Expanded Architectural Portfolio

HUSSEIN ZAAROUR PORTFOLIO

Architecture embodies a vibrant fusion of art and innovation, offering limitless avenues for creative exploration. Within my practice, embrace this dynamic ethos, continuously venturing into new realms of design concepts, shapes, and forms. This portfolio stands as a testament to my dedication in integrating technical expertise into imaginative creations. Contained within these pages are a myriad of projects, each possessing its own distinct narrative. At the core of my design philosophy lies a steadfast belief in architecture's ability to evoke a multi-sensory experience, captivating not only visually but also on an emotional level. Whether shaping urban landscapes or crafting commercial structures, my approach revolves around a thorough comprehension of each project's purpose and societal context. Ultimately, endeavor to infuse every design with a unique identity and functionality, blending the poetic with the technical to create spaces that resonate with their inhabitants.

HIVE

Housing Innovation with Virtual Experience

With Lei Taishan, Ruihan

UCL-2022/2023

HIVE is an innovative initiative aimed at empowering communities and revolutionizing the housing process. It introduces an interactive platform that transcends geographical boundaries, allowing users to design and customize their living spaces while actively engaging with the production and fabrication of their personalized housing units. This initiative places a strong emphasis on addressing unique housing needs within diverse communities, promoting agency, social equity, and economic mobility. By embracing modular designs, digital fabrication technologies, and a circular economy model, HIVE seeks to minimize material waste, ensure structural integrity, and offer a wide array of customizable design options, all while prioritizing inclusivity and efficiency.

At its core, HIVE represents a novel perspective on architectural design and execution, emphasizing the democratization of design and the importance of efficient and inclusive fabrication processes. Through prefabrication methods, the project aims to deliver timely and resourceconscious solutions that reflect the needs of the communities they serve. The HIVE Platform acts as a collaborative hub, facilitating the exchange of ideas between designers, developers, and end-users, promoting a holistic approach to housing that values community engagement, innovation, and shared ownership in the design dialogue.

Synopsis

Chang, Yang Wu & Arjun Kapoor

The Bartlett School of Architecture

Residential Project

Decentralized (in London)

Architectural and Parametric Design

Rhino, Grasshopper, Enscape, Unreal Engine

CONCEPT INTRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

The HIVE project is an innovative architectural initiative that addresses the challenges of a growing population and limited resources by embracing a user-centric and efficient approach to design and construction. It champions 'Design Democratization,' enabling a flexible modular system that adapts to the evolving needs of individuals. Prefabrication is key to 'Efficient and Inclusive Fabrication,"'ensuring timely, resource-conscious, and community-reflective construction. At its core, the 'Collaborative Platform' fosters a synergistic relationship between designers, developers, and users, promoting shared participation in the design process. The project utilizes a hexagonal grid to define circulation patterns within its spaces, allowing for versatile configurations of straight, L-shaped, and three-directional modules to suit diverse needs and settings, laying the groundwork for the layout of private and public living areas in future development.

HIVE Concept Introduction & Overview

Implemented Strategies At the Macro & Micro Scale

AGGREGATIONAL PROCEDURES OF HIVE'S TYPOLOGIES

The HIVE project employs the WASP extension to craft a system of clusters, enabling diverse and efficient circulation patterns within an architectural layout, guided by the strategic logic of a Wave Function Collapse model. The user-centric design process is facilitated by a virtual reality platform. Comprehensive site analysis, powered by C# algorithms, assesses view quality and privacy levels, feeding into the strategic positioning of the units. This ensures an optimized blend of community interaction and individual privacy, while maintaining the integrity of the development's environmental and social context. The project's adaptive approach anticipates the evolution of individual and collective needs, providing a future-proof solution in the realm of sustainable and responsive architecture.

Computing the Aggregation Rules & Assembly

Adjencency

HIVE: Courtyard & Tower

KIT OF PARTS CONFIGURATION & LAYOUT COMPOSITION

The HIVE project features modular kits for interior and exterior design, tailored for easy customization and beneficial adaptability. Divided into 'dry' units for living spaces and 'wet' units for plumbing-required spaces, these kits fit into a pre-defined grid allowing flexible configurations, ranging from single studios to larger units. The designed furniture within these kits are integrated and adaptable, catering to the evolving needs of the residents. The design prioritizes seamless circulation among the kits, and the potential for horizontal and vertical expansion, encouraging community interaction and a dynamic/optimized use of space.

