GEORGE DISTEFANO
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
M.ARCH I CANDIDATE
“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.� - Albert Pine
GEORGE DISTEFANO 59 Bogtown Rd. North Salem, NY 10560 e: gjd213@lehigh.edu c: 914.826.1507
PARAMETRIC DESIGN AGGREGATED COMPONENTS SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS SYNECDOCHIC VARIATION ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN HARLEM: THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE FANTASTIC LEHIGH UNIVERSITY VISITOR CENTER SOUTH BETHLEHEM GREENWAY HUB
6 12 16
24 38 48
Parametric design provides a new logic that operates through the correlation of multiple systems and their individual nature, allowing designers to explore new techniques of formal variation and differentiation.
PARAMETRIC DESIGN
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AGGREGATED COMPONENTS
Summer Studio 2012
Hyun-Tae Jung
One week
Parametric design demands a mathematical understanding to develop a project that responds completely to a set of given parameters.
Score
The final product is a system which is capable of further development - a system that can be adaptable for future design applications
Fold
Fold
Push
UNIT VARIATION By varying the properties of the repeated objects, one is able to explore multiple design solutions within a generated family of results. Each unit’s height has a direct relationship with its width - allowing the composition to vary in multiple dimensions.
Duplicate
Multiply
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ORGANIZATION The variation of the overall composition is laid out in such a way to emphasize the changing parameters. The continuous grid pattern is broken to allow the viewer to recognize the repetition more easily. If the grid were to stay the same the composition would become monotonous. Additionally, the varying height of each unit must be easily readable. The low and high areas contrast with one another to reflect the logic of the units.
Define Grid Create Height Variation
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Final Model (24�x32�): Paper and glue
Parameterize
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Final Model (24”x32”): Paper and glue
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SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS
Summer Studio 2012
Hyun-Tae Jung
One week
Through analyzing patterns found in nature, we can translate the inherent systems into efficient and engaging designs.
Trace
By tracing an image of a sun flower, the reoccurring pattern becomes easily recognizable. The pattern is a springboard for a series of design decisions.
Regulate Study Model 1: Rectangular Flaps Study Model 2: Triangular Flaps
Vary
Define
By combing the logic of the pattern with a new organization, a new parametric system is generated. Refine
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Final Model: (18” x 18”) Bristol Board + Glue
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SYNECDOCHIC VARIATION
Summer Studio 2012
Hyun-Tae Jung
One week Cut + Score
Parametric design is based on the relative proportions between different parts of a design. The relationship of part to whole is explored through a system of controlled attributes. A change in a single element causes corresponding changes in every other element as well as the overall composition. The connection between each unit must be carefully considered as its impact is reflected in the larger context.
Push Up
Push In
Study Model: A
The first connection proved to be unsuccessful due to the large amount of space between each unit.
Study Model: B
The tight grid allows one to easily recognize a grid pattern and observe the variation.
Study Model: C
By adding variation, each unit changes in both width and height.
Connect 17
PARAMETERIZATION The variation allows the composition to be used for various design purposes. The density of the modules is directly related to the design intentions. The compressed modules allow for more visual connectivity while the flatter modules yield a lower transparency.
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"It is the relationship among things - rather than the things themselves - that gives objects their identities." - Keith Mitnick
Final Model (30”x40”): Paper and brads
Architecture is not about the conditions of design, but about the design of conditions that will dislocate the most traditional and regressive aspects of our society and simultaneously reorganize these elements in the most liberating way - Bernard Tschumi
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
Manhattan
Harlem
125th + Lenox
HARLEM: THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE FANTASTIC
Summer 2012
Jauquim Moreno 5 weeks
GSAPP INTRODUCTION TO ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM The former SRO site at the intersection of Lenox Avenue and 125th Street is loaded with residues, traces, and vestiges of its former uses and accumulation of infrastructures. In its previous life, the site was an Single Room Occupancy tenement - the most humble and precarious form of residential occupation. The generalized process of gentrification erased such use and is currently in the process of re-purposing the land. The proposal for this studio was to create a programmatic patch: an amusement park that becomes an urgent and feasible occupation that delays or derails the rampant rise of
upscale condominiums in the area. We learned from Rem Koolhaas the Luna Park in Coney Island was the laboratory of Manhattan - the place in which the critical paranoia that lies under the metropolitan way of life was “secretly” developed. The expectation is for this reinvention of Luna Park to be a Harlem Laboratory of sorts, and program and a place to inquire into new forms of urban renewal. SROs pushed privacy to its ultimate limit, literally “boxing” the living quarters; we expect that a hyper-dense amusement park will push the collective public life to new levels of intensity. The site has been split up into eight
various sections to form a cadavre exquis - a collective composition in which each collaborator adds their own contribution onto the previous. Each contributor creates an individual “ride” or attraction. The end result is comprehensive plan in which various ideas and styles are seamlessly integrated. In an attempt to rethink the idea of an amusement park and thrill, my design is for a vertical thermal bath house. Calling on philosophies from ancient Roman baths, this contemporary iteration will provide an added dimension of thrill. Concepts such as navigation through the baths will be compared to sensory reactions based on touch, smell, vision, and temperature.
