Portfolio

[ P O R T F O L I O ] 201 5-201 8

Rodrigo M. Watson E. ACADEMIC | PROFESSIONAL | COMPETITION

[ I N D E X ]

[ A B O U T ]

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Intro_Resume

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Professional Category_Projects developed under my coordination @ HRTD | Hurtado Arquitectos 1. Roca Condominium

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Professional Category_Projects developed under my coordination @ HRTD | Hurtado Arquitectos 1. Art Atelier

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Pag. 14 Pag. 16

My name is Rodrigo Watson, a 26 year old Nicaraguan Architect, currently working at one of the most prestigious Architectural Design Practices in Nicaragua. The following work is a collection of my latest personal and professional collaborations and projects, as well as the experimentations that came along the processes.

[ R E S U M E ] Sept. 2019 “Candidate” to Masters in Architecture MA University of Westminster, London.

Academic Category 1. Parametric Building_Project Developed for my postgraduate disertation

March 2009 - Dec. 2013 Bachelor of Architecture

Jan. 2014 - May 2014 Postgraduate in Contemporary Design

Competition Category 1. Tiny Home Competition.

DOB_0 2/01/1992

Competition Category 1. Tree Housing Competition.

[DESIGN AREA]

[LANGUAGE]

Autodesk Autocad Architecture Revit Architecture Vray Lumion Rhinoceros 3D Grasshopper 3D

Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe PremierPro

Spanish

English

Italian

[ R E C O G N I T I O N S ] Tiny Home Competition Activate 14, an outreach initiative of AIA North Carolina Top 20 Shortlist­_ID 125_Page 04 https://activate14.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/a14-tiny-home-final-entries.pdf Archiprix International_Madrid 2015 Certificate of Participation of the Archiprix International http://www.archiprix.org/2015/index.php?project=3528

[ W O R K

E X P E R I E N C E ]

HRTD | Hurtado Arquitectos

4

years

[ I N T E R E S T S ] Parametric

Sketching/Concept

Photography

Traveling

Reading/Self taught

Technology

Senior Designer at HRTD | Hurtado Arquitectos.

Conceptual Developer | Project Coordinator DEBOCASA

1

year

Outsourcing in project coordination Architectural plans developer | Site supervision.

1. [PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY] Roca Condominium is a 30 apartment building complex conceptualized under the accidently topography of the site where it’s emplaced, located in Managua, Nicaragua, and it’s projected to be fully developed in four phases with a total of six buildings. Each building and apartment is oriented in a way it can take full advantage of the view to the natural Lake of Managua.

At the moment, Roca Condominium is about to start it’s construction stage. The following project was conceptually developed and design under my coordination at HRTD. [DRAFT LOCATION]

[LAKE OF MANAGUA]

[MASTERPLAN VIEW]

[SECTION 01]

[FRONTAL VIEW]

1. [PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY] This is a small Atelier conceived under the idea of keeping an old existing bodega facade so we do not intervene in its sorroundings, nevertheless this doesn’t mean it will not suffer an intervention. As for the interior intervention, it is redesign from scratch so we can have a remarkable but intentional contrast between the antique and contemporary.

This is an on going project, which is conceptually developed and design under my coordination at HRTD.

1. [PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY] Summit House_Cemex National Award Submission_2018 Edition This is a comlpeted project which was conceptually developed and design under my coordination at HRTD. Summit House is a project whose topography, location and elevation were key points for the conceptual development and design of its architectural party. The project was conceived from its natural topography, where the rugged and declining terrain was used to generate two social spaces that could be isolated by their difference of levels, but at the same time integrated by the use of materials from both spaces, for the homogeneity in the design of its facade and for the implementation of natural green roofs that unify the finished terrace level of the main house with the roof level of the Pool House that is at the lowest level.

2. [ACADEMIC CATEGORY] [Proposal for a new City Hall placed in Managua, based and conceived under Biomimicry Architecture]

[Conceptual Design]

The project emerges from the needs that the city of Managua represents, because of the lack of an infrastructure body that hosts the municipality entities to fulfill the needs of its population.

The idea of applying a Biomimetic Architecture Concept starts off from a Design Core Module practice/exercise where the flora and fauna found in our tropic would be the Main focus and starting point.

The conceptual process goes in hand with the biomimetic concept applied. The biotic element used as concept was the cactus, but not in its life stage where its organic tissues are in vital function, but in its dead stage where its organic tissues become dry fabrics.

1.

2.

3.

[Inner Cactus Cavity]

[Dried/Dead tissue]

[Fabrics from dried tissues]

Once the cactus lost its vital functions, its vascular structures can be observed thanks to the accumulation of woody tissue. The plant no longer contains water, there’s no epidermis and the spines and/or other tissues have disappeared. In order to observe this stage, the cactus must achieve a certain size. age, maturity and growth

[Proposal for a new City Hall placed in Managua, based and conceived under Biomimicry Architecture]

[Parametric Definition]

For this case of study, several models were developed, both in physical and digital matter. The physical model that simulates the cactus tissue fabrics, helped to understood how this could work as an Self-supporting structure, to later develope it and run digital simulations following the same structural logic where its vertical distribution from node to node distribute the forces.

