Karan Matta - Architecture Portfolio by Karan Matta

Karan Matta Portfolio

TREE HOUSING

Air Filtration Through Vegetation Site: The Bronx, NY Program: Housing Instructor: Erica Goetz Partner: Yong Yeob Kim Columbia GSAPP Fall 2020

Buell Paris Prize 2021 Runner Up The project is tackling the issue of poor air quality through vegetation as a means of filtration. The massing follows a series of bars that stack from the street to the north-east corner of the site. Each Bar consists of an aggregation of units and shared balcony spaces that operate as green/filtration pockets. They prevent air from stagnating around the building by creating a porous profile, aiding wind circulation. The vegetation in the pockets plays the role of a cleansing barrier and purifies the air before it reaches the building’s inner parts. When looking at the building in section, the bars ascend vertically and are suspended/cantilevered at moments. This creates a healthy amount of void spaces at the ground level allowing plenty of daylight into the lower levels while giving some units a feeling of levitation.

West Elevation

South Elevation

East Elevation

North Elevation

Bar Aggregation

3 Floor Skip Stop

2 Floor Skip Stop

2BR

2BR + 2BR

3BR + 1BR

3BR + 3BR

Unit Aggregations

Studio + 3BR

Site Strategy

Unit Aggregation

Green Pockets

Circulation System

3 11

11 8 2

10 9

5 12

Circulation Core and Lobby

Restaurant

Restaurant Kitchen

Cafe

Bar

Takeout Restaurant

Laundromat Lobby (Underground)

Gym Lobby (Underground)

Outdoor Eating Area

Basketball Court

Entrance to Underground

Bicycle Stand

Bronx Documentary Center

100 ft

50 ft

25 ft

Level 0

0 ft

100 ft

50 ft

25 ft

0 ft

Level 3 The individual units also use a skip-stop design allowing cross ventilation to occur in the section. Having operable sliding doors and windows allows for this to happen.

100 ft

50 ft

25 ft

0 ft

Level 2

Since most of the building is covered with glazing, a double-skin facade of operable louvers has been designed to reduce harsh sunlight in the interior spaces.

FARMACY

A Living Library Site: Mid-Hudson Valley, NY Program: Vaccination Center/Food Library Partner: Gizem Karagoz Instructor: Phu Hoang Columbia GSAPP Spring 2021

‘Between Walls: A Living Library’ is a proposal which sees the vaccine rollout as an opportunity to initiate a locally sustainable cold chain that will be used well beyond the current health crisis to connect communities with fresh produce. In the near future, one cold storage room sits below four rammed earth wall pavilions, which are constructed as open air spaces to accommodate the vaccination process. The open air structure of the pavilions allow for natural ventilation through the space, while allowing daylight to enter to keep the spaces thermally comfortable. In the distant future, the site expands below ground to utilize the earth’s insulation properties to store agriculture. Using a mixture of passive and mechanical interventions, varying temperatures throughout the underground cellars create hot-dry to very cold-moist conditions depending on the crop. The backmost cellar is 20ft deep and stays at the average year-round temperature of 50-60F. We found the passive cooling capacity of root cellars as an opportunity to support vaccine storage in our near-future program and crop storage in the distant future. Placing vaccine refrigerators in steady passive environments can help reduce its energy demand, and support this shared infrastructure needs.

Soil Temperature (F)

Soil Conditions

Less than 20 Degrees

Deep Freeze - Winter Kill Possible

Less than 33 Degrees

Frost Line - Soil Frozen

Less than 50 Degrees

Too Cold To Plant - Root Growth Only

51 - 59 Degrees

Minimum Growth - Optimal Root Growth

60 - 75 Degrees

Optimal Shoot Growth

76 - 90 Degrees

Ideal Growth - Shoot Growth Only

37°F 4” 37°F 8”

Month: January February March April May June July August September October November December

Average: 41.9°F 43.7°F 44.2°F 39.3°F 53.3°F 57.6°F 60.4°F 58.9°F 56.9°F 52.1°F 46.8°F 44.6°F

39°F 16”

40°F 32”

Depth

Ulster County is an agriculturally abundant region, yet it is also considered highly food-insecure. Crops grown in the Hudson Valley are collected and distributed from regional cold storage facilities, only to return to a grocery store a few miles from where they were produced. This mismatch between food production and food accessibility foreshadows challenges to the local distribution of Ulster County’s highly centralized vaccination program. Currently, the Ulster County Department of Health is operating two Points of Dispensing for the Covid-19 vaccine at Kingston High School and Ellenville High School. While the county’s vaccine distribution plan emphasizes a strong focus on reaching underserved populations, the centralization of these sites does not ensure fair and equal access to the vaccine. Our case study design proposal is located on the site of Esopus Public Library, a site which has an existing community program, a terrain slope of 1/10’ and an adjacent unbuilt area of soil that can be excavated. The average soil temperature in Ulster County is 48F, allowing the ground’s thermal and moisture conditions to provide passive methods to store, grow and cultivate crops.

