PORTFOLIO Iulia Cristina Sirbu
PORTFOLIO
Iulia Cristina Sirbu MSc in architecture and urbanism iulia.sirbu@ymail.com
August 2017, 24th I am a recent graduate of the European post-Master in Urbanism (EMU) of Delft University of Technology and, despite the scientific design menthality, I love the impredictable. I am facinated by the imagination and its power oulining future scenarios of our living environments. The new possibilities that such arise are followed by new questions, investigation and awareness; all being thus, challenges that my curious mind thrives to take. During my studies in the Netherlands, which as a consequence of highly professional interdisciplinary approach that combined research and design throughout scales, contributed to the development of my set of advanced knowledge and competences in the field of urbanism together with valuable technical, social, and soft skills. Constant work in teams up to 15 people with different backgrounds and specializations in practice, advanced studies and extracurricular activities, developed my social skills which can facilitate good planning of the team work, following objectives, keep members involved by encouraging participation and respecting all opinions while making decisions democratically. The successful finalization of academic projects under the framework of local initiatives implied a careful planning of objectives and of resources available, decision of how to pursue potentials and/or obstructions, assigning tasks and setting priorities. I developed these skills and I understood their importance as I dealt with them in different proportions and contexts, self-managerial team and also in practice. Added to a previous master’s degree in architecture and the experience gained at internships within different countries, EMU contributed to broadening my professional horizons; I had the opportunity to look at the European tradition in urbanism from different perspectives by studying in Universita Iuav di Venezia, Italy. Furthermore, I was an active editor of Atlantis, a student magazine on urbanism and landscape architecture in TU Delft. My final thesis at University of Delft, about the possible scenario of no fossil-fuels and the effects of this shortage on territorial development in a distant future, was rewarded with an honorable mention. Finally, I learned deploying a critical research work using tools such as mapping, interviews, workshops, sketches, photography; bringing together the interests and requirements of different actors through the ability of translating them into spatial, strategical elements constructing inter-disciplinary communication and visualizations; argumenta-
RESUME
Experience Student Assistant at Technical University Delft Delft, The Netherlands January 2016 - July 2016 (7 months) Author/ Editor and Illustrator at Atlantis Magazine Technical University Delft, The Netherlands September 2015 - July 2016 (11 months) Urban planning and design intern at YellowZ Berlin, Germany March 2015 - August 2015 (6 months) Research assistant at State University of Campinas Sao Paolo, Brazil September 2013 - November 2013 (3 months) Urbanism Intern at Anonimimarlik Istanbul, Turkey June 2013 - August 2013 (3 months) Education Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands Master of Science (M.Sc.), European Postgraduate Studies in Urbanism (EMU), 2015 - 2017 Università Iuav di Venezia, Italy Exchange semester in Urbanism, Consortium of EMU, 2016 - 2017 Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, Turkey Erasmus Exchange Program in Architecture, 2012 - 2013 University of Architecture and Urbanism „Ion Mincu” Bucharest, Romania Master of Architecture (MArch), 2008 - 2012
Activities and Societies Study day: Utopia and the project for the city and territory Venice, Italy, 2016 International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience Bucharest, Romania, 2012 Software Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Autocad
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ArcGIS, QGIS, Depthmap (Space Syntax), Rinoceros, SketchUp, Adobe Premiere - Languages Romaninan
native
English German Spanish
excellent (IELTS 7.5) good (B2 Goethe Zertifikat) good
excellent good
CONTENTS
PLANNING FOR THE END OF FOSSIL FUEL and beyond 2050 Academic
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TU Delft, The Netherlands
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The province of Groningen, Feb 2017-June 2017
HIGHWAY FOR COWS Editorial
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Atlantis Magazine for Urbanism and Landscape
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TU Delft, The Netherlands, 2016
European post-Master in Urbanism (MSc) Graduation Project
Published
THE NEXT ECONOMY Academic
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TU Delft, The Netherlands
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South Holland, Sept 2015-Jan 2016
International Architecture Biennal Rotterdam 2016
NEUPERLACH Residential neighborhood Professional
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Yellow Z
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Munich, Germany, 2015
TRANSFER STATION Academic
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Competition, 1st place
University of Architecture
and Urbanism Ion Mincu >>
Istanbul, Turkey, 2014
Diploma Project
PLANNING FOR THE END OF FOSSIL FUEL, and beyond 2050 Case study: the Province of Groningen
