drl D AVID R. L OPEZ
research + design + build
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Table of Contents
5 7 11 35 59
1.0 F O R E WA R D
2.0 R E S U M E
3.0 R E S E A R C H
4.0 D E S I G N
5.0 B U I L D
Table of Contents 3
street view - Cite Soleil in Port-au-Prince, Haiti photo: David Lopez
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Foreword
My design interests revolve around three related, but necessary aspects of PROCESS: Research. Design. Build. The integrated process, where all three components begin working together in a singular effort, have demonstrated the most success, and therefore have become the most rewarding efforts of my design career. I see each component as having a critical relation to the other two: one cannot build without understanding critical cultural components, rituals, local means and methods, and other key site components that allow for implementation. And likewise, one cannot design without having a generic understanding regarding the means and methods with which a building is to be constructed. Research tends to be the most overlooked component of the process. However, knowledge of the intricacies of the site, the users, the local citizens impacted by a project’s evolution, or the customs and materials available to construct with… these things often provide the variety with which high design can be empowered. It is the most vibrant condition in a design process – accepting local conditions to a degree that a building actually becomes “place-specific”, meaning it can be here and nowhere else. Empowerment in design is of high value. I like projects that elevate a particular condition or circumstance.
Green design is an ideal that is currently overvalued – if a process is implemented where local social conditions, economic conditions, resource availability, customs and materials are considered within the dialogue of design, the outcome will innately be tied to site, region and people. This document is about a personal evolution, learning this process as I go. Many of the projects are missing some of the components – it is rare that a designer gets to develop a research guideline to approach both the design and its implementation… and rarer still that such a designer would get the opportunity to build the outcome. However, as an architect, I have tried to push for this integrated process more and more. And as a teacher, I have developed a design build program at the Maryland Institute, College of Art that is using this process with demonstrated success. It is not necessary to always build as a designer. But I think it is critical for designers to be integrated into the build process in uncommon ways, with the ability to influence decisions and outcomes. We are entering an era of digital fabrication techniques, and prolific methodologies based on integrated approaches to constructed outcomes. The built environment will undoubtedly change as a result.
Foreword 5
EDUCATION 1996-1999
University of Washington, Department of Architecture, Seattle, Washington Master of Architecture
1990-1994
University of Maryland, School of Architecture, College Park, Maryland Bachelor of Science in Architecture
AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS November 2011
The Signal – interview by Aaron Henkin on WYPR – November 4-5 By Aaron Henkin Our design build class is interviewed by WYPR to discuss our shelter project.
November 2011
Lost and Found in Japan: The Futurist Magazine – 11/12-2011 By Patrick Tucker In a personal reflection on the state of a post-tsunami Japan, Mr. Tucker mentions the work of the MICA Design|Build class who he visited with in the Spring of 2011.
May 2011
Transitional Shelter Design Study by MICA on archdaily.com By Kelly Minner of archdaily.com www.archdaily.com/133421/transitional-shelter-design-study-in-haiti-by-mica A web blog entry focused on interactions we had while visiting Haiti in March 2011.
April 2010
Mobile Hospital / Hord Coplan Macht + Spevco on archdaily.com By Karen Cilento of archdaily.com www.archdaily.com/54890/mobile-hospital-hord-coplan-macht-spevco A web blog feature entry on a concept for a fully programmed, 48-bed hospital on wheels.
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September 2009
AIA Maryland Chapter Design Award – Honor Award (Unbuilt Category) up_GRADE – Open Architecture School Design Competition
September 2008
AIA Maryland Chapter Design Award - Honor Award (Unbuilt Category) denCITY - High Density on the High Ground - New Orleans Housing
September 2008
AIA Maryland Chapter Design Award - Honor Award (Unbuilt Category) The Lotus and the Rain - New Orleans Sustainable Community Housing
drl| research + design + build
2.0 RESUME April 2008
The Modular MRI Suite; Healthcare Design Magazine by Todd Hutlock, Managing Editor An article on our investigative work on the future of modular healthcare, designed with the ever-demanding changes in healthcare technology.
March 2007
exibility to meet
No Child Left Outside; The Urbanite Magazine by Mary K. Zajac A local publication sponsors our efforts to update the modular classroom.
September 2006
AIA Baltimore Chapter Design Award - Honorable Mention (Unbuilt Category) MODuLE - Modular Classroom
October 2006
Rethinking Emergency Housing; The Futurist-11/12-06 By Patrick Turner Our concept for the future of emergency housing developed in the ďŹ rst New Orleans competition was highlighted in this article on the development of new concepts in disaster emergency responses.