Distance

Standard Wall B

Standard Wall A

Standard Wall with Window

Greenhouse Wall

Rammed Earth Wall + Fruit Wall

Warm and Dry Storage (e.g. Squash Storage) 50-60 degrees Farenheit 50-70%+ relative humidity

Temperature stays at 50-60 deg Farenheit year round 20-30 fee below the ground

Cold and Wet Storage (e.g. Root Storage) 32-40 degrees Farenheit 90-95%+ relative humidity

Cool and Moist Storage (e.g. Potato Storage) 50-60 degrees Farenheit 50-70%+ relative humidity

Program Program Usage Program Usage Usage Near Future Near Future

N/A N/A

N/A

Near Future

Vaccine Cold Storage Vaccine Cold Storage

Distant Future Distant Future

cavation

Vaccine Cold Storage

Vaccine Cold Storage Vaccine Cold Storage

Vaccine Cold Storage

Vaccination Booths Screening/

Vaccination Booths Vaccination Booths

Distant Future

Cut & Fill: Rammed Earth Walls Underground Greenhouse Underground Greenhouse

Semi-Underground Root Cellar Underground RootUnderground Cellar Underground Greenhouse Semi-Underground Root CellarSemi-Underground Root Cellar Root Cellar

Underground Root Cellar Community Library Space Community Library Space

Community Library Space Community

Kit of KitParts of Parts Kit of Parts

Walls

Subrtactive: Excavation

Cut & Fill: Rammed Earth Walls

Timber Truss

Pre-Fabcricated Pre-Fabcricated Curved Pre-Fabcricated Rammed Earth Curved Walls Rammed Earth Walls Curved Rammed Earth Walls

Roof System

Rammed Earth Walls Pre-Fabcricated Rammed Pre-Fabcricated Earth Walls Rammed EarthPre-Fabcricated Walls

Roof System

Pre-Fabcricated Stairs Pre-Fabcricated Stairs

Roof System

Pre-Fabcricated Stairs Concrete PlatformConcrete Platform

Addative: Fruit Walls

Subrtactive: Excavation

Cut & Fill: Rammed Earth Walls

grees et

Cold and Dry Storage (e.g. Onion Storage) 40-50 degrees Farenheit 60-70%+ relative humidity

Very Cold and Dry Storage (e.g. Sweet Potato Storage) 32-48 degrees Farenheit 60-70%+ relative humidity

Very Cold and Moist Storage (e.g. Cabbage Storage) 32-48 degrees Farenheit 80-90%+ relative humidity

Concrete Platform

In the near future, one cold storage room sits below four rammed earth wall pavilions, which are constructed as open air spaces to accommodate the vaccination process. The open air structure of the pavilions allow for natural ventilation through the space, while allowing daylight to enter to keep the spaces thermally comfortable.

The circulation between the health clinics occurs at grade through the site’s natural landscape, and internally the vaccine hub can accommodate 7 booths to administer on average 340 vaccines per day, a projection that we think is appropriate for a networked community scale location.

distant term enclosed pavilion near term open air pavilion

capping

formwork rammed earth wall

plinth beam excavation grid

Program Usage

Near Future

N/A Vaccine Cold Storage

Vaccine Cold Storage

Vaccination Booths

Screening/Waiting Space

Semi-Underground Root Cellar

Underground Root Cellar

Community Library Space

Community Social Space

Distant Future

Underground Greenhouse

Kit of Parts

Timber Truss

Pre-Fabcricated Curved Rammed Earth Walls

Roof System

Pre-Fabcricated Rammed Earth Walls

Pre-Fabcricated Stairs Concrete Platform

cold storage near term vaccine pavillions

-20 ft. Temp = 55F year round

cold storage near term vaccine pavillions

-20 ft. Temp = 55F year round

community kitchen composting area fruitwall garden

food hall

community kitchen composting area fruitwall garden

food hall

MELROSE COMMUNITY CENTER Program: Community Center Team: Ethan Davis, Ben Fox, Nash Taylor