Kit of Parts Design + Configurations

Flexible Interior Design of Dinstinct Units' Configurations

MODELING PROCESS OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DWELLING

The project leverages advanced topology optimization techniques to craft efficient and structurally robust structures, all while minimizing material usage. Each aspect of the interior-exterior relationship is meticulously examined to guarantee privacy, complemented by a flexible facade system tailored to accommodate varying living space needs and user preferences. The result is a seamlessly integrated, harmonious, and sustainable living environment.

Dwelling Configuration: Flexibility of the Facade

Topology Optimization, Modeling Process

STRUCTURAL COMPOSITION OF THE DWELLING/APARTMENT

The integrated dwelling unit design combines both wet and dry functionalities into a harmonious flow of space.

Structural details, including the joints between concrete and timber materials, alongside the inclusion of service conduits are key to the fabrication process. The flexible partition enhances the utility and privacy within the unit. The facade corner detail serves both to reveal the design's layered complexity and to facilitate understanding of the assembly process. User customization is a core feature, with a variety of kits for interior and exterior finishes, reflecting a balance between personal preference and standardized design. The 3DP prototype illustrates the detailed layers of construction, emphasizing a simplified assembly for scalability, from foundational elements to the final timber skin and adjustable louvers, encapsulating a blend of aesthetic appeal and practical assembly in the building’s design.

Structural Composition + 3DP Facade's Corner Detailing

HIVE PLATFORM-INTERFACE DETAILING

HIVE HUB: IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

The HIVE platform is a multifaceted ecosystem with several benefits. For developers, it provides a comprehensive toolkit for optimizing construction plans through detailed site analysis, ensuring projects are planned with precision and efficiency. Residents have the ability to customize their living spaces, balancing personal preferences with budget constraints, allowing for a personalized and satisfying living experience. Central to the platform, the HIVE HUB offers a virtual environment for community interaction, enabling residents to connect and collaborate. It also provides a deep dive into the architectural nuances of their homes, bridging the gap between housing innovation and user experience on a global scale.

ECO-SCAPES

Ecological, Social & Economic Alternatives

Thesis Shortlisted in the 2022 Areen Awards Competition

American University of Beirut

AUB-Fall 2021/Spring 2022

Synopsis

The project embarks on a multifaceted exploration, drawing inspiration from the intricate world of dreams and translating it into tangible architectural forms within the urban fabric of Beirut. Part A delves into the immersive realm of dreams, recognizing their significance as a reservoir of emotions, experiences, and resolutions. Through meticulous research and conceptualization, the project endeavors to harness the transformative potential of dreamscape design. This exploration extends beyond mere aesthetics, aiming to address the complex social, economic, and environmental challenges entrenched in Beirut's urban landscape. In Part B, the project transitions from dreams to the concrete realm of architecture, manifesting into what is termed an Eco-Scape. Here, the dream becomes intertwined with the designed interventions that seek to confront and alleviate the city's pressing issues. By integrating sustainable practices and innovative design solutions, the Eco-Scape aspires to foster a harmonious coexistence between urban development and the natural environment. Ultimately, this endeavor weaves narratives of regeneration, and communal well-being.

Mixed-Income Housing + Urban Vertical Farming Beirut, Lebanon

Architectural and Urban Design

Cad, Rhino, Grasshopper, Lumion, Adobe Suite

CONCEPTUAL INTRODUCTION

Standard Dreams

Nightmares

Hallucinations

Lucid Dreams

Paramnesia

DREAMSCAPES: AN INITIAL EXPLORATION

The house stretches from earth to sky. It possesses the verticality of the tower rising from the most earthely, watery depths, to the abode of a soul that believes in heaven. Such a house illustrates the verticality of the human being. It dramatizes the two poles of house dreams (Bachelard, P45-46, 1957)

Gaston Bachelard's "The Poetics of Space" offers a fascinating insight into the experience of dream space. He describes a dreamscape composed of three levels: the dark cellar, the bridging corridors, and the lightfilled attic. Through his detailed descriptions, Bachelard illustrates how this dreamscape represents a sensory experience that includes vertically overlapping levels where humans and nature meet on a blurred boundary.

