Chirollos Wasef Portfolio

An ambitious and multi-lingual urban designer with backgrounds in architecture and urban planning. Has passion for design, curiosity, personal drive and technical knowhow. Equally comfortable working as a member of a team and independently but gets best creative ideas when brainstorming and collaboratively exchanging ideas with peers. Possesses excellent graphic and verbal communicational abilities as well as interpersonal skills thanks to a multicultural background and international experiences. Looking to secure a position in the United Kingdom to achieve continuous development in different areas of Urban Design.

About this portfolio

This document is a collection of the main projects that I carried out and delivered independently. During my experience I have worked on different fields and touched different topics of Urban Design. To simplify reading this portfolio I have categorised the projects in three main subjects: mixed use, residential and landscape projects.

Most of the work that I have illustrated in this document is of academic nature. This is for two main reasons:

- In these projects I had the opportunity to best express my creativity which therefore allowed me demonstrate my graphic and design skills.

- The entirety of these drawings, ideas and projects belong to me.

NOTE:

After my academic years I had the opportunity to gain professional experience thanks to different consultancies based in the UK. I have been exposed to multiple projects and design stages mostly related to the planning and design of new residential settlements. Most of the drawings I have worked on contain sensitive information for which I have signed off confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, therefore cannot be included in this document. However, if given the opportunity I would be very glad to illustrate and present those drawings separately.

TABLE OF CONTENTS WORK

MIXED USE

“...vibrant cities require a diverse mix of users, bringing different types of activity to spaces at all times throughout the day. The most effective way to achieve this is by mixing different functions within the same building, the mixed-use building.”

In the second part of my three months internship at TRASPOL I have been put in charge of carrying out a Masterplan for the subway station of Vimodrone and its surroundings.

The first challenging step has been understanding well the site and its wider area. After the identification of VImodrone’s contraints and opportunities I have determined a series of strategic actions which consisted in:

•Renewing the whole station by overcoming the architectural barriers and including new public facilities.

•Thinking about the subway line’s mitigation through the coverage of the track, consisting of steel andglass portals.

•Creating a permeable public space through a system of squares and paths that connect the two interchange nodes, transforming them from transit to meeting places.

•Reorganising the road network access to the project areas.

•Redistributing the parking areas and creating new cycle-pedestrian crossings.

•Connecting the neighbouring green areas through a linear park project.

Renovation of a railway station

This project has been carried out during my Autumn Studio at Cardiff University. The request was to deal with a very sensitive topic such as that of university residences. The in-depth study on this theme ended with the choice of possible project areas. After a careful analysis I chose an area inside the university campus of Buenos Aires. The area is the trace of a work begun and never completed. Important are the proximity of the train station in one direction, and the view of the Rio in the other.

Nowadays young people are starting to live in structures that I would define as “transitory”, where they settle down for a few years and are then ready to move towards a new destination, a new structure. Therefore, by improving the standards of these “temporary houses” we can truly succeed in having a positive influence on people, on future decisions and therefore on society.

The purpose of this project was to provide an adequate design response to the society that belongs to these spaces. It is through a good integration within the urban fabric and the network of services that we can deliver a good project. For what concerns student residences projects, it becomes essential to aggregate a mix of functions different from the accomodation to guarantee a combination of shared and private spaces. In the proposed design the student can find suitable spaces for his activities, places that facilitate learning and confrontation, areas to study but also for free time. The integration with the city is therefore fundamental.

RESIDENTIAL

“...Reside does not just mean occupying a house with your family; it also means taking advantage of the plurality of services present in a settlement.”

Le Corbusier

Starting from a critical comparison between the different experiences of cities that have suffered war destruction and radical cancellations, the project deals with critical reconstruction as an urban principle, particularly applied to the case of Turin, focusing on the contemporary era. The area contains various functions, such as commercial as well as residential and offices, but as designers, we must have the skills to insert new pieces in a city that has both historic urban fabrics and a tradition of pioneering experiments.

After analysing the area and its different buildings type, it was possible to have a better understanding also of the blocks composition and their shapes. Therefore, the masterplan was initially defined trying to close the urban blocks, creating a unitary front along the main urban axes. The design of these structures was born from the idea of giving to the citizens new residences and public spaces, which would also generate commercial opportunities and new social places. New green spaces and paved spaces have also been created for the inhabitants. I also created, according to the previous urban analysis of Turin, different types of buildings that are repeated within the block. The large openings on the ground floor ensure public and commercial vitality, not only on the main street, but also inside the block which is filled with green and open spaces in order to meet, enjoy and play sports.

3. Urban re-construction of a residential district

3. Urban re-construction of a residential district

3. Urban re-construction of a residential district

This project was carried out during my second year at Politecnico di Milano and focused on the redevelopment of a former parade ground located in Turin, a military complex whose construction dates back to the second half of the nineteenth century and which follows the neoclassical nineteenth-century typology. The former military area occupies an important position in the city, as it lies between the historic center and the ancient city walls of the ramparts.

My proposal conceived the realisation of a retirement village offering a range of accommodations, services and different facilities. The project wants to reuse the areas and in particular the abandoned buildings of the former barracks with aim of redeveloping a neglected area of the city giving it a new and important identity. The village, integrated with the new functions, transforms this closed part of Turin into an element of urban connection between the historic center and the contemporary city. It has been conceived as a multiple organism integrated with the surroundings, which reverses the original condition of an impermeable and introverted military area and proposes a place of exchange with the citizens as well as an opportunity to be part of a community of like-minded people.

4. Transformation of a former ground parade: retirement village

This project belongs to Terence O’Rourke. My contribution has been that of making preliminary analysis and transferring ideas, arguments and urban design proposals into the following drawings.