In a world of competition for natural resources, planning ahead is necessary. David Grahame Shane who mentioned in an interview for BINA and Gradologija (DAVID GRAHAME SHANE / CONTEMPORARY CITIES AND URBAN DESIGN / INTERVIEW, source: https://www.youtube. com/) the fact that the availability of natural resources (coal or oil) has always influenced city planning and today especially, the oil crisis brings changes in the urban space. Hence, since globally there is a
Academic European Master in Urbanism (EMU) MSc graduation project Individual project Mentors: prof. dr. ir. Arjan van Timmeren, ir. Nico Tillie, prof. Paola Vigano Date Febr 2017 - June 2017 Location TU Delft
Figure 0. Illustration by Jenna Arts
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The above illustration is an allegory of the influence of the current energy system on our daily lives; the activities around a regular household, the food, or the design of the space intermingle with the product of some far-from-sight industrial sites. Once a natural and healthy lifestyle, the present situation depicts men addicted to the greasy and black substance which, stored in several massive tanks, seems to predict the fear of a possible depletion. An act of enslavement under intangible paradoxes governs even the most ordinary moment of our daily routine.
01 Fig. 01 Fun & production dikes Energy will be saved while produced as power used for fighting against water will be saved and more will be produced due to inland water movement. Here, fundamental living, recreational and educational experiences in the nature will be intermingled.
Hypothesis. Our living environment could be an economically attractive, socially inclusive, safe and clean environment; a beautiful place where one can be sure of the provision of energy and water. A designed territory that brings industries, rural and urban areas together. It could be a common ground which would valorize the potentials and exchange the benefits of existing diversity. The sustainable energy system would be its binding element and it could be the central focal point for the further development of our inhabited space.
The challenge. Imagine cities or regions not addicted to fossil fuels. How would that change the way we live, work, and move around the city?
Left. Groningen, city center, somewhere beyond 2050. Rescue structures emerging from the flooded city. Visualization representing the risks that might occur in the future as result of climate change. What if, the risks are turned into potential for sustainably produce energy? Right. Groningen, city center, somewhere beyond 2050. Smooth transformation of the urban interface as a result of the transformation of environmental risks into regional potential for energy production. As a result, urban environment preserves or even enhances its attractiveness.
Fig. 02 Windy, wild and productive coastline
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More land will be reclaimed. The parallel piers accosted along the coast will have two functions: the accumulation of sand and formation of wild and public beaches, and support for more possible wind turbines, followingthe structural pattern of the landscape behind the dikes. Here, the land will be used as a source of biomass production; open air harvesting areas or glasshouses for agri- or horticulture will follow the structural division of the landscape. This productive area stands as a buffer zone between permanently, lightly inhabited landscape and the attractive, temporary sandy coastline. Curious about wind technology? An educational center with a panoramic point could facilitate a better understanding and acceptance of such structures.
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Problem statement. A clear end of fossil fuel is anticipated, situation which will inevitably lead to big changes in the landscape. Contrary to the present conceled energy-related carriers, the future energy system composed of renewable resources will have a far-reaching effect on the familiar agreements. Although the society has always been benefiting from energy as a commodity, it has been separated from the space where it found its place in its developing process. Richard Sears (2010), a geophysicist and executive at Shell, talks about the peak of the oil industry reached in the end of the 20th century just like in the beginning of the same century, there was a peak coal; and a hundred years before that, there was a peak wood (fig.01). This rhythm in the evolution of the energy systems offers a preview of the future cycles: a peak gas lays few decades ahead of us, and beyond that, peak renewable by 2050.
Fig. 03 The relative change to the energy mix over the past four centuries (source: Landscape and energy, by D. Sijmons)
Fig.04 Energetic urban street Who consumes less? Who produces and harvest more? All numbers releted to energy consumption and production in any of its forms will be displyed out in public. Powered by solar panels incorporated in the new forms of asphalt, the live statistics will bind communities by motivating them to be competitive and, maybe, share and support each other via energy community clubs. However, such a scenario would increase the awareness of the users on the amount of energy consumption per household and thus, it would help using more efficiently the power supplies. It could all end with an increased interest of the users in functional mixture, which will lead up to extensions of their houses. New design and technological ideas will therefore, be required.
