BRIAN NOVELLO // SELECT WORKS by Brian Novello

BRIAN NOVELLO \\ SELECT WORKS ARCHITECTURAL INTERIORS CG-VIZUALIZATION FURNITURE GRAPHIC INDUSTRIAL CONCEPTUAL

SELECT WORKS

BRIAN NOVELLO

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

TEN is a collection of select projects developed between 2007 and the 2010 during undergraduate studies at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. It’s objective is to present a holistic design practice which merges the ephemeral with the engineered into an unified living design intent. Balancing macro level urban planning with micro level details, these projects aim to extend beyond their own program, empowering the context through the value of design.

SELECT WORKS

BRIAN NOVELLO

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

CONTENTS VENEZIA GLASSWORKS // 01-16 // NEWARK HIGHRISE // 19-22 // NEWARK ELEMENTRY // 25-34 // MILLENNIUM SCHOOL COMPETITION

// 37-40 // FLOOD HARNESSING

HOUSING: F2H // 43-50 // DOCKING STATIONS // 53-54 // HOTEL PRAGUE // 57-74 // SOLAR DECATHLON // 77-86 // XVIIIe CHAIR // 89-92 // WRITINGS // 95-98 //

This project’s site offered the opportunity to provide a resolution to three primary influences which converged on the site; the Venice Promenade, a Napoleonic Park, and the Biennale. In creating a hybrid promenade by the extension of axis from the Napoleonic Park and Biennale site, the walking promenade given a final eastern termination anchor, countering the western anchor of San Marco’s. Along this resolution, four workshop/gallery pavilions are placed; reminiscent of the adjacent pavilions found in the Biennale. These pavilions are designed specifically as theaters with both direct and indirect performances. Sectional shifts allow views from walking along the promenade to the production floor, while still providing exceptional viewing for spectators within the pavilions.

VENEZIA GLASSWORKS

SPRING 2009

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

Resolution, axial continuity direct / indirect theater hybrid promenade landscape

Venezia Glassworks Workshops and Galleries The project is meant to be understood as the resolution of multiple disjointed conditions which currently plague this site as it stands. The most public element on the site is the promenade that comes in from the north, attracting the most tourist. This promenade begins at San Marco’s and begins to dissolve at our site, slowly dying off beyond the Biennale. It is my intent to present the promenade with a final terminus, one which peals the promenade away from the waters edge and extends it into the water, wrapping back around and forming a formal entry to the Biennale site. This effort is supported by the Napoleonic Park to the north with its tree lined axis which defines a corridor to which my project will utilize to extend out into the water. This tree line of the Napoleon Park appears to have a relationship with the main tree line of the Italian Pavilion in the

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Exterior view of workshop pavillion

View along landscape promenade

Biennale Site, although the two never formally touch. The intervention of the this project will resolve these two axis and have them meet in the lagoon, at which location a newly formed vaporetto stop will be located. This move will not only ground the promenade with San Marco’s on one end and Biennale on the other, but will also act as a formal entry for the Biennale from the lagoon; the workshops acting as lanterns in the water illuminating the landscape.

Interior section view of workshop // 02

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Theater Seating Elevated Work Zone

Standing Area

Bench Temporary Seating

Balcony over Gallery Service Bar (Furnaces and Storage)

Workshop Floor

Stairs to Mezzanine Service Elevator

Amphitheatre Seating

Material Storage Glass Gallery Space Gallery Glass Floor Service Area Access Workspace Service Area

Material Elevator

Entry Landing

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// 05

Component listing 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Perforated Corten sheets (rainscreen assembly) SIPS (structurally insulated panels) Rigid Glulam members Double glaze safety glass clerestory Poured concrete base Precast concrete supports Precast concrete seating platforms Hvac system- fresh air and venting

9. 10. 11. 12. 13 14. 15. 16

Truss Network Theater Seating Projection Screen Radiant Heat Tubes Handrails Stairs Lighting Furnaces

17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

Modular roof assembly Gallery Bench Hanging Ceiling Assembly Removable safety glass floor panels Concrete beam Projection Surface Elevated Concrete Workzone Gallery Stairs Wood Louvres

1. 17.

11.

15.

10.

14. 2. OBSERVATION LEVEL

13. 8.

BENCH SEATING LEV

23. 7. 25.

ELEVATED WORK LEV

16. 12.

24.

WORK LEVEL

19. 18.

20. 8. 21.

GROUND LEVEL

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9..

17.

15..

10.

13.

3. 12..

COMPONENTS

8. 5. 6.

16.

// 07

1. Perforated Corten sheets (rainscreen assembly) 2. SIPS (structurally insulated panels) 3. Rigid Glulam members 4. Double glaze safety glass clerestory 5. Poured concrete base 6. Precast concrete supports 7. Precast concrete seating platforms 8. Hvac system- fresh air and venting 9. Truss Network 10. Theater Seating 11. 12. Projection Screen 13 Radiant Heat Tubes 14. Handrails 15. Stairs 16 Lighting 17. Pilings 18. Modular roof assembly

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The project was conceived as two separate structural systems. The initial is a heavy masonry construction in the tradition of dock construction observed throughout Venice. The second is a lightweight timber construction, erected around the masonry base. The building becomes a delicate reflection of the Chihuly glass itself.

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Site Cast Concrete Base

Concrete Suppor t Str ucture

PreCast Concrete Frame and Stairs

Box Beam and Rigid Frames

Reinforcing Beams

Timber and Cable Tr usses

Elevated Seating Area

Corten Exterior Infill

SIP Panel Infill

Construction Assembly

PreCast Concrete Panels

Radiant Heat Tubes

Poured Concrete Slab

Furnaces and Hydrolic Lift

HVAC System

Elevated Concrete Workspace

PHASING Railings and Window Frames

Roof Structure, Bench Seating, and Theater Seats

Finished Assembly

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Glass Gallery: the design was integrated with the pavillion nature of the workshops resulting in the galleries being tucked underneath the workshop along the surface of the water. This relationship with the water created opprotunities to open the floor up and allow curators to have art directly interact with the natural water of the lagoon just as Chihuly has done in his past works. This also creates numerous theatrical plays on light as daylight can indirectly bounce off the water’s surface and create caustic effects on the interior of the gallery.

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Dale Chilhuly Gallery

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3. 4.

10.

8. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9. 10.

Ridge cover, 0.7 mm copper sheet, bent to shape Silicon seal Double glazing operable venting skylight Glulam reinforced beams frame Pine matchboarding 21 mm plywood 0.7 mm perforated corten steel sheet 5 mm bitumen seal 20 mm roofing boards Ventilation/wood bearers 70 mm ventilation/spacers 0 mm composite wood board 150 mm thermal insulation between timber rails fixed with steel angles Vapour barrier Wood bearers Pine matchboard Glulam pine Recess lighting Gutter Assembly Roof Assembly 3 mm anodized alumninum sheet glass bead blasted finsih bitument sealant 27mm planed timber formwork 50 mm roof battening water proof foil mineral fiber layer 60 mm compression resistant layer 80 mm mineral wool layer vapour barrier

9. 7. 8.

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steel rib structure

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gusset plates

steel beams

metal decking

poured concrete

concrete bench

Gallery Concept Version 1.0

hvac system

raised floor system

finished floor

interior finishes

green terrace

exterior skin

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Modularity and scale shifts were the primary focus within this project. In approaching this project from multiple scales, a clear effort was made to satisfy not only the demands of high-rise living for the individual unit, but to create a series of communities at various scales. This led to the exploration of community clusters, where a variety of unit types were combined in a rubix cube like fashion around a central community space intended to link the diverse unit populations. These central community spaces then fed into large communal amenities that separated the clusters such as lounges or gyms. This project represents an earlier work yet expresses a personal interest in high density living.

