archit ect ure worksa m p les
niknaz aftahi
n i k n a z . a f ta h i @ b e r k e l e y. e d u | m . a r c h | c l a s s o f 2 0 1 4
resume education
professional experience
2012-2014
University of California at Berkeley | Master of Architecture (2 year)
August 2012
| Academic Excellence Scholarship, Iranian-American Scholarship Fund
June 2013
| ASLA Student Communications Honor Award, Grit journal second issue
May 2013
| Paul Braun Endowment Grant
August 2013
| Honorable Mention, “Vertical Cities Asia”, Singapore
June 2014
| Andrew W. Mellon Travel Grants
2006-2010
Baha’i Institute for Higher Education, BIHE, Tehran
Summer
Teddy Cruz Studio, UCSD, San Diego, CA
2012
Intern Architecture Designer and Researcher | 3D and physical modeling of Casa Familiar: Living rooms at the border and senior housing with childcare.
Summer 2011
Carrierjohnson + Culture, San Diego, CA Intern Junior Designer | 3D and Cad Drafter: Involved in the expansion phase of SD Airport,
Sep-Dec 2010
ARK Architects Inc., San Diego, CA Architectural Designer | 3D and Cad Drafter: production of presentation drawings of two residential projects in Salt Lake City, Utah and San Jose, California.
Feb2008 -Jan 2010
Herampey Consulting Engineers, Tehran, Iran Architectural Designer
Publications
May 2013
TEDx talk, Bow High School, New Hampshire, Silent Community Building
April 2013.
Ground up Journal, Issue 2, UC Berkeley Collective Strength and Illegal Education in Iran
Dec 2011
computer skills
NBC New Coverage
Rhino, Grasshopper, Revit, Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch up, Professional 2D and 3D AutoCAD, Professional 3D Studio Max.
works volume Farm WAYs Everyone Harvest | Vertical City Asia | Spring 2013
graduate work
subversive hybridity Invisible Public Spaces In A Controlled City | Thesis | Spring 2014
WALK WITHIN Asian-American Community | Comprehensive Studio | Fall 2012
PYROSOME TUNNEL Bering Strait Tunnel I D3 natural systems competition | Summer 2013
100 prototypes Digital design workshop | Summer 2013
personal work
FARMWAYS Urbanizing Abundance with HaNOI’s Localvore Economy arch 202 | vertical city competition Fall 2013 | renee chow
in collaboration with Minjae Ahn, Max Edwards, Luis Naggy & Gabriel Kaprielian
Born of a need to feed our growing world’s population, FARMWAYS is an urban infill paradigm that increases crop varieties and yields while forging a new connective tissue for high-density tropical living. Three-dimensional agricultural Frames are the urban generator of FARMWAY’S production and fulcrum of the urban experience.
In one square kilometer, FARMWAYS can produce nearly thirty times the food of the original site while housing 100,000 people at a F.A.R. density of 5.3. Unsustainable rice paddy monoculture is replaced by a closed loop food model, built upon the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nation’s (FAO) Integrated Farming techniques for rural Vietnamese homesteads. VAC closes the loop between Vn (orchard and garden), Ao (fish pond) and Chung (livestock).
everyone harvests Situated 17km west of Hà Noi, FARMWAYS starts as a University Field Station, connecting Northern Viot Nam’s innovation corridor on the planned railway between HàNoi’s higher educational center and the planned High Tech Park and University satellite city of Hoa Lac located west of Hà Noi.
