Portfolio by Joshua Lantzy

Joshua Alan Lantzy 115 Transit St. - Providence, RI 02906 - jlantzy@g.risd.edu - 724.272.7867 1

Red Light Rehab

Kolkata Housing- Working in a group with four other students, we formed an

Spring 2009, Design for Development

incremental housing proposal for a long standing red light district in Kolkata, India. Given the nature of the residents’ livelihoods and the precarious social and political position they occupy, the goal was to create more healthful living conditions for the residents of the neighborhood while

IMPROVED SITE DRAINAGE + ELEVATED LIVING PLANE The housing modules are elevated on extended shear foundation walls. These walls are arranged in lines that run perpendicular to the river. This array of parallel walls facilitates drainage of water across the site and back into the river with as few obstructions as possible. These c hannels should also encourage the periodic flushing of the site by eliminating the potential for sewage and debris collection within the site. It should be noted that this orientation mimics the current organization on the site. Our proposal formalizes the intelligence of this existing organization, but elevates the living units thereby moving the drainage systems underneath the housing and away from inhabitable public space.

causing the least disruption of the patterns of living and working within the district. Rather than challenging the power structure that owns and operates the sex trade within Kalighat, we are

USE OF LOCAL MATERIALS

responding to an immediate and urgent need for improved, healthful living conditions for the sex workers and their families.

Local materials are used throughout the project. Partition walls provide additional structure for the floor slabs and roof and separate units from eac h other and from adjacent community spaces. Taking advantage of local materials, there are multiple options for construction. One option is simple perforated walls that facilitate ventilation and light within an individual unit. Another option is a green wall or integrated garden that draws water from the central core wall and provides natural cooling mec hanisms for dwelling units and community space.

Brick Concrete

Sheet Metal Wood

INFRASTRUCTURAL CORE WALL A central core wall acts as a spine between living units. The ‘s’ shape of the wall is an economical way to provide increased strength with a relativelty thin wall and can double as a wet core for eac h unit. Hence, both program and infrastructure are imbedded into this wall. Foremost is a rainwater collection system. Water storage tanks embeded within the wall collect and distribute water to different dwelling units. Currently there is local municipal water supply, but it can only be accessed at a few points in the district. In the new system, this municipal supply could also be contained within the wall to ser ve individual dwelling units and community spaces. Located centrally between two units and above a central c hannel created by the shear walls, the core wall is also an ideal place for gray-water disposal within a housing unit. At present a significant amount of livable private and public space is taken up by water vessels and various other belongings. Locating program & storage within this core wall would free up significant living space within the dwelling units. This core wall could also provide needed infrastructure to the interspersed community spaces.

RedL i g h t R e h a b i l i tat i o n

AUGMENTED LIVING SPACE An elevated mezzanine significantly increases the amount of livable space without increasing the footprint of a unit. Most importantly, it creates a safer seperate space for c hildren within their own home.

INCREMENTAL HOUSING FOR THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT OF KALIGHAT This p ro je c t a im s to im p ro ve the live s o f s ex wo r ke r s a nd the ir f a m ilies liv in g w it h in t h e Ka lig ha t d is tr ic t o f Ko lka ta , Ind ia by up g ra d ing c ur r e nt s lum living co n dit io n s w it h an inc r e m e nta l ho us ing f ra m ewo r k. Give n the na tur e o f the r e s id e nt s ’ live lih o o ds an d the p r e c a r io us s o c ia l a nd p o litic a l p o s itio n they o c c upy, the g o a l is t o cr e at e m o r e he a lthf ul living c o nd itio ns fo r the r e s id e nts o f the ne ig hb o r ho o d w h ile cau s in g the le a s t d is r up tio n o f the p a tte r ns o f living a nd wo r king w it h in t h e dis t r ict . Ra the r tha n c ha lle ng ing the p owe r s tr uc tur e tha t ow ns a nd o pe rat e s t h e s ex tra d e w ithin Ka lig ha t, we a r e r e s p o nd ing to a n im m e d ia te an d u r ge n t n e e d fo r im p ro ve d , he a lthf ul living c o nd itio ns fo r the s ex wo r ke r s an d t h e ir f am ilie s.

