Melinda Ubera Portfolio by Melinda Ubera

PORTFOLIO

melinda ubera

Melinda Ubera

Built Work

Di g i tal Proje cts

St u d i o Proje cts

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Illuminate|Luminaria San Antonio, Texas This was a collaboration of a few students from University of Texas San Antonio College of Architecture. Illuminate started out as a design competition for our local AIA San Antonio's "Illuminate" Beaux Arts Ball where light had to be incorporated into four fashion runway designs. What started out as a charette between the students, it morphed into the final design for geometrical shapes that would penetrate light through a translucent material to create a soft diffusion and form to the body. Each costume was designed to accent the rest of the designs and was also wired with sonar technology so that when another design comes closer to contact, more strands will light up and create an brighter effect. Each year, the city of San Antonio invites and chooses artists to become part of "Luminaria" and showcase their works. Students and faculty of UTSA CoA who took part of Illuminate worked together to design a sculpture to be part of Luminaria design. We designed a freestanding sculpture that was inspired from our Illuminate design so when both are showcased at the Luminaria, they will compliment each other.

Illuminate|Luminaria

We designed geometric shapes and scaled that would be placed on our models for the Illuminate fashion runway. Each shape was designed in an origami direction so it can be fabricated repeatedly. Each shape was also designed so it would be able to apply itself to the fabric and to fit with its neighbor shapes.

Illuminate|Luminaria

Illuminate 2011 - UTSA COA

Illuminate|Luminaria

Luminaria 2011 - UTSA COA

Component San Antonio, Texas

Component Design

This contents of this project were for more of a digital aspects and exploration. This project was broken into parts, starting with designing a component and taking into consideration how it could be replicated to form a wall.

Component Design

Instead of just designing one single object, I played around with the idea of two components and each could be interlocked with each other to add more dynamic to 'wall surface.' Below are images of each of the components and then showing how each one would be grouped together to make a component that could be repeated and fit in its x & y axis.

Component 1

Component 2

Component Design

Paneled wall with Components 1 and 2

Component 1 and 2 grouped together to make a paneling component

Grasshopper Definition for Bus Station

Next part of this component design project. We were to design a bus stop station using the component designed from the first part. Recreated Component 1 in a form that could be manipulated to provide shelter for those that are waiting at the bus stop with seating area.

Bus Station

Component Design

Honeycomb Wall San Antonio, Texas

We are trying to create an environment based o of a single celled organism, (i.e. bacteria, algae, fungi) that involves a modular pattern for a communityin which people would thrive o of. The pattern of a beehive comes from a 2d at shape which is then extruded and multiplied in order tocreate pockets/nodes which bees use for storage or new breeding ground. This hexagonal modular shape creates one of the strongest structures known. It also induces a work type of environment creating greater efficiency and structure throughout the whole community. Creating this highly adaptable space would accommodate any type of climate change. Since bees are ever-evolving they continue to grow and work in whatever the condition. The shape of the pattern will be used to determine the actual grid for our space/ spaces. The materials we would be using for this form would be metal and glass.

Honeycomb Wall

The form that we created is located in downtown San Antonio. The form itself is an envelope and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hidesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; an existing skybridge that connects a building to the parking garage across the street. We found this connection between both buildings interesting since there is a lot of pedestrian and car traffic.

Honeycomb Wall

AVONNI

Honeycomb Wall

This last portion of the project, we had to take our original 'Honeycomb' shape and form we had to work with and adapt it to an interior space this time. What we did here, we took a scenario of a room so we can adapt our form as part of a ceiling fixture. We took a step further and created a video also in which the form moves in a 'wave' format, giving it more of an effect.

Honeycomb Wall

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Parasitic Architecture

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In this project, we were to find a location in downtown San Antonio to create an architectural intervention. I chose a place that is highly transited and has a total different character than the intersecting streets. The backside of the famous Aztec Theatre in downtown San Antonio is a place where people pass and cars drive everyday.

S St Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Parasitic Intervention San Antonio, Texas

Hotel + Condominium

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Public Transportation Route

Pedestrian River to Street Level Stairs

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Car Routes

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Urban Park San Antonio, Texas

Urban Park

San Antonioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downtown city is characterized by its historical markers, such as The Alamo, and The Riverwalk. Southern downtown of San Antonio does not express the unique culture and diversity San Antonio is made up from. This project entailed of creating an Urban Park in a more desolate part of downtown . Working alongside a partner, our main design goal was to bring a connection to the existing part of the Riverwalk. Draw in the tourists to this part of town and a bring more public traffic from the residents who work in the downtown area. Southern downtown of San Antonio, the existing site was being used as parking lots for residents who worked in the area. To be more efficient, we decided to build above the site and design a park that would rise above the street level. Design challenges were to deal with three different levels, River, Street, and Park levels. Designing our own program, we included outdoor auditoriums , plaza level with enclosed area for a Restaurant, bus/rail station for San Antonio's planned 2012 VIA transit rail, shopping center and parking.

