Isaac Choukroun Guindi PORTFOLIO
ISAACCHOUKROUN Designer 1254 Commonwealth Avenue, apt 28 Allston, MA. 02134 P: 857.294.9309 E: isaacchouk@gmail.com
Biographical Note Isaac Choukroun was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico before he moved to Boston in the fall of 2013 to attend the Boston Architectural College. Previously, he attended an engineering school in Vancouver Canada, where he started his professional career. Isaac has only been recently involved in the world of design and thanks to the school of design at The Boston Architectural College. The BAC has given him the opportunity of exploring new skills he didn’t get the chance to develop before, and through various design courses he has created a new understanding of how problems can be solved through a design approach. He has past experience as a drafter for the Mexican architecture firm Visión Arquitectónica. As well as a freelancing designer for a couple of interior renovation projects. Isaac’s major concentration of Sustainable Design proves his devotion to the practice of green construction and the creation of more resiliently constructed environments.
Table of Contents
Design School
• V-Ray + 3ds Max • Historic Preservation • Degree Project
Work Practice
• Chihuahua #190 • Shuky Center - Templanza #17
Extracurricular Work
• Pencil Rendering • Photogrammetry • Adhesivo Magazine - article
3DS Max + V-Ray Through schoolwork and other projects I learned the basic work-flow of rendering an Architectural scene with V-Ray for 3ds Max plug-in.
Material Sampler
Brass
Brick
Cobblestone
Copper
Fur
Glass
Grass
Green Stone
Lava
Metal Grid
Aluminum
Poly Foam
Red Stone
Colored Glass
Traffic Stripes
Rusty Copper
Sandstone
Turquoise Stone
White Granite
Woven Reed
Historic Preservation & Heritage Documentation The School of Design Studies at the Boston Architectural College offers the course of Heritage Documentation in which they are able to travel into the Hudson River Region in Upstate New York to study and document the Hoyt House. The Hoyt House is a Victorian Gothic mansion designed by architect Calvert Vaux. The BAC partnered up with the Calvert Vaux Preservation Alliance (CVPA), and the experience was funded in part through a grant from the Historic Preservation Education Foundation. Abandoned since the 1960s, the Hoyt House is one of the last remaining houses by architect Calvert Vaux The trip to Hoyt House gave me the opportunity to put into actual practice what I had read about documenting historic structures and greatly improved my understanding of the concepts. I was also introduced to new technological tools that helped me through the documentation process. The trip started by having the group of students document the building’s existing conditions for future renovation and/ or construction. We then had the opportunity to attend an architectural photography workshop led by Christopher Brazee, a former photographer for the Landmark Preservations Commission in New York City. I learned about the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) photography standards and was able to take documentation quality photos with a large format film camera. At the end of the trip we presented our final work that was to be submitted into the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS PRHP); members of the CVPA; and members of the general public that formed part of the Hudson River Valley community. For the CVPA, our research will help them start a historic structures report that will help them pursue grant fundings. For the NYS PRHP, the report and photography helps the organization’s efforts to document the Hoyt House and monitor its decaying conditions. The full report will be archived in the records for the Hoyt House with the New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation headquarters in Albany, NY.
