Nicolas DelCastillo
Graduate Portfolio
Work University of Florida G|SoA Fall 2017-Spring 2020
1:1 Detail
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Hot and Cold
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Studio Retreat
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Seattle Atelier
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Forgotten Coast
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Maximize|Decarbonize
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Light + Material
Climate + Envelope
Occupation + Charrette
Roof + Ground
Florida Dwelling
Masters Research Project
1:1 Study
Material + Light Grad 01 - Fall 2017 Lisa Huang + Bradley Walters Duration: Approximately five weeks
How do you draw light? What are the implications of designing at full scale? How does material reality impact design? The investigation began with the charge to “draw light”at 1:1 scale. Every mark on the paper has direct implications on the final assembly. The drawing took the form of a 6x3 foot study on joints and light conditions as they relate to the human body. How do translucencies build upon one another? What if light bounces out from between layers? How about if it grazes a surface? The drawing was edited, processed, and reiterated several times to reach the final concept. Parallel to this drawing came the material studies. Tests ranged from concrete to wood to corrugated plastic and ink. As a class we took on a range of materials, building a shared knowledge base. I found that by dripping various inks and epoxies into the corrugation, I could mimic the diffusion of light that I had set with the drawing. Initial 6’x3’ Drawing
Concrete Tests
Concrete Tests
Corrugated Plastic and Ink
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Various Finish Surface / Aggregate
Concrete Tests - Intermixed with Other Classmates Studies
Final Drawing
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Assembly Axonometric (Above) Comparison of Plastic to Concrete (Below)
The issue with corrugated plastic is that it is not rigorous enough to deal with UV exposure on a building façade. I had to replicate the success in a more resilient material. Thus the concrete. With an acrylic bonding admixture, I found I could achieve a high finish by casting against acrylic. The opposite side is given an intentionally rough surface by casting into the split corrugation of the plastic. This allowed a series of louvers with a reflective side that could be set to bounce light onto a rough finished obverse of the next louvre. A series of light fins. The texture of the concrete was set, and the last part of the project was determining how to hold the louvres together. I chose to experiment with operability, and modularity. Can the louvres be set in a series of frames, horizontal and vertical? Can those frames allow them to be adjusted as the sun moves? My previous experiments with wood, combined with the knowledge of my classmates led me to the final form - a series of louvered frames, with connected steel levers. The frames are set on a larger armature of dimensional lumber and held off by threaded rod and steel tube standoffs. The standoffs can be adjusted in the field, and the louvered frames are freed to slide past one another as needed. The wood was protected by varnish and epoxy. The result is a dynamic interplay between the three louvered conditions. The implication is a similar system could be replicated as a larger facade. The construct is now three Potential Finished Detail years old, exposed to the elements, and has gained a delightful patina.
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Finished Assembly
Hot and Cold
Climate + Envelope Grad 01 - Fall 2017 Lisa Huang + Bradley Walters Duration: Approximately three weeks
Two climates, two strategies. This project is about understanding how technology and formmaking yield to, and work with, climate. Two sites were chosen, on in the extreme north of Finland, the other off Cay Sal in the Caribbean. The program: a refuge for travelers. The cold climate project is located adjacent Alimmainen Mustajarvi - “The Lowest Black Lake” in Finland, above the arctic circle. The project is conceived of as a rest stop for travelers with sled dog teams. The building take the shape of an extruded concrete frame surrounding and conducting heat from a hearth up into the living spaces. The entrance is sheltered into the ground by snow screens to allow a place for the sled dogs. As you move upwards in thew tower toward the gathering / cooking spaces and the sleeping spaces you are confronted with a rare elevated view over the taiga. Concrete, spruce, and glass make up the materials.
Concept Sketches
Conceptual Sections + Plan
Entry Space / Lower Hearth
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Site
Approach
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The site for the Hot Climate refuge is off the southeast arm of Cay Sal in the straights of Florida. A refuge for travelers by sea, the project is arranged as a series of sleeping berths and a kitchen that hang from the underside of a large concrete umbrella. The umbrella is supported by three massive, hollow pylons. Freshwater that falls on the roof during the frequent rainstorms is filtered down into the pylons to be used by travelers. The project was completed just after Hurricane maria devastated Puerto Rico. In recognition of the reality of these storms, the wood and steel structure below the umbrella is allowed to be swept away in the worst storms. The occupied space is sacrificed to protect the umbrella and it’s freshwater-filled pylons. The concrete then acts as a reef that provides water and shade. It serves as a remnant Early Sketch that can be rebuilt from anew.