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The problem of no fossil-fuels generates a unique situation in relation to which choosing the Province of Groningen as the unit of intensive analysis, challenges various generalized assertions on the same topic. The case study of Province of Groningen has a strategic importance in relation to the global problem regarding the future of the energy system. It stresses development factors in relation to the context by helping identifying questions and directions for the development of the main project.
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Fig. 05 Province of Groningen and its location Fig. 06 Transect GroningenEemshaven, future spatial display of energy related structures and morphology, and thier relationship through energy layers Fig. 07 Waste heat reuse diagram and spatial proximity Fig. 08 Energy layer spatial arrangement diagram Fig. 09 Types of energy landscapes
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Solar heat Geothermal heat Cold storage Biomass Wind power Solar power Water power
Cultural benefits
Economic benefits
Environmental benefits
Social benefits
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Fig. 05 Outlook on the image and structure of the Energy Territory in 2050
Fig. 11 Living Laboratory The present post-industrial area on the outskirts of Groningen will be mixed with dwellings and other public functions such as commercial spaces, educational institutions, or leisure areas. The extensions of the existing structures, when the function allows it, can take the shape of a glasshouse while, in other situations, they can actually accommodate different types of urban agriculture. Located in the lowest area and due to energy save & production, some parts could be turned into either permanent canals or areas which can be temporarily flooded.
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Fig. 12 Solar highway Extensive areas along the highways or main national roads are permanently exposed to sun. They could become the source of power yield at the scale of the entire province through the Earth energy layer, but also, by being provided with the technologies afferent to the situation and to the Market energy layer, the power generated by the solar ground material will be used in the vicinity of the highway such as for lighting, car on the move charging platforms, electric bikes charging points, or small highway public facilities.
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HIGHWAYS FOR COWS The new Dutch horizon
Imagine what would happen if cows were brought in the urban environment as a top layer and needed to be considered in the urban and landscape research and planning facilitating...
ATLANTIS MAGAZINE by Iulia Cristina Sirbu Date May 2016
The article proposes a provocative approach on the transformation of Dutch urban areas when the “carpet metropolises”1 unfolded across entire deltas risk to leave no space for nature to take its course. Suffocated by future growing urbanization and suffering from environmental effects, the Dutch landscape needs to be re-envisioned. Cities become “landscape architectonic subjects”2 from which constituent flows can be used as a planning tool and are formative to urban form (Dirk Sijmons, 2015). In the Dutch landscape inevitably there is an almost omnipresent element which has the potential to become part of a network. It is definitely part of a system and a very well organized one. One that receives quite a lot of attention and that concerns us directly: Cattle. Would you imagine an elevated infrastructure that can be integrated in the ecological approach of designing and planning the landscape, generically called highways for cows? Imagine a green infrastructure meandering along the vast urban fabric eschewing the built form, passing by different public spaces, circumambulate various urban hotspots or architectonic subjects, or where perturbation of its wandering happens, it clings to urban solids, it permeates architectural orifices, or it overlaps the blockage managing thus, to sneak through the urban pattern. It will be adapted to the future abstraction of the living environment.
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The new infrastructure will reclaim both aerial and ground space, public and private lands changing thus the imagery of the urban environment. The urban milieu will be reworked as its image and mechanism will be transformed. Different possibilities of inclusion of the new infrastructure in the urban fabric will arise enhancing thus, the differentiation of spaces. Each of the newly designed component spaces will have the role of transforming input forces and movement into a desired set of output forces and movement. It will be a new urban figure that will allow continuity of fluxes and discontinuity of matter which constitutes those flows. Imagine cattle as input; its embodied energy (Fabian, Giannotti et al. 2012) (movement, parts, derived products, residues) will be accommodated and distributed in order to valorize it by transforming it into desired set of other forces and movement. Imagine it as an express road carrying livestock flows and connecting different urban fragments filling the urban emptiness with isotropy of micro urban specificities. The present notions of urban mixité, opacity, transparency, or privacy will be de constructed and recast as changing the description of the city. The planning process of the new infrastructure will request addressing the permeable character of the space, its infiltration and filtration capacity. The infrastructure could be imagined as capillaries that could be planned as ‘resources’ which will insure the proper ‘irrigation’ of the dense urban fabric with natural flows (vegetation and animals) (SecchiVigano, 2009)...