2015
2020
starts as university
train, ring+ Bus highway Train, Ring Highway Rapid Transit increase
2015
2020
2030
2040
2050
2030
2040
2050
urban agricultural
& bus rapid transit
urban agricultural
public edible
1 sq km pilot infill
field station
increase access
research intensive
parkway
established
regional and local access
farmways 1: Farmways 1 : Urban Agriculture Research Intensive
farmways 2: Parkway Farmways 2 : Public Edible
farmways 3: Parkway Farmways 3 : Public Edible
Current Rice Fields
Proposed Farmways
current residential
proposed in & FAR
Current Waterways
Proposed CanalSystem
-
Current RoadNetworks proposed roadway
Vertical Cities Asia Site
Regional innovation Corridor
Neighbourhood Plan | 10 Hectares of Urban Fabric
FOOD FOREST commercial
VERTICAL FARM commercial
FLOOD PLAIN
food research development | processing & distribution
VERTICAL GARDEN collective
BALCONY GARDEN individual
Urban Agriculture Interface
Solar Analysis Full Sun
Part Sun
Water Shade
Aquaponics + Food Forest
Canal Storm water
Public Park
21 century model for a rapidly urbanizing population FARMWAYS’ urban agriculture brings a Green Collar Economy, expanding upon Hà Noi’s long localvore tradition. Merging high production metrics with livable high-densities, FARMWAYS could be deployed within the 750sqkm of Hà Noi’s projected future urbanization. Hierarchy of roads that is designed based on the existing water system includes avenues, bulvards, street, and alleys, and avenue canals serve as mansoon floodplains.
district scale water system
mansoon flood protection
camouflaged terraces
SUBVERSIVE HYBRIDITY Invisible Public Spaces in a Controlled City | Tehran THESIS PROJECT | SPRING 2014 | renee chow
After coming to the US, I realized how different it is for me, as a Baha’i woman, to experience public spaces in this country versus Iran, where I grew up. In Iran under a totalitarian regime, people are restricted in using the public domain of the city due to limitations imposed by law. As a result, individuals - and especially the youth - are re-appropriating their private homes into a stage for everyday public activities. My thesis asks: what is the role of an architect in an oppressive environment?
This thesis moves collective activities from inside homes to adaptable, protected spaces where there is a sense of freedom. The goal is to design a range of breaks for people who are living in an oppressive environment. A number of varied unpredictable and escapable public spaces in Ekbatan, which is a housing complex in Tehran, are designed, and diverse strategies are incorporated to camouflage them.
WESTERN PUBLIC SPACES I me in bay area
Clergy
home
wurster hall
wurster hall
union square
berkeley bowl
berkeley stadium
powell street
zelerbach
de young musuem crissy field
sport event
shopping
concert
art gallery
PUBLIC SPACES FOR A BAHAI WOMAN IN IRAN I me in tehran
Berkeley
home
university
library
grocerry shopping socializing
park
Clergy
PUBLIC SPACES FOR A BAHAI MAN IN IRAN I a bahai man in tehran
Home
Tehran
university
Library
grocery shopping
socializing
park
shopping
Concert
Art Gallery
Sport Event
Berkeley
home
university
library
grocerry shopping socializing
tehran stadium
grand bazaar
concert
art gallery
park
tehran stadium
grand bazaar
concert
art gallery
park
tehran stadium
grand bazaar
concert
art gallery
park
tehran stadium
grand bazaar
concert
freedom square
park
Clergy
PUBLIC SPACES FOR A MUSLEM WOMAN IN IRAN I she in tehran
Berkeley
home
tehran university
library
grocerry shopping socializing
Clergy
PUBLIC SPACES FOR A MUSLEM MAN IN IRAN I he in tehran
home
tehran university
library
grocerry shopping socializing
Berkeley
PUBLIC SPACES FOR A CLERGY IN IRAN I a pro-regime man in tehran
Clergy
home
tehran university
mosque
grocerry shopping city theater
Ekbatan Ekbatan is the largest residential complex in Middle East. It was designed in the mid-70s, at the peak of the Shah’s optimism for building a modern Tehran. After Islamic Revolution of Iran, many of the public spaces of the complex were changed. For example outdoor pools were filled and the rooftops were prohibited from being used by residents.
PUBLIC SPACES PRIVATE SPACES CONTROLLED SPACES SELECTED SPACE FOR DESIGN
EKBATAN
tehran
GREEN FACADE LARGE TERRACE SMALL TERRACE
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
FLEXIBLE INTERIOR WALLS
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
RANDOM INTERIOR SPACES
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
OPENING FOR BRINGING LIGHT IN
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
UNDERGROUND ESCAPES LOBBY UNDERGROUND ACCESS INTERIOR COURTYARD
day 1 | hidden public activities
day 2 | hidden public activities
day 3 | hidden public activities
SUBVERSIVE ALGORITHM A random field condition is created by an algorithm based on a scoring system that uses three parameters and two hyper parameters. The parameters are invisibility, accessibility and light. This is an optimal system with a flavor of randomness, which the user can specify. Randomness is in the program to create unpredictability. The higher and more inward the terraces are, they get higher score for invisibility. The lower the floors are, they are more escapable, and higher ones get higher score for natural lighting.
