PORTFOLIO FARANAK KHAS AHMADI- 2017 MLA STUDENT COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
A LIVING CITY
CAPITALIZING ON THE ABANDONED IN ATHENS AECOM URBAN SOS COMPETITION FINALIST - SPRING 2017
A PLAYFUL LAND
LION MOUNTAIN PARK, SUZHO CHINA PART- TIME INTERNSHIP - FALL 2016
A BIG LAND
LOS ANGELES SURFRIDGE URBAN PARK STUDIO 203- FALL 2016
AMPLIFY
SITES OF PROTEST: SPATIAL STRATEGIES FOR THE DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE THOMAS CHURCH COMPETITION THIRD PLACE - SPRING 2017
A PRODUCTIVE LAND REDESIGNING ALBANY BULB STUDIO 203 - FALL 2016
A TRANS-FORMER RIBBON
LAVERAGING LOST LINKAGES- DALLAS TRINITY FOREST SWAGROUP SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM - SUMMER 2016
UNIVERSITY OF MONTERREY, MEXICO
STUDENT CENTER PLAZA DESIGN SWAGROUP SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM - SUMMER 2016
A LAND FOR SOCIALIZING
LAKE MERRITT BART STATION URBAN PLAZA MLA STUDIO 202- SPRING 2016
A LAND FOR FUTURE ECOLOGICAL URBAN DESIGN MLA STUDIO 201- SPRING 2015
A PLACE FOR HOPE
REHABILITATION CENTER FOR CHILDREN WITH POOR GUARDENSHIP MARCH FINAL THESIS- FALL 2013
A PLACE FOR BEING
MIXED USE (ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PROJECT) MARCH STUDIO THREE- FALL 2013
A PLACE FOR ARCHITECTS COMMERCIAL TOWER MARCH STUDIO ONE- SPRING 2012
A PLACE FOR LIVING RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX B.S STUDIO FIVE- FALL 2011
A PLACE FOR EXPERIENCE SCHOOL OF ART B.S STUDIO THREE- FALL 2010
METRONOMITAN
A MOTIVATION FOR A MOMENTARY HESITATION TO THINK AMONG THE HURRIED BUSTLE OF THE CRAMPED METROPOLISES THE SHELTER INTERNATIONAL STUDENT COMPETITION
TECHNICAL DESIGN DRAWINGS/ PHOTOGRAPHIES
FARANAK KHAS AHMADI UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY COLLEGE OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN EMAIL: FARANAK.KHASAHMADI@BERKELEY. EDU
A LIVING CITY CAPITALIZING ON THE ABANDONED IN ATHENS AECOM URBAN SOS COMPETITION FINALIST - SPRING 2017 GROUP MATES: HOTING LIU, ANDURINA ESPINOZA, JENNY LEE
WHY ATHENS? There are three main reasons why Athens is the ideal city for implementing our project. First, the magnitude of the refugee influx in Athens makes it an ideal city for intervention. As the accompanying depiction shows, Greece has been the first port of arrival for the majority of refugees entering Europe. With over 1 million migrants and refugees flowing into the continent in 2015 alone, the impact on the country is substantial. Athens, the country’sFRANKFURT capital, lies at the epicenter of the “crisis.” Second, Athens is a place of enormous will - goodwill in generously providing for immigrants, upholding humanitarian values, and to persevere in the face of challenges. Despite the epic proportions of Greece’s economic troubles, the country’s response to the refugee influx has been commendable. From Greek grandmothers receiving new arrivals on shore, restaurant owners offering free meals, to average citizens opening up their homes to Syrian women and children - stories abound of Greek people showing humanity and resilience. Such stories are disparate, however, which is why our project wants to culminate them in the country’s capital, Athens. Third, the city possesses a strong base of international visitors - from tourists, to volunteers, to various experts - that will ensure support of our project. Our project gives each of these peope the chance to become humanitarian actors - in a small, yet important way - in the global refugee crisis.
On March 9, 2016 Macedonia stopped allowing Syrian refugees to pass from Greece through the country to reach Europe, which effectively shut the Balkans route. This was when Syrian refugees started getting stuck in Greece.
