Makayla Ponce / UTSOA Porfolio by MakaylaMPonce

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Abstracted Geometry Exploration

Table of Contents

1. Rachel Carson Ecology Center

2. The COOP

3. Texas School for the Deaf: Connection Proposal

4. Barton Springs Spa

5. Wash Tub #9

6. Research Assistant Project

7. Other Work

Overhead View of Rachel Carson Ecology Center

Rachel Carson Ecology Center Gabrielle Mauldin Makayla Ponce

Rachel Carson Ecology Center

Professor: Michael Garrison Location: Austin, TX

Date: 04/11/21 04/11/21

Scale: 1/8" = 1'-0"

Unnamed

9501 FM 969, Austin, TX 78725

John Trevino Jr. Metropolitan Park

This project is located within the John Trevino Jr. Metropolitan Park, a new park plan in East Austin, and consists of an Ecology Center and Water Research Laboratories that aim to educate visitors on water stewardship and foster an interest in ecological conservation. The site is located midway between the prairie and the river in the park, presenting the opportunity to increase the diversity of species and the health of the larger watershed, a necessity as the city grows around the park. Providing all residents – particularly those who have not historically had access to such natural environments – opportunities to learn and contribute to these crucial ecologies’ future health is a tremendous asset of this place. Visitors arrive via trail, crossing a bridge that guides them through one of the existing outbuildings as a threshold to the site. The campus hugs close to trails going throughout the park, so integrating it with the public walkways allows those who pass by opportunities to engage with the Ecology Center. The humble vernacular aims to foster feelings of inclusion by being visually familiar to visitors. The centrally-located public plaza serves as a landing area for visitors to the site, and branches off into loops of trails that encourage exploration of the landscape. The circulation between the programmatic elements also takes place in an unconditioned space that is an extension of the trail allowing visitors to peek into the labs.

Eastern red cedar

Hon

Texas live oak

Netle

Osage orange

Master Plan

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Renovated Shed for Gatherings Visitor Building Plaza Exhibition Center Research Labs Green Living Machine Administrative Building

Structural Framing Diagram

Central Education Loop, Plan 1 Ecology Center/Visitor Center/Lab Floor Plan 1/8" = 1'-0"

Central Education Loop, Section

Exhibition Space at Sunset

Revamped Outbuilding + Plaza + Exhibition Space + Administrative, Section

North Walkway outside Exhibition Space

Admin. Building and Research Offices - Plan

1/8" = 1'-0" Lab/Office Floor Plan

Admin. Building, Section

Date: 04/11/21 04/11/21

Scale: 1/8" = 1'-0"

Unnamed

R104 005

Conference Room

Green Living Machine and Research Labs, Section

9501 FM 969, Austin, TX 78725

John Trevino Jr. Metropolitan Park

9501 FM 969, Austin, TX 78725

Rachel Carson Ecology Center

Makayla Ponce

John Trevino Jr. Metropolitan Park

Gabrielle Mauldin

Makayla Ponce

Rachel Carson Ecology Center

Gabrielle Mauldin

R105 005

Research Lab

ANOXIC REACTOR For pretreatment and nitrogen removal via denitrification in tertiary treatment

Green Living Machine, Process Diagram

CLOSED AEROBIC REACTOR The first phase of aerobic treatment for high strength waste with a built-in biofilter for odor removal

OPEN AEROBIC REACTOR I These tanks contain plants that are adapted to a high strength environment. During this process, the organic contaminants are converted into bacterial biomass.

OPEN AEROBIC REACTORS II-IV As the wastewater flows through each stage, its strength is reduced and higher organisms take part in the treatment process. In addition to plants, fish can be found in the tanks towards the end of the treatment line.

CLARIFIER Bacterial biomass is seperated from water and recycled to the front to continue to digest the soluble organic content of the wastewater. A small fraction is removed as excess sludge.

CONSTRUCTED WETLAND These natural looking ecosystems can be located indoors and outside. They are used to provide a high level of polishing, removal of colloids and further denitrification.

