cindy morales portfolio

PORTFOLIO

Cindy L. Morales

introduction This is a collection of mostly indepentdent work, the kind of work that I would like to be exploring at greater depth going forward. My ideas are heavily influenced by what is called “vernacular.”

Vernacular, in architecture is defined as “architecture concerned with domestic and functional rather than monumental buildings.” I have come to believe this type of design, contains within it the most sustainable ideas for smart and resourceful design. In the following pages, I explore the materials, and concepts I have come to see as vital for a dynamic and sustainable urban environment.

Photographs by cindy l morales

me

Cindy Morales: born in Cartagena, Colombia, city along the caribbean coast of the country. At age 14 moved to a town close to San Francisco, California.

Then, studied Architecture at the University of California in Berkeley and graduated in 2013 after studying abroad in places like Madrid and Yunnan, China.

After graduation moved to Colombia with the intention to explore developing urban fabrics, and furthering my knowledge on landscape, urban, and architecture design.

contenido

02...............................................................Estivas 05.......................................................Los Laureles 18...................................................Yunnan Studio 29..................................................Sketches/Ideas 32.....................................................Photographs

Material study

Estivas

“estivas” wooden palletes

After spending time in a small coastal town in Colombia, materials that are used to build became obviously found in most places I went. Recycled “estivas” are used as means to build houses, temporary structures, businesses, boxes for transporting vegetables and other food items. This material is recycled and there are endless uses,. People without many resources use it as an affordable durable material, there are many instances of creative design, as much as functional design. As I followed and observed this material I also found typologies of buildings specific to this region.

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Type of building scheme used mostly in this part of the country.

wodden frame supports the “estivas” and corrugated metal roofing..

Living area at the back, terrace at the front. Concrete flooring and straw insulation. This layout responds to the hot and humid weather, providing an outdoor common space where wind can flow and where all of the social activities take place.

sketch of “estiva” house. - casa de tabla - which is a common type of building in this region.

sketches of different uses for “estivas” and their potential as a material.

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Los Laureles

Residence Under Construction

“los laureles� remodel/new construction

A residense in Los Laureles, Turbaco, Colombia has been under construction for the past 10 years. This was a single-family home, after owners moved to a different country, they have slowly invested in the construction and remodel of the residence as a multi-family building. The new scheme will have 3 apartments, two on the first floor and one on the second floor where the owners plan to live in the future. This is a mostly residential and one of the greenest areas of the town, away from the center.

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construction site neighboring green space

site plan barrio los laureles turbaco bolivar colombia 8

LOS LAURELES, TURBACO, COLOMBIA SCALE: 1:150 - PLANO PRIMER PISO - GROUND FLOOR PLAN CINDY MORALES

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history This house started as a singlefamily home. This family moved due to the armed conflict in Colombia, which is the case for many neighboring properties.

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interior design: bathroom

I added a bathroom on the first floor , changing their original plan, to accommodate more units.

In designing this area, I used locally sourced materials, and working closely with the construction team (Apuleyo) to understand what could realistically be done with the budget and materials available, we created the concrete sink and overall design.

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Two apartments on the first floor, and one on the second floor.

The two apartments on the first floor are to be rented out to families.

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ďŹ rst oor

apartment#1

(1) kitchen (2) livingroom/diningroom (3) room 1 (4) room 2 (5) bath1 (6) bath2

apartment#2 (1) kitchen (2) livingroom (3) diningroom (4) room 1 (5) room 2 (6) bath1 (7) bath2

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second oor apartment#3

(1) kitchen (2) livingroom (3) diningroom (4) room 1 (5) room 2 (6) room 3 (7) room 4 (8) bath1 (9) bath2 (10) stairs (11) laundry (12) possible future terrace (13) possible future garden

These layouts have come as adaptations of the existing structure, avoiding demolishing at all cost since the client has a limited budget. They felt strongly about using materlias such as concrete, brick and wood, all locally sourced , and also about bringing as much natural light into the house as possible.