Drawing inspiration from Bachelard's work, have defined the dreamscape as a unique sensory experience that can serve as a temporary escape for its users or as a permanent, community-centric dwelling in a dystopian context. This dreamscape represents a space where the boundaries between human and nature are blurred, and the vertical overlapping levels provide a sense of continuity and connection between the two. This concept is particularly relevant to the urban setting of Beirut, where social, economic, and political challenges have created a traumatic environment.

From the Cellar to the Attic: A Community-Centric Exploration & Ascension

Emergence in Rectilinear Volumes

Nature: Intruder in the Dreamscape

LANDSCAPES' MULTI-FUNCTIONAL LAYERS

Dreamscapes as Eco-Scapes

A walk through a forest is invigorating and healing due to the constant interaction of all sense modalities; Bachelard speaks of ‘the polyphony of the senses’. The eye collaborates with the body and the other senses. One’s sense of reality is strengthened and articulated by this constant interaction (Pallasmaa, P.41, 1996)

’

CONCEPTUAL COLLAGE & STRUCTURE

The Green Space

The Living Space

STRATEGIES & OVERALL PLANNING

The project in part B remains firmly rooted in the complex urban context of Beirut, acknowledging its dystopian aspects while actively aiming to address them. Rather than solely indulging in utopian visions, the project integrates the dream narrative as a component within its architectural framework, recognizing the need for pragmatic solutions grounded in reality. The selected intervention site, a vacant plot nestled in the district of Ain El Mreisseh, holds strategic significance due to its prime location along the city's coastal area.

Miyawaki Forests

PLANS

The number of levels in the building was made with the purpose of preventing the structure from casting a shadow on the public space of the corniche. The housing units were designed to have more levels than the farming units, catering to the requirements of apartment residents, while also providing shade for the neighboring building which face the strong southern sun. The residential tower is comprised of shifting units that allow for open spaces to be incorporated, while also catering to the varying needs and preferences of its residents. The buildings' design integrates the existing landscape and socially activates the previously abandoned ground level, creating a cohesive and harmonious environment.

UNITS' CONFIGURATIONS

The

Moments within the Eco-Scapes

HIGH-BRID

Bridging Urban Living & Natural Connectivity

American University of Beirut

AUB-Fall 2020

'High-Brid' is a mixed-use development project that merges offices and residential apartments into two distinctive yet cohesive towers. The intertwining structure resulting from the design fosters interaction and communitybuilding, creating a harmonious and intimate living and working environment. A distinguishing feature of the project is the main bridge that connects the towers to the nearby Charles Helou park, enabling residents and workers to access its amenities effortlessly. The park is a distinctive green and social space that focuses on the hemp plant, known for its various health benefits, ecological and commercial advantages. Its recreational and educational functions are deliberately designed to complement the High-Brid complex, acting as a natural and beneficial "extension." An art gallery within the towers' ground level further enhances the experience, providing cultural enrichment and showcasing local artists' craft.

The 'High-Brid' project exemplifies an innovative approach to urban planning and architectural design that prioritizes sustainability, communal living, and environmental growth.

Synopsis

Mixed-Use Development Project + Park Design Beirut, Lebanon

Architectural and Urban Design

Cad, Rhino, Grasshopper, Lumion, Adobe Suite

THE HIGH-BRID PARK

The Charles Helou Station was redesigned to boast an innovative park design centered around the cultivation and commercialization of hemp plants. The park's location required some adjustments which included the relocatation of the highway to the lower level where unused parking space previously existed. To create a cohesive design that integrated with the urban fabric and surrounding environment, various strategies were implemented. As part of these strategies, the shadows cast by nearby buildings over the park were examined throughout the year to determine how best to allocate functions within the market space. This analysis helped to identify areas that would receive the optimal amount of direct sunlight, which is essential for the growth and development of the hemp plants

