Architectural Portfolio Marika Maio by maiomarika

01 VERGERO GROUP HEADQUARTER International Design Contest | ArchiBo Competition | 2° PLACE architecture OFFTEC Progetti srl | visualizations HERE Agency

Site Location VENARIA REALE, TURIN, ITALY

CONCEPTUAL SCHEMES and EXTERIOR VIEWS from North Ring Road of Turin

CONCEPTUAL SCHEMES and EXTERIOR VIEWS

LONGITUDINAL SECTIONS

PLANS OF HEADQUARTER

For VIDEO click here INTERIOR and EXTERIOR VIEW Main Entrance, Common Space, Terrace and Open Space Office

02 LOOP IN THE SKY SKYHIVE 2020 Skyscraper Challenge | Beebreeders Competition | Honorable Mention OFFTEC Progetti srl

For the world’s growing population, the future is urban. It’s estimated that by 2030 there will be 41 “megacities” with more than 10 million inhabitants. The people in these cities will consume 81% of the world’s resources. Current projections suggest that, by 2050, population growth and urbanization will generate a two- to three-fold rise in global energy use for the building sector. Cities present many opportunities to tackle environmental challenges through sustainable architecture. “Loop in the sky” is a hybrid building, halfway between architecture and infrastructure. It is an architecture able to produce energy and sociality, as well as a space for the community that integrates public function and technologies to capture and produce energy. The concept arises from a computational design process based on parametric architecture. The computational design allows the modification of parameters at the basis of the project to start a research process, optimizing the spatial relationships at its best and expanding the useful surface for energy production. Formal research has led to a hyperbolic structure with a circular plant to improve energy production.

CONCEPT

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

03 FITT HEADQUARTER Fitt Future Headquarter | YAC Competition | Honorable Mention OFFTEC Progetti srl

Site Location SANDRIGO, VICENZA, ITALY

INTERIOR and EXTERIOR VIEW

04 DETROIT WATERFRONT Detroit Waterfront District | YAC Competition | Finalist Mention OFFTEC Progetti srl

Site Location DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, DETROIT, USA

CONCEPTUAL SCHEMES and BACKGROUND

PERSPECTIVE SECTION VIEW

INTERIOR and EXTERIOR VIEW Luxury Apartment and Green Promenade

05 CONFERENCE HALL London Call | Archicontest Competition | Honorable Mention OFFTEC Progetti srl

THE SITE Malet Street Garden is an enclosed garden of the University of London in Bloomsbury District, behind the British Museum. The site will be subject to a low environmental impact intervention for the protection of the green area and the re-connection of the garden with the environment around it. This reconnection is given by a hallway surrounded by vegetation that will be the entrance to the New Conference Hall. THE PROJECT The “Conference Hall” is typically an introverted architecture. Since its main objective is to isolate itself acoustically and visually, it becomes a closed volume that hides the functions inside. So it eliminates the dialogue with the external environment. The aim of the project is to reelaborate the “Conference Hall” as an architectural typology and recover the contact with nature and city. The project is based on a morphological dialogue: form follows function. Diagonal cuts emphasize elevation denouncing the presence of the auditorium outside.

Site Location BLOOMSBURY DISTRICT, LONDON, UK

CONCEPTUAL SCHEMES and DRAWINGS

INTERIOR VIEW Main Auditorium and Hallway

EXTERIOR VIEW The New Conference Hall

06 OPEN CITY PALERMO New Management Centre of Sicilian Region | Awn Competition | Proposed Project OFFTEC Progetti srl

The identified area for the New Management Centre presents issues at the urban and traffic level. The area is unreachable on three sides and the only point of contact with the city is given by Via Ugo La Malfa. Giving this consideration a study for overcoming the criticalities in the area of intervention has been carried out: • Green areas are enclosed within the urban fabric occupying marginal spaces not built. • Currently the connection with the railway station “Palermo La Malfa” is built up by a route. This route is deficient from an architectural point of view and in terms of safety for users. • The operation area has some inconsistencies in terms of traffic: it has only one entrance and exit point and is configured as a critical node for traffic congestion • From the current layout emerges a disconnected and fragmented design with volumes unable to dialogue with each other.