C O M M U N I T Y S PAC E S Recogn iz in g a lac k of common spaces an d comm u n it y resou rces wit h in t h e dist rict , ou r h ou sin g framewor k easily accommodat es su c h amen it ies. W h ile t h e h ou sin g modu les begin t o aggregat e an d grow, a dwellin g u n it cou ld be periodically left ou t t o creat e space for pu blic/comm u n it y programs. A t presen t , t h e alleyways are lin ed by porc h es or st oops t h at fu n ct ion s as v ibran t social space. By select ively remov in g u n it s t o creat e comm u n al space, t h ese amen it ies are easily in t egrat ed wit h in t h e exist in g

st r u ct u reof social spaces. Sin ce t h ese programs wou ld be seamlessly in t egrat ed wit h in t h e larger framewor k , t h ey can also draw in frast r u ct u re an d fu n ct ion alit y off of t h e cen t ral core walls. Pot en t ial programs for t h ese spaces in clu de:lau n dry facilit ies, comm u n it y garden s, mobile h ealt h clin ics, a mar ket , comm u n it y bat h rooms, et c. T h e in t erspersed comm u n al spaces also h old t h e ver t ical circu lat ion for t h e secon d st ory dwellin g u n it s.

RAIN WATER CAPTURE & VENTILATION The roof is designed to collect rainwater and facilitate ventilation and cooling within the units. Using bamboo to elevate the roof plane off the partition walls, staggered butterfly roofs are oriented towards the central core wall. Corrugated metal roofing facilitates drainage and water can be collected in a c hannel at the top of the core wall. The housing framework is oriented to take advantage of prevailing winds from the south. Elevating the roof plane and structure off of the partition walls will increase ventilation within the dwelling units. The offset angles induces currents that draw warm air up and out of the living spaces.

RED LIGHT DISTRICT OF KALIGHAT KOLKATA, INDIA SOCIAL ISSUES Located in a low and middle-class, predominately Hindu neighborhood, the Kalighat district is one of the oldest red light districts in Kolkata and currently houses sex workers from the city and surrounding rural districts. Ownership of the land and existing buildings is divided among wealthy, off-site owners that have little direct iteraction with the site and its daily workings. Hence, the women working in this district have no ownership of property. Most of them have ended up in prostitution through false pretenses and are indebted to their pimp or madam, living only where they are allowed, in whatever conditions are provided. The lack of owenership eliminates the possibility of a community-based design process. Most of the women here are also mothers and their c hildren live in the slums with them. Without access to basic amenities and sc hools and faced with the sex-trade everyday, most of the young girls are at high risk to become sex workers themselves.

Community space with laundry facilities and acces to second story units

Existing Conditions

ood levels

PHYSICAL ISSUES The site exemplifies urban slum conditions found in muc h of the global south: lack of clean water, sanitation, light and fresh air, high density, and absence of basic infrastructure. Located along a major canal at a low point within the city, the district is also subject to significant flooding during monsoons (upwards of one meter). As the result of both canal overflow and municiapl sewage overflow, the flooding within the district presents an urgent environmental and sanitary hazard to the residents.

ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES At present, the slum is a dense network of cramped, double-loaded alleys that run parallel to the canal. The alleys are lined with small, single room dwellings and a series of porc hes that create social spaces along these corridors. Infrastructure is limited to municipal water spigots distributed sporadically throughout the site.

FRONT ENCLOSURE Since the primary structure is located in the central core wall and the partition walls, there are multiple, non-structural options for cladding and enclosing the front façade. For instance multiple types of screening systems, including bamboo, steel grates, textiles, corrugated metals, CMUs, etc, could be used to simultaneously address ventilation, light, and privacy. This variability also allows these modular, homogenous dwelling units to take on distinct, individual identities while continuing to function within the larger system.

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JALI WALL Perforated jali walls and screens offer a cost-effective alternative to conventional windows. One square foot of windows can cost significantly more than the brick wall that it replaces. In addition to being inexpensive, these jali walls offer privacy along with light, ventilation, and views outward. They also respect local building vernacular.