NEWARK HIGHRISE

FALL 2007

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

Community in the Sky

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SOUTHERN FACADE BALCONIES

module

CLUSTER COMMUNAL ZONES unit 1

COMMUNITY FLOOR

varying units

GYMNASIUM

COMMUNITY FLOOR interlocking units

assembled cluster

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retail

rooms

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Acknowledging that the student body in an urban setting is accustomed to a more socially dynamic setting, this school builds off familiar urban planning strategies such as primary avenues and secondary streets. A sectional split defines the primary avenue which threads through the entire school, anchored on the south end by the gymnasium and theater and the north end with the cafeteria. The grade houses then plug-in to this avenue by means of secondary streets which weave into the primary avenues. The sectional shift acts as a control device, whereas student’s movements between classes are orchestrated to expand in complexity as they mature in years. Traditional classrooms are updated with increased glazing on both the exterior wall and interior towards the hallways while also having increased natural light and air. SMARTcubes are introduced to challenge the perception of what a classroom can be and providing interactive learning environments.

NEWARK ELEMENTRY

SPRING 2008

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

SMARTcube

network weave urbanistic maturing

informal, chance enounters, developmental system

Designed as a layered scheme which utilizes a controlled/strategic WEAVE in order to thread together individual houses, shared commons, and building facilities. An urbanistic strategy is deployed through 2 major avenues of circulation through which secondary streets bisect. Sectional shifts act to both accommodate topographical conditions, but more importantly to create divisions between age groups. Networks though the urban weave continually develop in complexity and expand in correlation with the child’s age. Site Model Perspective

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School’s Urban Square

NEWARK

PUBLIC SCHOOL HOOL K-8

HAROLD WILSON SCHOOL LOCATION: newark, nj 07866 COUNTY: essex WARD: central ward ADDRESS: 190 muhammad ali PROGRAM: k-8th grade public school ELEVATION: 96-120 feet above sea leve LATITUDE: 40-43’38” N LONGITUDE: 74-11’44 W CLIMATE: Moderate/Seasonal DEMOGRAPHICS: Middle - Low income

SMARTcube entry

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ENTRY PLAZA

is an interactive, informal learning environment which challenges the strict concept of the traditional classroom. While being restricted to work within the existing framework of public education standards, SMARTcubes have been designed to explore progressive ideas of the “open classroom”. These cantilevered spaces are strategically placed at the ends of all the houses hallways as an anchor into the main circulation avenue of the school. As lessons are taught within these spaces, they are not confined to the traditional four walls; rather the knowledge spills out and allows for unplanned interactions. This results in a more dynamic learning environment where direct and indirect engagement occurs, enriching the overall educational experience.

SMART cube

Traditional Classroom // 27

PPL Y

RET

Open Views, Daylighting, Natural Ventilation

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1. STEEL FRAMING

2. HVAC SYSTEM

3. METAL DECKING

4. POURED CONCRETE

5. CMU MASONRY WALL

6. LIGHT GAUGE METAL FRAMING

7. DOOR ASSEMBLY

8. FINISH WALL PANELS

9. LIGHT FIXTURES & PRIVACY SHADES

10. FINISH WOOD FLOORING

11. GYPSUM BOARD

12. FINISH WOOD PANELS

11.

13.

12. 8.

9. 10.

1. 7.

15. 13.

6. 14. 2. 5.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Steel Structure HVAC Supply Ducts HVAC Return Ducts Metal Decking Poured Concrete Deck Finished Wood Floor CMU Masonry Wall Light Gauge Metal Studs Metal Railing Assembly Metal Door and Light Assembly Privacy Shades Light Fixtures Gypsum Board Wood Panels Finish Wall Treatment

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GYMNASIUM

The school’s gymnasium anchors the southern end of the school’s primary avenue, opposing the north ends cafeteria anchor. The gymnasium is sunken one story below grade and is adjacent to the main entry’s “town square”. Multiple levels of classroom overlook the gymnasium, creating a layered field of vision for students between classes. Translucent walls along the classrooms allow for visual cues as to the activities within the classrooms along with day lighting while still providing necessary privacy. Cantilevered spaces extend off the corridors over the gym which act as lounge spaces or informal gathers spaces during events. These unprogrammed spaces are essential to the school’s theme of informal learning opportunities and programmatic overlays.

Concept Sketch // 31

Catilevered Social Space from Gymnasium

Developed Scheme // 32

HAROLD WILSON SCHOOL COURTYARD DESIGNS

MAIN SOUTHERN ENTRANCE, THIS FORMAL ENTRY IS TREE LINED, FLANKED BY OUTDOOR READING AREAS OFF THE TRIPLE HEIGHT LIBRARY WHICH STAGGERS AND CANTELIEVERS OVER THE MAIN ENTRY

THE HOUSE ONE COURTYARD IS NOT ONLY A RECREATIONAL SPACE, BUT ALSO THE MORNING DROPOFF POINT FOR PARENTS. CHILDREN GATHER IN THE MORNINGS TO PLAY ON THE VARIOUS EQUIPMENT AND THEN CAN FILE DIRECTLY INTO THEIR INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOMS VIA THE COURTYARD BYPASSING THE MAIN STREET.

AN EXTENSION OF THE INTERIOR EATING AREA, THE EXTERIOR RAISED EATING AREA IS MEANT TO BE USED AS WEATHER PERMITS. A LARGE PLAY SPACE IS THEN ADJACENT INCLUDING A BASKETBALL COURT WHICH CAN BE USED AS A PUBLIC COURT WHEN SCHOOL IS NOT IN SESSION

ACTING AS THE MAIN APPROACH FROM THE NORTH, MUCH SEATING AND PLANTINGS ARE PROVIDED TO CREATE A WELCOMING ENVIROMENT AND TO STIMULATE SOCIAL INTERACTIONS

PRIMARILY A PLAY SPACE, THESE LINKED COURTYARDS ARE ACCESSIBLE VIA THE GYMNSIUM. THIS PROTECTIVE ENVIROMENT INCLUDES PRIVATE BASKETBALL COURTS, GREEN SPACE, AND A NUMBER OF SHADE PLANTINGS

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Designed in response to an international design competition, MindKocoon is a prototype for a disaster resistant school which also doubles as a community evacuation center. Facing a limited budget, unskilled labor, and few building materials, the project builds off existing construction methods within the Philippines already practiced. The design was engineered so that it might be retrofitted onto existing structures, attempting to decrease the necessary “new construction” and rehab the existing infrastructure. A-frame concrete structure is fitted with operable folding panels which act to manipulate light and air. During disaster times, these panels are sealed, creating a bunker like structure with multiple layers of defense. When the panels are open, they reveal integrated bleacher seating for adjacent sports fields.

MILLENNIUM SCHOOL

SUMMER 2007

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

2008 MILLENNIUM SCHOOL COMPETITION: HONORABLE MENTION 2008 PHILIPPINES PRESIDENTIAL CITATION 2008 SYMPOSIUM PRESENTATION AT MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

MIND<OCOON

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x 4,5000

DEAD = ONE YEAR

x 650 MISSING = ONE YEAR x 15,000,000,000= ONE YEAR

MILLENNIUM SCHOOL COMPETITION A dangerous disease is affecting the developing countries’ lifeline to a healthy development: unchecked and substandard schooling facilities creating an increasingly disparate future and unemployable youth. The erosion of this precious commodity has been detrimental to the many economies and environments that continue to experience a decline in living standards Tropical cyclones (typhoons), earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis and floods are constant threats to the Philippines making it one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. According to the yearend report of the Office of Civil Defense, from January 2004 to June 2005, it registered an average 4,500 deaths, 650 missing persons and fifteen billion pesos worth of direct damages or equivalent to 0.5% of the countries GDP. This does not even take into account the indirect and secondary damages.