Site Location PALERMO, SICILY, ITALY

DIRECTION Favouring area exposure along the NE - SO axis.

CURRENT STATE The area introduces a difference in height of approximately 5 because Via Ugo La Malfa is found to an altitude of 64 m s.l.m.

PROMENADE There are three main pedestrian routes that connect via Ugo La Malfa with the railway station.

BREAKDOWN The design of the landscape is born from a segmentation of the lot in bands that follow the gap.

GREEN AREAS The landscape project consists of multiple pedestrian paths surrounded by green areas.

TERRACES The subsection in bands defines terraces to different levels. Moreover, every band integrate one or more demanded functions.

DRIVEWAYS There is only one access and two exit routes to decongest the traffic given by the different functions provided in the area.

TOWERS The areas, in which to make to emerge the towers that will accommodate the offices, has been identified at the centre of the lotto.

CONCEPTUAL SCHEMES OF LANDSCAPE

LANDSCAPE CONCEPT The composition reflects the principles of Mediterranean architecture, based on a design linked to the territorial-climatic characteristics aimed at having a bioclimatic control. The landscape design is developed for terracing, not only to exploit the slope of the area, but also because this type is one of the most common in maritime areas as it is able to reduce the surface exposed to the sun. The pedestrian paths are irregular, with frequent changes of direction that make the summer radiation less impactful. Nature becomes a fundamental element in the project, as it is used as a sunscreen in the summer. MASTERPLAN

FUCTIONAL LAYOUT The area can be divided into four parts, each of which hosts a macro-function: Volume A include didacticeducational functions; Volume B include recreational functions; Volume C include commercial functions; Volume D hosts underground car parks. The macro-functions interface and are connected to each other thanks to the “promenade”, which crosses the entire project area assuming aggregative functions. The permeability of space allows a fluid connection between all volumes, respecting individual identities and generating stimulating relationships. GROUD FLOOR PLAN

TOWERS CONCEPT The towers are located on the opposite side of Via Ugo La Malfa to ensure that they do not have a strong impact on the road axis as well as to give them the right relief. The choice of two different architectural bodies was made to ensure greater practicability as well as to give users a greater perceptive experience of the new architecture, both physically and visually. The shape of the two buildings is the evolution of two parallelepipeds and comes from the translation of some points through the triangulation of the basic volumes, up to the final configuration consisting of multiple faceted surfaces that interact with each other. The towers dialogue with each other through the facet of the surfaces, until they reunite at the top, where the tips of the two buildings seem almost to touch each other again. Their shape as well as a compositional choice serves to improve indoor climate comfort as the facets increase the radiation and lighting surfaces. CONCEPTUAL SCHEMES OF TOWERS

PERSPECTIVE SECTION VIEW

07 FRACTAL ARCHITECTURE iN AFRICA Master’s Degree Thesis | 2017 - 18 | S. Antonelli Team : Marika Maio | Francesco Buttà INTRODUCTION The main purpose of the thesis is bringing back to light a forgotten African Architectural tradition, that represents the existing connection between the structure of the African villages of the beginning of the 20th century and its fractal nature, and to pave away for a new sustainable and identity future for the African Architecture. In order to have a better comprehension of the project, it is advisable to read first the research about the study of fractal villages in Africa below.

Fig. 1 Makoko Informal Settlement in Lagos, Nigeria

1. THE CURRENT ARCHITECTURAL FRAMEWORK The internal migration of Africans (from the rural to the urban environment) has the effect of emulating the western models and rejecting the traditional values of the villages. The main consequence of the western influences is the utilisation of the industrial by-products at the expense of the habitat quality and the deletion of traditional techniques and materials. This cultural heritage should be studied and preserved in order to be integrated into a new global and local architecture that underlines the African identity. We believe it is important to

Fig. 2 Makoko Floating School, Kunlé Adeyemi, Lagos, Nigeria

develop a critical awareness of the phenomenon through the promotion of Architecture Schools and the training of a class of “African Architects” born and raised in this environment, capable of developing the New African Architecture in the coming decades.