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1. Limited access to natural light 2. Insufficient clean water storage 3. Open sewers & waste management

4. Lack of storage areas 5. No clothes drying space

I N C R E M E N TA T h e soc i a l c on d i ti on s requ individually and increment m a ster p l a n . Ra th er, th e u a n d c on str u c ti on n eed s to to a c om m u n i ty sp a c e i n t h phase 1

phase 2

phase 3

South facade without front enclosures

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78 Transit

Spring 2009, Integrated Building Systems

Apartment Renovation - After researching the history and construction of an existing house in Providence, three other students and I worked on an intelligent renovation scheme. Our final design maximized heating efficiency through the use of radiant wall heating and a spiraling heat flow diagram which would allow warmed air to rise and be contained at the level of the inhabitant. This design also included the sliding back of two floor sections to create double height spaces. These spaces facilitated a social connection from existing

one ﬂoor to another, allowed heat to travel throughout the spaces, and also revealed existing structural elements. All interior details held true to this idea of joined spaces as baseboards, window trim, and railings were set ﬂush to the surface of the wall.

proposed

Innovation Studio

The Other 85% - The focus of this studio was to re-examine the existing student, we chose to design a center for the open discussion of energy related issues

Fall ‘09 - Energy in Rhode Island what is biofuel?

in Providence. Using an abandoned yet historical structure in the heart of downtown

as well as encompassing the whole problem at large. The decision to use passivhaus

source material

- Whereas oil is a limited resource that comes from specific materials, biofuels can be manufactured from a wide range of materials including crop waste, manure, and other byproducts, making it a efficient step in recycling.

renewability - It takes thousands of years for fossil fuels to be produced, but biofuels are

much more easily renewable as new crops are grown and waste material is collected.

locally grown/produced - By reducing dependence on foreign fuel sources, countries

can protect the integrity of their energy resources and make them safe from outside influences.

biodegradable

- Biofuels are easily biodegradable and far safer to handle than traditional fuels, making spills less hazardous and much easier and less expensive to clean up.

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- Several studies have been conducted to analyze the carbon footprint of biofuels, and while they may be cleaner to burn, there are strong indications that the process to produce the fuel – including the machinery necessary to cultivate the crops and the plants to produce the fuel – has hefty carbon emissions.

attention to these interventions and brought the topic of insulation and thermal mass

limited consumer use

- Biofuels are not widely available for consumer purchase and most vehicles are not equipped to run on biofuel products. Limited availability reduces the desirability of biofuels as alternative energy sources.

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water use

- Massive quantities of water are required for proper irrigation of biofuel crops as well as to manufacture the fuel, which could strain local and regional water resources.

high carbon emissions *

With high i nteres t thr oug hou tE ur o

of unused or underutilized agricultural land, New York State has about most of which is already growing grass. Grass biofuel production does not need to divert any of the current agricultural productivity into the energy market; this biomass industry can be completely independent from, but complimentary to, the production of food or animal feed. It is also a very “farmer-friendly” way to get producers exposed to biofuel production.

increased food prices

- As demand for food crops such as corn grows for biofuel production, it could also raise prices for necessary staple food crops.

smell

w h y u s e g r a s s e s ... It takes to grow a crop of grass pellet fuel. It takes 70 million years to grow a crop of fossil fuel. Grass pellets have great potential as a low-tech, small-scale, environmentally-friendly, renewable energy system that can be locally produced, locally processed and locally consumed. As the US focuses on energy security, grass bioenergy is one of the ways that rural communities can move towards energy security.

lower energy output

- Biofuels have a lower energy output than traditional fuels and therefore require greater quantities to be consumed in order to produce the same energy level.

