Gloriana Gonzalez Portfolio by Gloriana Gonzalez

gloriana gonzรกlez

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gloriana gonzรกlez glorianagonzalezh@gmail.com 917 862 1200

table of contents

01 WATERSHED HOUSING

02 RURAL CITIES

03 MIT CAMPUS PLAN

04 FLOODING PETRZALKA

05 MARKET HALL

06 PLAYSCAPE

07 RIVERSIDE PARK

08 BATHHOUSE

09 PERFORMANCE CENTER

01 WATERSHED HOUSING A housing project that provides the Millvale community with outdoor public spaces weaved within a series of residential clusters. Advised by Christine Mondor 10-week long project

The project consists of a 38-unit housing complex that addresses site stormwater run-off. Located in Millvale, Pittsburgh, the project responds to social, economic and ecological indicators. It sets a positive precedent for high performing and affordable housing. The complex allows for a sense of community for both the residents and Millvale as a whole. The project provides the community with a series of green

outdoor spaces that are currently lacking in Millvale. It visualizes the presence of water flow by activating a series of private and public spaces including gardens and water plazas weaved within a series of multi-unit residential clusters.. The project tackles ideas of resiliency with a focus on water management. The gardens in between the residential clusters serve as an overflow control system that adapts to storms of different

intensities. The formal logic of the project was developed by identifying the main watersheds and channeling the storm water to specific locations. A sequence of retaining ponds along the gardens slow down the water and prevent it from overflowing out of the site.

8 WATERSHED HOUSING | Flow Studio

top view of the residential car and pedestrian entrance bottom view of car drop-off for common area and residential unit access

left three main watersheds on site right water chaneling and collection logic

9 top site axonometrics of program bottom site plan

WATER CHANNELING

LIVE-WORK

GARDENS

WATER PLAZAS

RESIDENTIAL

RECREATION

PUBLIC PARK

CIRCULATION

10 WATERSHED HOUSING | Flow Studio

Run-off Control System The gardens are placed strategically to channel and retain stormwater run-off. They are a mechanism to address Millvaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s storm overflow issues and are designed for storms of different intensities. As the storm begins, run-off is collected in a retention pond at the gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest elevation. As the intensity increases, overflow is Wchanneled to a second retention pond. In the event of a 100 year storm, the water plazas at the bottom of the gardens would accommodate for the increase in run-off.

top transverse site section through residential clusters and gardens middle cross site section through live-work units and recreation area bottom axonometric section through garden showing run-off control system

12 WATERSHED HOUSING | Flow Studio

top residential unit performance diagrams bottom unit type floor plans

UPPER LEVEL

TYPE A-1 8 units 600 ft2

TYPE B-1 11 units 900 ft2

top view of the residential common area that cantilevers over the gardens bottom view of the main water plaza from the street

GROUND LEVEL

TYPE A-2 8 units 600 ft2

TYPE B-2 11 units 900 ft2

02 RURAL CITIES A thesis thats strives to improve the quality of life in rural areas by urbanizing rural centers with public infrastructure. Advised by Rami el Samahy and Christine Mondor WORK IN PROGRESS

ON OF CES

series of smaller ents connected only ough the town. poor conditions. g public spaces ing clusters. The thread throughout of the public space. mes complemented e town center has primary church. s not follow the og serves to identify sed in order to create space.

RURAL CITIES | Thesis Studio

top-left preliminary site analysis diagrams top-right Juan Viñas site context maps bottom existing public space inventory

JUAN VIÑAS

CIRCULATION JUAN VIÑAS

TUCURRIQUE TUCURRIQUE

PEJIBAYE PEJIBAYE

Costa Rica

Canton of Jimenez

Costa Rica

Canton of Jimenez

CANTON OF JIMENEZ

COSTA RICA

PROGRAM USE

VIÑAS HISTORY JUANJUAN VIÑAS HISTORY once desolated area. Slowly the town began to

Juan Viñas is a small 40 square kilometer

TOWNCENTER CENTER TOWN

NARANJO NARANJO

? ? ? ? ?