Resume 7
September 2006
Learning From the Palace Rethinking Sustainable Construction Conference Proceedings This paper was presented at the 2006 Rethinking Sustainable Construction conference in Sarasota, Florida, and published in the proceedings. The paper dealt with learning from third world building techniques, means and methods.
August 2006
Global Green.org Sustainable New Orleans Competition Sponsored by globalgreen.org and Brad Pitt Awarded semi-ďŹ nalist for sustainable community development.
July 2006
Green Classrooms To Go; Building Design & Construction-07-06 By Hannah Schroder, Editorial Intern Article on the future of sustainable developments in modular classroom construction. Our competition entry was high-lighted.
June 2006
Montgomery County Sustainable Classrooms Competition Sponsored by the Montgomery County School Board Received honorable mention for a portable classroom concept.
March 2006
High Density On The High Ground Competition Sponsored by Architectural Record Received honorable mention in this competition on rebuilding New Orleans.
EXPERIENCE August 2008Present
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) Baltimore, MD Adjunct Faculty Member (part-time instructor) I began teaching various level studios in the Environmental Design Department (sophomores and juniors), as well as support classes. I have also developed a Design-Build studio that has designed and constructed a couple of socially responsible installations. The Design-Build studio is currently in the midst of a two semester effort to analyze the disaster relief shelter in the hopes of coming up with a better, more affordable solution to the complex problem of housing those displaced by catastrophe.
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Resume January 2005Present
Hord Coplan Macht, Inc. Baltimore, MD Architect I worked as a project architect/project manager/construction administrator on projects ranging from Multifamily Housing to Healthcare and Education. Most notably, I headed a small ‘competition studio’ that promoted forward thinking endeavors within our office that resulted in several honors and publications.
July 2003January 2005
Bellan Construction, Inc. Seattle, WA Service Division Manager/Shop Manager I returned to manage two new sub-divisions for the company, including the new service division and the new cabinet shop. Duties in the service division include client meetings, layout and design of client agenda (including architectural design), scheduling, budgeting, and billing. As manager of the cabinet shop, my duties include layout of cabinets, design, fabrication and detail design, providing cut-lists, ordering materials, scheduling and budgeting.
April 2002July 2003
Anthony De Jesus Architecture Kapaa, Hawaii Intern Architect Served as an intern architect with a high-end residential architect on the island of Kauai. My duties included drafting on AutoCAD, putting together construction documents, including construction sets, permit sets, design development, and schematic design. I also was responsible for visits to several building and permit departments to research requirements for our various clients.
June 1999April 2002
Bellan Construction, Inc. Seattle, WA Project Manager/Carpentry This first employment with the company began with providing design input, research, and development for a speculative house for the owner of the company. As an employee of the construction company, I worked on site of several of our projects as an apprentice carpenter two days a week, and eventually worked on and completed the construction of the speculative house.
SKILLS General drafting and presentation skills, including 3-d computer modeling and BIM software are numerous, and can be discussed further upon request. I also have construction, carpentry and furniture building skills based on several years employment with a general contracting company.
Resume 9
10 drl| research + design + build
3.0 RESEARCH In 2005, I began working with a group of designers at Hord Coplan Macht on satellite projects that focused on alternative methods for product delivery. Essentially functioning as a “think-tank�, our group tested the bounderies of off-site production methodologies to implement on-site space-making strategies. Several of these projects were the result of competition efforts. Many received recognition. However, the most recognizable impact of these efforts are in the alternative mode of thinking about building and design. There are technologies available to designers that should consistently be considered, and often times utilized in fabrication.
Research 11
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Projects
FIELD OFFICE - CONSTRUCTION TRAILER This was an attempt to update the everyday site construction trailer into the sustainable discussion. A standard office trailer was used as the framework, then retro-ďŹ tted with several sustainable components to enhance daylighting and energy use, as well as promote the use of digital drawings in lieu of paper drawings.
01 _ concept trailer
Research 13
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Research 15
16 drl| research + design + build
Projects
02 _ exterior view
FIELD OFFICE - CONSTRUCTION VILLAGE This project expanded on the single Construction Trailer, to create a Village. Used for large construction projects, this product beneďŹ ts from a shared systems approach. Modualar construction techniques yeild efficient installation and removal, as well as a multitude of layout options. Exterior Skin and Signage opportunities allow customization and branding for the various construction trades.