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River Auditorium Restaurant Plaza VIA Bus|Transit Rail Station Shopping Center Parking below Park (Street Lvl) Auditorium || Field

River Auditorium View

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Urban Park

section box

call outs

Urban Park

Hotel + Condominium Tower San Antonio, Texas

The riverwalk and historical markers are a major tourist attraction to the city of San Antonio. The culture and diversity is what attracts people to come to the city. In San Antonioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Riverwalk there is always traffic of people going from the upper Transit (street) level to the River level, and vice versa. In downtown San Antonio, downtown living would be prime real estate and benefit the city of San Antonio. This Hotel + Condominium Tower has a complex program that needs to be met to provide the best amenities for private condominium owners, the public on the river level, and public on transit level, and those waiting at the corner of the bridge for the bus stop. This H+C Tower includes Condominiums, with views towards the Riverwalk or views overlooking Downtown area and landmarks such as the Tower of Americas and The Alamodome. A Restaurant on the riverwalk accessible by the public from the river level and the lobby on the street level. A Bus Transit|Tourism Center accessible from both levels.

Hotel + Condominium

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Hotel + Condominium

Program Bus Transit | Tourism Center - Accessibility from the street and river level - Waiting space for minimum 50 people - Minimum 3,500 ft2 - Waiting area open 24 hours Condominium || Hotel - 50 lofts, minimum 2,000 ft2 each - Lobby with Reception and Concierge areas - Rooftop Pool and Deck area - Spa and Fitness level - Administration level - Housekeeping level - Mechanical level - Underground parking garage for minimum 25 spaces includes: - Service elevator for loading/unloading to residences levels and restaurant Restaurant on Riverwalk - Accessible from H+C lobby and Riverwalk - Indoor/Outdoor seating

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Site Aztec Theatre San Fernando Cathedral || Main Plaza Majestic Theatre Travis Park The Alamo Tower of Life Hemisfair Park Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center Tower of Americas

Hotel + Condominium

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Restaurant Indoor/Outdoor Restaurant Kitchen Bus Transit Waiting Area Restaurant/Bus Transit Elevator Service Elevator Emergency Stairwell Restaurant Indoor - 2nd level Restaurant Kitchen - 2nd level Visitor Center Street Entry to Underground Parking Elevator to Lofts Atrium Concierge Concierge Stock/Storage Room Lobby/Reception Area Guest Drop-off/Pick-up Open to Atrium Resident area to Service Elevator and Trash Chute Trash Chute River (North) View Loft Downtown (South) View Loft

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River Level

North Loft

South Loft

l Spa/Fitness Leve vel Housekeeping Le evel Administration L Atrium

Bus Transit Wating Area

Hotel + Condominium

Restaurant

Lobby ing

Underground Park

River to Street Organization

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Transit Level

Lofts Level North Elevation

Hotel + Condominium

New Orleans Affordable Housing New Orleans, Louisiana

After the devastating disaster from Hurricane Katrina, the project was based on designing affordable living conditions for those affected from the storm. Precedence for this project, came from a typical 'Shotgun House'. The expectation for the site of the residence would be in the '9th Ward' location in New Orleans, LA where the site area was minimal and would have very close neighbors.

N.O.L.A Housing

Design of the interior spaces maximizes area for bedrooms by providing a single hallway that allows entrances to every bedroom. This unit has a porch that is shaded by the exterior facade that faces the south. This facade made of wooden panels protects from the southern sun rays and allows for ventilation to run across whichever way the direction of the wind may be. What is special about the 'Shotgun' house, is that in this unit I provided an outside space for the residents. Usually in New Orleans, it may be common for the resident to hang out in the front porch and people watch.

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Master Bedroom Bedroom Kitchen Area Living|Dining Area Front Porch

N.O.L.A Housing

North Elevation

East Elevation

N.O.L.A Housing

Marfa Art Space Marfa, Texas

Marfa Art Space

Locaed in Marfa, TX, a minimalist Studio Art Center was designed that included space for galleries and also a residence and studio place for selected artists to temporary live in Marfa while working. Marfa is known for being a city that is filled with minimalist art and architecture. Donald Judd is a known minimalist artist and with a view that art should be equal within arts with a sense of hierarchy. In my design, the overall form should be minimal and the importance of space is shown in the hierarchy of the form itself.

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Marfa Art Space

Loading Dock | Storage Lobby | Shop Administration Artist Galleries Permanent Gallery Artist Residences

4-Loft Second Level 14' - 0"

3-Permanent Gallery Level -1' - 0" 2-Artist Gallery Level -4' - 0" 1-Administration Levels -9' - 0" Ground Level -14' - 0"

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Marfa Art Space

ILOFTROP

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