portfolio
Luccas Dias +1 (734) 546 - 4524 luccasrd@gmail.com
index MArch
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networklandshaft commons ODA (one room dwelling) - domestic future totem no. 4 fire station no. 1
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BArch
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public library townhouse public school university housing
professional marcos bertoldi dm apartment coletivo alimentar
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MArch Taubman College University of Michigan 2017-2019
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networklandshaft Technology and its constant evolution have drastically changed the way we live, injected us with ideologies that perpetuate a cycle of technological dependence. During the 60’s and the 70’s, these ideological acts of consumption and technology were challenged by experiments in ways of living, transportation, sociology, economy and anthropology. The conversation needs to be updated to include the amount of data, networks and limitless communications that dictate today’s modes of living. Our lives are dominated by the internet – logging in, posting pictures, entering information, searching results, buying things, and leaving behind a digital footprint of private and public data. This data can later be organized through algorithms giving large corporations such as Google and Facebook the ability to allocate us into a binary system according to the monetary value of data, in turn, forcing us to buy, watch, click and segregate into specific groups. Today the world is dominated through sovereign markets. These sovereign markets have started to obfuscate borders due to international dissipation and with large quantities of networks in place, this amplifies issues of boundaries and geographical delineation even more. The market of the internet which monopolizes communications and virtual experiences raises questions of who owns what. This dissolving notion of ownership, challenges principal ideals of capitalism such as the need for a singular currency for the act of buying, selling and accumulation. Through the network, we are all connected through no physical boundaries, eliminating physical hierarchical borders. While the network today has multiple nodes, which are controlled by centralized nodes that manages information, if all connections were to be distributed, it would allow for equality in data sharing and distribution of technology.
This geodesic cartography of the internet is starting in ways to take physical form. People are connecting and communicating to find people to live with and other types of communal transactions/activities. These connections could create entire “cloud” nations where people congregate with no need of a physical border, where voice rather than a hereditary privilege dictates citizenship. This system of exchange comes closer to Marx’s ideals of what true communism is, where the act of sharing is more important than the act of owning. In conjunction, Marx was interested in the power of technology as the driving force of history rather than politics. Networks and the technology which accompanies it has enabled a new mode of living which can transcend ideas of borders, capital and sovereignties. although these systems have given us the opportunity of cloud communities to emerge and the possibility of nomadism through a digital landscape, we tend to forget the physical disconnect and consequences which this technology has triggered. Through an idea of a distributed network, the networklandshaft physically manifests concepts of a pure distributed network – in turn, exchange becomes more relevant than capital. Generating a new mode of living which is plastic and impermanent, a shared space between human and machine; regulating to the user’s need while they travel through both digital and physical space.
Project Type: Academic - Individual Course: ARCH - 662 - Thesis School: University of Michigan Professor: Ellie Abrons Date: April 2019 Time Available: 4 months
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storage typology plan
secluded typology plan
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communal typology plan
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TREES - In networkland, there is a mixture of both natural and artificial trees. If the community or the algorithm running realizes the population wants a more outdoor aesthetic, these trees can move into place and can create buffer zone between more private environments. V
PERMINENT STRCTRS - Inside networkland there are is a large number of spaces which though permanent, are adaptable to the users needs. if one wants to live, work or even have a “winter garden�, all of these possibilities are available. Some of them have also spatial configurations which allow one to segregate and separate from the main Networkland space which is KIVA and M-Wall accessible.
ADJ TABLES - not necessarily and object which can move around, the adaptable objects which are scattered throughout the space offer the chance to be customized in color and height. With these adjustments a simple artificial shaded forest can turn in an array of tables to serve events.
KIVA WC - These units are responsible for personal hygiene, the circular part at the top contain mechanisms and software which manages water and shower times so that home owners are aware of how much water they are wasting. The circulation of water and waste are provided through tubes which run and cycles under the warehouse floor and connects to the large central pillar structures.
KIVA STORAGE - The units which are moved around by the KIVA robots provide many types of storage sizes so that it feeds a variety of item sizes. These large storage units not only provide a stash solution, but also serves as a way to divide space and create boundaries if less M-Walls are wanted.
