architecture portfolio 2014
Michael Savala Washington Univ. in St. Louis Bachelor of Arts in Architecture
(618) 334-6003 m.savala@outlook.com
THE PIAZZA OF SAN ROMANO 02 Plaza Redesign REVERSE STAR IN SCORPION 06 Yoga Studio DETROIT FEEDBACK 10 NOMAS Competition Entry SHIFTED AQUATICS 12 Pool and Spa Complex ISSUES Magazine 16 Community Oriented Publication CASS AVENUE PARK 22 Riverfront Water Retention Park SPACE BRICK 24 Shape Shifting Machine RÉSUMÉ 28
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THE PIAZZA OF SAN ROMANO 1 PROGRAM: Reimagine a public space in Florence in order to promote the pedestrian STUDIO: 312, Zueler Lima | Florence, Italy
The Battle of San Romano, painted by Paolo Uccello The piazza is named after famous painter Paolo Uccello. His most famous work, The Battle of San Romano is held at Florence’s Galleria degli Uffizi and is the inspiration for the tram platform. The lancers of The Battle of San Romano inspired the pavilion. This stands as the monumental focal point of the piazza, referencing Paolo Uccello in the space named after him. The pavilion for the Paolo Uccello tram stop (shown in elevation) would stand in the middle.
Elevation of Tram Station
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The present Piazza Paolo Uccello opened in 2010 in a Florentine suburban neighborhood. With its reopening came a new tram system to connect the suburbs to the city, but alongside it opened a new highway interchange, limiting accessibility to pedestrians and its connectivity to the neighborhoods around it.
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The plan for the renovated piazza did a few key things to fix these flaws. For one, the highway was pushed underground to allow for more green space and pedestrian pathways. New sidewalks guide people to the Cascine Park Bridge, the path along the river, and the adjacent residences. The piazza now allows for the entire neighborhood to be interconnected.
Existing Piazza Paolo Uccello
Proposed Piazza
REVERSE STAR in SCORPION 3 PROGRAM: Design a yoga studio using the practice of yoga as inspiration STUDIO: 211, John Mueller
Elevation
Plan How can the program itself (yoga) be used to inspire the design of the building as a whole (a yoga studio)? This yoga position, the Reverse Star in Scorpion, inspired the form of the program, the yoga studio. The two people must focus on balance why also relying on each other. In the yoga studio, the horizontal and the vertical rely on trust and balance as well. The plan is based around an intimate yoga experience; much of the building is gathering space for the visitors, and a small dock terminates the building, creating a dramatic lake front experience.
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Reverse Star in Scorpion yoga pose, the inspiration
Model
Model
DETROIT FEEDBACK 4
NOMAS Group Competition
PROGRAM: Create a center for sustainable food production and community involvement in Corktown, Detroit. PARTICIPATING MEMBERS: Abby Jones, Trent McGugin, Alejandra Lopez, Mayur Patel, Chris Quinlan, Silvino Castillo,
David Chiang, Sherlock Yu, Matthew Skinner, Wassef Daboussi, Michael Savala STUDIO: NOMAS Competition
The city of Detroit has lost about a quarter of its population in the past decade, and much of the city lies as vacant fields. The 2012 National Organization of Minority Architects Students (NOMAS) design competition focused on tackling Detroit’s vacancy problem with progressive solutions steeped in green infrastructure and alternative modes of transportation in the Corktown neighborhood. The program, called the Sustainability Center, hosted exhibition and educational spaces, farm space, food processing, and a hydroponics fishery. Our site focuses on bringing these needs to the neighborhood of Corktown, while focusing all program on the human scale and that which was already established by the neighborhood. The program ultimately serves as an incubator, which can spread local food production across the city. Corktown, Detroit, MI
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(above) panoramic of Navin Field, our site (below) master plan of our interventions
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Given the community-oriented and grassroots environment of Corktown, our team decided to create a campus across our site rather than one large gesture. Standing in the place of Detroit’s old Tiger Stadium—a landmark of Corktown for almost a century—our campus evokes the small changes needed in progress in order to create a timeless design.
street section render
site plan
first floor plans
second floor plans
LANDBANKING
Start with small, portable progress on the surrounding sites and make the land more valuable and more attractive to large scale developers.