once grow desolated Slowly needs; the town beganwas to Juan Viñas isrural a small square Costa kilometer aroundarea. the industry’s a church town 40 in Cartago, Rica of about 7000 around industry’s needs; a church was rural town in Cartago, Costa of about 7000 inhabitants. It sits Rica on rich volcanic soils between grow built and the a town center began to form. The town NARANJITO MARAVILLA SANTACECILIA CECILIA BUENOS AIRES AIRES SANMARTIN MARTIN ELINVU INVU NARANJITO LALAMARAVILLA SANTA BUENOS SAN EL flourishbegan culturally with theThe creation Irazu Turrialba volcanos. The canton of built also and began a towntocenter to form. tow inhabitants. the It sits onand rich volcanic soils between of the first philharmonic and the first soccer team Jimenez was initially inhabited by an indigenous also began to flourish culturally with the creatio the Irazu and Turrialba volcanos. The canton of ? ? of the first philharmonic ? from the Reino Huetar de Oriente. ? ? inhabited ? indigenous and the first soccer tea Jimenez wasgroup initially by an In 1945, a group of inverstors purchased the farm group from the Reino Huetar de Oriente. and founded Hacienda Juan Viñas S.A., which is Don Venancio Sandoval was the first settler in the group of inverstors purchased the far ? In 1945, ? today. ? ? century who took?advantage of the town’s still aactive The town?grew to accomodate mid 19th Viñas S.A., the which Don Venancio Sandoval was the settler the in the the largerHacienda company’sJuan needs. However, townis ideal microclimate andfirst established first coffee and founded farm in the took area. advantage However, due of adequate still active has been stagnant thegrew past few decades as it today. The for town to accomodate mid 19th century who of to thelack town’s ? growthcompany’s is constrained by theHowever, company. the town transportation routes, exporting the production the larger needs. ideal microclimate and established the first coffee was expensive. wasn’t early 1890’s has been stagnant for the past few decades as i farm in the area. However,Itdue to until lack the of adequate with the the Atlantic railroad that ?production ? ? construction ? growth is constrained by the company. transportation routes, exportingofthe Juan Viñas became a feasible location for coffee was expensive. It wasn’t until the early 1890’s production. The new industry injected life into the with ? the construction ? of the Atlantic railroad that ? Juan Viñas became a feasible location for coffee production. The new industry injected life into the

Abstract “Rural space is something of a blank spot on the map of contemporary architecture.”1

“Architecture and urban design are sources of spatiocultural meaning.”4

But why should we care about rural towns anyway? As half of the global population lives in cities today, and the number continues to increase, it is becoming more necessary to address rural areas. Rural areas must optimize their resources and serve as ecological counterparts to abiotic urban systems.1 In addition to the improvement of quality of life in rural areas, the urbanization of rural towns can address the problematic ruralization of cities. The enhancement of rural towns can be achieved through re-envisioning the organizational principles of their public spaces. This thesis addresses the incohesiveness of rural company town public space and lack of cultural infrastructure, a product of decentralized rural settlements. The latter refers to purpose-built, multi-purpose, and adaptive re-use spaces that accommodate art, music, performance and local craft.2 Its absence limits town development by failing to provide the community with a place that fosters creativity and allows for healthy social interaction, especially among the younger generations. Architects and planners have addressed these issues through projects that provide spatial linkages and improve community consolidation through interventions such as community transport, renewable energy projects, and public amenities.3 They share a similar objective with this thesis; to improve the quality of life in rural areas through the insertion of new elements. However, these projects to not integrate public space as the means of creating a strong cohesive framework for rural urbanization

RURAL CITIES emphasizes the potential of architecture in strengthening town identity to create vibrant rural towns. Town identity is a combination of place (settings and environments), people (cultural values and beliefs) and processes (behavior and activities); public space occurs at the intersection of these three elements. Well-designed public spaces are the starting point for revitalizing communities. An embracing, active, and well-functioning public space can serve as a catalyst for economic development in communities ranging from small rural towns to big cities. Investment in the public spaces is often deemed unimportant in the process of developing communities. As previous studies have shown, strengthening of the social fabric can lead to economic stimulation and improve the wellbeing of the community.5 The primary case study for the thesis is Juan Viñas, a small town in Costa Rica of roughly 16 square miles and 7,000 inhabitants.6 The combination of fertile volcanic soils and the construction of the railroad to the Atlantic in 1890 allowed for the development of the land around the sugar and coffee industries.7 However, the same industry that brought the town to life eventually constrained the town’s growth. Although the town contains traces of an urban geometry reminiscent of the Spanish town grid, the industry’s needs dictated the town’s growth pattern. This led to its decentralized structure of dispersed town housing; workers close to the fields