Plan
Systems Axonometric
Perspective from Sleeping Berths
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Site
Perspective from landward side
Studio Retreat House Charrette
Grad 02 - Spring 2018 Jason Alread + Martin Gundersen
Conducted as a 10-day charrette, the project is a semi-private studio, bedroom, and kitchen sited on Ring Park in Northwest Gainesville. The client - architect relationship was simulated by teaming up with classmates to design spaces for one another. We each designed a studio for one of our classmates. This project is a retreat for a painter. The studio is the largest component. Its rectilinear volume is pierced by a variety of skylights and wall apertures to capture various light conditions through the day. The studio is ringed by shade screens to monitor light and prevent the view from distracting the client. The kitchen shares the ground floor with the studio, and is the only space on that level with direct view to the forest. The bedroom and bath perches above these volumes and is oriented north to allow view but prevent direct light entering the space, again by request of the client.
Elevation
Final Model
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Presentation Plan
Seattle Atelier Roof + Ground
Grad 02 - Spring 2018 Jason Alread + Martin Gundersen
Seattle Atelier is about controlling light under a “big roof”. The project is a 60,000 square foot design and fabrication workshop for furniture and architectural / artistic installations It is situated on the east end of Gasworks Park on Lake Union. Program includes a double height fabrication space, demonstration stage, light cannon, display/gallery ramp, design studio, and exterior work yard. The form and spatial arrangement of the project was generated through a series of mappings and iterative drawings that take inspiration from mid century furniture and industrial design icons. The result is a dynamic, tall space bordered by ramps and mid levels. The circulation becomes promenade, and allows ample opportunity to view into the production space and design studio.
Sections (Above)
Roof / Groundscape Axonometric Sketches
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Preliminary Spatial Arrangement Diagram
The separation between private and public space takes the forefront in this project. The groundscape of the park slowly lifts as you approach the project from the west, This mostly hides the building, revealing only the light cannon at first. The public first crests the earthworks, before entering at the northwest corner, and descending a switchback ramp down to the level of the lake where the production floor is located. This ramp provides the first view to the production floor. The promenade ends under the oculus, a space of dynamic light conditions that can be used for demonstration and display. Stacked in the northeast corner of the project, overlooking the oculus, is another series of switchback ramps that serve as a gallery of design. These switchbacks bring visitors back up off the production level to the mid level where the design studio perches above the production floor. As the public slowly meanders upward, this studio is revealed to them, and their journey into the space is completed.
Perspective Views from West
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Detail of Roof at Oculus
Oculus, Looking towards Production (Top) Gallery Ramp, Looking West (Below) Outdoor Yard
View from Gallery Ramp towards Oculus Light and view were critical to the arrangement of spaces in the project. Oculus / light cannon becomes an orienting element that allows visitors to visually anchor themselves. The oculus is both visible from Gasworks Park, as well as from all spaces within the construct.
View from Top of Gallery Ramp to Oculus
Detail at Oculus Light Fins at south end of production floor
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The roof plane reacts to the spaces below in numerous ways. A system of fogged glass louvres sit above the translucent weather panes. Below, the ceiling is further moderated where appropriate by metal meshes of various density. The variation of these three systems allow the spaces around the oculus to be darker and more dramatic, while the studio light is very diffuse and even, and the production floor is rendered as brightly as possible.
1 - Entry 2 - Ramp 3 - Oculus 4 - Gallery Ramp 5 - Seating 6 - Studio Overlook 7 - Production Floor 8 - Outdoor Yard 9 - Earthworks
Final Plan
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Detail at Studio
Longitudinal Section
Lateral Section Perspective
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Site / Shadows
Forgotten Coast Florida Dwelling
Grad 03 - Fall 2019 Sarah Gamble + Jeff Carney
Forgotten Coast Mapping Created in collaboration with Emily Speas & Marquis Tannis
What does it mean to dwell in a place? How do you measure a place? How should we react to the changing climate? Can dwelling also mean moving? These are some of the questions we explored in the forgotten coast studio. The studio began with an exhaustive mapping exercise along Florida’s Forgotten Coast, from Seinhatchee to Port St. Joe, where in small groups we spoke to residents and asked them to direct us to our next stop (above). This information was combined with climactic and historical data to create a speculative site section. (Right) The chosen site is immediately adjacent the Crooked River Lighthouse, in Carrabelle Fl.
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Light House Adjacencies Site Montage
Condition Montage: Screen
Site Plan
Condition Montage: Shade
Speculative Site Section
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Sited directly west of the lighthouse, and just north of US 98, the dwelling consists of three onebedroom residences for winter residents of Florida’s coast. The three units are clustered around a central shared kitchen space, and all structures are elevated 12 feet above the ground to protect them from storm surge. The dwellings are organized as a bedroom and bathroom, with views towards the lighthouse, flanked by a screened porch to the south, and an open air sun deck to the north. They connect to the kitchen with a series of moveable bridges and gangplanks
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Projected 20-Year Outcome
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Over time, as sea levels rise, the likelihood that a storm will endanger Route 98 increases. As a preemptive measure, the dwellings are constructed of dimensional lumber and steel on rails, and are intended to be “retracted” away from the coast 1015 feet per year. The units will start near US 98, to take advantage of the ocean view, but will be rolled forward little by little in anticipation of the road being moved north. By picking up the southern rails and resetting them to the north, this movement can be completed with little new material. Perhaps one day, rather than protecting a piece of tenuous coastal land, our dwellings, and the property lines they sit within will become movable and fluid, proactive rather than reactive.