2. FRACTAL VILLAGES: A FORGOTTEN TRADITION In his publication “African Fractals” Ron Eglash explores the ways in which fractal geometry is expressed in African culture (in art, architecture, religious symbols, hairstyles, textiles). In 1988 Ron Eglash, looking at aerial photographs of a traditional Tanzanian village, realizes that the structure of the village follows a fractal pattern. Since then, Ron Eglash found out that there were many examples of fractal architecture in every corner of the African continent with a variety of impressive shapes. Differently from Euclidean Geometry, Fractal Geometry, at first impression, may appear random and irregular, otherwise it hiddens a regular order with it.

Fig. 3-4 Aerial Photo of 1944 and Fractal Pattern. Ba-ila village, Zambia

3. FRACTAL GEOMETRY IN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Nikos A. Salingaros is a scientist who since the 2000s has conducted a study on the similarities between architecture and nature. According to Salingaros, past and vernacular Architecture and Urbanism follow scientific rules and have essential mathematical similarities. One of these is the fractal structure. In the past architectural examples there is a connective structure that uses many different levels of scale for the project. There is an order named by him “universal scaling” (which he identifies with the golden ratio = 2.618) and which is applied according to a “scaling hierarchy”.

Fig. 5-6 Aerial Photo of 1969 and Fractal Pattern. Logone Birni village, Camerun

Salingaros supposed how fractality affects the structure of the most ancient cities. Most of these cities have in common a connective structure that holds all scales in a hierarchy: from largest to smallest. The urban structure is defined by the pedestrian transport network that is connected to the human scale. This disorder that the Modern Movement tried to clean up was instead the organized complexity that made these cities habitable. For Salingaros the pedestrian and human scale is disconnected in the contemporary city: he proposes new planning models based on a fractal capillary structure in favor of a slow and diffuse flow. Urban life needs a connected network of pedestrian urban spaces whose dimensions respect a “universal distribution”. 4. METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES The previous research has been summarized through a list of rules that is the basis of our project. PRINCIPLE I The single unit is the main element to develop the entire plan according to a hidden, simple and complex logic

PRINCIPLE II The repetition of this unit creates a fragmented plan design, opposite to a compact plan design in a few blocks PRINCIPLE III Medium-small scale preference PRINCIPLE IV The plan follow a “scaling hierarchy” which connects all the levels of scale, defining a few large scales, some medium scales and many small scales PRINCIPLE V The articulation of a fragmented plan is given by the hierarchy of full and empty spaces and by variable units in which some emerge from the others

5. DESIGN APPLICATION. ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL IN KAYA, BURKINA-FASO The “spontaneous” Architecture of the fractal village and its uniqueness are the key point of our thesis: the “self-organizing” and “self-similar” properties of the African settlement and its harmony with the natural environment have been used for the composition of our project. The analysis of the presence of Architecture Schools in Africa shows a low number and a concentrated distribution in the richest areas of Africa. From this analysis comes the idea of declining the design application in an Architecture School to emphasize the primary importance of education and training. The choice of creating a new Architecture School, according to fractal rules, wants to find a possible solution to a new thought on Architecture in Africa. The ultimate goal is to create a future research center which focuses on the subject of Fractal Architecture in Africa.

Fig. 7 Analysis of the presence of Architecture School in Africa

We focused on finding a suitable place for our needs which was then identified with the state of Burkina Faso for its central location in West Africa, the high concentration of rural population and the lack of universities. Analyzing the major cities of Burkina Faso it emerged that the city of Kaya is the most strategic for the presence of a developed infrastructural network, for its position close to the capital Ouagadougou and for being a region with a high concentration of villages.