Gabrielle Mauldin Makayla Ponce

Gabrie

9501 FM 969, Austin, TX 78725

John Trevino Jr. Metropolitan Park

Rachel Carson Ecology Center

Makay

Date: 04 04

Scale: 1/

Unname

Date: 04/11/21 04/11/21 Scale: 1/8" = 1'-0"

Unnamed

Green Living Machine, Interior View

D101 005

R1 0 13

Green Living Machine, Wall Section

Green Living Machine, Foundation Wall Detail 1 2 3 4 5

Green Living Machine, Operable Ridge Vent and Gutter Detail

6 7

Curtain Wall Sill to Slab Connection 3/4” PEX Radiant Heating/Cooling System 3” Rigid Insulation 12” Cast-In-Place Concrete Slab 6.5” Variable wdith Concrete Supporting Slab 12” Concrete Retaining Wall 3’ Wide Concrete Footing

Public Interest Design Studio: Houston Audubon, The COOP Professor: Coleman Coker Location: High Island, TX As a 12-person studio, our project was to work as a team and design + build an outdoor living room and fire pit for Houston Audubon volunteers to use at their new campground lot in High Island, a rural community of 500 citizens boasting a natural landing and resting spot for thousands of birds migrating into the U.S. We got to work with the Houston Audubon as our stakeholders and operated with a tight budget, giving us the opportunity to think more creatively and efficiently when forming our design and choosing materials, and to continue a healthy back-and-forth with the organization to ensure we were doing right by their volunteers, the community hosting us, and the wildlife. After having our proposal OK-ed, we created construction documents to follow while on site. I was in charge of ordering materials to be delivered to the site and updating our material spreadsheet and expense reports. We spent the next five weekends traveling to High Island and building this project from the ground up, where I gained valuable experience in construction and became more intuitively familiar with material connections in a structure. I would have to say this was the most fulfilling studio I’ve taken, and I know it’s because I felt like we used our skills to positively affect a community’s way of life.

Completed Work, Taken In the Field

Solar Shading Strategy GulfCoastDesignLab

Summer 12pm

pull down

to shade from southern sun

pull up

to open view to Oak

Summer 4pm

Client Houston Aududon

Location Old Mexico Rd, HighIsland

Architect

view

Coleman Coker

Design Team Natalie Avellar Luis Bosquez Marcella Pastrano Christian Pena Draven Pointer Makayla Ponce Trenton Sexton McKenzie Sosa Iuliia Tambovtseva Valentina Tambovtseva Emrehan Tuna Ruofeng You

shade

Scale Drawing Title SITE PLAN

Site Plan

A1.2Shading Diagram Solar

View of Site from East, facing North, Northwest

GulfC

31' - 3" 20' - 5"

3' - 1 1/4"

9' - 8 1/4"

1' - 9 7/8"

A3.3

3' - 7 1/2"

1' - 9 7/8"

4' - 0"

0' - 6"

3' - 0"

3' - 8 3/4"

0' - 6"

1' - 9 7/8"

5' - 8 1/2"

1' - 11 3/4"

3' - 0"

7' - 9 1/2"

1' - 5 1/4"

2"x2" PT SYP

0' - 4"

13' - 8"

3' - 5 1/2"

1' - 10 3/8"

1' - 5 1/8"

0' - 4"

5' - 5 1/2"

14' - 0"

1' - 9 3/8"

1' - 8 5/8"

DETAIL - NORMAL CORNER TYP 1 1/2" = 1'-0"

Client

Houston

Locati

5' - 0"

1' - 9 3/8"

6"x6" PT SYP

5' - 6 3/4"

0' - 6 1/4" 3' - 0"

1' - 9 3/8"

2"x6" PT SYP

4' - 3 1/2"

1' - 11 1/2"

1' - 10 3/8"

3 A2.1

0' - 6"

13' - 0 1/2"

Fire Pit

1' - 11 1/2"