Large Format Photo Negatives
1" 7'-82
5'-2" 1" 1'-22
2'-10"
8'
4'-613 16"
12'-6"
5" 3'-016
RAHUL KERUR MARIKA DALLEY SNIDER ISAAC CHOUKROUN GUINDI
3'-8"
PANTRY
5'
2'-2"
3'-11"
3'-10"
3'-7"
1" 3'-104
1" 7'-102
3'-113 4"
1" 3'-74
JULY2017
7'-1"
DWG: A/ 3
1/8" = 1'-0"
51'-8" 1" 3'-112
THE BAC
JULY2017
DWG: A/ 2
3'-2"
3/16" = 1'-0"
6'-7"
5'-5"
3'-3"
THE BAC
JULY2017
2'-11"
LIBRARY
7'-3" 2'-7"
LIBRARY: HOYT HOUSE
3/16" = 1'-0"
5'-93 4"
3 19'-33 4" 11'-34"
5'
MAIN PARLOR
SECOND PARLOR
1" 20'-02
1" 4'-1016
53'-73 4"
11" 57'-816
LIBRARY
4'-10"
PANTRY
3'-8"
4'-113 4"
5'-7"
1" 4'-94
1" 7'-52
26'-23 4" 1" 50'-82
7'-1"
4'-7"
3'-10"
3'-7"
1" 4'-84
1" 7'-102
4'-9"
1" 3'-74
3'-2"
1" 4'-34
20'-1"
5'
11'-33 4"
4'-10"
2'
2'
MAIN HALL
13'-2"
51'-8" 3'-2"
2'-5" 1'-8"
7" 5'-316
DWG: A
1" 4'-82
MAIN PARLOR
SECOND PARLOR
1" 20'-01" 5'-72 2
2'
2'
1" 4'-44
3'-11"
RAHUL KERUR MARIKA DALLEY SNIDER ISAAC CHOUKROUN GUINDI
13" 10'-016
PARLOR: HOYT HOUSE
1" 5'-716
MASTER PLAN: HOYT HOUSE
11"
MAIN HALL
RAHUL KERUR MARIKA DALLEY SNIDER ISAAC CHOUKROUN GUINDI
13'-2"
4'-613 16"
4'-4"
RAHUL KERUR MARIKA DALLEY SNIDER ISAAC CHOUKROUN GUINDI
1" 1'-22
3/16" = 1'-0"
1" 2'-1" 3'-32
1" 5'-92
THE BAC
2'-1"
MAIN HALL: HOYT HOUSE
1" 51'-44 1" 10'-52
THE BAC
JULY2017
Submission Drawings: National Park Service
DWG: A/ 1
Degree Project
ABSTRACT
The diagram below shows the process in which my project was delivered throughout the span of two semesters. The first semester was a dedication to the learning and research of a specific topic in which the student found interest throughout his career, and was in search of developing the concept further for practical use. The second semester is the extrapolation of this topic into a design project in which the student will find design solutions and apply the learned material from throughout their entire career. I dedicated my first semester of the degree project into learning more about the variety of materials and construction methods available to us today. I learned about how different each material can be depending on what part of the world you are, and what makes the a material truly a sustainable choice given their performance. From this assessment, I was able to conclude what are the kind of materials that are more popular within the building sector and how they came to be the most traditional ones. This part of my research left me with more questions than I started with, how could the popularity of certain materials in the market not reflect their structural and practical value? Is the use of this materials dictated by something else rather than its own characteristics?
Research Sustainable Nontraditional Alternative + Construction Materials Methods
Research
The Effects of Urbanization in our built environment
Site Xochimilco, Mexico Research
Site The Charles River, Boston, U.S. Research
After finding out about the nature of our traditional construction methods in our urban context, and how they are affected directly by a globalized market, I decided to approach my research in a different way by specifying in a certain type of scenario. By studying the effects of urbanization and more specifically, the effects of urban sprawl within the urban fabric I found the true foundation of the problem: The uncontrolled expansion of cities and people leads to an irresponsible use of construction materials, which then leads to an irregular market that discriminates construction materials for their true value and performance. Irregular settlements are often the result of uncontrolled growth, while they also become the very foundation of the city as it expands.
During the second semester of my degree project, I decided on continuing my research by determining which less conventional materials are truly sustainable means of construction. The exploration of historic and native building techniques and materials led my to find out about various construction techniques that are not popular due to their rarity in the construction market. Some case studies that I looked at led me to the floating gardens of Mexico City and inspired me about possible ways in which very basic materials can be introduced into building systems to create resilient and environmentally sensible spaces. Because of my research and background my first site of focus was then decided on Mexico City, Mexico, but more specifically the borough of Xochimilco. Xochimilco is famous for being the last place to keep the tradition of Aztec floating gardens alive, where we are able to see the natural environment in which the natives of this region lives their lives and constructed their cities through completely sustainable means. After learning a lot about sustainable practices from the native Mexicans and their natural construction systems, I thought the right thing to do is to expose these solutions to the world and prove their functionality is not unique to their site. It seems to me that the construction means could be applicable to other urban infrastructure in order to address potential projected sustainability issues within a city. The floating gardens of Mexico City are completely natural structures that can be easily assembled and disassembled with immediately available resources. This combination of factors makes for a very resilient and environmentally conscious structure and space. My purpose for the degree project is to prove their flexibility as built environments and their potential use to remediate or create sustainable spaces for people to enjoy or take advantage of. Learning about these traditional materials and methods and how they could address a contemporary problem was the basic inspiration of my entire degree project.