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POINTS OF INTEREST 1) Rice High School 2) Greater Cavalry Baptist Church 3) Adventist Church 4) Lenox Lounge 5) Drug Addiction And Research Center 6) Harlem United 7) Studio Museum Harlem 8) Greater Refuge Temple 9) Retail Center 10) 125 Street Clinic 11) Offices Of The District Attorney Of New York
Institutional Religious Civic Commercial Educational
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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Vehicle Circulation
Pedestrian Traffic
BUS SUBWAY
Public Transportation
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NAVIGATION DIAGRAM Module adjacencies determine the flux and navigation of the system. Visitors are carried throughout the baths in the neutral vertical circulation core. Depending on the tidal schedule, visitors exit the neutral space at varying heights and enter adjacent modules without knowing what temperature, size, or atmospheric condition the module is at. The following sequences represent how people move through the modules. In the least intense sequence, every condition is constant except for temperature. The intermediate sequence has varying temperature and size of modules. The most intense sequence varies in temperature, size, and atmospheric conditions. This affects the user on multiple levels and creates the most thrilling and disorienting experience.
Single Module 10’ x 10’
Medium Module
Large Module
HIGH TIDE
LOW TIDE 11:15 AM 11:30 AM 11:45 AM 12:00 PM 12:15 PM 12:30 PM 12:45 PM 1:00 PM
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1:15 PM
1:30 PM
1:45 PM
2:00 PM
2:15 PM
2:30 PM
2:45 PM
3:00 PM
3:15 PM
3:30 PM 3:45 PM
Least Intense
1-Dimensional Temperature
Neutral (M)
Hot (M)
Neutral (M)
Cold (M)
2-Dimensional Temperature + Size
Neutral (M)
Hot (S)
Hot (L)
Cold (S)
Cold (L)
Neutral (M)
3-Dimensional Temperature + Size + Disorientation
Most Intense
Neutral (M)
Hot (S)
Hot (L)
Cold (L)
Cold (S)
Neutral (M)
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FORMAL DEVELOPMENT The form begins with the creation of a staggered vertical circulation core. As the water inside rises, each circulation module (20’x20’) fills with water and allows access to the next level of the baths. Next, the core is surrounded with a continuous grid of 10’x10’ modules. This creates the space for the several bathing compartments as well as other service and auxiliary spaces. The core is then extruded outwards wherever it is exposed on the facades. This creates a unique experience for users, allowing them to float in a pool of water suspended over the city streets. Finally, strips of modules are subtracted from the facade to create instances where users can remove themselves from the baths and experience the outdoors.
DEFINE CIRCULATION CORE
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SURROUND WITH GRID
EXTRUDE CIRCULATION
SUBTRACT FOR EXTERIOR SPACE
CONCEPTUAL MODEL The high density foam and thin plexiglass, represent the conceptual form and circulation of the tower. The small orange components represent the idea of the empty space of the tower being filled with modules.
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Public Active
Dipping Module 15 -25 Persons
SECTION
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Private
Passive
Bench Module 2 - 6 Persons
Beach Module 10 - 12 Persons
Lounging Module 1 - 2 Persons
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“Each of the floors is a separate installment of an infinitely unpredictable intrigue that extols the complete surrender to the definitive instability of life in the Metropolis.� - Rem Koolhaas, Delirious New York
ELEVATIONS
Conceptual Model
Final Model
Final Model Illuminated
CIRCULATION VEHICULAR PEDESTRIAN
STUDENTS
VISITORS MAIN BUILDINGS TOUR PATH
MAIN ACADEMIC BUILDINGS BUS ROUTE
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY VISITOR CENTER
Summer Studio 2012
Hyun-Tae Jung
4 weeks
As the number of applicants Lehigh University receives rises each year, the school is looking to invest in a new visitor center. The site is located at the intersection between Packer Avenue and the primary pedestrian walkway through campus. The main goal is to create a center that will be used by both students and visitors.
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PROGRAM ANALYSIS The design calls for a information desk, presentation room, cafe, lounge area, and gallery and event space. The relationship between each dictates the spaces’ adjacencies and size.
VISITOR CENTER LOUNGE PRESENTATION ROOM ENTRY INFO DESK
CAFE BAR SEATING
GALLERY EXHIBITION SPACE EVENT SPACE VISITORS
SERVICE SPACE
STUDENTS
OFFICES RESTROOMS STORAGE
FORMAL DIAGRAM
VOLUME
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SHEAR
SPLIT
GLASS INFILL
SKIN DEVELOPMENT The skin is developed based on the logic and organization of the volumes. The density of the trapazoidal perforations is related to the program - allowing light to enter during the day and be seen from the exterior at night.