Columbia GSAPP, Fall 2020

BEK Group Ethan Da Ben Fox Karan Ma Nash Tay

20' - 0"

10' - 0"

20' - 0"

10' - 0"

Architectural Joe Hand

ROOF 58' - 0" 13' - 0"

Structural Co Amy Har LEVEL 4

Mechanical C Chris Ash

15' - 0"

45' - 0"

Enclosure Co Katherine Gaby Bra

LEVEL 3

BEK Group Ethan D Ben Fo Karan M Nash T

15' - 0"

30' - 0"

LEVEL 2 15' - 0" 15' - 0"

BEK STU LEVEL 1

15' - 0"

0' - 0"

BRONX

Architectur

COVER S Joe Han

-15' - 0"

SECTION LOOKING NORTH

10' - 0"

20' - 0"

Melrose Community Center 20' - 0"

20' - 0" 20' - 0" 363-381 East 151st Street Bronx, NY 10455

20' - 0"

Structural C Amy Ha

Project Number Date

20' - 0"

10' - 0"

20' - 0"

Mechanical Chris A

Drawn By

Checked By

ROOF

13' - 0"

58' - 0"

Scale

.T00

Enclosure C Katheri Gaby B

LEVEL 4

15' - 0"

45' - 0"

LEVEL 3

15' - 0"

30' - 0"

LEVEL 2

15' - 0"

BEK ST

BRONX

SECTIO LEVEL 1 0' - 0"

15' - 0"

Project Number Date B1 -15' - 0"

SECTION LOOKING SOUTH

Drawn By Checked By

Scale

A30

2 20' - 0"

3 10' - 0"

W14 X 132

F 5

20' - 0"

W14 X 132

11 20' - 0"

12 10' - 0"

W14 X 132

BEK Group Ethan Davis Ben Fox Karan Matta Nash Taylor

W14 X 132

30' - 0"

4 20' - 0"

W14 X 132

En c l o s u r e Co n su l Katherine M. C Gaby Brainard

W14 X 132

BEK STUD

W14 X 132

M e c h a ni c a l C o n s u Chris Ashton

W14 X 132

S t r uc t u r a l Co n su l Amy Harringto

W14 X 132

W21 X 147

W14 X 132

D 15' - 0"

W14 X 132

30' - 0"

OPEN TO BASKETBALL COURT BELOW

W14 X 132

W21 X 147

40' - 0"

Architectura l Con Joe Hand

BRONX CE

PLANS - L

W14 X 132

Project Number Date W14 X 132 BEAM

W FLANGE BEAM

W FLANGE BEAM - MOMENT CONNECTION

TRUSS

3 1/4" LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE ON 2" METAL DECK

CONCRETE SHEAR WALL

Drawn By Checked By

FOUR-PILE PILE CAP TWO-PILE PILE CAP

Level 1 STRUCTURE 1/8" = 1'-0"

Scale

S101

F300

GL02

F300

F400

GL02

BEK Group Ethan Davis Ben Fox Karan Matta Nash Taylor

M01

F 5

Panel Clip

W14x132

W14x132Panel Track

W14x132

M e c h a ni c a l C o n s u l t a n t Chris Ashton

W14x132

W1 4x 132

W14x132

8" CMU Wall

W14x132

W14x132 W1 4x 132

W14x132

En c l o s u r e Co n su l t a n t s Katherine M. Chan Gaby Brainard

W14x132

Air/Water/Vapor Barrier

W1 4x 1 32

W14x132

W1 4x 1 32

W14x132

W1 4x 1 32

W14x132 W1 4x 132

W14x132 W14x132

W14x132

W1 4x 132

W14x132

W1 4x 132

W14x132

W14x132 132 4x W1

W14x132

132 4x W1

W14x132 132 4x W1

132 4x W1

W14x132

132 4x W1

W14x132

132 4x W1

W14x132

Mineral Wool Insulation

W14x132

Level 4 45' - 0"

Level 3 30' - 0"

Level 2 15' - 0"

W14x132

C01

BEK STUDIO

S303

Roof 58' - 0"