What is the Problem *Agriculture in Latin America is in the process of recreating itself under the influence of population growth and accelerated urbanization. *There have been very few reports describing the process or creation of agricultural systems within an urban context. *Agricultural systems within an urban context have not been explored as a means of addressing climate change to the potential of the historic floating gardens.
Opportunities *Material use within our construction market does not represent the characteristics or structural value, and often leads to poor choice for solutions. *Material choice is very limited by the influence the market has over the availability of resources. *Popular construction methods and materials often lead to poorly constructed environments that often lead to worse situations.
BASIS
Unstable Urban Fabric +
+
Green Building Construction Methods
Inefficient Marginalization use of + of Communities Materials
il im
co, CDMX, M ex ic
Research
R es
r, Boston, M ive A,
U . SA
Alternative Sustainable Materials
h oc
o.
X
Research
Ch ar l
Start Point
*
Modern World Intervention
Historical System Research
Timeline
Materiality of our Built Environment sues
Site
Site
Site Analysis
Adaptive Reuse
Is
RESULTS
Urban Urban Poor Unstable Squatting + Sprawl + Growth + Infrastructure Communities
+
Inspiration
+
Disaster Prevention
The diagram above explains throughly the way my degree project was approached throughout the year. Starting from the left top corner, my first semester was dedicated to a complete devotion to research in a specific topic. My topic of interest had to do with the use of materials in construction and sustainable construction methods. Learning about how our built environment is made and how the choice of materials used came to be gave me further interest into how these decisions are made and who really ends up deciding on how our built environment looks like. The background I gained from learning about the different available construction methods and materials led me to find out about the underlying issues that make this possible. Some of these issues turned out to be effects of uncontrolled urban expansion and the ignorance behind the available tools and materials we use to construct our cities. The results of these events are pretty evident in many of our largest cities around the world. Urban sprawl affects all countries of the world and leads to the emergence of urban squatting communities and the development of a poorly built infrastructure in the built environment. The second part of my degree project was eventually focused on the actual design project. Taking from what I learned during the research period my intention was now to study a site and figure out the ways in which these conditions emerge from a specific site. My first focus was directed towards a site that is close to my home where I grew up in Mexico City. Xochimilco is a borough within Mexico City that has allowed me to understand the underlying forces within a movement of urban sprawl and how certain sites might be affected more than others. The next part of my project was greatly influenced by what I learned from the site analysis I did in Xochimilco, and throughout this project I attempt to bring solutions inspired from the urban context of Mexico City.
Critical Observations The aim of this investigation is to showcase the sustainability features of the chinampa practice in the Valley of Mexico, through a detailed analysis of their use and implementation of natural systems and materials in foreign sites. What could be learned for the benefit of another site? How could traditional practices and materials’ use be re-introduced and applied in another environment? Although Xochimilco was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, today the recognition is at risk due to the deterioration in authenticity and integrity of the chinampas. The popularity of these sustainable farming methods has dropped due to more traditional forms of construction taking over the market. The importance of rescuing the chinampa agricultural systems is pretty evident. The loss of this lacustrine environment would mean that living standards and well-being of the population would decrease as much as our environment suffers. Urban sprawl along with irregular human settlement around the natural protected areas will eventually break the natural balance within the supply and demand of natural resources, which in turn could cause all sorts of catastrophic scenarios.
Objectives • To produce a coherent study of the chinampa structures in which I can analyze the current possible solutions to the problem of urban development and the variation in scale of potential solutions. • To learn how traditional integrated structures could be capable of bringing back the original natural resource cycles into balance, through the use of sustainable practices • To create a community friendly endeavor which includes the public for the creation of their new environment.
Points to Consider >Development of an urban infrastructure rather than an agricultural one. >The lack of safeguarding of agriculture. >Disappearance of natural water channels due to urban expansion. >Decreasing water levels. >Exploitation of subsoil water reserves. >The introduction of invasive species; both flora & fauna. >Use of pesticides and chemicals for crops. >Loss of biodiversity. >Loss of valuable cultural connections.