1 Schröder, Jörg, Kerstin Weigert, and Matthias Reichenbach-Klinke. Landraum: Beyond Rural Design, Prof. Matthias Reichenbach-Klinke, 2000-2008. October, 2010. Print. 2 “Cultural Infrastructure - Creative City Network of Canada.” 2012. 5 Dec. 2015 <http://www.creativecity.ca/database/files/ library/News_5_E.pdf> 3 “Rural Community Development Fund (RCDF) - Landsker”, 2015. 2 Dec. 2015 <http://landsker.co.uk/new-grant-rural-community-development-fund-rcdf/>

4 Castells, Manuel, “Space of Flows, Space of Places”. 2004. <http://ibis.geog.ubc.ca/~ewyly/u200/castells.pdf> 5 Placemaking and the Future of Cities - Project for Public .” 2012. 30 Nov. 2015 6 “Resultados generales Censo Nacional de Población - Cipac.” 2014. 5 Dec. 2015 <http://www.cipacdh.org/pdf/Resultados_ Generales_Censo_2011.pdf> 7 “Jiménez , Lectorias” 2005. 3 Dec. 2015 <http://lectorias.com/ crjimenez.html>

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PROGRAM

The program consists of a series of point, linear, and surface activities distributed along the axis.

FORMAL LOGIC

This system proposes a series of axis that aim create a network of public space. The gradient represents the network growth.

As the number of axis increases, the in between spaces becomes a part of the network and accomodates less rigid program.

The existing town structure consits in dispers housing settelments connected only by a main road. Soccer fields encompass the main public space.

FORMAL LOGIC

SCAFFOLD

EXISTING GRIDS

The existing town structure consits in dispers housing settelments connected only by a main road. Soccer fields encompass the main public space.

IN BETWEEN

8 Weisel, Astrid, “The cultural landscape as vision for urban development”, University of Munich, 2013.

EXISTING GRIDS

SCAFFOLD

freed the company to provide transportation. The town’s limited public spaces are similarly dispersed, hindering their potential in community enhancement. These characteristics define a specific type of rural town in contrasts with towns that developed following the Spanish town center so commonly seen throughout Costa Rica. Interviews, precedents, and diagrammatic analyses provided first hand insights on the perceptual qualities of the town and helped understand existing spatial patterns. Formal conceptual propositions were developed through diagrammatic layering of components such as new circulation patterns, intensification points and larger programmatic interventions. A projective scenario approach (using population influx/outflux as the main variable) will be used to test the impact of the framework on growth patterns and new community behaviors. This mechanism evaluates the integrity of the framework and its capacity to maintain a cohesive, adaptive system despite potential changes. Can rural areas with dispersed settlement structures provide a future-proof model of urbanization through a public space framework?8 The thesis claims that public space can serve as the primary organizing principle for the urbanization of rural towns by weaving the existing components, amplifying the experience in existing spaces and inserting the lacking cultural infrastructure. RURAL CITIES strives to improve the quality of life in rural areas by providing an adaptive model for rural cultural infrastructure that creates an embracing environment for the community and consolidates these incohesive territories into a new town spine.

ELASTIC BANDS

The program consists of a series of point, linear, and surface activities distributed along the axis.

left preliminary framework logics IN BETWEEN

IN BETWEEN As the number of axis increases, the in between spaces becomes a part of the network and accomodates less rigid program.

02 ELASTIC BANDS

ELASTIC BANDS

As the number of axis increases, the in between spaces becomes a part of the network and accomodates less rigid program.

