Architecture portfolio_M.Arch

mohamed ismail

masters of architecture university of virginia

portfolio selected works 2013-2016

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education university of virginia, charlottesville va masters of architecture gpa: 3.75/4.0

may 2016 [expected]

duke university, durham nc may 2013 bachelors of science in civil engineering, structural track certificate: architectural engineering

proficiency

name contact

autocad revit rhino sketchup maxwell render v-ray grasshopper

Mohamed Ismail mohamed.abdel.ismail @gmail.com 919-998-6644

photoshop illustrator indesign after effects premier pro sketchbook pro gimp

www.mohismail.com

matlab maple excel microsoft office gnu octave ftp web design

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languages english arabic

interests drawing and painting guitar and music travel community activism

work experience uva school of architecture, design teaching fellow june 2015 to present developed visualization curriculum for second-year undergraduate architecture students and provided continuous assistance and supplementary material for studio work gensler, houston tx, summer intern june to august 2015 prepared presentation elevations and proof-read and corrected construction documents for clarity and code assessment diagrammed and developed a narrative of a large-scale campus project for publication with the architects involved duda paine architects, durham nc, week-long intern january 2014 constructed presentation model for competition entry with a team of architectural interns and input from the principal architects uva school of architecture, research assistant for jeana ripple june 2014 to present studied the potential applications for nonlinear structural analysis software in the architectural design phase, applying parametric tools and instantaneous analysis to catalyze the latent role of structural principles in design uva structures courses, teaching assistant for dr. kirk martini january 2014 to may 2015 and benjamin hays assisted students on homework problems during office hours and scheduled tutorials, focusing on process of problem solving duke sustainability office, students for sustainable living october 2010 to august 2012 aided in the university’s progress towards sustainability through campus-wide project development duke sustainability office, campus sustainability fellows september 2012 to may 2013 cooperated with administration of the fuqua school of business in the assessment and reduction of their negative environmental impacts aligning with the goals of the campus sustainability committee discover life in america, smoky mountains national park, media and public relations intern june to august 2012 composed publicity materials for discover life in america for use with publicizing events and fundraising, including press releases, a promotional video, newsletters, and online webinars international rice research institute, philippines, communications and publication services, graphic design intern june to august 2010 assisted students on homework problems during office hours and scheduled tutorials, focusing on process of problem solving

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selected projects

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fall 2015 | 10 weeks

won’t you be my neighbor? critic | Robin Dripps

With the rise of gentrification in cities worldwide due to continual development, this proposal was an experiment in a new type of urban neighboorhood that could provide for the needs of occupants with flexibility and responsiveness. The pieces consist of a programmable, continuous ramp, residential units distributed in a flexible structural frame, and a mesh enclosing public space, juxtaposed against the horizontal while responding to circulation and use. new york, new york

street-level entrance 007

cross-circulation through site

highline as a “pedestrian highway”

primary access from east manhattan

view sheds of hudson river and manhattan

residential spaces on periphery

introduce “new peripheries”

varied path types

aggregation of program around circulation

circulation connects public and private

residents on periphery, public space always accessible

site potentials and siteplan

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northeast aerial

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Beginning with the question: “what makes the ideal neighboorhood?”, the design begins with research into the necessary program pieces to make an urban neighboorhood successful. These informed the overlaps in public space and the spatial characteristics for both routine and destination spaces. Superimposed upon all of this was a structural grid that responded to a “random” distribution of residential clusters, each with a character informed by its proximity to public space.

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multi “family” house storage

residential cluster

communal kitchen

single “family” homes

dining work/shop

multi “family” homes

living room bedrooms

pharmacy/clinic

garden/yard baths

park/play space

childcare garden/yard

work/shop

living room

storagemaster bedroom single “family” house

convenience retail

dining kitchen

baths

bedrooms

“deaggregation” office space This design experiment was based on the needs of the residential unit. Programmatic de-aggregation provided a framework for the spatial needs and overlaps of an urban neighborhood serving as both residence and destination

retail/dining residence clusters

mass transit cultural/gathering spaces 012

park/recreation

hospital

school

office spaces retail dining

auditorium

park

hospital

destination

routine

multi-purpose hall

library

classes

cafeteria insertion of cores in places of significant overlap

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blocking large program with consideration to relations

interconnected floor planes through ramping cl

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longitudinal section

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The ideal neighborhood serves both the needs of its residents and behaves as a destination for its visitors. With the site bisected by the highline, this spatial experiment proposes a new form of urban fabric in a mesh enclosing a vertical street that weaves between private and public life.