01 _ exterior view
Research 17
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Projects
02 _ interior view
MODULAR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT The MODuLE classroom project is a vision for the future of modular classrooms. Utilizing the beneďŹ t of off-site building techniques and simple crank systems, the design calls for expanding components that generate clear ceiling heights of 12 feet – unheard of in the current model for modular classrooms. The expanding components function on several levels. Shipping costs can be reduced by packaging the classroom into a single unit delivery. The expanding ceiling cavity offers clerestory day-lighting, and provides a system for air movement for a more conducive learning environment for teachers and children.
01 _ exterior view
Research 19
03 _ furniture line
04 _ model prototypes
20 drl| research + design + build
06 _ building section
07 _ structural analysis
Research 21
22 drl| research + design + build
Projects
02 _ exterior view
DENCITY:
MODULAR VILLAGE FOR THE DISPLACED
Our investigation of alternative product delivery methodologies coincided with Hurricane Katrina. This project was an early effort at providing a multi-family housing model for the city in recovery. The project employed a steel superstructure as the framework for portable plug-and-play living modules. The living modules could then be removed and delivered to property addresses as supplementary living environments for those who managed to recover their properties and living conditions.
01 _ exterior view
Research 23
03 _ floor plans
24 drl| research + design + build
04 _ site plan
05 _ building section
Research 25
06 _ exterior views
26 drl| research + design + build
07 _ community strategy
08 _ site section
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28 drl| research + design + build
Projects
02 _ exterior view
BOUYANT LIVING SYSTEMS: A NEW ORLEANS BLOCK This design effort began to look at a sustainable model for rebuilding New Orleans, block by block. We engaged the concept of ‘buoyancy’ by proposing to take as many of the systems for living off-the-grid as we could. The design implements solar energy, and a water reclamation program that supported a working farm. The whole system supported living conditions for 18 families, who could grow food to supplement their own diets while having bonus food for bartering with others for needed services.
01 _ exterior view
Research 29
03 _ site plan
30 drl| research + design + build
04 _ working systems diagram
Research 31
05 _ floor plans
06 _ exterior view
32 drl| research + design + build
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4.0 DESIGN Research has inuenced design. Now, the approach to design consistently gives consideration to implementation. The following projects all consider spatial contexts through materiality, tectonic relationships, and means and methods - with varying degrees of success. These considerations are critical to the success of design in the process of construction. The tools we use to verify design therefore become a critical component of the process. Using 3D software to provide renderings is no longer a suitable use for that tool. Instead, we use 3D visualization as an enabler to design outcome - improving design and construction methods.
Design 35
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Projects
WESTERN MARYLAND HEALTH SYSTEM 2007-2009 In 2007, Hord Coplan Macht asked me to work at a remote location, performing Construction Administration duties on site at the ďŹ rm’s biggest project in their 35 year history. The project was a new 255 patient bed hospital in Cumberland, Maryland. I rented a house with another member of the design team, and lived on site 4 days out of every week for the better part of two years during construction. I was limited in my involvement with the design of the project, so over-sight of the construction was a challenge, as I had to quickly learn about design intent for the 7-story, 598,000 square foot project. The punch-list for the project took 6 months to complete. I lost 30 pounds simply walking through the building.
01 _ entry courtyard
Design 37
02 _ nighttime rendering pre-construction
03 _ the hospital at dusk
38 drl| research + design + build
Projects
04 _ floor plans
Design 39
05 _ 4th floor mechanical level
06 _ 4th floor mechanical level
07 _ “history hall�
40 drl| research + design + build
Projects
Design 41
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Projects
02 _ panoramic view rendered flat
SINAI HOSPITAL ATRIUM - BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 2007-2008 The healthcare industry is moving toward concepts in “hospitality”. Consideration is being given more and more to the members of the family beyond the patient. Environments are being constructed to offer comfort and convenience for patients, doctors and the general public as well. These spaces are considered part of the “healing environment”. At Sinai, we enclosed a previously outdoor space to capture an interior 6-story atrium covered with a skylight. The space was wrapped on 3 sides with a 7-story link that connected two wings of the hospital, creating a 5-sided geometry that was complex. 3D visualization was used to demonstrate the design.
