Architecture Portfolio - Caleb Generoso

Caleb Eathan Undergraduate Design

Generoso

C O N T E N T S

D O L O M A R K E T

O K L A W A H A

S T A T I O N

V I T R I N E

I L D I F O D R A N N O T E

G A I N E S V I L L E

P L A C E

K U R R E Z S I D E N C E

C O U N T E R

B A L A N C E

C E N T E R

T H E

A R F T O S R

D O L O M A R K E T

Dolo is one of many towns along the Naviglio Brenta, a branch of the Brenta River which connects Venice to Padua. This portion of the river was key to moving goods to and from the coast. Portions of the lock system made to make the river navigable are still visible to this day. One such lock system can be found in Dolo, on an island formed by the splitting and rejoining of the river.

The Dolo Market project rebuilds the currently concrete filled lock system through the island and reopens the canal for floating platforms and barges to create public space beneath a wooden roof structure.

The barges can be configured into a number of formations for different programs and spatial qualities. By creating bridges and platforms, you can create performative spaces, crossings, lakes, extensions of the marina, and other variations.

Above: At a smaller scale, vegetation holds sand against erosion.

Upper left: Three zones, the wetland, the forest, and the arid, exist in close proximity, their borders eroding and holding each other.

Lower left: The edge between the arid and the forest is vertical. Gaps in the wall of vegetation become threshold. They are defined by the sharp contrast between light and shadow.

O K L A W A H A

S T A T I O N

The area surrounding Eureka Dam was once part of the Cross Florida Barge Canal project; it has been abandoned since the time of the dam’s completion and is now an artifact of the Cross Florida Green Way. Because it is an earthen dam, a major borrow pit exists nearby which has been slowly eroding since its abandonment. The borrow pit has resulted in an arid ecosystem whose edges penetrate a forested ecosystem directly adjacent to it. On the other side of this forested area is wetland created by the consequential flood plain of Rodman Dam further north. The wetland

erodes the other edge of the forest, slowly reclaiming the area that was once occupied by humans. The forested area can hence be regarded as not only a perforated edge, but a buffer zone whose vegetation network keeps the erosive forces of the opposing ecosystems at bay. Within the buffer zone are pockets of sand kept at near stasis by the close network of roots and plants. Within the wetland is a human made earthen build up which now contains small moments of both arid and forested ecosystems.

Within the arid zone are pockets of forest conditions.

Through multiple iterations, a plan which embodies the idea of an interlocked and symbiotic existence between multiple ecosystems, and the balance between what is natural and what is man made, manifests in the form buildings whose gestures form two V shapes which lock around a central “post” consisting of a gallery and a conference structure.

These areas are microcosms to the greater relationship between these zones. These conditions exist symbiotically. They would not exist at all if not for the way the site was once dug out and then abandoned so that these elements could eventually come to a near balance. The buffer zone holds them all in place as each erosive condition slowly tries to penetrate further into the buffer zone. The resultant balance begs to question whether or not we can determine the site as one of having a purely destructive past with humans. Although the canal project was once considered to be wounding central Florida, the finely

balanced systems now serve as a home to a wide range of life and conditions that can be looked at as a moment to observe the interaction of multiple ecosystems in various scales. It is under this notion that I designed the complex, a research field station for science and arts, to embody the relationship between human occupation and nature, and to capture this slow “healing” process in its near static state so that it can be observed scientifically and culturally and be shared with the public.

The interlock between human and nature exists in the overlap of two V-shaped gestures formed by the organization of the compound’s smaller components. This center is public ground and is a place for gathering. It holds the conference center, dining hall, and gallery. It is where all parties join in to meet and exchange experiences and thoughts. The labs, studios, and teaching spaces are embedded further into the site where they exist in buried form as nature reclaims the land they are settled in.

This allows the research to be conducted as close to the various environments as possible. They exist in the small pockets where at least two of the different ecosystems are interacting closely. The residential spaces, office spaces, and visitor’s center are constructed closer to the road and constructed on built landscapes to tie them closer to the built world. In this configuration, living and study spaces are latched to their respective worlds and the V gesture pulls them together at the knot where all programs meet.

Left: The housing is built in a high location with landscaping and a spatial organization to encourage natural ventilation and light to enter internal courtyards.

Above: The teaching facilities and library are located further into the site. A garden-lecture space, external circulation, and classrooms with views encourage a continuous connection to the site.

