Edisson R Cabrera Architectural Portfolio Pratt GAUD 2018-2020
Table of Contents: Nostalgic Inconsistency
Spring 2021/ Direct Research Thomas Lesser P r a t t G A UD
Terraven: Scarred Earth Fall 2020/ Direct Research Ferda Kolatan P r a t t G A UD
Construction Complexity Fall 2020 Critobal Correa P r a t t G A UD
Pier 35 Pools: Waste to Energy Facility Spring 2020 K u t a n Ay a t a P r a t t G A UD
141 Willoughby: Residential Tower Fall 2019 Sulan Kolatan P r a t t G A UD
Maritime: Middle School Spring 2019 Maria Sieria P r a t t G A UD
Climbing Wall: Play Space Fall 2018 Alexandra Barker P r a t t G A UD
Pleated Facade Spring 2020 Hart Marlow P r a t t G A UD
Interiorites
Spring 2019 Joseph Giampietro P r a t t G A UD
Hybridized Threshold Fall 2018 O l i v i a Vi e n P r a t t G A UD
Nostalgic Inconsistency Upper West Side, New York City The design research investigates a familiar architectural typology to bring a critical exploration of newness into architecture. As we keep creating new architecture, previous structures are left behind and referred to as historical architecture. Historical architecture is admired for representing a past culture and historical style. On the other hand, these infrastructures are not being investigated for the potential to create the“new” and become obsolete. Through time, advancements in technology have allowed for the emergence of different architectural styles that envision a cultural acceptance suited to resemble a cultural exploration. At the same time, historical infrastructures are challenged, neglected, forgotten,and destroyed. Thus, this project questions the Culture of Obsolescence to embrace a historical cathedral, Saint John the Divine, in NYC that is considered degraded even though it is in good working order. In this project, the design method is to rethink the idea of conservation while taking advantage of the architectural formal language to highlight an architectural inconsistency that the cathedral represents. This project deconstructs the cathedral into its primary volumetric components while keeping the essence of the Cathedral’s architectural typology. The intervention is simplified geometrical volumes that bring different identities from different periods to coexist into a single infrastructure that gives the possibility to rethink its materiality. The new infrastructure presents a conflicting architecture that provides a new spatial experience while retaining some of the familiarity of its architectural identity. Hence, the goal is to synthesize an inconsistent architecture into a cohesive architecture. Collaborated with: Kaixiang Zhang Thomas Leeser, critic Alican Taylan + Catherine Wilmes, co-teacher Pratt GAUD
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Typologies: The research starts by looking into familiar typologies that have been transformed and adjusted through time to reveal specific qualities given to the historic cathedral. This project then studies the cathedral’s unique styles independently from each other, taking advantage of the architectural language that highlights the cathedral’s architecture inconsistency.
Speculative Collages
Program Diagram
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Street View Render
Deconstructing Typologies In order to highlight the inconsistency of hybridizing different volumetric identities, materiality is being explored as a technique to deconstruct the original organization of the cathedral while keeping its original essence. The chunk model reveals the separation of different volumetric identities and inconsistency of architectural styles. The interiority of the building becomes a complex space that gets interrupted by dissecting the overall structure.
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The section highlights the different components of the building. The design creates an inconsistency of materiality as well as spatial qualities to express different architectural styles. The golden space act mainly for circulation; allowing people to move from one volume to another and experience a different spatial transition that breaks into subdivided areas.
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Context: The design strategy is to blend the building with its surrounding environment. This becomes a cultural research where the reflective material plays an important role to mirror the existing conditions of the site on the altered cathedral. The design intent highlights the inconsistency of the different architectural parts as well. While the exterior becomes part of the surroundings, the interior becomes a space for unlimited spatial qualities. The idea is to continue what is meant to be interrupted.
Link for animation: https://youtu.be/OMZmY46cT5Q
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Interior Renders
Terraven: Scarred Earth Shandong Province, China There is an overwhelming global evidence that geologic, biospheric, atmospheric, hydrologic and other earth system processes are now altered through the exploitation of natural resources by human activities. Leaving an extensive amount of remnants from the anthropocentric activities on the already Scarred Earth, there is an alarming denial or dismissal of this scientific consensus. Terraven starts an investigation about recreating nature through embracing the Chemical Paradigm by Iain Hamilton Grant as a model of thinking. Grant compares Chemistry's model of knowledge to other natural sciences as a unique approach to explain that "analysis is one part of the equation but one understands nothing until synthesis has taken place". In a sense, the focuse lies not on the "nature of nature", but about "recreating nature." In this project, the injection of remnants from a cause as means of production to resynthesize nature is the driving force for a synthetic ambition. Terraven explores the two sides of the Great acceleration. One that represents the sublime quality of the remnants and the other the destructive anthropocentric disruption.As a way to develop new types of conceptual and practical tools, equal parts of earth, machine, and architecture have been designed to develop hybrids of sorts that enrich at the intersection of seemingly contradictory qualities. Unprecedented opportunities for hybrid objects have allowed Terraven to use these machinic devices to assist in the production of a synthetic nature. The project has three components: Solar farm, Toxic Tailings, and Toxic Cenote Collaborated with: Khaled Nahas Zhen Bai Ferda Kolata, critic Angela Huang, co-teacher Pratt GAUD
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Site Satellite Image The project is situated in a defunct coal mine site in Shandong Province, China. Collected data in Shandong province indicates a high percentage of contamination in the water bodies found adjacent to the coal mines that have affected the surroudning enviroment. Terraven, uses toxidity as a catalyst to resynthesize the existing conditions.