12' - 0 1/2"

1' - 1"

1' - 11 1/2"

10' - 6 1/2"

7' - 5 1/4"

A3.3

1' - 10 3/8"

9' - 11"

1' - 10 3/8"

15' - 6" 18' - 6"

1' - 11 3/4"

1' - 11 3/4" 1' - 11 3/4"

2x4

9' - 4 3/4"

1' - 10 3/8"

4' - 6 1/2"

0' - 6 1/4"

2 A2.1

9' - 8 1/4"

1' - 8 5/8"

Old Mex

0' - 9 3/4"

Archite

Colema

Desig

9' - 0 3/4"

2"x4" PT SYP Column

1 A3.3

7' - 8 3/4"

6"x6" PT SYP Column 2"x6" PTSYP

1' - 11 1/2"

2"x6" PT SYP 10' - 8 3/4"

7' - 8 3/4"

1' - 11 1/2"

2"x6" PTSYP

Insect Screen 2"x6" Wood Beam

GROUND PLAN 1/2" = 1'-0"

DETAIL - REINTRENT CORNER TYP 1 1/2" = 1'-0"

2"x2" Wood Backing

Natalie Luis Bosq Marcella Christian Draven Makayla Trenton McKenz Iuliia Tam Valentin Emrehan Ruofeng

Scale

As indic

Drawin

FLOOR P

GulfCo

2 A2.4

03Roof 8' - 1 1/4"

03Roof 8' - 1 1/4" 02TopColumn 7' - 6"

2 A2.3

02TopColumn 7' - 6"

1' - 6"

2 A2.2

01TopSlab 0' - 0"

0701TopSlab TopGrade 0' -- 2" 0" -0'

1' - 4"

2' - 5 1/2" 0' - 6"

3' - 0"

07 TopGrade -0' - 2"

00 Foundation Plan -1' - 0"

0' - 6"

0' - 6" 18' - 5 1/2"

5' - 0 3/4"

7' - 9 1/2"

4' - 0"

00 Foundation Plan -1' - 0"

0' - 6" 3' - 5 1/4"

0' - 3 1/2"

31' - 3"

Section 1 3/8" = 1'-0"

Section 2 3/8" = 1'-0"

03Roof 8' - 1 1/4"

03Roof 8' - 1 1/4" 02TopColumn 7' - 6"

3 A2.3

3' - 0"

Client

Houston Au

Location 02TopColumn 7' - 6"

Old Mexico

Architec

Coleman C

Design T 01TopSlab 0' - 0"

01TopSlab 0' - 0"

07 TopGrade -0' - 2" 0' - 3 1/2"

2' - 8 1/2"

15' - 6" 18' - 6"

07 TopGrade -0' - 2"

00 Foundation Plan -1' - 0"

12' - 0 1/2"

6' - 2" 18' - 6"

Section 3 3/8" = 1'-0"

Section 4 3/8" = 1'-0"

0' - 3 1/2"

00 Foundation Plan -1' - 0"

Natalie Ave Luis Bosque Marcella P Christian Pe Draven Poi Makayla P Trenton Sex McKenzie S Iuliia Tamb Valentina T Emrehan Tu Ruofeng Yo

Scale

3/8" = 1'-0"

Drawing

BUILDING S

GulfCoast

Client

Houston Aududo

Location Old Mexico Rd,

Architect

Coleman Coker

Design Team

Natalie Avellar Luis Bosquez Marcella Pastra Christian Pena Draven Pointer Makayla Ponce Trenton Sexton McKenzie Sosa Iuliia Tambovtse Valentina Tamb Emrehan Tuna Ruofeng You

Scale

Drawing Titl

CONCRETE SECT

21 A4

Photos taken during Construction

Texas School for the Deaf - Site Plan

South Congress Strip - Plan

1 - South Congress Farmer’s Market 2 - The After - School Hangout 3 - Speculative Live-Work Spaces for Artists and Creatives