highline entrance 016

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siteplan 018

fall 2013 | 10 weeks

convergence critic | Esther Lorenz

Prompted to design Charlottesville’s third Center, UVA and the historic downtown mall serving as the existing two, the studio began with an in-depth analysis of the city’s history, demographics and economy. What was found was that Charlottesville’s population was severely divided along socio-economic lines propogated by the bisecting West Main Street. charlottesvile, virginia

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Convergence was my proposal to bridge that gap, providing a new public space that encourages pedestrian movement from above, and fulfills the need for improved public transportation, a new art space and an urban park with room for retail, dining and private offices below.

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central plaza

sculpture garden

ampitheatre

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first floor plan

longitudinal section 022

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directions of desired connections

potential vehicular pathways

buildings of historical significance

potential pedestrian pathways

volume created by artificial terrain

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potential planes and artificial topography

potential vehicular pathways

moment of convergence

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The resultant design proposal reaches into neighborhoods historically cut off from the rest of Charlottesville by the railroad and West Main Street.

The two new paths meet in a new urban center.

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southeast aerial

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final model | south aerial 026

spring 2014 | 5 weeks

culinary institute critic | Peter Waldman

A culinary institute in Udaipur India, facing the significant Bagore-ki-Haveli. This design was an exploration in Duality, with the newly built, culinary institute servicing a tea room and grand dining room located in a re-purposed traditional masonry gate (pol) to the human-made lake to the east. udaipur, india

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existing conditions | historical significance

site aerial

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floor plans | third floor

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north-south section | lake pichola pol

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east-west section | street elevation

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This design exercise explored how a range of experiences could be provided to different characters.

These included the culinary masters- the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker- with their apartments on the top, each with a view to a different vista. The cullinary students, occupying the kitchen levels always had a view to the nearest floors, with cut-outs in the floor and ceiling allowing for visual, aural and olfactory connectivity.

And finally the visitors, with three spaces designed only for them: a chai bar, tea room and grand dining room.

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The Chai bar on the street level welcomes them. The tea room in the ancient masonry tower serves them when the grand dining room is not in use. Here they view the heavy staircase made of the remaining stones from reconstruction, juxtaposed by the lighter metal-framed stairs taking them up to the dining room. Finally they cross a circular bridge, marking the shifting grid between the street-facing buildings and the lake-side pol, into the dining room overlooking Lake Pichola.

final model | circulation 034

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spring 2014 | 5 weeks

eco-shade critic | John Quale with | Eric Der, Thomas Bliska

Designed as an alternative to the crampled and decaying deck of Mrs. Washington, Eco-Shade was a design-build exploration in contextual construction. Responding to the needs of our 86-yeear old client, the new deck was designed to provid adequate shading in the summer with a surplus of room for family gatherings and an open view into the large yard behind her home.

Construction took place over the course of 2 weeks with a rotating group of five volunteers. charlottesville, virginia in partnership with the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program final construction 037

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preexisting conditions The process began with a site visit, taking note of therelevant concerns of drainage, electrical systems and storage needs. Our final design needed to respond to the client’s needs while not harming the existing property and its infrastructure.

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client meeting With a limited time frame, a design proposal was prsented to the client almost immediately. Her feedback was largely positive, asking only for increased storage capacity and privacy from neighbors.

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The final step before construction was the preparation of construction ducuments for building permitting. Through our partnership with AHIP and the feedback of our course advisors, we went through an iterative process of self-guided detailing and code review.

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final axonometric 043

deck framing plan

roof framing plan

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floor plan 045

storage and bench axonometric 046

elevation 047

construction process

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The resultant design provided protection from the sun when it was too bright, from the rain when it was too wet, and storage for gardening and barbeque supplies.

Beyond that, though, it provided Mrs. Washington with a space to spend time outside of her small home, stretch her limbs and enjoy the company of friends and family.

roof detail 053

siteplan 054

summer 2014 | 4 weeks

humayun’s interpretation center critic | Peter Waldman

During daily prayers, once the inside of the mosque is filled, people line up outside in courtyards and streets to join the prayer from without. This transforms what was once a public space for market places, meetings, and general activity, into a space for communal gathering and worship. Once the prayer ends, though, the public space reverts immediately to its original use. This is the power of the “courtyard”: fulfilling multiple functional needs through the passage of time, yet always serving the public through assembly, orientation and exhibition. new delhi, india

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islamic architecture, history, and communal space The site holds the potential of connecting past and present, making reference to the original seven cities of Delhi. I began my exploration with a mapping exercise, finding a spider’s web of connections between significant sites and Islamic monuments directly near the site and the historic Islamic centers of Delhi’s past.