BerberiStreet

Relocation of the Charles Helou Highway

Design of the High-Brid Park, based on the Hemp Plant's Cultivation & Commercialization

High-Brid Park & Market

High-Brid Towers

CONCEPTUAL & FUNCTIONAL MASSING

Design of the High-Brid Park, based on the Hemp Plant's Cultivation

'High-brid' as a mixed-use development project, seamlessly integrates offices and residential appartments which meeting point foster communal activities, enjoyed by both residents and workers. The design of the 'hugging towers' features a central bridge that connects to the Charles Helou park, extending into the ground as an art gallery.

High-Brid Towers Functional Diagrams: Residential, Communal & Office Spaces

PLANS, STRUCTURE & DETAILS

TOWERS' FACADE CONFIGURATIONS

The residential and office towers that connect at the communal levels feature different facade configurations and materials. The office tower predominantly consists of glass panels to maximize light access and promote productivity. In contrast, the residential tower boasts a white concrete and hemp cladding construction to achieve a distinct visual identity while remaining harmonious and cohesive with the overall design aesthetic. The choice of hemp cladding reflects the High-Brid concept of sustainability, with its eco-friendly benefits helping to enhance residential wall insulation and reduce the carbon footprint. The residential tower's extended balconies provide a horizontal perspective, whereas the offices' glass facades achieve more of a vertical reading thanks the continuity of the mullions. Notably, the white concrete facades of both towers at the project's east and west plot limits were devoid of windows.

East North West South

Hemp Cladding White Concrete Steel for Beams

Double Glazing

South Facade Treatment I Interior & Exterior Residential Configurations

Facade Deconstruction I Materiality

SECTION THROUGH THE RESIDENTIAL TOWER

Mar Mikhael Neighborhood

High-Brid Hemp Park

SITE SECTION THOUGHOUT THE PARK

Mar Mikhael Neighborhood

High-Brid Towers

Hemp Park

Charles Helou Highway

WATER FLOW

Spatial Translation of Molecules

American University of Beirut

AUB-Spring 2019

Synopsis

The 'Water Flow' project designs an extension of the Biology library's existing stacks within the American University of Beirut (AUB). The primary objective of the project is to create a sensory reading space supported by an exhibition/social area. As part of the distinctive features of the project, a rigorous understanding and rethinking of library storage spaces have been incorporated into the design. The design draws inspiration from the various states of water, dictating the building's topology. Using water as a conceptual framework has enabled the project to integrate seamlessly with its context and landscape while establishing a strong conceptual connection with the older stacks. This project seeks to welcome all students, enabling them to experience the spaces differently through distinct morphological transitions. The deliberate shift from orthogonal to curved edges, reminiscent of the flow of water, strengthens the dynamic and engaging characteristics of the overall design. These spatial transitions encourage exploration and discovery, enhancing the user experience and fostering a sense of curiosity and interest within the library.

FROM WATER TO ARCHITECTURE-PROCESS

Design Process based on the Site's Landscape & Hardscape

The unique physical properties of the H2O molecule served as the core inspiration for the design, allowing for exploration of various shapes and forms. The project sought to represent the three different states of water, namely liquid, solid, and gas, in distinct and individual ways. The gas state was represented by open 'folly' structures, which created a performance space, providing a blend of indoor and outdoor experiences for visitors. The solid compact space was designed as the protective shell of the stacks, forming the heart of the building. The reading spaces depicted the liquid state, with water assuming spatially 'the shape of the container' around the existing trees on the site. The latter played a significant role in the design process, as their diameters and space requirements were carefully considered in the planning of the library extension. An unbuilt space was intentionally established around them to ensure their preservation and growth.

