Frances Alexandra Membreno - Professional Portfolio

P O R T F O L I O

FRANCES ALEXANDRA MEMBRENO 2017-2020

01. GOÐSÖGN | Inhabiting Tales of Nordic Origin through Spatial 04 Narratives

Stuðlagil Canyon, Iceland. Masters Research Project Thesis 2020

02. Carving Knowledge | Philadelphia Library 14 Philadelphia, U.S.A.

Advanced Graduate Architectural Design II 2nd Academic Year 2019

03. Micro-Grid Energy for Africa: Sister Cities 22 Durum, Africa and Micanopy, U.S.A. African Architecture 2nd Academic Year 2019

04. Forgotten Coast: Research Station 28

Dual-Program Study | FL, U.S.A. Advanced Graduate Architectural Design III 3rd Academic Year 2019

05. Mediation of Light + Mediation on Matter 36 Material Studies and Fabrication

Advanced Graduate Architectural Design I 2nd Academic Year 2018

06. Urban PENN NYC 40

Programming Space in the City NY, U.S.A. Core Graduate Architectural Design IV 1st Academic Year 2018

07. Cultural Center: Transformative City 44 Tegucigalpa, Honduras Graduation Thesis Project 2017

Fig.01 “Dwelling Inside”. Perspective of Entrance.

3 GOÐSO�GN | Inhabiting Tales of Nordic Origin through Spatial Narratives

01.

GOÐSO�GN |

Inhabiting Tales of Nordic Origin through Spatial Narratives

Masters Research Project Thesis

GOÐSÖGN

Stories bind and tie us together in realistic or imaginary worlds, full of possibilities. In “Goðsögn, Inhabiting Tales of Nordic Origin through Spatial Narratives” the fundamental conceptual drivers are stories that create spatial opportunities to engage both the landscape and the public, allowing them to be interpreted and passed on through generations. Iceland “The Land of Fire and Ice” portrays a pristine variety of dramatic and dynamic landscapes, each containing a series of stories of cultural value to be uncovered through timeless experiences that require careful exploration.

Icelandic lore has been recorded since the 12th Century with themes ranging from the Viking Sagas to the wide range of Nordic beliefs, all of them bound by nature. The project consists of constructing a spatial narrative based on the interaction between these Nordic fables and their corresponding mythical creatures. Stories that are deeply rooted to their respective unique landscapes involving abstract personas such as elves, trolls, witches, sea monsters, and ghosts which serve as a reminder of Iceland´s harsh and temperamental environment, and the way in which it should be respected and handled through storytelling.

College of Design, Construction, & Planning

University of Florida Gainesville, FL MRP Thesis May 2020

Complete Book: https://issuu.com/francesmembreno/docs/mrp_book_membrenof

Fig.02 Time Line analysis portraying Iceland´s main historical events and lore.

Fig.03 Analytical sketches the lore. From left to right: Hidden Folk, Trolls, Witches and Warlocks, Ghosts and Sea Creatures.

GOÐSO�GN | Inhabiting Tales of Nordic Origin through Spatial Narratives

Fig.04 Mapping using analytical sketches and their stories behind each one, creating catalysts of storytelling.

Fig.05 Manifestations process iterations of hidden folk and trolls.

Fig.06 Manifestations process iterations of witches and ghost.

Fig.07 Manifestations process iterations of sea creatures and elves.

GOÐSO�GN | Inhabiting Tales of Nordic Origin through Spatial Narratives

Fig.08 Mapping of Lore Analysis

GOÐSO�GN | Inhabiting Tales of Nordic Origin through Spatial Narratives

Fig.09 “Pillar of Stone”. Site Plan

Fig.10 Ground Plan Fig.11 Lower Level Plan

Fig.12 Section

11 GOÐSO�GN | Inhabiting Tales of Nordic Origin through Spatial Narratives

Fig.13 “Dwelling Inside”. Entrance Perspective, Winter. Fig.14 “Daylight Cost”. Descend towards Lower Level Perspective.

Fig.15 “Sharp Ridges”. Reflection and Pause Perspective.

Fig.16 “Pitch-Black Clouds”. Bridge Perspective.

Fig.17 “Fjord Ravine”. Seasons Interaction Perspective.

Carving Knowledge | Philadelphia Library 13

Fig.18 Interior Perspective of Atrium and General Stacks.

CARVING KNOWLEDGE | Philadelphia Library

02.

CARVING KNOWLEDGE

Philadelphia city is a social mixture of cultures expressed throughout many diverse architectural typologies, in ways very similar to its sister city New York. The site is located in between different architectural styles,vaying from modern residential units, to the south a classical style library, diverse residential homes and to the west the architectural wonder the Barnes Foundation.

