Habitat by lskura

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE | UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA CORDIVARY | ABBOTTROSANO-MATHAROO

LINEA SKURAO FOUNDATION STUDIO PORTFOLIO| 2020-2021

PART I | THE GARDENS TITLE

PAGE NUMBER

PREFACE

COURTYARD

VIII

PAVILLION

XII

CONTOUR

XVIII

COLLAGE

XXIV

CLOUDS

XXX

PART II | SUN STUDY SHADOW GARDEN ROW HOUSE OBSERVATORY REFLECTION

XXXIV XLII XLVIII LVIII

PART I | THE GARDENS

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THE GA RD ENS V

PREFACE Moving from the Chicagoland area to Tucson was the biggest adjustment I have faced yet. Over 1,000 miles away from home I faced a completely new environment; a new climate inhabited by new plants, and animals. A new environment also meant new buildings and structures with unique patterns and designs. I began school in this new habitat with very few connections. I felt that I was dropped in a new location to begin building my roots from scratch. The strict quarantine of first semester allowed me to dive headfirst into my work and from the isolation that I experienced I was able to create a lot of work that I am truly proud of. This portfolio is a representation of my exploration of Tucson and a tribute to the time I dedicated this year towards my understanding of architecture and the world around me.

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LECTURE NOTES

P REFAC E

LECTURE NOTES

VII

COURTYARD The Courtyard Garden pushed me to explore campus in search of the site. After I found the site, my next step was to design a garden that would best interact with the built environment surrounding it. The buildings on the west and east sides of the site indicated that a path from the north to the south was necessary to create a functional space. My design is centered around the idea of a chalk garden, with open spaces from the main path acting as a canvas for the chalk art and benches that allow easy viewing access to the art as well. The main path allows the audience to view the work as they pass through. Symmetry was an important aspect of this design as well which creates a similar experience no matter which side the viewer enters from.

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SITE PHOTO

COURTYA RD

STUDY MODELS

PA RT I X

MODEL PHOTOS

COURTYA RD

SITE PLAN

PAVILION The Pavilion Garden was a dramatic change of pace from the Courtyard Garden as we moved from a two-dimensional design to a concept that incorporated height. My main design goal for the project was to create many possible circulations through the structure. The “figure 8” design created a continuous path with multiple possibilities. Including two main paths also allows visitors to explore the different levels of the structure or pass quickly through the structure with a more direct route below.

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LAYOUT COLLAGE

PAV I LLI ON

STUDY MODELS

XI I I

PA RT I XI V

PRELIMINARY SKETCHES

PAV I LLI ON

MODEL PHOTOS

PA RT I XVI

AERIAL MODEL PHOTO

PAV I LLI ON

SITE PLAN

XV I I

CONTOUR The biggest hurdle I faced designing the Contour Garden was breaking away from convex shapes. After I experimented with designs that included concavity, I was able to create the idea of the pathways opening to a functional area in the center. The final design I chose creates a sheltered space in the middle of the site, protected by trees and the landscape. The success I had with this design stemmed from breaking away from the idea that my design had to have a certain look based on the given parameters. This project encouraged me to push against the parameters to showcase my style.

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CIRCULATION DRAWING

CONTOUR

PROCESS AND SECTION DRAWINGS

XI X

PA RT I XX

STUDY MODEL PHOTOS

CONTOUR

MODEL PHOTOS

XXI

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AERIAL MODEL PHOTO

CONTOUR

SITE PLAN

XXI I I

COLLAGE The Collage Garden was a compilation of the first three designs. This made the Collage more complex than the previous projects but it also generated more possibilities and freedom. Documenting previous assignments was crucial for the success of this project. The concept I took away from this assignment was that blending simple shapes is an easy way to create complex designs. By starting from the bottom and working up to more intricate patterns, I began to see how even the most complicated architecture is connected through simple shapes and patterns.

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OVERLAY OF BASES

COLLAGE

ORIGINAL BASE SKETCHES

XXV

PA RT I XXVI

COLLAGE SKETCH AND BASE

COLLAGE

FINAL COLLAGE

XXV I I

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MODEL PHOTOS

COLLAGE

SITE PLAN

XXI X

CLOUDS

CONTOUR

COLLAGE

I saw the Cloud Drawings as a lesson in line art and creativity. Each drawing was given as a “warm up” assignment to our main first semester project and acted as a small preview to the themes that we would be working with in the corresponding project. For each drawing, I tried to find a way to break away from the given examples whether it was creating a hidden message or adding color. The Clouds were one of my favorite parts of the first semester of studio because the assignment forced me to make time to draw.

