Portfolio

PORT FOLIO karla saldaĂąa ochoa

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Curriculum Vitae

10 Teaching experience Cats in Zurich, dogs in Berlin, trees in New York: Object localization in Satellite Images to generate Semantic Maps for Urban Design. [CAAD] at ETH. 2018 location: Zürich-Switzerland City of Indexes II. [CAAD] at ETH. 2018 location: Zürich-Switzerland City of Indexes. [CAAD] at ETH. 2017 location: Zürich-Switzerland Introducción al manejo de nube de puntos. Universidad de Cuenca.

2017 location: Cuenca Ecuador

12 Writing Saldana K., Ohlbrock P., D’Acunto PL., Moosavi V. 2019, Beyond typologies, beyong optimization. IASS Form and Force.

Alzarez-Marin D., Saldana K., 2019, Learning From Cities: Indexical Constitutions with the Big Plenty. 2018. Urbanizing. TAD Open.

Saldana K., Guo Z., 2018. Framework for planning, harvesting, and management of resources in agriculture with an automated tree localization/classification and street detection from Aerial Imagery.

Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.

Saldana K., Kaul E., 2018, Digital Landscape Design: parametric design explored in a 4D visualisation., I Landschaftskongress in Luzern.

Switzaerland Saldana K., 2017, Point clouds and conventional tools to represent Large-scale architectural projects. II International Congress of Graphic Communication in Architecture (CICGA). Ecaudor.

Saldana K., 2014, Problemática de la reducción del uso de vivienda en los centros históricos de ciudades patrimoniales. Ecuador

Table of content

16 Architecture Portfolio

Linkes Züriseeufer 2016-Final project MAS Landscape Architecture emphasis:Thematize borders and transitions: water-land, green-urban, experiments different methods to represent landscape. location: Zürich-Switzerland design team: Karla Saldaña and Emma Kaul CELEC Headquarters 2015- CA+SA, Architect Christian Calle. emphasis: focus on collective spaces and flexibility of working spaces; bioclimatic strategies are developed in the design process to create a passive building. location: Cuenca-Ecuador design team: Christian Calle and Karla Saldaña Ministry of Social Development Headquarters 2015- Ph. D Boris Albornoz enphasis: institutional building home of several govermment agencies with public space and cultural facilities. location: Quito-Ecuador, Quitumbe role: junior designer Decomposing Rontgenplatz In Zurich 2015-Final MAS Landscape Architecture emphasis:The aim of this project was to create a design using the scan site, instead of having a 3D model of the proposal, we work with 2D drawings and textures, that were applied to the point cloud surface and create topographic changes. location: Zürich-Switzerland design team: Karla Saldaña and Thalia Poziou

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Table of content

Curriculum Vitae 4

Karla Verónica Saldaña Ochoa Zurich, 12.03.2019 Personal Information Date of birth: 8 of March 1989 Nationality: Ecuatorian Address: Limmattalstrasse 334, 8049, Zürich Tel. Number: +41 78 674 67 95 E-mail address: saldana@arch.ethz.ch

EDUCATION AND TRAINNIG

2018 Zürich-Switzerland ETH Zürich, Chair for Computer-Aided Architectural Designis, PhD Candidate 2015 - 2016 Zürich-Switzerland ETH Zürich, Chair of Landscape Architecture, MAS of Landscape Architecture.

2008 - 2014 Cuenca-Ecuador University of Cuenca, School of Architecture and Urbanism, Dipl.

Architect.

Languages: Spanish (native language), English.

Architecture: Archicad, Autocad, Rhino, Adobe Suit, 3Dmax, Cinema4D Coding: Java, Wolfram Mathematica, Grasshopper, SQL DataBase.

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Curriculum Vitae

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE

2019 Barcelona-Spain Saldana K, Ohlbrock P., D’Acunto PL, Moosavi V. Beyond typologies, beyond optimization. IASS Form and Force. 2019. emphasis: Correlation of forces and forms in Structural Design 2019 Alvarez-Marin D., Saldana K., Indexical Cities: Articulating Personal Models of Urban Preference with Geotagged Data. TAD Open. 2019. emphasis: To portray personal views of the city or “Cities of Indexes.”