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Design a Safer TOMORROW school shelter community interaction

Designed in Collaboration: Ben Bakas + Muhammad Hussain

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Breeze-Way Corridor

Stadium Seating Perspective

EXISTING CONDITIONS To break the destruction, rebuilding, destruction cycle, new building technologies or approaches have to be explored. The usual local practice of masonry walls and steel roofing sheets have proven insufficient to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. The Millennium School Competition was developed to illicit design solutions, from professional architects worldwide, for innovative approaches to disaster-resistant school construction. The competition was run by the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) in partnership with the MySHELTER organization.

MAIN MODULE- classroom, shelter, existing building for retrofit SERVICE MODULE- bathrrom, storage, utility room CIRCULATION MODULE- breezeways, bleachers / event space END MODULE- windscreen, entrance marker PANEL SYSTEM- operable building facade

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A conceptual prototype for mid-density housing in the future, F2H attempts to reinterpret the function of habitation while overlaying the program of living with that of power generation. By creating a self-powered housing module, F2H can be deployed anywhere water currents are sufficient. Based on a double skin system and the self-balancing principles of water and gravity, F2H uses low-tech fundamentals to achieve high-tech results. A inner hull containing the living units is encapsulated by a outer hull lined with helical fins which rotates by a combination of river current and wind power. This rotation is then converted into electricity for use by the inhabitants.

FLOOD HARNESSING HOUSING

FALL 2008

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

The Venturi Effect

This particular site was chosen for it’s potiential currents in the year 2058. Judging from the projection maps, flooding will engulf much of Brooklyn East of the project’s site. Countering this is the site by Brooklyn Bridge which will remain relatively the same. This will cause a bottleneck of water which potientially will increase water flows considerably.

F2 H

induced rotation

058

INTERIOR LIVING COMPARTMENTS

U R C

rain water rain water

RIGID HEXAGONAL FRAME

UNIT SKINS

flood

Current urrent predications slate ssea levels to rise upwards of 300 inches by the year 205 2058, redefining the ape of Manhattan. In response to this urban landscape lood Harnessing Housi condition, Flood Housing (F2H) was developed as a prototype for a ne new living typology developed specifically for this circumstance. Opposed to traditional flood responses that are defensive in nature, F2H is an opportunistic scheme which actively employs a number of tactics to optimize the newly defined environment, all the while seeking to create symbiotic relationship between man and water. F2H balances aggressive strategies of harvesting natural and renewable energies from the water while still retaining a poetic and temporal based relation with its context. The project is envisioned as a rapidly deployable prototype, it was initially designed and sited for the East River in Manhattan between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Judging from the projected flood maps, much of the surrounding districts will become permanently

ballast: unfiltered waters filtered rain water

wind currents

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

water currents

STRUCTURAL FRAMES

flood housing, living on the water

harnessing housing flooded while this site will remain largely unaffected. The result will be a “bottleneck” condition by which water currents will significantly increase due to the Venturi Effect. This naturally occurring zone of kinetic energy can be tapped into and serve as a renewable and ecological source of power generation for F2H. The basic premise of F2H is of a dual skin system; an outer energy generating skin and internal living quarters. In a simple metaphor, envision a model ship in a glass bottle. If you were to fill the glass bottle with water so the ship were floating and then place that bottle into another larger body of water, effectively what has been created is a rudimentary gyroscope due to the self-balancing principals of buoyancy and water. The glass bottle container could freely rotate around the interior ship without affecting the balance of the ship. Due to the separation of the two bodies of water, the interior of the bottle is much less affected by surface turbulence then the larger body of water in which it floats. This principal is then translated into the project as an outer rotational skin that is fitted with water channeling fins intended to harness the ebb and flow tides, inducing a

constant rotation around interior living quarters while generating all required energies for the living units. This dual skin system is additionally beneficial in that one can regulate the level at which F2H floats in the water by manipulating the ratio of air to water in the intermediate space between the inner and outer skins of the system. F2H grounds itself in traditional submarine technologies in that it has the capacity to submerge itself below the surface of water and resurface with great ease. This strategies has both security and performance values. First of all, F2H floats on a large thermal mass, so submersion is a passive method of rapidly cooling or heating the housing depending on the season. Secondly, storms are predicted to become increasingly volatile and the ability to submerge below the surface turbulence will protect the inhabitants through the duration of the storm.

Inside F2H are 8 separate living units, separated into 3 structural strands which braid themselves around a central circulation artery. This triple helix of living units creates dynamic and a dense fabric of varying housing units. Rainwater collection systems are integrated with purification systems to provide drinking water through a ballasts system which seconds as a auto balancing-system (using the mass of water to lower the center of gravity to avoid overturn). Furthermore the living units are wrapped in radiant heat tubes which harness solar power to heat water while also harvesting water from the river to help modulate the surface temperatures. F2H’s holistic design embodies both technological advancements and environmental consciousness within the realm of urban housing.

UNIT EIGHT PRIMARY LIVING SPACE FOOD PREPERATION PLATFORMED BEDROOM FLEX SPACE (BR / OFFICE) PLATFORMED BATHROOM ENTRY VESTIBULE

IMA

FOOD PREPERATION

ION

LAT

U IRC

C RY

DINING AREA / SEATING LIVING RM / ENTERTAINMENT

UNIT SEVEN

BALLAST SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED RAINWATER COLLECTION

UNIT FIVE

UNIT SIX

UNITS MIRRORED CIRCULATION CORRIDOR

UNIT FOUR

ENCLOSED SECOND SKIN

PRIMARY LIVING SPACE FOOD PREPERATION & DINING PLATFORMED BATHROOM PLATFORMED BEDROOM SHARED UNIT VESTIBULE

ION

LAT

U IRC

C ARY

PRIM

SINGLE ROOM LIVING POD (FOLD AWAY FUNCTIONS) UNIT THREE

HELICAL FINS

UNIT TWO PRIMARY LIVING SPACE FOOD PREPERATION PLATFORMED BEDROOM FLEX SPACE (BR / OFFICE) PLATFORMED BATHROOM ENTRY VESTIBULE FOOD PREPERATION DINING AREA / SEATING LIVING RM / ENTERTAINMENT

UNIT ONE

Site deployment, potiential configurations

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Expanding, contracting connective networks community connection landscape hub

2009 VITETTA DESIGN COMPETITION: 1ST PLACE

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linking element, responsive flex-membrane

bridging element, land to water connection

Inspired by the functional qualities of a Chinese finger trap, the connection detail between living assemblies is created via an experimental special system. A flexible mesh is expanded or contracted through a system of cables and telescoping rods that allow it to span between units while responsively reacting to the forces acting up on it. That is to say the spatial configuration is dependent upon the location and behaviors of the housing units in the water. When in tension the space will become elongated and narrow verses if the units are closely packed, the connected space will become inflated and expand considerably while shortening the distance spanned.

water hub exploded axonometric // 46

LIVING UNIT

LIVING UNIT LIVING UNIT PRIMARY STRUCTURE

WATER COLLECTION LIVING UNIT

WATER RETURN LIVING UNIT

MAIN CORRIDOR BALLASTS

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axonometric sections, interior living compartments

HVAC CHANNELING FIN

PRIMARY STRUCTURE

BALLASTS WATER RETURN AND RADIANT HEAT TUBES LIVING UNIT

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axonometric sections, interior living compartments

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Docking Stations literally “plug-in” to the conventional piers of New York City, extending them further into the river to optimize clean energy generation while increasing public green space and tidal pools for wildlife. Energy awareness is encouraged by increased visibility of the connection between water’s edge and the city’s interior. Docking Stations alleviate the need for conventional power to light our city streets by harnessing river currents with three vertical turbines fastened to the underside of modular floating dock units. Each module generates up to 24 kilowatts of constant energy created by the bi-directional 4 mph current, supporting 350 LED streetlamps. Much work has been done in reclaiming access to New York City’s 578 miles of waterfront; and this relationship of the river to the city, not simply its edges, is at the core of our proposal. What if the creation of a modular docking system to expand public access to the rivers and create recreational opportunities could actually produce energy by utilizing the flow of river current? Energy produced could then be fed back to the city’s power grid through existing underground transmission lines to power urban infrastructure, in this case streetlamps.