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jama masjid, ahmedabad

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jama masjid, fatehpur sikri

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Learning from the geometrically-driven architecture of Mughal mosques and their scalar relationships of building mass to open courtyard and the individual, I diagrammed a building formed by perfect squares and overlapping public spaces. To clarify, this design is not meant to serve one religion but to learn from the spaces generated for worship, and bridge between past and present, connecting multiple populations through education and gathering.

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jama masjid, delhi

composite diagram 058

Reception Meeting Rooms

Auditorium

Store Permanent Exhibition

Food Court Temporary Exhibition Public Amenities

program organization 059

Humayun’s Tomb is among many historic Islamic monuments throughout Delhi: Emperor Humayun himself was a Mughal ruler. Nearby, there is the tomb of Isa Khan, a Mughal Noble. When we step back, Islamic monuments, mosques and cultural centers apear throughout Delhi and beyond.

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west-east section 062

To the southwest of the site of the proposed interpretation center one finds the Nizamuddin Basti- a historic neighborhood named after the 13th century Sufi saint. It is also the home to a large Muslim population, and the location for weekly pilgrimages by thousands of people.

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This proposal is a space of communion for locals and tourists alike, interpreting the past and present in a rapidly expanding urban context.

It provides refuge from the speed and noise of the city and protection from the heat and humidity. It suggests respect for the past while inviting the future with a folly overlooking the Yamuna River and the Seven Cities of Delhi.

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street entrance

subterranean gallery 065

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summer 2014 | 2 weeks

nka mud hut competition: aya house with | Ben Burghart

The aya house is a response to the climate, natural resources, and culture of ghana’s ashanti region. The sample site is a 90’ x 154’ lot about 7.5 Miles northeast of kumasi.

The walls are orientated parallel to the region’s predominant wind pattern coming, on average, from the west.

This condition works with solar orientation as well, as the shorter ends of the rectangular building face east and west and the roof slopes from north to south.

aerial

ashanti region, uganda

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Celebrating the strength and durability of rammed earth construction, the central zone contains a wall twice as thick as any other. The kitchen is a break from the rectilinearity of the rammed earth wall; the exterior wall is an arc briefly parting from the rest of the structure. The Ashanti cooking tradition requires room for an open fire without smoke entering the interior spaces.

floorplan 068

transverse section 069

longitudinal section 070

The floor level shifts throughout the house, responding to programmatic needs and the environment. The highest levels belong to the bedrooms and kitchen. The dining space is one step lower, followed by the living room and bathroom at ground level. Raising the floor level provides protection from water and pests. As with most buildings and roads in rural Ghana, a 2-foot gutter surrounds the building footprint, mitigating the damage of flash floods during the rainy season.

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working model | light study 072

spring 2015 | 10 weeks

design development: wood and masonry critic | Charlie Menefee

Sequential sections through the building show vertical shifts in both the ceilings and floors; square rooms alternate between compression and expansion. Sectional changes invite movement through the building drawing occupant inwards, where the light is dim and warm with a materiality of brick and wood. charlottesville, virginia

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floorplan 074

concept diagram 075

Exterior wall corner - horizontal section single-whythe standard brick reinforced at 30” O.c.

2” air space moisture barrier double-whythe load-bearing brick reinforced at 30” O.C. vapor barrier 2” rigid insulation 3” air space for conduit single-whythe standard brick reinforced at 30” O.c.

masonry column - horizontal section 8”x8”x8” cmu core reinforced vertically, grout-filled ring reinforcement at 16” O.C. in horizontal joints standard brick

column and corner details 076

tall window - vertical section water-resistive barrier sill flashing stone sill supported by load-bearing brick double-pane glazing frosted glazing held up by 3/4� rods at corners

tall window - horizontal section stone jamb double-pane glazing frosted glazing held up by 3/4� rods at corners

horizontal window - vertical section outward-slanted double-pane glazing water-resistive barrier sill flashing stone sill supported by load-bearing brick

window details 077

vaulting - vertical section double layer of guastavino tile compacted fill vapor barrier 6� rigid insulation moisture barrier

parapet - vertical section double-whythe load-bearing brick reinforced at 30� O.C. moisture barrier semi-rigid moisture barrier metal counterflashing embedded in mortar joint capping stone metal flashing nailed to structural brick

exterior wall section | detail call-outs

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Exterior wall - vertical section single-whythe standard brick reinforced at 30” O.c. vertically tied to structural brick at 16” o.c.