INVISIBILITY
RANDOMNESS=10
ESCAPABILITY
REUSIBILITY=FALSE
WEEK 1 ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES: INVISIBILITY=1, ESCAPABILITY=1, LIGHT=0
WEEK 1 SEMI-LEGAL ACTIVITIES: INVISIBILITY=0.5, ESCAPABILITY=0.5, LIGHT=0.5
WEEK 1 LEGAL ACTIVITIES: INVISIBILITY=0, ESCAPABILITY=0, LIGHT=1
WEEK 1 ALL ACTIVITIES
LIGHT
SCORE 1 SCORE 0
MOVABLE floors and WALLS DETAILS There are two systems for the moveable walls. Both are double skin and glass in the interior layer. In the first one the exterior layer itself becomes the balcony., and in the second system the exterior layer is folded upward or to the sides, and the floor, like a drawer,
EXISTING
PROPOSED
EXISTING
PROPOSED
FUTURE
Public Spaces
outdoor Public Spaces
open Public Spaces
Inside Homes
On Moving Terraces
outside home
FUTURE
a walk within asian-american Community Center, oakland-chinatown Arch 203 | Comprehensive Design Studio | Fall 2012 | Rene Davids
The constantly changing demographic of the United States ensures that people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds will continue to enrich the national culture. However recent arrivals are often isolated by language and cultural barrier, attachments to previous ways of life can interfere with assimilation into new communities, and the passage of time can weaken ties to traditional culture or cause them disappear altogether. The Asian-American community center is a vibrant resource to create a connection between the old and the new. It enriches Asian-American culture by promoting the interaction between the older and younger generation of Asians and celebrate them both.
Oakland demographic In Oakland 21.3% are under the age of 18, 25.9% ages 19-34, 41.7% ages 35-64, and 11.1% are 65 years of age or older. A hybrid of activities for all ages is incorporated in this design. there is an open public community gathering space in the center of the project surrounded by buildings. Two media walls, one in front of the seating area, is for people inside the center, and the other one Bay Area | 7.16 million Asians | 1,664,384 (23.3%)
Oakland | 390,724 Asians | 65,127 (16.7%)
on the crystal-like building, is for the people outside. The transparent media facade conceived as a digital skin for the building as a medium for multimedia.
Materiality media facade frontglass LED frame spacer rare glass
recycled material glass rooftop garden plants membrane concrete slab ground floor
Structure
recycled concrete
first floor
second floor
stair cores
Daylighting
shadings
N
Activities second floor gallery restuarant youth hall bridge seating garden roof
first floor
Existing
gallery gym theater daycare courtyard
freeway
Harrison square
China town
Public Courtyards Three private and semi-private yards are on different levels, including meditation yard and children playground below the ground level, and garden roof ramp on top of the daycare, which leads the public to the recreational roof on top of the theater. Market is inside the glass box at the edge of the Harrison Street. Multifunctional or dancing space, which is primarily designed for youth and younger people, is transparent, from one side exposed to the public square, and from the other side has the view of the freeway.
youth hall youth hall gallery gallery
garden garden restaurant restaurant
second floor plan sc // 1/32�
meditation meditation
taichi taichi
gym gym
market market
cafe cafe
lobby lobby daycare daycare playground playground
first floor plan sc // 1/32�
north east elevation sc // 1/32"
Pyrosome Tunnel in the water
Harvesting energy from rise
Harvesting Energy from waves
Harvesting Energy from ice floes
Shoerter waves, harvesting less
Harvesting Energy from ice floes
PYROSOME TUNNEL The Remediating Self-Sufficient Eurasia-America Connection System, Bering Strait d3 natural systems competition | summer 2013 | special mention award in collaboration with Ali Nasiri & Shima Sahebnasagh
less energy
floes
Higher waves harvesting more energy
Skin reaction to ice floes’ hit A
Harvesting energy from the tides
Skin reaction to ice floes’ hit B
The project is a proposed bridge or tunnel spanning the Bering Strait , 55 mi (90 km) wide, between the Chukotka Peninsula in Russia and the Seward Peninsula in the U.S. state of Alaska. The bridge or tunnel would provide a connection linking Asia with North America. Force of Nature divided the two continents and the disjunction of people and nation due to this separation has been maintained for a long time. The d3 Natural Systems competition invites architects, designers, engineers, and students to collectively explore the potential of analyzing, documenting, and deploying nature-based influences in architecture, urbanism, interiors, and designed objects.