Texas School for the Deaf: Connection Proposal Professor: Simon Atkinson Location: Austin, TX This studio asked us to create a proposal for a revamp of the Texas School for the Deaf campus. The campus is composed of many historic buildings, including a set of classrooms showcasing the modernist style from the 50s, and a range of postmodern buildings that enclose the main central plaza. This school’s history is rich, but has suffered recent struggles due to Austin’s increasing property values, so this studio invited us to find a way to supplement the school’s income and create spaces that would enhance the strong community. In our team, I took on building up the South Congress edge, enlivening it with a local farmer’s market and spaces for teenagers to utilize and relax in after school, since many of them live on the school’s campus in dorms. The income generated from the many shops and entertainment venues in this strip would support the school, and the theater, studios, shops, and market would allow the kids to “go out” wihout having to schedule or arrange a field trip like they would for an off-campus excursion.

Circulation Core Event Space Office Space Coffee Shop

Farmer’s Market

Dance Studio Closed-Captioning Theater Game Shop

Artist Studios

Art Gallery Restaurant Work-Live Spaces Programmatic Axon of South Congress Strip

South Congress Farmer’s Market

1 - market sp pace 2 - dining areea + food truck 3 - bathroom ms 4 - storage 5 - mechaniccal

Ground Floor

1 - open-air path 2 - event + communit y space 3 - coffee and non-alcoholic specialt y drink shop

1 - open-air path 2 - event + communit y space 3 - coffee and non-alcoholic specialt y drink shop 4 - outdoor deck

site plan Second Floor

3rd story 27

1 - leased ofﬁce and collaborative work spaces

phase 2: the after-school hangout The After-School Hangout

1st story

2nd story

3rd story

1 - closed-captioning theater 2 - bathrooms 3 - tabletop game shop

1 - closed-captioning theater 2 - gender-neutral bathroom 3 - game rooms 4 - open gaming area 5 - outdoor seating

1 - dance studios 2 - locker room 3 - gender-neutral bathroom 4 - lobby 5 - yoga + dance studio

3 4

4 3 5

north facing section

Ground Floor

Second Floor

Third Floor

South Congress Farmer’s Market, Section

The After-School Hangout, Section

South Congress Farmer’s Market, Assembly Axon

South Congress Farmer’s Market, Front and Overhead Views of Model

Barton Springs Spa Professor: Michael Garrison Location: Austin, TX Barton Springs, North Pool Austin, Texas

Tree Survey

Ash Cottonwood Live Oak Mesquite Pecan Red Oak Understory Invasive Species *Permanent Trees

This project came about from a three-week warm-up in this studio, the prompt being a spa and healthy living facilities integrated into Barton Springs near the old Sunken Garden. Since this site features a steep change in grade, several historic trees, and an abundance of vegetation, the proposal’s footprint became a reflection of an effort to tread lightly there. The facilities, with their larger square footage requirement, were placed on the level topography. From there a small staircase runs down to the spa to give visitors a a chance to admire the foliage, arriving at an intimate space burrowed down by the springs. The building footprints’ carefully avoided all of the historic trees and tapered off in square footage the closer it got to the springs to mitigate impermeable coverage while balancing users immersion in the environment.

Master Plan

Barton Springs Spa, Entry

Barton Springs Spa, Long Section

Barton Springs Spa, Steps down to Springs and Spa

Barton Springs Spa, Spa Interior

Industrial Laundromat, Interior View

Good - Well, Better: Renovation of Wash Tub #9 Professor: Piergianna Mazzocca Location: Austin, TX Examining the intersection of architecture and public health. Students were tasked with studying and reimagining paradigmatic spaces to understand and promote wellness, cleanliness, and usefulness through architectural or design treatments. The studio was broken up into a research component, which could be approached through media analysis and representation or traditional research, and a project component. Projects could be research, graphic design, or architecture focused. My project was an architecture project that reimagined laundromats to fit within the historical architectural milieu of the Latin-American south-west, and operate as comfortable and enriching community spaces. The project was influenced by Eladio Dieste’s work, and the traditional brickwork and concrete shell forms used in contemporary Latin-American architecture. To view this project’s accompanying video essay, follow this link, or scan QR code: https://qrco.de/bcGuU5

