JOEL N. RIOS Design Portfolio
GSAPP
J. NICO RIOS Design Portfolio Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute RPI Columbia University GSAPP
Content Encoding Light Interlocking The Inter-Rockaways Shift Shelf Tactical Mutations: Recalibrating Development Urban Intervention: The Rockaways Place Making For Innovation Topo Bench Architectural Photography
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Encoding Light GSAPP Josh Draper + Eric Hagan Within a team of two, this elective investigated the use of single axis machines in conjuncture with fabric formworks. We were given an Arduino set and a linear actuator to develop a dynamic formwork that could be controlled by a grasshopper and flamingo definition. We began with a concept of puncturing through a fabric to allow light to seep into the interior. In order to achieve this we rethought the given single axis linear actuator and developed a three axis machine to mimic sun angles. This allowed us to create holes within the facade, generating ephemeral light qualities that would constantly change the interior by various holes receiving direct light, partial light and no light.
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plaster preparation
pouring plaster
module drying
adjusting the fabric
adjusting for sun angle
piercing the fabric
testing moisture
final model
module removed from stand
final two hole module
piercing the fabric
final three hole module
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storing position
adjusting to latitude
adjusting to month
real time movement according to programed adjustments in grasshopper
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adjusting to time of day
piercing potential
shadow study
embedded tubes to direct light
creases from the fabric formwork
sun study
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locating sun angles on the facade
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sun angles
8 am
9 am
10 am
11 am
12 pm
1 pm
2 pm
3 pm
4 pm
facade example
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INTERLOCKING THE INTER-ROCKAWAYS GSAPP Kaja Kuhl + Walter Meyer As a group of four, we studied and analyzed the effects of Hurricane Sandy and the potential for other devastating storms. We started by analyzing one of the most devastated areas in the NYC area, Rockaway, Queens. We reprogram and shift the existing impervious Jacob Riis Parking Lot, one of the largest parking lots in the world. The proposal brings a new intervention into New York City and the local community. The project interlocks hydrological and circulation networks through the equilibrium of cut and fill. By cutting a marina into the peninsula, a multifunctional destination is created to absorb and promote local recreational and commercial activities. Through sculpting the terrain, the landscape prepares the site for future flooding hazards by means of channeling, absorbing and storing excess water. New building typologies that adapt to the landscape and flooding levels are implemented throughout the site, creating a model for future development in Rockaways.
SITE
2013 100 YR FLOOD PLAIN 16 FOOT FLOOD LINE 42,600 residential units 18,790 residential buildings 649 commercial and other buildings
10 FOOT FLOOD LINE
42,600 residential units 18,790 residential buildings 649 commercial and other buildings
2050 100 YR FLOOD PLAIN SUBWAY TRAFFIC VOLUME
BUS TRAFFIC VOLUME
2 FOOT SEA LEVEL RISE BY 2050
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rockaway, queens
rockaway flooding and transportation analysis
aerial view
natural condition
light flooding
heavy flooding
extreme flooding
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current form
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proposed form
flexible facade
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C B
A
A: commercial district
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B: new housing
C: vacation bungalows
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SHIFT SHELF GSAPP Mark Bearak + Brigitte Borders This five week project was completed in a team of four. The class required us to build and fabricate a storage unit through the use of parametrics. We developed a bookcase that deformed from a regular grid through the shifting of levels to create a constant shifting of books. The project was developed through grasshopper and milled into components of plywood. We created reveals to accent the connections and milled the central nodes of each connection piece in order to emphasize the shifted grid.
cnc milled pieces
regular grid
direction of shift
shifted grid
extrusion of grid
construction of components
shelf formation
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connection detail
final model
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TACTICAL MUTATIONS: RECALIBRATING DEVELOPMENT MODELS GSAPP Sky Duncan + Dongsei Kim
R PA
As a team of five, we were given two sites, New Rochelle and East Harlem, that connected regionally however did not directly connect with each other. We created new development strategies that related the cities to one another through the studio topic of Health.