Digital Render
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Toxic Tailings Using the mountain terrace which is result of the mining overburden method, containers are carved to encompass the remnants (mine toxic tailings) and highlight its aesthetical and tensional qualities. Containing the waste then allows it to circulate the toxins to the Cenote situated inside an existing mining cave parallel to the containers. These images capture a synthesized nature from aerial view to reveal the aesthetical and tensional qualities of encompassing toxic waste; revealing the sublime quality of the remnants that are not perceived from a human perspective and can only be captured through satellite imagery.
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Synthesized Cenote The Cenote becomes a new machinic device that holds the means of production where an unusual synthetic mix of matter occurs and a different material reality emerges. The material produced then is printed into the context as a sort of reflection and intervention driven by the remnants agentic characteristic. This process opens the opportunity for a cultural discussion that invites us to participate; the more remnants, the more printing. Terraven aims to make demonstrable discoveries about synthetic nature the same way Alchemists made by giving an additional experimental character to the empirical domain.
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Solar Field Getting inspired from the existing solar farm adjacent to the site, Terraven uses the aesthetical quality of solar panels to redefine the mountain’s top terrain. These solar panels allows the project to produce its own energy and thus becomes self-sufficient. These aerial images communicate a sublime quality that is not perceived from a human perspective since it can can only be captured through satellite imagery.
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Constructing Complexity Higgins Hall, Pratt Institute This project proposes an atrium annex space between two existing buildings at Pratt Institutee: over the auditorium and behind the Steven Holl addition. The structure of the annex is supported by glulam beams that penetrate the perimeter buildings and connected to the existing structural systems. The main goal was to utilize the strength capacity of glulam beams to create a structural sound, weather proof and thermal enclosed space. Glass flooring systems with triple-laminated, low-emissivity insulated glass allows sunlight to easily penetrate into every space. This annex provides an extension to the gallery space on the ground floor, new entry points at different levels, as well as outdoor and indoor spaces for sitting and social gatherings. Collaborated with: James Donaldson Cristobal Correa, critic Pratt GAUD
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Exisiting Adjacent Buildings
Context Diagrams
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Diagrams
Detail Drawings
View from Gallery
Interior Renders
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Pier 35 Pools: Waste to Enegy Pier 35, Manhattan, NY This project locates a waste-to-energy, recycling center, ferry terminal, and three deep diving pools for recreational purposes in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NY. The studio focused on the integrative nature of architecture design, the complexities of the site context and competing programmatic requirements. The project has five nodes that are connected with pipes used for pedestrian and mechanical horizontal circulation. This gives the project two identities: the front which communicates both a futuristic and nostalgic idea of an industrial era, while the back speaks more to vernacular and community oriented identity. Facilities and public areas merge into a singular identity where one piece cannot function without the other. Collaborated with: Khaled Nahas Joseph Jurasinski Kutan Ayata, Design critic Paul Laroque, Structural consultant Oliver Meade, MEP consultant Corey Wowk, Facade consultant
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Reclycling Center
Ground Floor Plan
Diving Pools
Incinerator
Composite Model
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Floor Plan at 35ft
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Water Side Elevation
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Long Section: Horizontal Circulation
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Site Render
Recycling Center: North-west Facade
Recycling Center: Sectional View
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Exploded Drawing: Structure
Community Center: Sectional View
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Digital Chunk Model
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Incinerator: West Facade
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141 Willoughby: Residential Tower Dowtown Brooklyn, New York This tower is located in the urban area of downtown Brooklyn while drawing inspirations from contemporary aspects of architecture and urbanity from current buildings. The design approach was through the method of Mash-up that moves between digital and non-digital tools to create architecture. The main inspiration was drawn from different geometric components of the Barcelona pavilion through the use of a grasshopper script. The script was carefully manipulated to design habitable opportunities in fractal scales. This tower offers a unique experience through the aggregation and repetition of rectangles. This 60-story level tower includes a selection of studios to three bedroom residential units. Each space faces a unique horizon allowing to frame residents with exceptional views of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Residential units have double height windows allowing for natural light to penetrate and illuminate the interior space throughout the day. Each unit has access to a balcony; maximizing an interaction with the interior and exterior environment. Inside each unit, walls have been carefully treated to enhance the experience of the resident. This has given each wall an elegant singular identity ranging from colors, texture and form. Residents will have an engaging visual and tactile experience. Sulan Kolatan, critic Amir Ashtiani, co-teacher Pratt GAUD
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Interior Renders
