¡HELLO! My name is Melissa Arias I am a highly motivated Architect from Colombia, with more than 130,000 sqft designed in different Latin American countries. I have 3+ years’ experience in architectural design and interior design with an emphasis on the development of corporate spaces, creating both conceptual and functional spaces, from its initial phase to its construction stage, providing special attention to detail and efficiency. I am a creative and proactive person, whose way of working consists of sharing knowledge, as well as learning, teamwork, planning and solving problems through innovative proposals that meets and many cases exceed the expected results. “We are in constant dialogue and interaction with the environment to the degree that it is impossible to detach the image of the self from its spatial and situational existence” -Juhani Pallasma
URBAN LAB URBAN CENTERS COURSE TYPE: Academic LOCATION: Bogotรก, Colombia New York City (Three-week workshop) DESIGN TEAM: Melissa Arias Kevin Rubio Santiago Bonnet
An urban design proposal was developed by imagining future scenarios that could effectively respond to the dynamics of the city. By creating spaces that would be connected to the underground level of the subway and the upper ground of the city, and thus being able to generate innovative environments from a pedestrian perspective.
The unfolding of the ground level - Diagram
An experimental and innovative mutidimensional urban project that seeks to potentiate the relationship between the citizens and the urban dynamics of the city. Through a thorough investigation of one of the most important economic areas of the city of Bogotรก, we ought to understand the cultural and social dynamics that surrounded this sector of the city and how these will be affected by the future construction of a subway station.
3D axonometric of 72 st in Bogotรก, Colombia
PROYECTO #72 Project # 72 is developed based on the strategies proposed in the urban planning laboratory; UnderGrounding, Re-Grounding and Upper Grounding. A hybrid building that mix educational, housing, business, commercial and leisure uses, creating a series of underground interventions that connect with the new Bogotรก Subway on 11Ave with 72 St.
UR BA N
LA ND SC AP E
D RI B HY
PE A C DS N LA
Nolli Plan of 72 St for identifying permeability levels
Occidental facade
The strategies in which the project is based respond to the dynamics of the city in different levels. In the Upper-Ground level the project seeks the relationship between buildings through upper connections. In the ReGround level, the pedestrianization of the 72 St connects the citizens with the upper and under ground level, thourgh a human perspective. At last, the Under-ground city comes alive through the integration of the Subway station with the city. Under-Grounding + Re-Grounding + Upper-Grounding
3D Perspective of the plaza
3D Axonometric - Diagram
South facade
63 ST SUBWAY SATION During the program course a threeweek workshop was carried out in the city of New York, along with the design office of the Mta in New York.
Local Restaurant
Located on 2nd avenue where a Subway line in the city was being built. The workshop ought to analyze and understand the different cultural and social dynamics of the city, and exploring the relationship between the underground level of the subway with the urban environment of the vibrant city of New York. Therefore, based on a thorough research where the level of permeability is determined, by means of a Nolli plan. Several future possible scenarios are explored to propose an intervention in the built space and develop strategies that generated spaces for mixed uses of commerce, art, education and leisure in the subsoil and in this way bring the city to the underground level; creating several ways of connection in this area of the city.
Nolli Plan of 63 St for identifying permeability
Global Commerce Parking Parking
Local Commerce Parking
Banking Commerce Parking
Mezzanine Subway Station
Mixed uses 3D Axonometric
3D Axonometric of the block
3D Landscape of the 63 ST
Cross Section
FÁBRICA DE LOZA THESIS PROJECT TYPE: Academic LOCATION: Bogotá, Colombia Located in one of the most vulnerable zones of Bogotá, affected by high violence and insecurity rates, La Fábrica de Loza Bogotana is a building from the 18th century, declared an asset of the cultural heritage of the Nation, it represents the memory and cultural identity of the community. Throughout the several transformations that generated the progressive deterioration of the building, the historical, cultural and social values remained intangible in the memory and daily life of its inhabitants. Through a thorough research of the historical and cultural aspects of the place and by working along with the community, we came out with design strategies for the renovation and reutilization of La Fábrica de Loza. Creating a design proposal for interconnecting the different activies that take place in the community, and thus developing spaces for growth and education; dignifying and improving the quality of life of the community.
Courtyard - Collage render
3D Axonometric of the urban landscape of La Fรกbrica de Loza
Orchard Natural water well
Lavaderos de Gaitán
Orchard´s extension proposal
New Housing Existing Oven Crosswalk Public Space Fábrica de Loza School of arts and crafts
Existing Oven with public space intervention New Housing
New Housing Public Space
General plan
Cross Section of La Fábrica de Loza
3D Axonometric of the design proposal for La Fรกbrica de Loza
Design Strategies
Orchard Extension
New Housing
Ovens Restoration
Extending the existing orchard for creating spatial and productive connections.
