TSVETAN HRISTOV A R C H I T E C T U R E P O RT F O L I O
Motivation letter
Portfolio content
SUMMARY
PROFESSIONAL WORK
My motivation to pursue a career in architecture comes from my desire to constantly develop as an individual. My initial interests in mathematics and visual arts pushed me towards the architectural education, whilst my belief that little could be taught, but much could be self-learnt supported my chosen career path, considering the vast nature of the profession. Through undertaking my undergraduate studies in the Leicester School of Architecture I raised my interests in sustainable architecture, intelligent technologies and evolutionary design, which I decided to follow by taking the MSc Architecture programme in TU Delft. The university’s established traditions for preparing architects together with the available modern facilities and resources are what motivate me to apply in TU Delft. By entering the MSc Architecture course I aim to learn how to create architectural designs based on intensive research, logic and innovation. I believe architecture should face modern social and environmental challenges with responsive and responsible design solutions. My approach to every project is driven by the idea of finding the most suitable design response to the brief and context. Due to my interest in mathematics and problem solving I started looking at computational design and scripting, as it offers a way to organise and analyse data and information and directly translate it to an architectural solution by utilising mathematical definitions and logic. My final year project is a library based in Lincoln, United Kingdom. The main intention of the library is to restore people’s lost interest in religion through the integration of advanced technologies. The proposed library aims to show a new conception of networked global community and how the activity of distributing knowledge integrates into a new building that only by a convention can be called library.
Tiny Homes Competition Entry Project
p. 03 - 05
SUSTAINABILITY AND TECHNICAL ASPECTS Treehousing Competition Entry Project
p. 06 - 10
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN Lincoln Religious Library
p. 11- 22
PROCESS AND ANALYSIS Study of Kartal Pendik Masterplan
p. 23 - 25
PROGRAMME
Tiny Homes Module LOCATION: Chicago, USA TYPE: Professional , Group work GROUP: Tsvetan Hristov , Aisha Preston DATE: December ‘15 - January ‘16 SUPERVISOR: xxxxx INTRO: The design of the Tiny Homes module has been created to provide solution for young homeless individuals. The module aims not only to provide a warm bed at night for the youths, but to also create a home which they can make their own whilst giving them some of the necessities many youths have access to today. BRIEF:
The proposed design solutions required the following: - An overall site plan with general layout for 10-12 housing modules, trash receptacles, bike storage, a hardscaped area for 3 parking lots - One affordable housing module under 32.5 m² footprint including kitchen, bathroom, twin bed, storage space and secure door and windows. - The houses must be connected in some physical capacity
Site plan in context (Courtyard desing is not personal work)
ROLE:
My role was to create a complete detailed design for one affordable housing module as well as general layout for 10 housing modules and communal space. All the drawings and visuals presented are original work done by me ,if not stated otherwise. The design of the inner courtyard was done by Aisha Preston.
Concept and optimisation
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Vertical bike rack
A
B
Bathroom
Standing seam aluminium roof Cream render
Kitchen Vertical bike rack
Sky light Standing seam aluminium cladding
Dining area
A
B Ground floor plan 1:100
A
B
Bedroom
Front (Inner) Elevation 1:100
Kitchen
Rear (Outer) Elevation 1:100
Entrance
Study area Study area
Under-stair storage space
Sky light
A
B Mezzanine/Roof plan 1:100
Section A-A 1:100
Section B-B 1:100
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Outer exterior view
Courtyard view (Courtyard desing is not personal work)
Lobby and staircase
Kitchen and dining
Overall interior view from the stairs
Desk view
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Isihlangu (Warshield) Towers LOCATION: Durban, South Africa TYPE: Personal , Group work GROUP: Tsvetan Hristov , xxxxx DATE: July - August ‘15 INTRO:
This is an entry proposal for an international competition aiming to explore the innovative use of wood as structural material for building residential highrises.
BRIEF:
Entrants were asked to use wood products to design a high-rise solution that addresses the housing needs of the community and integrates within the surrounding urban context. Design solutions must use wood as the primary structural system. The competition does not define a strict building program, however the suggested program required: - Residential area - 10 000 m² - Public gathering - 600 m² - Commercial space - 600 m²
Site plan
ROLE: The design of the towers is a group work and was developed throught series of analyses and dialogs. My individual contributions to the project include the structural strategy, technical details and production of the final drawings and diagrams. As a team leader I have also provided a work schedule to keep everything on track. All the drawings, diagrams and visuals presented are original and done by me.
