ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO
MARCO ALBUQUERQUE 2012 - 2016
Marco Albuquerque
I was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on the 12th of August 1993. Since my early childhood that I started drawing city skylines, full of skyscrapers, in a unique style that I kept improving. This passion gradually transformed into architecture and in 2011, when I started university, I knew I was in the right place.
Skills
AutoCAD SketchUp Revit Photoshop InDesign
Now, 5 years later, I decided to do this portfolio, showing some of my works along the way. I’m currently working on my final thesis that I will deliver at the end of 2016. For now, I want to find an internship that complements this final stage of studies and next year I’d like to work full time in an architecture studio abroad. (+351) 912 476 503 marcoalb.cs@gmail.com https://pt.linkedin.com/in/albuquerquemarco
Premiere Parametric Design Rendering ArcGIS Office Suite Portuguese (fluent) English (advanced) Spanish (basic to intermediate) Slovene (basic)
01 / Archaelogical Museum Alfama, Lisbon
02 / House in Ribeira das Vinhas Cascais
03 / Lightning Project 2013 04 / Gallery for the Faculty of Architecture Ljubljana, Slovenia
05 / Design for a Stage Set Interior Design
06 / Small Apartment for one person Interior Design
07 / Audio / Video shop Interior Design
08 / Public toilet Interior Design
09 / From the Tower of BelĂŠm to the mouth of Jamor Oeiras and Lisbon
Archaelogical Museum Alfama, Lisbon
Located in a dense urban context, the heart of the old district of Alfama, it was intended that the building could enhance new relations with the city, positively providing a new reconfiguring value to the urban fabric where it stands. This area of Lisbon has been inhabited since its inception, with thousands of years of history layers, delivering an excellent location for a museum of this kind. In this project I focused mainly on the visitors experience and perception from the inside, working intensively to find adequate lighting and viewpoints.
Site Plan, 1/1000
On the entrance level is where the services, restrooms and the shop stand. From here leave all the accesses to the exhibition rooms upstairs, on the 1st, 3rd and 4th floors and downstairs to the archaeological site, multipurpose room, garage and the warehouses. The offices are located on 2nd floor while the support room and the restoration workshop are on the 3rd. Last but not least, on the roof floor is the terrace and cafeteria, with a superb view over the city and the Tagus river.
Ground Floor, 1/200
1st and 2nd Floors
3rd and 4th Floors
5th Floor and Roof
-1 and -2 Floors
AA’ Section, 1/200
BB’ and CC’ Sections
West Elevation
East Elevation
South Elevation
North Elevation
House in Ribeira das Vinhas Cascais
For this exercise we had to design a single-family dwelling following a specific brief. The plot is near the centre of the sunny village of Cascais and is located on the west slope of a steep valley, full of stone pines and having as borders the river that cuts through it on the bottom and the local road on the top.
36.52 21
B'
35
To work on this site was to work with topography and this proved to be the biggest challenge. I tried to take the best advantage of the existent terracing and retaining walls and the plot’s
C'
16
20
A
amazing location.
A'
21
B
From the top road, a small dirt track guides you down to the first platform. A single flat roof covers, to the left, an independent apartment unit for guests and, to the right, the main house entrance, where we have a series of spaces such as the maid’s room, one big restroom and closet, the technical area separated from the entrance and finally, the pièce de résistance, the office with its spacious terrace overlooking the valley.
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15
12
5.62
C
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30
35.18
5.62
Location and Site Plan
B' 1
8
C'
9
1
3
5
A
2
A'
7
6
C
B
5
4
Top Floor Plan
B'
B'
C' 4
5 1
A'
4
1
3
A'
5
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7
B
1
1
5
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2
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Middle and Bottom Floors
C
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C
As we continue down to the bottom level one will reach the most private area of the house: the rooms. But before that, just after the stairs, on the right, is a cellar, completely underground, honoring the memory of the site (Ribeira das Vinhas literally means ‘Stream of the Vineyards’). Opposite to the stairs is the laundry and then, to the right, the long corridor that guides one to the rooms.
