The plan for the Fisicos Avenue location involves constructing five-story mixed-use buildings, which would contain proposed condominiums. The goal is to revitalize the site, and the development includes the addition of twelve parks.
The location is advantageous because it's situated between the Roma and Tecnologógico neighborhoods, with a direct view of Roma Park, and Technologico Park is only two blocks away. This positioning could serve to connect the two neighborhoods.
The proposed development encompasses 1,250m² of residential space, with 117 units, including 81 flat double-view units (70%), 18 duplex units (15%), and 18 studio flat units (15%). The ground floor is reserved for retail space and equipment. There are also 110 underground parking spaces and a bicycle storage area. Finally, the rooftop is designated for storage and laundry facilities.
Design process
Site location. Mostrly surrounded by single-family houses (blue), high-impact area (pink) and low-impact area (orange)
Geometry and dimensions
Ground level
This is a designated zone intended for a variety of activities, including outdoor games, play areas for kids and pets, and sports equipment for outdoor sports.
The green space is specifically designed to be a tranquil area where people can relax and meditate outdoors. It's set apart from the flow of vehicle traffic.
The area, consisting of xeriscaped sections and places to sit, is planned to seamlessly continue the indoor commercial spaces outward.
The patios located near the edge of the property are assigned for different purposes and offer more opportunities for people who live there and those who visit to gather and interact with each other.
Recreational area
Green area
Social area
Collective use area
Rooftop level
Level 4
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Ground level
Rooftop level
Storage
Laundry facilities
Level 4
Housing
Level 3
Housing
Level 2
Housing
Level 1
Housing
Ground level
Level -1
Level -2
Parking
Parapet with drip
Exterior wall detail
Base
- Concrete block
Exterior
- Isolation
- Air chamber
- Durock panel
Interior
- Plaster - Paint
Modulated ceiling 1.22 x 2.44 m
Curtain detail
Embedded system in ceiling perimeter
Profile railing circular section 2 cm in diameter @15 cm
Ground anchoring
Concrete firm f'c 100 with electro-welded mesh of 10x10 cm
Polished finish
Mezzanine slab
Joist and vault reinforced with 10 x 10 cm electro-welded mesh
Concrete f'c 200
Retaining wall
Concrete f'c 250 with stirrups @20 cm
Strip footing
Stirrups @ 20cm
concrete f'c 280 with electro-welded mesh
10 x 10 cm, base 2 m
PVC Pipe
Concrete slab f'c 100, 10 cm thick
10 cm of rammed earth
Rooftop level
Storage
Laundry facilities
Studio Flat Unit
Habitable space: 37.5 m²
Occupancy: 2
Kitchen/Dinning: 10 m²
Living room: 6 m²
Full bathroom: 3.3 m²
Bedroom: 10 m²
Balconies: 6 m²
Units in total: 18
Entry: Level 1 & 3
Duplex
Social Unit
Habitable space: 75 m²
Occupancy: 4
Dining room: 8 m²
Kitchen: 8 m²
Living room: 10 m²
Full bathroom (x2): 3.5 m²
Bedroom (x2): 10 m²
Balconies: 6 m²
Units in total: 18
Entry: Level 2
Duplex 3 Dorms Unit
Habitable space: 75 m²
Occupancy: 4
Dining room: 8 m²
Kitchen: 8 m²
Living room: 10 m²
Full bathroom (x2): 3.5 m²
Bedroom (x2): 10 m²
Balconies: 6 m²
Units in total: 18
Entry: Level 2
Flat Double-view Unit
Living space: 75 m²
Occupancy: 4
Dining room: 10 m²
Kitchen: 10 m²
Living room: 10 m²
Full bathroom (x2): 3.7 m²
Bedroom (x2): 10 m²
Balconies: 6 m²
Units in total: 81
Entry: Level 4
21 Broadview
Participated in this project during the Internship at CEBRA Architecture
Broadview and Eastern is a 12-storey mixed-use project designed by CEBRA architecture and Kasian for Streetcar Developments in Toronto's Riverside district. Replacing a series of derelict townhouses and a car dealership the aim of the project is to revitalize the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Eastern Avenue by celebrating this prominent location as a new feature gateway to the district, while at the same time honouring and building on the neighbourhood’s inherent atmosphere and qualities.
The project consists of 340 residential dwellings, including 15 townhouses, a private courtyard for the residents and will contribute to create attractive urban spaces by adding 800 m² of retail space and a new public park towards Eastern Avenue. The building’s architecture completes and complements the streetscape along Broadview Avenue. The building adjusts to the scale of its surroundings and mediates the transition to the pedestrian experience by dividing the front street wall into three horizontal, slightly offset bands. This creates a building base that meets the neighbourhood with at-grade activities and general transparency at street level.
The horizontal direction of the overall volume is “punctured” by a series of angular cut-outs in the street-facing facades. They serve to further reduce the building scale, to optimize views and daylight conditions in selected sections, and to accentuate the corner towards the intersection. Furthermore, the cut-outs’ golden-metallic surface creates a contrasting material palette together with the predominant brick facades in red and brown tones, contributing to a warm and welcoming of various textures.
