isa ac t eje ira
This portfolio contains the design work of Isaac Tejeira
I developed my interest in architecture as a child growing up in Cusco, Peru, a city rich in culture with great architectural marvels from the Inca Empire. This environment was key to my interest in architecture. It was not about just looking at buildings and celebrating the fusion of Inca and colonial baroque architecture. It was more about feeling that these buildings were architecture when people used them. I remember as a child sitting on a balcony in Cusco’s main square enjoying a cultural event going on below. The cultural event and human interaction with the colonial buildings built on top of Incan walls made me think of how important architecture could be in our lives. Then I saw the juxtaposition of the classical Incan architecture inside the city with the mediocre buildings and poor urban planning brought about by the pervasive poverty of the post-colonial society. This juxtaposition made me think about architecture and imagine a proposal to better the quality of life for the people. As I was turning my brain to thinking more about culture and architecture, I was also developing self-taught drawing skills. At first, I used to draw for fun, mostly in Japanese manga style, but as my interest in architecture developed my drawings became of another language, focusing on concepts and their potential. I began a period of self-motivated research and learning and developed a desire to explore more about structures. I can say that my passion for architecture is immense and it grows bigger as I go forward. One of the reasons why I say “passion” is because I’m currently studying another discipline at a community college, yet architecture remains my top priority in life. I feel I have no other option than to dedicate myself to studying architecture through academic excellence and continually improving my portfolio. I would like to present you my portfolio, which I’ve been working on for the last year as independent study. Most of the work shown here has been done without any formal artistic education or guidance. Isaac Tejeira
volumes + texture + google earth + surface + sketch
volumes
KID CONCEPT
5 in. x 5 in. x 11 in. Balsa wood & metal bars Work done independently
It is called “KID Concept� because as a kid, while in classes, I used to stack pencils on top of each other in a symetrical order to create interesting shapes. With that vague concept, a prototype was made to design chairs.
SCAFFOLDING
8 in. x 10 in. x 6 in. Balsa wood & SketchUp program Work done independently
After my observations while walking and contemplating New York City, I realized that the sccaffoldings built to fix buildings were very interesting. I saw these scaffoldings as part of the building’s skin that is created by a grid of poles. To me this observation was phenomenal and I applied this new obsession to a physical model. The model shows how practical the scaffoldings are for pedestrian circulation and useful as a public space; while the volume is being held gently by a grid of poles.
PAINTED HAND
7 in. x 3 in. x 4 in Plaster Work done independently
I decided to create this piece because there was a time that I woke up with my hands full of oil paint and went to sleep with my hands full of oil paint. Also, this piece gave me the opportunity to experiment with plaster and other materials for future projects.
POLES PAVILION
9 in. x 18 in. x 18 in. Balsa wood & acrylic Work done in classroom
This was the first project I did when I attended the New York Art Studio. My instructor challenged me to make a model that would include organic, simple and complex approaches.
CURVED LINES
12 in. x 6.5 in. x 5.5 in. Wood & resin Work done independently
This project was intended to hybrid a linear structure with a non-linear object and create a visually pleasing model. Also, this project gave me the opportunity to experiment with lighting and contrasts.
RECYCLE
24 in. x 18 in. x 13 in. Cardboard & velum paper Work done independently
After doing research on renovations of classical buildings, I realized that recycling buildings could have a strong impact in society. The “horns� sticking out of the windows were ment to be solar chimneys during day (facing up), and public lighting during night (facing down as it shows in the images).
ABSTRACT STUDY OF CATHEDRALS 17 in. x 10 in. x 5.5 in. Balsa wood Work done independently
This project was made to study gothic cathedrals and how modern architecture has the same concept of diminishing people and uplifting God when applied to religious structures.
textur
re
STUDY OF PRE-INCA FIGURES 48 in. x 48 in Oil on canvas Work done independently
This painting depicts a war between ancient pre-Inca cultures. These figures are drawn of textiles from the Paracas culture that flourished on the southern coast of Peru.
BAROQUE CATHEDRAL 39 in. x 30 in. India ink & coffee on canvas Work done independently
This painting was done years after I sketched a cathedral in Cusco, Peru, while at a café on the city’s Plaza de Armas. I was nostalgic for the city of birth, so I decided to paint an image that would bring back memories. I applied coffee to the painting to approximate the color of the stone used to build the cathedral, and at the same time the aroma of the coffee helped evoke the memories. It was as if that moment in the café were happening again.
TAPE STUDY I
48 in. x 36 in. Oil, acrylic & tape on plywood Work done independently
The inception of this technique was me making collages of figures and tape. By mistake the tape crumpled, creating texture in the collage. This made me think of a new abstract style using tape as surface for paintings.
TAPE STILL LIFE
20 in. x 16 in. Oil, acrylic & tape on canvas Work done independently
After taking my first formal art class, Painting I at community college, I decided to use mixed media to do still lifes.
TAPE STUDY II
48 in. x 48 in. Acrylic & tape on plywood Work done independently
This painting could be called an experiment. After a lot of tries at painting objects on the tape surface, I found that solid colors and saturated colors work best on the tape surface. This intense yellow color with the variations and contrasts created by the texture makes for an energenetic yet pleasing space.
STILL LIFE I
36 in. x 24 in. Oil on canvas. Work done in classroom
My penultimate project for Painting I includes six objects from still life.
STILL LIFE II
36 in. x 24 in. Oil on canvas. Work done in classroom
My final project for Painting I includes five objects from still life.
google e
earth
These are observations of terrestrial geometry and shape through Google Earth. My questions after seeing these figures were: How could people create such beautiful shapes that could only be seen from a top view? Why are there different terrestrial colors in the same geography?
surface
OCTOPUS
48 in. x 36 in. Charcoal on plywood Work done independently
This drawing was done with the intention of studying the tentacles of the octopus with the thoughts of applying them in experimental architecture.
CITY STUDY
24 in. x 18 in. Pen & marker
Work done independently
After reading a portion of the book Mutations by Rem Koolhaas. I understood how circulation matters from the smallest scale (an organism) to a bigger scale (a metropolis). I made this abstract drawing of a city celebrating crude oil. Crude oil being a very important asset in city movement.
“OBSERVATIONAL DRAWING� 24 in. x 18 in. Charcoal
Work done independently
When I was developing my portfolio, some critics in portfolio review recommended I do more observational drawings, specially still lifes. I decided to tweak that feedback into more dynamic compositions such as this drawing.
HUMAN CIRCULATION 24 in. x 18 in. Ink, Wite-Out & Highlighter Work done independently
This drawing explores aspects of architecture, human behavior and circulation. My interest here is having the people create an “organic� structure by entering the building.
PUBLIC SPACE
24 in. x 18 in. Charcoal & highlighter Work done independently
Part of my interest in architecture falls under the category of human behavior and environment. How attractive the environment is greatly impacts how human beings perform and interact in that setting.
HAND MOVEMENT
24 in. x 18 in. Charcoal & pen Work done independently
The first drawing shows a hand in tension while the second drawing shows the hand in a relaxed state and moving to its resting position.
SHOES
24 in. x 18 in. Charcoal and pen Work done in classroom
This midterm project for Drawing I includes four shoes drawn from still life.
45-SECOND DRAWINGS Work done in classroom
DRAWING I Work done in classroom
sketch