3
B
In the middle level is where the social areas par excellence are situated: the kitchen, living and dining rooms. On rest of the platform, to the south, two narrow strips stretch out, one of grass the other being the pool, bordered by a side wall and the retaining wall facing the valley. On the western side of the garden, a staircase guides you down to the pool technical areas and changing rooms. Lastly, on the corner, a barbecue house, the last element needed for those perfect summer days with some friends at home.
C'
The vertical body of the staircase stands out from the horizontal lines created by the topography and the roofs and intersects all of the three levels, connecting them.
CC’ Section
AA’ and BB’ Sections
‘Lightning Project’ 2013
For the 2013 edition it was proposed to us to develop an architectural solution for a Moon Colony, for 50 to 500 people that combined a series of functions including housing, research, mining extraction, tourism and sports. However, my group’s result didn’t come up as an expectable design solution but more like a manifesto. It was a risky proposal that proved unerring. Two texts showing the critical thinking of the group towards what was proposed, stressing the pertinence of such a mission for humanity suiting well for such a short time project. Such a proposal depended on the power of communication. Through the graphic composition of each panel we intensify our statements in the text. It was a risky but successful strategy. The white text puts you on the role of one inhabitant of the colony, describing its space, functions and activities as well as the character’s own feelings towards the reality surrounding him, showing a mixture of fear with a false sense of security. In turn, the black panel boldly presents mankind’s often contradicting reality, showing figures that represent problems very much alive here on Earth, finishing with the million-dollar question, somehow a challenge for the reader to think on: ‘Go to the Moon’? Co-authored: Claúdia Crespo, Duarte Azaruja, Eloísa Pina, Jaime Silva, José Gouveia, Margarida Gato, Micael Lopes, Raquel Ribeiro, Vanessa Formas
Gallery for the Faculty of Architecture Ljubljana, Slovenia
A
This was a project done for the subject ‘History and Theory of Architecture’ while I was in Erasmus in Ljubljana. The idea was to chose an important XX century architect’s work, analyse it and chose one spatial concept of that building. We would then complete our project with a modern interpretation of our analysis and the chosen concept and work it out for a specific plot and building program that comprised the new Gallery for the Faculty of Architecture, where the student’s work can be displayed and where can take place exhibitions and conferences. My choice was Aalto’s Viipuri Library. I was fascinated by it and by its different characteristics and features. Somehow the idea of a more enclosed thick volume and then another much more open and light resonated with me. This led me to focus on this concept and try to apply it in my design solution.
B
A
B
Site plan, 1/500
This game of openness/closure, heaviness/lightness was done by levels and according to the program.
A
On the ground floor is where most of the social activities take place, reason why it’s the more open, glazed almost all around, since it’s open to all public, with a cafeteria, reception and bookshop. By contrast, the second floor is almost totally closed, with exception for a narrow window in front of the stairs. It is where are located the lectures hall and part of the gallery. It’s in the centre of the gallery that we have a double height space, with some light entering from the row of windows on the third and last floor, where the rest of the gallery and the terrace can be found. On this floor a round window on the east side provides the visitors with a pleasant view to the Ljubljanica River, the Castle hill and the Golovec.
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1
Ground Floor, 1/200
A
A
B
B
1st and 2nd Floor
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2
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A
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AA’ Section, 1/200
BB’ Section
East Elevation, 1/200
South Elevation
West Elevation
Design for a Stage Set Interior Design
Also in Ljubljana, I had the subject ‘Interior Design’. We had 4 exercises. This was the first one where we were asked to design a scenery for 2 scenes in the world renowned play ‘Romeo and Juliet’: the scene on the balcony and the one in the tomb, where Romeo and Juliet die. The idea was to use as less elements as possible and that these could be easily transformable between scenes on a 10x10x10m stage. So, I came up with two elements, one more horizontal and one more vertical, that would suit the vision I had in my mind for the two different ambiences.