HAMBURG BERLIN
MUNICH
VIENNA BUDAPEST
BELGRADE
MACEDONIA
HUNGARY
2000 REFUGEES DAILY ARRIVALS
SERBIA
2000-2,500 REFUGEES DAILY ARRIVALS
2000-2,500 REFUGEES DAILY ARRIVALS
ISTANBUL
TURKEY 1939,000 REFUGEES
GREECE
3000 REFUGEES DAILY ARRIVALS
ATHENS
TRANSIT CITY
ALEPPO
SYRIA LEBANON 1114,000
HOMS DAMASCUS
JORDAN 629,200 REFUGEES
BIG IDEA: CHALLENGES + OPPORTUNITIES Our intervention attempts to purposefully integrate Syrian refugees with the local Greek population, not as a one-way transfer but a two-way interaction in which we foster a synergy between the two communities, and in doing so, offer a unique product and service. By viewing the Syrian population in Athens as people with skills and abilities that can be capitalized on, we intend to turn challenges into opportunities, which is precisely in alignment with what the international governing community is calling for, as reflected in the United National Development Programme’s Dead Sea Resilience Agenda. Greece is a popular entry point to Europe, but with the increasing anti-immigration sentiment and policies further north of Europe, Syrians are stuck in Greece.
The joint venture between local Greeks and Syrian refugees also capitalizes on the tourist stream that continues to flow into Greece, offering an opportunity to do something meaningful while on vacation.
Digital App helps identify vacant buildings that are under the revitalization program, providing information and resources for Syrian and local people in terms of how and where they can be involved and connected.
We view our intervention as a pilot, one that can be shared around the world as an example of host communities working together with refugee populations in rebuilding resilience. Ethnic Cultural Experiential Restaurant Center Learning
In-house Accomodation Health + Wellness Training
Despite the epic proportions of Greece’s economic crisis, the country has responded to the influx of refugees with humanity and generosity.
Programs related to education, basic services and business activities in vacant buildings attempt to regenerate local economy and cultivate cultural understanding.
PHYSICAL INTERVENTION - PILOT PROJECT Our proposal focuses on repurposing and re-programming vacant buildings in the Exarcheia neighborhood to create a new cultural hub within Athens, helping refugees reintegrate within the local economy, gain confidence and professional skills, and share their stories and cultures. The following prototype illustrates the types of programs and operating model that supports our concept. We argue that if one building succeeds in its business model, we will see similar model with various programs/business activities being replicated in all the other abandoned buildings of this neighborhood to create a new cultural hub.
The other initiative of the restaurant is a “pay it forward� mechanism, in which people can buy meals or beverages for not just themselves, but for needy people in the neighborhood. To illustrate this, say a tourist walks in and buys 1 Syrian falafel dish for heArself, and pays for 7 more for others. The restaurant logs that in and the next time a homeless youth stops by, he can have a free falafel dish. If all 7 are used up already, no free meal that day.
DIGITAL APPLICATION
The App provides a digital platform for sharing information, resources and experiences, targeting three major groups of people: refugees, tourists, and volunteers/experts. REFUGEES: They use the App to post their skills and interests which then get matched up with the kind of business/program provided in the buildings that are under revitalization program. In addition to seeking job opportunities, they also use it to seek advice and help from crowd-sourced instructors and knowledge providers in different fields. The App also helps refugees share their experiences with the outside world to gain mutual support, as very simple “twittering� on social media actually helps reinforce their presence and visibility. TOURISTS: They use the App to find out what is cool and special in the area. If they sign up to have accounts, they can also gain points when they consume services in the area. They can then post the points to their Facebook or Twitter to show their support and care for helping refugees. VOLUNTEERS/EXPERTS: They use the App to see where help and advice on certain things are mostly needed. It can be physical help or giving advice through video chat.
A BIG LAND LOS ANGELES SURFRIDGE URBAN PARK STUDIO 203- FALL 2016 SUPERVISOR: KARL KULLMANN
Los Angeles’s need of green space and urban parks for children, gave me the idea of creating a big urban park for kids with dif-
ferent ages and range of interests and activities. Existing beach recreational area and family based historical life of site were other influences. Based on initial research, airplane’s noise doesn’t affect children’s health for short time and temporary activities. Also many families have already chosen Surfridge’s beach as their destination for spending time so a park with specific strong programming is needed to be able to compete with the attractive beach. Not only neighborhood’s families and LAX’s passengers can be the users of this park but also Surfridge children’s park can be new nature based Disneyland for entire Los angles.