Site Integration I Resulting Design

LIBRARY PLAN & MODEL

The concept of 'Water Flow' represents the various states of the H2O molecule, including gas, solid, and liquid, as previously mentionned. The steel fooli structures symbolize the gas state, creating an open space that can accommodate performances and seating arrangements, and adapt to the users' needs. Moving further into the library, we encounter the solid space where the stacks are located. Here, the design becomes more compact and streamlined, with white concrete walls and glazed facades creating a visually striking connection with the surroundings. Once a book has been selected, visitors are able to delve into the liquid area, where the walls take on an organic pattern that flows around the existing trees. This area is designed to create a sense of tranquility and calm, providing visitors with an organic space to relax and reflect. There are no restrictions on where they can read, and they are free to explore both indoor and outdoor spaces as they please.

Liquefaction

Solidification

Evaporation

REVIVING CHEKKA

A Remedial Connectivity Initiative

With landscape architect Tima Farhat

American University of Beirut

AUB-Spring 2021

The 'Remedial Connectivity' project in Chekka, North Lebanon, represents an urban design initiative aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of quarrying activities by the cement industry on the coastal ecosystems. These activities have significantly impacted the area's natural environment, leading to a decline in biodiversity. The primary goal of this intervention is to restore the layers of the ecosystem impacted by industrial operations while safeguarding the richness of coastal ecologies and revitalizing the once-thriving coast. To achieve this objective, the project emphasizes creating a symbiotic connection between land and sea, fostering a balanced and sustainable relationship. Recognizing the complexity of restoring coastal ecosystems, the project adopts a holistic approach, integrating ecological restoration efforts with community engagement to instill a sense of environmental stewardship.

Synopsis

Sustainable Urban Development Chekka, North Lebanon

Architectural and Urban Design

QGIS, AutoCad, Rhino, Adobe

CHEKKA'S COASTAL ECOLOGIES ANALYSIS

MACROSCALE STRATEGIES I INTERVENTION

Chekka's Coast's Pictures Environmental Impact of the Macroscale

Abandonned Quarry

REMEDIAL CONNECTIVITY COASTAL ECOLOGIES

MICROSCALE INTERVENTION

The cement factory and abandonned quarries were selected as sites of intervention to create the ecological corridors that features a multi-level design approach. Community members contributed to the growth of the Miyawaki forests which efficient and socially valuable plantation process informed the design strategies and configuration of the spaces. The ecological corridors extend from the forests to the coast, where the cement industries are replaced with community gardens, playgrounds and market spaces. The journey culminates at the coast where the interaction with the marine ecologies is embraced.

Remedial Connection between the Land and the Sea

2. Running/Biking Track;Social Areas extending from the

3. Ecological Corridor stitching the Land to the Socially Activated Coast

1. Miyawaki Forests with Camping Sites & Cabanas for Social Interactions

4. Social Hub with Community Gardens, Market, Open Plaza, Restaurants

Miyawaki Forests

WORK EXPERIENCE

J2-Business Center & Retail Development

Bernard Khoury I DW5

Beirut, Lebanon Internship

Synopsis

This chapter provides insight into my experience as an architectural professional and the projects have worked on during my previous internships. Each project showcases my ability to collaborate effectively within a team and my technical proficiency in producing technical drawings. The J2 project, in particular, highlights my contributions to their respective production teams, where worked on designing plans, sections, elevations, stairs schedules, internal finishes, and more. Through these projects, have gained invaluable experience and knowledge that I continue to apply in my work today. My involvement in these projects has also helped me develop a keen eye for detail and hone my skills in producing technical drawings and documents.

Business Center and Retail Development

Kuwait

Architectural and Technical Design

Cad, Rhino, V-Ray, Microsoft Excel

TECHNICAL PLANS & SCHEDULES SAMPLE

J2 Business Center and Retail Development is a mixed-use project located in Kuwait City, designed and developed by DW5. The ground floor comprises retail units, showrooms, food and beverage outlets, and multipurpose halls, while the second floor offers flexible office units. The façade treatment features metallic structures and over-scaled frames, and the courtyard landscaping strategy creates an oasis-like environment with green patches, a shallow body of water, and outdoor seating areas. The outer peripheral edges are illuminated with 5,250 solar-powered lightbulbs, making J2 a unique destination for leisure, entertainment, and business in Kuwait City.