College of Design, Construction, & Planning University of Florida Gainesville, FL 2nd Academic Year May 2019

The project “Carving Knowledge” is mainly inspired by the surroundings of the site, and the many different ways of viewing them, having diverse specific angled carvings that directs the observer to a particular view. As well the elevation of said project is dictated by the surrounding buildings, having different volumes of the project align with them. As mainly seen in the site analysis in the next page, the surrounding site contains a main street in between the Barnes Foundation and the Parkway Central Library, which runs from north to south; this street contains diverse vegetation in its surrounding giving the observers an open passage as a main viewing point towards the building, as well as a direction of where the building would sit. Because of this passage a cantilevered volume extends from the main volume of the buildings outwards, for the observer to see a cantilevered volume, as they walked through this threshold. Another of the main axis used for the entrance of the project is the diagonal street located in front of the Barnes Foundation, which creates an imaginary axis that crosses most of the site and serves as an entry way for the people passing by. And lastly the third axis used for the project was the edge of the Parkway Central Library that serves as an axis for the origin of the main volume of the project. By using these main axes given by the landscape, like the streets and the previous mention buildings, the project started taking its shape, based on 3 main pure volumes.

Advanced Graduate Architectural Design II

Fig.19 Floor Plans of Library.

Fig.20 Site Plan located in Philadelphia.

Fig.21 Site Plan Analysis and Axis.

Fig.23 West Elevation

Fig.24 East Elevation

Fig.25 Longitudinal Section

Fig.26 Safety Plans and Tables

Fig.27

Fig.28

Section Detail of Public Forum

Exploded Axo. of Structure

Fig.29 Perspective of Micro-Grid in Durum, Africa.

Micro-Grid Energy for Africa | Sister Cities 21

03.

MICRO-GRID ENERGY FOR AFRICA |

Sister Cities

Durum and Micanopy African Architecture

Architect in Residence: James Inedu George

MICRO-GRID ENERGY FOR AFRICA

The African Architecture Seminar Course in collaboration with Nigerian Architect James Inedu-George, designed a project dedicated to creating an energy solution with the help of a micro-grid system. Within the proposal students analyzed and researched two cities equal in scale, hence “Sister Cities”, one being Durum located in Kuduna State, Nigeria and Micanopy in Florida, United States.

Architecture Graduate Team: Kristel Bataku, Catherine Champagne, Li-Tzu Chen, Amie Edwards, David Gomez, Fhenny Gracia, Rama Hiba, Megan McReynolds, and Frances Membreno.

The project was presented in 2019, in the Center for African Studies Carter Conference, ENERGY|AFRICA: from Technopolitics to Technofutures. Within the project the students researched energy harvesting methods for each city and its climate, topography, history, and vernacular design materials and methods of construction. The Microgrid was based on the idea of creating a space frame constructed of locally available materials, seeking to provide alternative energy for small communities , in the form of a replicable module. Each module containing a solar and water-powered energy option alongside a fog-water collection net and a vertical garden.

Within the project, the author provided renderings of the project, and worked closely on iterations and the physical analytical model.

College of Design, Construction, & Planning University of Florida Gainesville, FL 2nd Academic Year

May 2019

Fig.30

Fig.32 Micanopy Analysis. Left to Right: Farming, Housing and Vegetation Density, and Climate.

Fig.33 Durum Analysis. Left to Right: Farming, Housing and Vegetation Density, and Climate.

Micanopy Site Plan.

Fig.31 Durum Site Plan.

Fig.34 Micanopy Perspective.

Fig.35 Durum Perspective.

Fig.36 Model Photographs.

Micro-Grid Energy for Africa | Sister Cities 25 Fig.37 Exploded Axo. and Diagrams.

Fig.38 Perspective of Micro-Grid in Micanopy, USA.

Forgotten Coast | Research Station 27

Fig.39 Perspective of Research Station.

04.

FORGOTTEN COAST |

Research Station

Dual/Program Study | FL

Advanced Graduate Architectural Design III

FORGOTTEN COAST

The Forgotten Coast is located in the north-eastern part of Florida by the Gulf of Mexico, as its own name portrays, this are has been left “forgotten” and therefore tourism towards this part of Florida is non-existent except by “snow birds”. The project main focus was these group of communities called, snow birds, which describe people who move towards hotter climates during winter, mainly Florida.

The Research Station project, is organized to satisfy the necessity of two main groups of people. First the snow birds would be constituted by scientists who travel to Florida to research the Gulf of Mexico and its fauna and flora, and students who would then in summer months educate people about these researchers concluding studies. These contrast of dual-programming, was resolved by creating spaces that could modify during the different seasons including hurricane season, as it is a very important aspect of Florida coasts. The project was at its started by analyzing and focusing on the idea of season change and time progression, which would result in diverse studies between montages and graphs, analyzing flood levels,tidal movements, hurricanes, fauna, and flora.

College of Design, Construction, & Planning University of Florida Gainesville, FL 3rd Academic Year December 2019

Fig.40 Analytical Transect of Site.

Fig.41 Analytical Diagrams of Environment and Seasons, and Activities of dual program.

Fig.42 Analytical Collage.

Fig.43 Conceptual Analysis of Site.

Fig.44 Site Plan and Ground Floor Level.

Fig.45 Sectional Analysis of Changing Seasons and Dual Program.

