Rodrigo Diaz de Villalvilla 6622 SW 84th ST. Miami, FL. 33143 305.812.5923 rodrigo.villalvilla@gmail.com
A R C H I T E C T U R E
COMPOSITIONS
The projects that you are about to encounter represent a compilation of my most intimate conceptual desires. Taking the journey of architecture as a means of exploration in order to give room to ideas previously unexplored in my subconscious mind. Architecture, as any
L ETTER O F IN T EN T
To the FIU Graduate School of Architecture Admissions Committee:
discipline, contains many branches and sub-branches in which one could get easily tangled, but it is only design that truly expresses in one word the very core of it. Therefore the creation of this design portfolio is intended to convey a message related to the type of architecture I am interested in. The vast demands that architects face - from incorporating the latest sustainable technologies to pushing the limits of building construction - have served as the catalyst that fueled my desire to further develop my career. I firmly believe Florida International University to be at the forefront of these issues, and it is my sincerest desire to be a contributor of solutions. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to being a part of the FIU Graduate School of Architecture.
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AC AD EM I C WORK
pages 5-8
pages 9-12
CONTAINMENT OF HIGH SPEED FORCES pages 13-16
SPACE FOR ONE pages 17-20
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GATEWAY FACADE SPACE
P ROF ES S IONA L WOR K + E X T R A CUR R ICU LAR WOR K
AC AD EM I C WORK
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THE MATRIX
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NEWS STAND + BUS SHELTER pages 21-26
VERTICAL MUSEUM pages 27-32
ISTANBUL, TURKEY pages 33-34
EXTRACURRICULAR WORK pages 35-38
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THEMATRIX _phase 1 The first composition created in design 1 consists of 2 adjacent grids out of which 30 points were randomly selected and later developed. Every line extruded from any given point follows the 3 prong rule in order to create THE MATRIX.
_phase 2 Phase 2 converts the corners created by the linear elements into planes in modules of an inch with the objective of designing with enclosed spaces rather than implied ones.
_phase 3
_phase 1
_phase 2
_phase 3
Phase 3 introduces new concepts and materials trivial to Design 1: Datum, Hierarchy, and Translucency. The composition’s emphasis is to transfer conceptual terms into visible and spatial spaces.
_progress sketches
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THEMATRIX Miami Beach, FL
PROCESS SKETCHES
INTERSTITIAL SPACES
The last phase of The Matrix emphasizes the physical manifestation of all concepts learned through the previous phases: datum, hierarchy, translucency, linear extrusions, and
visualizing three dimensional spaces coming together to interact as a whole.
solid planes. The process sketches aided in
SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS
LIGHT STUDIES 7
VOLUMETRIC STUDIES
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GATEWAYFACADESPACE Miami Beach, FL
PROCESS SKETCHES
PUBLIC SPACE
ENTRANCE TO THE PROJECT
A gateway facade is an entrance to the city, a first impression recorded in the minds of those who come visiting for the first time. A mark of time impregnated in the colletive conscience of those who have not seen the beauty that lies beneath the urban context.
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Contextual in nature, the facade’s main job is to act as a transitional space between the public and the city.
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GATEWAYFACADESPACE
GATEWAYFACADESPACE Miami Beach, FL
Gateway Facade Space engages the urban fabric by establishing a threshold that bridges the
gap between the public and the city. The threshold connection is intended to be experienced leisurely to as to make the transition
the preamble to a monumental entrance to the city.
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Downtown, Miami, FL
The containment of high speed forces is located in Downtown Miami’s urban context. The containment reflects the concern of addressing heavy traffic flow in a highly populated area by carving into underground spaces that relieve and interact with the city. This unorthodox approach to controlling high speed forces engages the ground in becoming one with its surrounding architecture. The outcome is the perfect symbiosis between static elements and moving forces. 13
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Downtown, Miami, FL
DOWNTOWNMIAMI
With habitable spaces intended for pedestrian use and cavities intended for the dissipation of traffic flow, the containment of high speed forces promises
the syncronization of
two phenomena. 15
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SPACEFORONE Miami Beach, FL
PROGRESS ITERATIONS
Light Studies
Skin Conditions
Horizontality
With light, dark, private, public, voids, transitions, and habitable spaces, the Space for One employs all its attention on enhancing the experience of a single individual. The user of Space for One will encounter the play of light, the serenity of darkness, and the juxtaposition of public versus private spaces. Through a play of scales, the individual navigating the structure will encounter large public areas that will carefully transition him into more private intricate spaces intended to pamper the sole user.
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SPACEFORONE Miami Beach, FL
SECTIONS
Space for One is located on the water’s edge facing Fisher Island and Virginia Key. Its proxomity to the water was the catalyst for large exterior spaces and translucent
surfaces that allowed the user to experience the context.