Apply grid
Distort grid
Perforate based on program
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PRIVATE - EVENT SPACE - GALLERY
The program is organized based on private versus public spaces. The most public spaces are placed in the lower volumes - to be seen at street level - and the more private areas are located in the higher volumes.
SEMI-PRIVATE - LOUNGE - PRESENTATION ROOM
PUBLIC - ENTRY - CAFE - RESTROOMS
Study Model: Bristol board + glue
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PLANS
The diagram operates like a black hole, which radically changes the course of the project, transforming and liberating architecture. - Ben Van Berkel & Caroline Bos
North Elevation
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1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)
Entry + Information Desk Cafe Presentation Room Gallery Office Open To Below
West Elevation
2
5
First Floor
South Elevation
1
6
Second Floor
3
6
6
4
4
Third Floor
South Elevation
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Gallery
SECTIONS The interlocking volumes define the constraints of each space. Visual connections between the various spaces reveal the relationship of the interlocking volumes.
Presentation Room
Cafe
Gallery
Gallery
Presentation Room
Cafe Entry
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Final Model: 15” x 32” Chipboard + Acrylic
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Final Model: 15” x 32” Chipboard + Acrylic
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SOUTH BETHLEHEM GREENWAY HUB
Design Studio IV
Christine Ussler
5 weeks
In 2012, the South Bethlehem Greenway project was completed. Meandering along an abandoned set of railroad tracks, the Greenway travels over three miles connecting the Lehigh River toe path and Saucon Park. While the Greenway has been a great development in recent years, its users mainly consist of walkers and joggers. Another new development, by the Sands Company, is located on the former brownfield site of Bethlehem Steel. This new development - comprised of a casino, hotel, retail space, and residential buildings - offers a new destination for local residents as well as tourists. This project analyzes the Greenway and the Sands Development, as well as their context, and proposes ways to attract the people to take advantage of both.
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Central Commercial District
MACRO SITE ANALYSIS
Multinational Sector
When considering a site, one must first look at the overall context of its surrounding area. South Bethlehem’s commercial corridors are the area’s main hubs of activity. Historically the main commercial zones are located along 3rd St. and 4th St. but with the new Sand’s development, a new commercial zone has been created along the southern bank of the Lehigh River. Open space is key to a successful urban community. The primary green space in South Bethlehem is the Greenway. While the Greenway is used primarily for walking, running, and biking, there are few points of interest along the path to draw other types of users. The primary vehicular arteries are 3rd St. and 4th St. These east to west axes create a very linear organizations with secondary one-way streets running north and south. Similarly, pedestrian traffic follows the same pattern with the Greenway as an additional option.
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Sands Casino + Outlets
COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS Commercial Establishments
Radial Park
Most Heavily Used
Primary Routes
Dense Forest
Secondary Routes
Linear Park
PARKS + RECREATION Green Space Lehigh River
ARTERIES East - West Connections North - South Connections
PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION Roads Greenway 51
Arts Quest Cultural Center
Northampton Community College
PBS Studios Lehigh Valley
MICRO SITE ANALYSIS The immediate area surrounding the site is composed of a diverse mix of uses. To the southeast is a dense residential zone. To the northeast is the main commercial and entertainment sectors of the Sands development. There are several shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues such as the Sands Casino. Adjacent to the site is also the Arts Quest Cultural Center and PBS Studios of Lehigh Valley. Northampton Community College also has a building directly across the street. With heavy car and truck traffic, 3rd St. acts as a divider between the residential neighborhood and the new Sands development. The proposed site must act as a point of interest to draw locals down into the development.
South Bethlehem Greenway
Site
TIME OF USE 6 AM NORTHAMPTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARTS QUEST CULTURAL CENTER PBS STUDIOS LEHIGH VALLEY THE SHOPS AT SANDS CASINO SOUTH BETHLEHEM GREENWAY
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7 AM
8 AM
9 AM
10 AM
11 AM
12 PM
1 PM
2 PM
3 PM
4 PM
5 PM
6 PM
7 PM
8 PM
9 PM
10 PM
The Shops At Sands Casino
Broad Street Commercial District City Town Hall + Library Sands Casino, Shops + Hotel
South Bethlehem Commercial District
Site
Lehigh University Research Campus at Lehigh University
4 Blocks International Commercial District
WALKING RADIUS 1/2 Mile 1 Mile Residential Neighborhood
MEDIAN HOME VALUES PERCENT
DOLLARS 3 RD ST.