Fig.47

Fig.46 Outside Elements Perspectives Analysis

Section of Viewing Platform in Residence.

Fig.48 Analaytical Perspectives of Season Variatons and Programs. Left: Research. Right: Residence.

Meditation of Light + Meditation of Matter | Material Studies 35

Fig.49 One to One Model, in collaboration with Li-Tzu Chen.

MEDITATION OF LIGHT + MEDITATION ON MATTER 05.

MEDITATION OF LIGHT | + Mediation on Matter Material Studies and Fabrication Advanced Graduate Architectural Design I

Light has always played a primary role in architecture, without it there is no color, form, or texture. Matter, as well, is the surface in which light is reflected or redirected; there has always been a constant iteration between shadow and light, rough or soft edges, all this elements that architecture is bound to choose solve.

The project and iterations were defined on the idea of an overlapping surface which contrasts between both light and shadow, smoothness and voids, creating a series of soft and hard edges withing itself. The project, resulted in an organic surface with apertures which provided a series of experimentations with different materials. These materials varied from plaster, concrete, glass, and fabric; with the purpose of re-imagining and reconstructing diverse analytical iterations of surfaces.

During the process of creating these series of studies, each material was able to provide a different quality of light and surface. As a result two sets of final models were developed by using the different fabrication process studied along the studio; a one to one model worked alongside a partner and an individual model.

College of Design, Construction, & Planning University of Florida Gainesville, FL 2nd Academic Year December 2018

Fig.50 Diagram and Material Study.

Fig.51 Plan and Axonometric Model. Meditation of Light + Meditation of Matter | Material Studies

Materials, Plans and Model

Fig.53 Facade Analytical Section.

Fig.52 Facade Model.

Fig.54 Perspective view from across 6th Avenue.

Urban PENN NYC| Programming Space in the City NY 39

URBAN PENN NYC 06.

Core Graduate Architectural Design IV

New York City has always been a mixture of culture, traditions, ethnicities, and endless possibilities of opportunities, hidden in every corner. The Urban PENN NYC project, is based on the PENN 2023: Envisioning a New Penn Station, the Next Madison Square Garden and the Future of West Midtown. The proposal describes an outline of redevelopment plans for Penn Station and the surrounding areas, located in New York City.

The project is located at the edge of the redevelopment district mentioned above , and therefor affected by its proposals and development. The initial idea for the project started with an analysis of urban areas and spaces, and the connection of livable and efficient built environments. Having in mind the redevelopment located on the district, the projects main concept was to design an open lab, which would constitute of areas for art and science. These platforms would be accessible for citizens to engage with the growing community in this way creating an effective spatial opportunities for involvement. The art and science areas would involve a series of innovative and collaborating workshops, which would be subdivided into art, design, technology, community, 3D workshops, and lastly science.

College of Design, Construction, & Planning University of Florida Gainesville, FL 1st Academic Year August 2018

URBAN PENN NYC | Programming Space in the City NY

Fig.55 Sketches done within NY Trip.

Fig.56 Site Plan.

Urban PENN NYC| Programming Space in the City NY 41

Fig.57 Programmatic Diagrams.

Fig.58 Cross Section.

Cultural Center| Transformative City 43

Fig.59 Render of Cultural Center in Honduras.

CULTURAL CENTER |

Transformative City TGU, Honduras

Graduation Thesis Project

CULTURAL CENTER 07.

The Cultural Center: Transformative City project is located on the city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The country´s lacking communal and cultural centers has been an ongoing, as existent establishments programmed for it have no kind of maintenance or are too old to be used. Besides having few communal centers, the city suffers a lacking amount of greenery within the city´s urban area; for this reason the “Cultural Center - Transformative City” several landscaping proposals where studied and submitted after an extensive research on the countries fauna.

The project was based on the idea of creating a communal and cultural center which would rise the populations interest on its own cultural richness. Starting by having a big enough theatre that would allow for 300 or more persons to enjoy a play and an amphitheater that would allow for 1,500 plus visitors. A series of analytical and background data was researched to establish a basic layout for the complex. Throughout the realization of the projects design, a series of structural conditions, landscape aesthetic, electrical, plumbing and finishes studies were established.

College of Architecture UNITEC Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Graduation Thesis May 2017

Fig.61 Analytical Study of Volumes and Green Areas.

Fig.62 Longitudinal Section and Details.

Fig.63 Cross Section.

Fig.64 Plans of Main Cultural Center.

Fig.65 Site Plan with Roofs.

Fig.66 Subterranean Plan.

Fig.67 Columns Plan and Details.

Fig.68 Foundation Plan and Details.

Fig.69 Indoor Electrical Ground Floor Plan.

Fig.70 Indoor Plumbing Ground Floor Plan.

Fig.71 Ceiling Ground Floor Plan.

Fig.72 Indoor Electrical Ground Floor Plan.

Fig.73 Flooring Finishes Ground Floor Plan.

Fig.74 Wall Finishes Ground Floor Plan.

Fig.75 Landscape Ground Floor Plan.