Creating new housign buildings, mainteining aesthetics of the place.
Complete restoration of the existing ovens of the Fรกbrica de Loza. For adecuating new spaces.
Crosswalk
Developing a pedestrian street for recovering connection between historical neighborhoods.
School of Arts and Crafts
Existing ruins of a part of the building are reused for the creation of a new building, respecting existing aesthetics. For developing a school for the community.
Fรกbrica de Loza Completed retauration is developed for the existing part of the building which remains standing. improving its interior spaces for housing use.
Cross Section of The School of Arts and Crafts
The School of Arts and Crafts The School of Arts and Crafts is one the major strategies for the project in La Fábrica de Loza neighborhood. It complements the cultural and social renovation of the place, by creating a space for the community to grow through educational environments that would improve the quality of life of the inhabitants and giving them tools for having better income opportunities. The building recovers the place where the ruins of one of La Fábrica’s bays were located. Through, respecting the aesthetics and the guidelines of the place and its historical importance. The building is developed in two levels of mixed uses. combining learning spaces such as experimental laboratories and workshops for the creation of marketable products, with commercial spaces, such as market squares, cafes and restaurants to market the products developed in the school.
1
2
3
4
School of Arts and Crafts Student Capacity: 500 students Programs: Dressmaking Workshops Shoemaking Workshops Cooking and Pastry Workshops Cultural Market Place Multifunctional market place 4 multifunctional courtyards Capacity: 32 Commerce possitions Restaurant Total capacity: 134 persons Soleation
Second Level
First Level
Multifunctional Market Place
3D Axonometric of the School of Arts and Crafts
School of Arts & Crafts - Render Collage
North Facade
South Facade
GLOBANT HEADQUARTERS First place design competition + Design development and construction documentation TYPE: Professional AUTOR: Aei Arquitectura e Interiores LOCATION: Buenos Aires, Argentina DESIGN TEAM: Roberto Ojeda - Architect Designer Sergio Mutis - Architect Designer Melissa Arias - Lead Architect Designer Camila Bautista - Design Leader
The design of the 110,000 sqft Globant Headquarters in Buenos Aires, Argentina explores the relationship between nature, inspired by Argentina´s National Parks, and technology, which is Globant’s main line of business. Each one of the 10 floors of the project reflects the atmosphere of a different National Park from Argentina, creating an experiential design atmosphere that guaranteed an exceptionally healthy work ambience for the employees through high-tech automation and environmental stimulus. Its heterogeneous and multidirectional circulations reveal the different spaces of the project within an organic rhythm, brought from a natural exploration experience. The project promotes wellbeing through natural elements and has LEED and WELL certifications.
28 Floor - Auditorium Talampaya Dessert National Park
THE CONCEPT
The Grid
The classic corporate model, obstructs creativity, wellbeing and collaboration with spatial stiffness.
Nature
Incredible and diverse natural landscapes from Argentina´s National Parks as an opportunity to introduce a renovation to the classical model.
PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION 110,000 sqm
950
30 Floor - Cataratas de Iguazú Amenities, Chill out, game zone
29 Floor - Tierra del Fuego Talent Scouting Center, auditorium
28 Floor - Talampaya Dessert
Lobby, gym, training rooms, music room, makers space, museum
27 Floor - Nahuel Huapi Board, Open office, Maternity
26 Floor - Esteros del Iberá Facilities, Open office, Servie Desk
25 Floor - Baritú Jungle
Globers Travel, Open office, Finance
24 Floor - Lanín
Open office, Recording Studio
23 Floor - Glaciares Open office
22 Floor - Sierra de las Quijadas Open office
21 Floor - Los Alerces Open office
The Glitch
The error as the unespected revealing of nature,beauty and sensorial comfort, as the organic force that breaks stiffness.
Glitching Landscapes A new work environment degisned for productivity, collaboration and wellbeing, presents a harmony between nature and technology through domotic
28 Floor - Lobby Talampaya Dessert National Park
30 Floor Cataratas de IguazĂş National Park
28 Floor
28 Floor - Auditorium Talampaya Dessert National Park
Innovative collaborative spaces for multipurpose activities, creates a new methodology for creative problem solutions within the workflow environment.
30 Floor
30 Floor - Chill Out Cataratas de IguazĂş National Park
Experiential leisure spaces for creating with diverse uses in the workplace environment, have demonstrated to help employees develop stronger creative and collaborative skills.