21 June
21 March / 22 Sept
22 Dec Daily sunlight analysis
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STRUCTURE:
The building features hybrid structural system between typical post and beam frame construction and modular stacking. The idea behind the system is to use glulam frame structure to carry the main load while each apartment unit is fabricated in a factory with cross-laminated timber panel (CTL panels), shipped and simply dropped on site. The benefit of using such construction methods is fast and clean building erection. In case of fire the building makes use of double leaf type inner walls created by placing the units within the main timber frame. The building has improved durability as the main structure is not exposed to direct fire from the apartments.
0 00 10
m ² 80 22
The entry proposal to this competition faces the main challenges of building tall with wood and designing for hot and humid climate.The project looks at the development of two housing blocks. The towers provide 4 types of residential units from 32m² studio flats to 100 m² mezzanine apartmets. Cafeteria and retail shops are located on the ground floor.Green spaces are occupying the area between the residential block and also on the roof of the low rise building and personal garden next to each apartment. Stylised “Zulu shields” are used on the high rise facade contrasting the vertical timber cladding as reference to the local culture. The “shields” also provide hand rails for the balconies.
m ²
CONCEPT:
Site Area
Residential Volume
Daylight and ventilation strategy
Courtyard and green roof
Mixed use space and carpark
Facade and aestetics
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5 7
4
Volume and organisation diagram
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4
7 6
1
2
3
1. Mixed use 2. Green space 3. Parking 4. Vertical circulation 5. Horizontal circulaion 6. Studio flats 7. Medium size apartments 8. Large apartments 9. Geeen roof
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North east facade
Large apartments Area : 100 sqm
Medium size (2 bedrooms) Area : 62 sqm
Early stage pespective collage of corridors
Medium size (1 bedroom) Area : 55 sqm
Studio flat Area : 32 sqm
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When designing in hot and humid climate a specific consideration is required in regards to environmental design. The two housing blocks are orientated north - south to avoid excessive heat gains from east and west and encourage airflow from the north east and south west prevailing winds. The design of the apartments allows for natural cross ventilation as each unit has open floor kitchen and living area as well as tall window openings and balconies to fill up the space with light. The open corridors of the taller highrise act also as large overhangs ,whist horizontal louvers are provided for the lower highrise.
ENVIRONMETAL STRATEGIES:
December 21 12:00
June 21st 12:00
Detail section
+ 9000 m
Cross ventilation
+ 1500 m
Cross Section with environmetal strategies
--Suggested green roof-Vegetation Substrate Separation fabric Drainage layer Root barrier Waterproof membrane 100mm Rigid insulation Vapour barrier 130mm Five layer CLT panel 360x140mm Secondary beams 140mm Mineral wool insulation 99mm Three layer CLT panel 30mm Fire protection board
--Suggested external wall-15mm Plasterboard 25mm Service zone 99mm Three layer CLT panel Vapour barrier 160mm (2x80mm) Rock wool insulation between 160x75mm studs (600mm centres) 9.2mm Plywood Breather membrane 40mm Treated SW battens 25mm Treated SW counter battens 22mm Timber cladding (Vert) Horizontal timber louvers
--Suggested floor-Carpet 25mm Dry screed 12mm Rubber sound absorption layer 60mm Rigid wood fibre insulation Breathable floor protection membrane 99mm Three layer CLT panel 360x140mm Secondary beams 140mm Mineral wool insulation 99mm Three layer CLT panel 30mm Fire protection board Detail Section
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Level +9000mm Plan Scale 1:100 (Original)
Car Park
Public gathering and green spaces
Entrance & access to stairs and lifts
Retail
CafĂŠ
Ground Floor Plan (Level +1500mm) Scale 1:200 (Original)
Axonometric diagram of the hybrid structural system - on-site built glulam frame construction and prefabricated CLT modules.
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Lincoln Religious Library LOCATION: Lincoln, United Kingdom TYPE: Academic , Individual LEVEL: Final year project DATE: October ‘13 - May ‘14 SUPERVISOR: xxxxx INTRO: The project involves urban analysis of a large unfamiliar area; the development of a series of programmatic strategies as a response; the production of an architectural design for a building of complex programmatic context, and detailed design development to resolve contextual, programmatic, technical and environmental issues in a final design proposal. Exterior of the library in context
BRIEF: The university did not define a strict brieft, however we were given a site in Lincoln and choice to design a monastery or a library. For a period of 4 weeks I had to carry a typological research of both monastery and library buildings as well as site investigation and compile a draft project brief before proceeding.
CONCEPT: The library project aims to show a new conception of networked global and how the activity of distributing knowledge can be situated in a new building that only by a convention can be called library. The main intention for the design of the library is to restore people’s lost interest in religion.