Site plan
Mounds
Exploration
Climbings
Playgrounds
Slides
Section
Topography
Vegetation
3-6 years old Playground
Separation
Lawn
Pathways
Meadow
zoning
Lavender
6-10 years old Playground
10-15 years old Playground
AMPLIFY SITES OF PROTEST: SPATIAL STRATEGIES FOR THE DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE
THOMAS CHURCH COMPETITION THIRD PLACE - SPRING 2017 TEAMMATES: NATALI OVALLES, MYRA MESSNER
PLAN VIEW Today’s DAPL protests pit citizens against militarized police. Little media attention focuses on the long odds protesters face in keeping the risk of oil spills out of their water. We say: AMPLIFY the protest. AMPLIFY the protest with wind energy, using structures to shelter protesters and create corridors of sound to uplift their voices. AMPLIFY the protest with monumental art, calling attention to individual battles that have implications beyond their immediate surroundings. AMPLIFY will continue sounding the protest even when protesters aren’t there. The four-cornered noise panels set upon columns open and shift, creating a symphony of sound. Fabric panels can be stretched along the frame following four different typologies. Protesters can configure the structures differently according to the idio- syncrasies of the location.
TYPOLOGY 1. GATES
TYPOLOGY 3. SOUND COLONNADE
TYPOLOGY 2. SHELTER
TYPOLOGY 4. BARRIER
A PLAYFUL LAND LION MOUNTAIN PARK, SUZHO CHINA PART- TIME INTERNSHIP - FALL 2016 SUPERVISOR:TOM LEADER STUDIO
Location in the park
Plan Dramatic Lion Mountain in Suzhou is a great historical and natural feature that has been handed down over the years. Recently, its surroundings have become less than flattering with a run-down amusement park at is base around a small lake dwarfed by roller coasters, attractions, and an aerial tram up the mountain face. TLS has been engaged to restore the greatness of Lion Mountain and create a new lake, park, and district that honors this great landmark. My role in this project, was desiging and modeling this small park for small kids (3-10 years old) in western part of the park.
A PRODUCTIVE LAND REDESIGNING ALBANY BULB STUDIO 203 - FALL 2016 SUPERVISOR: KARL KULLMANN
In my point of view, albany bulb has the potential to be a productive landscape in present and future while keeping its culture, art, people and heritage from the past. the factor that i found as one the most influencing one is the people who has made this place, a place! not only the ex-residents but also the people who has chosen this place as their destination for spending time, creating artifacts, jogging and walking their dog! so what i’m trying to do is to create different layers of livability and productivity, for both people (residents and non-residents) and other species and then stitch these layers by variable path ways and some memorable stops. the bulb includes layers of 1) energy and sustainability 2) housing 3) farmlands 4) managed meadows (other species habitat) and 5) natural and existing condition. in order to find the spatial form and location of these layers, i did some analyzing of the past and present housing, pathways, vegetation, geology maps, tried to answer why these environmental factors and civilizational elements exist like this, for instance proximity, shade, light and wind were important for people who made their houses in bulb. finally i found and optimized those factors and proposed new locations and shapes for each layer.
DIAGRAM PROCESS
Old housing
Parameters
Old layers
New housing
New vegetation
New layers
A TRANS- FORMER RIBBON LAVERAGING LOST LINKAGES - DALLAS TRINITY FOREST SWA GROUP SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM - SUMMER 2016 SUPERVISORS: DALLAS SWA GROUP OFFICE
2016 Dallas has become very diverse, with mega transportation systems that create a car-centric city. it suffers from demographical separation and lack of identity. the significant character of my site is the historical neighborhood of joppa which is isolated between two barriers: one from the forest with managed wetlands and the other from the city with mega transportation systems. my idea is to weave layers together to create a strong ribbon that traverses the site at many scales. this ribbon creates memorable and usable landscapes and is not just a physical element. it transports and deforms throughout the site. as a transformer ribbon, it can be gathering spaces, bike trails, roof structures, farmers markets, and even houses! in joppa as a cultural landscape, the ribbon provides new housing with traditional architecture built through the habitat for humanity program, a roof for pedestrian friendly streets, and bike trails to the farmers market which becomes part of the ribbon itself. in the industrial belt, specific architecture for designated uses does not need to be built, it just needs to be reconnected, reenergized, reconfigured or reprogrammed. as a part of reenergizing and reprogramming, the ribbon transforms from flower lands into the tree canopies, installations, roofs, or even lighting at night. so if you are looking for identity, just follow the ribbon‌ Ste location
PLAZA GATHERING
ROOF
SCHEMATIC SECTION
BIKE TRAILS
FARMERS MARKET FURNITURE
CANOPY
HOUSING
WATCHING
FLOWER LANDS
UNIVERSITY OF MONTERREY, MEXICO STUDENT CENTER PLAZA DESIGN SUPERVISORS: SAN FRANSISCO SWA GROUP OFFICE
A LAND FOR SOCIALIZING LAKE MERRITT BART STATION URBAN PLAZA MLA STUDIO 202 - SPRING 2016 SUPERVISORS: LINDA JWELL, JENNIFER BROOKS
My approach is dividing the sites either formally or functionally (to turn it into human scale) and then connecting those parts with a united design at the same time. i want to create discrete parts that every one of them gives divers feelings and visual experiences to their wide range of users. so i came up using the pattern of weaving, applying different vertical (trees, screens, short walls, sculptural elements) and horizontal (lawn, ground texture, plaza, seating and staying areas and etc.) layers. in my design, vertical layer is mostly perpendicular to horizontal layer and canopy layer defines ground layers in different elevation and shape.