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Plan (Above) Lateral Section (below)
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Final Model, View from Forest towards Beach 1 - Sleep / Rest / Reflect 2 - Bath 3 - Open Air Living |Forest View 4 - Screened in Living | Water View 5 - Communal Space | Kitchen 6 - Storage | Shelter 7 - Connecting Bridge 2
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Longitudinal Section (Above) Projected Sea Level + 20 years (Bottom)
Maximize | Decarbonize Masters Research Project Spring 2020 Jason Alread + Donna Cohen As architects in the anthropocene, new responsibilities fall to us that were not recognized by practice in the past. Architecture increasingly incorporates reuse, adaptation, renovation or repurposing. With this in mind, I propose that the values we must uphold in each of our projects are these: -Build more efficiently -Build more responsibly -Build less.
Building Images, 1978-1980
-Maximize space efficiency. -Decarbonize wherever possible. -Minimize embodied energy. Finally, we must ensure that we seek out ample community input, and that we preserve and support those spaces which work well already. With these goals in mind, I propose the College of Design Construction and Planning as a case study for testing these issues and solving projected space needs for the college over the next 40 years.
Site Forces - Shop Wing
Student Relocation / Phasing for Build
Program Breakdown - Circulation
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College Historical Space Timeline
Section - Sun Study
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Existing Atrium
Proposed Atrium
Proposed Studio
Proposed Renovation
Section at Breezeway
The College of Design Construction and Planning at the University of Florida holds space in five buildings. To meet current and projected space needs, the college plans to add approximately 30,000 square feet of new construction to its holdings. The current heart of the college, and the only place where all departments claim space is the Architecture Building. Built in 1978-1980, and designed by Spillis Candela, its poured concrete finish, big windows, and dynamic form make it unlike any other building at UF. The current plan is to build in very close proximity to the Architecture Building, but not to touch it. The architecture building is in dire need of renovation and repair, as a result of deferred maintenance and poorly conducted renovation. Contrary to the current plan, I feel that is our responsibility to Maximize and Decarbonize the architecture building before we add freestanding new space.
With that in mind, the project breaks down into four components: three new studios; a new lecture hall; major renovation / replacement the curtain wall, office wing, and mechanical system; and a new freestanding fabrication space. The existing concrete structure is highly didactic - The building was designed as a teaching structure. In keeping with the didactic logic, all additions will be constructed from CrossLaminated Timber, to both demonstrate today’s technology and minimize embodied energy. The three new studios tie into the west service core. They allow for a new elevator and stair tower, and through a screen system will help remediate heat gain on the west studio bank. These studios sit atop existing service space and minimally increase the footprint of the building.
27 6 1 - New Studios 2 - New Lecture / Plaza 3 - Existing / Renovated Studios 4 - Renovated Office Wing 5 - New Ramp 6 - New Shop 7 - New Critique Space
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The lecture hall is constructed in place of an existing earthwork ramp. The ramp is steep, and presents an impediment to accessible movement. In return, a plaza is created atop the lecture hall and a new, more gentle ramp sweeps down from the plaza to inner road, returning lost public space. Renovations include reclaiming of space on the ground floor, a new, expanded gallery, reconfiguring the office wing, daylighting of classrooms, and updating code throughout the building. The in-footprint renovations and additions net an additional 18,000 square feet. This leave 12,000 from the original estimate. That space can be claimed by a single-story fabrication shop on the northwest corner of the site. The low massing allows ample access for large machinery while preserving view corridors to the iconic University Auditorium and Century Tower.
How do you add to iconic buildings without altering that which makes them iconic? How do you maximize the efficacy of spaces without destroying their intrinsic qualities? What does it mean for a building to be didactic in 2020? The answer will vary in each project - but these are the critical issues that make the difference between unwelcome design and a thoughtful addition.
Proposed Second Floor Plan
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New Lecture Hall + Plaza
New Lecture Hall + Ramp
New Shop
New + Existing Joint
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New Studios + Ramp
New Studios
Overall Model
Proposed Breezeway
Renovation / Addition Diagram
New Stair Tower
Proposed View from Inner Road
CONTACT 2100 Walnut St #9G Philadelphia, Pa 19103 863.206.6313 nicolasddelcastillo@gmail.com