S t r uc t u r a l Co n su l t a n t Amy Harrington

C01

W14x132

Architectura l Consulta nt Joe Hand

MFR. panel joint

S303

GL02

W14x132

Fiber Cement Panel

2 GL02

M01

Level 3 30' - 0"

S301

Level 1 0' - 0"

BRONX CENTER

STRUCTURE B1 DIAGRAM -15' - 0" Project Number Date Drawn By

Truss 2 1/16" = 1'-0"

Checked By

Scale

North Facade - Callout 1 1/2" = 1'-0"

F 5

W14x132

W1 4x 1 32

W14x132

132 4x W1

W14x132

S302

W14x132

132 4x W1

W14x132

3 F300

S301 M01

C01

W14x132

S302

W14x132

W1 4x 132

W14x132

W1 4x 132

W14x132

W1 4x 132

W14x132

132 4x W1

W14x132

Roof 58' - 0"

W14x132

Level 3 30' - 0"

Level 2 15' - 0"

F300

Level 1 0' - 0"

Level 3 - Facade System 2 4 1/2" = 1'-0"

1 S301

Level 4 45' - 0"

W14x132

GL02

S302

W14x132

W1 4x 1 32

W14x132

Facade System 2 Section 1/2" = 1'-0"

W1 4x 1 32

S106

Level 2 15' - 0" 0000001 11/30/2020 Author Checker 12/1/2020 3:20:16 PM

Level 2 15' - 0"

Truss 1 1/16" = 1'-0"

B1 -15' - 0"

Faca 1/2"

6" ENGINERED SOIL 4" GRAVEL PROTECTION BOARD VAPOR BARRIER RIGID INSULATION SLOPE TO DRAIN GLASS RAILING HORIZONTAL MULLION

Level 4 45' - 0"

EXTRUDED TERRACOTTA SLAB CAP 5 1/4" CONCRETE ON METAL DECK W14 DROPPED CEILING HANGER DROP CEILING 5 1/4" CONCRETE ON METAL DECK CURTAIN WALL SYSTEM HORIZONTAL MULLION

Level 3 30' - 0"

MINERAL WOOL INSULATION W14

DROPPED CEILING HANGER DROPPED CEILING

DROPPED CEILING HANGER MINERAL WOOL INSULATION DROPPED CEILING 5 1/4" CONCRETE ON METAL DECK 6" CONCRETE SLAB ON GRADE XPS INSULATION

8" CONCRETE

Level 1 0' - 0"

B1 -15' - 0"

INTEGRATED WALL SECTION 1/2" = 1'-0"

HIGHER GROUND The Sky is the Limit

Site: Singapore Program: Drone Transportation Hub Instructor: Lucia Phinney University of Virginia Spring 2019

Volocopter a German company is starting test flights of their drone taxis in Singapore in 2019. This project will explore the impact of UAV (Unmanned Areal Vehicles) in the city and how they will interact with existing infrastructure and change the way vertical space is designed. Volocopter’s will reduce congestion at the street level, create a more integrated network with the MRT (Mass Railway Transit) and also allow for the hybridization of the street scape to create more pedestrian friendly design and programs. The designed building will be a vertical transportation hub that incorporates social programs at multiple levels, from underground to sky-high, through public spaces that are activated by the mentioned transportation systems. It will also active commercial spaces in different parts of the city. Drones will serve multiple purposes apart from transportation, such as delivery, medical/emergency care, surveillance and gather data. With the integration of aerial transportation, the notion vertical hierarchy is challenged. This building utilizes multiple levels of access through the layers of underground, ground and above ground to allow access through different modes of transportation.

est 19. AV ow ure ed. eet the the ore The on at gh, the lso the art al/ .

THESIS DIAGRAM

Demographics -Income -Popula�on -Travel distances -Cost

Land Use -Zoning Plan -Residen�al/Commercial -Travel distances -Ac�va�on of suburban area

Laws and Policy -Masterplans -Heigh limits -Ministry of transporta�on

Crea�ng An�-Car Zones in Public Spaces AUTOMATION

Land Transporta�on -Reducing ground traﬃc - Opening up the sreets for pedestrians

Public Transporta�on -Integra�on with existing infrastructure -Connec�vity on a smaller scale

Ver�cality -Elevator -Air rights -High rise public space -Ac�va�on of ver�cal social programs

Funding -Uber/Ly�

Precedents Data -Census Informa�on -Archigram -Super Studio -Volovopter Website -High rise public space -Virgin Hyper Loop -Ac�va�on of ver�cal -Norman FOster: Dronesocial programs port and DJI HQ

Industrial Office/Commercial Residential Airport/Seaport MRT Line MRT Hubs Drone Hubs

The drone transportation hub will connect the city through many mediums. Diagrams depict how smaller ports can be added to existing infrastructure to expand the network. The network and chosen sites for the drone transportation hubs has been based on proximity to subway stations and line interchanges. This allows the seamless integration of the new transportation system into the existing system.