Section east-west
Different experiences and relationships between people and design elements: FOOD TRUCKS/ MARKETS WALKING SITTING
Site Plan
Section east- west
Section north-south
A LAND FOR FUTURE ECOLOGICAL URBAN DESIGN MLA STUDIO 201 - FALL 2015- TEAMMATE: NATALI OVALLES SUPERVISORS: KRISTINA HILL, IRYNA DRONOVA
A PLACE FOR HOPE REHABILIATION CENTER FOR CHILDREN WITH POOR GUARDENSHIP MARCH FINAL THESIS - SPRING 2015 SUPERVISORS:ALIREZA MOSTAGHNI - NADIEH IMANI
A PLACE FOR BEING NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTER MARCH STUDIO THREE - FALL 2013 SUPERVISORS: ALIREZA MOSTAGHNI
A PLACE FOR ARCHITECTS COMMERCIAL AND OFFICES BUILDING MARCH STUDIO ONE - SPRING 2012 SUPERVISORS: HAMID KHAKI - HAMID MOTALLEBNEJAD
A PLACE FOR LIVING RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX BARCH STUDIO FIVE - FALL 2011 SUPERVISORS: MEHRAN GOUDARZI
A PLACE FOR EXPERIENCE SCHOOL OF ART B.ARCH STUDIO THREE - FALL 2010 SUPERVISORS: GHOLAMREZA IZADI
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taxi info
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airlines office
1
rest room
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ticket and information
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manager office
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security office
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TECHNICAL DESIGN 2 3 4 5 6 1
kitchen
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coffee net
5
op and vip part
19
office
6
bank
20
packing and saving
7
airlines counters
21
praying room
8
medicine room
22
wc
23
store
7.4948
7.4000
8.4636
8.2374
10.2699
24.0026
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9
8
0.5000
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Art university of Tehran
10
steel
VIP Airport SPRING 2012
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sepah room
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25
clinic
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School of Architecture
13
A
airport design
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8 14
9
wall section 2
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wall section 1
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4
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student:
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DET-8 A2_01_38
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Faranak khas ahmadi PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
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details of beam
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scale:1/100 Date: 90/4/24
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Basement floor furniture plan
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scale:1/10 PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
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6.9512 2.0488
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eng Sarbakhsh
24
P Q R
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3.9598
2.6786
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6
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4.9483
72.3567
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14 14
4.4580
1.9954
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K L M N O
B
Dr Divandari
8 9
G H I J
professors:
eng Ruhizade
11
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16
8
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4.6786
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PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
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C D
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Technical design concrete
A B
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hotel and visiting info
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S T
Departure hall
Arrival hall
details of beam
DET-2 A2_01_38
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
DET-2 A2_01_38
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
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DESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
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PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
jail
police
29.0515
scale:1/10 2.0000
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A1
A2
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details of beam scale:1/5
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
security room
104.7198
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
nference room
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
LANDSCAPE AND PEOPLE IRANIAN HAND DRAWINGS
MCCONE PLANTING DESIGN
FARANAK AHMADI, RANIA ODEH, NATALI OVALLES
1/8” = 1’
SPRING
1/8” = 1’
MCCONE PLANTING DESIGN FALL
FARANAK AHMADI, RANIA ODEH, NATALI OVALLES
1/8” = 1’
FALL
1/8” = 1’
WINTER
LANDSCAPE AND PEOPLE AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHIES