PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO SANTIAGO BECKDORF SOLÁ
06 19
SANTIAGO BECKDORF SOLÁ ARCHITECT (Riba part III Equivalent) MArch Urban Design
I am a dynamic, fully qualified architect with six years of experience in both professional and academic fields. After I completed my undergraduate studies at the UDD School of Architecture in Santiago of Chile, 2012 –where I taught since I graduated– I was awarded a full scholarship for postgraduate studies at the Bartlett School of Architecture UCL, from where I got my Master’s degree in Urban Design in September 2018. The combination of my work experience within the academy as both teacher and researcher in the Innovation in Cities Centre in Chile has given me a broad range of architectural and urban design skills. On the one hand, as a professional, I have participated in all project stages, from the concept design to project management. This fact gave me the ability to work in a multidisciplinary environment and therefore, strong competences to work within a team with the capacity of taking leadership whenever the situation arises. On the other hand, as a fellow teacher, I have developed excellent verbal and graphical communication skills. In addition to this, I have taken part in several research projects such as Smart Cities and Urban Resilience, which have empowered my critical thinking and analytical skills beyond practice towards more speculative strategies. In line with the later, the 12-month studio-based programme at the Bartlett School of Architecture offered me significant challenges to dig deeply into experimental design, advanced architecture, and digital and physical prototyping. I am aiming professionally to further expand the mentioned competences by working in a synergy between the technical implementation of architecture and the conceptual approach of design, encouraging creativity and innovation with new methods of architectural representation. For this reason, my interest in your firm is motivated by the design approach through multidisciplinary practice at different scale projects.
Date of Birth_ 05/02/1987 Place of Birth_ Buenos Aires, Argentina. Nationality_ Chilean VISA Required
sbeckdorfs@udd.cl +56 990794333 @SBeckdorfS Santiago Beckdorf Solá 957 Estrella del Norte, SCL Chile
EDUCATION March Urban Design (Merit) Bartlett School of Architecture_ UCL 2017 / 2018 Achitecture Degree (Hons) Universidad del Desarrollo_ Santiago Chile 2011 / 2012 Bachelor in Architecture School of Architecture Universidad del Desarrollo_ Santiago Chile 2006 / 2010
PROFESIONAL
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Independent Architect and Urban Consultant Small scale housing projects and Urban Design Consultancy 2012 / . . . UDD Innovation City Centre Urban Design Fellow Researcher 2016 / . . . Admissions School of Architecture Universidad del Desarrollo_ Santiago Chile 2010 / 2017 Castro & Tagle Architect and Partners Small, medium and large scale housing development and comercial projects 2012 / 2014 Fellow Teacher UDD School of Architecture Lecturer at Undergraduate Architecture and Urban Design Studio Design Thesis Tutor_ MArch Urban Design & Landscape Architecture 2014 / . . . Urban Design Fellow Researcher UDD Innovation City Centre 2015 / . . . ARCHIPRIX Workshop Moscow STRELKA Institute for media, architecture and design 2013
According to my previous work and academic experience, I consider myself an excellent candidate for this position. I will contribute to your studio with my passion and commitment to deliver the best work possible. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss my application for this position in more detail with an interview. Please feel free to contact me at all times on the details provided below.