01 _ interior rendering
Design 43
03 _ acoustic wall paneling installation
04 _ water feature rendering
44 drl| research + design + build
05 _ upper floor plan
06 _ atrium floor plan
Projects
07 _ light column construction details
Design 45
08 _ completed atrium interior
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09 _ completed atrium interior
Projects
Design 47
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Projects
02 _ branding development - logo
MOBILE NOMADIC ARCHITECTURE MONARCH SYSTEMS MOBILE HOSPITAL 2009 Mobile Nomadic Architecture . (MoNArch) is a concept for providing mobilized healthcare in several modalities. Ideally suited for disaster relief, the concept is also being reviewed as an outreach model for site built hubs. Transportable chassis with expanding sides provide the framework for the concept. We then implement space program aligned with the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities to ensure the highest quality of healthcare can be delivered. We began this project by starting a relationship with a vehicle manufacturer in North Carolina. It has led to several discussions abroad regarding possible development projects.
01 _ hospital rendering
Design 49
03 _ single unit delivery
50 drl| research + design + build
04 _ single unit set-up
05 _ delivery and set-up concept renderings
Design 51
06 _ concept rendering
52 drl| research + design + build
07 _ linkage plan
08 _ hospital concept rendering
Design 53
09 _ interior renderings - public spaces top: main lobby mid:semi-sterile corridor bot: nurse station
54 drl| research + design + build
10 _ interior renderings - patient care top: mammography room mid:operating room bot: in-patient wing
Design 55
11 _ hub and spoke concept - aerial
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5.0 BUILD The ďŹ nal component is the process of construction. Designers have tools at their disposal today that enable direct communication with the machines that cut and make the components of a design through digital fabrication. Thus, it is critical for designers to have an innate sensibility to the building process. I began working for a contractor directly out of graduate school. The company also did small-scale, single family property development - so I was used as a designer as well as a builder early in my career. Understanding the intracacies of the construction process is critical to detailing a design properly, as I quickly learned. Today, I teach others how to build thier designs. The dialogue is consistent - the detail is still the critical consideration.
Build 59
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Projects
02 _ Red Cross Transitional Shelter Camp photo: Tessa Tripodi
THE
MICA SHELTER PROJECT 2011
If there is one project that sums up the way I like to work, it is this project. It began with a question - could we build a better disaster relief shelter? Because of the scale of the project, I thought it would be a suitable exploration for the Design-Build studio I teach at the Maryland Institute College of Art. I split the project into two semesters - research and design in the Spring, then prototyping and construction in the Fall. The project became a complete design problem - we didn’t have funding for a build effort so we needed to generate sponsorship for our idea. Thus, everything was incorporated: research and design, outreach and communication, graphics and media, fundraising, web design, and eventually construction (which is still ongoing...). 01 _ Cite Soleil - Port-au-Prince, Haiti photo: David Lopez
Build 61
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Projects
03 _ case study research from the class research publication
Build 63
04 _ learning about materials building means and methods 64 drl| research + design + build
Projects
05 _ study models and dialogue the basis of the class design effort
03 _ case study research from the class research publication
Build 65
06 _ wall mock-ups material evaluation
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Projects
07 _ a possible building skin material evaluation
Build 67
08 _ shelter floor plans
68 drl| research + design + build
Projects
08 _ shelter rendering
Build 69
10 _ shelter rendering
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Projects
11 _ interior rendering
Build 71
12 _ building the floor
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Projects
13 _ installing the metal frame
Build 73
14 _ roof sheathing and wood framing
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Projects
15 _ wall paneling
Build 75
16 _ wall paneling and building skin
76 drl| research + design + build
Projects
Build 77
making sandals from tires - Port-au-Prince, Haiti photo: David Lopez
78 drl| research + design + build
In Closing
My expectations are that the way we design is about to change – dramatically. The materials and products we use all have an ecological footprint. This will begin to weigh heavily on the minds of designers. There must be an emphasis put on the way we design as a component of means and methods, and product delivery. Thus, the design phase and the building phase will begin to collapse upon each other, as the tools we use to design begin to communicate with the tools we use to build. This opens up an entirely new world of creative capacity. And as we continue to monitor this environmental circumstance, it will become critical for people to open dialogues across boundaries to ensure there is investment in developmental solutions. The third world is about to become an extremely important member of this dialogue… and I can imagine a world where technology begins to benefit those with little access to it as a result.
Oil and water are at a point of crisis. Every decision made by the next generation of designers will need to be accurate and efficient in relation to how these two resources are used in manufacturing processes, and in product development. But there is no reason the rest of us can’t start engaging in this dialogue now. I hope that I continue to think about these things… and I hope that I will find ways to collaborate across disciplines in the future, in an effort to continually test the boundaries of what is possible. Through Research. Through Design. And through Building.
Conclusion 79
lrd Š 2012 david r. lopez portfolio content 2005 - 2011