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In the end, the new image of the Dutch horizontal metropolis will be facing hybridization. The cattle representing a natural flow will be formative to the urban structure and mechanism. The spatial hypothesis of a green infrastructure which accommodates livestock flows will be supporting the predicted Dutch extremely spread urbanization. Yet, is this a desirable future? Could this be the spatial solution to preserve the cultural aspects together with the socioeconomic benefits of the present Dutch landscape? Could it be a starting point for reversing the intense urbanization process aiming thus, for the reclamation of extended open green areas characterized by pasture agriculture, clean air and pleasant space for recreation but within the limits of the urban areas? Or it is only a scenario of a preventable future?
1. Abduction, picture by author 2. Bring back the cows, picture by author 3. Highways for cows, elevated multi-functional space, picture by author.
THE NEXT ECONOMY Metropooling the Zuidvleugel 2040
From a loose network of places to a metropolitan region
CITY PORT, ROTTERDAM Academic project under the theme of International Biennal Rotterdam 2016 Team: European Master in Urbanism (EMU) students Studio tutors: dr. Roberto Rocco, ir. Daan Zandbelt Date Sept 2015 - Jan 2016 Location TU Delft
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for complete project see: https://issuu.com/vincentbabes/docs/emu201516booklet_final/1
City, port and nature meet here. Once the largest port for fruit trade, now is turning into a modern working and innovative area. This spot is bonded through a diverse and good transportation infrastructure to its surroundings: Rotterdam, Schiedam, RDM, Port, Midden Delfland and Delft. Through blue-green structures, attributes of the diverse surrounding areas such as manufacturing, knowledge, leisure, natural resources are being discharged into the Cityport. Therefore, it becomes a place where companies, universities, research centres, light industries and other urban facilities come together.
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The cityport is a strategic location together with other two spots within the port of Rotterdam. They have been chosen due to the already existing potentials each place has. All of them benefit from a good existing infrastructure- as in water network, road etc, platforms for interaction- such as informative points and social media, and global and regional connections- in terms of energy distribution, trading and worldwide corporates.
1. City port- strategic location, picture by author 2. Attributes collection spot picture by author
12. Kernel density map of leisure clusters and transportation proximity, picture by author 13. Phase 1- local integration: road bike infrastructure, picture by author 14. Phase 2- connection to the urban life, picture by author 15. Phase 3- connection to the wild life, picture by author
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LOCAL SCALE It becomes a strategic location due to the multitude of sectors that can benefit from future planned developments. A landscape intervention would strengthen the integration within the urban sphere (Rotterdam and Schiedam) green and grey structures, would bring facilities specific to urban agglomerations while providing ecological services such as leisure, fresh air, natural resources recycle and identity protection. It has the potential to enhance the multi-functionality of the place and creating a suitable and attractive environment for businesses and industry while keeping longterm need for sustainable energy demand and for diversity of leisure and entertainment choices.
Kernel density map of leisure activities, Blue-green structures
GRADUAL TRANSFORMATION Each phase has social and digital goals that are being supported by the ecosystem services. The first phase wants to increase the awareness about the potential and challenges the place has for facilitating the access of the locals, visitors, entrepreneurs and volunteers. Further on, the physical landscape transformations attract new actors such as: companies, jobs, academic and research institutions and together with an opened public space and the help of digital component of our society, the interventions create platforms for interaction, financing and innovating. Therefore, it is created a propitious ecosystem for global companies, institutions and organizations, employees and researchers that to want to be there and not somewhere else. The algae energy and leisure park represents a Suitable industry and academia that attracts businesses and offer jobs. the experience gained in smaller scale markets- costs will be reduced and the cultivation areas will be increased. utilisations of other type of plants of algae for biofuel.
