M.Arch Candidate Submission

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Undergraduate Portfolio Nicola Kumar


Content

I would like to extend my gratitude to my friends and family. Without the financial and emotional support, my educational pursuits would not have been successful.


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Resume - Intent

Foundations

Human Factors

Environmental Context

Structural Systems

Non-Urban Context - Building Systems Integrated

Artwork


Profile Name Nicola Kumar Address 1705 Habersham Street, Savannah GA 31401

Resume

Phone 912-272-3264

Education Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, Georgia, US. Bachelors of Fine Arts, Architecture Jan 2006 - Sep 2011 Holy Name Convent Secondary School Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. Caribbean Examination Council General Certificate of Education Sep 1997 - Jun 2004

E-mail kumar.nicola@gmail.com Website www.nicolakumar.com

Skill Proficient Autodesk Revit, Autodesk AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, Micorsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point, Model Building, Research & Analysis, Sketching, Presentation Materials. Familiar Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power Point., Google Sketchup.


Design Experience Freelance Graphic Design Jul 2004 - current. Branding, Promotional Materials and Web Design. CDA Architecture - Port of Spain, Trinidad. Architectural Intern - Jul 2007 - Aug 2007 Developed a working knowledge of Residential design, prepared construction documents, Gained knowledge of the role of the Architect as Project Manager. Accompanied the Juniour Architect on Site visits, And Project presentations. OBM International - Port of Spain, Trinidad. Architectural Apprentice - Aug 2005 - Dec 2005 Developed a working knowledge of Residential design, prepared Construction Documents, was responsible for research and development for a tender project for revitalizing the City of Port of Spain Transportation hub. Gained Knowledge of Quantity Surveying, Feasibility Studies, and Cost Analysis. Accompanied the Principal Architect on Site visits. Gained exposure to presentation media such as video walk- throughs, and animation. The Synthesis Group - Port of Spain, Trinidad. Architectural Apprentice - Aug 2004 - Dec 2004 Enhanced knowledge of AutoCAD for use in drafting. Gained knowledge pertaining to Site Planning, Construction Documents, 3D modeling, Office Drafting Standards, and the use of sketching as a necessary medium for preliminary design.

Recognition Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama Finals 3rd Place - Caribbean Airline Invaders [2011] U.W.I. SPEC Half Marathon Top 5 - University Students/ Top 25 - Ladies [2010] Savannah College of Art and Design Combined Honors Scholarship [2006 - 2011] Academy of Art University Summer Portfolio Grant - 75 % tuition awarded for study [2002] Trinidad & Tobago Art Society Grant Art Workshop in Fine Arts [2000] Secondary Schools Drama Festival Honorable Mention - Antagonist - Ti-Jean & his Brothers [2000] Trinidad & Tobago Music Festival 1st Place - Junior Choir [1998]

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Intent

“When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible.�- Nancy Coey


M

y journey to an architectural education can be traced as far back as I can remember. One of the earliest memories that I can recall is of a set of construction documents of my house, and spending many hours investigating the floor plans and elevations. I was fascinated by the draftsman’s ability to accurately depict my house, with extraneous details, such as the wood grain of my front door. I would subsequently verify if those drawings were correct by inspecting my house thoroughly.

I was seduced by an inexplicable feeling, created by the site, the architecture and the dialogue between them. The villa is situated on a cliff overlooking the sea. It is completely hidden from the roadside, as it sits on the other side of the mountain. Everything about the responsive design of the villa to the site on which it is situated seemed to connect me to nature, encouraging awareness and appreciation of natural beauty and man made beauty. The building and its surroundings worked with the soothing sounds of the sea breezes to create wonder and awe.

I was born and raised in Trinidad & Tobago, in one of the oldest and earliest settled neighbourhoods within the capital city. Many would call it a concrete jungle. Buildings were mainly utilitarian, especially the house I grew up in. Those humble beginnings limited my view of architecture. It` would not be until many years later that I would experience phenomenology of place, and not until I journeyed to the Savannah College of Art & Design, would I understand what I experienced.

The windows framed powerful views outside. The roofs of the kitchen and dining room sloped towards each other; trapping rainwater guiding it down into a central fishpond, home to a dozen Koi. Sunlight bounced off white walls, which created the illusion that the villa was glowing. The showers all boasted 180 degree views of the sea. Each bedroom unit was joined by walkways, protected from the elements by blue canvas canopies and courtyards allowing me to take in the scenery, and to encourage outside living.

