Elmer A. Hernandez Architecture | Portfolio 2010-2015
Contents Project 1
SoMa | South of Market Center
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Project 2
Potrero Hill Library | San Francisco Infill 8
Project 3
Dynamic Section Cut | Environmental Factors 13
Project 4
Khyber Ridge House | Building Analysis
14
Project 5
Revitalizing Oakland | Communal Park Islands 16
Project 6
Wood Machine | Construction Case Study 18
Project 7
Minimalist | Aluminum Study
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2
South of Market | Good Food Community Center The Good Food Center integrates business, education and research into one facility. The project is in the heart of SoMa and it is an infill project. The main idea behind the project is the maximization of light. This is achieved through folding floorplates that create light passages that maximize the light that comes into the building. Since the building serves many different groups in the community, the circulation of the building was designed as an extension of the existing sidewalk.
Longitudinal Section
Research Garden
Research Garden
Core
Hydroponics Lab Classrooms
Gallery
Core
Circulation
Circulation
Auditorium Kitchens
Food Hall
Circulation Kitchens
Circulation
Core
3
South of Market | Building Organization The organization of the building uses the same idea of the folding floorplates to accommodate programs. This idea was extracted from the building in section and applied in plan view in order to maintain the same design language. This was achieved by juxtaposing linear bands of program with the diagrammatic folding floorplates. This resulted in specific locations where programs were assigned.
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Diagrammatic Floorplate Folds
A
B
C
D
E
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South of Market | Building in Section Although natural lighting is desired, a shading strategy for the south facing facade was necessary. The shading system uses louvers that block direct sunlight, but allow diffused light in. The location of these louvers mimics the diagrammatic folding floorplates as a way to maintain design cohesion.
Facade Shading System
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Transverse Section
Longitudinal Section Elevation
Floorplate Dynamics
Longitudinal Sectional Model
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8
Potrero Hill Library Following a site analysis, the design uses the idea of “portals” as a way to have the user interact with the view of downtown San Francisco. These glass portals give visual access to the users while they circulate and browse the library’s catalog. The project called for a building that accommodated a large catalog of books and it is an infill project. Due to the proximity of neighboring buildings, there was an emphasis on allowing natural light into the building.
Grid System
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10
A
B
C
D
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12
Longitudinal Section
Dynamic Conceptual Cut Diagrammatic section and elevations of an interactive facade system that responds to local climatic conditions. The facade makes use of shading devices that allow natural light in, but minimize thermal gains.
Unfolded Sections
South Section Cut
East Elevation
North Elevation
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Khyber Ridge House Analysis Located in Whistler, British Columbia and commissioned by Marc Morisset; a professional snowboarder. At a glance, it is clear that the house has an obvious relationship with the surrounding landscape. The project is embedded into the landscape and adapts to the rising slope. Khyber Ridge uses the topography of the site and reacts to it rather than seeing it as an obstacle. This idea is reminiscent of the relationship between a skier/snowboarder and a slope.
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Communal Park Islands
Fall
Revitalizing a green median in an Oakland neighborhood between East 14th Street and 19th Street. The site is in the middle of an intersection and it is composed of disconnected green areas. The idea was to use these disconnected areas as flora “islands.” Plants native to California and to the Mediterranean climate were prioritized in order to maximize their success and to preserve local flora. Each island was used to represent a different season of the year according to the plants’ blooming cycles. In doing so, each island will be activated at different times of the year; therefore maintaining continued interest towards the park.
Summer
Spring
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Winter
Plantings in the islands were extended to the four blocks that act as a bridge between the site and San Antonio Park. The extension of the plants to the alleyways will motivate community members to go out and visit the park as well as motivate them to maintain the plants closest to their homes. The project will bring a positive impact to the community by transforming an underused space
Plants Create Direct Link to San Antonio Park
In order to facilitate access to the site, a redesigned sidewalk connecting all islands was implemented. This ensures user safety in the space
Transforming Alleyways Into Positive Space
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Rube Goldberg Inspired Wood Machine
Connection to Fence
Analyzing the properties of wood in order to create a machine-like system. Properties such as its strength, tension, and its susceptibility to rotting and combustibility were manipulated to achieve a set of required standards. The challenge was to use such a rigid material, but manipulate it in order to allow a croquet ball to go through the contraption. A system was developed to attach the machine onto a fence without damaging it and for easy removal. Section
Elevation
Perspective
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4
3
Simple Tools
Tension and Compression
5
1 18
Combustibility
Weak Joints
Aluminum Structure | Minimalist The objective was designing an aluminum structure 42’’ tall that would be able to support an individual. The idea behind the structure was creating a minimalist frame kept together by simple nut and bolt fasteners. Extreme precision was given to the characteristics of aluminum during the planning process.
Minimalist Design Scheme
Longitudinal Elevation
Longitudinal Section
Cross Elevation
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Elmer A. Hernandez Contact elmer.hern1@gmail.com 661.974.1282
Education Bachelor of Arts in Architecture University of California, Berkeley Minor in Sustainable Design 2010-2015 Abilities Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop Adobe InDesign AutoCad 2013 Rhinoceros 4.0, 5
Basic Revit Basic Ecotect Analysis 2011 Microsoft Office Suite Model Building