2019 Zürich-Switzerland Invited speaker at the elective course “CAAD Praxis: Constructing Conditions of Design“ in the Chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design [CAAD] at ETH. emphasis: This course examined and constructed the pre-conditions of contemporary architectural design.

2018 Saldana K., Guo Z. Framework for planning, harvesting, and management of resources in agriculture with an automated tree localization/ classification and street detection from Aerial Imagery. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 2018. emphasis: Application of three Machine Learning algorithms to propose a pipeline to locate, classification and harvest fruit trees.

2018 Luzern-Switzerland Saldana K., Kaul E. Digital Landscape Design: parametric design explored in a 4D visualisation., I Landschaftskongress Luzern. 2018. emphasis: Visualizations technics to represent big scale Landscape projects.

2018 Zürich-Switzerland Instructor at the course elective course “Cats in Zurich, dogs in Berlin, trees in New York“ in the Chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design [CAAD] at ETH. emphasis: Object localization in Satellite Images to generate Semantic Maps for Urban Design 2018 Zürich-Switzerland book: City of Indexes: An any images of any city authors: Alvarez-Marin D, Saldana K. layout: Shulman A. emphasis: A city is never fully defined or fixed, can be characterized ndimensionally by anything that can be said about it, therefore with the current abundance of data and ML algorithms we can start having our City of Indexes.

2018 Zürich-Switzerland Instructor at the course elective course “City of Indexes II“ in the Chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design [CAAD] at ETH. emphasis: Introduction to Machine Learning in Architecture.

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Curriculum Vitae

2017 Zürich-Switzerland Instructor at the elective course “City of Indexes I“ in the Chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design [CAAD] at ETH. emphasis: Introduction to Machine Learning in Architecture.

2017 Zürich-Switzerland Saldana K. Point clouds and conventional tools to represent Largescale architectural projects, II Congreso Internacional de Comunicación Gráfica Arquitectónica-CICGA.2017. emphasis: State of the art review on the technics to represent Architecture with point clouds.

2017 Zürich-Switzerland Scientific Research Assistant, Gnomonics, Chair for Computer Aided Architectural Design [CAAD] at ETH. emphasis: Theoretical research about abstract concepts in Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, and Philosophy 2017 Cuenca-Ecuador Instructor at the course “Introduction to point cloud management” in the framework of the research project Development of Monitoring System for the World Heritage Site of Cuenca at the University of Cuenca. emphasis: An introduction of point clouds as a tool to represent largescale projects in architecture 2015-2016 Zurich Switzerland ETH Zurich Assistant at the DesignLab at the Chair of Landscape Architecture ETH. emphasis: Research in the field of virtual reality in Landscape visualization 2013 Cuenca Ecuador Carrion D, Saldana K. Tools for capture real estate value for financing the urban development in Latin America, case study: Cuenca-Ecuador (Rg-K1301) emphasis: Learning from previews interventions in Historical cities to propose tools for capture real state value.

2011 Cuenca-Ecuador Teacher Assistant of Urbanism I at Architecture faculty of “Universidad de Cuenca.” emphasis: The study of urban settlements in and analysis of different layers that affect these urban settlements 2010 Cuenca-Ecuador Teacher Assistant of Mathematics I at Architecture faculty of “Universidad de Cuenca.” emphasis: Introduction to linear algebra.

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Curriculum Vitae

WORK EXPERIENCE AND ORGANIZATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

2018 Viena-Austria Collaboration in the weS.A.N.K (Speculative Architectures of Neganthroposcenic Kronotopias) technical support 2014 -2015 Cuenca Ecuador CA+SA Project Architect, ”Electrical corporation of Ecuador, Headquarter”. emphasis: focus on collective spaces and flexibility of working spaces; bioclimatic strategies are developed in the design process to create a passive building. design team: Christian Calle and Karla Saldaña 2014 Cuenca-Ecuador Coordinator of the Ibero-American Biennale of Academic Architecture 2013 - 2015 Cuenca Ecuador “Ciudad Universitaria” Dr. Jaime Astudillo Project Leader, Project college dorms in the Historic Center, “CASA SALDAÑA” emphasis: intervention on an existing building of more than 100 years, with the proposal of a college dorm for the University of Cuenca. design team: Karla Saldaña 2013 Quito Ecuador Ph.D. Architect Boris Albornoz Junior desing, Project “Ministry of Social Development Headquarters” 2012 - 2013 Cuenca Ecuador Urbana Arquitectura Project Architect, “ Water Labs of ETAPA EP“ Project Architect, “ Bank of Guayaquil, Cuenca branch.“ Project Architect, “ Extension of the Laboratories of Sanitation and Drinking Water ETAPA EP” 2012 Ibarra-Ecuador National Coordinator of ONEA (National Organization of Students of Architecture) 2012 Cuenca-Ecuador Founding Member of Cuenca)

