Andres Diaz
| Architecture Portfolio
CONTENTS 01/
Al Ma’Wa Eco-lodges | Souf Jordan
Sardar Design Studio 2012
02/
A House in Amman | Amman Jordan
Sardar Design Studio 2009
03/
Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library | Burrilville, RI
NCArchitects
04/
2007
Zeitgeist Gallery | Cambridge, MA
Design Studio V 2005
05/
Waltham School of MEdia | Waltham, MA
Design Studio IV 2005
06/
Model Production | Boston MA
Machado and Silvetti Associates 2003 Silver Springs Civic Building Barnard College Student Center American University of Beirut South Boston Maritime Park Provincetown Art Association and Museum
Al Ma’Wa Eco-lodges
| Souf, Jordan 2012
Sardar Design Studio | New York, NY
The Al Ma’Wa eco-lodges are part of an initiative taken by the Jordanian governement to raise awareness towards sustainability. Al Ma’wa will partner with the Royal Botanical Gardens, Dibeen Nature reserve and Ajlun Nature Reserve in order to create a ‘nature trail’ spanning the four sites, enhancing the experience for the local and international tourist. The four organizations will support one another in order to create a true change in the attitudes and perception of biodiversity in the region.
01
Each of the lodges provides the basic elements of a small home, and open up to views of the mountainous forests that surround them giving the visitors a fully immerive experience. The center courtyards allow for cross ventilation, and the vast windows in located towards the front of each lodge allow ample daylight to enter the spaces.
The lodges are strategically placed to take advantage of existing forest clearings, thus minimizing the disturbance of the existing ecosystems. Every tree on the site must be preserved. The exterior of the lodges will be cladded in local stone found scattered throughout the site.
Water collection basins will be placed underneath each eco-lodge to collect rain water, as well as grey water from the lavatories and showers. The water will then be treated and recycled back to the fixtures. In adition the plumbing systems will be metered, and the lighting will be managed by photosensors to minimize water and energy consumption.
A House in Amman |
Amman Jordan 2009
Sardar Design Studio | New York, NY
This private residence is located on the edge of Amman, with views over the Holy Land and the Dead Sea in the distance. Our choice of materials was dictated by two factors. The first was the existing stone terracing based on ancestral agricultural practices; these conist of dry laid field stone which is found trhough out the area. The second is a concrete post post and slab language which has come to dominate much of the regional vernacular in recent years. Our goal was to merge the two languages in a single vision that engages both the modern reality of the building and it surrounding while remaining rooted in its past. The house appears as a single story building from the top of the hill. The south facing entry consists mostly of opaque materials to minimize solar heat gain, while the nother facade is open to maximize the use of natural light indoors. The bedrooms and private quearters are housed on the entrance level.
02
First Level
Ground Level
Pool Level
A series of terraces follow the natural grade of the hill side. The north facing views are captured from the master bedroom, and den at the first level, from the living room and dining room at the ground level, and from the pool room and gym on the lower level. Natural light is allowed inside by placing large expanses of glass, without the risk of solar heat gain. The moat which is ut on the hllside will provide cool air and filtered sunlight to the facing south on the lower level.
Garden South Elevation The water garden occupies the base of the moat, the garden not only provides cross ventilation and natural lighting by implementing ancestral Middle Eastern practices, but it also serves as a visual relief from the vast views of the opposite side.
Garden North Elevation
Dining room south elevation
Dining room west elevation
Cross section
The ground level houses the reception areas, which alternate between doble and single height spaces. The dining room and living room can both open up to a centralterrace for out door dining or seating. The living room is separated in two areas around an open fireplace. A small patio placed next to the water garden will bring sunlight and cool air into the living room and library.
East Elevation
North Elevation
The pool terrace dominates the landscape and is reached from the pool room located at the base of the house.
Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library
| Harrisville, RI 2007
NCArchitects | Providence, RI
The new 24,700 square-foot library sits on a former 19th century mill complex beside the Clear River and represents Phase II of the Stillwater Mill Master Plan. Blending architecture with industrial surroundings, mastering the technological needs of a modern library, and allowing for 20% future growth presented the greatest challenges. The project earned Rhode Island Monthly’s Bronze Design Award.
03
The main reading room is naturally lit by placing a large opening towards the north of the library, as well as clear story windows located along the west facade. The roof truss allows enhances the openness of the space by eliminating the need of structural columns on the floor.
The library is located to allow for the creation of a River Walk along the water’s edge running along the meeting room and various reading areas of the library. The location provides views of the water and of a man made waterfall which formerly powered the mill that occupied the site, the views are achieved by placing a curtain wall continously along several reading rooms. The main concourse provides a gateway from the main antrance to the future river walk.
Zeitgeist Gallery
| Cambridge, MA 2005
Design Studio V
The population of Cambridge MA is a vibrant and diverse cultural mix, which generated the desire to design an art gallery that addresses it directly. The zeitgeist Gallery is a place where Cambridge’s artist community comes together with the general public. The chosen location of the building was on the corner of Cambridge St. and 3rd St. which marks the transition between a large scale indutrial and commercial area to a more compact residential and commercial area theming with heavy pedestrian activity on a daily basis. This allows a direct dialogue between the public and the the gallery as it serves as a catalyst between the two areas. The Zeitgeist of each epoch refflects the current outlook, trends, and patterns of society. The concept for the disign of the gallery emerged from the name itself. Inspired by the former Zeitgeist gallery located just a few street from the site the new building attepts to magnify the Zeitgeist experience. It takes any type of artistic manifestation and places it on a broad scope of Cambridge’s culture.