DOCKING STATIONS

WINTER 2008

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

2009 Metropolis NextGEN Competition: Honorable Mention 2010 Dana Knox Student Research Bronze Award

Docking Stations, network generator community, expansion, landscape recreation

LED STREET LAMPS GENERATION

TRANSMISSION

1 TURBINE = 8 kW POWER @ 4 mph river current 8 kW POWER x 3 TURBINES per module = 24 kW per module 24 kW per module / 65 watts (average LED street lamps) = approx 350 units

HIGH DENSITY: panel system provides maximum protection from wind while also acting as a visual screen

OPAQUE: panels protecting from sunlight and screen views

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MEDIUM DENSITY: selectively removed panels allow for sunlightpenetration along with additional natural ventilation currents

TRANSLUCENT: panels allow for diffused light and views, light that passes through is filtered by the panel color

LOW DENSITY: removed panels allow for sunlight penetration along with significant air flow

TRANSPARENT: panels allow light to pass clearly through while still acting as a windscreen, views are optomized

DISTRIBUTION

deployment along east river and pier 11

power generating public landscape, filtering wetlands

customizable scale panels

anchoring netting

structural ribs

finished deck

concrete deck

pontoons

fenders

vertical axis water turbines

Steel Rib Structure

Vertical Axis Water Turbines

Pontoons

Finish Decking Surface

Optional Central Landscape

Fenders and Bollards

Concrete Deck

Tension Netting

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Sited in such a significant historic location, it seemed counter-intuitive to have such a heavily private program. As a designer, I felt I had a social responsibility towards providing additional public ammenties and program for the project which led to the development of the wrapping public promenade. This trajectory carves away at from the private volume of the hotel, and is lined with retail units housing art galleries and local shops. The walkway which winds up the perimeter of the building also acts as a platform to view the outside world. This unique walking experience presents opportunities to understand the historic town square from new vantage points previously unavailable. This culminates to the builds observation level at the top which looks outwards to the urban skyline, but also inwards to a landscape of retreat through the building’s interior open-air atrium. Hotel rooms open out to this inner sanctuary, as well as having balconies out to the public square.

HOTEL PRAGUE

FALL 2009

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

Adjacent Geometry Study

ENCLOSURE SYSTEM: Operable Skin Closed

“It reflects the spirit of its inventor and gives its own answers to the questions of our time through its functional form and appearance, its relationship with other works of architecture and with the place where it stands.” –Peter Zumthor

Orchestrated Views along the trajectory

STRUCTURAL SYSTEM: Steel Frame Reinforced

SE OB

LIVING GREEN WALL: Landscaped Walkway

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LEV ION

RO EL

hotel

VIEW ALONG PROMENADE

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promenade

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ENCLOSURE SYSTEM: OPERABLE SKIN: OPENED CONFIGURATION

HVAC_MECHANICAL: Subterrarian Utilities

2ND FLOOR PLAN

3RD FLOOR PLAN

4TH FLOOR PLAN

CIRCULATION: Orange: Public Blue: Private Hotel

9TH FLOOR PLAN

10TH FLOOR PLAN

ROOF PLAN

PUBLIC OBSERVATION LEVEL

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Public Cafe Interior Atrium Located at the base of the atrium on the second level of the public promenade, the public cafe is centrally located with elevated views out onto the townsquare while also being an anchor of the private hotel atrium. Seating will be accessible 24 hours a day while the cafe will be in operation during typical business hours.

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Interior Atrium Mid Level An interior spiraling circulation path mirrors the public promenade creating visual and circulation curiosity. Living greenwalls populate the walls at strategic locations providing plantings and vegation that can be utilized for hotel room flowers and vegetables for the attached resturaunt.

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TYP. SINGLE UNIT

LOWER ENTRY DUPLEX

UPPER ENTRY DUPLEX

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suite

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PRIMARY COLUMNS

COLUMN CASING

GIRDERS

BEAMS

RIGID INSULATION/SOUND

GYPSUM BOARD

AIR HANDLING UNIT

HOT AND COLD WATER SUPPLIES

METAL DECKING

RADIANT HEAT TUBES

POURED CONCRETE

BALCONY FLOOR STRUCTURE

FACADE STRUCTURE

OPERABLE FOLDING PANELS

STEEL TUBE SUPPORTS

BALCONY STRUCTURE

FOLDING FACADE FRAMES

METAL STUDS

CORRIDOR MULLION SYSTEM

RETRACTABLE CURTAINS

FOLDING FACADE GLASS

BALCONY RAILING

WOOD FLOOR CUSHIONING

CORRIDOR GLAZING

INTERIOR BALCONY ROLL-UP SCREEN

NANO-WALL CONSTRUCTION

FIXED PERFORATED PANELS

INFILLED INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION

view from EAST view from SOUTH view from WEST

The culminating observation level of Hotel Prague’s promenade is intended to replace the public functions of the historic clocktower adjacent to the building. This structure, which has served as the city outlook for many years, requires addtional preservation efforts to maintain its integrity. This includes closing itself to public access and the related stresses and damages. Given the proximity of this new observation level along with its additonal square footages and ammenities, this new public observation level offers a new dimension from which tourist and locals alike can come to appreciate the city of Prague.

PROVIDIN NG PUBLIC ACCESS TO PRAGUE’S SKYLINE

LEVEL

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construction components

Detail of the East Facade: Mid Section 1. PERFORATED VARIABLE-MESHED EMBOSSED PANEL; VARIED SCALE AND SHADE 1

2. STEEL-BOXED SUPPORTING SUBSTRUCTURE 3. TUBE STEEL MAIN FACADE SUPPORT 4. POURED CONCRETE FLOOR 5. FLOOR SUBSTRATE CUSHION 6. FINISHED WOOD FLOORING 7. PRECAST CONCRETE PROMENADE PANELS 8. DRAINAGE SYSTEM 9. STEEL BEAMS

13 3 14

10. STEEL COLUMN 11. TRANSFER BOX TRUSS COMPRISED OF STEEL BEAMS 12. RADIANT HEAT TUBES

2 9

13. OPERABLE MOVING FACADE PANELS 14. STEEL RAILING 15. STEEL ANGLES 1

16. METAL GRATING 17. TOWNSQUARE PAVERS 18. GRADE BEAM

19. METAL DECKING 35

20. COOLING TOWER

21. RIBBED FOUNDATION PLATE 26

22. AIR-COOLING CONDUIT 23. CONCRETE BLOCK HOLLOW CORE 24. CONCRETE ENCASED STEEL COLUMN

25. STEEL REBAR 26. HUNG PANELIZED WOOD CEILING SYSTEM 27. AIR DUCTS

12 6

28. SLIDING DOOR ASSEMBLY

29. RETAIL CURTAIN WALL ASSEMBLY

30. SAND FILL 31. PERMIABLE GRAVEL FILL 8

32. NATURAL LAND 33. GROUND REINFORCED BY MEANS OF COMPRESSION OR VIRBO-FLOATING

27 34

34. OVERHEAD OPERABLE FOLDING FACADE SYSTEM 35. PARK BENCH WITH INTEGRATED PLANTER ASSEMBLY 36. LOCAL VEGATATION AND TRANSPLANTED TREES