East Harlem East Harlem is in transition as new catalysts such as the new 2nd avenue subway is under construction and rent restricted housing are currently expiring. These forces are already causing a shift in the types of developments within the area, causing tension the large number of New York City Housing Authority communities. With the potential of development, NYCHA sees the opportunity to rent open spaces and community centers located on the campuses to developers to lessen its debt. Our project rethinks the New York Housing Authority infill proposal that consists of massive towers that lack a readable scale in the urban fabric. Instead, we disperse housing horizontally, while consolidating programs and investments that are scattered around the NYCHA blocks. Through this, we define a shared corridor and public spaces which bring back the fabric of the city in to the NYCHA blocks.
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current washington heights configuration
proposed washington heights configuration
N VE KA
UE
Catalysts
Dream School
Active Landscape
9 MIN UTE SW AL K
Private Development Infill New Low Income Infill
Dream School Extension
2nd Ave Subway Extension
Metropolitan Hospital
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45 floors
current nycha infill proposal
sports and health facilities
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39 floors
4 floors
25 floors
1 floor
our nycha infill proposal
education and park areas
new high rise
retrofitting nycha buildings
renovated apartments
Low Income Housing Market Rate Housing Community Workshops
pedestrian path through nycha building event space
water drainage system
cafes to continue street facade
Office Space Retail Space
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TACTICAL MUTATIONS: RECALIBRATING DEVELOPMENT MODELS GSAPP Sky Duncan + Dongsei Kim New Rochelle New Rochelle, located 40 minutes north of East Harlem, poses a similar economic issue to east Harlem. The northern part of the city and water front areas are largely privatized and generally accessible only to the wealthy, while the downtown area houses large numbers of immigrants and minorities. We see the opportunity to utilize the New Roc City, located downtown, as a catalyst for change.
New Roc 1.3 million visitors per year, Currently
The Project creates integrated multifunctional districts with complimentary programs, representing the city’s historic entertainment culture. The districts aim to draw diverse demographics to the downtown area and create a more well distributed and vibrant development
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current new rochelle downtown configuration
proposed new rochelle downtown configuration
Vacant Retail 15 units in down town area
Catalysts Retrofitted Units New Units Active Urban Landscape
9 MINUTES WALK
New Anchor Cultural Center
Old Theaters Loew’s Theaters Proctorts Theater Town Theater
Library Green Concerts and Events
HUGUENOT
ST.
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New Residential & Office Buildings
connection to library green
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Retrofitting Empty Shops
New Roc
vertical expansion of parking with historic theater elements
new cultural center
retrofitting empty storefronts
new anchor
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URBAN INTERVENTION: THE ROCKAWAYS GSAPP Chris Kroner In many areas around NYC, theme decorations occur around subway lines, with some subways even arranging Christmas lights around the station during the winter. The Rockaways, located on the Peninsula attached to Queens, has a very unique culture compared to the rest of New York City. The quick pace city life changes to a more surfer mood as you enter this part of the city. One of the most accessible beaches around the city is located in the rockaways, brings huge crowds to the area during the summer months. This small urban intervention over subway stops near and in the Rockaways can help reinforce this change of mind-set and create theme connection to the Rockaways. The final submission for the project was two renders, while a movie was presented at midterm.
aerial view
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interior view
size distribution
frames from the video
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PLACE MAKING FOR INNOVATION GSAPP Richard Plunz + Katherine Orff
Live Our studio traveled to Colombia to investigate a peri-urban town of San Cristobal, located just outside of Medellin. San Cristobal was once a community that thrived on farm production, however since a wave of immigrants have come to the greater Medellin, large towers have invaded the area starting near a metro cable line. This has caused a lack of infrastructure and creating a bedroom community. In a group of four, we rethink the development patterns to create an opportunity for innovation and economic improvement. The project aims to tap into the existing wave of innovation in the city of Medellin and create spaces within San Cristobal that foster such activity, to create economic generators for a sustainable pattern of densification. On the site exists the Botero Library Park that is a symbol of spacial and technological innovation that the city has invested heavily in. However the effects of the Library is limited do to the sprawl of San Cristobal. We integrate mix-use spaces for incubators, training facilities, schools, commercial, and housing. Through layering these spaces, we set up areas of convergence and engagement to promote innovation.