The major gestures developed from views and the interlocking lines across the site inform the placement of concrete walls which meet the ground, hold back the earth, create entrance, direct views and provide a foundation for elevated wood floors.

The science lab and art studios are located furthest into the site and are partially buried to give the occupants a close and level view to the ecosystems present.

The “posts� where all interlocking gestures and themes interlock is also the culminating point of research and public interest. Collecting the gesture lines from the studios, lab, and classrooms is a gallery partially buried. Directly across from the gallery is a conference space and cafeteria elevated to the tree line via large concrete columns, The circulation wraps around the two central posts and bridges the gap between the two floating spaces.

V I T R I N E

Located in Vicenza, Italy, this storefront is designed to accommodate the sale of either Murano Glass or Missoni Fabric. The orientation of the front-most display system takes into account the approach from either side of the store and the slight curve of the street to gather attention. On the upward approach, it confronts

passersby with a more forward facing display of the products to suggest a pause and entry. From the downward approach, the orientation allows a person to slide into the entry space.

The displays are thin, rotating frames.

In an orientation which faces the frame open to the street, a glass shelf may be slid into the frame to allow the display of glass. When these frames are rotated to face each other, the same slots used to hold shelves may be used to insert rods through multiple frames in order to weave fabrics into a screen wall.

I D Il Forno di Dante reintroduces the historical uses of a L I community oven to the present residents of the local Vicenza area. It provides a publicly accessible and F D enclosed oven for the baking and sharing of pre-prepared O A family recipes. Placed on a slope overlooking Vicenza’s R N city centre, the oven attracts locals from its placement N T as the focal point in the project. It is both revealed and O E hidden behind layers of a glazed facade and wood cladding but its light is constantly glowing against surrounding

stone surfaces of columns and load bearing walls.

The oven doubles its use as a central furnace, using heat pipes, to transfer, exhaust heat into the floor as a radiant heating system for the community dining space directly above it. Extending from this dining space are exterior garden spaces which allow entry directly into it. Further placing the building its context is a vine roof which acts as a sun shade during the summer at full growth but also allows sun light to enter the dining space during the winter.

Team: Kristel Bataku, Rachel Williamson, Cory Heck, Caleb Generoso

G A I N E S V I L L E

P L A C E

A social center, a hub, it is placed on the crossroads of old and new. Once but a simple root overwhelmed by its load, it now resurfaces to find an identity, to reveal purpose below, and to allow for necessary growth above. The core of the composition must therefore not be forgotten nor dismissed.

Though the empty foundation of the old Presbyterian Student Center exists today with abandonment, the locale

Team: Lauren Friedrich, Caleb Generoso

radiates with opportunity to not only draw students, faculty, and residents of Gainesville back into the context, an intersection of historic, retail and dining centers, but to also reintroduce life back into the build as its own.

To accomplish such, we must consider the essentials of a breathing fabric, an external shell that works to selectively cover the exposed skeleton of the past, while

maintaining its coexistence as a supplemental visual entity. To recycle and re-purpose natural materials, the skin, composed of water, vegetation, and oxygen, will fold and graft onto the inner construction, but to minimize dependence, it will also touch down unobtrusively upon the ground. An effort of reintegration, the new framework will encourage views of occupation, that to West University Ave., across to the University of Florida campus,

and within, to the experience of the newly redesigned shopping and dining center. The structure, coupled with the increased application of native flora, will also minimize direct solar radiation while maximizing day lighting through perforation and dining center. The structure, coupled with the increased application of native flora, will also minimize direct solar radiation while maximizing day lighting through perforation.

The skin itself will teem with life. The material of choice will be recycled and perforated Cor-Ten steel which, as exposed to the elements, will oxidize a protective finish around itself. The framework for the shell will also be steel, allowing, in relation to the perforation, an entourage of greenery to develop and expand. As one makes their way through the skin and up the exterior stair, they will engage their sense of place within the roof garden, a place to gather, observe, and experience a reconfiguration of the past with the developments of the present in prospect of the future.

From above, rainwater will be channeled into widespread drainage conduits that continue from structural members accumulating grey water to the small basins that hold plants, and then gradually, out to the vegetation of the exterior fabric. To prevent overflow, and to delay the degradation of the steel, piping will carry excess water back into the building to be recycled, and down to the ground to be distributed to the surrounding foliage. Furthermore, the chimney, with a few adjustments, will be converted into a thermal chimney, intended to exhaust hot air out and pull cool air in through the spaces below.