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Yunnan Studio Garden of Learning Urbanism

yunnan studio tengchong “garden of learning” As a team I was part of, the Yunnan Studio traveled within the southwestern part of China, the province of Yunnan. We worked on submitting a proposal to city officials, for an abandoned site at the heart of the city of Tengchong. The work presented here was a team project, we all participated in the materialization of this vision of the “garden of learning,” which is a mixed use space, where we attempt to embrace cultural unique concepts hoping to bring such concepts to the future generations through design. As a team, we arrived to three concepts we observed and agreed were important parts of the culture and the site: the sacred temple axis, water/nature/farming, and the market.

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the site was over 20,000 sq mt. We added access routes to the site, as it was not easily accessed or found coming form the neighboring main streets.

Vehicles and pedestrians were sharing the few access roads. We separated their paths offering a safer and more efficient enviroment for both pedestrians an vehicles.

There were some trees on site, which we wanted to protect, and we added more green spaces to the site in order to accommodate more activities. Water, and the pond, are an important concept in chinese culture. We chose to embrace that by adding to the pond and creating interconnected bodies of water.

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The site was located infront of a confuscious temple, and used to belong to the temple before it was occupied by the market and some people who lived there. We decided that the axis, coming from the temple, guided by fungshui principles, had to be brought and highlighted in the new proposal.

There is a school next to the temple.

Children would come and go at the beginning and end of their day, and at lunch time. Then came a crowd of parents and guradians using different modes of transportation coming to pick them up. By making the street a “pedestrian only� zone we wanted to create a safer zone for the children and the parents. This zone can be used as a comfortable waiting area, and as a space for people to gather for the temple as well, without worrying about vehicles and motorcyles.

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We use the word stitch to define a “grey” zone, a place where two things come together. Stitching them in the most delicate and harmonious way possible.

The zones we created were: Temple - which we left as it was.

Temple entrance - created grand staircase to emphazise sacredness of the temple.

City stitch - market and commerce is located here.

Landscape stitch - nature, water, and farming terraces to promote importance of nature.

Axial promenade - emphasis of concepts of sacredness and the temple.

Street entrance - opening up to the streets, created “pedestrian” only zones.

SUMMER 2013 STITCHLINK STUDIO 23

TENGCHONG, YUNNAN, CHINA: GARDEN OF LEARNING COMMUNITY CENTER

CINDY L. MORALES B.A. ARCHITECTURE 24 10

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I was in charge of creating photographic and hand drawn elevations of the site. Along with two other team members, we 27

divided these tasks and created these montages. They show all elevations of the site. Some of these photographs also show the

different activities going on at the site, such as the school children, the sporadic market, the temporaty living structures, and commerce.

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Sketches

Ideas & observations

Sketch of “casas de interes social” social interest houses in Turbaco Colombia. All houses are the same, unlike houses in colombian towns.

The entrance to “los laureles.”

This is a rural area, the road is still mostly used for the transportation of produce coming from farms.

Exploration of wooden pallettes and their use in vernacular architecture.

Chairs, benches, houses, and business structures are created with them.

Market stand, Container home idea, and rowhouses. Typologies of vernacular architecture. They create interesting and complex urban spaces.

Plan view and sketches of ideas for “los laureles” house. Adding more green spaces, and taking advantage of the backyard space.

Sports complex in Medellin, I think is successful. Permeable skin allows for the activities to be under the same roof but separated by thin privacy layers.

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Concept idea for “los laureles” house.

Using local materials such as dried palm tree leaves, and green walls to create a cooler environment.

Kitchen of apartment in “los laureles” house. Floor was already existing, the kitchen was open to the rest of the space in order to maximize daylight.

“los laureles” proposed modifications, which were not carried out after all. The owners did not want to demolish any parts of the house.

“Los laureles” perspective, first and second floor layouts.

Considering using wooden pallettes as part of the design for the residence.

Adding greenery to the site, dividing the space visually.

Photographs

Looking at Vernacular Design

Casas - Houses 33

Sincerin, Bolivar, Colombia

Arjona, Bolivar, Colombia

Maria la Baja, Bolivar, Colombia

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El Pueblo - The Town

Turbaco, Bolivar, Colombia

Sincerin, Bolivar, Colombia

Turbaco, Bolivar, Colombia

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La Ciudad - The City

Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia

Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia

Bogota, Cundinamarca, Colombia