The concept was to re-create the filaments and fibers from the dead cactus. The study consisted on placing “n� number of points on a plane and on that same plane, place a variety of parallel lines. A point would create an expansion between the parallel lines. A set of random points would create many expansions that simulates the fabrics, movility and organic structure of the fibers from the dead cactus

THE INDIVIDUAL

3. [COMPETITION CATEGORY] [ID #125_TINY RALEIGH] Our project proposal divides itself in three key elements: the nature, the individual, and the community; it´s relationship with one another and the development of each one in order to make a contribution to the whole.

THE NATURE The nature element encases besides the inclusion of natural elements such as the community garden and the planting of trees; how sustainable can it be, whereas in the construction process as in the life of the structure. Our solution to a minimum impact is the usage of recycled material (structural wood, pallets, recycled metal, etc) for the construction, building the units as self-contained to avoid the earthmovements on the plot, create window openings in accord to the wind direction to provide a more comfortable interior with some cross-ventilation passive system. The houses, the commons building, and the garden are designed and located on site in order to harvest the sun radiation for the energy requirements of the houses and main building (via photovoltaic and solar panels); provide a comfortable growing area for the crops, and foster the sense of community.

[TINY RALEIGH MASTERPLAN]

[TINY HOME COMPOSITION DIAGRAM]

The individual, as in, the resident of the community. The individual is the core member of the whole. Without individual there is no community and no necessity of the nature elements. The individual must be integrated with the house he or she resides. This combo adds in the sustainability of the community.

Each house is built with recycled materials which are easily found across the country, besides the construction system (wood frame building) is a very popular for its economy. Each house is self-sufficient in energy and provides, with the compost toilet, material for the bio-gas tank which runs the kitchen and other necessities in the Commons Building.

Each house provides equipment to cover the basic needs and some amenities. We provide storage in places that don’t compromise the mobility and/or the aperture of the core of the house. A relaxing niche in the back of the house for a solitary moment, a loft bed to take advantage of ventilation, and the porch which opens to the center of the site for community interaction. Besides a small kitchen unit and a foldable table for company.

THE COMMUNITY The community is the union of the 2 elements mentioned before. We can difference the houses, the common garden, and the Commons Building. The houses provide individuality to its residents, also provides fuel for the bio-gas tank for the Commons Building. The Commons Building offers an indoor interaction space for the residents and gives them a responsibility. It’ll also provide those necessary facilities that the houses don’t. The kitchen, the cleaning, the maintenance of itself will be run by its residents. The Garden, likewise, will turn out to be the responsibility of the residents, as well as a benefit for them, which will allow them to gain self-sufficiency. These elements allow a coverage of immediate needs and empowerment of the residents.

3. [COMPETITION CATEGORY] [MM709_GROWING HOUSE, NICARAGUA] Nicaragua, the heart of Central America, has one of the largest extent of rainforest, which contains the most coveted endangered precious hardwoods of the Region, but, with forest exploitation and carbon emissions progressing at a dangerous speed, the forestry sector is struggling to find a significant market, and a strategy to maximize the use of wood in a sustainable way. Therefore, the use of wood in construction is limited to the traditional industry (furniture and small architectural details or structural elements). Nevertheless, in the last decade, numerous communities have been organizing themselves and creating Cooperatives to control, create and regulate sustainable forests and develop a sustainable way to trade wood. As we know the progress of a Forest is slow, so we faced ourselves with the challenge to develop a project using the thinning of forest. Growing House derived from experiments with wood design, investigation in sustainability, construction, and social context; besides the interest to tackle the shortage in homes of over half a million, which led us to propose two modular houses. Model A and Model B involve flexible systems in the interior and exterior walls. In both cases the floor area is divided into a 1.22m grid. Our proposal aims to be adaptable in different climate, different kinds of terrain and responsive according to its user’s needs, using elements that allow an easy adaptation process.

[MM709_GROWING HOUSE, NICARAGUA] › The Pier Foundation system it’s a universal solution for adaptability and integration to different landscapes, humidity protection of the wooden floor, and a passive insulation solution of the floor. › The interior wall panels can be moved and replaced providing a multifunctional space. As a result, the house can increase in modules of 1.22m at both ends turning the interior space into different typologies. Its purpose is to respond to all needs; finished panels are covered with recycled pallets so the decor can be easily assembled in situ. › The four facades are nearly identical. Between the structural frames, louvres are placed to allow a more effective air flow, privacy or block unwanted sunlight; the louvres are individually controlled and allow aperture for wind flow. › The structural gesture, a reinterpretation of the typical house, is the solid element of the form. The roof slope also answers to a tropical weather solution and six months of constant rain, on the other hand, the inner side is given by the simplicity of the standardized walls. Both of our models begin with a “wet core”, an adaptable space and a room; these elements are easily changeable and customizable because of this independent structure.

Finally all these: standardized elements, usage of certified and recycled wood, passive ventilation and illumination solutions, low impact placement of construction, adaptability of the space (thus prolonging its life spam), open plan proposal and a structure ready to adaptability are factors in carbon sequestration; and an overall complete and positive proposal to its context, the environment and the users.