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wall section detail

3 dimensional wall section detail // 70

construction components

Detail of the East Facade: Base Section 1. PERFORATED VARIABLE-MESHED EMBOSSED PANEL; VARIED SCALE AND SHADE 2. STEEL-BOXED MAIN SUPPORTING SUBSTRUCTURE 14

3. TUBE STEEL MAIN FACADE SUPPORT 9

4. POURED CONCRETE FLOOR 5. FLOOR SUBSTRATE CUSHION 6. FINISHED WOOD FLOORING 34

7. PRECAST CONCRETE PROMENADE PANELS 8. DRAINAGE SYSTEM 9. STEEL BEAMS 28

10. STEEL COLUMN 11. TRANSFER BOX TRUSS COMPRISED OF STEEL BEAMS

2 9

12. RADIANT HEAT TUBES

13. OPERABLE MOVING FACADE PANELS 27

14. STEEL RAILING

10 1

15. STEEL ANGLES 16. AIR METAL GRATING DOWN TO BUILDING PLANT ENGINEERING

12 6 5 4

17. TOWNSQUARE PAVERS 18. GRADE BEAM

19. METAL DECKING 20. COOLING TOWER 13

21. RIBBED FOUNDATION PLATE 22. AIR-COOLING CONDUIT

23. CONCRETE BLOCK HOLLOW CORE

24. CONCRETE ENCASED STEEL COLUMN 16

25. STEEL REBAR 26. HUNG PANELIZED WOOD CEILING SYSTEM 26

27. AIR DUCTS 28. SLIDING DOOR ASSEMBLY

24 29

29. RETAIL CURTAIN WALL ASSEMBLY 30. SAND FILL 31. PERMIABLE GRAVEL FILL 32. NATURAL LAND 33. GROUND REINFORCED BY MEANS OF COMPRESSION OR VIRBO-FLOATING

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wall section detail

3 dimensional wall section detail // 72

construction components

Detail of the East Facade: Base Section

1 6

1. PERFORATED VARIABLE-MESHED EMBOSSED PANEL; VARIED SCALE AND SHADE

PRIVATE ROOM

5 13 28 2

2. STEEL-BOXED MAIN SUPPORTING SUBSTRUCTURE

3. TUBE STEEL MAIN FACADE SUPPORT 4. POURED CONCRETE FLOOR

26 10

5. FLOOR SUBSTRATE CUSHION

PUBLIC PROMENADE

RETAIL SPACE

6. FINISHED WOOD FLOORING

7. PRECAST CONCRETE PROMENADE PANELS

14 12 4

8. DRAINAGE SYSTEM

7 15

9. STEEL BEAMS 10. STEEL COLUMN

11. TRANSFER BOX TRUSS COMPRISED OF STEEL BEAMS

12. RADIANT HEAT TUBES 13. OPERABLE MOVING FACADE PANELS 27

14. STEEL RAILING 15. STEEL ANGLES 16. AIR METAL GRATING DOWN TO BUILDING PLANT ENGINEERING 24

17. TOWNSQUARE PAVERS

18. GRADE BEAM

19. METAL DECKING 18

20. COOLING TOWER

21. RIBBED FOUNDATION PLATE 20

22. AIR-COOLING CONDUIT 22

BUILDING PLANT

23. CONCRETE BLOCK HOLLOW CORE 24. CONCRETE ENCASED STEEL COLUMN 25. STEEL REBAR 21

26. HUNG PANELIZED WOOD CEILING SYSTEM 27. AIR DUCTS 32

28. SLIDING DOOR ASSEMBLY 29. RETAIL CURTAIN WALL ASSEMBLY

30. SAND FILL 31. PERMIABLE GRAVEL FILL 32. NATURAL LAND 33. GROUND REINFORCED BY MEANS OF COMPRESSION OR VIRBO-FLOATING

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wall section detail

component assembly comp co mpon mp onen on entt as en asse semb se mbly mb ly

3 dimensional wall section detail // 74

Developed for the 2011 Solar Decathlon, inVELOPE House was develop as a collaborative effort within a seven person design team. As project manager and lead designer it was my responsibility to ensure that our final product would win out among the 50+ international teams bidding for one of the 20 seats in the decathlon. Working with a industry representative, this prefabricated concrete house was developed which capitalizes on passive design strategies. inVELOPE House was submitted to the Department of Energy and earned NJIT a spot in the 2011 Solar Decathlon. Upon this news, I decided to further develop a second scheme of my own design. This was a reaction to a number of design flaws I recognized in the initial scheme yet was restricted from fixing due to the nature of a team dynamics. The seconded developed scheme focused on energy optimization and ease of transportation. Increased collection surfaces, optimized angles, and modularized construction / delivery make this second option far superior to the first.

SOLAR DECATHLON

SPRING 2010

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

Site Model Perspective

T LE TH CA

AY EW

Concrete, Solar Collection, Passive Systems

The project began with the understanding that an efficient design does not have to rely on active systems for its performance. As the main strategy for the proposed design, we focused on maximizing passive performance and minimizing active systems. The development of a materiality was considered first. The building envelope is made out of a sandwiched concrete and water panel system that has a very high R-Value and offers a superior insulated envelope. The concrete sandwich also works as a thermal mass that collects heat energy from sunlight during the day and distributes that heat into the house at night. The next strategy that was considered, was building form and orientation. Orienting the house as an east-west bar is the best way to maximize the exposure of the south façade for passive heat gain and minimize exposure on the east and west sides. The folding of the envelope was designed in such a way to create an optimized form

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Interior Perspective _Living Room

inVELOPE HOUSE Schematic Design

SOLAR DECATHLON HOUSE to maximize solar collection. The solar panels on the flat surface of the roof are tracking panels that follow the east-west sun path. The panels on the faceted southwest and southeast surfaces are fixed arrays. Solar analysis showed that by folding the corners of the bar, we could gain performance similar to tracking solar panels, without the costs associated with that.

INNER MASONRY WTYHE SANDWICHED RIDGID INSULATION EMBEDDED RADIANT COLLECTION TUBE OUTER MASONRY WTYHE

MALE QUICK CONNECT CONNECTION VALVE POURED CONCRETE FLOOR

The service functions of the house are organized into a core that is arranged on the north face of the building to efficiently exhaust humidity and keep a more constant temperature by the wall. By placing the core there, more space is opened within the house to allow for an open plan divided into public, semi-public, and private zones.

EMBEDDED RADIANT HEAT TUBE FEMALE QUICK CONECT CONNECTION VALVE RIDGID INSULATION BASE SUPPORTS

Concrete Sandwich Panel Assembly

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ECO-TECT Analysis H rs 1 .00 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.60 0.50 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.1 0 -0.00

Insolation Analysis: 17:00-18:00 Total Sunlight Hours Value Range 0.00 - 1.00 HRS

H rs 1 .00 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.60 0.50 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.1 0 -0.00

Insolation Analysis: 12:00-13:00 Total Sunlight Hours Value Range 0.00 - 1.00 HRS

H rs 1 .00 0.90 0.80 0.70 0.60 0.50 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.1 0 -0.00

= Living Room = Kitchen & Dining = Office & Bath

Insolation Analysis: 07:00-8:00 Total Sunlight Hours Value Range 0.00 - 1.00 HRS

= Bedroom

Wh 248+ 228 208 1 88 1 68 1 48 1 28 1 08 88 68 48

Insolation Analysis Avg. Hourly Radiation Value Range 48-248 Wh

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Open Plan, Sustainable Living, Program Zoning

Level 2 16’-10”

Level 1 0’-0”

Level 2 16’-10”

Level 1 0’-0”

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Architecture

Market Appeal

Engineering

Communication

Affordability

$ Comfort Zone

Hot Water

2 5 4 1

Appliances

3 2

Home Entertainment

Energy Balance

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Interior Perspective_Kitchen

Redevelopment, Modular, Optimized

South West Perspective

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North East Perspective

South East Perspective After having been accepted into the 2011 Solar Decathlon by the Department of Energy, a redeveloped scheme was prepared. Driving this scheme was the pragmatic desire to simplify the delivery of the house and prefabricated as much of the construction prior to the competition date. This scheme achieves these criteria by dividing the structure into two 12’ x 24’ modules which are sized in coordination with all US Highways on the back of a flatbed truck.