04
The artwork is projected to the exterior as a diffused pressence in the manner of a spirit. This is achieved by seprating the interior and exterior by a partially transparent skin. The result is a building that displays the “spirit of the time� as it changes throughout the years, not only to it’s visitors but also to the pasersby.. The different volumes that compose the building have a direct relationship with its surroundings. The massive character of the corner establishes a relationship with the courthouse building directly accross the street, while the auditorium volume relates to the small scale building adjacent to it. This change is volume is gradually revealed by the angled translucent wall that separates the street from the entrance lobby of the gallery
Waltham School of Media
| Waltham MA 2005
Design Studio IV
The goal of this project is to transform the existing Lowell Cabot Mill complex into a school of media by adding three new buildings, each with a specific use and function. The accumulation of pieces of the existing complex is what makes it strong, and not one building alone. With this premoise the goal of the three additions is to enhance the complex by creating relationships with existing site forces and by establihing an identity for the school by creating a fluid communication within the campus. The project is located along a vibrant urban environment along Moody St., as well as a quiet and natural environment along the river. These contrasting forces offer immense opportunities which the project takes advatage of. The research and teaching building, along with the entry building are locate along Moody St. defining the main gateway into the school complex. The recreation building provides direct acces to the river from within the campus, and takes advantage of the serene views, and natural environment offering an optimum place for student to relax and interact outside of the clasroom.
05
The emphasis was placed on the research and teaching building. It was conceived as a new landmark, a visible icon of progress for the town of Waltham. The building has a clear and efficient organization that fosters a productive work environment for students and faculty. Its program consists of two lecture halls, a two story library, a flexible lobby/exhibit space, six computer labs/classrooms, two conference rooms, and administrative offices. The building enhances the spatial qualities of its immediate urban context, and offers its facilities as a contribution to the cultural landscape of the town. The lobby establishes a direct dialogue with the street environment, it acts as a flexible exhibit space where students and local artists interact. The classroms are located to the north overlooking the park across the street, the library is strategically located to take advantage of natural lighting throughout the day and its outfitted with a thermal protection screen, the lecture halls appear as a dominant enclosed entity whose form defines the space of the lobby and library.
Research Building Plan
Research Building Section
Silver Spring Civic Building
| Silver Spring, MD
Macahdo And Silvetti Associates, Boston MA 2003 Model production for winning competition entry
The Civic Building and Veterans Plaza are located in the heart of Silver Spring. The project acts as the community’s symbolic and functional centerpiece, the last yet most significant element to be built in fulfilling the vision of the downtown Silver Spring master plan. Doors from the Great Hall lead directly into the double-height Pre-function Space, which is, in turn, directly accessible to, and visible from, the Plaza. The Portico acts as an urban-scale proscenium, and is intended to functionally serve as a covered area for performers during the largest events. In this way, the major outdoor public space in front of the Civic Building continues into the interior, and vice versa, with all large-volume interior public spaces being directly accessible from the building’s main entry or from the Plaza.
06
Barnard College Student Center
| New York, NY
Macahdo And Silvetti Associates, Boston MA 2003 Model production for finalist competition entry While the Nexus project’s general site envelope was predetermined by the Barnard context and by city height restrictions and setbacks, the particular opportunities and adjacencies that the site affords were the key generators of the building’s organization, and they define the Nexus’s most important spaces. For example, a large open ‘cut’ through the new building establishes a strong visual connection between Broadway and Barnard’s north-south pedestrian spine. The main entrance and important social spaces are strategically positioned within this transverse swath. Similarly, an independent entry stair serving the library spills onto the bustling north-south axis, inviting library-goers in and establishing a strong connection with the rest of campus.
American University of Beirut
| Beirut, Lebanon
Machado And Silvetti Associates, Boston MA 2003 Model production for winning competition entry
The building includes, first, a large green oval carefully located on the axis of existing steps that will become a major access to the sea, connecting students from the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, and beyond to the Corniche’s elevated edge. Second, the design creates an L-shaped four-story building with a traversable ground plane consisting of four enclosed pieces. These are grouped around the School’s central space, a triangular open courtyard. Porous and transparent, this floor promotes collegiality, containing the school’s lobby, auditorium, cafe and terrace, as well as student facilities, mailboxes, and related social programs. The image of the building is one of vernacular precedent and contemporary vision. The “hanging” facade, made of pre-cast blocks replicates the warmth of the local Forni limestone present in the campus, while the openings of the screen-like skin recall the wooden mashrabiya that are characteristic of the region. This design is part of the master plan developed for the AUB campus.
South Boston Maritime Park
| Boston, MA
Machado And Silvetti Associates, Boston MA 2003 Model production for winning competition entry
The park is conceived as a single design with three distinct zones unified through a consistent material palette and design methodology. The largest zone at the northern end of the park provides a raised lawn panel with a continuous staircase lining Northern Avenue. Two large pergolas at the lawn’s inner edge mark the transition to the central zone, creating a backdrop for events seen from Northern Avenue. The middle zone contains a low cafÊ structure and outdoor seating areas, while the southern end of the park is conceived as a more intimate area of benches and densely planted shade trees. The process included selection of an artist and the incorporation of a public art installation into the design of the park.
PAAM
| Provincetown, MA
Machado And Silvetti Associates 2003 Model production for winning competition entry
The renovation and expansion to PAAM created a new architectural identity for the institution, while improving PAAM’s ability to display and store art. The objectives for the project included establishing a clear entry for the Museum that incorporated an existing historic structure; developing a clear sequence of gallery spaces that could be used individually or collectively; and expanding the Museum School and art storage areas. PAAM is the first LEED rated art museum in the United States.