SUSTAINABLE FOOD GROWTH
A few key programs within our campus include a 100% green roof, a hydroponics fishery, and the anerobic digester, our key installation.
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SHIFTED AQUATICS 5
PROGRAM: Using abstracted water characteristics, design a pool and spa complex on Saint Louis’s riverfront. STUDIO: 311, Iain Fraser
The key inspiration behind the swimming pool is the movement of water over a surface. A strange yet familiar action that water does when traversing a surface is that it picks up the characteristics of the surface underneath it while retaining its own forms.
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(entire spread) Concept models
Axonometric
Plan—First Floor
Section—North Side
Plan—Second Floor
The concept of water running down a surface still exists in the final proposal of the building. The horizontal pools have carried over from the previous concept and focuses on a more individual program, while the upper level focuses on communal spaces.
Section—East Side (from the river, facing the city)
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First floor interior view
Second floor interior view
The entire design of the building comes from two elements; the bearing walls, which carry the weight of the building, and the horizontal pools on the ground level. Elevation—West Side (from the riverfront, towards the city)
The ground level program consists of a series of individual exercise pools and small subordinate pools for an intimate and very personal experience. The upper level has an open plan with larger pools, for a more communal experience above.
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The model was built with plexi-glass and chipboard in both black and white; the paper juxtaposes the heavy use of styrene used in the site model. The site in real life sits on Lucas Street and Sullivan Blvd in Saint Louis. (entire page) 1/8 scale physical model
ISSUES Magazine Founding Member 6 Spring 2012 - Spring 2014 Washington University’s community oriented magazine
Turning the Tide Despite the huge vacancy problem that plagues Saint Louis, the city’s public transit system is one of its crowning achievements. Sure, the Metrolink only takes you along the East-West corridor of the metro area, leaving the North and South sides out, and it takes a little planning to use—trains typically come every 20 minutes. But considering how spread out the metro area is, with only 10% of the Saint Louis Metropolitan area within city limits, and the fact that Metrolink has the 10th highest ridership of light rail systems in the country1, it’s doing pretty well for itself. One area that the Metrolink has fallen short, however, is pedestrian accessibility at certain stations, and there is no better example of this than at Brentwood’s Metrolink station. Thanks to the construction of the blue line which is not even a decade old, I can take the train directly from Wash U’s campus to Target and Trader Joe’s, two immensely popular shopping destinations for everyone, including the college students living in Clayton and University City. When you exit the train you are within a quarter mile of Brentwood’s massive Promenade shopping center, but you are faced with choosing between two difficult and ill-planned paths. You can either walk north along Eager Road—a high speed bypass route of nearby I-170— as well as down a makeshift dirt path down a steep hill, or you can walk south through Hanley Industrial Court—a typically deserted collection of factories where sidewalks did not exist and tight corners require automobile drivers to be cautious while whipping around them. Both of these routes are twice as long, and neither is particularly fun at night. Recently, I took the Metrolink there, knowing full well what I was getting myself into. After leaving the platform (which is designed in itself to trouble pedestrians), I was pleasantly surprised A new sidewalk was constructed that connected the train station to the Brentwood Promenade shopping plaza. Sure, Hanley Industrial Court still isn’t the most inviting location to walk through, but having a right of way for pedestrians is a relief, and it means much more to those who use wheelchairs and have disabilities. The sidewalk is functional, of course, but it makes a bolder statement than the safety of Metro passengers— people are walking around Brentwood and in the St. Louis area, rather than just driving. A suburban town finally sees the relevance of public transportation and the accessibility of its resources to everyone.
This diagram shows the direct route to Dierberg’s (grocery store) and Target in orange from the Metrolink Station (green dot), with the pedestrian paths to each in purple. Dierberg’s is the shorter one. The pedestrian paths are about twice as long as the direct distances.