Vertical Public Program Intensity

Green Roof

Commercial

Mall

Sky Garden

Drone Parking

Take-off Spot Conveyor Belt Waiting Area

Landing Spot

Atrium

Public Space

INNER WORKINGS Kinesthetic Montage

Site: Mong Kok, Hong Kong Program: Film School Instructor: Esther Lorenz University of Virginia Fall 2020

Film Studies Featured at the Smithsonian The hyper dense environment of Hong Kong runs a range of dynamic functions that are by-products of a complex layering of systems and mechanisms. These systems control and regulate the interaction and circulation of people like clockwork. The building located next to Mong Kok East Station plays a role of a gate. As the elevated walkway passes through the site, it crosses a series of thresholds of mass, materiality and program. The spatial division of the site is not based solely on program, but rather based on mass and circulation patterns. Connected by a series a of suspended bridges the building takes element of the elevated walkway to a higher ground and expresses its inner workings via the means of emphasized circulation and public interaction. The building utilizes the existing elevated walkway as a way to connect the site to Mong Kok East Station. Pedestrians pass through the three layers of building that are perpendicular to the direction of circulation. This glitch through the varying materiality enhances the cinematic feel of the space.

Film Study 1

Film Study 2

canon

BUBBLE JET PRINTER

BJ230

canon

550

BUBBLE JET PRINTER

550

canon

550

BUBBLE JET PRINTER

BJ230

canon

550

BUBBLE JET PRINTER

BJ230

UVA WELLNESS CENTER Healing Spaces

Site: University of Virginia Program: Student Center Instructor: Karen Van Lengen University of Virginia Spring 2018

Published in the University of Virginia School of Architecture’s annual publication. This project is a proposal for the new ‘Student Health and Wellness Center’ at the University of Virginia. The aim was to create a new space that fosters wellness habits and design more biophilic spaces that appeal to our sensory systems. The main sensory spaces of the building are experienced through the circulation systems, both exterior and interior. These circulation spaces were designed to combine a multitude of programs based on their operational hours and usage by students.

The proposed schematic arrangement catered to the mixed concept program. The connecting bridges allowed theses programs to connected without interrupting the landscape and the healing spaces.

0% Foldable Panels

Panel Frame

25%

50%

75%

Foldable Panels

Panel Frame

Central Joint

Sliding Tube

Central Tube

External Frame

Exterior Tube

A triangular folding system was chosen out of the tested iterations with its efficiency to be manipulated from the minimum amount of vertices. Two methods of folding were tested. The umbrella frame system and the rigid frame system. The umbrella frame system proved to have more versatile motion and gave the shading panels more freedom.

100%

Surface Manipulation

Closed Pattern

Semi-Open Pattern

OSTENDA ILLUMINATA Program: Installation/Research Role: Design, Research and Prototyping Team: Mona El Khafif, Andrew Mondschein, Eric Field, Zihao Zhang, Gabe Andrade

Ostenda Illuminata is a part of an on going project within the University of Virginia’s Next City Initiatives. The project is passed the research phase and now in its design and fabrication segment. Designed to be a kinetic and light installation, Ostenda communicates environmental data of its surrounding to those who inhabit the space. Its form has been developed from studying several plan species and the way they are able to interact with living beings. One of Ostenda’s objectives is to communicate weather an environment is healthy or not for people to be in. It does so through varying shades of color and light patterns. Using acrylic tubes refract light from the LED lights at the bottom and

Prototype 1

Using acrylic tubes refract light from the LED lights at the bottom and express data. The center rod acts as a structural core for the prototype.

The current prototype consist of 3 main sensors that are stacked at different levels and convey individual date through refracting light in plexiglass tubes.

Acrylic Casing and LED Strip

1/4” Diameter Plexiglass Needles

1” Diameter Plexiglass Core

Base for Wiring

Installation and Prototype 2 60