03 MIT CAMPUS PLAN A re-envisioned MIT campus masterplan that proposes the activation of outdoor public space boulevards. Group: Adriana Akers and Nuith Morales 2-week long charrette

This project was a part of the Sasaki’s two-week long intern charrette. Our group’s site was MIT’s campus. We were responsible for analyzing existing data, conducting on-site research, and proposing an improved campus design solution to MIT’s Campus Planning Committee. Our site analysis identified that the rich internal life and intense collaboration that takes place in MIT’s buildings is not reflected in outdoor spaces. Even on beautiful days, most

public areas remain empty as students traverse the campus through indoor walkways. The team identified the need to encourage public life by activating outdoor spaces. The performance of existing outdoor spaces was evaluated using a set of parameters: connectivity, artwork, food, seating, and wayfinding. Our team proposes the activation of a new outdoor public space boulevard that would connect the east campus with the west campus. The route passes

through existing outdoor areas that were identified as successful and aims to activate other outdoor spaces on campus that are currently neglected. The design also addresses the current lack of wayfinding mechanisms and suggests that emphasizing visual connections to the river can serve to address this issue.

MIT Campus Plan | Sasaki Associates

Monumentality

Merging architecture and technology

Separation of the buildings and the ground plane

Pushing height

Experimental art spaces, and openings for light

Social space and connection to Mass. Ave.

‘De-cluttered’ Modernism

Experimental form

Water management

Social interaction embedded in the built environment

Connective plane between campus and city

top-left MIT campus architectural and landscape trends top-right existing public space evaluation matrix bottom framework development

01. Interior Corridor Mapping existing commonly-used routes and gateways shows that pedestrians typically navigate campus through its interior “infinite corridor,” emerging to outdoor public spaces only at the edges of the campus core.

02. Public Art and Architecture MIT’s public art and architecture showcases some of history’s most notable creatives. By connecting key artistic pieces across campus, historical tours of different architectural and artistic eras could be created. The routes converge along a central spine on Amherst Alley.

03. Public Life Drivers Despite a rich history of landscape design, MIT’s outdoor areas remain underused. The few active areas on campus show a clustering of inexpensive food, seating, wayfinding, and public art, elements that could be used to activate public life elsewhere on campus.

CO UR CA T M PU S AM CO ES UR CO T UR T ST AT A + N OR KE TH N CO DA UR LL T EN M TR AS AN S AV CE E EN TR AN CE

OT T

EA ST

CD M

ER M

CO UR

connectivity artwork food seating wayfinding

04. Water Management MITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campus has the potential to manage and filter a great amount of stormwater on its way to the river. To clean and store water, low-lying areas of campus could have bioswales that double as seating and social areas, while underground storage areas elsewhere could treat remaining overflow.

05. Opportunity Gradient Many areas of the campus have well-defined functions that are central to life at MIT. Other spaces are more mutable. By combining analysis of which areas are liable to change with a map of under-activated outdoor areas, an opportunity gradient was created to identify areas of highest opportunity and need.

06. Framework New well-defined and programmed outdoor pathways provide alternatives to the interior routes that are currently used to navigate campus. Using an arts-focused wayfinding system, outdoor food areas with seating, transparent building materials, and permeable paving patterns, the new exterior routes activate and connect existing outdoor spaces.

04 FLOODING PETRZALKA A project that addresses lack of engaging public spaces and water management issues in Post-Soviet communist housing blocks. Advised by Dana Cupkova Partner: Avanti Dabholkar 10-week long project

Petrzalka, the largest and most densely populated â&#x20AC;&#x153;living cityâ&#x20AC;? in Bratislava, is an example of the architectural and urban conditions resulting from the construction of social housing blocks. Characterized by panelized reinforced concrete block apartments, the uniformity of the pre-fabricated housing blocks led to relative monotony and programmatic segregation. The housing constructions disregarded specific local environmental, social

and cultural conditions of the site. Through rigorous site research at both a micro and macro scale, the project implements adaptive reuse methods that respond to current socio-cultural needs and seek formal differentiation of the collective space. This project aims to develop a system of resiliency in post-soviet city network that mores specifically addresses lack of engaging public spaces as well as water management issues characteristic of the site. Our

project organizes the landscape through computational strategies that respond to varying flood levels and aims to give the housing blocks greater public porosity. The new landscape morphologies allow for different programmatic uses that adapt to varying flood levels.