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Parti

Circulation

Natural Light

Spatial Relationships

Figure/Ground

Architectural Graphics

Diagrammatic Analysis - Villa Being 10

Structure


T

he focus of the main courtyard was a structure called “The Source”. Resembling the megalithic proportions of Stonehenge, the vertical structure framed sections of the sky. It could have very well been the portal that transported you there, far away from the mundane life you once knew, but it’s true intent was to symbolically channel positive energy in and send negative energy out. The moment I experienced the marriage of villa to it’s landscape, I became acutely aware of the impact that thoughtful design could have on one’s well being. I marveled at this possibility, however, I struggled with the inaccessibility of design. Questions plagued my mind. Could architecture that was beautiful or well considered be available to the man on the street? Or was it something reserved for the elite? Was it possible to achieve the same experience on a less magnificent site? Does attention to the details of design have to be sacrificed when there are constraints? I was fortunate, with no experience, to be granted opportunities to work in architectural firms before embarking upon my formal education. This allowed me to work closely with different architects. Being employed under the auspices of some of my nation’s greats, was deeply influential. Being recognized for my talents, and high level on autonomy was the confidence I needed to pursue Architecture as a career. My prior work experience propelled me to investigate and incorporate vernacular materials, methods of construction and passive cooling techniques, used in the Caribbean, into many of my designs at SCAD. As my journey progressed, my opinions developed, but challenges also arose. I found myself struggling to find my identity as a future architect.

What would I be designing, and for whom? Without a vision of what I wanted to specialize in, it was difficult for me to feel passionate about what I was doing. I was not actively conscious of the fact that while pursuing the education as prescribed by SCAD, that I lost sight of what caught my interest many years ago. It was not until I was allowed to choose a neglected site in Trinidad, that I would understand what I needed to be doing; that I would be reminded of questions I asked myself when I experienced the villa for the first time. Ultimately, it was the fact that I grew up in a developing country that played a formative role in the actualization of my design philosophy or mission. I will methodically use my extensive knowledge, talent, and acquired skillset to improve the quality of living of the everyday man, economically. Thoughtful design will be accessible to those who may not be privileged to it, with an emphasis on empathy with user needs. It is important for me to always consider the needs of the person allowing me to shape their space first, as well as the person that will be affected by my design, so they can develop an intimate connection to their built environment. My design aesthetic will be shaped by the project, and never an imposed ahead of time. As my philosophy developed so did a strong interest in the field of community design and disaster relief. Today I can approach my education with renewed vigour, with a passion for what I want to do. I know now that my journey is not over; it has only just begun, and I am grateful that I know where I would like my career to go. It is with this passion and commitment; I intend to forge ahead to attain the professional Master of Architecture degree at SCAD.

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Foundations



Architectural Drawing

“The most compelling reason to learn how to draft by hand is that it is a way to personalize the design process and resulting documentation.� Christine Cavataio


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Residence Designed by Professor Gene Hutchinson

Site Plan 16


Floor Plan

Sections

Elevations 17


Fundamentals I

“First, the Architect must learn how to think in terms of space and communicate spatial ideas� - Jonathan Friedman

All Projects done during Fundamentals I employed the use of a kit of parts consisting of linear elements, panel-based (planar elements) and module-based (solid elements).


Dialogue Spatial Unity was created by choosing a parti then investigating the concept of binary pairs to create dialogue.

Parti Diagram Axonometric

Volume A 3” contiguous mass was built to display a hierarchy of Volume.

Axonometric (Solids & Voids)

Transformation A 4“ cube of solids and voids was transformed using processes such as, translation, rotation folding, reflection and enlargement. The end result was a 9” cubic volume.

Axonometric (4” cube prior to transformation) 19


Time Piece

A set of architectural spaces in which people may observe and appreciate the cycles of time, revealed by the weather, night and day, the seasons and memory With a passage linking a 4� place of entry to a 6� place of arrival. 20




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Fundamentals II

Building Typology Single Family Commercial/Residential

Location Warren Ward, Savannah Ga.

Site Description Corner lot, surrounded by three streets, two running from West to East to the North and south of the site and one running from North to South to the East of the site.

Client A Tailor

Scale The lot is 20 feet wide and 90 feet long. Site Maximums: 1000 sq ft; 50% lot coverage; 25% below grade.