Frydenlund
Participated in this project during the Internship at CEBRA Architecture
Frydenlund is a residential project located in Aarhus, Denmark. It consists of three developments: an enclosed daycare with a playground (Gardrumhus), a biking shop and repair (Cykelhus), and a condominium of five units.
Each of the condo's units is connected by bridges, allowing the residents to have different living environments while still being close to each other. The ground floor is designated for commercial use: such as grocery stores, bakeries, coffee shops, etc.
The park is located in the middle of the apartments, so it's very accessible. There are also many different places to get some fresh air, like rooftops of each one of the buildings or walking around the apartments.
- East elevation
- West elevation
Frydenlund - North elevation
Cykelhus - East elevation
Gardrumhus - East elevation
Frydenlund
Frydenlund
Southwest view
Axonometric view
Southeast view
Trælasten
Participated in this project during the Internship at CEBRA Architecture
CEBRA designed a perimeter block structure with a variety of functions and programs: a flexible multi-tenant office building, different dwelling types and sizes, including social housing and townhouses, and a day care centre. By combining the diversity posed by the mixed functions with a connective internal logic, the neighbourhood becomes easy to navigate with a recognisable identity uniting the different functions.
Towards the ring road, the office building forms a narrow, terraced wing that shields from the traffic noise, punctuated by to distinctive “keyhole” openings to accentuate access points visually and physically within the elongated facade. Whereas the northern wing is designed to contain the day care centre and apartments, the eastern wing consists of social housings and assimilates the sloping terrain by stepping down towards the stream to the south, creating a more intimate scale. Here, the southern wing of linked townhouses with individual front yards completes the block.
Barrio Colonia Obrera
Competition: Premio Bienal de Arquitectura Jóven (edición 14), 2018 Honorable mention team: Alejandra Fidalgo, Marcos Escamilla, Felipe Olivas, Yevgeniya Semanivska
The Colonia Obrera is a district situated to the east of the city of Monterrey, Mexico. A polygon of approximately 30 blocks is intended to renew the concept of neighborhood and facilitate, through adequate facilities, community life making accessible a decent room, sufficient services and equipment and achieve with it a level of basic self-sufficiency for the life of its inhabitants. Historically, “La obrera” was characterized by its solidarity and coexistence among its neighbors. Where public spaces, including road spaces such as streets and sidewalks, worked together to achieve high social interrelation. Unfortunately, the social coexistence in the colony has been diluted. This urban proposal seeks to renew the concept and to reinforce the qualities that the working colony has.
Currently, the diagonal street “Profesor Antonio Coello” works exclusively for the automobile. The proposal for this road consists in changing the current traffic to a totally pedestrian route, becoming a linear park. This change divides the colony into two sectors, East and West.
Linear Park
In the beginning, being a railroad that served La Fundidora of Monterrey, it changed its transit from large locomotives to small vehicles, now is the time to give its place to the pedestrian. The park functions as a controlled route throughout the colony that also connects with key points of the urban project.
Public transport route
A road is established for exclusive use for public transport, which in turn is shared with a bike path to further promote the use of ecological means of transport. Isaac Garza Street becomes the main road of the colony.
Shared transit route
By freeing the avenue of heavy traffic, the possibility arises of creating a path of shared use between pedestrians and light vehicles. The road also serves as a transitional axis between the metro and the entrance to the Fundidora Park.
The changes in the circulation require different urban strategies for pedestrians. These diagrams present the type of proposed pedestrian connection.
On the other hand, it is contemplated that the remodelling of the streets will affect the entire colony. However, we are aware that it is necessary to make strategic interventions to raise the density and improve the settlement.
In the eastern sector, a community center is proposed as a meeting point within the colony, so its location is to be towards the center of the park but recharged to an extreme so as not to affect traffic and areas of impact are increased. Based on this assertion, in order to achieve a more significant effect, the most distant spaces of the community center must be taken into account. It is proposed to intervene in these areas to create a stronger union in the colony.
In the West sector, due to the significant deterioration of small houses, it is proposed to remodel the blocks with a new organizational scheme.
With the application of this strategy, an urban design is sought with a system of vehicular and pedestrian roads, green areas, public spaces, and connections to adjacent urban spaces.
Design process
The red color represents the most deteriorated properties whose demolition is imminent. The orange color represents the buildings that could continue to operate by investing in remodelations.
The blue marks identify the public transport routes that cross the colony. The identified behavior concentrates all the routes of horizontal direction in a single way to free Adolfo Prieto street from heavy traffic. In consequence, the street Isaac Garza becomes a two way street.
parking
are generated in the intervention area to efficiently connect the colony giving priority to pedestrians. The three anchors correspond to: Fundidora Park (E), San Pedro Market together with UANL High School (N) and the subway (W).
The new pedestrian modality, requires a new circulation. The red arrows show the roads that change direction while the green ones highlight the change of use from vehicular pedestrian of the street Prof. Antonio Coello E.