PHASE 1 Awareness Re-structuring landscape bike paths Leisure & transit boat terminal
ECO-SYSTEM SERVICES:
improving the air quality while enhancing recreation, health and improving the aesthetics
PHASE 2 Transparency, platform for interaction and crowdfunding
PHASE 3 Global connections
Leisure areas Research hub Green Dam- Panoramic bike & pedestrian route Re-purposing post-industrial legacy Local water Collection ponds Experimental Sustainable energy
Algae Park & Research Center Visitors Center Hydrogen (in-land) boats Boat Terminal Research hub Innovation hub Exhibition Hall
enhancing identity of the place and the cultural heritage while improving the recreational choices
provisioning of fresh water while supporting reuse of natural resources
improving the resource recycling while educating
enhancing biodiversity while educating
enhancing the identity while educating-tourism
NEUPERLACH Residential neighborhood
The planning area of competition is at the intersection of very different city areas. In the southwest Neuperlach as contiguous large settlement of the 60s, designed and built 2as an independent satellite “greenfield”. In the Northeast, the single-family houses of Trudering as an extension of an original village structure. From the north the extended Friedenspromenade limited the plan area for Waldtruderinger Forestry. In this Vis-à-vis the landscape area is a central (living) quality of the place! The context lines of cultivations of Trudering Neuperlach be continued and superimposed in the plan area. In addition, the draft important ways compounds supplemented in a direct manner and integrates the Mercure hotel and the heating plant at Karl-Marx-Ring. This derived from the stock line network forms the backbone of the urban
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Layouts. The area of the gravel quarry is largely kept free of construction. The east bordering on the area landscape space thickens here to a central neighborhood park and opens from the new quarters out the view to the west in the open countryside.
COMPETITION TEAM Riegler Riewe Architekten lad+ landschaftarchitektur Yellow Z: Mario AbeL Oliver Bormann DATE January-July 2015 LOCATION Neuperlach, Munich Germany
1. Masterplan, picture by the team 2. Axonometric view, picture by the team 3. Concept sketches, picture by the team 4. Atmosphere on the promenade along the park, picture by the author 5. Axonometric view, picture by the team
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TRANSFER STATION The transfer station has the potential to create the premises for urban development and revitalization of the central area of the asian side of Istanbul, Kadikoy. The challenge. Given the fact that internationally there is a big interest regarding the development of important economic centers globally interconnected, urban mobility is the starting point for the present project. Therefore, the studied area presents series of problems regarding mobility that requires solutions such as: overcrowding, chaos of fluxes, traditional urban fabric, degradation of urban life, spontaneously developed transportation system, social and cultural environment characterized by a continuous fight tradition vs. modernity.
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DIPLOMA/ MASTER THESIS PROJECT DATE January-July 2014 LOCATION University of Architecture and Urbanism Ion Mincu, Bucharest
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1. Alien abduction, picture by author 2. Highway for cows in the city, picture by author 3. Returning to the city, picture by author
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3. Site location in the city, picture by author 4. Concept street view, picture by author 5. 3D design views, picture by author 6. Design development sketch, picture by author
5 PAST, PRESENT, and VISON
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In the last years the public space for pedestrians has been reduced in favor of motorised traffic. There are projects that not only aim to share the limited public space with means of public transportation but, also to facilitate an eco-fiendly urban mobility by creating pedestrian streets and bike lanes. These measures together with the decrease of parking spaces and the limited access in specific areas or time slot have proved their efficiency regarding the urban imagine and, thus, the quality of life will be improved. The quality of urban image can encourage people to be part of several activities, while a poor one leads to only neccessary and routine activities. Creating some attractive places that invite people to bet actively involved has the capacity to determine an increased mobility within the ciy. The transport has an important role within the configuration process of a city, being part of the master plans. It brings changes to the type of transport. It created a good accessibility in the city, connectinf different districts, and contribuing to the development of isolated and disadvantaged areas.
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9. Station entrance, picture by the author
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Iulia Cristina Sirbu iulia.sirbu@ymail.com +31 6 15437090 Professional reference:
prof. dr. ir. Arjan van Timmeren TU Delft | Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment Scientific Director | AMS Institute T: +31 (0)15 27 84991 M: +31 (0)6 39250977 e-mail: a.vantimmeren@tudelft.nl more info: upon request