EAC Organization (Architecture Students of

2010 - 2011 Cuenca-Ecuador Durán y Hermida Architects Junior Design, Project “The Migrant´s House” Junior Design, Project “Millenium School” in the town of Gualaceo, Azuay, Ecuador

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Curriculum Vitae

AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS

2018 Boston-USA Second place in the competition: Open AI Challenge, from the World Bank Group and WeRobotics.

2016 Quito-Ecuador PhD Scholarship of excellence, “Top World Universities 2017” from the Goverment of Ecuador.

2015 Zurich-Switzerland Scholarship, Stiftung für Architektur Geisendorf 2015 Quito-Ecuador MAS Scholarship of excellence, “Top World Universities 2015” from the Goverment of Ecuador.

2013 Ibarra- Ecuador Catholic University of Ibarra First place in the competition: The module of a Flexible Space.

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Curriculum Vitae

Teaching 10

Today, satellite and aerial imagery are fundamentally available for nearly any point on the planet. Besides this, during the last years, considerable efforts have been made to develop various methods for the detection of different types of objects in urban aerial data.

In this course, we will dig into the abundance of urban aerial imagery and create personal semantic maps of any city, by learning how to talk to cities and articulate questions around our own interests. We will introduce you to Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), show you how to localise specific objects on satellite images and generate semantic maps of cities. Cats in Zurich, dogs in Berlin, trees in New York or horses in Paris, what is at stake here is your own question.

Make cities meaningful by projecting on them what actually matters to you!

As we move through the city, we produce, collect, share, store, leave traces of our daily activities. In parallel to this, a myriad of online platforms such as Open Street Maps, Google Maps, Google Earth and Bing populate the web presenting assumptions of a top-down representation of the world, which we would like to question. Yet, what if we could be able to project our own perception and experience of the city on top of this generic common ground? Could we know which our favourite neighbourhoods in a city would be, even before having ever been there and without having read any touristic guides? This is a guided tour towards Big Data and Machine Learning for architects. By digging into the bigness of these generic-mapping services, we will identify “spatial brands” of the city. Afterwards, by accessing these spaces physically and collecting data we will experience and qualify them from an individual perspective, creating our own personal datasets; taking the concept of City of Indexes as study case.

Las nubes de puntos pueden ser procesadas de distintas maneras para generar información que puede ser analizada.

Los conocimientos que se impartirán en este curso estarán dirigidos al manejo de nube de puntos; desde cómo generarlas, modificarlas, transformarlas y representarlas, En este curso se espera una participación activa de los estudiantes mediante la práctica en el desarrollo de posibles temas: El taller ofrecerá conocimientos generales en el manejo de nube de puntos. Para el aprendizaje se utilizarán dinámicas de grupo, consulta bibliográfica, asesorías individuales y plenarias de discusión. Los recursos que se utilizarán son: Escáner FARO y el Laboratorio de la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad de Cuenca. Además, en este curso los estudiantes deberán realizar prácticas individuales no presenciales, para que se hará uso de medios digitales.

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Teaching

Writing 12

2019 Barcelona-Spain Saldana K., Ohlbrock P., D’Acunto PL., Moosavi V., 2019, Beyond typologies, beyong optimization.

IASS Form and Force.

Abstract

The aim of this research is twofold. The first goal is to generate multiple novel and structurally informed forms that go beyond the conventional structural typologies. The second goal is to learn how to navigate in the space of generated forms, based on subjective criteria that comes from the designer. Hence, this approach exceeds the results of a pure optimization in which only quantifiable criteria are taken into account.