2” air space moisture barrier double-whythe load-bearing brick reinforced at 30” O.C. vapor barrier 2” rigid insulation 3” air space for conduit single-whythe standard brick reinforced at 30” O.c.

gravel fill filter fabric drainage pipe

waterproof membrane metal angle support weep hole metal flashing reinforced concrete footing

floor system - vertical section 1x6 wood decking 2x10 wood joists at 12” O.c. resting on variable height footings moisture barrier 4” concrete slab-on-grade 4” rigid insulation gravel fill

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full axonometric section 080

working model | daylight studies 081

interior perspective

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spring 2015 | 10 weeks

the winter city critic | Matthew Jull and

Manuel Bailo

with | Yushan Du and

Owen Weinstein The Winter City is: A thermally comfortable urban condition, allowing residents and visitors to enjoy Atlantic Avenue all year long. A seasonal event that draws visitors into the city, and provides residents a sense of excitement and pride in their city. Growing the population and civic engagement of Atlantic City through a long term urban and architectural strategy. atlantic city, new jersey

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siteplan

Atlantic City is a city suffering a downfall at the loss of its economic share of the gaming industry. With legalization of gaming in other cities along the East Coast, Atlantic City is no longer the destination it once was. The primary attractions, the boardwalk and casinos, only see profit in the summertime. This design proposal seeks to re-activate Atlantic City yearlong: revitalizing the city when it suffers most: the winter.

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urban strategy

The winter city would behave as a catalyst. A new climate-responsive architectural typology that activates the infrastructural center of the city: Atlantic Avenue. By fulfilling the needs of the tourist and the resident, the Winter City serves as the starting point for sustainable growth along the Atlantic Avenue corridor.

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what makes the winter city?

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wind solar public space

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prevailing winter winds from northwest

prevailing summer winds from south wind

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solar

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public space

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wind solar public space wind a

solar public space

Various options were tested for their potential impact upon the comfort levels along Atlantic Avenue yearlong. Intentional steps were taken to reduce wind-chill, increase daylighting and provide activated public spaces.

wind solar public space

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wind solar

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The resultant design responds to the climate with a wall of protection to the north, a distribution of small buildings and courtyards to the south and a gradient of scales between with cuts and infills for solar gain and daylighting.

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education and culture residential

commercial

retail and dining

program distribution

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parking

hotel

parking

offices

parking

artschool

market

culture

tourist

resident nightlife

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hotel

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market

nightlife

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housing

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first floor plan 094

atrium interior

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transverse section 096

atrium interior

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expanded lobby and cafe 098

summer 2015 | 2 weeks

stages repertory theatre with | Miranda Dooley, Ashton

Holliday, Yingfei Wang Tasked with the renovation of an existing theater, this short intern project was a collaboration between architecture and interior design students. We developed a proposal responding to the context, opening a new entry way into a more exciting and functional theater space. The program responds to the theater’s needs while opening it up to further uses by the community. houston, texas gensler summer intern project

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We began by looking at new potential users, and the needs they may have. When the theater is not in use, a new gallery, expanded lobby and catering space opens the theater up to new uses.

local designers and potential users 100

sense of community gathering spaces where can people get together and share?

flexibility what types of spaces can serve multiple purposes and users?

shared experience how do we encourage chance encouters and overlapping experiences?

design intentions 101

historic entrance current entrance 102

existing interior

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concept sketches 104

The design proposal switches the existing arena and thrust theaters, taking advantage of the existing courtyard as a potential performance space. Then the workshop building is expanded and transformed into a rehearsal space sitting above a gallery at the new entryway.

suggested phasing 105

In order to reduce damage to the existing historic facades, the new program was fit within the existing structural grid with minimum changes to allow for column-free performance areas as requested by the client.

structural diagram 106

floorplans 107

longitudinal section 108

BOX OFFICE

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BOX OFFICE

transverse section 110

gallery interior

actor’s corridor

new lobby and cafe

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thrust theater | closed and opened to outside

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exterior ampitheater | closed and opened to interior

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historic entrance current entrance The final design celebrates the entrance as the new face of Stages, with a gabion wall constructed from the remains of the former workshop building. As visitors walk by the gallery they are given a glimpse into the inner workings of the theater with views into rehearsal spaces, costume shops and more. new entrance | gabion wall

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fall 2015 | 10 weeks

collecting the world critic | Shiqiao Li

In order to understand the world as a complex network of systems, this museum portrays the world as it was, is, and will be.