What they are:
*Source: t://komoni.chemisax.com/la-primera-chinampa/
The canals of Xochimilco were initially created along with artificial agricultural plots called chinampas. These ancient settlements are also widely known as the floating gardens of the Aztecs, part of the Aztec Empire which was discovered by Hernan Cortez in 1519. The capital city of the empire, now Mexico City, was once one of the biggest and best-fed cities in the world. Chinampas were invented by pre-Hispanic natives from the region around 1,000 years ago. On these rafts which their foundation laid under a water body, the natives were able to establish a residential complex along with an agricultural one which helped support the population with jobs and food.
1. channel Gardens� 2. crops 3. Ancestral Chinampa “Floating
willows 4. 1. channel
woven 2. crops 5. 3. mud willows framework
4.
woven framework
5.
mud
The diagram above shows the ancient floating garden system that the Aztec Empire developed more than 500 years ago. These systems where built out of completely natural materials found in their immediate surroundings, effectively creating a resilient type of structure that allowed them to create a community without the deterioration of the surrounding environment or the obstruction of natural cycles.
Floating Chinampa Nursery Crops
Floating chinampa
Willow Tree
Water
Crops Soil/Concrete
Soil
Construction Debris Chinampa Water
Woven Reed Mud/Aggregate Chinampa
These grounds eventually became abandoned in our modern world, and became perfect sites for incoming irregular urban settlement. The people that were most likely forced to build their homes in these abandoned plots of land constructed their environment with the most readily available materials to them, creating all sorts of disastrous scenarios. As squatters continue to take over plots of land, more and more of our built environment is being built by people who are far from qualified to be constructing all of our infrastructure. The result is a community of illegal settlers that end up affecting the surrounding areas, mostly through an incorrect disposal of waste and resources which adds up to the pollution in an environment. These people are not to be confused with criminals, as they are also the victims of an unstable urban expansion giving them no means to find livelihood.
Water The canals of Xochimilco were initially created along with artificial agricultural plots called chinampas. Chinampas were invented by pre-Hispanic natives from the region around 1,000 years ago. On these rafts which their foundation laid under a water body, the natives were able to establish a residential complex along with an agricultural one which helped support a stable growing population. *Source: http://www.weinerelementary.org/rivera-and-murals.html
Squatter Settlement over a chinampa
*Depiction of the city of Tenochtitlan by Diego Rivera
Chinampa Anatomy Modern Floating Gardens
Crops
Beans, squash, maize, amaranth, tomatoes, chili peppers, ornate flowers, etc.
Structural Grid Bamboo, steel, wood, Bamboo lumber, etc.
Soil
Sustainable Soil Mix
Chinampa Compacted layers of the structural grid over the soil mix.
This is my re-iteration of what I envision the new floating gardens to look like today with the aid of modern materials and construction methods. The underlying structure and concept of the design remains the same, although I have made alterations in the material choice to suit a new set of different program uses. The main structure is made up of a structural grid system while the whole foundation of the structure is made up of a mixture of natural soils made to match the natural conditions or surrounding environment. Inside the designated site, one must alternate between layers of soil and the structural grid to create a stable piling of the structure. Once the “chinampa� has been made, its up to the vegetation to reinforce the system even further with the creation of roots.
Sustainability Aspects of Chinampas Chinampa Anatomy
Crops
V S
1.
channel
2.
crops
3.
willows
4.
woven framework
Ancestral Chinampa “Floating Gardens”
5.
Beans, squash, maize, amaranth, tomatoes, chili peppers, ornate flowers, etc.
Structural Grid Bamboo
Soil
Sustainable Soil Mix
Chinampa
mud
Modern Chinampa “Agricultural Esplanade”
By comparing the old and new use of the Aztec floating gardens we can see many similarities. While the design concept fundamentals are the same, we now have the ability to adapt every chinampa to the needs of every new site by choosing differing materials. Since site conditions and availability of materials differ a lot around the world, the purpose is to create a simple design formula that is flexible enough to be applied in any context or disaster event. The process of building a chinampa starts with an established construction methods that does not change depending on the project, that is because his it was developed by the Aztecs and remains the same due to the ease of employment. Although the construction methods don’t change, one has the options of using any material to create the structure they chose. When deciding on the material you will use to build a chinampa, you only have to take into account the structural capabilities, leaving you with complete freedom to chose the most suitable and resilient of materials. The result is a new type of structure that creates the foundation for a wide possibility of program uses. The purpose is to give each owner or communal leader the freedom to do as they please with their plot of land. Unlike the old floating gardens, which were mainly used for agricultural and labor purposes, we now have the freedom to designate different program uses such as the creation of communal areas, residential use, landscaping, etc.