ADAPT FURNITURE - These furniture piece range from single to full communal sitting arrangements. Coming in an array of colors and texture patterns so that it can blend into the environment. Networkland software has the ability to chose for you textures and colors based on your network history or the ability to choose for yourself. Of course, all of them contain with electric casters and will be automated to your direction. M-WALLS - These walls are the main way which the spaces are divided and sorted. While it seems like a regular wall, stabilizers and balancing equipment have created a movable wall which are able to move around to create boundaries and divisions. The M-Walls also contain non-glare image panels which can emit enough light to become a light source or also a way which the user can customize the space through a large selection of colors and images to project onto the walls. KIVA KICHEN - Not necessarily an obligatory component which all users at networkland need to have, but gives the opportunity to cook and make food. While there are 3 units which come together for the kitchen combo, they can be modulated and moved around to how the user intends to.
KIVA TABLES - Ranging from dinner/work table to side tables, the foldable tables can fit up to 8 to 12 people. While only 3 at a time might be facing each other, its foldable profile allows it to become a storage locker and a table at the same time. The side tables can be joined together and can fit a variety of items and electronics which you need.
KIVA ROBOTS - These robots move around Networkland and are a crucial component to how the spaces are created and for assisting the user of the space. With the ability to carry more than 2000 pounds, the KIVA is connected with both user and environment to adjust its path direction and other maneuvering.
catalog The networklandshaft system is compromised of objects which are shared between community members which they can rent and share through a time period. These objects range from more domestic uses to more communal activities with both realms containing objects with high programmability. The distribution of fixed structures and divisions in the space in combination with the objects which have the ability to be moved and shared, allow the space to mutate and create different type of spatial conditions which are coordinated between members of networklandshaft. Spaces become plastic with the ability to generate storage, more individual spaces and communal typologies.
8 user typologies THE BASIC - With direction given to him through Networkland instructions, this user chose a very simple space as a way of arranging the combo of items which he chose to define the space that he wants to live in. through simple wall divisions and classifications of spaces we assume normal, this user has chosen a simple domestic environment to live in and which suits his needs for the timing being.
THE LONER - Some of our users don’t want to live in more communal lifestyle or have chosen a path of solitude, this user has been able to code a camouflage for his house and has organized the space in a way which to the outsider looks simply as storage for KIVA furniture, but inside lies one’s discrete home.
THE TESTER -Different from the user that chose the basic living typology, this user is interested in the new ways of living which he wants to discover. Through the open-source program which is given to the users if the want to dabble with the code, this user has not yet found the right living conditions and the space if functioning in a way that has certain intentions which the user wants but has not been able to translate that into code properly yet.
THE ENTREPENUER - This user’s way of living demonstrates the ability of one of the abilities of a software driven space which is adaptability of hours of the day. During the day, this user organizes his and choses specific furniture from Networkland so that he can maintain a restaurant and during the night, it become his home where he/she is able to rest and create a space which he can identify as home during one off-work hours
This section is available to observe some of the different living conditions which some users have taken upon themselves to figure out and create a living environment which they are comfortable with. It is important to remember that all states of being at Networkland are plastic; while someone’s space might look like this today, tomorrow it might be totally different.
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commons Social housing has always had imbedded relationships to ideological frames which dictate our mode of production, reproduction, privacy and socializing. While many social housing projects have tried to incorporate a large group of people to generate communities, there is a lack of consideration to how the domestic space is able to change, morph and generate new modes of living, which in turn produce new hierarchies that challenge the status quo. Through the study of the Carthusian Monastery, monks have a very private space which they use to prey and encapsulate themselves in meditative actions and gathered around a large cloister where there is an exchange of activities between the members. At certain times of the day the monks come together to collaborate in daily chores such as cleaning, cooking and farming and later can retreat to their most private space to go back in prayer.
