PORTFOLIO
IBRAHIM AL-WAZIR
School of Architecture + Design 2 0 1 7
EDUCATION VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIVERSITY, 2012 - 2017 B.Arch
+Dean’s List 2014-2017 +Robert L Turner Study Abroad Scholarship
IB
IBRAHIM AL-WAZIR [EB-RAH-HEEM]
+1 240.855.5020 ialwazir@vt.edu ialwazir
MONTGOMERY COLLEGE ROCKVILLE MD, 2010 - 2012 A.A. [Fine Arts Focus]
+Dean’s List 2010-2012 +Inducted into Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society +Graduated with Honors
REFERENCES PATRICK DOAN Thesis Advisor pdoan@vt.edu
HEINRICH SCHNOEDT Chair, Arch. Professor schnoedt@vt.edu
SKILLS+STUDIES
MICHAEL ERMANN Architecture Professor mermann@vt.edu
+ Hand Drawing + SketchUp + Photoshop
+ Photography + Rhino
+ Modeling
+ InDesign
+ Illustrator
+ Europe Travel + Linguistic Proficiency: -English
+ Architecture Theory + Color Theory
+ Building Assembly + Louis I.Kahn:
-Arabic
TRAVEL
-Casting / Wood&Metal shop
Buildings and Writings
Selected Projects Thesis Library A Space to Contemplate
Modeling
CONTENTS
Visitors Center I Visitors Center II Shed
Competitions A Star Library Red Warhol Wall
A section unfolds a story of a building. The interest lies in the discovery of the different narratives that occur in adjacent spaces. It includes different formal, functional, and atmospherical qualities. An abattoir becomes the catalyst to explore such an interest. For in a building that is shared between man and animal, the living and the dead, numerous opportunities are found to accommodate the different rituals required by the program. The addition of a religious aspect to the abattoir brings with it the architectural element of trajectory. The ritual must be performed facing the ka’ba in Mecca.
THESIS Program: Abattoir Site: Altach, Austria In Process
Initial sketch
Exploring some precedents and the concept of adjacent spaces juxtaposing one another.
First design scheme of the abattoir. The design was inspired by the butcher’s routine
A sketch of the Sacrifice room where the animal is slaughtered.
An illustration of the second design scheme which depicts most of the elements that are involved in the building
A model of the second design scheme
After evaluating the two previous designs, a third proposal combines the strengths of each.
Barn One of five drawings in a series.
The first building focused on finding the atmospheric qualities suitable for the different rituals a butcher performs. Each space acquired a unique aura. The second building was designed after understanding the technical essentials for an abattoir to function. It focused on practical reasoning and the equipment necessary for the butchering process. The design lost the sacrifice room and the thresholds between the different programs. The third proposal aims to combine both the practical and the emotional reasonings found in the previous designs.
Carcass Track The track runs parallel to the drainage system placed on the floor. The doors are designed to let the track through. The wormeye perspective highlights the intersection of lines in the Transition room.
Transition Room This is the sacred room of the Architecture. This space is where the animal is no longer perceived as an animal anymore but rather a meat product. The animal is flayed and cut in half to preparing it for the next process. The track shifts in response to that concept.
A LIBRARY Site: New Castle, VA. Challenges: + Narrow site
+ Creating a dialogue between the library and the existing buildings + Engaging the urban fabric
Picture of New Castle’s courthouse and the adjacent project site
Police Dept.
Office space
Retail shop
Small Courtyard Library
Courthouse Gallery space
Courtyard
Retail shop
Site plan showing the proposal with the existing buildings
Initial sketch of gallery space in an attempt to discover the language of the building; aesthetically and structurally. The idea expresses two parallel walls that have similar structural function but have been given different roles and languages. One is opaque and the other is translucent. The opaque wall functions to serve the programmatic requirements such as shelving for books and displaying artwork, whereas the translucent wall allows for daylighting and views to the adjacent courthouse.
Axon of final scheme, which involves three phases: Gallery, Library, and Office space. All spaces orient themselves towards the existing courthouse creating communal space between the two buildings.
Washing closet Storage space
Elevator shaft Gallery space Egress
254’ 30’
60’
20’ 6’
8’
North Facade & Outdoor Space
Book Shelving Floor & Reading Area
Two Floors of Office space Lobby space Egress
Special Collection Floor
80’
20’ 20’
32’ 22’
12’ 10’
A great opportunity was used to engage the structure of the building with the program. Some of the structural system of the opaque wall was exposed to be used as shelving. This gesture gave the shelving system a strong visual hierarchal order, where the structural beams are juxtaposed with thin brass plates.