Users The Client and her Friends, Family and Customers


Designing for the Client Conceptual Thinking The correlation between Architect & Tailor. A Tailor produces a garment by measuring the client, discussing what the garment would be used for, draping fabric over a dress form (framework), and finally sewing the garment. An Architect designs a building by consulting with a client, discussing the program, investigating environmental context, and finally designing the building based on a grid. (framework) Both revise their productions until it suits the client.

Site Considerations Establishing the grid factors considered: maximum lot width, maximum allowable square footage, savannah grid and green spaces The width of nine squares in Savannah is 1/3 the total length of Forsyth park This relationship established the grid of multiples of 3. Width of house 18’ Length 27’. Column intervals 3’, 6’, 9’.

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Design Process

The process of spatial organization was one of constant adjustment and alteration It was similar to the process a tailor goes through in order to creater a garment that fits precisely.

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Site Plan

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Floor Plans

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Section

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Details

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Human Experience



Design Studio I

Building Typology Single Family Residential

Location Savannah River Landings, Savannah Ga.

Site Description Corner lot, surrounded by three streets, two running from West to East to the North and south of the site and one running from North to South to the East of the site.

Client A yoga Instructor

Scale The lot is 24 feet wide and 90 feet long. About 85-90% of the lot is covered. Each floor is 12 feet in height, but the building is 40 feet tall, due to sloping

Users The Client and her Friends and Family


We shape Architecture; thereafter Architecture shapes us. Conceptual Thinking The central concept that drives the project is holism; the idea that Architecture can fulfill the needs of man’s mind body and soul.

Design Process The logical design process was a study of the inter-relativity between the body, mind and soul. A hierarchy of spaces was developed loosely on the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and programming needs then followed.

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Schematic Design

To achieve balance in life one must fulfill the needs of the mind, body and soul. To achieve Balance in Architecture the client, program and environment must be considered equally. The gestural sketch played a major role in determining circulation patterns. The greatest design challenge was determining how to design based on the sketch, which was very organic in nature, while conforming to the rules of the site. The project is radially organized around the core circulation patterns. The building form was determined through a series of transformative approaches sliding or shifting, mirroring, enlarging and rotating the walls to form a dynamic pwwath throughout the building. The ideas of phenomenology and place making also influenced my design. Since my central concept is about fulfilling man’s needs through Architecture and phenomenology is about individual experience and perception of Architecture, I wanted to create a space that would foster unique experiences every time. 36


Sketches & Sketch Model

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Northern Facade

Graphite (18”x 24”) 38


Plans

Balcony

Meditation

Painting Studio

Library/Office

Veranda

Dance Studio

Secondary Entry

Kitchen Primary Entry Dining Room

Tertiary Entry

Master Bedroom

Living Room

W.C

Master Bathroom

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Elevations and Sections

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E

xtensive outdoor spaces, within the design, benefit the environment; The form of the building is ideal for rainwater collection for irrigation and flushing. The large open spaces are used for extensive green roofs. The central atrium is used for natural ventilation and day lighting. Vegetation is used on the indoors to control humidity and create a microclimate. The master bedroom is naturally heated because it is located below grade. The sloping roof on the south façade is used for solar panelling. By implementing many passive strategies, operating costs is minimized while, delineating the site to create interest with dynamic forms. Man, landscape and building are all interrelated in the same way that mind body and soul are interrelated. The use of an uncovered ‘atrium’ is the centre of circulation between mind, body and soul. It is a transition space between indoor and outdoor spaces bringing the user to the outdoors during the journey. Vegetation and reflecting pools in the central atrium aid the transition from outdoor to indoor. Vegetation is also utilized as a space making element primarily on the third floor it outlines the path of travel. 43


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Environmental Context



Design Studio II

Building Typology Church and Fellowship Hall.

Location Pass Christian, Mississippi.

Site Description L- Shaped, the site is surrounded by four streets; two running from East to West, one to the North and a highway (US 90) to the south of the site. One runs from North to South to the East of the site where another street terminates at a parking lot.

Client Trinity Episcopal Church

Scale On it’s longest edges, the site is approximately 400-500 feet wide and 700-800 feet long.

Users The Community of Pass Christian


Architecture should relate form and plan to the site, region and the climate.