- Biofuel production produces heavy smells depending on the type of materials used, and those smells are generally undesirable near large communities. While manufacturing plants can be isolated, this will add to the carbon emissions necessary to bring fuel to population centers.

low carbon emissions*

- When biofuels are burned, they produce significantly less carbon output and fewer toxins, making them a safer alternative to preserve atmospheric quality and lower air pollution.

technology to improve the thermal barrier of the building not only changed heating and cooling loads, but the thickness of the wall and articulated reveals called

high cost*

- To refine biofuels to more efficient energy outputs and to build the necessary manufacturing plants to increase biofuel quantities will require a high initial investment.

than gasoline and other fossil fuels, particularly as worldwide demand for oil increases, therefore increasing oil and gasoline prices to unheard of levels.

advantages

Providence, we began to look at the site, building, and energy issue at the detail level

Biofuel is an alternative fuel derived from biological material that has only just died (as distinct from a fossil fuel, which is created from much older organic material).

low cost* - Once the technology is widely available, biofuels can be significantly less expensive

disadvantages

systems of energy production in the state of Rhode Island. Working with one other

First-generation biofuels are created largely from feedstocks that have traditionally been used as food. Today’s firstgeneration biofuels (ethanol from corn and biodiesel from vegetable oil and animal fats) have taken a lot of heat in the media as being the culprit behind rising food prices. Because there are limited quantities of low-cost options for feedstocks, first-generation biofuels have nearly reached their maximum market share in the fuels market.

Second-generation biofuels are made from nonfood feedstocks using advanced technical processes. Cellulosic ethanol is the most developed second-generation biofuel and is produced from the cellulose or cell wall of plant cells. Examples of potential feedstocks for the next generation of biofuels include forest residues (sawdust), industry residues (black liquor from the paper industry), agricultural residues (corn stover), municipal waste and sustainable biomass (jatropha, camelina and switchgrass). Despite challenges, second-generation biofuels can widen the feedstock options and produce a much greater amount of fuel for the market, with the potential for greater greenhouse gas emission savings compared to first-generation biofuels.

3rd Generation Third-generation biofuels, like second-generation biofuels, are made from nonfood feedstocks, but the resulting fuel is indistinguishable from its petroleum counterparts. These fuels are also known as advanced biofuels or green hydrocarbons. In the future, algae will be a likely feedstock for these fuels. Several technological and economic challenges exist to bring third-generation biofuels to market.

By working from the inside of the building, we set a precedent as to how other historical building in the district could be renovated while meeting the rigorous standards of the historical preservation society. Our proposed interior additions touch the wall lightly,

and the air break between the old and new is used not only as a thermal break, but as a space to house lighting. This lighting acts to call further attention to our intervention, thus spreading environmental awareness in a “passive” yet meaningful way.

Costa Rica Community Build Wintersession 2009, Design Build

Community Collaborative - As one of 29 students to travel to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica, I helped design and construct six sets of covered bleachers for a local soccer field using locally grown and harvested bamboo. In addition we constructed a separate pavilion that could be defined as a community space and used as directed by members of the local community. Participation in all areas of the design process and construction was encouraged from preliminary sketches, to scale models and mock-ups. Knowledge of local systems of operation, from material purchasing and quality control, to obtaining land permissions through public forum presentations became the most challengening aspects of the project. However, negotiation of these difficulties however led to a stronger tie to the community and a shared sense of responsibility toward the finished work.

Process - After the creation of a tectonic system based on calculated notching and weaving I explored the limits of this system to create enclosure, elevation change, opening, surface.

Design - Ideas of movement through the city led to the basic ďŹ&#x201A;owing form of the structure, and the carving away of existing ground. Interior spaces house individual county models and limit view to corresponding areas of the city while an open central courtyard lifts the traveler above the walls and provides an uninterrupted view of the city.

Travelersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Center

Fall 2007, Design Principles

Community Improvisation - The Urban Time Machine was constructed as a three dimensional physical and aural mapping of conversations that occurred within the community of Providence, RI. These

The Urban Time Machine 2010 - Degree Project

discussions—ranging in subject from avant-garde noise artists to bicycle chain dimensions—continuously reshaped the project, questioning the role of improvisation in design. Played by turning a crank, the time machine captures pitch, space, and relative time in both a visual and auditory display. Its music is a cacophony of sounds (each one recalling a specific conversation that informed its own creation) that, at one revolution/second, will take nearly 19 years to repeat. For our final critique on day 40 of the project, we invited community members we had worked with to gather for an opening event. As people filtered out of the building, we began to wonder if we could hold onto those conections without the object itself. In response, we created a blog including community resources, artist lists, and a Noble Absurdity page. The blog is a tool for community members to share projects which engage the public realm and for the continued discussion of public installation and community based projects here in Providence.