A SPACE TO CONTEMPLATE A rusted halo sits atop a concrete structure. A long table is centered below. A window looking south allows one to track time through the movements of the sun. It is a space for contemplation.
Western Elevation
Section through the North / South Axis
Eastern Elevation
Northern Elevation
Section through the East / West Axis
Southern Elevation
East Elevation & Section
Detail B
Detail A CMU Bearing Wall
CMU Veneer Wall
Rigid Insulation 5/16� STL Threaded Rods holds and aligns the two metal plates Two 3/16� Corten metal plates
Detail B
Section of Skylight Connnection
SECTION A-A
D E TA I L 1
D E TA I L 2
A
D E TA I L 3
A
C O R T E N M E TA L
H O T- R O L L E D M E TA L W AT E R D I P F L A S H
CONCRETE MASONARY UNIT
E A S T E L E VAT I O N - S E C T I O N
OF ROOF
Detail A
Corner of Roof
D E TA I L 1
CORNER OF ROOF
Detail fragment showing a sense of order and hierarchy.
MODELING
VISITOR CENTER I Program: Blacksburg Visitor Building Site: Blacksburg, Va Challenges: +Narrow site +Existing adjacent buildings +Letting light in
V I S I T O R C E N T E R II Program: NYU Visitor Center Site: New York, NY Challenges: +Narrow site +Existing adjacent buildings +Letting light in + Programming
SHED Site: Appalachian trail, Blacksburg Challenges: + Develop a model that embodies the architectural language of a rising architect + Design a building that embodies the language of that model
COMPETITIONS
A STAR
LIBRARY
A collaboration with Bridget Walz The prompt focused on designing a fifty foot high library that would align with the height of the adjacent buildings and to fit in the narrow site. By lifting the building on pilotis and fitting the program into two stories, a communal space was realized below. Moreover, a red swing was hung from the structure of the platform to invite a playful and peaceful aura.
RED AIA Virgina Society Prize 2016 The prompt had asked us to design a place for contemplation that is symbolized by the idea of freedom. The design had to be influenced by the African American heritage theme. Freedom belongs to all. Freedom is personal. Freedom is found on swings.
WARHOL WALL MUSEUM Program: a market, a museum, and an apartment building Site: Lower East Side Manhattan, NY Challenges: + Designing an “inviting� market hub
+ Engaging the urban fabric + Finding a way to merge the different programs
Initial sketch showing a hung catwalk overlooking a massive wall of Warhol’s paintings
Entrance
Retail space
Egress Elevator
Apartment bldg.
Short-Film Theatre Bus stop Service Core
Warhol Wall
+Hallway +Restrooms +Egress +Bridge Museum Hall to the Theatre
Market
Warhol Screen Prints laid on floor
Top floor provides a balcony space with seating area.
Service Core Gallery Space
Gallery Space Wood Catwalk Bridge
Museum Lobby Museum office space
Louvres
Provides shading to the Essex market visitors. Blocks visual noise from museum visitors. Ties the different buildings in becoming a unified block
Metro access Museum Entrance Essex Plaza with seating arrangment
Short-film theatre
Service space Restrooms Mechanical space Hallways Egress
Warhol wall Wooden catwalk
Service wall interior wall envelopes vents exterior wall used to hang paintings Gallery space Lobby Office space Urban seating arrangement
Apartment building Market Louvres
Warhol Wall Wooden catwalk
Gallery space
Market
The louvres play a major role in the design as they are primarily used for shading the museum space and the ground floor markets below. The louvres also form a visual barrier between the two levels, reducing possible distractions caused by the market visitors below. Finally, the louvres are used to merge and unify the three buildings together and create a communal block hub.
The museum’s main hall is dedicated to the artist’s big paintings and screen prints. The hall includes a sixty foot wall which overlooks a suspended catwalk. The catwalk is hung from the roof structure by steel cables and is used to navigate visitors through the hall. The ground floor was treated as another canvas to display the works of Warhol. Two walls interrupt portions of the hall to serve the air vents needed by the space. The exterior faces of these walls are used to display additional artwork. The hall is surrounded by glass blocks to maintain a dialogue with other parts of the building and the city. The blocks also act to control the light that enters from the adjacent spaces and obscure the visual clarity of the main hall from the street level.