Architecture Portfolio for Grad School by Maria Thereza Maia

PORTFOLIO

2021-2022

MARIA THEREZA MAIA

DESIGN STATEMENT

For as long as I can remember, I have been driven by creative hands - on work and inspired by all dimensions of art, architecture, and illustration . I believe in articulating spaces to be more than just functional but to create experiences meaningful enough to establish a connection and evoke an emotional response in each individual . The following is a collection of my projects which reflect my personality and identity as an architectural designer . This portfolio aims to showcase the progression of my skillset, thinking, and design capabilities .

01

THROUGH THE LENSES OF FIRE

Concept:

01THROUGH THE LENSES OF FIRE

Firedemandstoescape,transform,andexplore enticinglyandunpredictablywhileonlybeingheldin ceremonymomentstoadmireitsflames.

Theimageportraysmyinterpretationoftheagitatedlife ofDowntownOrlandochoreographedwiththe primitiveenergyoffire

The Site: The Project:

Three open lots with limited space are currently hidden among restaurants, bars, and historic buildings across the Mainstreet of downtown Orlando.

Borrowing inspiration from a fire that ocurred in 1942 at the corner of Pine Street and Orange Ave, this project proposes a culinary school whose programs are distributed in each lot

The Spaces within each site translate how fire reacts, spreads, and constantly reaches in different directions, creating Spaces Where people are encouraged to move freely.

Discrete urban interventions connect the narrative between sites and create moments to decompress from the dynamic surroundings.

Group Project: Maria Thereza Maia Jackson Skarda

Fire has been crucial to human survival for around one milion years, and despite the fact it became embedded in human behavior, there is still, a curious attraction to it. According to the French Philosopher Gaston Bachelard, it is not the fire itself people enjoy staring at, it’s his movement.

PINE AND ORANGE

"We are drawn to fire. There is something mesmerizing about a flickering flame a burning desire left to languish. ” Natalie Wolchover

Since the site located at the corner of Pine Street and Orange Blossom Trail is the beginning of the proposed culinary program, it was designed to draw people as they approach and move throughout the building. For example, we took advantage of the square shape of the site and offset the form to create a corridor filled with greenery and exposed bricks that lead to an underground lounge. Likewise, the main entrance is pronounced by an open-roof vegetable garden that perforates the lobby and bisects the circulation allowing visitors to freely occupy the space, much like the dancing flames of a bonfire.

Underground

The Alley

The second out of the three sites assigned for this project. This site was a very narrow and underused space between two existing buildings. We decided to repurpose it as a student dorm to accommodate the students. To incorporate natural light inside the building, intentional perforations were created on each floor so the light could invade the space as the flames of a fire that cannot be contained

To promote community interaction and a sense of belonging, all three sites were designed to have at least one flexible space where students can gather, interact, and host social events and workshops, and seminars. Some “breadcrumbs” between the location also maintain the link between the sites and serve as spaces where students can pause and rest.

First Level Floor Plan Second Level Floor Plan Third Level Floor Plan

The In-Between

This portion of the project features a culinary lab where students can practice their skills, a restaurant where the community can engage with students and taste their creations, and a vegetable garden where students can grow and study their ingredients.

Sugar canes planted above the atrium release a fragrance that allows guests to have a sensory experience of the place. The patio also doubles as a farmer's market welcome to the next-door residents. Consequently, creating a unified cycle where inhabitants benefit from one another.

02 UNITY IN DIVERSITY

02 UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Concept: The Site: The Project:

To celebratethediversitythatpermeatesthehistoryof TampaArtDistrictand welcomeandnurtureyoung creativeminds.

Tampa Art District is full of talents and creative souls. Riverwalk has a very cohesive community that brings people together to promote innovative thinking and create new opportunities. Therefore, the goal was to embrace this mentality and design a tower that blends within this community and celebrates local diversity.

Based on civilian activities around the site and the site visit, this project iincorporates programs that have the potential to improve the community, such as a farmers' market, restaurant, pet care, low income and transient housing, offices, incubators, classrooms, and parking

Group Project: Maria Thereza Maia Khin Thu Katelyn Konesco

Shade and Form Study

Form and shade studies made according to the climate data analysis

The programing of the tower was organized according to the site analysis and the privacy level of each program keeping the more public areas at the bottom. Looking at it on a larger scale, we decided to take advantage of the existing site's vehicle traffic and pedestrian traffic to lay out our potential construct. The vehicle entrance is located on the east side. There are pedestrian entrances on all sides and decided to construct a pathway of our own, that crosses through the site.