"Libraries are the most important public buildings, like cathedrals were many years ago" Francine Houben (Mecanoo)
Conceptual Collage
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THE PROBLEM:
Looking at Lincoln, city with great religious influence in the Middle Ages, we see one of the United Kingdom’s largest cathedrals turned into a tourist attraction. For the last ten years the number of Christians has decreased and number of Atheists (people without religion) has increased more than twice. These numbers indicate that the Lincoln cathedral is losing its influence and it is struggling to engage people with religion and religious activities. A religious library in the city successfully combining technology and religion could be exactly what the religous community needs to regain interest and spread its knowledge.
2001
Christian Buddhist
Concept mapping illustrating how the once giving guidence to people religion is now being absorbed by the technology used in the very day life
Hindu Jewish Muslim
2011
Sikh Other religion No religion Prefer not to state
Religious division in Lincoln in 2001 & 2011
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Summer
Winter
Sun analysis diagram
Sun angles throughout the year
SITE ANALYSIS:
The site is open from everywhere except north where it is enclosed by 6-7 m high roman stone wall. The sunlight coming from at noon from south is never blocked and the sunlight from east and west is partly blocked during the winter months due to the surrounding buildings. As a conclusion a potential building can recieve large of amount of direct sunlight over the year. In Lincoln the prevailing winds are mostly from South-East. The site is in the wind shadow created from the surrounded buildings.
Wind rose
Wind analysis in perspective
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LIBRARY TYPOLOGIES:
Going through time we can see how libraries developed from buildings simply storing books and transcripts to meeting places where people can exchange information and ideas. This change occured due to advancement of technologies and digitization of books, however the libraries never changed their purposet -to distribute knowledge and information. Study of libraries’ typologies indicates the development of the traditional library plans layout. During the Renaissance period the rediscovery of ancient texts and the invention of printing democratized learning. Books were published intensively and the libraries built at that time required a lot of space for storing the books. The linear layout of the plan creates a large space divided by bookshelves into smaller spaces used for reading. The circulation system represent a centralised network, as the activities were mostly in large common space. In the modern age more activities have been carried in the libraries ,thus they required more and different spaces. Rooms were connected by corridors that are rather long and narrow, similar to the formation of decentralized networks. Nowadays ,the age defined by rapidly changing information and communication technologies, we have acquire information digitally rather than from books. The process of distributing knowledge is no longer linear, it is simultaneous, spontaneous and always carries references. Internet upgraded our knowledge to global scale, it is a place where ideas, concepts and techniques are shared togather and always available. The layout of the libraries reflect the distributed network ,as it provides shared access to anything anytime. Now the questions arise - what is the next stage of knowledge distribution and libraries’ typology?
Wren’s Library
Otaniemi TU Library
Birmingham Library
Date: 1695 Period: Renaissance
Date:1969 Period: Modern Age
Date:2013 Period: Digital Age
The pictures were accessed in 2013 and could not be referenced at current point
Centralized network
Decentralized network
Distributed network
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VORONOI DIAGRAMS:
In mathematics, a Voronoi diagram is a way of dividing space into a number of regions (cells). Voronoi diagrams can be found in a large number of fields in science and technology, even in art. They can be seen as the next potential development stage of decentralised networks, which correspond to the layout of the libraries of the digital age (previous page). Moreover one of the common applications of the diagrams is to answer nearest neighbour queries, where one wants to find the object that is closest to a given query point, which could be crucial for indentifying and acquiring specific piece of information.
Giraffe body
Close picture of leaf
Dragonfly wings
The pictures were accessed in 2013 and could not be referenced at current point
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4 2D Voronoi Development
Analysis of the density of religious buildings in Lincoln
Ground floor bubble diagram and internal cells formation
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The diagram follows the process of evolution from decetralised network to three-dimensional voronoi diagram (cellular volumes).The later design of the library is different from the intial voronoi diagram presented here due to the consideration of external factors as daylight, access, views, landscape and more.
Massing strategy from spatial network
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Lecture room Special collections exhibition Rare books & manuscripts exhibition Mechanical plant room Storage Administration & Staff lounge Entrance & Lobby Reception Communal area & Circulation desk CafĂŠ Seating area WC IT suite Main library space Reading rooms
Spatial Organisation
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The design required control over the size of the spaces in the library as well as better integration into the existing landscape. Part of the optimisation process was to create hierarchy of the spaces where the cores of the main exhibition, communal area and main library acted as repeller poits to the cores of the other spaces thus creating the more important spaces bigger and the less imprortant smaller.