Being prefabricated, all interior fittings can be preassembled into the modules offsite, saving considerable assembly time during the competition. The two modules will be craned into place besides each other on site. At this point, the steel roof structure will be added and sip panel construction will bridge the gap between the butterfly roof structure and the concrete modules. A key design change was the implementation of the butterfly roof which has a back pitch of 47 degrees (optimal angle for solar collection in DC). Not only does this provide over 700 sq ft of ideal collection surface,

but it also improves rainwater collection efforts while also simplifying overall construction and costs. Interior space use is also more efficient as there is only one single circulation corridor which serves multiple functions as entry, kitchen, office, and bedroom. High storage lofts are now available off the bedroom along with large clerestory windows to allow in diffused northern light. Consistent with the previous scheme, the southern façade is primarily glazing, in order to allow in as much solar energy as desired.

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Interior Perspective_ Living Room

North West Day Perspective

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North West Night Perspective

South East Night Perspective

Axonometric Plan // 86

The XVIIIe Chair was developed in collaboration with Ben Bakas and Muhammad Hussain initially as a submission to the One Good Chair Competition. The design seeks to achieve a level of minimalistic sophistication while also being easy to transport; ideal for an artist square as it was conceived. Selected as an honorable mention within the competition, we were invited to showcase our chair at the Las Vegas Expo Center in the fall of 2009 where it was very well received. The chair still is in development and a number of early prototypes have been produced. We hope to have the chair in small scale production in the near future.

XVIIIe CHAIR

SUMMER 2009

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

a. Design Collaboration with Ben Bakas & Muhammad Hussain

2009 ONE GOOD CHAIR COMPEITION SEMI-FINALIST

fit right HERE make good feel good look good

b. // 91

Montmartre, the 18th arrondissement, is perhaps the most influential historic district in all of Paris. This inspiring locale is well known as a haven for the struggling artistic community. In particular, the artist’s square serves as the “social market” for these creative nomads. From within this intriguing atmosphere is where the XVIIIe Chair finds it’s home. It rests comfortably nestled amongst the french box easels and folios, amidst the bustle of curious tourists and impoverished artists.

design context

component assembly

ALUM. PIANO HINGE

WOOD FRAME

LOCALLY HARVESTED LEATHER SEAT

LEATHER TENSION ARMREST

METAL PIVOT

REAR RUBBER FRICTION PADS

FRONT RUBBER FRICTION PADS

4’-10

4”

6”

d. c.

a. VIIIe chair in art square b. XVIIIe prototype c. Prototype in artist square New Orleans d. Chair with french easel e. Compact design allows for minimal shipping volume

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rotated flat

folded compact

The XVIIIe Chair (18th Chair) was developed as an entry in the Metropolis sponsored "One Good Chair: Fit Right Here" design competition in which it placed as a semi-finalist. The intent of the competition was to emphasize the connection between a person fitting comfortably in a chair as well as the chair fitting appropriately in its environment and the eco-system. The initial concept of the chair was developed around the French Easel based in the Montmartre. Montmartre, the 18th arrondissement, is perhaps the most influential historic district in all of Paris. This inspiring locale is well known as a haven for the struggling artistic community. In particular, the artist’s square serves as the “social market” for these creative nomads. From within this intriguing

atmosphere is where the XVIIIe Chair finds it’s home. It rests comfortably nestled amongst the french box easels and folios, amidst the bustle of curious tourists and impoverished artists. The chair is constructed of two beech wood “A” frames on which a canvas or leather surface is attached. The two frames rotate along a central pivot, allowing the chair to fold completely flat. Once flat, the chair can then be hinged across; collapsing the chair to a shipping and storage volume of only 4” by 6”. (graphic diagrams on website) Careful considerations have been made during the production process to minimize material was in addition to using no toxins in the form of adhesives or other harmful chemical processes.

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The following are samples of writings that I have developed in the past year. The first is an architectural criticism of Norman Foster’s Hearst Tower and the second is a manifesto for a type of material logic. These are included to represent the various forms of expression that are necessary as a designer. Beyond the merits of a project, the method of representation and expression are critical for a projects success, therefore a well written essay can be just as important as a graphically compelling rendering.

WRITINGS

2007-2010

A DESIGN PORTFOLIO

10 BRIAN NOVELLO

SELECT WORKS

culture

ARCHITECT MARCH 2009 View of the “piazza” of the Hearst Tower. The atrium space is the resultant of the existing building hollowed out and acting as a base for Norman Foster’s tower expansion. Note the entry vestibule at below (control turnstiles not included) -”Riverlines” by Richard Long -”Icefall” by Jamie Carpenter

TEXT BY BRIAN NOVELLO

HEARST TOWER 300 West 57th Street New York City

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CRIT

New York’s Private Piazza Understanding Norman’s Foster’s radical New York Skyscraper through the self-prescribed lens of public space Publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst was immortalized in Orson Welles’ 1941 film Citizen Kane; arguable one of the most influential films of all time. The fictional parody of William Randolph Hearst traces the life and career of Charles Foster Kane, a man whose career in the publishing world is born of idealistic social service, but gradually evolves into a ruthless pursuit of power. Idealism and monumentality are two themes that coincide with the two lasting remnants of this well recognized megalomaniac; his personal palace in San Simeon, California (the unfinished three decade project with architect Julia Morgan) and secondly of more interest, the Hearst Corporations headquarters. Located on 300 West 57th Street in New York City, Hearst originally commissioned Joseph Urban to design the Headquarters for his 12 publications; a six-storey limestone structure known for its tapering columns and allegorical statues depicting music, art, commerce, and industry; the cornerstones of society. Thought of as more stage design then building due to its exhibitionism, the building had always been intended to be an office tower, pending the Great Depression. Economic fallout rendered expansion options unrealized and Urban’s building never grew beyond the initial pedestal, leaving its fluted columns longingly reaching towards the sky. And so it remained for nearly 80 years, an unresolved monument, the unrealized dream of an American icon; that is until recently. In 2001, the Hearst corporate commissioned Foster and Partners to realize the tower on the site where Urban’s original 1928 building still stood, now a

landmark-protected exterior. The primary goal was that of William Hearst himself, to bring Hearst’s New York–based magazines under a single roof, but the 12 titles of 1928 had grown to 16. Foster’s approach towards the design of the tower is in keeping with the character of Urban’s base, not in its formal language, but in its unconventional and flamboyant nature, understood through contemporary modernist terms. Instead of the mixed fin de siècle Vienna with art deco of the base, Foster introduced a language of structural expressionism, a ‘diagrid’ of intersecting support trusses which result in a pure crystalline form, comparable to a Jack-in-the box. Yet for all the structural merit and ingenious optimization of material that went into the design of the tower itself, the most intriguing moment in the project is the atrium space, where past and present collide and exist simultaneously, wound up and ready to leap out onto the urban fabric. It is here where the true nature of the tower exists; the soul of the building and the dream of its founder realized through Foster. Yet dreams are always compromised by one fundamental truth; they are not bound by reality, and this dream is no exception. The atrium is not the resultant of a careful balance between the past a present, but an entirely new space with little respect for its former self beyond of its exterior skin. Aside entering under the original entry arch, Urban’s six story base was entirely gutted leaving only stripped exterior walls as the challis for Fosters massive insertion. Peter Han, the project architect claims that the disjunctive design “respects the original foundation much better than any nostalgic attempt to effect a gradual transition.” He notes that the original building sets the columns into recesses created by 45 degree corners, Han then goes on to insist “the design ties in with the same