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CLOUD DRAWINGS

C LOUD S

CLOUD DRAWINGS

XXXI

PAVILLION SKETCHES

PAVILLION COURTYARD

PART II | SUN STUDY

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SUN STUDYS XXXI I I

SHADOW GARDEN My design for the Shadow Garden is based around the theme of flying too close to the sun. I chose the date of my design as February 10, 1996, marking the first time a computer beat the world chess champion. Through the folds of the design I attempted to create shapes that would cast feathery shadows. The main bench has wings on either side that casts a birdlike shadow either behind the bench or upon the smaller benches that sit directly across.

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PRELIMINARY SKETCHES

S HA D OW GA RD EN

MOTIF SKETCHES

XXXV

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MOTIF EXPERIMENTATION

S HA D OW GA RD EN

FINAL PATTERN

XXXV I I

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STUDY MODEL PHOTOS

S HA D OW GA RD EN

FINAL PHYSICAL MODEL

XXXI X

PA RT I I XL

MODEL FOLD SEQUENCE

S HA D OW GA RD EN

RHINO RENDERINGS

XLI

ROW HOUSE My Row House is designed to create as much privacy as possible. To do this I created distinct spaces as opposed to a more open layout. The home opens up to a small entryway with two rooms on either side. The kitchen and dining room are placed next to one another on the east side to create a larger gathering space, while the living room on the west side is intended to be a more intimate space for smaller groups. I placed the bedroom as far away from the dining area so that it may be possible for someone to use the one space without disturbing the other. The courtyard is accessible from both the kitchen and the bedroom which allows the visitor to circulate through each room without doubling back. Opening both rooms to the courtyard creates the possibility of circular connection through each room without compromising the seclusion of the bedroom.

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PRELIMINARY SKETCHES

ROW HOUSE

SECTION RENDER

XLI I I

PA RT I I XLI V

ISOMETRIC RENDERING

ROW HOUSE

FLOOR PLAN

XLV

PA RT I I XLVI

STUDY MODEL PHOTOS

ROW HOUSE

MODEL PHOTOS

XLV I I

OBSERVATORY Designing the Desert Observatory began with a visit to Saguaro National Park East in search of a site. I found a location along a trail half a mile away from the road. I thought it would be a unique experience to build something that someone could only reach by foot. My design follows a counterclockwise circulation, beginning from the northwest side and is built around a twelve sided figure acting as a support system for the three platforms. The twelve sided figure represents a clock. Each of the platforms has a view that is meant to be viewed at a certain time of day or of the year. The first view is on the ground level facing a dry stream. The intended view of the first platform is the stream during monsoon season. The second platform faces the southwest. This prospect is intended for winter so that the southern sun may be used to heat the room during the cooler months. The highest view faces east. This platform is designed to give the visitor as much height as possible to watch the sunrise over the mountains early in the morning.

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LAYOUT SKETCH

OBSERVATORY

NOTES AND SKETCHES

XLI X

PA RT I I L

SITE VISIT PHOTOS

OBSERVATORY

MAP OF SITE

PA RT I I LI I

ENVELOPE RENDERINGS

OBSERVATORY

SECTION RENDERING

LI I I

PA RT I I LI V

FINAL MODEL EAST VIEW

OBSERVATORY

FINAL MODEL WEST VIEW

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FINAL MODEL NORTH AND SOUTH VIEWS

OBSERVATORY

FINAL MODEL AERIAL VIEW

LV I I

REFLECTION Creating this Portfolio gave me the chance to reflect on how far my architectural skills have developed over the past eight months. Being able to compare my final project to my first project and all the work it took to get there shows growth that only becomes visible in the long run. Meeting Tucson through its architecture has been such an incredible experience. I am so thankful for the friendships I have made in the past eight months, for the teachers that have guided me and for the opportunity to study architecture in such a unique environment. Tucson has been so welcoming to me and has quickly become my home. I am so excited to continue my exploration of my new habitat and to see where my understanding of architecture will be in the next four years.

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CONTOUR CLOUD CONVEX TECHNICAL DRAWING

REFLEC TI ON

CONTOUR CLOUD CONCAVE TECHNICAL DRAWING

LI X