Wash Tub #9, Territory Map

Wash Tub #9, Immediate Context Map

Wash Tub #9, Territory Map with Points of Interest

Wash Tub #9, Immediate Context Map with Points of Interest

Wash Tub #9, Existing Industrial Laundromat Exploration

These series of images function as illustrative explorations of the existing site context of Wash Tub #9 and the layout of the industrial laundromat in the footprint of a traditional strip mall. This analysis would go on to inform the design of Wash Tub #9’s renovation.

Wash Tub #9, New Proposal

Floor Plan

Site Plan with Emergency Call Boxes Highlighted

Site Plan with Lighting Elements Highlighted

South (Frontage) Elevation

North (Back) Elevation

Daytime Section

Commercial/Public Side, Section

Sitting Area and Courtyard

Research Assistant Project: Documentation+Analysis of Manhattan Municipal Building South Arcade Professor: Benjamin Ibarra-Sevilla Location: New York, NY During the span of my employment as an RA with Professor Ibarra-Sevilla, he was documenting and studying the work of Rafael Guastavino and the Guastavino System of Tile Construction (closely related to Catalan Vaulting). He was closely researching and 3D Modeling the southern arcade on the ground level of the Manhattan Municipal Building, and I was tasked with sectioning the plan for diagramming purposes, as well as developing drawings that illustrate the vaults’ geometries and their relation to the true ellipses denoted in elevation.

Manhattan Muncipical Building: South Arcade, Reflected Ceiling Plan

Manhattan Municipal Building: South Arcade, Studies of Elliptical Geometries composing Vaults 1 and 9, as labeled in diagram on next page

Manhattan Municipal Building: South Arcade, Labeled Floor Plan

Manhattan Municipal Building: South Arcade, Studies of Elliptical Geometries composing Vaults 10 and 8, as labeled in diagram to the left

Tonal Drawing of the Wall at a Local Restaurant on Guadalupe Street

Other Work

Dwelling Documen As it is, and how it

As a warm-up Well, Better studio, ea ing at the time becam trative exploration of another possible state dwellings were explo back layers of existin others, including my o the dwelling could be already there “took o During the pa have been a lively pa many aspects of it are enrichment and comf suggests how the spa more “catified”, givin to play and roam, ev of my living space. In I believe that the “cat some fun designs tha space more fun and v human occupants.

Dwelling Documentation, Perspectival Plan of my existing Apartment

ntation: t could be

p for the Good ach student’s dwellme the site of an illusits present state, and e of being. Some ored through peeling ng material, while own, explored what ecome if something over”. andemic, my cats art of my home, and e catered to their fort. My proposal ace could be even ng them more space ven at the expense n some ways though, tified” space offers at would make the visually engaging to

Dwelling Documentation, Perspectival Plan of my Apartment if it were “catified”

Laguna Gloria Bir Bird Blind, Model

Birding Center, Front View of Model

Birding Center, Right-Side View

One of the fir signed at UTSOA wa Blind and a Birding C Gloria, a small park Ladybird Lake. I favo print on the site, crea ture in plan that wou in nature for viewers The bird blinds are a ed structure that are sit in the trees themse educational and per are located in the ma with tectonic, woode construction of this b and better fit into the

rding Center and l Depictions

rst projects I was asas to design a Bird Center at Laguna on a peninsula in ored a small footating a narrow struculd be processional to move through. a somewhat seperatraised on stilts and elves, while the more rformance programs ain building. I kept en elements for the building, to mimic e forested setting.

Birding Center, Close-Up of Bird Blind Stations

Birding Center, Close-Up of Left-Side Walkway

Section Bay Model, Rain Gutter Wall Detail

Section Bay Model, Full View

Section Bay Model, Interior Shot