principle of celebrating corners visually”. It doesn’t take a cynic to recognize an incredibly weak justification for the formal language of the entire tower and atrium. This is not to say the approach was inappropriate or incorrect, simply that transition or melding of the two time periods within the atrium was an incredible opportunity, and to reduce this down to the idea that a 45 degree recess of a corner detail of the original design prompted the defining characteristics of the additions’ is not only farfetched but diminishing. The atrium at the Hearst tower is one of the most interesting spaces in all of New York for both its social and technological considerations. In describing the raw concrete that is now finished in smooth beige, Foster described the atrium as a stripped stage set for an “urban plaza”. Brian Schwagerl, Hearsts vice president of real estate and facilities and the executive ultimately responsible for the new headquarters building took this idea to the next level of when he explained the design. Schwagerl said "The third-floor atrium is now transformed into a piazza, or grand plaza, similar to what you’d find in most European cities. There is a theater, a cocktail lounge and a restaurant," he said. "You can take your laptop to this historic setting and work.” This idea of a “urban piazza” is used often in the description of the atrium space at the Hearst Tower, and is said to have been one of the driving design considerations. The overwhelming contradiction of course is that while the atrium may be one of the most distinctive new spaces in New York, it is completely inaccessible to the general public. The fundamental virtue of a piazza is that it is publicly accessible. For a city like New York that hasn’t had seen much innovation in the development public space since Mies’ Seagram’s Building, this is an office tower with a town square inside. Foster is quoted in reference to the project saying "a building should try to give something back to the city in terms of public space.” Upon entering the building, under the arch of the original design (the only real lasting relationship to the past), you are

melding of the muds seems to gesture to that idea of “a worldly consciousness”. The pairing of these two art installments is certainly no coincidence, alluding to the illusive public intent that is yet to be realized. Foster’s strategy of creating public zones within private properties is contextually appropriate considering the surrounding neighborhood. Located one block south of Columbus Circle, the Hearst atrium seems to share a common objective with the mixed use facilities that characterize this landmark. Columbus Circle is best described by its most prominent building, the Time Warner Center whose functions are divided between offices, residential condominiums, and the Mandarin Oriental hotel. The Shops at Columbus Circle is an upscale multi-story atrium shopping mall located in a curving arcade at the base of the building, with a large Whole Foods Market grocery store in the basement. In addition to the Time Warner Center, a number of other notable civic institutions can be found such as Fordham University, New York Institute of Technology, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the newly renovated Museum of Arts & Design. Given the setting, creating a public piazza within the Hearst Tower seems like an appropriate response, and yet it’s dubious whether the project could attain the same success as the Time Warner Center. The strength of Time Warner in Columbus Circle is attributed to the mixed-use programming of its public space. Incorporating retail facilities and condominiums in addition to the work offices anchors the public spaces and creates a quantifiable need or desire to access the spaces. The Hearst atrium on the other hand does not integrate these mixed functions, resulting in a potential public space that boasts no function beyond simply existing. To Foster’s credit, a new subway stop was added to the basement of the tower; but circulation is not driven through the raised atrium; passengers simply move from the subterranean station to street level without ever interacting with the raised piazza.

...despite the grandeur of the Hearst atrium and the embedded technological innovations, the key components required for a public piazza are absent, and no symbolic gesturing via art installations can suffice. immediately confronted by a control “... over 8,000 architects come to visit this place threshold, a waterfall and dual every year buddy, and not one gets in” escalators lifting the privileged few -security guard above the pedestrian street level to a realm of exclusive openness. The one experience that should matter, rising on the escalator from the old building to the new tower, is denied to the public. Dare you approach the security desk to inquire about access, a disgruntled security guard, more robot then man, delivers a sound-bit laced with distain, “over 8,000 architects come to visit this place every year buddy, and not one gets in”. Yet The Hearst Tower undoubtedly represents a radical shift in the before you are cast away, back to the public street (the very same public they traditional skyscraper typology as understood in New York City, advancing the claimed to be designing for) building management are kind enough to offer you industry to meet the countering European model. Holistic design balancing a pamphlet romantically idealizing the very space you are a turnstile away from both performance criteria with aesthetic poise defines Foster’s project. In this experiencing. A seemingly ironic joke in that the admitted few most likely don’t limited scope the Hearst Tower is a success, much like its predecessor the even realize the merit and interest of the building which draws visitors from Swiss Re building in London. Criticism surfaces as the scope is extended and around the world to congregate in the lobby’s cramped vestibule. the project is considered through the lens of its historic context and the As is traditional of most historic piazzas, the Hearst atrium is centered about a ambitious task of creating a public piazza. For all the technological innovation water element. Not the community wells of Venice or the fountains at the Piazza and material optimization does not offset the failures of the atrium on a public della Rotonda in Rome, but an dynamic symphony of cascading waters, whose scale and the lack of sensitivity in regards to its historic base. Had Foster and functions are masked by the refined atmosphere it creates. Developed by artist the Hearst Corporation taken more cues from the surrounding built Jamie Carpenter, “Icefall” picks up the slanted geometries of the hovering tower environment, in particular, the Time Warner Center, the vision of a public piazza overhead. The sculpture is not simply for show, it is performance driven; a may have been better understood through the use of mixed use programming source of evaporative cooling that reduces the atrium’s cooling loads. The and open thresholds. Rather the events of September 11th resulted in an system is further integrated within the building’s water-management systems: atmosphere of fear and paranoia within the Hearst Corporation in regards to rain collected on the roof feeds a 14,000 gallon tank, which supplies the public accessibility; all of which mask the fundamental planning failures of the installment plus the irrigation needs of the external planting. The white noise atrium. Given the lack of a public function or mixed use programming, it is fair created by the falls is a soothing contrast to the rambunctious echoes of the to stipulate that the atrium would fail as a public piazza regardless to if it is open streetscape beyond. to the public. The lesson conveyed by Hearst Tower is that the architect cannot Soaring above Carpenter’s Icefalls is another art installation artificially create a public space out of a program that does not support it. grounded in environmental consciousness. “Riverlines”, a 36’x50’ mural by Despite the grandeur of the Hearst atrium and the embedded technological British artist Richard Long, combines the mud from both the Hudson and Avon innovations, the key components required for a public piazza are absent, and Rivers into a hand-daubed textured surface. The work acts as a scaling device, no symbolic gesturing via art installations can suffice. So here remains New recognizing the human scale through the hand-daubing as it coexists with the York’s first and finest private piazza; fundamentally flawed in its conception, monumentality of the atrium space itself. Not only does the piece humanize the protected from scrutiny by the guise of security concerns. space, but it also conveys a social intent; linking New York to Great Britain via the sediments which line the life lines of these two lands, the waterways. Just as piazzas of the past would act as economic centers of international trading, this culture

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culture

DESIGN AND MATERIAL LOGIC DECEMBER 2009 architect: Herzog and de Mueron Caixa Forum art exhibtition in Mardirid Spain Perforated corten metal skin Living green wall