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he benefits of being close to water also have a price: increased risks to property and life related to storms. In 1969, Pass Christian suffered a direct hit by Hurricane Camille, the only Category 5 hurricane to ever make landfall in the continental United States. Then in 2005 as much as 90 percent of the town was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, requiring a total rethinking of where and how to rebuild. There is a very intense desire in this community to build and to restore at least the atmosphere the town once had. There’s no better symbol of renewal than Trinity Episcopal Church, a Gulf-front landmark built in 1851. Destroyed by Hurricane Camille in 1969, it was rebuilt 14 feet above sea level—still not high enough to elude

Katrina’s 36-foot surge. The frame of the church edifice was left intact, while other buildings on site were completely destroyed. The task: Design a new skin of the church while responding to the many problems on the site. The most obvious problem of the site is its location. It is located on the Gulf Coast and as a result is prone to rising sea levels, since it is a mere ten to 12 feet above sea level. The fact that the site is in such a low lying area, makes any structure built on it susceptible to catastrophic damage due to the tidal surge in excess of thirty feet. As a result of this, Pass Christian has implemented the smart code, and all finished floor heights of buildings are required to be at least twenty two feet above sea level. Both buildings on the site are designed with that in mind.

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Conceptual Thinking Hurricane Katrina was a devastating Natural disaster. During that time, the only thing that prevented the residents of Pass Christian from falling into despair was to see the positive in the negative. In Christianity Water is a Symbol of Eternal Life. In that respect, Katrina was a baptism of the earth. The washing away of sins. A deliverance of old ways of building. Baptism is a sacrament. The other Sacraments are Confession, Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony and Anointing of the sick.

The term communion means fellowship. The Eucharist is usually depicted as a circle radiating light. The fellowship Hall should embody a sense of camaraderie, and welcoming. Much like the promise of eternal life, when parishioners partake of Holy Communion.

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Location

County - Harrison

State - Mississippi

Gulf Coast Neighbourhood

Town - Pass Christian

All Site analysis was compiled & presented diagrammatically in teams of 2. Team member: Alicia Scott

Figure Ground (10 min walking radius) 51


Hurricane Data Paths of past hurricanes passing through Mississippi

Tidal Surge

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Zoning & Setbacks

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Natural Features Topography

Sun & Wind 54

Vegetation


Circulation

Sensory Analysis & Existing Features 55


Design Process - Site

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Design Process - Fellowship Hall

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Design Process - Skin Flying Buttress Double skin

Double Skin supports ramp that wraps around the church (procession - Road to Calvary stations of the cross)

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Justification of Site Design The soil has a naturally low fertility level and poor water-holding capacity. As a result of the hurricane, the soil is struggling to recover from millions of gallons of salty sea water that soaked into it in the storm, as well as erosion due to the high volumes of water moving at a faster rate than the rate of infiltration. The use of plants to stabilize soil and reduce erosion is one of the oldest of biological engineering land management techniques. This approach attempts to create conditions similar to a stabilized natural site. Native plants were chosen to provide long-term protection, because native vegetation is adapted to the conditions of the site and has the greatest probability of persisting over extended time periods. . Salt tolerant crops grown immediately on the site were chosen. Examples of these are sea oats, salt meadow cordgrass, cabbage palm, as well as the ever present live oak. Storm Water collects to the southern end of the site; Placing a drainage system there combining a few different methods was a solution to the problem. Every site has an existing natural drainage system, by following it using streams of dry creek beds, the water will be guided to a wetland area. Wetlands provide water storage, filtration and offer protection from floods. The basin will be a wetland area consisting of 50% chip bark, 20% gravel, 15% sand, and a miscellaneous amount of straw, peat moss, sewage sludge and aged manure, which will temporarily store the water, allowing sedimentation and other pollutants to settle without infiltrating, then allow it to flow out to a separate area of permeable soil to allow fast infiltration. Second Street, which runs all the way through Pass Christian, terminates on the parking lot of the Church site. This is visually confusing as the parking lot is not clearly defined on the site and is deceptive as driver may think the road continues on to the site. Using the existing tree on site as the focal point of the end of the Street, a semicircular drop off point with a pair of parallel pathways bordering a water collection pond leading to the new fellowship hall. Parking was rerouted to the north western tip of the site away from the school and can be accessed from Henderson Avenue to the West of the site and St. Louis Street to the North of the site. Capitalizing on the ocean view and incorporating it into the church worship was achieved by relocating the transepts to the southern end of the church and the entrance to the church now faces St. Louis Street directly opposite the cemetery making access to the cemetery easier in the event of funerals. The approach to the church is now grander with rhythmic placement of another semicircular drop off point, and a wrap around staircase. The issue of noise from the bordering railroad track to the North of the site was addressed to the north of the Cemetery with a Noise Barrier wall in combination with planted buffers called Earth Berms. 60