Detroit for investment and development, while the southern edge faces a typical suburban development. This gradient, from commercial to residential, is negotiated via programming and massing. Taller masses provide an urban edge along Jefferson Avenue, while shorter masses on the southern edge reference the adjacent residential development without overpowering them. The courtyards contained within the blocks follow this gradient, with those along Jefferson offering a more open, permeable border to allow access from the street, and ease of access to a wide variety of public amenities. While those enclosed by the shorter blocks offer a more sheltered space for residents. The units themselves are arranged around shared residential spaces, such as living rooms, kitchens, working areas, study rooms, and dining areas, which invite cooperative living and interaction amongst the residents of each block, challenging the (American) concept that private living spaces are the ideal model for residential typologies.
The idea of shared programs and spaces became relevant to generate spaces which could encompass communal and private simultaneously. This order would not only be beneficial for the residents but also bring in outside community, strengthening neighborhood ties and making a new community flourish. Community-focused programming provides a border between the street edge, central axis, and the spaces enclosed by the residential blocks. Jefferson Avenue, at the site’s northern edge, is a commercial corridor targeted by the city of
Project Type: Academic - Partnered Project(Joshua Krell) Course: ARCH - 672 - Systems Studio School: University of Michigan Professor: Daniel Jacbos Date: December 2018 Time Available: 4 months
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ODA (one room dwelling) - domestic future The issue of the dwelling and the domestic space has always been of paramount importance in architectural discipline due to the fact that this space dictates how people live their life and carry their daily routines. With the capitalist system being the cardinal manner, which governs our life and world orders, it has also engrained into architectural discourse through organization of spaces on the human scale and also in the urban scale. While the home is supposed to have the psychological feel of a shelter which protects us, we need to really ask ourselves what is it that we are trying to protect ourselves from? When going into shelter, from the outside world and unconsciously trying to avoid this ideological system which controls all our actions. It is essential to create a system which conditions people to think about the physical environment and social environment as well. A system which is able to encapsulate the importance of work, but not to supply more means of production to the system which we are a part of. Instead, modifying the system which benefits from sharing of produce through means which are not always capital together with urban conditions which enable us to analyze how to redefine the subjective need of separating work and living. The grid as an organizational device is propagated and present in all antecedents, frequently in a physical form which acts in democratizing space for all. Today, the grid can be thought out in a different form, an invisible grid which organizes us, an invisible
grid that more and more is dictated by advancements in technology. This invisible grid mostly dictated by the internet, enables us as humans to work, live, connect and move to nearly any spot in the world because of this invisible network. This creates new possibilities of mode of living which are not bound anymore by urban form which is organized to be suit needs of production. People are now able to move freely around the earth and through implementation of a trading system rather than a capital one, each person is important for the larger society to function. To live in the invisible grid, the earth would occupy a new type of urban landscape, one which permits less urban dense zones where people are in more contact with the planet developing a deeper emotional connection to the planet and our environments. Universally generating a new type of nomadic lifestyle where we control our domestic/ work environments to our needs rather than it dictating who we should be and what we should do.
Project Type: Academic - Individual Course: ARCH - 562 - Propositions Studio School: University of Michigan Professor: Mary-Ann Ray Date: April 2018 Time Available: 4 months
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totem no. 4 Through studies of alteration of space through different types of light, totem no. 4 was a result of question ideas of refraction, reflection and opacity through the use of different materials. Through a multitude of studies which tested how different materials act upon certain light; these being natural or artificial, the use of mirrors and resin culminated into a materialization of our thoughts on the ideas of boundaries that questioned and absorbed the immediate surroundings. While totem no.4 stands in the forests of Pellston – MI, the study interrogates what a multiplicity of modes of refraction, reflection and transparency could do to alter the surroundings. Bringing into questioning ideas of the dissipation of the object in its surroundings, or does nature itself become an object in the reflection of the totem? Subsequently, these questions change during the periods of the day which the totem is exposed. During the day time when natural light is abundant, and the multitudinous of snow and trees, the mirrors on the totem reflect its surrounding and camouflage itself to the corresponding rhythmic environment. However, at nighttime, with the lack of natural light and switching on an artificial light source, the dark surroundings become a backdrop for the lit-up installation, exposing the solid object which was once a reflection of the forest. The use of different colors for the light sources start to demonstrate the material qualities which are
reflected and absorbed. The mirrors deflect the light source through the multiple directions which it is facing, emanating strips of reflected light throughout the snowy forest floor. The offset resin block on the totem through different refracted and transparent qualities absorbs the different lights which it gathers and at this moment acts as more as a guiding beacon. Lastly, the utilization of light as primary means of fabricating demonstrates the importance of spatial qualities which are not solely dependable on physical distribution. Through the use of different lighting modes and material qualities, space can be changed radically, questioning modes of object and environment.