urban fabric
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Ownership
Work + Play
70% - 66% SELF BUILD + 34% SOCIAL HOUSING SAN CRISTOBAL
Employment
Migration
Transportation
30% - NEARLY ALL WORK IN MEDELLIN
7,000 NEW RESIDENTS IN 2030
SAN CRISTOBAL TOBAL 1.5
hrs ME MEDELLIN
socio-economic and physical connection to medellin
MEDELLIN
Consolidating Existing Zone Generating New Hybrid Revitalizing Incoming Density Indes Block Grid Local - Bus Route Express - Bus Route Commercial Corridor
proposed plan
existing drivers
existing plan
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M - Revitalizing
L - Proposing
Primary Catalysts Secondary Catalysts
S - Consolidating
Local - Bus Route Express - Bus Route
Physical Connection Programs Programmatic Connections Commercial Corridor Connection Vacant Land / Open Space Waterways / Creeks
towers near metro cable line
Indes Block Grid Consolidating Existing Zone Generating New Hybrid Revitalizing Incoming Density
Metro Cable Social Housing Vacant Land Prison
Downtown Catalysts for Densification Current Densification Direction Social Infrastructure Transportation Routes
farmland site strategy
+
+
downtown san cristobal
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river strategy
connectivity strategy
B
C
A
C. revitalizing the monolithic
B. new development prototype
innovation infrastructure community areas
implementation nodes
A. consolidating the downtown
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model
A A. consolidating the downtown
retrofitting old hospital
Co-operative Operated Green
Mixed Use Units
Innovation Center Re-purposed Building Training Center Incubators Workshops
Terrace Pooling
Incentivize Commercial
+
Live + Work Spaces Ateliers Retail Training Areas
Intra-Block Mixed Use Units Higher Units (4-5 flrs) Low Rise Units(1-3 flrs) Constant Green
10m 10m
6m 6m
Semi-Public
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Community Green
100m Cooperative Space
Public Realm
Middle Income Units
Self Built Housing
model C
C. revitalizing the monolithic
creating mix use active zones
Innovation Center
Retrofitted Training Center
Institutional Plug-in Workshops Production Areas
Middle Income Units
Mixed Use Cluster Retail Incubator Residential
Building Level
Intra-Block Mixed Use Units Middle Income Housing Existing Social Housing Community Green Innovation Infrastructure
Training Innovation Retail
Cooperative Space
Semi-Public Lower Floors
Social Housing
Community Green
Private Areas
100m
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B
B. new development prototype
co-operative center
mixture of self-built and government sponsored housing
Training Center
model
Mixed Income Cluster
Incubator Production
Co-operative Center
Self Built Housing
Workshop Production
Inter-Block
100 m 100 m
Intra-Block Low Income Middle Income Community Cooperative Public
Cluster Level
Building Level
50% - 4 Middle Income
30% - 3 Isvimed 20% - 2 Self Built
10m
Public Realm
Semi-Public
Cooperative Space
Private Areas
Community Green
100m
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Block Courtyard
innovation areas overlapping with public space and residential units
mixing age groups
institutions with connections to exterior
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a-b
c-d
e-f
d’
e’ +
+
++
GSAPP Nathan Carter
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TOPO BENCH
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+
b’
a’
f’
c’
--
These topography benches hoover above the ground while the overlaying of wood becomes the connector for growth. By creating various end pieces, we can create multiple variations of the topography.
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d’-e’
d’
e’
--
-
b’
a’ c’
f’
variations of end pieces
a
bench connections
possible bench growth
various sitting positions
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c’-d’ -
b’-c’
--
The benches were developed in a team of two where we decided to use plywood with various woods to create urban landscape though connecting benches.
b
b’
c
topography growth
bench hovering over the ground
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ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY GSAPP Erieta Attali Photography is my favorite way to personally engage and study different aspects of architecture. Capturing moments that inspire and tell stories through a single image is very powerful. Projects can be made by just one incredible image, be that a render or a photograph. Detailing the spacing, texture, and light help me further understand ways to create similar moments in my architectural designs. These photos were taken with my D5100 Nikon DSLR camera and edited in Photoshop and Lightroom
hudson yards, new york city
highline, new york city
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morningside park, new york city
morningside park, new york city
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joel.n.rios@gmail.com 713-822-2707