CRIT

Tectonic Indeterminacy The Emergence of Tectonic Exploration over Eidos Based Determinacy “Things and products, in their nature as things and products conceal the truth about themselves . . . Not that they do not speak at all: they use their own language . . . to tout the satisfaction they can supply and the needs they can meet; they use it too to lie, to dissimulate not only the amount of social labor that they contain, not only the productive labor they embody, but also the social relationships of exploitation and domination on which they are founded. Like all languages, the language of things is as useful for lying as it is for telling the truth. Things lie, and when, having become commodities, they lie in order to conceal their origin, namely social labor, they tend to set themselves up as absolutes. Products and the circuits they establish (in space) are fetishized and so become more 'real' than reality itself -- that is, than productive activity itself, which they thus take over. This tendency achieves its ultimate expression, of course, in the world market. Objects hide something very important, and they do so all the more effectively inasmuch as we cannot do without them; inasmuch too, as they do give us pleasure, be it illusory or real (and how can illusion and reality be distinguished in the realm of pleasure?). But appearance and illusion are located not in the use made of things or in the pleasure derived from them, but rather within things themselves, for things are the substrate of mendacious signs and meanings.” -Henri Lefebvre, The Production of Space

TEXT BY BRIAN NOVELLO

Bruder-Klaus Field Chapel architect: Peter Zumthor

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The development of a practice towards the ‘process of making’ and its unpredictable consequences on the final artifact in many ways liberates the architecture from the constraints of intellectualism and permits various consequences of said process. This indeterminacy defies the traditional paradigm of architect as visionary and asserts an attitude that is both in deterministic and collaborative in nature. What is being defined as traditional architectural design emerged as a Renaissance proposal that 'architecture' formed as an idea in the mind. Formulated as an entity - a complete and perfect ideal as a mental construct by a thinking individual separated from the actual process of building fabrication - the very idea of a 'building' - a work of premeditated construction, emerged. Architectural production during the 20th century's concentrated on the technological development of the architectural product. 'Modern' architecture was conceived in rationalism - the structural rationalism of Jean Prouve, the volumetric

and material rationalism of Walter Gropius, and the spatial rationalism of Albert Kahn. The great "form-givers" were as much concerned with the technological improvement of the architectural product as they were in formal ideas - the work of Aalto, Wright, Le Corbusier, and Mies van der Rohe exemplified acute technological concern for progress and development - concerns that the work of architecture had to manifest heroically. Amidst the formal ideas of these proud modernist, a growing trend began to materialize where-as the utilized technologies began defining an aesthetic language; evolving an attitude beyond simply a construction logic. This tectonic formalism or expression instills an inherent truthfulness or honesty within the design as it expresses not only a physical dimension, but also a process of thought that is not anchored in the eidos of an individual designer’s psyche, rather the discipline of material logic. As a result of this tectonic indeterministic process, it is customary for remnants of the exploration to manifest formally upon the final artifact (often considered as rough or unfinished qualities). This “stamp” imbues layers of meaning upon the architecture as it signifies not only the

and imperfections. Had the design sought to express the tectonic labor of the welds or perhaps some other function of the steel “quality”, a primary expression may have emerged beyond the fetishized formalism of Calatrava; of the Eidos. The initial expression of a material tectonic is only the first stage of a process driven material language as it only recognizes the neutral state of the built form. Buildings are not static objects set into nature, rather a collection of matter which operates within or against a greater natural environment. Acknowledging this fact infers careful consideration must be paid to the lifespan of a material, a philosophy well ingrained within Eastern traditions. Architect Tadao Ando describes then when he refers to Wabi-Sabi or "the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It's simple, slow, and uncluttered-and it reveres authenticity above all." Richard R. Powell further summarizes this concept by saying "It (wabi-sabi) nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect." What is the responsibility of the architect towards the lifespan of a building, or rather, what opportunities exist in considering the end of a formal construction phase only the beginning of a design phase? What natural processes may alter the neutrality of a project and what can be gained from a material imperfection? Buddhist writings associate intolerance for the imperfections of wood and stone with the failure to accept the inherently frustrating nature of existence. Unlike our own disappointments and decline, those represented in architectural materials were of an eminently graceful kind, for wood and stone, and now concrete and wood, age slowly

calatrava path station -NYC

construction technologies used, but the economic environment in which the building was realized, the craft and skill of its labors, the passage of time, and the undying humanity that buildings of the industrial revolution often were starved of. In addition to, the tectonic offers a timeless quality seldom understood by commodity based architecture. In seeking an inherent logic rooted in material properties, this process avoids the vulnerability of fashion or style based design in that it does not subscribe to popular trends, it stands alone, and therefore cannot be judged by the same transient standards. Perhaps the most effective distilling of this philosophy would be in the infamous “less is more” of Mies, which can be interpreted to say less is about leaving out both art and the individual which would result in a pure construction without artistic license or individual caprice. Accepting this position, what are the possible implications of this material-centric logic? Do materials inherently express a desire or predisposition in the design process; did the brick truly tell Kahn that it wanted to be an arch? In short, no; but much can be derived by reverse engineering underlying principals of the material. What this means is a material will not define a design strategy as a linear or additive process; choosing timber construction over precast concrete will not directly translate into a floor plan. What an early material determination will provide is a system of constraints that can define the opportunities inherent within said matter. These “constraints” are not to be thought of as negatives, rather guiding principles that offer insight. Furthermore, a greater understanding of these constraints grants additional flexibility in the interpretation of these “guiding principles”. So what may classify as a material constraint? Clearly there are the first tier properties that must be considered: structural capacity, compression and tensile strength, tactile qualities, weathering properties, luminescence, transparency, plasticity; the traditional considerations of any material. These are both the quantitative and qualitative figures that can begin to influence elements of the design process such as structural bays, material adjacencies, and construction phasing, so on and so forth. But there is another level of material properties that must be considered and render the design process anew. This second tier is the materials context, or the forces of design that often aren’t

“...nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect." “In seeking an inherent logic rooted in material properties, the process avoids the vulnerability of fashion or style based design in that it does not subscribe to popular trends, it stands alone, and therefore cannot be judged by the same transient standards” considered at the charette table; economic, technological, labor, political, local material supply- influences that drive our field yet we often ignore early-on. A contemporary example of this would be the World Trade Center Path Station, designed by internationally renowned architect/engineer Santiago Calatrava. Conceived as a poured concrete structure, this daring design pushed the limits of concrete technologies but never considered the second level of material logic; more specifically the context of skilled labors and the politics of building in such a bureaucratic local government. New York City is known for its constricting labor unions, in particular the concrete unions who refused to take on such an aggressive project; any architect who researched the “material context” in which they were working would have understood such. As a result of this oversight, the entire project had to be reconceived as a tube steel structure, not only drastically increasing the necessary labor but also rendering any structural expression obsolete as the form is no longer a reflection of the material logic of poured concrete. Furthermore, a new aesthetic will define the structure as the welds of the steel tubes are to grinded down smooth and coated in an intumescent paint for fireproofing, creating a plaster like surface of waves

with dignity. They do not shatter like glass or tear like paper, but discolor with a melancholy, noble air. The architects of the older traditional tea houses had for much the same reason left their wood unvarnished, treasuring the ensuing patina and marks of age, which they saw as wise symbols of the passing of all things. Not to confuse aging with degrading, we as designers have the opportunity to responsibly leave our work open-ended in exciting and indeterministic manners. A planned evolution or a deliberate ambiguity as a function of time is a radically different view from the historic western view of architecture and the role of a designer. Consider the past moment in architecture, understood by the self, object, and fireworks; hyper-hylomorphic in nature. As the world’s economy and powers are currently in upheaval, one can only suspect architecture will soon become a reflection of such giving way to a new paradigm. What will define this new architecture; social and economic responsibility founded within a sound material logic or will the eidos of individuals still prevail? Perhaps it is only when resources and finances become constrictive that salvation can be found in exploiting the materials at hand rather than the whims of select visionaries.

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