MAURA PEREZ ARCHITECTURE
PORTFOLIO
CONTENTS 1 Memorial Park Library M. Arch | Graduate Thesis
13 Mexican American Cultural Center Summer Internship Project
19 Artist Residence M. Arch | Design Studio
29 Veterans Memorial Museum 4th Year | Design Studio
35 Contemporary Arts Museum Houston 4th Year | Integrated Studio
MEMORIAL PARK L I B R A RY M. Arch | Graduate Thesis
Libraries have naturally developed alongside mankind; they offer resources directly related to the needs and expectations of the community. A successful modern library is the collective balance of three key components: archive, social, and digital media spaces. This thesis explores the intersectional arrangement of diverse, modern library programming in order to create a user experience of discovery. The importance of promenade and multilayered spaces heavily influenced the thesis. One gains insight into the composition of an environment by means of walking through a place. There is no moment where one can understand their place within the whole, but only makes sense of the momentary fragment in their culmination of understanding.
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The site, Memorial Park, is located in the heart of central, historic El Paso. An extensive park home to various amenities. The area is irrigated, well maintained, and has an abundance of trees to offer shade from the warm desert climate. In order to entrain the building well within its context, a diagrammatic decision was made to have three entrances. These entrances have a conditional gesture depending on their placement on the site. Upon entry, the user is then located in the active center of the massing. At this point, there is visible connectivity and awareness between the three centers.
COMMUNITY
PARK NEIGHBORHOOD
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BELOW LEVEL NEIGHBORHOOD ENTRY
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01 Carved Sidewalk Pathway 02 Entrance Vestibule 03 Small Information Desk 04 Open Reading 05 Small Business Center 06 Group Study 07 Computer Lab 08 Tech Checkout 09 Mechanical
10 Teen Space 11 Lounge 12 Gaming Room 13 Small Recording Space 14 Large Music Room 15 Makerspace 16 Book Sort 17 Staff Room 18 Storage
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GROUND LEVEL PARK ENTRY
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01 Learning Kitchen 02 Show Kitchen 03 Coffee Bar 04 Indoor Seating 05 Sam Z. Coronado Gallery 06 Multi-Purpose Room 07 Art Room 08 Dance Studio 09 Education OfďŹ ce
10 Library 11 Classroom 12 Conference Room
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UP
OPEN TO BELOW
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OPEN TO BELOW
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SECOND LEVEL
MAIN LOBBY
PORCH ENTRY
COMMUNITY ENTRY WALKTHROUGH 10
LARGE READING ROOM
MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER Summer Internship Project Collaboration: Andy Chen, Shiyao Li, and Lisa Yang
Envisioning the future of the Mexican American Culture Center in downtown Austin, Texas led our project team to propose several phases of renovation and extension to the preexisting building. These included activating the plaza; extending the arced form with new education and culinary-based wings; integrating improved signage and wayfinding strategies; adding a large theater and outdoor amphitheater; creating a boardwalk to take advantage of the view of Town Lake. The design considered both the dynamic nature of the Mexican American culture as well as providing state-of-the-art program spaces the community needed.
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First Floor
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01 Zócalo Plaza 02 Main Office 03 Carlos Pineda Visual Arts Room 04 Raul Salinas Room 05 Community Gallery 06 Auditorium 07 Maintenance 08 Theater 09 Outdoor Amphitheater 10 Music Room 11 Black Box Theater 12 Theater Support 13 Dressing Room 14 Storage 15 Learning Kitchen 16 Show Kitchen 17 Coffee Bar 18 Indoor Seating 19 Sam Z. Coronado Gallery 20 Multi-Purpose Room 21 Art Room 22 Dance Studio 23 Education Office 24 Library 25 Classroom Mechanical Room Storage 26 Conference Room Sam Z. Coronado Gallery Multi-Purpose Room 27 Terrace Seating Art Room Mechanical Storage
Sam Z. Coronado Gallery Art Room
Dance Studio
DanceClassroom/Mixed Studio Space Education Office Cooking Classroom Library Patio Classroom Conference Room Terrace Seating
Second Floor
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In the past, passerby had little understanding of activities and events offered at the center. Integration of improved wayfinding signage and strategies inform and draw more visitors onto the site to explore. Additional amenities of the boardwalk, outdoor amphitheater, and central canopy enhance the utility of areas throughout the site and ultimately create a more complete composition on the lot.
