Magdalena [Maggy] Checo - Architecture Portfolio

MAGDALENA CHECO

Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture 2010-2013

“STRUGGLE TO SKETCH THE FLOW THA JACK KEROUAC

AT ALREADY EXISTS INTACT IN MIND”

Magdalena Checo Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture 26-34 95th street East Elmhurst NY, 11369 magdalena.checo@gmail.com 347 656 6971 Works from 2010-2013

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Year 3

Harlem School of the Arts Bushwick Dwellings

Year 2

Pool House Precendent Study II Garden Refuge

Year 1

Weather Station Precendent study I Place Path Threshold

Other Projects

Construction Tech II Construction Tech I Independent Study Artwork

3-6 7-12 13-16 17-18 19-22 23-26 27-32 33-36 37-40 41-44 47-49 50 51-54 55-58

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The Harlem School of the Arts The Harlem School of the Arts is an arts school located on 645 St Nicholas Ave that gives children a variety of after-school classes on dancing, music and visual arts. Due to the time period it was designed and the condition of the neighborhood at the time the facade has a brutalist style, a windowless brick wall.

In our project we tried to emphasize that there needs to be a visual connection between the interior and exterior. The connection of bringing art to the community is beneficial to not only residents but to students. To accomplish this goal we thought of a design that would both open the facade and keep some privacy. To bring light for the appropriate rooms by adjusting the program and keep others more private. We also designed a new theater that connected to a gallery. It becomes a large public space where students can showcase work and further lead to the integration of art into the community. Through this we hoped to connect the inside to the outside through light and space.

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Spring 2013 Professor Llonch In Collaboration with Man Tung

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The Harlem School of the Arts | Spring 2013 | Professor LLonch | In Collaboration with Man Tung

The Harlem School of the Arts | Spring 2013 | Professor LLonch | In Collaboration with Man Tung

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bushwick dwellings The neighborhood of Bushwick has gone through many changes in the past. It has a been a prime spot for immigrants for decades but in present times crime has gone up. it went through a drastic change again when artists started to rent the abandoned warehouses as lofts. This marks the beginning of gentrification. This is a mixed impact on existing residents; crime goes down but real estate and rent prices go up. This forces many residents to leave. Through this project we realized that we can design something that can leave a positive impact on this neighborhood. We learned about the culture that exists and the culture coming in. Each of us designed two affordable courtyards whose residents contribute to a community farm. This is located on top of an existing warehouse converted into a community space. So with this project we hoped to leave a positive impact during its change.

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fall 2012 Professor foyo In Collaboration with Man Tung, moe myat thu, melissa santana, veronica rivas, evan kalogiannis, christian camacho, tiffany urosa, billy mcMillen, nooreen kagzi, deswacy powell, diana Zwetzich

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Bushwick Dwellings | Fall 2012 | Professor Foyo | Collaboration mentioned in page 7

Bushwick Dwellings | Fall 2012 | Professor Foyo | Collaboration mentioned in page 7

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Bushwick Dwellings | Fall 2012 | Professor Foyo | Collaboration mentioned in page 7

Bushwick Dwellings | Fall 2012 | Professor Foyo | Collaboration mentioned in page 7

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pool house

The local public schools near 128th street on Convent ave do not have enough space for sports, a good practice for teamwork and leadership in children. For my pool I decided to make it public and focus on its competitive aspect with an olympic sized pool. The design was derived by the repetitive use of structure from the precedent study: The Floating Opera. Instead in this case I used the repetitive structure to create a sense of distance and perspective, and to let in indirect light. Using this skeletal structure I was able to “bend� it to allow space for viewing, seating, bathrooms and more. Not just for the interior but for the exterior as well, creating a shaded seating area for a public park. With these ideas i hoped to give public school children an outdoor playground and a competitive place for swimming.

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spring 2012 Professor bagchee

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Pool House | Spring 2012 | Professor Bagchee

Pool House | Spring 2012 | Professor Bagchee

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precedent study ii - the floating opera The Floating Opera (Shwimmbad Wuppertal) is a pool in Wuppertal, Germany that has a repetitive structure to serve its purpose. The structure supports the seating and under the seating are entrances. At the center is the pool.

This building becomes a delicate bowl where all types of weight is considered. We made study models on the structure and learned the delicate nature of this building. The structure then inspired the Pool House of the next project.

spring 2012 Professor Bagchee In Collaboration with Man Tung

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Garden refuge

In this Garden Refuge a few troubled teenagers are sent to live in, I decided to make a tent-like communal space. Through closer living and relying on other people this would promote teamwork and cooperation. The living space is connected to the garden space and a green house. A public entry breaks in between. The form was brought from a pick axe. We chose a garden tool and drew a represention of the movement of the tool vs. the body. For the pick axe there are two uses, to break and to dig. These create opposite movements, to throw down and to pick up. This refuge comes from that form. A building that comes out of the neighboring wall and goes back into the ground.

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fall 2011 Professor bagchee

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Garden Refuge | Fall 2011 | Professor Bagchee

Garden Refuge | Fall 2011 | Professor Bagchee

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Weather station The site was at an abandoned dock near the Holland Tunnel. This is a musical weather station and is situated at the end of the dock. A new dock is added to make a path to the city but avoids the existing remnants.

This station measures waves through pressure and sound.

There are light metal tubes on a track which are pushed by water, and as it hits against the metal edge of the dock it makes a sound depending on the current. The platform becomes a new dock for visitors, and is set similar to a stage.