The owner of the area was in the early stages of preparing planning applications for residential development on the sites. As part of this process the design team has undertaken a number of technical assessments to inform their initial proposals. Preliminary discussions have also been held with West Oxfordshire District Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

The layout seeks to evenly distribute development across the site with the prerogative of maximise the number of affordable housing units and integrate this with a comprehensive green network. A significant area of the site is given over to green infrastructure that will include a variety of spaces, including children’s play, wildlife corridors, improved kickabout area and informal recreation areas such as walking and running trails. The existing public right of way will be retained and supported by an internal network of footpath. The internal road network will have low design speeds encouraging cycle use on road.

5. Residential extention: affordable housing

Masterplan,

LANDSCAPE

“...You can’t build or design a good building without understanding their relationship with the natural systems and the surrounding environment.”

Renzo Piano

This exercise has been given at Politecnico di Milano during my third year with the request of connecting different urban fabrics interrupted by a busy road junction in Rogoredo, a neighbourhood of Milan.

My idea was born from the awareness that green improves the quality of lifes in cities by reducing pollution and heat islands and by absorbing noise.

I thought of an elevated green promenade that sustainably crosses a stretch of road. The new path ensures connectivity by foot and via bicycle between the neighbouring communities.

Furthermore, I have carefully considered the inclusione of native trees and shrub plantings throughout the site. I wanted to create a wooded area made up largely of “Quercus Roveris”, a tree that has always been part of this region’s tradition and which flourished to create an extraordinary landscape in Rogoredo. Good quality and healthy trees would be retained where possible. New hedgerows would be planted and existing ones strengthened where appropriate.

The green spine axis has a complex section. It offers a cycle path in both directions of travel and has a central promenade with small rest and equipped areas.

6. Connection of several urban fabrics through landscape elements

This project has been prepared and submitted for a local open competition that the Municipality of Milan held in July 2017 for the redevelopment of Corvetto’s overbridge in the homonym neighbourhood.

Parco verde lineare, Cavalcavia Corvetto

This overpass presents itself as an under-utilized roadway - which sees too few vehicles to justify its permanence - and certainly is not appreciated for its aesthetics. Furthermore, Corvetto’s overpass is located in the middle of a difficult and problematic neighborhood, which should be regenerated starting from the main square, transforming this space from a junction to a place with an identity. The Corvetto overbridge acts as a huge opportunity for the entire neighborhood and the surrounding areas.

In my design I thought of a space dedicated to pedestrians with green fittings in the spaces currently occupied by the road section. With the creation of an elevated green path that is detached from heavy mobility, I wanted to engage the neighbourhood of Corvetto with the rest of the city, without demolishing but exploiting the potential of the existing structure.

Questo cavalcavia si presenta come un’opera viaria sotto utilizzata - che vede troppo pochi veicoli per giustificare la permanenza in vita di un viadotto così ingombrante in mezzo al quartiere - e non certo apprezzata per la sua estetica. Inoltre il cavalcavia il di Corvetto si colloca in un quartiere difficile e complicato, che andrebbe rigenerato a partire proprio dal riuso dello spazio per trasformare il piazzale da svincolo a luogo con una identità.

Il cavlcavia di Corvetto rappresenta una enorme opportunità per tutto il quartiere di Corvetto e le aree limitrofe. Ho pensato ad uno spazio dedicato ai pedoni con allestimenti verdinegli spazi attualmente occupati dalla sezione stradale. L’idea è quella di creare un percorso verde sopraelevato e distaccato dalla mobilità pesante, il quale percorre tuto il quartiere Corvetto e si innesta nel cuore della città, sena demolire la struttura principale ma riqualificandola, e dandone una nuova identità.

Viste dell’ipotesi progettuale- Cavalcavia Corvetto

I have worked on this project during my Spring Studio at Cardiff University. The theme assigned to us was “design by nature” and the site Catford, in London. I have chosen to center my work on a concept called “Biophilic Design” which is based on the daily contact with nature and the application of the benefits gained from human’s connection with it.

BIOPHILIC

SQUARE: A NEW GATEWAY FOR CATFORD COMMUNITY Chirollos Wasef 1751026

Masterplan

The area is located in an important node and presented itself as a brownlfied enclaved by busy infrastructures. My main idea has been that of designing a public space that acts as a connector for the wider context.

For that, I have started by redesigning the road which is overlooking the river. By improving the relationships with the river through actions along the waterfront I gave birth to a potential gateway to the green system and to the river Thames located at north of the site. Furthermore, the public square created a direct connection between the train stations and the street, and a connection with the elevated primary road.

Sections

The particular feature of this public space is definitely its biophilic pattern flooring. Particular attention was given to the movement of the fauna, and therefore to the design of night lighting and landscape elements. 8.

“In which way abondoned industrial sites can be recovered and be part of the surrounding urban fabric and context? What are the functions and activities that can be implemented in these areas? ”

This has been the main question of my Master’s research based project, and the answer of it followed four steps: the first part focused on understanding what different authors mean by “urban void”, the second and third ones are the study of the European and the northern Italian industrial evolution and dismission. The last phase focused on the chosen site’s analysis, formulating afterwards a design proposal capable of integrating with the context and taking into consideration the resolution of all the problems that have compromised the development of the area. The design consisted of two parts:

•In the bandoned industrial establishment I have thought about a temporary reuse strategy, by planning different activities throughout the 10 years gap.

•In the surrounding area I have regenerated an abandoned road turning it into a green line. Detailed design guidelines has been drawn from the project to illustrate how the enhancement of abandoned industrial areas are able to contribute to the urban regeneration.

9. Regeneration of an abandoned infrastructure: linear park