather conditions year-round, students are often seen studying or relaxing on the green areas. However, water used for irrigation is untreated and a close proximity to the plants is considered a health risk. The proposal seeks to allow students to continue to enjoy the feeling of being outdoors. This proposal was designed and prepared in collaboration with 51-1, an architectural office run by Manuel de Rivero also in Lima, Peru.
Principal Architects: Sandra Barclay Jean Pierre Crousse Manuel de Rivero
Project Managers: Rosa Aguirre Oscar Malaspina
Collaborators:
Rodrigo Apolaya Juan Miguel Chinchay Belen Desmaison Benjamin Krieger Paulo Shimabukuro
B
Storage Kitchen Fast Food Chains Cafeteria Service Area
Restrooms
Students Eating Area
Faculty Eating Area
A
A B Commerce
Printing/ Photocopy Services
Bank
B A
_first floor plan
A
B
_second floor plan
Professional Work at Barclay & Crousse Architectue New Study Center/Cafeteria for Pontificia Universidad Cat贸lica del Per煤
_section A-A
_section B-B
_aerial view day & night
Professional Work at Barclay & Crousse Architecture New Study Center/Cafeteria for Pontificia Universidad Cat贸lica del Per煤
Contribution: Sections, Detail Section, Day Rendering
6 7
8
10 9 11 1
Level +6.65
Study Room 12 13 15
2 2
2
14
5
1
1 22
16
1
17 19
Level +4.20
18
8 4
Cafeteria 20
3
21
Level +0.00
Typical section 1. fluorescent light 2. tempered glass railing 3. polished cement border 4. drywall light trap 5. fresh air entry 6. used air exit 7. drain 8. acoustic ceiling 9. thermal roof, 2% slope 10. stainless steel cover 11. metal beam 4” x 8” 12. metal column 4” x 8” 13. fixed tempered glass 14. air entrance 15. sliding tempered glass door 16. stamped concrete floor 17. drip irrigation used for bamboo bed 18. exposed concrete 19. geomembrane 20. exposed concrete column 21. recycled concrete cylinders from the university’s structures lab. 22. Eucalyptus tree
_view from the second floor
_view from the first floor
Professional Work at Barclay & Crousse Architecture New Study Center/Cafeteria for Pontificia Universidad Cat贸lica del Per煤
Entry for a design competition for a museum to be located on the cliffs by the bay in Lima. It will host a permanent collection of photographs, video, and tape recordings gathered from different sources that try to capture and represent twenty years of violence in Peru. The museum serves as a site for collective memory so that these events will not be forgotten and therefore will not be repeated.
The Place of Memory or the Memory of the Place? The design seeks to bring attention to a representative landscape feature of coastal Lima: the cliffs that separate the city from the ocean. The building was conceived as an artificial cliff that brings continuity to these natural formations. The material chosen for the exterior walls of the building, prefabricated panels made with pebbles from the area, further emphasizes the relationship between the building and its surroundings. The design also took into account the problems that the site represented for the intended use. The main idea was to create exhibition spaces that invited meditation and concentration. For that reason, the building hugs the neighbouring cliff in order to protect the exhibition spaces from exterior distractions such as the heavy traffic that surrounds the site.
Principal Architects: Sandra Barclay Jean Pierre Crousse Collaborators: Rosa Aguirre Gratiene Behaghel
Alessandra Calmell del Solar Juan Miguel Chinchay Sebastian Cilloniz Belen Desmaison Paulo Shimabukuro
Professional Work at Barclay & Crousse Architecture Memory Museum, Winning Entry
After an effortful, both physically and mentally, ascension through the exhibition, the visitor arrives to the mourning promenade. This place was inspired by a local tradition to leave objects on the tombs of the dead that serve as a sign that that person is still within our thoughts. The promenade was conceived mainly as a tribute to those that were never found and therefore do not have a specific place where their relatives can go and remember them, but also serves as a place were others can pay their respects and meditate upon the countless lives that were lost during those violent years. Collaboration: photoshop for the plot plan, section cuts, and renderings.
-2. basement
-1. auditorium
0. reconciliation esplanade and temporary exhibit
1. permanent exhibit
2. mourning promenade
_pedestrian entrance
_mourning promenade
Professional Work at Barclay & Crousse Architecture Memory Museum, Winning Entry
A
1
2
B
3
Paracas, Ica, Peru.
1. A beachtown located next to a Natural Reserve. 2. Protected from ocean currents by a Peninsula with constant winds. 3. Has experienced a rapid and linear urbanization in recent years that has lead to the invasion of the protected area (A) despite being available land (B). This is because of “the wall”: houses on the beachfront blocking the passage to the beach.
break “the wall” to generate a passage
create a proper transition between the esplanade and the beach
provide a public open space where people can gather and meet.