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Eastern Elevation

Sustainable Building Strategies - Church Skin

Sustainable Site Strategy - Drainage System 64

Sustainable Building Strategies - Fellowship Hall


Longitudinal Section

Transverse Section

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Model - Fellowship Hall

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Structural Systems



Design Studio III

Building Typology Cultural Research Institution

Location Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Site Description Triangular site directly adjacent to the architecture school FAU, USP or Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo.

Client --

Scale Approximately 12,600 sq. ft.

Users The students & faculty of the University and the General Public


Structure can define space,articulate circulation, and suggest movement.

B

uildings are the clearest expression of a people at a given historical period, exemplifying their way of living, their available technology and their artistic ideals. More durable than other cultural manifestations, Brazilian architecture often incorporates other art forms, such as sculpture, painting, furniture and popular art and artifacts. It makes up the great majority of listed items, even those which are listed simply because of their historical significance. In Brazil, the preservation of the country’s cultural heritage including Brazilian architecture, where it is of national importance, is the responsibility of the federal government, through the Institute for National Artistic and Historical Heritage. The purpose of the research institute is for the preservation and curation of Brazilian modernist architecture and design. The triangular site is directly adjacent to the architecture school FAU, USP or Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo. The site offers an important place for gathering.

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Site Analysis

The University of São Paulo (Universidade de São Paulo or USP) is one of the three public universities funded by the State of São Paulo.USP is one of the largest institutions of higher education in Brazil and Latin America, with about 75,000 enrolled students.

Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo was designed by Vilanova Artigas, in 1962. It is a sleek, light-filled box , his intention was to create a whole new, all-encompassing approach to his discipline. It is probably the most important single structure of 1960s Brazilian architecture. Artigas not only designed the building, which explores his fascination with spatial freedom, but also planned the school’s entire curriculum.

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Collage Collage, being the art of bringing varied pieces together to form a new whole served as a method of comparative visual analysis for how structure relates to and is expressed by artists in diverse fields. Case studies examined precedents in Brazilian architecture. This project fluently inspected structure, interior experience, and landscape.

Conceptual Thinking Culture relates to a collective attitude. It’s the common thread of any given society, regardless of socioeconomic status, ethnicity or religious affiliation. Culture is based on the uniquely human capacity to classify experiences, encode such symbolically and teach such abstractions to others. It is usually acquired through enculturation, the process through which the older generation induces and compels a younger generation to reproduce the established lifestyle; consequently, culture is embedded in a person’s way of life. This is especially true today, as the students of the university are compelled to reproduce in the Brazilian Culture of Architecture. Concept board 10”x 10” 74



Brief History of Brazillian Modernism The climax of Brazillian Modernist Architecture was a confrontation between differing ideas of the formal and the bureaucratic intervention with public life. This conflict was manifested through the parallel trajectories of the Carioca and Paulista schools of architectural practice and thought. This conflict and was exemplified by the resulting injustices of the fact that the people building the space could not inhabit it. The publicized situation of slavery inevitably created permanent and steady deterioration of the individuals physically, environmentally or mentally affected by it. There was a social separation of the architect due to his misunderstanding of his role up until that historic period. It was at this time where Vilanova Artigas and Sao Paulo Architecture could begin to establish itself as a direct

response in opposition to the previous methodology of the Carioca school with Brasilia as its project. Lina Bo Bardi was another member of the Paulista school. The Carioca school embodied the goals of architectural modernism in Brazil, but also the whole political project of dragging a radically underdeveloped country into a utopian, progress-led future: an ideal from which Bo Bardi consciously distanced herself. She, by contrast, believed in the necessity of confronting and engaging with the everyday social realities of Brazil, embodied in the struggles of the masses to survive and find enjoyment in life, and this fundamentally underpinned a type of architectural practice which took many different cultural forms over the course of her long career.