Composition before attractor/repeller points definition being applied
Attractor/repeller points definition and 2D effect
Composition after attractor/repeller points definition being applied
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The prefabrication process of the volume model involved 3D modeling in Rhino at scale and preparing elements for laser cutting.
Physical volume model in development
Rhino 3D model
Physical volume model at original scale 1:100
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Skylight North skylight is used due to the the value of the rare books and manuscripts exhibited in the library
Existing views The library integrates into the landscape and preserves the views from the main pedestrian entrance
Trees The existing trees act as natural shading, thus diffusing the direct light coming to the main library Reading rooms The reading rooms are elevated for privacy reasons and to provide better views.
Glass facade It provides views to the surrounding historical buildings
Entrance Situated in close distance to the existing car park
Long section A-A
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Special exhibition area IT facilities Main library space
Exhibition for rare books
Reading room
Reading room
Level +7500 mm Plan 1:100 (Original)
Plant room
CafĂŠ with storage
Mixed use & Storage staff lounge Reception
Entrance
WC
Seating area
Level +1500 mm Plan 1:100 (Original)
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STRUCTURE:
Due to the unique shape of the structure the library required innovative solution for its construction.The reseach lead towards monocoque building construction, which uses intensively plastic profiles reinforced with carbon fiber.
Plastic profile reinforced with carbon fiber (Primary Structure)
Gaskets (Triple layer) 15mm Honeycomb aluminium cladding panels 30 mm Air cavity 15mm Plywood 10 mm Aerogel Insulation 150mm Aerogel Insulation Breather membrane 160x50mmAluminium frame (Secondary structure, Bolted to the primary structure) 12mm Plywood sheets 1 Example of wall construction
Detail section (Originally at 1:5 scale)
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A parametric definition was developed as universal method for modelling the building structural model. This method was applied to all the parts of the structural model and produces nice and clean geometry ready for 3D printing.
Preparation of each cell
Offsetting for wanted thickness
Extruding the structural elements
Self trimming
Cleaning the cell geometry
Structural model developed parametrically
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Study of Kartal Pendik masterplan LOCATION: Istanbul, Turkey ARCHITECT: Zaha Hadid Architects TYPE: Personal research DATE: May ‘15 - Ongoing INTRO:
I undertook this project to learn about parametric systems in urban design. My goal was to recreate the Kartal Pendik Masterplan and understand the principles behind it. My expectations were not to create exact copy, but to start thinking in a linear logical way despite the nature of the project. All the presented material is original if not stated otherwise.
DESCRIPTION BY LEAD ARCHITECT: The project is to constitute a sub-centre on Istanbul’s Asian side to release the pressure on the historic centre. The site is being reclaimed from industrial estates and is flanked with the small grain fabric of sub-urban towns. The parametricist taboo of unmediated juxtapositions implied that we took the adjacent context – in particular the incoming lines of circulation – as an important input for the generation of the urban geometry. Maya’s hair dynamic tool achieved a parametrically tuned bundling of the incoming paths into larger roads enclosing larger sites. The resultant lateral path system that exhibits the basic properties of Frei Otto’s minimizing detour network. The longitudinal direction was imposed via a primary artery with a series of subsidiary roads running in parallel. (Patrik Schumacher,2008)
Wool-thread simulation sequence
Corresponding grasshopper definition
After familiarising with the original project I broke it down to different stages. The first stage is the creation of working parametrical wool-thread model. “Depending on the adjustable parameter of the thread’s sur-length, the apparatus – through the fusion of threads – computes a solution that significantly reduces the overall length of the path system while maintaining a low average detour factor.” (Patrik Schumacher,2008) Therefore the simulation looks at grouping of thread links. Once the model defintion is finished it can group the thread links by preset parameters.
THE WOOL-THREAD:
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Direct road connections for the given site within preset parameters
Road connections after the use of the wool-thread model definition
The definition logic is to connect the intersection points between the area of interest and the major road and thus to create a network. It is then refined by deleting the connections which do not meet the criteria: fall outside the domain of [400,2000] metres length and form angles outside the domain of [0,60] degrees with the area boundary at their end points. The successful lines are then used in wool-thread model simulation.
THE OPTIMISED DETOUR NETWORK:
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THE DEFORMED GRID: Guessing the exact parameters is almost impossible, so instead many sliders were included in the definition for manual control. The deformed grid is developed by using the boundary curve of the area of interest ,which is split into 4 parts- North, East, West and South. The idea for the deformed grid is to adapt to the existing surrounding context to create spaces for city blocks.
Deformed grid transition sequence
Deformed grid
Corresponding grasshopper definition
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