Urban Intervention Design - In order to design a 40-unit housing complex

in an abandoned urban lot located between two converging streets in central Providence, I began by mapping visual lines,

patterns of movement, and historic precident throughout the city. I then used a series of intersecting folded planes to

recreate and respond to the unique location of the site. The proposed building remains low on the Westminister facade

in order to avoid overshadowing a neighboring arcade with local historical signiﬁcance while rising up on the Weybosset

Side to accommodate housing and provide uninhibited view and light. The intersection of community, commercial, G

and private space was the central focus of the project, and a spacial tectonic system was developed in which the diﬀerent P 6-17

programs could transform space in both additive and reductive ways. As programs overlapped, dynamic spaces were created along with varying qualities of light, circulation, and view.

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Fall 2008, Urban Design

The Library - The Library Project, was an exploration into creating an

PROPOSAL DETAILS

architectural framework for self-organized

Community Library

Fall ‘09 - Integrated Building Systems II

human interactions. The team utilized existing infrastructure to expand library functions throughout the community. The AWNING

old Olneyville branch of the library was converted into a community space that met the individual needs of its members. The conventional library is a technology connecting people to the stories and information contained in books. As

BENCH

technology has developed, the space required to store the information once placed on bookshelves can now ﬁt inside small hard drives and be accessed through G

the internet. This negates the original

TABLE

purpose of the library system and questions the future use of the space. Our lifestyle and technology have outgrown the traditional library system. No longer conﬁned to the dumb box, our proposed library has branched outside its shell in order to connect members of the community to the existing books and also to each other. Technology should be used as a means of connecting people to information and one another. By rethinking the library’s online catalogue, one can search for a book, ﬁnd its location within the branch system, take the bus to the library stop and walk to the business where the book is shelved. Human connection now replaces digital interaction and the sharing of books is given a place within the public economic system.

REVISED BUS ROUTE

REVISED INFORMATION

Guerrilla Planting

Spring 2010, Socially Mediated Interventions w w w .e a r th

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Plant Me - As an investigation into

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beautification and community responsibility, mistreated city planting beds became a site for .o

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intervention. In collaboration with one other student, and in the cover of night, we cleaned and resoiled abandoned planting beds throughout the city of Providence. With new fertile ground ant to increase the . Otherwise, do a e I’m taken care

in place, we then passed out custom made seed packets to willing passerbys, offering them them opportunity to plant edible plants and flowers throughout their daily commute through the city. Westmi

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Proposed fire stair to replace existing stair

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Stair Design + Detail - As part of a multi-building mill renovation project, this

particular pan stair was designed to maximize rentable space on the floor below. The stair was

not contained within a larger volume, but became the fire rated chamber itself. These drawings

were not construction documents, but merely aids to be used by the fabrication team.

Economy of Scales 2010 Degree Project Work

The Space of Practice - Music and architecture are simultaneously composers and reverberations of society. Their interrelation is present in every physical environment we create and inhabit. The economic model which requires a constant increase in volume, has enveloped music and affected not only how we listen, but also is remaking how we hear and what we value in our surrounding environment. Over the last 300 years, commoditization has changed the scale of music and professionals have drowned out the sounds of the amateur musician. However, technology is creating an opportunity for the amateur to be heard outside of existing economic and spatial constructs. This thesis proposes an architectural response to this shift; a reevaluation of the role of the amateur and the space of practice. In moving away from an expert culture, and through creating spaces of practice within our daily urban experience, we can begin to examine the role and value of imperfection, variation and practice. Playing and listening within a city soundscape challenges the distinction between practice and performance, amateur and professional, everyday sound and music.