This research deals with these aspects through a prototypical implementation of a computer-aided workflow in which the designer and the machine coexist and potentially yield in a process in which both can unfold their strengths. In particular, the machine is not only used to optimize a given task but also to guide and support designers in the quest for innovative and appropriate solutions for structural concepts and design tasks.

In the present work, Machine intelligence in the form of three algorithms (Generation of Equilibrium Forms; Combinatorial Equilibrium Modelling (CEM), Clustering; Self Organizing Map (SOM), and Classification; Gradient Boosting Trees) is combined with the ability of humans to evaluate nonquantifiable aspects in a discursive manner. More specifically, a cyclic work-flow is proposed that exemplifies the interaction between machine and human intelligence. In each of the stages, the machine produces a structured landscape of forms in equilibrium from which the designer has to select the desired forms that potentially fulfill the exemplary design brief. Through this repeated evaluation, the machine can learn the nonlinear correlation of forms and their properties and generate candidates itself. A stadium roof and the design of a table are used as a case study to test the proposed approach. Theseis tests indicates that it is possible to combine the strengths of human and machine intelligence already in the conceptual generative design phase.

2019 Alzarez-Marin D., Saldana K., 2019, Learning From Cities: Indexical Constitutions with the Big Plenty.

2018. Urbanizing. TAD Open.

Abstract

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How to assess the potential of liking a city or a neighbourhood before ever having been there. The concept of urban quality has until now pertained to global city ranking, where cities are evaluated under a grid of given parameters, or either to empirical and sociological approaches, often constrained by the amount of available information.Using stateof-the-art machine learning techniques and thousands of geotagged satellite and perspective images from diverse urban cultures, this research characterises personal taste in urban spaces and predicts likeability of unknown places for a specific observer. Unlike most urban perception studies, our intention is not by any means to provide an objective measure of urban quality, but rather to portray a multiplicity of views of the city or “Cities of Indexes.�

Wrting

2018 Saldana K. Guo Z., 2018. Framework for planning, harvesting, and management of resources in agriculture with an automated tree localization/classification and street detection from Aerial Imagery. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.

Abstract

The acquisition of data through remote sensing represents a significant advantage in agriculture, as it allows researchers to perform faster and cheaper inspections over large areas. Currently, extensive researches have been done on technical solutions that can benefit simultaneously from both: vast amounts of raw data (big data) extracted from satellite images and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and novel algorithms in Machine Learning for image processing. In this experiment, we provide an approach that fulfills the necessities of rapid food security, assessment, planning, exploitation, and management of agricultural resources by introducing a pipeline for the automatic localization and classification of four types of fruit trees (coconut, banana, mango, and papaya) and the segmentation of roads in the Kingdom of Tonga, using high-resolution aerial imagery (0.04 m).

We used two supervised deep convolutional neural network (CNN): the first, to localize and classify trees (localization) and the second, to mask the streets from the aerial imagery for transportation purposes (semantic segmentation). Additionally, we propose auxiliary methods to determine the density of groupings of each of these trees species, based on the detection results from the localization task and render it in Density Maps that allow comprehending the condition of the agriculture site quickly.

Ultimately, we introduce a method to optimize the harvesting of fruits, based on specific sceneries, such as maximum time, path length, and location of warehouses and security points.

2018 Luzern-Switzerland Saldana K. Kaul E., 2018. Digital Landscape Design: parametric design explored in a 4D visualisation., I Landschaftskongress in Luzern. Switzerland

Abstract

Landscape design means becoming more aware to ones senses during the design process. The above notion was extensively explored for the MAS LA ETH graduation design of a new waterfront at Zßrich’s shoreline.

Design decisions were taken on basis of parametric analyses that were backed up by a database rather than a traditional site analysis. The data was placed in a spatial framework that enabled the study of links and the interaction with the gained information. This facilitated decisions on where to most effectively create connections or temper sound. For the communication of the design, new approaches were favoured over traditional plans. Point clouds of the site provided the basis within which the design could be integrated in. Virtual reality was used to create a 4D experience that enabled the user to not only view the 3D environment in but also to walk around and experience the proposed landscape design.

To increase the understanding of important details, the point cloud model was augmented by 360° renders of specific places obtained in Cinema 4D. The combination of the different modelling approaches lead to the user being able to fully grasp the proposal on a bigger scale as well as study it in detail. The approaches explored in this paper are a new way of communicating big scale landscape projects. By including sounds and scans from the site and free movement within the model, the audience is allowed a deeper, more individual immersion than a movie or render would do.