SESC Pompeia -Bo Bardi deliberately strove to retain the factory image of the complex in its working-class area, and a sense of raw materiality, and she dedicated the place to the idea of enjoyment, vitality and fluidity, in both architectural and social terms. She found huge inspiration in the deep-rooted African traditions which sustained and energized popular social life.

Conceptual Development. The Brazilian Modernist Architecture movement, addressed the social issues of that period, with the rise of Socially Inclusive Architecture. The shaping of a socially inclusive environment can only be made possible through the active involvement of all kinds of people. If people are to believe their contribution to society is valued then they must be shown that they are valued through the environment they use. The benefits of inclusive design are social stability, crime reduction, personal health and building longevity. Through the study of design social problems could be overcome. Brazilian architects have modified modernism considering their climate and culture. They have created their own culture of thought. Brazilian Architecture often incorporates 76

other arts, such as sculpture, painting, furniture and popular art and artifacts. The only logical approach to the design was to incorporate other cultural manifestations as art forms to be preserved. Buildings, being more permanent can be defined as material culture whereas the cultural art forms such as Capoeira, Samba and Carnival are practices that can be defined as adaptive culture. In effect those aspects of Brazil’s adaptive culture was preserved by incorporating them into the building design programmatically, the same way the building will last for many years to come. In terms of the program, Capoeira, Samba and Carnival all involve movement, rhythm and collaboration. Those features were incorporated into the design.


Case Study Museu de Arte de São Paulo ( MASP) “Amazing achievement, because the building is indeed both there and not there, giving back to the city as much space as it took from it.” Aldo van Eyck Location: Project Size: Type: Architects:

Paulista Ave., São Paulo, Brazil 10,000 Sq. Ft. Museum Lina Bo Bardi

The Museu de Arte de São Paulo design presented an ingenious solution for an oddly-shaped, hillside setting and the height restrictions of the city planners. She arranged the building in two parts, one raised up on enormous concrete columns, the other half-buried. This in turn created a third space, the void between the two, which Bo Bardi envisaged as a ‘belvedere’; a meeting place for work and play; an open arena for gatherings, exhibitions, festivals and even a circus big top. The structures also attempted to translate post-World War II modernist debate about enhancing public life. In collaboration with the engineer Figueiredo Ferraz, she raised the exhibition halls off the ground with unembellished concrete piers and large prestressed concrete beams. This long-span solution accommodated both the museum’s large program and the need to maintain public access. Hovering over a street-level terrace, the transparent exhibition space spanned seventy-six meters. Its original layout further emphasized openness to the city by replacing traditional partitions and hierarchies among art works with vertical glass easels sitting on small concrete blocks. Meanwhile, beneath the plaza, the podium housed the museum’s educational and administrative areas.

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Kinetic Concept Models for Plaza

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Schematic Design

Parti Diagrams

Building Footprint Diagrams

Massing Models 79


Final Design Site Plan

Eastern Elevation

Northern Elevation


Through the design of the existing architecture building on the site, design decisions were made based on the following observations. FAU was designed to be a promenade through areas of study, creation, leisure, sociability, and reflective synthesis in the studios at the top. The purpose of using the structure was not only functional as it maintained the space between as a place for gathering, but also for didactic purposes. Patrons visiting the institute can learn about the social injustices the architects of that period were hoping to eradicate with their architecture. History is only worth preserving if it plays a role in transforming the present and future.

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3 Western Elevation

Southern Elevation


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• Non-Urban Context • Building Systems Integrated



Design Studio V

Building Typology Air Rights Development

Location Outskirts of Port of Spain, Trinidad

Site Description Long and narrow residential Site located in between two major traffic arteries, adjacent to the city landfill.

Client --

Scale 50-100 acres

Users Residents of the Area and General Public


Supporting Stable Living Conditions

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nce an all-squatter’s community of people living in wooden shacks, Beetham Gardens was born more than 35 years ago out of the government’s decision to finance construction of concrete homes with running water, indoor plumbing, and electricity and even mail delivery. Five phases were built, between two main vehicular arteries, below sea level and next to a landfill. The Beetham Gardens today remains a poverty-stricken housing project afflicted by squatters who continue to erect illegal and unsightly structures, relentless gang warfare, the lack of basic amenities such as electricity and water, as well as the health hazards present such as the drains

of green stagnant water, clogged with rubbish, which breed mosquitoes and it’s location adjacent to a landfill. The government erected a wall along the slum’s frayed edges, blocking the view into a long troubled community that shares space with the murky waters of industrial waste, overgrown weeds and the constant stench of the nearby landfill. The 5-foot-tall wall is simply a beautifying touch, but to those who live behind the wall, the structure means something else: It’s a symbol of years of broken promises, government neglect and the widening gap between the haves and have-nots.