TRANSPORTATION The The project project would would create create a a world world highway highway linking linking Asia, Asia, Africa Africa and and Europe Europe with with America. America. With With two two continents continents connected connected and and transportation routes completed, exploitation of natural resources at transportation routes completed, exploitation of natural resources at Alaska and Siberia will be accelerated. Alaska and Siberia will be accelerated.
missing
ENERGY HARVESTING SYSTEM ENERGY HARVESTING SYSTEM There are no icebergs in the Bering Strait, but there are ice floes that There are no icebergs in the Bering Strait, but there are ice floes that would put a lot of pressure on any structure built in their path. We are would put a lot of pressure on any structure built in their path. We are harnessing energy from the force of heavy ice floes, rise and falls of harnessing energy from the force of heavy ice floes, rise and falls of waves and the tides hitting the tunnel. waves and the tides hitting the tunnel.
icefloe
wave
energy converting layer
PYROSOMES PYROSOMES Pyrosomes are filter feeders and play an important role Pyrosomes are filter feeders and play an important role water, They are free-floating colonial tunicates and are water, They are free-floating colonial tunicates and are hundreds to thousands of individuals, known as zooids. hundreds to thousands of individuals, known as zooids.
in clarifying in clarifying made up of made up of
OIL SPILL CLEANING OIL SPILL CLEANING
The methodology in this project to remediate the oil spills in water The methodology in this project to remediate the oil spills in water is using an intelligent system expelling Super through thousands of is using an intelligent system expelling Super through thousands of sensors on the sking of the tunnel. sensors on the sking of the tunnel. growing bacteria bacteria dispenser super bacteria
oil spills in ocean
CAPE DEZHNEV russia
super bacteria 10 (KM)
20
30
USA border building
Tunnel/bridge for railway system Peace park Underwater tunnel for oil pipes and maintenance Oil and gas trade port Tunnel/bridge for Main transportation Russia border
BIG DIOMEDE
CAPE PRINCE OF WALES
LITTLE DIOMEDE
USA
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
TUNICATE CELLS
GELATINOUS TUNIC
ENERGY PRODUCING PISTONS ARTIFICIAL CORAL R
ENERGY CONVERTION LAYER
SUPER BACTERIA LAYER
STRUCTURE LAYER
G
GELATINOUS tunnel skin made of TUNICATE CELLS as an artificial coral reef A flexible gelatinous tunic layer is the outermost skin of the tunnel and joins thousands of sensors together. The intelligent system detects the oil spills in the water, and send bacteria accordingly. This soft skin moves by the motion of ice floes and ocean currents. The pumping motion generates kinetic energy, which is converted to electricity. Flexible pistons on the tunnel facade also act as artificial corals, forming a coral habitat and a natural environment for the underwater species and the water world.
REEF
HIGHWAY
MAINTENANCE SHAFT
OIL AND GAS PIPES
MAGNETICALLY LEVITATED TRAIN
HIGH-SPEED TRAIN RAIL
EMERGENCY TRACK
TRAIN FACILITIES
POWER SUPPLY LIGHTING
100 prototypes introduction to digital fabrication | instructor: adam marcus | summer 2013
This workshop introduced us to techniques of digital fabrication. A series of iterative modeling exercises explored techniques of subtractive and additive fabrication, using the laser cutters, CNC routers, and 3D Printers in CCA’s Rapid Prototyping Studio. We utilized these techniques to construct a series of small digitally-fabricated structures that aggregated into a larger collective construct.
laser-cut models
Craftsmanship This workshop was designed to allow for experimentation with materials, prototyping and the exploration of new fabrication processes, which is integral part of today’s design culture.
CNC models
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Iteration 3
Iteration 4
Iteration 5
n i k n a z
a f t a h i
|
w o r k s a m p l e s
2 0 1 4