21 Floor Creating Biophilic environments through natural inspired textures, like wood and vegetation, helps to stimulate the user promoting wellbeing spaces
21 Floor - Meeting Room Los Alerces National Park
24 Floor Natural patterns can potentiate wellbeing and creativity within a flexible environment, that adapts to collaborative and individual activities.
24 Floor - Open Office LanĂn National Park
COLSUBSIDIO Design competition TYPE: Professional AUTOR: Aei Arquitectura e Interiores LOCATION: Bogotรก, Colombia DESIGN TEAM: Melissa Arias - Architect Designer Nicolas Zapata - Design Leader The 7,500 sqft project for the offices of Colsubsidio, arises from the identification of two important pillars in the materialization of space. The first identifies Colsubsidio and its history as one of the potentializers of progress in the country. The second pillar develops an understanding of the immediate context in which the project is located, both the area in the city and the floor where it is implanted. Based on these two pillars, the architectural space is proposed as a journey that takes the user to frame his life experience towards the visuals of the city.
Entrance - The Plaza
DESIGN STRATEGIES
The Plaza The representation of the public space that becomes the place of welcome and collaboration.
The Journey The circulation takes the user on a journey that frames the enriching and inspiring exterior views.
Floating Workstations These spaces are articulated by the plaza, allowing a direct interaction focused on teamwork.
Permanent Workstations Multiple spaces willing to develop different activities,focused on collaborative environments.
Meeting points Flexible encounter spaces, that promote creativity and cllaborative environments, improving wellbeing.
Secuential spaces Generate new interactions, always surrounded by the visuals of a city connecting the different spaces
General Plan
Cross Section
3D Axonometric
WORKING TIPOLOGIES
Collaborative
Mixed Workstations
Flexible meeting rooms
The Plaza
Individual spaces
Working Stations
Dual meeting room
Group enclave
Social spaces
Mixed spaces
Collaborative
Open Office
Collaborative - Open Office
MOMA H. Design development + construction TYPE: Professional AUTOR: Aei Arquitectura e Interiores LOCATION: Panamรก DESIGN TEAM: Melissa Arias - Architect Designer Estefania Castillo - Design Leader The 3,900 sqft project for the offices of Moma Holdings in the city of Panamรก, is developed based on the concepts of harmony, equilibrium and sensorial experiential spaces. Therefore, by creating pure geometric forms and maintaining an axis of balance towards nature, the project seeks to explore differents types of experiences for the user, creating a healthfull environment for the employees, and promoting collaboration between workers. As a finance consultancy compnay, the new design of the offices of Moma Holdings aim to develop spaces that reflects its proximity to their clients, by using warm and welcoming textures throughout the proposal.
Principal meeting room
Axonometric Through an organic circulation the different spaces of the project are connected, creating a sequential path between collaborative and private spaces. General Plan
Cross Section
Cross Section
Leisure Spaces Meeting Spaces Flexible spaces for promoting collaboration between workers.
Spaces dedicated for relaxation, increasing wellbeing in the worplace.
3D Axonometric view
Cross Section
Textures inspired in nature, like wood, stone and vegetation; create an atmosphere of wellbeing for the inhabitants
Lobby
Collaborative multiporpose spaces promotes different and new ways of working for the employees, as a result creativity and productivity are increased
Collaborative Space
SUSTAINABLE HOUSING ECO-SOCIAL PROGRAM COURSE TYPE: Academic LOCATION: Bogotá, Colombia TEAM: Camila Mendéz Camilo Guerrero Melissa Arias Located in the neighborhood of San Cristobal Sur in the city of Bogotá. The project is developed in three phases, the first consists of a Seedbed where intervention decisions will be made in conjunction with the community, that later will be used as equipment where cultural and leisure activities are carried out for the community. The second phase will be the development of public spaces where, in phase three, housing prototypes will be implanted adjusting to the specific needs of each one of the families of the community. The ecological strategies developed for this project include firstly, the extraction of raw material in non-native species to reduce arid soils that are eacreasing the channel of water sources. Secondly, introducing native plant species to recover the humidity of soils and rivers. This strategies will no only bring benefit for ecological purposes, but will also contribute to the financial development of the community involved in agricultural activities.