24 FLOODING PETRZALKA | Epi-Flows Studio

existing

proposed

EXISTING FLOODING CONDITIONS

SITE ANALYSIS

existing

3 4

01. Petrzalka

02. Existing Micro-climates

03. Zoning Variation

Flooding in Petrzalka has been mitigated through the use of a canal at a localized scale and with dams along the Danube River at a larger scale. The flooding however still affects the historical center of Bratislava.

The project site can be broken down into five housing clusters with slightly different characteristics. Due to their varying orientations, each cluster has a unique micro-climate. The diagram above shows a winter sun study.

Juxtaposing the existing micro-climates with the designed system, a zoning pattern was developed. Green indicates landscape that must be raised to increase sun exposure and the blue indicates where water channels should be created.

top left view through new housing complex public promenade bottom left view of flooded canal right site analysis maps

04. Program Variation

05. Leisure Cluster

06. New Housing

As a means to break the cluster monotony and regularity of the existing housing blocks, a distinct program was assigned to each. The programs include: business, leisure, education, and retail.

The leisure cluster was selected for further development. New landscape morphologies that could respond to varying flood levels were developed. Attention was given to the connection to the existing buildings.

To give the building clusters porosity, apartments were displaced from the lower levels and redistributed into the landscape. The old apartments become public spaces for the community.

26 FLOODING PETRZALKA | Epi-Flows Studio

top section through leisure cluster bottom flood logic diagrams

FLOOD LEVEL 1

FLOOD LEVEL 2

FLOOD LEVEL 3

05 MARKET HALL A market hall that emphasizes a flexible market in the central courtyard and becomes an extension of the Strip Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public realm. Advised by Donna Ficca 10-week long project

The project accommodates a 30,000 ft2 market hall, a destination restaurant and 10,000 ft2 of office space for the Strip District in Pittsburgh, a well known destination for fresh produce distribution. The idea that a market should be an expansion of outdoor space was the basis for the complex. My projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basic form of two opposing volumes emerged from the desire to create and inwardly focused courtyard. The courtyard was

programmed to be a flexible market for seasonal products. During the summer, the conditioned markets are unified through the central space. The roofs of both markets slope upward to emphasize the courtyard and create a visual connection between the opposing markets. A curtain wall facade and expansive skylights help blur the indoor/ outdoor boundary by flooding the space with natural light throughout the year. The restaurant is accessible

through the interior of the market or the habitable rooftop on the riverside. The separation of the market into two spaces serves as a larger urban gesture. The central axis becomes an extension of the Strip Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public realm and attempts to maximize the circulation flows into the market complex.

30 MARKET HALL | Advanced Synthesis Studio

MARKET HALL

SERVICE AREA

RESTAURANT

OFFICES

top-left 1/4”= 1’ basswood model from river top-right program diagrams bottom structural system wall details

GROUND LEVEL

top market complex plans at elevations 100’, 120’ and 135’ middle interior view of market bottom-right elevations bottom-left structural system detail

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

32 MARKET HALL | Advanced Synthesis Studio

top transverse site section through markets and courtyard bottom cross site section through courtyard

06 PLAYSCAPE A modern playground that encourages children to be outside, harvest creativity, and discover their potential. Partner: Avanti Dabholkar 1-week long competition First place

This project was designed for a week long competition sponsored by EPIC Metals and was awarded first place out of nineteen teams. The competition prompt was to design a folly that announced the impending riverside development project in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. The project seeks to engage the youngest generation of Pittsburgh’s community. PLAYscape is a modern playground composed of two climbing towers and three

colorful suspended tunnels that encourage children to be outside, explore and play. The tunnels are set at three different elevations and serve as connection pathways between the two towers. All the interior spaces are carefully catered to a kid scale. EPIC metals are used to enhance the structure. By using EPIC metal sunscreens and planting trees near the structure we were able to bring kids closer to nature. Since today’s kids will soon

become tomorrow’s future, it is the community’s responsibility to give kids a place to harvest creativity and discover their potential.