HONORS PUBLICATIONS
Researcher Connect Course British Council 2019 Governamental Scholarship for postgraduate studies CONICYT 2017 1st Prize Archiprix Chile Best graduate project 2010 / 2012 Finnalist Academic Project Chilean Architecture Biennale 2008
Yours faithfully,
Santiago Beckdorf BA + March Urban Design, Bartlett School of Architecture UCL +569 90794333 s.sola.17@ucl.ac.uk
SKILLS Softwares Autocad Win / Os Rhinoceros Grasshopper Houdini Sketchup Photoshop Illustrator After Effects In Design Keyshot Arc Gis Microsoft Office Sketching
Languages
English (IELTS) Spanish (Native)
Hobbies
Cycling Outdoors Photography Sketching Traveling
Project developed with Farnoosh Fanaian and Luis Carlos Castillo Drawing by author
Project developed with Farnoosh Fanaian and Luis Carlos Castillo Drawing by author
Project developed with Farnoosh Fanaian and Luis Carlos Castillo Drawing by Luis Carlos Castillo
MArch in Urban Design Bartlett School of Architecture Research Cluster 11
Anthropogenic Topographies by Ana Abram - Aisling O’ Carroll A mass- urbanisation plays out across the globe, cities and their derivative operations are shaping the Earth on an unprecedented scale. Urban processes have surpassed natural processes as the lead driver of geomorphic, atmospheric, and ecological change in what has been heralded as a new geologic epoch, the Anthropocene. The distinction between city and landscape as we know it no longer exists. Road building, housing construction, agricultural production, resource supply, and leisure opportunities are among those demands generated by urban populations that are now shaping a territory well beyond the traditional urban perimeter. We regard this expanded field, this anthropogenic topography, to be the territory of urbanism. In this context, Research Cluster 11 explores the relations between urban and landscape systems, to reframe our understanding of urbanism on a territorial and geological scale. Along with the dissolution of boundaries between city and countryside, there is a simultaneous blurring of disciplinary boundaries within the design professions, brought about by this increasingly complex and layered urban territorial condition. Research Cluster 11 deploys a range of tools from architecture, landscape, and urban design to address this anthropogenic topography. Synthesising open-ended landscape processes with urban systems and cultural experience, students challenge established notions of city, infrastructure, and landscape, and propose flexible yet directive patterns for future urbanisation. We explore how urban systems and infrastructures can be informed by landscape processes to enable new resiliences, new cultural relevance, and new productivities. Ultimately, we seek to uncover how these novel hybrid systems may structure models of future urban living in the peri-urban areas of cities. This year, Research Cluster 11 has investigated a transect of urban to peri-urban to rural transitions, extending beyond the traditional metropolitan boundary, with the understanding of urbanism as a territorial, land-forming process.
Green Corridors as nature sound producers.
As urban designers, we are geomorphic agents. Considering infrastructure to be the structuring element of urban territories, we explore a new approach to (landscape) master planning based on hybrid landscape- infrastructure systems. We use the embedded intelligence of landscape systems -including geomorphological processes, ecological processes, and natural systems to inform the organisation of urban and peri-urban environments over time, taking into account competing functions within the urban territory. Shaping Soundscapes is a research and design project developed with my Wenyu Sun for the Research Cluster 11.
Sound absorption effect produced by slope and by vegetation belt (tree and shrubs). Building facade design proposal with ribs to increase the absorption of low frequency sound.
Urban Position
Starting from an analisys of London Soundscape, we realized the impact of the physical obstructions on sound spreading. And how relevant is the transport infrastructure network on the definition of the sonic environment. What people is used to think about the Green Belt as a quiet place, actually is not like that. The project aims to re define the strategy of urban sprawl over the London Green Belt under the scope of sound and how to encourage people to live close to noisy infrastructures to preserve nature environments. Through the soundscape rebalancing, that means to manipulate sound produced by the highway, but also to bring nature sound into future urban clusters, it would be possible to think in a mutualistic inhabitation between animal and human specie.
London Soundmap
(drawing by Wenyu Sun)
Project Vision
Sound mirrors and bats and birds nesting structures are proposed not only for allow birthing of these specie, in addition, they will improve the sonic environment by enhancing positive sounds that produce impacts over mating and migration relationship between certain kind of birds.
Park Soundscape
(drawing by Author)
In the case of the area close to the road, the strategy is to apply topography movements to reduce sound diffraction, and with that, add materials with different grades of porousity that produce absorption of specific frequencies which are harmful for diferent dwellers.
Road buffer Soundscape (drawing by Author)
Morphology and Material applied to landscape configurations
Digital prototype of landforms patterns and material porousity. Close to the road, the idea is to reflect and by using piezoelectric devices, produce energy. At the same time, the gaps between them make possible to plant trees and schrubs to abrorve more sound. (drawing by Author)
Ribs patterns physical models to manipulate sound under different conditions.