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RAIN
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MACC Sign “History of the MACC” Mural MACC Parking Granada Entrada Zócalo Plaza Canopy Trail Dock Dog Park
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05 ZÓCALO PLAZA
04 GRANADA ENTRADA
01 GARDEN ENTRY
LIVE | WORK | SELL RESIDENCE M. Arch | Design Studio
A Live|Work|Sell residence district gives artists the opportunity to both work and sell their services within their lot and encourage the creative efforts of the community. The site is in close proximity to the activity of Blacksburg’s Main Street therefore the artist’s services will be easily accessible to the public. This project details a residence compatible with the needs and characteristics of a dancer. A series of rectangular forms of different proportions and alignments fan outward on the lot. An inner courtyard is delineated by the concave arrangement of these structures and an angular path draws visitors into the heart of the site. An outdoor stage provides a facing connection to the grouping of trees in the northern part of the site.
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01 Front Desk + Waiting Area 02 Public Restroom 03 Lockers 04 Main Studio Space 05 Audio + Light Control 06 Storage 07 Mechanical 08 Private Entrance 09 WIC + Laundry 10 Restroom 11 Kitchen 12 Dining + Living Space 13 Small Studio Space 14 Outdoor Space 15 Bedroom Loft
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First Floor
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Second Floor
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01 Brick 02 Grout 03 Cavity 04 CMU Block 05 Concrete Fill 06 Rebar 07 Rigid Insulation 08 Vapor Barrier 09 Glazing Unit
CORNER CONDITION 23
PLAN DETAIL
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With inspiration drawn from the Croffead House by Clark and Menefee Architects, there was great interest to pursue the combination of CMU block and brick. These details show some important aspects of the composite brick and CMU block wall. The rigidity of the thick wall helps it to act as a bearing wall. Detailing of this project focuses on the construction of seamless transitions between the exterior and interior masonry material.
01 Brick 02 Grout 03 Metal Wall Ties
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04 Cavity 05 Rigid Insulation 10
06 CMU Block
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07 Concrete Fill
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08 Vapor Barrier
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09 Standing Seam
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10 Eave 16
11 Open Web Steel Joist 11
01 Brick
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02 Grout
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03 Metal Wall Ties 04 Cavity 05 Rigid Insulation
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06 CMU Block 07 Concrete Fill
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08 Vapor Barrier
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12 Purlin 13 Metal Decking 14 Vapor Retarder 15 Loose Fill Insulation 16 Beam 17 Angle 18 Panel Sheathing Infill
10 Eave
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11 Open Web Steel Joist 12 Purlin
EAVE CONDITION SECTION DETAIL
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01 Brick
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03 Metal Wall Ties
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04 Cavity 05 Rigid Insulation 01
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06 CMU Block
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07 Concrete Fill
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08 Standing Seam Roof 09 Open Web Steel Joist 01 Brick
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03 Metal Wall Ties 04 Cavity
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02 Grout
05 Rigid Insulation 06 CMU Block 07 Concrete Fill 08 Standing Seam Roof 09 Open Web Steel Joist
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10 Metal Decking 11 Vapor Retarder 12 Loose Fill Insulation 13 Cant Strip 14 Base Flashing 15 Counterflashing 16 Blocking
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11 Vapor Retarder
18 Continuous Bearing Angle
12 Loose Fill Insulation 13 Cant Strip 14 Base Flashing
PARAPET CONDITION SECTION DETAIL
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The building aims to have elemental experiences that bridge the occupant’s connection to nature. Window openings draw light into the spaces throughout the day and the building forms cast striking shadows onto the site. The dance studio has a clerestory that brings light to wash the ceiling’s surface and has interesting shadows through exposed open web steel joists. For the materials, the brick is a lighter redorange to maintain a subtle warmth for the exterior of the building. Transitioning to the walls of the interior spaces, the CMU block is finished as a softer texture with a white paint. Floors are primarily polished concrete, aside from the large studio space which will have a beige Harlequin vinyl dance floor. The materiality of the roof is a copper standing seam.