1
There are plenty of sites that are suitable for this type of construction in and around the Charles River. Although the area I decided to focus on is the one surrounding the Charles River Esplanade in Back Bay. This site presents a great opportunity since it is close to an urban context that is in need of open communal spaces. Within the esplanade there are two areas of particular interest to me as shown in the diagram below. The places in which I intend to place the chinampa will be inside and outside of the esplanade itself as to expose it directly to the urban traffic of Back Bay while offering views of the city.. Charles River
Back Bay
Esplanade
Site Intervention
When taking into account the natural weather patterns of the New England area, it seems hard to believe that agricultural solutions might be able to withstand the harsh conditions. One great aspect of the floating gardens is their adaptability to their environment thanks to the natural characteristics of the materials chosen for its construction. The floating garden system can be utilized all throughout the summer, fall and spring seasons as the grounds are still accessible without the formation of snow. But even when temperatures drop around winter time, this structure can just lay dormant until the weather reaches a desired state again. This is a very important aspect of the park system as it does not demand extra maintenance costs from natural weather conditions. The diagrams below explain the different ways in which the Charles River floating gardens would react given the different seasonality of the Boston area.
Winter
Summer
During the Winter season, the Charles River freezes over and becomes almost inhospitable. The chinampas remain frozen until winter is over but the platforms can still be used.
During the Summer season, chinampas can be used as an extension of the waterfront that can support vegetation as well as paving.
Chihuahua 190; Mexico City, Mexico. During the Spring of 2016, I had my first experience as a freelancing designer. The project involved the renovation of a terrace space on the rood of a building. For this project, we decided to do design everything from light fixtures to furniture and finishes. The image to the right shows the proposal which was shown to the client for final approval. All the major construction jobs were outsourced such as carpentry, metalworking, lighting, plumbing, etc.
Master Plan Drawing
Lighting and Electric Plans
Detail Drawings This set of drawings shows the different specifications required to build the bench, roof deck, joints, and the fire place.
Shuky Center; Mexico City, Mexico. Shuky Center is a family owned plaza located in Mexico City which is dedicated for the sale of kosher products. Aside from food services such as restaurants and meatpacking facilities, the plaza has space for a bakery, retail, office space and communal areas available for rent. This renovation project is still under construction with plans to finish next year. I aided in the renovation efforts by delivering the necessary set of construction drawings and other special specifications that came up on a daily basis. I was also responsible for coming up with the detail drawings used for the building of the furniture.
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X1 Aluminum frames and window systems. PERFIL PTR
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Furniture: desks, storage, meeting tables, main desk. detalle 1a
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Pencil Rendering Class:
Base Drawing
Adding Color
Night Scenes:
More:
Photogrammetry Photogrammetry is the science of making measurements from photographs, especially for recovering the exact position of surface points on the desired shape. This tool was very useful to learn and has allowed me to recreate a very exact model of a detail that would be very complicated to reproduce digitally.
3D Model
Submission Archival Drawings 6'-4"
3'-4"
1'-8"
10"
3'-4"
1'-4"
3"
3"
5"
5"
3" 3" 3"
3'-91 4"
3" 3" 3"
2'-8"
4" 4'-10"
6'-3"
2'-6"
R2" R3"
10"
1"
10"
4" 10"
4'-10"
9'-7"
3" 5" 1'-4"
3"
1' 5'-8"
7"
10" R13 4"
3"
3'-4"
5" 3" 10"
10"
10"
10"
Agisoft PhotoScan Agisoft PhotoScan is a software that performs photogrammetric processing of digital images and generates 3D spatial models/data. This set of photos was used in my model to digitalize the wall detail for documentation.
-Isaac Choukroun Guindi