Thankfully, this sidewalk is not the end of Brentwood’s efforts towards accessibility. This project, which was completed in 2013, is part of the Brentwood Pedestrian and Transit Improvement Project, which is a project funded federally through the East West Gateway Council of Governments. Originally conceived in 2010 with construction starting months after, the $2 million project aims at making Brentwood a more walkable city, starting at its busy commercial district2. The new sidewalk, which is one part of the project, connects the Brentwood Metro station with Brentwood Promenade (the location of Target and Trader Joe’s) and on through to Memorial Park, a public park that lies beyond Hanley Industrial Court, farthest from the train station. This new addition will bring Brentwood one step closer to being a more accessible city. The recent city trends are moving away from automobiles and towards buses, light rail, and bicycles as primary methods of transit. In Saint Louis, these are especially new—the Metrolink itself just celebrated its Twenty Year anniversary, which doesn’t even include the seven-year-old blue line. The collaboration between the Metrolink station, suburban shopping districts, and public parks to create more accessibly for everyone shows strong indication of smarter design in the future—one that prioritizes pedestrians over autos. Nationwide Ridership Statistics: http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/ Documents/Ridership/2013-q2-ridership-APTA.pdf The Brentwood Pedestrian and Transit Improvement Plan: http://mobrentwood2.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/5304
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Written and Photographed by Michael Savala
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“Turning the Tide”, article written and photographed by me
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ISSUES Magazine is a multidisciplinary publication started at Washington Univ. in 2011 by three students (myself included) that aims to seek the intrinsic link between architecture and urban problems existing in Saint Louis. The magazine has covered a variety of topics, including homelessness, vacancy, and education accessibility. We’ve also connected with many noted Saint Louisans such as political activist Jamala Rogers, What’s Up magazine creator Jay Swoboda, and 21st Ward Alderman Antonio French. The organization has successfully launched five issues and has brought awareness of urban problems to thousands of people over the years.
CASS AVENUE PARK 7
PROGRAM: Create a water mitigating space in Saint Louis that incorporates community and urban design principles STUDIO: 412, Gia Daskalakis
(above) Site Section, facing North (below) Site Plan, North on the right
The traditional entry into Saint Louis passes right by our most iconic structure, the Gateway Arch. But with the construction of the new Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge, visitors and residents alike will pass across a beautiful, innovative and groundbreaking bridge that leads right into a vacant neighborhood. Cass Avenue Park aims to create an iconic entrance to the city—in this respect, it is similar to the Arch, but this park aims to serve the neighborhood its adjacent to.
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This project tears down the current floodwall and allows floods to be mitigated by wetlands. The current bike path, the Riverfront Trail, runs through the site (including the park’s architectural component). Pedestrian paths are placed across the entire site to allow access all over. The Cass Avenue Park replaces vacant industrial lots with a new human-scale water mitigation park.
COMMON MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOOD HEIGHTS Drought Stage 9’ Spring Stage 15’
Cass Avenue Park is capable of protecting the city from flood heights, and changes at each stage. At its highest retention level, the site can handle the Mississippi River at 60’, or 11’ above the historic flood of 1993—at this height, every other part of the city will be flooded. This park is a greener way
Flood Stage 30’
of replacing the floodwall, providing a beautiful human-scale view as well. The program of Cass Avenue Park includes wetlands, in various stages of absorptive wetlands and prairie surfaces. The current site is chosen because of the new bridge, but this program can
Historic Floor Stage 49’
be installed at multiple locations along the Saint Louis riverfront (shown on the bottom right). This allows for the sites to have a greater impact on the riverfront. RIVERFRONT NEIGHBORHOODS IN SAINT LOUIS Glasgow Village
North Riverfront
McKinley Bridge/ Trestle Stan Musial Bridge Archgrounds Kosciusco
River Des Peres / Patch
The architectural component of the Cass Avenue Park, named the Grow Box, houses a Farmer’s Market that will bring people to the site. Each farmer will have a collection of Ω Garden Plots which consist of illuminating Omega (Ω) Gardens. This will allow farmers to grow food such as lettuce, herbs, and strawberries, and then sell them in the market on the ground floor. Ω Garden
Ω Garden Farm
Upper Floor Plans, Ω Garden Plots
Ω Garden Plot
2nd Floor Plan, Bike Path
1st Floor Plan, Farmer’s Market
(left) Nighttime section of the Grow Box, illustrating the illumination (right) Evening rendering, showing the vines on exterior
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(left) Elevation of the Cass Avenue Grow Box (bottom) Rendering of Cass Avenue Park at the Grow Box
SPACE BRICK 8
PROGRAM: Design a 3D spatial interpretation of a household item found on site. STUDIO: 111, Carl Karlen
Concept drawings The drawing above conceptualizes an empty pudding cup found on site in North Saint Louis. The cup folds into so many different forms, and yet the object itself can change shape through force. The Space Brick does the same–it can change to whatever shape its user desires through the use of jointery.