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Location

Trinidad is the southern most island of the eastern Caribbean. It lies northeast of the South American country, Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. It shares maritime boundaries with other nations including Barbados to the northeast, Guyana to the southeast, and Venezuela to the south and west. Location - 10° 40’ N 61° 31’ W.

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Site Analysis

Figure Ground

Sensory Anaysis & Existing Features

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Schematic Design Problems • Physical Disconnect • Drainage • Landfill Stench • Landfill threatens ground water • Traffic within the capital • Poverty

Conceptual Master Plan

Design Solutions • • • • • • 92

Bridge over infrastructure to create connections Elevate Settlement above sea level Relocate Landfill and Rehabilitate land with wetlands After relocation use aquifer to generate electricity Provide parking and shuttles into the capital Sustainable growth of vegetables on site


Section Sketch

Proposed Grid based on prevailing winds

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Case Study The Vancouver Community Connector

Location: Vancouver, Washington Project Size: 14 acres Type: Freeway Cap/Air Rights Park Architects: Allied Works Architecture Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Scope: Research, Planning, Site Design, Structural System Design, Artist Coordination The Vancouver Community Connector is a 14-acre urban park and freeway cap in Vancouver, Washington, just north of the Columbia River. The Connector will unite the city’s downtown with the Fort Vancouver Historic Reserve. In the process, it will reclaim ground lost in the reconstruction and expansion of Interstate 5. Developed iwn collaboration with landscape architects Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, the design interprets the landscape, geology and cultural history of Washington and the Columbia River. The Connector features a promenade lined with flowing water, a native Camas prairie and a wetland meadow. At highway level, a vaulted and coffered concrete structure provides durability, efficiency and sound mitigation. The Connector is organized as a series of intersecting and overlapping plates that allow light to pass from upper to lower levels, and offer framed views of the city and sky. For more than a century, historic Fort Vancouver was connected to and had a strong interaction with downtown Vancouver. This bond was severed more than 50 years ago when Interstate 5 was constructed. The Community Connector Project will reconnect the Fort Vancouver National Site with downtown Vancouver.

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Precedents

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Site Design Features

Outdoor Amphitheatre The Scott Aboretum, Pennsylvania Constructed in 1942, the Outdoor Amphitheater was designed by noted Philadelphia landscape architect, Thomas W. Sears. Today, mature tulip trees and white oaks provide the “ceiling� for this memorable spot. Movable Lounge Chairs Highline Park, NYC One of the most exciting furniture pieces on the High Line are the movable chaise lounge chairs located at the Sun deck between West 14th and 15th Streets. These lounge chairs will sit on the original rail tracks, mounted on new wooden ties, and can be rolled into place or set with brakes. Tensile Shading Structures Shade Sculptures work well independently or in multi-unit groupings. Dynamic compositions are easily achieved and the Sculpture is rotatable. The form of these structures are ideal to incorporate a rainwater collection system. Elevated Walkways Highline Park, NYC In this area, a micro-climate has been naturally created by adjacent buildings. In response, the walkway of the High Line will lift off of the structure as a thin metal grate, giving users views of the moss and ground cover below as they walk through a canopy of sumac trees.

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Master Plan Community • Promotes equity. • Provides green open space and recreational facilities. • Promotes public health and encourages active lifestyles. • Reunites the diverse community of the Beetham with the neighbouring settlements. • Provides an exemplary illustration of efficient and innovative alternative land use. • Strategies and outcomes serve as a national model for the creation of new green open space in a dense urban environment. Economy • Creates jobs, including entry level, apprenticeship programs and local hire. • Provides an economic stimulus for investment in resource efficient infill development. • Creates an inviting gateway to the city. • Increases tourism. Energy and the Environment • Improves air quality and reduces the contribution to global warming. • Reduces automobile usage and fuel consumption, green house gas emissions and promotes energy efficiency and conservation. • Creates a Pollution free environment for users of the development because there is no vehicular access on site; primary mode of transport over highway is a street car, and also encourages bicycle use. • Utilizes 21st Century cutting-edge environmental technologies • Creates a transit oriented development utilizing existing bus route. Potential for monorail shuttles to city. • Reduces the heat island effect.