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East Elevation
North Elevation
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INNER COURTYARD PERSPECTIVE
VETERANS MEMORIAL MUSEUM 4th Year | Design Studio Collaboration: Jack Searcy
Veterans Park of College Station is now home to the new Veteran’s Memorial Museum. It has a central location between the athletic complex and park trails. The pre-existing park honors veterans of Brazos County and with the creation of this building guests are encouraged to learn more about these heroes. This semester long project explored man’s values, namely that of a soldier. Morality guides one’s decisions to aspire towards their ideal character. Discipline is determinant of strength in core values of courage, selfless service, integrity, and honor. An ordered massing of good, disciplined character permeates through the disorder of the world. This is observed in an orthogonal form push through the polygonal forms.
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Context
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Access
Permeate
The building is drawn outward to the natural curves of the site outline. The expression of the juxtaposing order and disorder is seen in three adjoined buildings as well as the site landscaping. Site context holds adjacency to the forested paths of the Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial.
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Southeast Elevation
Southwest Elevation
A main public corridor spans the site, welcoming visitors from two primary accessible routes. Not only is there a procession through the main corridor of the building but visitors can circumambulate the museum and experience the inhabitable space beneath the eastward overhang.
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CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM HOUSTON 4th Year | Integrated Studio Collaboration: Beatriz Ordorica
At the intersection of Montrose Blvd. and Westheimer Road lies the new Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. This semester-long project entailed the integration of three intensive courses including studio, structures, and systems in order to devise a pragmatically cohesive building design. With over 80,000 sq. ft. CAMH offers programmatic spaces of three upstairs galleries as well as a street gallery, submerged auditorium, multipurpose space, and storage rooms. The three-story eastward portion of the building houses classrooms, offices, storage, mechanical rooms, and a gift shop.
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MONTROSE BLVD WESTHEIMER RD
The massing’s formwork began with an offset curvature drawn out from Montrose and anchored itself back to the orthogonal nature of the site’s adjacent eastward street. An underground auditorium resides centrally in the mass and its arced form actualizes the regulating geometry of the entire museum. Considering most visitors enter from the south of the lot, their movement into the public space fans out and northward through the plan. 37
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1 Fan Room 7 Egress 8 Public Restrooms 9 Coat Room 10 Gallery Shop 1 Fan Room 11 Assembly7 Egress 8 Public Restroos 12 Washrooms 9 Coat Room 10 Gallery Shop 13 Trash/Recycle 11 Assembly 14 Storage 12 Washrooms 13 Trash/Recycle 15 Street Gallery 14 Storage 16 Cafe 15 Street Gallery 16 Cafe 17 Cafe Services 17 Cafe Services 18 Reception18 Reception 10 0
Ground Floor
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Parapet Roof Truss Connection Glass Wall Wall Section Floor Structural Decking Joist Hanger Beam Rigid Angle Hanger A/C Unit Cross Tee Ceiling Concrete Slab Slab Detail
Wall Section
A series of composite trusses act as the long-spanning steel structure for these fifty feet high museum spaces. The oscillating roof form continues to wrap the side of the building creating the repetition of offset panel walls along the westward facade. Staggering these panels mitigates the sun exposure while also utilizing natural daylight for the gallery spaces. Additional natural light is drawn in through the skylights in order to offer several top-lit gallery spaces.
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TOP - LIT GALLERY SPACE
Maura Perez (512)743-2926 mauraperez17@vt.edu