Material Studies Surface Morphology & Sound behaviour
Bird Nesting digital prototyping Surface Morphology & Sound behaviour
(drawing by Author)
MArch in Urban Design Bartlett School of Architecture
Academic Project_01
MArch in Urban Design Bartlett School of Architecture
Academic Project_01
(drawing by Author)
The intersection between topography and materials are the structures that allowing animal nesting, also produce sounscape transformation by mirroring soung to enhance positive frequenct band to increase birds mating and birthing. The geometry of the structures are a result of sound behaviour applying materials criteria to produce absorption / reflection.
(drawing by Author)
Concave and Convexe morphology
Porousity Gradient
Physical Prototype
Ecology as design driver
(drawing by Author)
Ecology as design driver
(drawing by Author)
MArch in Urban Design Bartlett School of Architecture
Academic Project_02
MArch in Urban Design Bartlett School of Architecture
Academic Project_02
This reserach project points on hydrological system as a potential design driver. Understanding the relationship between geography and geology, and how this defines the sediment catchment of a specific system, it is possible to manipulate sediment accumulation to produce land reclamation over estuaries landscapes. The focus area was Severn estuary, which is under an on going over accumulation of sediments which is affecting marshlands ecological systems. In addition, it offers a great energy production potential due to the tidal levels. The relevance of understanding how human activities are modifying the sediment catchment of rivers and its flow behaviour is a major issue to prevent floodings, reduce water pollution and improve ecosystems for living species.
(drawing by Author)
MArch in Urban Design Bartlett School of Architecture
Academic Project_02
MArch in Urban Design Bartlett School of Architecture
Academic Project_02
(drawing by Author)
Seaside Park Baron Pier_ ValparaĂso, Chile.
Competition_02
Seaside Park Baron Pier_ ValparaĂso, Chile.
Competition_02
This competition asked to develop a park and an aquarium within an abandoned site used for the maritime passenger terminal, in ValparaĂso. The site is the geographic gravitational point, due to the surrounding hilly landscape. So this is a strategic point for a public space project. We decided to shift a little bit the aquarium program, making an aquatic park that works 24 hours a day, driven by the tides. So from a first operation, we changed the topographies in order to produce this ponds, where each one of them will contain different aquatic wildlife. Moreover, a system of paths, that also changes with the tides connects all the project, to make an open space with a strong focus on ecological education and urban interaction.
(drawing by Author)
(screenshots from app))
Residence for Ena Craigh Children Foundation Architecture Project
Professional Project_01
Residence for Ena Craigh Children Foundation Architecture Project
Professional Project_01
This project was developed in partnership with the Chilean architect María Isabel Videla, during years 2016 and 2018. The client is Ena Craigh of Luksic Foundation, and they have been building houses to provide accommodation to children and their parents who comes from other regions of the country to the capital for medical treatments. The challenge was to achieve the most efficient in terms of the number of rooms and the local regulation, regardless of the spatial quality understanding the user as highly sensitive people. Thus, one of the first considerations was to develop a project which moves away as much as possible from the image of a hospital. That is why the material expression was relevant to achieve that feeling of “being at home”.
The displacement of the volumes produced exterior corridors and gardens which was proposed as urban orchards. The existing palm was also a design consideration, because of the prohibition of remove any chilean palm it was included into the house design.
Exterior view from the front of the house. Due to the imposed distance from the neighbour, the solution was to propose different not aligned volumes which produce a discontinued line between the three floors.
Architecture contest_ Mario Toral Museum, Santiago Chile The contest was about designing a museum for the Chilean artist Mario Toral. This was an exciting competition because allow any firm to participate, so it was an extense exposition of work from many national and international architecture firms. Located in a site close to the Andes Mountains, and with plenty of ancient trees, the challenge was to maintain as much as the existing species and included them into the design proposal. Also, the museum should offer an exposition area, but also places for the interaction between the artist and the community. So it should be sorted through the dialogue between private and public spaces. We took this last idea as the first design definition, to produce an organic trace over the site and allow the interaction between nature and architecture at the ground floor and the buried basement. Because of the slope of the site, stairs and ramps connect all different levels, giving the feeling of always being in a no- flat space.