SPACEFORONE
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NEWS STAND+BUS SHELTER Miami Beach, FL
GROUNDMANIPULATION
ABOVEWITHINBELOW
Located in the heart of Miami Beach, FL, the news stand and bus shelter is a structural skeleton that houses
provides an innovative solution to the distribution and exposition of news. The translucent surface on its exterior showcases digital users from Miami’s changing climate as well as
news being displayed to pedestrians and vehicular traffic, as well as bystanders in the bus shelter.
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MOMENTPERSPECTIVE
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NEWS STAND+BUS SHELTER Miami Beach, FL
Project consisting in the creation of an interactive space where people can wait for the bus as well as become acquainted with their surroundings and each other. The project is located in Miami Beach and covers an iconic corner of the SoBe environment that provides a space of gathering for those who dont possess a medium of transportation.
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NEWS STAND+BUS SHELTER Miami Beach, FL
_DEVELOPMENT SKETCHES
The use of perspective sketches aided in unfolding the design development of the Newsstand and Bus Shelter. One and two-point
perspectives grasped the user experience at ground level. The final 3D model unraveled private versus public spaces and how these engage the urban fabric.
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_PLAN VIEW
_TWO-POINT PERSPECTIVE SKETCH
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VERTICALMUSEUM Downtown Miami, FL
PROGRESS SKETCHES Hierarchy
Circulation & Ground
Skin Conditions
Habitable Spatial Conditions
The objective of a vertical museum is to invite the public to experience a different concept regarding the pre-established notion of what a museum should be. The unorthodox format creates an immediate tension around the idea that engages the visitor instantly. The project consists of a musem
for the
progress of the automotive industry and the concept lies on the many rudimentary and industrial techniques used to achieve the vehicles of today.
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VERTICALMUSEUM
M
Downtown Miami, FL
_OBJECTIVE The production of a 3 dimensional model helped understand some fundamental aspects of the project that were difficult to grasp at first sight. Even with the creation of preliminary sketches and a physical model, the computer was necessary to understand the interaction on the ground spaces and how the museum would welcome its visitors, in order to engage them in the experience of a vertical museum tower.
_SECTIONS The sections for the project were conceived having in mind a tower, a structure that could showcase expositions without the need for permanent spaces using the concept of
mobility and transition
in order to convey the idea of movement through space and time.
The location of the project allowed for an ethereal structure that was better suited to the demands of a project near the sea. The open spaces would give the sensation of speed and freedom necessary for a museum of the automotive industry.
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VERTICALMUSEUM Downtown Miami, FL
VERTICALMUSEUM
The site across from the American Airlines Arena is not afraid of competing with any attraction but on the contrary welcomes the public to experience the unexplored in unconventional ways.
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The sectional sketch exploration provided the basis for the original design of the Vertical Museum. While many elements evolved, the original language was preserved in order to convey a sense of speed and direction.
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D I S C L AIME R
P R OF ES S I ON AL WORK
DISCLAIMER: Projects featured next were completed in a professional environment and in collaboration with other team members of BEA Architects, Inc.
EXTRACURRICULARWORK
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
INTERIOR RENOVATION The objective of this photo-realistic rendering is to present a different view of an interior renovation for the Port of Istanbul in Turkey. The following are part of a 5-rendering sequence that depicts a different outlook for the port.
BAGGAGE CLAIM The garage shot was coordinated with different lights to create an atmosphere of speed and modernity that speaks of the Port’s efficiency in the baggage claim area.
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D I S C LAIME R
EXTR AC U R R I C U L AR W ORK
[ e d u c a t io n a l ]
DISCLAIMER: Compositions featured next were produced in addition to the standard course of study in order to enhance skills that developed my architectural career.
[ p ro f e s s i onal ]
[ ex tracurri cul ar ]
EXTRACURRICULARWORK
NEW YORK, NY The radical verticality of New York City is expressed in this small portrayal that conveys the firm impression of the
OXFORD, UK
uncontrollable Mondrian of steel.
The depiction of urban landscapes has always captivated my attention. By selecting three different periods for this series I was able to explore shapes and ideas that might seem remote to the eye of the contemporary architect but play a crucial role in the mind of the collective consciousness.
PALERMO, ITALY During the Renaissance, Palermo was one of the places that inspired this series. The continuity of the urban development is remarkable for the period as well as the juxtaposition between hard and soft forms.
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EXTRACURRICULARWORK - ORGANIC SHELTERING This sketch explores the idea of the womb as the first habitable space,
INTROSPECTION
long before humans inhabited the first cave the
The series on introspection concentrates on a more
organic approach that celebrates the fluidity and
womb represented a place for sheltering.
continuity of the human figure.
THE NECK
HAND STUDIES intricate and of the body
The hand is one of the most
complex
parts
This sketch explores the neck as a structural element or set of elements that supports
the most important organ in our body.
combining structure with skin and flexible elements.
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