Project Type: Academic - Partnered Project(Brian Baksa, David Alcala) Course: ARCH - 509 - Glow Workshop School: University of Michigan Professor: Catie Newell Date: December 2018 Time Available: 4 months
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fire station no. 1
In a day and age where technology and the excessive amount of information comes from the media about security, more and more we are secluding ourselves to our own individual bubble. The institution of the fire station originated from a community issue, where bucket brigades were created to bring the population together and in unison fight fires as a group. So, what classifies what a community is? It is a collective of people who live in the same place and share a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals. The new fire station would bring back that idea through a space that, no matter what peoples roles in society are, it would be a somewhere that would re-integrate the definition of community through spaces which would create common interests and actions of sharing.
By integrating different public programs into the fire station, it can strengthen ways which people can come together and have spaces which they can find common interests not only with themselves but also with the fire fighters. These engagements can happen through activities such as a gathering space where people can talk about community problems, physical activities such as rock climbing and places where children can come together and play. The public programs and the fire station program exist through precise bends and curves that give specific identities to space, function and create emotional experiences. These experiences materialize through curvature of space which can express speed, ambiguity and closure of space. All these experiences help in create new engagements between the people and with fire fighters as well.
Project Type: Academic - individual Course: ARCH - 552 - Institutions School: University of Michigan Professor: Jen Maigret Date: December 2017 Time Available: 4 months
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1st floor - climbing+apparatus bay
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2nd floor - firestation adm. offices
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3rd Floor - children play area+firefighter living quarters
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Administration office
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N 5th Ave Entrance
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E Ann St Entrance
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BArch
Universidade Positivo Curitiba - Brasil jan. 2010- dec. 2014
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public library Through the years, the city center in Curitiba has gone through an urbanistic turmoil. The epicenter which was once known for being a platform for many cultural uses, is now deteriorating. This can be attributed to the exponential growth of the city and this cultural equipment not been taken care of. The heart of the city center contains the city’s university, student housing, parks, plazas, one of the largest theaters in south America and many other theaters (more than 10). Being a diverse cultural area, it is important to keep these cultural areas in good condition for people to utilize the city better. One of the most important instruments we humans need to excel is education. The physical embodiment of knowledge is the library. In Curitiba, these places of wisdom are in severe condition and many books are in places which are not adequate to be preserved. Analyzing these facts, my main goal became to create a new library for the heart of Curitiba. Creating a space for learning but taking into consideration how people are currently interacting. Creating spaces that facilitate the connection between these other cultural equipment, and creating a library which will attract people so they start utilizing the city center more frequently.
The site presents the possibility of a cultural resurrection of the town center and also creating a better pedestrian life. This important area of town has a lot of pedestrian movement; from students, business, and commercial. What is most stressing is the amount of parking buildings which are small and all across this area. Creating a large parking lot here would also help in appropriating other lots for more important uses. The vertical library permits the user to obtain different experiences, having each floor with a specific layout and floor plan, permits these changes in emotion. The ground floor of the library consists in other programs such a space for stores creating a commercial connection to pedestrian street and stores located in the neighbor building. Also, an auditorium which can be used as a small theater.