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Axon drawing
(above) Configurations of Space Brick
drawing of the Space Brick model The space brick is about molding spaces through the manipulation of the form. The tool can be compressed, expanded, and warped in an infinite number of ways to shape the space within. Each joint is created to slide, fold, and stretch with simple, elegant movements.
Space Brick model
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RÉSUMÉ 10
EXPERIENCE
Interior Management, LLC.
Project Manager, Oct 2015 - Nov 2016. New York, NY
Managed multiple construction trades including carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and painters to renovate a 1,500 sq. ft. Upper West Side apartment. Created estimates for full renovations and service jobs through management software ProContractor. Engaged directly with clients across Manhattan for renovations and service jobs regarding finances, scope of work, and construction details.
Assistant Project Manager, Sept 2014 - Sept 2015. New York, NY Worked with senior project managers on scopes of work ranging from punch lists to 6,000 sq. ft. multi-million dollar apartment renovations across Manhattan. Took over organizational responsibilities such as identifying and organizing door hardware, plumbing fixtures, electrical fixtures, and other finish items. Contacted clients directly regarding scheduling and scope coordination.
PWBA Architects, Inc.
Summer Intern, May - Aug in 2009 - 2012. Montgomery, AL Architectural drafting under the supervision of the head architect for multiple projects, including the Alabama Wildlife Federation Natureplex. Assisted senior drafters in obtaining field measurements and photographs for local area projects. Handled requests for information between our firm and contracted mechanical and electrical engineering firms.
Creative Exchange Lab
Summer Intern, May - Aug 2013. Saint Louis, MO
Assisted in the design of furniture using reclaimed materials for the main space of the non-profit Creative Exchange Lab (CEL), and participated in community service activities for CEL. Worked with various community leaders involved in projects that encouraged user-oriented design.
EDUCATION
Washington University in Saint Louis Graduate, Class of 2014.
Bachelor of Arts, Major in Architecture / Minor in Urban Design
Santa Reparata International School of Art Jan 2013 - May 2013. Florence, Italy
Study Abroad Program in collaboration with Washington Univ. for Architecture and Urban Design, taught by both Washington Univ. and SRISA professors.
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HONORS AND ACTIVITIES ISSUES Magazine
Co-Founder/ President, Aug 2011 - May 2014 Established Washington Univ.’s publication specializing in the intersection of architecture, urban design, and social awareness.
National Organization of Minority Architecture Students Member, Jan 2012 - May 2014. Participated in Washington University’s second-place winning entry in the student design program (Oct 2012) Chapter president (Aug 2013-May 2014)
Eagle Scout of Troop 307
Awarded in Nov 2009. Montgomery, AL. Coordinated the financing, design, and construction of custom storage in Fall 2009 for Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Montgomery for my Eagle Project.
SKILLS Productivity Software Microsoft Office (5+ years) ProContractor (1 year)
Adobe Creative Suite
Photoshop and InDesign (4 years) Illustrator (2 years)
Drawing and 3D Software
AutoCAD (5 years) Rhinoceros 3D and V-RAY rendering plug-in (2 years) Knowledge of Revit Architecture (<1 year)
Michael Savala Washington Univ. in St. Louis Bachelor of Arts in Architecture
(618) 334-6003 m.savala@outlook.com
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