0.0 - 15.0 16.0 - 35.0
81,000 - 90,000 91,000 - 100,000 101,000 - 150,000 151,000 - 200,000
3 RD ST.
4 TH ST.
5 TH ST.
36.0 - 55.0 56.0 - 75.0 76.0 - 100.0
4 TH ST.
5 TH ST.
HAYES ST.
70,000 - 80,000
HAYES ST.
When considering demographics of the adjacent residential neighborhood, it is important to determine who will most likely be using the site. With dense low to middle income housing, the residents need a new hub of activity somewhere for people to congregate and take advantage of open space.
OWNER OCCUPIED HOUSING
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Stu
de nts
ne sse s Lo cal Bu si
Vis ito rs
Re sid en ts
Main intersection leading to arts quest cultural center and other commercial and residential developments
Info Points
PLAZA
Arts + Entertainment Food Stalls
MARKET
2
Prepared Food Vendors Informal Dining Area Playscape
PARK
Community Garden Neighborhood Lawn Entertainment
1
Morning (8am - 12pm) Afternoon (12pm - 5pm) Evening (5pm- 11pm) PLAZA
MARKET
PARK
PROGRAM ANALYSIS
Main entrance into Bethworks development
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Along with a public park as a point of interest, this plan proposes adding another aspect to the program - a food market and public plaza. These added programs will draw people into the site. While most parks in South Bethlehem are highly unused, this proposal will give people another reason to visit the site. Adding sub programs to each section will provide destinations for various groups of users.
? SITE
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Drop off / pick up circle for vehicles
Greenway connection to commercial development behind site
ESTABLISHING NODES + CONNECTIONS
3
By analyzing the connections between the surrounding area, the program can be strategically overlaid onto the site. Creating connections between these nodes will ultimately outline the project’s circulation.
5
4
Greenway connection for residential neighborhood
EXTRUDE LANDSCAPE
DEFINE CIRCULATION
MODULATE 55
2
5
1 SITE PLAN 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)
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Playscape Community Gardens Neighborhood Lawn Amphitheater Commercial Plaza (Market) Entertainment Plaza Greenway
2
7
3
4 6 3
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NEIGHBORHOOD LAWN The neighborhood lawn is a place for the community to gather. It is the essential urban public space. A space to walk a dog, have a catch, fly a kite and more.
COMMUNITY GARDENS The community garden sections provide the local residents with a place to cultivate small crops and flowers. With the lack of private yards and gardens, this area will be widely used by the community.
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AMPHITHEATER
STAGE CONFIGURATION
The open market stalls provide vendors with a sheltered space to advertise their products. Local farmers, store owners, and other organizations can utilize the stalls for various purposes.
MARKET STALLS The open market stalls provide vendors with a sheltered space to advertise their products. Local farmers, store owners, and other organizations can utilize the stalls for various purposes.
SCREENING CONFIGURATION 59
Final Model: 24” x 48” Chipboard + Glue
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INFORMATION
EDUCATION
George James Distefano, Jr.
59 Bogtown Rd. North Salem, NY 10560 e: gjd213@lehigh.edu c: 914.826.1507
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
2009 - Present
Columbia University, New York, NY
Summer 2012
Department of Art, Architecture and Design Bachelor of Arts Major: Architecture Minor: Real Estate Development GPA: 3.43 Major GPA: 3.63
GSAAP Introduction to Architecture Program
HONORS + AWARDS
Deans List
2011 - 2012
GPA of 3.6 or higher
Villanova Real Estate Competition Provided architectural design consulting, drawings and diagrams for winning team in national competition
SKILLS
PUBLICATIONS
AutoCAD Sketchup
Rhinoceros Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Microsoft Office Physical Modeling Hand Drafting Sketching
Presentation Drawings
featured in The Great American House
Written by Gil P. Schafer - Rizzoli, USA - 2012
2012
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Intern Architect
Summer 2010 - 2011
G.P. Schafer Architect, New York, NY
Coordinated design and compilation of precedent and design development presentations for clients Assisted in schematic design and design development phases by creating drawings and initial renderings of concepts Conducted field surveys and produced as-built drawings Researched products and maintained material library Created presentation drawings and design layouts featured in various publications
Installation Assistant
Glassolutions Architectural Glass + Metal, Newburgh, NY
Assisted glazers with various tasks including transportation of material and installation procedures Created and revised drawings of architectural glass and metal details and systems Gained field experience in construction and fabrication
VOLUNTEER
Mission Trip
Summer 2008 - 2009
Summers 2008 - 2009
Steubenville, OH
Worked in a team to help renovated homes in the depressed Appalachia region of Ohio
Youth Group Trip
Ocean Springs, MS
Helped rebuild homes of victims affected by Hurricane Katrina and worked at a local community and distribution center
ACTIVITIES + INTERESTS
Lehigh Men’s Club Lacrosse American Institute of Architecture Students Delta Tau Delta Fraternity Golf Squash Food Traveling
Lehigh Real Estate Club
Summer 2007