North Facade Design, Entrance I Social Interactive Space (DW5)

Ground Floor Plan I Sample of the Stairs and Internal Schedules

As an assigned member of the production team, made significant contributions to the technical drawings and drafting of J2 Business Center and Retail Development. My primary responsibility was to cover the stairs schedules for all levels of the project. also played a key role in updating and reworking the plans and sections based on the feedback and input received from weekly meetings with the clients. Additionally, I worked on the project's internal finishes and schedules.

Permeable Facade Advertisement

Courtyard

WORK EXPERIENCE

Saray: Mixed-Use Development

Bernard Khoury I DW5

Beirut, Lebanon Internship

Synopsis

This chapter provides insight into my experience as an architectural professional and the projects have worked on during my previous internships. Each project showcases my ability to collaborate effectively within a team and my technical proficiency in producing technical drawings. The Saray project highlights my contributions within the production team, where worked on designing plans, sections, elevations, sales documents, internal finishes, and more. Through these projects, have gained invaluable experience and knowledge that I continue to apply in my work today. My involvement in these projects has also helped me develop a keen eye for detail and hone my skills in producing technical drawings and documents.

Mixed-Use Development

Architectural and Technical Design

Cad, Rhino, V-Ray, Microsoft Excel

Casablanca

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS-PLANS & ELEVATIONS

The project is a mixed-use development in Casablanca with a total built-up area of 56,000 sqm that includes residential, hotel, retail, office, and clinic spaces. The project's intervention considers the large scale of the development and fragments what could have been a monolith by weaving a web of arteries across the site. The design includes commercial pavilions, suspended dwellings, reflective undersides, elevated villas, and repetitive plates. It also features interior courtyards and greenery which create a more open and breathable environment.

As part of the building permit submission, I updated and reworked the technical elevations and sections of the project. also worked on the plans, locating and designing the shafts across all levels. made necessary changes and suggested alternatives to ensure they connected effectively. Additionally, I worked on the sale documents, extracting and detailing the various types of apartments across the levels and blocks along with their respective details.

Courtyard 1 Interior Rendering East Facade Perspectival Rendering (DW5)

PHYSICAL MODELS

American University of Beirut

AUB-Spring 2019 Fall 2019

Model making plays a significant role in the architectural design process, allowing visualization and testing of ideas, exploration of various options, and refinement of the final design. The Hochar Tower and Sustainable Merge projects exemplify the importance of model making in strengthening their conceptual approach. The Hochar Tower's physical model helped conceptualize its complex geometry and reflectivity while highlighting its imposing presence in relation to surrounding buildings. Similarly, in the Sustainable Merge project, the physical model was used to depict a cluster of communal housing units, contributing to the integration of the site's environmental factors and topographical formations. This resulted in the development of housing units that minimized their footprint while maximizing sustainability. In both projects, model making represented a crucial tool in the iterative design process and concept development.

Synopsis

Hochar Tower; Sustainable Merge Prototype

Maquette Building and Prototyping

Beirut and Jabal Moussa, Lebanon

Architectural and Urban Design

Cad, Lazercutting Machines

PHYSICAL MODEL & HAND-DRAWN I RENDERED ELEVATIONS

The Hochar Tower's complex geometry, blending symmetry and asymmetry, defines the space it occupies and creates an imposing presence. Connecting with the sea through its reflective facades, it creates a dynamic interplay with the environment. The circular physical model complements its commanding presence, allowing it to overlook its surroundings. In contrast, the other buildings are represented as plain blocks to maintain focus on the Tower. The hand-drawn elevations also capture the Tower's grandeur.

The Hochar Tower Physical Model made with Cardboards + Plexiglass

SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH PHYSICAL PROTOTYPING

Integration of the Wind Tower & Courtyard Typologies in a Prototypical Model Series

The design process for the project involved selecting two architectural typologies, namely the wind tower and the courtyard, and incorporating environmental factors such as the wind and natural light. The resulting device/prototype was transformed into an architectural space located in the village of Mchati, in North Lebanon. The purpose of this space is to provide housing and workspace for startups transitioning from urban to rural environments. The project prioritizes merging living and working areas to foster a strong sense of community. In the design, the middle units were allocated for collaborative work and interaction, while the ones located at the edges were intended for private use. The functions were spatially organized based on the natural factors study, creating a space that optimizes the use of natural light and wind flow. This approach strengthens the sustainable concept that the project advocates for.