36 PLAYSCAPE | Epic Metals Design Competition

top view of playground from exterior bottom elevation drawings

top playground section bottom 1/4”=1’ model

07 RIVERSIDE PARK A riverfront park along the Allegheny River that addresses the sites ecological flows by collecting, filtering and re-distributing rainwater Advised by Dana Cupkova Partner: Avanti Dabholkar 3-week long project

The goal of the project was to design a riverfront park in Pittsburghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Strip District along the Allegheny River. Using computational strategies we were to develop a tectonic logic that addressed the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ecological flows. The project began with a computational exploration of digital surfaces using Rhino and Grasshopper. The surfaces were parametrically manipulated using a set of 3D attractor points. By changing the intensity and the number of attractor points, we

obtained a wide range of parametric surface iterations with distinct sectional qualities. Our project developed further around a fracturing system of sculpted digital surfaces that directed water flows throughout the site. A series of digital surfaces were manipulated to create a logic for landform architecture that collects, filters, and redistributes water. The site was programmed as a collection of retention ponds that addressed the Strip Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sewage overflow issues.

The fracturing system was imposed to create pathways in between the ponds. A canopy on the site provided a sheltered outdoor gathering space for the community. The form of the canopy was generated to collect, filtrate, and distribute water. Three main pools were designed around the main space. The canopy was then pushed and pulled to direct rainwater into these pools. Once again, a fracturing logic was applied to the canopy as a strategy to bring sunlight into the space.

40 RIVERSIDE PARK | Systems Integration Studio

top canopy tectonics bottom initial geometric explorations

left exploded axonometric of site tectonics bottom aerial view of canopy

08 BATHHOUSE A bathhouse and recreation complex for the visitors of Saco Lake in Crawford Notch, NH. Group: Colleen Clifford/ Jeremy Lu Advised by Jonathan Golli 3-week long project

Situated along Saco Lake in Crawford Notch, NH, the project consisted in a series of baths, meditation spaces and canoe docks. The bathhouse design developed around the idea of giving the visitors and experience through spatial sequences. The docks and the canoe ride were designed as the final experience after the visitors experience the baths and meditations spaces. The circulation of the bathhouse evolved from a set of two main axes that related to the site at a

larger scale: one pointing towards the train station of Crawford Notch and the other towards the Appalachian trails. The main materials used were stone for the walls emphasizing the main axes and concrete for the pool areas and changing rooms. A secondary layer to the project consisted in developing a component that would enhance the visitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience. The designed component resulted in a block placed within the stone walls that would

allow the integration of adjacent spaces through light and sound. The component was meant to deliver changing views as people circulate through the building enhancing views towards the surroundings.

44 BATHHOUSE | Materials Studio

bottom floor plan

top interior view of bathhouse middle cross section through canoe docks bottom transverse section through cold baths and docks

09 PERFORMANCE CENTER A multi-disciplinary performance center in Boston that foments creativity through the use of visual adjacencies between disciplines. Advised by Jonathan Golli 3-week long group project

This project consisted in designing a multi-story collaborative performance center that would bring together Boston’s multidisciplinary colleges including music, dance, and digital media. My design developed from the idea that collaboration reaches its potential when visual adjacencies between disciplines are encouraged throughout the building. As you circulate throughout the studio there is a constant role-play switch between

the observer and the performer. The essence of the building is revealed in the main performance space, which is set at the site’s most prominent location. Given the importance of the project’s location and the high pedestrian traffic around the site, the ground floor is meant to be a very public, engaging, and informal gathering space. Performances can be seen from the street when the weather permits and the

performance space can be used as a social area when shows are not taking place. The project not only meets the practical programmatic needs of the collaboration center but also takes into account its presence within Boston’s urban landscape.

48 PERFORMANCE CENTER | Materials Studio

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 4

left building floor plans right building section

about Gloriana Gonzรกlez is currently a 5th year student at Carnegie Mellon University pursuing a dual degree in Architecture and Civil Engineering and seeking full-time employment opportunities. I think design has power to innovate yet respect the cultural and environmental significance of the site through sustainable practices. I believe sustainability is most effective with the implementation of an interdisciplinary team collaborates from the beginning stages of the design process.

GG gloriana gonzรกlez Carnegie Mellon University Bachelor of Architecture B.S. in Civil Engineering