Sub-level Parking Plan Primary Road Access through site

Parking Nodes


Design Studio VI

Building Typology Single Family Residential

Location Beetham Estate, Trinidad

Site Description Block structure on prevailing wind axis, surrounded on all sides by bicycle lanes, and vegetable gardens and a street car boulevard to the north.

Client --

Scale Approximately 70,000 Sq. Ft.

Users Residents of Beetham Estate


Supporting Stable Living Conditions

S

upportive housing is a combination of housing and services intended as a cost-effective way to help people live more stable, productive lives. This type of housing is widely believed to work well for those who face the most complex challenges - individuals and families confronted with homelessness and who also have very low incomes and/or serious, persistent issues that may include substance abuse, addiction or alcoholism, mental illness, HIV/ AIDS, or other serious challenges to a successful life. Supportive Housing can be coupled with such social services as job training, life skills training, alcohol and drug abuse programs and case management to populations in need of assistance, including the developmentally disabled, those suffering from dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and elderly people who are medically frail. It is intended to be a pragmatic solution that helps people recover and succeed while reducing the overall cost of care. Without supportive services, the tenant is likely to regress for the reasons that lead to their loss of housing in the first place.

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Schematic Design

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Massing Model

Rooftop (green roof) Rooftop Terrace Housing Units Circulation towers Supportive Services 103


Program Matrix & Time of Use Diagrams

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Program Calculations

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Materiality

Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast. It consists of recycled marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, poured with a binder. It is cured, ground and polished to a smooth surface or otherwise finished to produce a uniformly textured surface. Durable, Low Maintenance, Low Embodied Energy, Recycle/Reuse Content, Zero V.O.C Off-Gassing, Indoor Air Quality, Local Sourcing.

West Indian Cedar is an aromatic wood that is in high demand in the American tropics because it is naturally termite and rot-resistant. Low cost due to its light weight and low energy consumption required to produce, transport and processing.

Bamboo is one of the most amazingly versatile and sustainable building materials available. It grows remarkably fast and in a wide range of climates. It is exceedingly strong for its weight and can be used both structurally and as a finish material.

Clay building blocks have been trusted to support innumerable projects island-wide and regionally. They facilitate faster construction and offer superior moisture resistance as well as present better thermal and sound insulation.

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Sun Studies

Summer 9am

Summer 12 noon

Summer 6 pm

Winter 9am

Winter 12 noon

Winter 6pm 107


Life Safety

Mechanical & Plumbing Plan

ZONE 1 - 7.79 t COOLING LOAD ZONE 2 - 5.16 t COOLING LOAD ZONE 3 - 11.63 t COOLING LOAD

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Sub-wwLevel Parking Plan

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Rooftop

Site with Level 1 plan 110


Level 1 (Supportive Services)

Level 2-6 (Apartments) 111


3D Section

Western Elevation at 2:30 PM

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Structural framing

Northern Elevation at 5:30 PM

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Sustainable Features

Rain water collection (Irrigation)

Daylighting

Natural Ventilation

Green wall System

Planter Box

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Planter Box Detail

Concrete Masonry Units Cedar Top Soil Rubble Geotextile Membrane

Lightweight Concrete Rebar Corrugated Metal Deck Continuous Shelf angle Welded Angles Clip Angle I-Beam

Open Web Steel Joist

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Artwork



Sketchbook

“This medium is simple, yet so rich in communicative potential that all human ideas can be expressed through it...� Jonathan Friedman


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Fine Art

“Art is the desire of man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.” - Amy Lowell

2001 - Present In order of appearance: “Promotional Sticker for Egypt” - Acrylic Paint “Caribbean Student Association Logo” - Photoshop “Mother & Child” - Acrylic Paint “Festival of Lights” - Mixed Media Collage “Tracy” - Charcoal “Self Portrait” - Collage “Tree “- Graphite “Ceramic Crucifixion Clock” - Graphite “Brass objects” - Graphite “Contour Line Drawing of Pots”- Graphite “Gestural Sketch of a boot” - Charcoal “Made for Walking” - Chalk & Charcoal “Resting Skeleton”- Pen “Lady Krishna” - Sculpy, Acrylic Paint, Fabric, Beads, Stelline Pasta. Untitled - Plaster, Sand & Seashells


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Thank You !




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