Project Type: Academic - thesis - individual Course: Trabalho de ConclusĂŁo de Curso School: Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, Brasil Advisor: Alexandre Ruiz Da Rosa Date: November 2014 Time Available: 5 months
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ground floor plan+commercial street
The moment which the person enters the library and looks through the atrium, stair inside are in different position which create a multitude of different perspectives while traversing vertically. The central atrium located in the library does not only create a visual connection for those which are inside the building but also in certain floors extend outwards like a tentacle reaching for the outside connecting with the outside.
commercial street view
main stairway view
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elevated entrance floor plan
When climbing the stairs which lead to the entrance, the user has access to a more private elevated plaza which has visual to the pedestrian street and the large city square.
library atrium view
art gallery view
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6th floor (mediateque) plan
atrium view
atrium circulation view
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9th floor plan
elevated entrance view
atrium view
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townhouse Curitiba during the past decades has had a relevant share of its population moving out of the city center either for a newer, more sophisticated neighborhood or for a less expensive area on the outskirts of the city. This migration has resulted in gaps in the urban fabric of older neighborhoods. These residential areas which were once packed with elegant historically preserved residences surrounded by multiple peaceful green spaces are now becoming unsafe and left forgotten. The location of this area brings benefits from multiple factors. Firstly, its location is near to the city center where most people migrate to go to work and there is a good transportation infrastructure. Secondly, while this area is located close to the busy and noisy city center, the way the streets were intricately planned created a safe and tranquil spaces for neighbors to interact. Thirdly, due to its degraded state, the cost of living there is cheaper than other places in town. These factors led me to create a townhouse which would act as a catalyst for reconstructing an old neighborhood and attracting affluent professionals and their partners / young families. The townhouse would contain architectural elements defining a new way of living downtown. The central element of this specific program is an internal ground courtyard with an expansive atrium. It provides an elegant solution to two crucial program requirements: the connection between tree-lined streets and the
house interior, and the presence of natural lighting. The expansive atrium is a central element serving other purposes. It integrates the different areas, organizes vertical movement, guides people on where to go, enables different visual cues and facilitates air circulation. The neighborhood streets have beautiful landscape with many mature trees. In order to strengthen the connection between the pleasant surroundings and the townhouse interior, nature and its elements were brought inside. A large vertical garden was created starting at the ground courtyard and going up the atrium with a glass-retractile roof to protect from natural elements when needed. The minimalist front facade contrasts with the historical eclectic ones of the neighborhood. While it still maintaining original parameters and limitations, it marks a new era of revitalization.
Project Type: Academic Course: Atelier De Projeto III School: Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, Brasil Professors: Marcos Bertoldi, Marilice Casagrande, Thais Saboia Martins Date: June 2011 Time Available: 2 Months
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entrance view
2nd floor passage
upper living room view
atrium view
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floor plans
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public school In certain areas of Curitiba, the average of schools needed per habitant is lower than it should be. Close to Curitiba’s civic center lies a neighborhood which consists of a large number of residences but has a lack of elementary schools in the region. Located in an low rise residential neighborhood is now surrounded by high rise buildings, the neighborhood consists of large parks and green areas which makes it quiet and peaceful, making it ideal for an elementary school. In Brazilian tradition, architecture designed for schools is executed in a way which sometimes does not benefit the its main user, the student. School can sometimes be designed in ways which tends to give priority to the program and its rigid functionality rather than trying to understand what is better for the students.
Due to these inflexible classroom fixtures, the end result for areas for children to play and enjoy become segregated and without any thought. These spaces are covered and have no direct contact with the outside. The main focus of the project then became about how the children would interact with these spaces, thinking about all their emotions and how different spaces can evoke different feelings. Have these different spaces be the guidelines for conception and the program be a result of these areas. The disposition of the classrooms and the other parts of the program were done in such a way so that through the courtyard youngsters would be able to have different experiences when playing or creating worlds of their own.
Project Type: Academic Course: Atelier De Projeto V School: Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, Brasil Professors: Alexandre Ruiz Da Rosa, Antonio Elias Abrao, Moara Zuccherelli Date: November 2012 Time Available: 2 Months and 15 days
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site plan
floor plan
One thing that drives every child is making new discoveries and living in their imagination. To maximize this for the children, it was important to enlarge the space enabled for them through organizing specific programs as barriers for protection for kids to do so. Most of the program which will be used by all kids are on the ground floor, the program acts as barriers where kids can or cannot access. The suspended classrooms work as a cover for parts of the courtyard which in turn protects from elements such as rain and sun.
second floor plan
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university housing Curitiba is known for being one of the most intellectual cities and a cultural beacon in Brazil. This can be attributed to the quality of several universities that are located in the city. Unfortunately, some of the students that move to Curitiba to study are met with housing conditions that are not at par with the education they receive. A large portion of these students who live in student residences have either to take long commutes or to pay high rentals. In addition to the location, most of the housing provided are regular apartment buildings with no social or recreational spaces. Also, some of the local universities do not have on-campus facilities that provide opportunities for students to interact and socialize. Of course, such spaces are fundamental in a college environment, where students of all areas of knowledge can meet, greet and express their ideas. The goal for the project became to create student housing which would be closer to the university and encourage social coexistence for both students and residents at large.