Typical Floor Plan
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Site Model
Materials:
Site Model: blue foam board white PLA plastic silver paint Chunk Model: white PLA plastic hydro dipping pattern
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Chunk Model
Maritime: Middle School Red Hook, Brooklyn Started with a “secret object” (a urinal) that was composed at various scales in 3D space to evaluate assemblies for interior possibilites by drawings horizontal and vertical cuts. These cuts were produced as physical models in two materialities: massing models in laser cut layers and 3D printing solid-void configurations. These models were photograph and evaluated for tectonic potential. The project honed the materiality and spatiality of the building while keeping in mind the intensify articulation of the program for middle schoolers to maintain a formal playfulness while resolving for horizontal and vertical circulation. The design allow people to have a greater sense of community which is known as the anchor of the project. Flexible classrooms and wide hallways allow for a better access to other facilities in the building. Halfway through the structure, an exterior space gives people the chance to enjoy an indoor-outdoor transition within building. As a final step, a skin was designed to wrap around the building like a playful armor to be both an interior wonderland for the students’ imagination and a neightborhood landmark . Maria Sieria, critic Loyra Nunez, co-teacher Pratt GAUD
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3D Printed Models
Speculative Drawing: Spatial Qualities
Chipboard Section Model
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Level 1: Entrance and Lobby
Sectional Drawing
Level 3: Educational Spaces
Aerial View Render
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Climbing Wall: Play Space Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Lower East Side Manhattan This project focused on producing ,through different modeling techniques, a physical object derived from the line-work of casting negative and positive records of objects. The new composite objects are mined for new formal and spatial qualities and alternate between physical and digital modes to develop multi-media outputs. As a solid object, a pattern was projected to explore the potential graphic pattern to create 2-1/2 dimentional conditions that reside somewhere between solid and void. These combinatorial objects are manipualted through to produce a specualative ground. As final exercise, the object and ground are reconsidered in the cotext of site and program. Final forms and textures produced through the different materials were developed into indoor and outdoor interactive and recreational spaces. Alexandra Barker, critic Olivia vien, co-teacher Pratt Gaud
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Composite Objects
Speculative Drawings
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Section: Object-ground
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Plan: Object
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Physical Model
Dimension: 12x12x19
Materials:
blue foam board 1/8" chipboard PLA plastic grey paint white paint
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Pattern Details
Pleated Facade This project proposes a synthesis of two sectional wall systems culled from precedent projects to develop a detail prototype through the close interrogation of exisitng architectural forms, materials and finishes. This is done to develop new understandings of part/whole relationships that derive their formal, compositional, and spatial principles from logics of matieral, fabrication, and assembly. This project explores two systems: one architectural and a non architectural to create a two sided wall section. The project combines the fashion technique of pleating clothing with the architectural system of ventilation performance. The design approach created gaps and openings that are used as part of the ventilation system to aid air circulation. The final proposal uses folded metal panels with patina fished for a screen facade system and gypsum wall pattern panels in the interior side; adding a coloration to complement a texture. H ar t Ma rl ow, c rit ic P ra t t G AU D
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Pleating Surfaces
Pleated Unit #1
Pleated Unit #2
Proposed Materail: Patina Folded Metal
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Proposed Finished: Material Color
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wall finished
Wall System
interior metal wall structure
exterior facade
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Interiorities Higgins Hall, Pratt Institute Interior 3D scanned portions of Higgins Hall were used as spatial precedent. The challenge was to compose interesting spatial regions to produce cuts and interior frameworks where parametrically strategies were developed to refine the interior qualities. 2D and 3D elements were created to highlight the interior massing with architectural visual elements. The concept of the pattern was to create three dimensional figures that would moved around the interior massing at the same time that embedded itself into the walls; creating a formal and ciruclation strategy. J ose p h G iamp ie t r o , c r i t i c P ra t t G AU D
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B
Digital Model
Interior Detail C
A-A
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Floor Plan
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Hybridized Threshold This project integrates the use of drawing and modeling as a representational component of architectural communication. Through the use of photographing and analyzing entry thresholds, a new speculative threshold was proposed. Using orthographic projection drawings, a new three dimensional threshold was created. These drawings investigates a new architectural language by mixing features, textures and exploring the evolution of the threshold’s sectional depth. In the last phase of the project, the threshold move from a single direction into a two directional threshold. O l ivia V ie n , c r i t i c P rat t G AU D
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Photo Collage
Descriptive Drawing
Sectional Drawing
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