Fig. 8 Study on Burkina-Faso and choice of the Project Site

Site Location BOUSSOUMA VILLAGE, KAYA , BURKINA FASO

FRACTAL PATTERN

MASTERPLAN

GROUD FLOOR PLAN

AXONOMETRIC VIEW Focus on Roof Design

3D PRINTED ARCHITECTURE MODEL

PLAN, ELEVATION AND SECTION Focus on Museum Building

PLAN, ELEVATION AND SECTION Focus on Auditorium and Library Building

08 BLOCK TYP BERLIN Design Studio 2 | 2016 - 17 | K. T. Brenner Team : Marika Maio

The project area is on the edge of the Prinzlauer district, a residential district characterized by the typical urban blocks of Berlin. The boundary of the district is marked by the Bornholmer Strasse in the north and by the railway network in the south and west. Beyond these borders, a vast green area extends and presents villas as residential type according to a spread layout. The idea of the project is born from the clash of the morphology and urban typology of these two different areas as a synthesis. The studio’s purpose is to re-interpret the Berlin urban block according to the new housing and lifestyle needs. Purpose is obtained by creating two different types of urban block: - in the south a compact block with internal courts in continuity with the urban context;

- in the north a series of smaller and fragmented blocks in elevation in continuity with the rural context. The two types of blocks designed respond to two housing needs: - the first block has housing units arranged around stairwells, ensuring comfort and privacy, and private courts dedicated to the residents’ collective spaces; - the second block has housing units on the edge of a distribution and collective space, favoring a more communal and social lifestyle. The division between the two blocks is marked by a pedestrian street with commercial functions and access to the residences on the ground floor. This street starts from a pubblic square and ends in a urban park.

Site Location PRONZLAUER DISTRICT, BERLIN, GERMANY

AXONOMETRIC VIEW | URBAN BLOCK

1. diagonal

2. extrusion

3. subtraction

4. balance full-empty

5. fragmentation

scheme 1 | generation of the diagonal CONCEPT

scheme 2 | volume

VIEW OF THE PEDESTRIAN STREET

VIEW OF THE INNER COURT

VIEW FROM TH

HE URBAN PARK

09 UPCYCLE FACTORY Technology Design Studio 2 | 2016 - 17 | E. Ginelli Team : Marika Maio | Francesco Buttà

The purpose of the workshop is a project for the re-use of an industrial building through the inclusion of new functions: cohousing building, student house with mini-apartments, coworking space and artisan laboratories. The project site is located in Sbodio Street, Lambrate district, Milan. The area is limited to the west by the railway belt and to the east by the A51 ring road and is identified by the PGT as an urban redefinition area (ARU). The aim of the project, pursued during the study and analysis phase, is to relate the functions established with the neighborhood, thus creating a process of inclusiveness and of openness to the city and to people. This process is decisive for the form and for the placement of functions within the existing industrial space. The first part of the building hosts public functions (coworking and artisian space) and half of the building is emptied and the structural part is left exposed. Inside this void, a new steel structure is inserted

which becomes a totally public space with areas dedicated to the market, relaxation areas and panoramic points. The second part of the building hosts private functions (cohousing and student house) and a part of the building is emptied to form an internal courtyard in common between the two volumes to be used as a private garden. From the beginning the project is based on principles of techno-typological felxibility. This criterion allows to increase the value of use of the living space, meeting the requirements of quality, maintainability, durability of the materials and components, substitutability of the elements and easy controllability of the performance of the intervention over time. For these reasons, a dry construction solution is been chosen, linking spatial and technological performance, guaranteeing both greater safety within the construction site and a quicker and cheaper end result.

Site Location LAMBRATE DISTRICT, MILAN , ITALY

CONCEPT

FUNCTIONAL DIAGRAM | GROUND FLOOR PLAN

ELEVATION | SECTIONS

VIEW BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS

VIEW OF NEW STEEL STRUCTURE

Thank you

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