Contest Project_01
Architecture contest_ Mario Toral Museum, Santiago Chile The basement answer to the idea of this public space of interaction between art and the community, but also about interior and exterior spaces, letting nature get inside the project. The upper floor has a different expression in terms of materiality and usage. Exposition and conference rooms were proposed on the second floor to take advantage of the sight through corridors, halls and a restaurant. In terms of materiality, there was an association between the materials and the relationship that the project establishes with the site, the topography and with nature. Because of that, basement recognises its relationship with the ground through concrete walls, which also would allow audio visual performances, scenic art and wall painting. The in-between of the basement and upper floors let a free space, referring to the void between the ground and tree foliages. Finally, superior level, which is below the trees highness, recognise the materiality of the trunks, but also to produce a contrast between the feeling to be inside the ground and above.
Contest Project_01
Architecture contest_ Mario Toral Museum, Santiago Chile
Contest Project_01
Architecture contest_ Mario Toral Museum, Santiago Chile
Contest Project_01
The model shows the relationship between inside and outside spaces which is the blurry condition of being inside and outside.
Architecture degree final project_ Cultural and Gastronomic space, Providencia Chile. The final project of my Architecture major started from the study of walk as an act through which the human being has been building relationships with the spatial environment. From the very beginning of human history, nomads inhabited the world in a temporary way, tracing a map of movements related with animal migration, climate changes and looking vfor better opportunities. As Francesco Careri mentioned, is by walking that humans stablished the most relevant relationships with the landscape. Nowadays, we still being nomads in our cities. People moves around from one place to an other without being concious of the meaning or the sense of place. The project proposed a Cultural and Gastronomical space based on the act of walk, and how to make more evident the relationships between city environment and landscape.
Academic Project_03
Architecture degree final project_ Cultural and Gastronomic space, Providencia Chile.
Academic Project_03
Architecture degree final project_ Cultural and Gastronomic space, Providencia Chile.
Academic Project_03
Architecture degree final project_ Cultural and Gastronomic space, Providencia Chile.
Academic Project_03
UDD School of Architecture_ Architectural Design Studio
Academic Practice_01
UDD School of Architecture_ Architectural Design Studio
Academic Practice_01
The academic practice allowed me to explore and follow a continuous formation thread. Last year I led the Urban Design Studio at UDD School of Architecture, as well as giving lectures such as “Anthropogenic Topographies� and, bridging my academic practice with international programmes such as the International Workshop Thinking Lab; Designing the future of Barcelona, with La Salle School of Architecture in Barcelona, Design Discovery of the Harvard Graduate School of Design and, Summer Workshop with RCR Arquitectes in Catalunya, Spain.
I have participated in many crits as member of the jury, in both undergraduate and graduate programmes
ANTHROPOGENIC TOPOGRAPHIES_ Explores the impacts over natural systems that an ongoing anthropogenic process and, how they are shaping our landscape. The aim is to realise how urban infrastructures could be an asset to engage natural systems with urban over-expansion process.
International Workshop; Thinking Lab, Barcelona
Personal Development_01
Lower Manhattan New York, 2019 “The Bean�, Millenium Park Chicago, 2019
As well as developing skills in computational design and graphic representation, I believe sketching is an essential aspect of architectural practice, as a way of developing a critical point of view through which different urban or natural scenarios are represented. Each experience has behind a reflection about the way of looking and analysing the underlying conditions that define the sense of place. Furthermore, it is an opportunity to develop a different approach to the creative process of architecture and urban design. Drawing gave me the capacity of communicating ideas graphically in a clear and convincing way.
Sketching_
Jay Pritzker Pavilion_ Chicago, 2019
Sketching_
New York Vertical Skyline, 2019
Moscow Skyline, 2013
Personal Development_01