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Wrting

2017 Cuenca-Ecuador Saldana K., 2017, Point clouds and conventional tools to represent Large-scale architectural projects.

II International Congress of Graphic Communication in Architecture (CICGA). Ecaudor.

Abstract

Visualizations play a significant role as decision-making tools in planning processes. Nowadays perspective representations -3D renders- are commonly used. However, we argue that in order to perceive depth, size, and detail; a “virtuality”: intensity, immersion, and interactivity have to be addressed. Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) create this “virtuality”, enabling the user to not only view the digital environment in 3D but also to look around and experience the space.

In this research, we propose a pipeline to visualize big scale landscape projects with laser scan’ point cloud models and virtual reality as a medium to communicate. The pipeline combines five software, Rhino, Cinema 4D, Cloud Compare, and Unity.

The method is applied in one case-study joining two representation, an interactive point cloud model, and specific 360 degrees renders. The resulting experience is one where the users can repeatedly visit the site, viewing it from angles impossible in the real world and allows them to have a better understanding of the project.

2014 Cuenca-Ecuador Saldana K., 2014. Problemática de la reducción del uso de vivienda en los centros históricos de ciudades patrimoniales. Ecuador

Abstract

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En centros históricos de Latinoamérica existe falta o deficiencia del uso residencial, ya sea por usos incompatibles, inseguridad, normativas municipales, entre otros. Por esta razón es necesario plantear alternativas de intervención acordes con las necesidades contemporáneas del habitar, cuyo objetivo sea revitalizar los centros históricos, evitando posturas extremas de conservación del patrimonio, pensado como un medio casi no susceptible a intervención. Adicionalmente se deberán proponer acciones de gestión que potencien la combinación de vivienda y comercio como base de los centros históricos, para así garantizar la vida continua de éste entorno. El argumento es, que la vivienda es tan inherente al centro histórico que sin su presencia éste carecería de sentido.

Wrting

Porfolio 16

LINKES ZURICHSEEURFER

Presented in July 2016 Professorship Ph.D Christophe Girot MAS Final Project CHAIR OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

In colaboration with Emma Kaul Project area 181.343,36 sqm This project recognize the qualities of the site such as existing private uses and historical trees, having that as a basis the project start releasing the green space by reorganizing roads and adding a new tram in the shoreline.

To improve the pedestrian connection into Wollishofen a promenade is projected in order to link the two main interventions on the lake: urban beach and a new island.

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Portfolio - Architecture

MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT HEADQUARTERS Presented in January 2015 Architect Boris Albornoz Quito - Ecuador role: junior design Building area: 80,000 sqm Public space area: 40,000 sqm The project aims to solve the problems of poor dispersion and adequacy of many of the physical spaces in which ministries and public entities currently operating.

The study area is 5,6 acres and is located south of the city of Quito. The project will contain Ministries, Departments, Institutes and common areas.

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Portfolio - Architecture

CELEC HEADQUARTERS Presented in February 2015 CA + SA Cuenca - Ecuador In colaboration with Christian Calle Building area:19,800 sqm Public space area: 4,000 sqm The project is the result of the combination of various building typologies, patio, tower and continuous block, arranged in order to solve the specific requirements of the program; a big collective space, a landmark and service areas.

Bioclimatic strategies as building orientation and air circulation are implemented. Additionally the building will mostly operate using alternative energies.

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Portfolio - Architecture

DECOMPOSING RONTGENPLATZ Presented in December 2015 professor cordinator: Philipp Urech CHAIR OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, In colaboration with Thalia Poziou Project area: 1700sqm The Rontgenplatz is a public square in the industrial district of Zurich which has evolve in the 1980s from a road junction to become one of the main traffic calming measures in the neighborhood.

The proposal create a smooth slop with a flat area on top in order to combine the idea of a transactional space and a destination, but also to avoid the noise of the surroundings for people who visit the place.

The aim of this project was to create a design using the scan site, instead of having a 3D model of the proposal, we work with 2D drawings and textures, that were applied to the point cloud surface and create topographic changes.

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Portfolio - Architecture