"Sustainable Merge" is a housing project aimed at designing functional and communal living spaces in Jabal Moussa village, prioritizing sustainability to minimize the building footprint while preserving conceptual efficiency and social cohesion. The design process considered the site's environmental factors and topographical formations, resulting in multiple clusters and housing units that vary in shape and composition depending on their location. The physical model of the project showcases a collection of clusters forming the community, highlighting the units' integration within the landscape and depicting the harmonious relationship between the living and working units, rooted in their context and respective environments.

Physical Model made out of Foam, Cardboard, Acetate & Vivac Transparent Sheets

Roof Slopping for Water Collection

BRANCHING OUT

Nature through the Parametric Lens

A Short-Term Design Exercise

Synopsis

The project 'Branches' embodies a vertical garden inspired by nature's branching patterns. It features public and social spaces aimed at redefining traditional structural norms by establishing a clear directional flow. Through careful hierarchy establishment, spaces transition from rigid to airy levels, creating a dynamic experience. Utilizing regulated Grasshopper scripts, three main module categories were designed to form the branching aggregation. This merger of parametric processes with nature's morphology results in a visually striking and functional structure. By seamlessly integrating natural components, 'Branches' offers an immersive space for people to connect with nature, showcasing the power of blending parametric design with organic inspiration.

INTRODUCTION OF THE CONCEPT & PROCESS ITERATIONS

The modules/parts were designed in different categories with numerous configurations, based on the level of confinement and airiness they incorporate. The first category of parts is the most confined, adhering to a more monolithic design approach. The second category features a reduction in the primary structure's thickness of its parts which become lighter and more open in the third category, representing the airy level. Following the design of the modules, several aggregations were explored in Unity, with the aim to support the project's conceptual approach and objective. The last iteration fused the distinct parts to create more or less dense clusters, with new and unique layout configurations. This exploration led to elaborate branching moments within the structure, with some areas being denser and others being more open. Some followed the same directionality while others deviated from it, creating a dynamic and visually striking design.

Parts A, B & C transitioning from the Monolithic to the Airy Level Process Iteration based on Parts A, B & C I Final Iteration with Basic Parts

FINAL AGGREGATION & RENDERINGS

'Branches' Final Aggregations with Rendered Constituent Parts

Following the substitution of the modules with the activated rendered ones, the final aggregation emphasizes the density within the design of the clusters and distribution of the flora. The resulting structure features cohesive and immersive spaces which redefine vertical gardens' typology, nature integration, and public spaces.

DESIGN FRAMEWORK

A Design & Visualization Exercise: Rhino+UE5

Inspired by HIVE

London, UK

Personal Project

Synopsis

Within this personal project, a keen observation of the crucial interplay between software utilization and design processes is highlighted. Through meticulous combination of sketches, modelling in Rhino, and refinement stages, the project illustrates the symbiotic relationship between creative ideation and technical execution. Integral to this process is the synchronization with Unreal Engine using DataSmith, which enhances immersion and realism. Each step, from environmental lighting to material assignments, contributes to the holistic design narrative, showcasing the importance of complementary software tools. Moreover, this project serves as a testament to the iterative nature of design, where constant refinement and back-andforth iterations act as extensions of the creative process. This dynamic approach underscores the project's ability to evolve and adapt, resulting in refined animations and a comprehensive understanding of the design process.

Residential Unit London, UK

3D Modeling & Visualization

Cad, Rhino, Unreal Engine, DaVinci Resolve

DESIGN PROCESS WITH RENDERED VIEWS

Cameras and Mixing the Lights

Synchronizing

ECO-SCAPES

HIGH-BRID

WATER FLOW

REMEDIAL CONNECTIVITY

J2 SARAY

HOCHAR

SUSTAINABLE MERGE

BRANCHES

ABODE: A HIVE CONTINUUM