By reconsidering the existence of such a construction, we are able to redefine its intent, revitalize its surface and materiality, and essentially recognize the essence of what once was, while never ceasing to imagine what could be.

K U R Z

R E S I D E N C E

Inspired by the Tom Fox Residence by MWBender Architecture, this home will be comprised of seven endof-life shipping containers. The plan is composed of two units: a main house for the home owner and his youngest children, and then a second unit for his father and eldest son. The two units are oriented so that the space between them is a covered patio space where most family interaction and event hosting can occur. This space can be entered between the units along the drive which spans between the two carports flanking either end of the entire home, making

the central patio a primary space of the home. The wood cladding is designed with a shelf and rail to accommodate the limited mobility of the home owner, allowing him to rest against his home or support himself when opening doors or walking along the exterior. This system also allows anyone to use the shelf for items, such as drinks, when in the patio space. The roof is sloped to maximize the potential for solar panels as well as skylights which could be converted to thermal chimneys at a later time.

C O U N T E R

B A L A N C E

New York City is one of the most well known cities in the world, notorious for its grid structure, density of population, and ever-crowding streets and towers. What makes it work so well cannot be credited to just one piece of order, but rather the entirety of a daily struggle for balance, often resolved by an unrecognized supporting structure. NYC streets take the blunt of traffic from pedestrians, cyclists, cars, and buses. By the nature of their organization, these comparatively small, narrow streets are able to provide both access and circulation to the masses, while still maintaining the densities above. More heavily traveled avenues manage retail, commerce, and restaurants, while streets branch off to sustain residencies. Similarly, the courtyard spaces between complexes allow the buildings to breathe, and the natural environment, though arguably minimal, provides a moment of calm and an element of linkage in the bustling city. The density to volume ratio within each block is relatively balanced, with tall narrow buildings positioned mostly on the corners of medium to low-density lots.

Team: Lauren Friedrich, Caleb Generoso

As a mixed-use building, the tower will take cues from the organization of the surrounding blocks, therefore placing circulation at its core. This core carries the notion of the NYC street, a void which supports the city blocks, programmed masses with variously scaled retail and restaurant spaces located along the void and residences along the exterior. The open core will also pull “city space” up through horizontal outdoor green spaces which

stratify the vertical organization of the building according to the surrounding roofscapes. Views from these green spaces will be directed by the masses’ forms. The eastward view is guided down toward the city streets, the small scale buildings, and the water – a clear horizon interrupted by high rises. The western facade will open up toward the sky, the city skyline, Midtown’s large scale buildings – a horizon defined by the jagged profile of roof edges.

Movable, perforated steel panels allow for adjustable levels of light and privacy throughout the building and also give the tower an ever changing facade.

C E N T E R

T H E

A R T F S O R

Team: Lauren Friedrich, Caleb Generoso

The island of Manhattan is composed of many systems, included among these are the grid, the people, and the building. In the initial construction of the grid, these three systems informed, shaped, and organized each other in a way that the entire city could be considered a unified architecture. These three systems have separated themselves as buildings rose and architecture of the city gave way to infill of the block. The intention of this design is to

reintegrate these three systems through an experiential approach based on perceptional studies on the effects these three systems have on each other and the city occupant while traversing the city. The approach then becomes about the reorganization of the city through strategies that will create an experience for the user that will allow for bridging the gaps between the three systems.

Located in Hell’s Kitchen, the site is placed in a transitional area for five different zones: the high rise, the residential blocks, transportation service, mixed scale commercial, and waterside recreation. The design embodies the culture of Hell’s Kitchen through the implementation of a mixed arts school. From the exterior, the form allows a variety of views at different levels that reveal the culture through externally visible and externally responsive performance and display spaces. These spaces place art within a backdrop of the city. This is one strategy which uses the layered experience of a cultural filter for view to connect the viewer to not only the building from the street, but also program, culture, and the zones back dropped in the distance. Additionally, views are also formed in a manner in which a

view may connect the viewer to city in one direction from a higher level, but the physical form of the building, once approached, may direct the person to a separate but related space entirely as scale and shape push, pull, and suggest different directions on street level. Circulation from the street slides into the site from multiple entrances so that students, residents, and visitors cross paths in retail and outdoor spaces layered below and above ground throughout the interior of the site. These internal areas continue to utilize the strategies of view, filter, and scale to connect the occupant to the city in a layered and expansive experience. From approach to occupation, these strategies delineate the nature of the grid in order to reorganize the city from the personal perspective of the occupant.