The local climate data was also taken into consideration. For example, we knew the highest amount of heat comes from Southeast, which were the areas we needed to acknowledge more. Likewise, the predominant winds come from Northeast, so by the way we positioned our construct, we were able to create a passive ventilation system that channels the potential wind into our site.

To relate back to our concept, we decided to create a skin where all the small pieces, which are meant to represent the minorities that built Tampa, form the whole. Those small pieces are not just symbolic, but they also serve as vertical shading elements for the east and west facades.

To deal with the sun on the south facades, we extruded the slabs on each floor since we knew from our thermal study that horizontal shading would work better for them.

The slab of each floor extrudes out in the whole building, but is a few feet little longer for south facades. The gap between the glass and the skin provide shading, but still allows for natural light to come in.

A community garden opens up to the surrounding site and invites new visitors to explore the tower and get together in an outdoor space. The ceiling of the lobby and above the garden functions as a canvas where local artists can share their work with the public and inspire young creative souls. The garden can also accommodate small performances and activities. The energetic context is reflected in the tower's form and made visible through glimpses of glass in the skin of the building. The skin is made of small pieces that form a wrap around the building as one white envelope It is a symbol of many individual small pieces coming together as one and making a statement in the immediate context. The skin's density reflects the amount of sun exposure

Typical Office

Lobby

Pool Deck

An Atrium on the commercial floor allows employees to decompress from the office atmosphere employers and take short walks during their breaks. The natural elements help to relieve the stress, and the large glass windows frame the view of the river

03 THE LIGHT BEHIND MORTALITY

03

THE LIGHT BEHIND MORTALITY

Concept:

Em. Ignate iumqui optat. Furthermore, having people from diferent ages in the community can add a sense of diversity and liveliness.

The Site: Project:

Tampa Riverwalk

Mixed Generation Community organized with four types of units. Each unit answers to the needs of each potential inhabitant, from single young adults, to single families with children, senior couple, and a multigenerational home

Cohousing has been proven to have several financial, environmental, and social benefits. These benefits are multiplied when you co-live with people from different age groups and can also add a sense of diversity and liveliness. Each generation finds its own advantages of living among a diverse group. Therefore, in this project, all four types of units combined form a shared central space that promotes communal interaction among next-door neighbors.

The Story

All different generations have many common needs that can and should be linked. For example, the loneliness many elderly people feel from living alone or affordable living to young adults at the beginning of their careers.

SINGLE ADULTS &

MULTI-GENERATIONAL

The unit designed to attend to the needs of the youngest generation attaches to the multi-generational unit, designed to accommodate one single family with children and grandparents. The connection happens through a single wall that perforates both units and floods them with natural light. The architecture screams the co-dependency between the youngest and the older generation.

LATE ADULTHOOD

Contrary to what many may think, studies show that those in late adulthood have lower fears of death than other adults. This was reflected in the design through the use of more diffuse light qualities and the use of natural light so that the users could not identify the light source. The programming of this unit was designed to allow for absolute privacy inside the homes while at the same time having numerous opportunities to be engaged in the community as the unit connects to the different unit types and creates micro and macro shared spaces.

THE USE OF LIGHT

The light was a key design aspect of this project. When co-living with people from different age groups, it is only natural for a hyper-awareness of mortality to emerge. The concept of death changes as we develop from early childhood to late adulthood. Cognitive development, societal beliefs, familial responsibilities, and personal experiences all shape one's view of death

Based on that, I approached this matter by translating light qualities usually found in religious spaces to residential ones. The light qualities in each unit vary according to that group's age concept about death.

The staircase wraps around a delicate wood structure behind the glass case, representing our fragility and finitude. The form extrudes and floods the space with zenithal natural light.

MISCELLANEOUS

DRAWING AS NA EXPRESSION

Art has always been an active discipline in my life. Here are some selected hand drawings produced during my time at University of Central Florida

To draw has always been the way I found to manifest my ideas and personal thoughts. This drawings expose a bit of my essence and how I perceive the world around me.

Media utilized: Charcoal

Grafite

Pastel