The second floor becomes offices connected where people can view the water or city when walking to other rooms.

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Weather Station | Spring 2011 | Professor Stigsgaard

Weather Station | Spring 2011 | Professor Stigsgaard

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Precedent study i - Can lis & gilardi house For the first precedent study we were split into groups of four, two houses were assigned per group. We first made drawings and switched these drawings with the other two group members to make a model out of. Through this we learned about the similarities and differences between Jorn Utzon’s Can Lis and Luis Barragan’s Gilardi house.

Both houses deal with light, while both deal with color very differently. Utzon blends his house with the surroundings while Barragan uses the color as a representation of Mexican culture and to affect light differently in each space to make it warm or cool.

spring 2011 Professor stigsgaard

In collaboration with Veronica Rivas, Madelyn Pena, Michael Delgado

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Precedent Study I | Spring 2011 | Professor Stigsgaard | Veronica Rivas, Madelyn Pena, Michael Delgado

Precedent Study I | Spring 2011 | Professor Stigsgaard | Veronica Rivas, Madelyn Pena, Michael Delgado

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Precedent Study I | Spring 2011 | Professor Stigsgaard | Veronica Rivas, Madelyn Pena, Michael Delgado

Precedent Study I | Spring 2011 | Professor Stigsgaard | Veronica Rivas, Madelyn Pena, Michael Delgado

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place

For this project we were asked to choose a moment from the path project and choose three actions. I chose the last obstacle of my path which was partially dark and hidden, but also included the end, the top. The actions are hiding, searching and viewing. To accomplish this I added half walls, to both hide and find someone, which blocked each other off to continue searching, and stairs to overlook all.

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Place | Fall 2010 | Professor Stigsgaard

Place | Fall 2010 | Professor Stigsgaard

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Path

This path also has a philisophical conotation to it. It is the path to wisdom. The bottom of this project represents a world full of consumerism, objects, jealousy, pride, anger, and other feeling that consume us. It is crowded, dark, and cramped. At the center of this is a pathway, it comes out of the darkness slowly, it’s a hard path to take. It starts to get bigger glimpses of light as it reaches above the crowdedness. At the top is emptiness, to represent a peaceful outcome and attaining wisdom while also realizing all that must be left behind.

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Path | Fall 2010 | Professor Stigsgaard

Path | Fall 2010 | Professor Stigsgaard

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Threshold

This first project is a threshold between opposites. A rotation between the two. One side is exposed to light and the other hidden in shade, but the geometry is similar along with the shifting.

This goes with the idea that opposites are more similar than is seen. This is inspired by Socrates’ Argument of Opposites. Socrates argued that everything came to be from its opposite. Something big was small beforehand, something alive was once dead, and in this case, one side is dark because it is absent of light.

Light can become dark. And so this is the cycle of opposites.

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Threshold | Fall 2010 | Professor Stigsgaard

Threshold | Fall 2010 | Professor Stigsgaard

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OTHER PROJECTS

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CONSTRUCTION TECH INDEPENDENT STUDY ART WORK

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construction tech ii The Josephin Baker School is a primary school located in Le Courneuve, France.

For this project we examined the material that puts this building together and how it relates to what we’ve learned.

To do this we made 3D models that show the structural walls of the building along with a section of the typical insulation used for the roof in this building.

spring 2013 Professor llonch In Collaboration with Man Tung

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STRUCTURAL WALLS JOSPHINE BAKER SCHOOL LA COURNEUVE, FRANCE

FLOOR 3

ACADEMY OFFICES

FLOOR 2

CLASSROOMS, COURT, SPORT AREA, MULTIMEDIA ROOM, ACTIVITIES ROOM, DORMITORY, TEACHER ROOM

FLOOR 1

CLASSROOMS, LIBRARY, COMPUTER ROOM, OFFICE, INFIRMARY, CARETAKER, CAFETERIA, ACTIVITIES ROOM, TEACHER’S ROOM

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MATERIAL: REINFORCED CONCRETE

Construction Tech II | Spring 2013 | Professor Llonch | Man Tung

construction tech i In Construction Tech I we were taught basic construction drawings. We learned how to draw wall details, the type of material to use and how to make schedules.

fall 2012 Professor akselrod In Collaboration with Man Tung

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We entered an architectural design competition by Gurroo. The challeng went as follows: “In today’s world, information is delivered through advanced technologies and is changing the waywe interact with the physical world. Information is exchanged through a virtual world built on the framework of the internet, computers, and mobile technology. This changes the way we interact with the built world.

How interconnected can virtual and physical worlds become and how does this relationship influence physical architecture and its context?”

We designed a virtual school that can be easily installed and transported in developing countries, giving children and adults an fair opportunity in learning. The energy to power the courses come from the “Solar Umbrella” and the screens are Flexible LCD to allow change of height and position.

Independent study - innovative minds spring 2013 Professor stigsgaard

In collaboration with man tung, moe myat thu, simit christian

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Independent Study | Spring 2013 | Professor Stigsgaard | Man Tung, Moe Myat Thu, Simit Christian

Independent Study | Spring 2013 | Professor Stigsgaard | Man Tung, Moe Myat Thu, Simit Christian

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artwork

The mediums are oil paint, pen, pencil, and watercolor. these are works done outside of school. Primarily figures, portraits and still life.

2010-2013

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Magdalena Checo Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture Works from 2010-2013