The initial conceptualization of the project aimed at defining public and private (related to the use by student residents) spaces and their integration. The 7-meter topographic difference between the front side of the site and the backside allowed for an interesting and effective program development. The multiple public areas were connected by two staircases aligned on the northern side of the site. The integration between social and private was also applied to the area containing the residences. Social connecting areas and each have different uses – study halls, small libraries and lounge areas. These areas connect every floor, allowing for continuous interaction amongst residents resulting in social coexistence and interaction amongst students. Parts of the program that are related to permanence such as residences, study halls, dining areas and multi-purpose rooms are facing north to have as much natural light during the day and a direct communication with the large public space available for the students.
Project Type: Academic Course: Atelier De Projeto VIII School: Universidade Positivo, Curitiba, Brasil Professors: Rodolfo Sastre, Boris Madsen Cunha, Carlos Garmatter Neto Date: September 2013 Time Available: 2 Months and 15 days
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-350cm floor plan
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00cm floor plan
+1,050cm floor plan
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professional
Curitiba - Brasil 2013- 2017
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internship/personal work With approximately five years of work experience which I gathered during my time studying for my bachelor’s degree and after I graduated, I was able to work in a multiplicity of areas where I strengthened and expanded on my areas of knowledge. Interning at places such as Marcos Bertoldi and Manoel Coelho, both prestigious architects from Curitiba, enabled me to work on high-end residential architecture, interior design, institutional and corporate architecture. After I graduated, I opened a boutique architectural firm with an associate named GrafiteZero, focusing mainly on interior design for residential, commercial and institutional projects. This section introduces a small selection of work that demonstrates different areas of knowledge which I acquired in the professional realm.
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marcos bertoldi (AD house - intern)
During the time I worked at Marcos Bertoldi Arquitetos, a prestigious firm which is known for doing high-end residences and interior design, I was able to acquire knowledge in many realms which drove me in understanding quality design. A studio which understands the importance of formal composition and attention to detail, I was able to tackle many endeavors which took me through practically every step till project completion. Some of these tasks included: detailing of custom woodwork, schematic drawings, development drawings, construction drawings, interaction with clients, 3D modeling, and rendering. Through my time there, I was able to work on numerous house project and had an emphasize on AD house, EMRU house, RB house and some Interior design work. In the AD house which received many publications, I was also able to acquire knowledge on Brazilian furniture designers and helped not only in the design phases but also the furniture which would be utilized and how to distribute them.
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dm apartment (GrafiteZero - lead designer) The apartment located in Curitiba with an area about 130m2 was composed of several rooms which made the spaces more segregated and didn’t generate a space which was welcome to living. The goal became to create an open plan and clean aesthetic design by demolishing the wall and implementing custom woodwork to create quality spaces. The use of different materials permits each area to have their distinction and establish a volumetric composition. Through extensive detailing, the use of custom woodwork was of especial importance in allowing everything to be built-in and embedded generating the minimalist design which the client was striving towards. floor plan
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coletivo alimentar (GrafiteZero - lead designer)
floor plan
second floor plan
Coletivo Alimentar, a gastronomic center, was designed by me and my associate. The program contained a cafĂŠ, a small market, a restaurant combined with culinary classes and co-working space. The center was located on the ground floor of a narrow and long building. One of our challenges was to create an interesting journey so that customers would feel invited to explore and access the different parts of the program. We created visual cues throughout the project by having visual openings to different areas and creating woodwork that enhanced the tight horizontal journey. The center opened to the public in September 2016.