ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO selected works
PETRA PALUSOVA
SENSORIUM A place of silence in Bad Liebenstein, Germany
Master studio 2014 I Bauhaus University Weimar cooperation with Baptiste Quetelart
- Light never knew how good it was until it struck the side of the building. - Louis I. Kahn
- The house one hundred hearts and one hundred bodies in silence.- Le Corbusier on La Tourette
-First take the light away and then add back only what you need.James Turrell
silence turning inwards concentration
to the centre one focus following the light
Concept
connecting to the existing regional pilgrimate route / sensorium as a part of the spiritual journey
grounding of the sensorium, bottom part merging with the land / due to the transparency of the ground level, the upper part appears floating
[left] site / ThĂźringer forest
access of the sensorium to the conventional routes / resting on the position with the best viewpoint
central vertical connection / light distributor
Formation of the functional scheme
Basement floor
Ground floor
First floor
Rooftop
Construction system / self-supporting wooden structure resting on the reinforced concrete
After entering the central space, the visitor - in hope to turn inwards - moves to a more confined place. The inner concentration is made possible by essentializing the experience by minimizing any distracting elements. Space facilitates concentration, encoded in the geomtry. Lght is the only thing to call the attention of the visitor.
LUNDBY HOUSE Upper floor and attic renovation, Gothenburg, Sweden freelance project for a private client
Hall / bedroom
Proposal / longitudinal section
Proposal / cross section
‘Allrum’ [all room] / setting proposal
Hall / ‘allrum’
Study / setting proposal
RE-WORKING MODERN Tribute to socialist modernism, part of an international project Design studio 2012 I Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava
Freedome Square
The political situation following the Communist coup in Czechoslovakia in 1948 resulted in abolishment of the private sector. The design and construction sector operated under centralized planning. During the 1950s, a new art form - socialist realism - was introduced to a scene. This new way of designing required shaping the architecture in a national form and filling it with the socialist content, as well as it expected a deep commitment of the architect. During these years, Emil BelluĹĄ designed his last projects characterized by the excellent functional solution. Faculty of Architecture in Bratislava was finished in 1953, embodying the new concept. The Western theorists describe the architecture of this era as East-modern. Despite carrying some characteristics of Western modernism, the East-modern architecture followed distinctely different patterns, usually observable as differences in material use or functional scheme, as well as their strong social and political representation.
Usage of the travertine stone is one of such specifics, constituting a singularity in the European modern movement. In Slovak modern architecture, travertine was used as a cladding and facing material, in interios or public terraces. Travertine thus serves as an identificator of a specific era and a date of construction. Its aesthetics has become a symbol of Slovak architectural modernism. Faculty of architecutre is one od the buildings defining the area of the Freedom Sqaure in Bratislava Old Town. A prominent site, originally built in honor to the first Communist president of Czechoslovakia, Klement Gottwald. The name, content and the level of maintenance of the former Gottwaldovo square has been shifting along the changing socio-political situations in the country the area has been mirroring for decades. In 2012 the country has netered yet another shift, bringing up unanswered questions from the past.
Re-creation of the existing architectural features
modular repetition
Re-creation of the existing architectural features
Faculty of Architecture at the Freedome Square
horizontality
symmetry
monumentality
proportion
Pavillion I / dining, cafeteria
North-east / south-west elevation I
Pavillion II / variable open space
North-wast / south-west elevation II
Physical model
Materials
white stellar stone
white concrete
cream travertine tiles
cream travertine block
SONIC CENTRE Centre for acoustic experience Bachelor studio 2011 I Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava Xella international competition finalist
Sound reflection principles
Reflection / absorption / difussion
Concert hall
the concert hall
Shaping according to the sound reflection
schematic section of the concertn hall
acoustic membrane
Acoustic membrane is a syste designed to tranform the acoustic environment through electro-acoustic technology. The keyword is geometry, material and spatially adequate conditions. Within designed object it is installed as a homogenouse element in the interior encroaching the exterior as well as a simple element element installed as an interactive exhibition.
elevations
APARTMENT BANSKOBYSTRICKA Renovation of an apartment in the historic centre of Bratislava, Slovakia freelance project for a real estate company (HOMEcreation Bratislava)
The original condition The main limitations of the original condition of this apartment were the longitudinal proportion of the layout, the position of the main entrance and the one-sided access of natural lightning from the East. There were minimal service spaces at disposal, existing ones were of degraded condition. Storage spaces were completely absent. The apartment was previously changed to fit a three units for three different inhabitants with separate living, which was not completely achieved by leaving the one room passable.
The proposal The client’s wish was to re-classify the apartment from three-room to two-room apartment by changing the proportion of the private space to the shared space. Another assignment was to renovate and upgrade the technical core, divide the bathroom and the toilet and find a solution to extend the kitchen area. The proposal focuses on the maximum use of the natural light, which defines the primary orientation of the rooms. The compete renovation of the technical core includes division of the bathroom and the toilet area, compelte renovation of the bathroom. Storage space was added to the bedroom area as well as to the shared space area - also a safety measure.
Construction There building was constructed approximately in the end of the 1950s. The apartment is located in the top floor. There was no original documentation available. According to the statements of the sturctural engineer, the partitions in the apartment do not have a beaing function and can thus be manipulated with. Two different kinds of a partition were used in the proposal - a 150 mm masonry partition and a 12,5 mm plasterboard partition for the bedroom and hall storage. All the dimensions followed the technical parameters stated in the Slovak technical norm (STN 734301).
visuals & conceptual sketches