Romeo's entrance Juliet's entrance
Juliet's entrance
Romeo's entrance
Floor plan, balcony scene
Floor plan, tomb scene
Front view, balcony scene
Front view, tomb scene
The first one is made of some stairs and a platform that will serve as a stand for Juliet’s balcony in the first scene and to go down and deeper into the tomb of the second scene, showing the idea of an underground space. The vertical one, is firstly used as a visual and physical barrier between the balcony and the outer space, from where Romeo comes and then, to enclose the space that makes the tomb and work as light controller. Both elements have wheels attached to the bottom so that they can be easily moved on stage from one place to another, between scenes.
The curtain plays a key role since it will cover the entrance and exit of actors during the scene. As for the lighting, a third static element was added to the stage ceiling in order to filter the light during the balcony scene, played at night.
Small Apartment for one person D
C
C
D
Interior Design
Design the ultimate minimal apartment for one person, was the objective of this exercise. 5x5x5m were the dimensions. It doesn’t look like a lot of space at first glance but, with every challenge comes a new opportunity, so I used those limiting dimensions to help me creating a nice, warm and cosy atmosphere.
A'
B
B'
B
B'
Overall there’s a wider use of darker colour tones, in order to achieve that cosy atmospehere I mentioned and enclose the space.
Section AA’, BB’, CC’ and DD’ respectively
C'
Floor Plan and mezzanine
D'
A
C'
Regarding artificial lighting, the main elements are the spotlights pending from the mezzanine to illuminate the living room, while the natural comes from the south façade and is controlled by the metal blades that are part of a metal structure attached to the façade. For ventilation, one ceiling fan above the kitchen was used.
A'
D'
I used 4 types of materials: stone for the main walls and the kitchen’s countertop, wood for the doors and furniture, ceramic tiles for the bathroom and steel for the handrails and the mezzanine structure. This last one is supported on beams attached to the concrete walls of the building and covered with a composite panel made of wood and cement (VIROC).
A
Audio / Video shop Interior Design
Gadgets.. I love gadgets. So as I love music and movies. It sounds interesting to imagine a shop that would sell this kind of stuff. To my mind immediately pops out a sea of shelves with all kinds of technology on display. It resembles a city in some way, the layout adapted to the space available and the costumers and users needs... It is also part of my childhood memories, those huge stores full of cameras with buttons used for some strange functionality I don’t understood and packed with video games and CD covers. Once again we had predefined dimensions for the shop, making it a bit of a narrow space. To try to overcome that, I painted the side walls blue to widen the space, so it is perceived by the costumers as a more spacious and open atmosphere. This is my shop, welcome in..
D
C
A
A'
C' C
Floor Plan, lower level
D'
B'
D
B
B'
A
A'
C'
Floor plan, upper level
D'
B
Ventilation shaft Ventilation grille
Ventilation grille
AA’ and CC’ sections
BB’ and DD’ Sections
Public toilet Interior Design
A human being spends on average 1.5 years of his life in the toilet. Auch..Thats actually quite a lot. Reason enough for us to design a comfortable space, which mainly means being clean, illuminated and aired. For a public toilet, privacy takes a even greater role. One solution to keep some more privacy is having some ambient music playing in the background, which is something that can be easily inputted on the suspended ceiling. Regarding artificial light, having tasks lights oriented to the sinks and cublicles and provide sufficient general lighting are important measures that I applied in the design. Also some decorative wallwasher or the use of some more noble materials can help in creating a more friendly atmosphere.
Floor plan
AA’ and BB’ Sections
In terms of natural lighting and ventilation, it is based on this two different layers on the faรงade that create a gap between them, which is glazed and has a grille on the top, and so provides the space with the neccesary amount of light and air. For the mechanichal ventilation it was used a simple extraction system that gathers fresh air from the exterior and collects hot air from the interior, renewing it. The space itself is divided into 5 smaller areas, as it can be easily seen on the first render: the common area with the washbasins, the room for the cleaning personel, the baby care area, and the two toilets, male and female, each equiped with one cubicle for handicapped. Once again, the dimensions were predefined as part of this exercise.