_strategies
Undeveloped Area.
Perfect temperature year-round. 17ªC - 33ªC. Very little rain. 20mm per decade. Constant wind with ideal speed for sailing (8-10 knots). 1 to 3 sandstorms per year (wind up to 35 knots)
Despite being world champions in nautical sports in multiple occassions, Peru does not have a Sailing Center. In addition, the geographical and climatic conditions of Paracas makes it one of the best places in the world to practice these sports. The small beach town located next to a natural reserve is currently experiencing a rapid urbanization process. The houses in front of the sea are not respecting the passages that must exist between them to allow an easy access to the beach. This has resulted in a linear urbanization that has led to the invasion of the natural reserve. This is because the inhabitants want to have access to the beach. The project seeks to provide the facilities needed for sailing as well as serving as a passage to put an end to the linear urbanization by allowing the development of the area behind the existing houses.
The lot is located in the middle of the linear urbanization and at the end of the esplanade. Its location is ideal for an easy arrival to the sailing training area.
A division between public and private infrastructure is created by dividing the lot in half. The public areas are located where there is an easier access from behind.
A public promenade is located between the private and public areas. It becomes one of the principal axes.
The project becomes an extension of the esplanade and provides a transition between it and the beach.
This axis is also emphasized by the presence of vertical elements that guide the circulation.
A green border is created between the project and the adyacent houses using local plants. They are used as vertical elements in a continous module to create a physical and visual axis that emphasizes the presence of the project in the area.
Two volumes start to appear, as well as another green area that marks the entrance to the project from behind by breaking the predominant presence of “the wall”
The two volumes open up towards the sea, so that the promenade that exists between them leads to a plaza that emphasizes the presence of the natural landscape over the presence of the sailing center.
The volumes are further sculpted to provide private and public open spaces as well as common meeting areas. The hangar becomes a visual landmark by being separated from the rest of the complex.
A perpendicular plane serves to create a frame that receives the visitors that come from behind and also joins the volumes emphasizing the unity of the project as a whole.
Thesis Project, PUCP Sailing Center in Paracas, Ica
_Sailing Center elevation from the promenade
_Arriving to the Sailing Center from the esplanade
The main visual characteristic of the area is its endless horizontality. In the urban area, two-story houses blend with one another when viewed from the sea. When you look at the horizon, sand dunes and the sea join each other. This horizontality is broken at times by the presence of vertical elements like palm trees and sailing boats, which give you a visual reference to guide you through the infinite depth of ths continous line. Through the modular repetition of vertical elements, a virtual axis or “wall� is created that serves to guide the visitor both visually and physically through the project while creating visual frames that emphasize the beauty of the natural surroundings.
_The Public Area as seen from the promenade
_The Sailing Center from the sea
Thesis Project, PUCP Sailing Center in Paracas, Ica
Through the usage of construction materials associated with boats (steel and wood), the project has a nautical essence. These materials are used with and emphasis on independent elements (columns and beams) in a repetitive modulation in order to create a constant rhythm that guides you through the project. The modulation and separation of each element also provides an opportunity for natural ventilation of the closed spaces, as seen in the screens used to ventilate the exterior corridors that lead to the dormitories. The use of skylights also provides natural ventilation for the dormitories and bathrooms. Because of irregular sandstorms, some spaces, like the exhibition space and the dormitories, have to be able to be hermeticlly sealed. This was achieved through the design of wood screens that block the entrance of sand when closed.
2.
1.
_Interior Pool & Courtyard with Public Restaurant.
Key: 1. Exhibition Space 2. Stairs leading to Public Restaurant 3. Interior Courtyard 4. Corridor 5. Dormitories 6. Bathroom
_Exhibition Space
4.
5.
3.
_Exhibition Space & Dormitories
6.
1.
_Public Promenade
Thesis Project, PUCP Sailing Center in Paracas, Ica
Dry, Temperate Coast
Mud Constructions Water collected by the creation of artificial ponds that filtered subterranean sea water and made it potable
Steep, Seismic Highland
Spanish Colonial architecture was built directly on top of Inca Temples. The fusion of trapezoidal, inclined stone walls and tiled roofs creates a unique Cusquenian style still in use nowadays.
Hot, Humid High-Rainforest
Different treatments of the stone represented the importance of particular buildings in the Inca Empire. The higher the level of fine carving and perfect fit the more important the building was.
Wendy Evans Joseph Traveling Scholarship Adaptations to different climatic regions in Peru throughout the ages
e-mail: belen.desmaison@alumni.upenn.edu phone: +51 987 517 601 University of Pennsylvania Class of 2009 Magna Cum Laude B.A. in Architecture Minors in Fine Arts and History of Art