With world maps as an remnant of worldviews, the museum presents artifacts of past conditions and observations of current conditions to encourage an informed discourse on future possibilities. washington, d.c.

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All of society’s decisions and developments were informed by the way they viewed the world. As history reminds us, that world-view has constantly shifted as more information is discovered or forgotten. If the current world-view could be informed by the lessons of history and the ongoing observations of today, the ramifications for the future are endless.

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classroom | overlooking throughway 119

The site starts as a frame for an abstracted map of the national mall, mapping experiences, pedestrian flow and traffic patterns The museum exhibits artifacts of former worldviews, observations of current conditions, and provides a space for discourse that stitches the two together

artifact discourse obse

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Volumes are dispersed as needed by the program and removed to allow for unobstructed pedestrian circulation through the site The exhibitions are striated, the layering of information suggesting continued growth and a framework for the attainment future knowledge

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The exhibition of artifacts, world maps that mark the radical shifts in the way the world was perceived, would be presented in static and sterile means as befits the collection.

artifacts

how does the technology of reading maps influence the space around them?

observation

discourse

Spaces for the observation of current world conditions require dynamic displays, interactive surfaces and the potential of layering information to generate new forms of knowledge.

Classrooms and circulation meet in a seemingly erratic space of discourse with transparent overlapping volumes, looking into the museum and outwards at the surrounding context to encourage communion and informed discussion on the future of global society.

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first floorplan 123

longitudinal section 124

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transverse section 126

main entrance

blackbox theater

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This is a proposal to change the way we understand the world, through the curation of the immense amount of information readily available but poorly understood.

This is an observatory of dynamic systems and correlations that are known to exist but rarely seen.

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installations

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spring 2014 | 2 weeks

counterbalance critic | Jeana Ripple with | Eric Barr

Intrigued by illusionary structures, we approached this project with an immediate counter to the notion of a podium. We developed a design that paired a more obvious compressive base with a subliminal tension system in order to evoke feelings of counterintuition. Seemingly unbalanced, yet with an aim toward minimalism and elegance, Counterbalance hangs a brick over an optimized tripod. charlottesville, virginia

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To begin, we searched for a design that allowed for a material optimization and 3D-printability. We decided on the “Bird’s Beak� inspired by the classic gravity-defying bird toy.

In addition, we envisioned a pyramid-like structure that carried the brick at a calculated angle, using tension members to maintain its balance. To maintain this balance, we placed the center of gravity of the brick and the podium in line with one another.

For the material needs of the members we ran an evolutionary optimization script that conducted a structural analysis of the wireframe of the pyramid, altering the members until it found the minimum thickness, yielding a deflection below the ultimate strain.

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fall 2014 | 1 week

arachne | outdoor room critic | Melissa Goldman with | Mark Molchany and

Austin Manning This short installation asks what defines a room, and how can the enclosures around us shape our perception of place. Can an outdoor room make the familiar unfamiliar again? How open can a room be before it’s no longer a room? charlottesville, virginia

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detail

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room

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space 142

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fall 2014 | 1 week

blox | interlocking jacks critic | Melissa Goldman with | Owen Weinstein

This was a study in the design of modular units and possible fabrication strategies. We designed a system of interlocking jacks that define their own space seemingly at random through their connections. Making use of various fabrication techniques, we built a full scale mock-up and tested its viability charlottesville, virginia

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inspiration 146

experimentation

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digital fabrication 148

routing

vacuforming

assembly

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testing

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fall 2014 | 1 day

hanging graffiti critic | Melissa Goldman with | Installation Group

A geurilla installation that made a parking structure, a space of mundane daily activity, into a short-term exercise in space-making, directionality and spectacle.

Using fabric hung from existing infrastructure, lighting from parked cars and arrangements that directed people from the entrance to the star-lit rooftop, the installation invited people to re-assess the potential experience of a parking structure. charlottesville, virginia

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existing humdrum parking 154

construction 155

off on

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hanging graffiti

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personal works

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thank you.

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