From the Tower of Belém to the mouth of Jamor Oeiras and Lisbon
For the 1st semester of the 5th year we had to work on the entire shoreline that comprises the lands between Cruz Quebrada and Dafundo, in Oeiras, all the way to the beginning of the monumental area of Belém, where the iconic tower stands, in Lisbon, resulting in a long strip with more than 3km of extension. The idea was to work on an urban scale. For a long time this coastline has been discussed on the municipality level, aiming at bringing the river back to the citizens, a gradual process that has shown some positive progress so far. However, on this western part, there simply still too many barriers being the main ones the Cascais railway, the ‘marginal’ road and the huge Algés viaduct, continuously cutting through the landscape, separating historic centres, and people from the seashore. So one of the challenges was to focus in reconnecting these once connected realities and promote new experiences to these spaces. Part of the program had to do with the idea of a new nautical centre for the capital, on the Dock of Pedrouços, in Algés, where the Volvo Ocean Races takes place. Another part had to do with the yearly music festival that also uses this riverfront as its venue.
Co-authored: Stavros Balis and Tiago Miranda
Section through the Tower avenue axis
Section through the dock
Section through the new Alges railway station
Section through the Urban Park
Section through the riverside of Dafundo
Section through the axis of the Jamor valley, in Cruz Quebrada
Taking these intentions as a starting point and trying to best manage the enormously complex reality of the site, with so many factors to have in mind, step by step we reshaped the territory as to find the best balance between them. On the westernmost part of the site, in Cruz Quebrada, the old fiber cement factories give birth to new sports facilities, following the same logic that already exists on the rest of the Jamor valley and honouring the original project of Duarte Pacheco. The road goes underground, providing more space on the riverfront of Dafundo, to the west, and creating this idea of a continuous way station, creating a new sea promenade, with more pedestrian bridges to provide more crossing options. Our idea is that within the next years, less and less drivers use the coastal road to get to Lisbon’s centre. In this project we also focus with providing cars alternative exits to the north, so to shift the traffic to the ring roads and turn this road safer for everyone, enhancing the potential of the existing viaduct in Algés and constructing another tunnel under the train station that also serves as the main link between both sides of the railway. The Algés beach is finally revitalized and open to everyone together with the new Urban Park. The old railway station is demolished and a new, bigger one is built, far more organised and with a bigger capacity, liberating Algés’ central square from the buses turning it into a green corridor that continues north, up to Monsanto hill.
The station aggregates train, tram, buses, bicycles and two car parks, streamlining the transport system in Algés, an important interface with so many problems nowadays. After the station, the railway also bends underground, freeing the straight line of Pedrouços and eventually the monumental area of Belém. On the dock, the two old but fascinating buildings of Docapesca are kept preserved and together with some new buildings accommodate the new nautical centre, fully capable of hosting any big international regatta and also providing users with marina services and boat spaces for parking on the dock. As we move past the Champalimaud’s Centre, with its round volumetry, we reach the area of the Tower of Belém, one of the biggest tourist attraction in the city but so hard to reach these days. We create a new train station underground, aligned with the axis that comes from the overlooking hill of Ermida de São Jerónimo, down to the tower. This avenue is also partially turned into pedestrian only. Also, just after the tower, the new Museum of the Discoveries is built so to finally gather in one place, unique in the city, the memory of that historical moment so important to all the Portuguese diaspora and to the world at the time.
The area of Algés and the dock of Pedrouços take clearly a central part in our project. It’s there that we built new residential areas, one just on the bottom of the park and the other, also with some office buildings, a school and wider range of services, just opposite to the two big twin buildings of Docapesca. Overall, we’re highly satisfied with the result. We successfully accomplished the balance we’re so much seeking for and gave a new character to the often lost or weakened identity of these places. This is ultimately shaped in the new design of the coastline, an uninterrupted curve that unifies all the sites and consolidates the whole project.
MARCO ALBUQUERQUE +351 912 476 503 marcoalb.cs@gmail.com https://pt.linkedin.com/in/albuquerquemarco