3D Axonometric diagram - Analysis of the qualitative aspects of the sector
TOPOLOGICAL ANALYISIS OF THE COMMUNITY 1 FLOOR HOUSING TYPOLOGY 3-5 People
Merchant Merchant Merchant Merchant Bus-Driver
Student Bus- Driver Local merchant: Shoe merchant Popular food commerce. Local production Driver of public transportation
3 FLOORS HOUSING TYPOLOGY 5-7 People
Agricultor Student Agricultor Housewife
Housewife Student Urban Agriculture local market commercialization Home services, child care, cleaning. No income
2 FLOORS HOUSING TYPOLOGY 7+ People
Constructor Call-center Assistant Constructor Merchant Assistant
Student Merchant Student Constructor in local company. Minimum wage Textil merchant in local market
POP-UP HOUSING TYPOLOGY 1-3 People
Peddler Home Services Peddler
Popular commerce. Low income
Home Services Domestic and general services. Low income
Assistant in a callcenter company. Minimum wage
3D Axonometric view of urban landscape in San Cristobal Sur
Commerce location prototypes
Childs Park
Bleachers in public space
Principal pedestrian path
Integration Square
Principal node for integration Communitary cultural square
Principal square
Circulation
Prototype typology for production and commerce
Seedbed
General plan- Public space + Prototypes
HOUSING PROTOYPES
Playrrom Art workshops Reading rooms
ECO- AUTO ORGANIZING
UNIFYING ACTIVITIES
SIMULTANEOUS ACTIVITIES
HOUSING TYPOLOGIES - FOR PRODUCTION
Merchant
Artisan
Agricultor
Three housing typologies where developed, responding to the specific ocupation of each family. Through a modular structure these housing devices can adapt to the needs of the space for each activity. These prototypes seek to help the production of merchandizable products for the financial sustenance of the families.
HOUSING PROTOTYPE
PRODUCTION MODULE
Storage and preproduction Spaces Manufacture Space
Commerce Space
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
CIRCULATION
PROGRAM TOPOGRAPHY
RESIDENTIAL MODULE
ENVELOPE
EMSD Design Proposal TYPE: Professional AUTOR: Melissa Arias LOCATION: Hong Kong
The design of the 11,850 sqft for the EMSD offices in Hong Kong, are based on the concept of Biophilic environments. Biophilia, is a design concept that seeks to generate direct space connections between those who experience the spaces and nature. Research shows that biophilic designs reduces stress, improves positive emotional functioning, and concentration and recovery rates in people, through lowered blood pressure and heart rate; reduced attentional fatigue, sadness, anger, and aggression; improved mental engagement/attentiveness, attitude and overall happiness. The design strategies of the project are also based in collaboration, through creating different types of spaces for working and creating connection between employees. The use of natural textures such as stone and wood, in contrast to metal and natural vegetation using bright colors in space as methods for reflecting nature within a biophilic environment.
Moodboard & Inspiration + color palette
PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION Brainstorm Room Co-Working Collaborative Space Open Office Pantry Library Collaborative Space Open Office Meeting Room
Co-Working Collaborative Space Meeting Room Private Office
Open Office + Collaborative Space
COLLABORATIVE WORKING TYPOLOGIES
PRIVATE SPACES
MEETING SPACES
FEXIBLE MEETING SPACES
COLLABORATIVE
COLLABORATIVE
ENCOUNTER SPACE
CO-WORKING
INDIVIDUAL SPACES
BRAINSTORM ROOM
Through including diverse typologies and spaces for working, we created spatial diversity within the design proposal. As a result, the spatial atmosphere potentiates collaboration by breaking stiffness in the typical office environment.
3D Axonometric
WORKSTATIONS TYPOLOGIES
SHARED CREDENZA
HEIGHT ADJUSTABLE
LATERAL CREDENZA
Collaborative Space
Pantry
PRONOBIS Design development + construction TYPE: Professional AUTOR: Aei Arquitectura e Interiores LOCATION: Guayaquil, Ecuador DESIGN TEAM: Melissa Arias - Architect Designer NicolĂĄs Zapata- Design Leader
The design of the 5,920 sqft of the offices of Pronobis were inspired by the forms of connection within the cities that help us to understand life in community, and how by intensifying life towards the center there is a greater interaction between those who inhabit it. The design strategies of the project were developed through an organic circulation that connects the different activities and spaces within the offices. By creating nodes connected through this circulation system, for leisure and collaborative spaces, we ought to the break the classical office space with an innovative design proposal. The use of bright colors that could reflect also the companie´s brand identity, resulted in vibrant spaces for growth and creativy. Natural textures such as wood and stone were implemented in the project, for improving wellbeing in a healtfull working environment following biphilic guidelines. Collaborative Space
Informal meeting space
Open Office
Private Office
Collaborative
Informal meeting space Meeting Rooms Lobby
General floor plan
3D Axonometric
Lobby
Open Office