Anchors
Strategic
Isaac Garza’s street logistic
Interaction park - street
Pedestrian crosswalk
Housing complex (B6)
Based on the Urban Development Plan of the city of Monterrey, in the area of intervention of the colony are mainly:
» Low impact urban corridors
» Light mixed habitation zone By monitoring the applied method of deterioration of current constructions, it was possible to detect an area where to start the houses recovery and a new Colonia Obrera. It is realized that there is no need to tear down the entire colony for a renovation, in the same way it is considered that vertical growth for density is useful, however, other strategies can be followed to satisfy an increase in density.
The new housing proposal consists of a long-term goal, where the beginning of the process occurs in a zone that is currently deteriorating and little by little the reproduction of it.
The new block responds to the need to change from 60/90 people per hectare to 300/350 people per hectare.
To achieve this it is necessary to have 7000 square meters per block, which in turn results in the creation of 67 homes per block. It is concluded that it is necessary to have 100 square meters per house.
A prototype housing is created meeting the requirements of the Urban Development Plan of Monterrey and what is necessary to comply with the growth of density. In addition, the land use ratio is taken into account to produce the module of 100 square meters as housing, which is placed from the second level so that the first level becomes commerce. Little by little the sale of all lots can be achieved and in this way become the ideal block, where the center has recreation space and green spaces for residents.
Design process
From the second level the living spaces arises. Solar panels are located on the roof to provide energy savings.
The beginning of the strategy is given by the acquisition of one or two lots.
The module in the first level becomes commerce.
Volumetry resulting by including housing in the upper levels of the block.
Vertical circulations placed inside, which are shared every two houses. Its positioning is aimed to offer more security in the neighborhood.
Entry and exit block circulation. The offices are located above them.
In the “ideal block” strategy, this is the first level belonging to the commercial use. System of parking strategically hidden after the commercial level.
Mixed Use building (E1)
The building contains apartments, offices and a recreational program in the center for the use of residents and settlers.
The main entrance is the lowest area to respect the human scale and be a welcoming welcome. As the project approaches Francisco Márquez Street the density increases so the building responds to this and increases its levels to the level of Land use ratio indicated.
Urban corridors high impact
150 housing / ha
10 land use ratio
Zone
mixed use building
2.5 land use ratio
Corner detonating of the project, as a response to the density of the colony and the human scale.
The lower level responds to the pedestrian while the higher to high flow pathways.
Internal staging for the creation of more dynamic spaces.
The architectural program consists of a basement with commercial function and the upper levels of housing.
Market (B1)
The challenge of this project is to carry out a remodeling worthy of the market, maintaining in its majority the existing structure. Its function now becomes commercial and office, while above the already established collective housing buildings are created in order to increase density. In front of the market is the linear park that connects with the other intervention, with the purpose of carrying out an architectural program similar to that of the market.
Urban corridors
high impact
low impact
Current state of the market and the block in front of it.
Creation of public spaces between interventions for the community.
The architectural program consists of the first commercial level, the second of offices and then collective housing.
Generation of a circulation in the market and creation of entrances to the block.
Community Center (E5)
The community center arises at the meeting point of two axes that govern the urban project. The community center offers different cultural activities including the arts and sports.
The building is located organically in the selected site in such a way that it is integrated into the linear park. The project can be conceptualized as three different volumes that respond to a specific programmatic function, which in turn are connected or communicated by bridges.
It is also very important to mention the flexibility of the place, due to the capability of the free floor that lends itself to a variety of possible programs.
Design process
The third grid (6 m high) arises from the nearby buildings of two levels.
A series of vertical lines are produced from each vertex generated in the different reticles.
The first grid (ground level) arises from all buildings near the land.
The second grid (3m high) corresponds to the nearby buildings of one level.
The same process is carried out for the second level and the necessary connections between the generated bodies are determined.
The volumetric generation with a volume at third level derived from the last grid is concluded.
It is also decided to take advantage of the set of grids as a structural skeleton of the building, adapting it to the volumetry generated.
Quadrants with greater potential are selected according to the first grid and having respected the existing vegetation.
The Nemrut caldera sits cradled within the Nemrut Volcano, formed by the collapse of the volcano itself, creating a large, deep crater. Turkey is home to the largest caldera in Europe and the 4th largest in the world.
The focus area is the main observation point, where visitors have a 360 degree panorama view of the entire caldera, and with a perfect view of Lake Van below. Materials such as volcanic rock, sandstone and wood were considered since Turkey is a vernacular country in terms of its architecture.
Form of the crater converted into a hexagon, that symbolizes heaven in Islam.
Vertical repetition of hexagon to create slabs.
Rotation of the middle slab to create dynamism.
Generation of triangular panels from intersection of slab vertices.
Level 1 - enclosed
South elevation
Level 2 - open air
Section West elevation
North elevation
In order to keep the present and respect the past, a fusion of the characteristics of the respective architectural styles was followed in order to provide a complete experience to the users.
The Observatory has been divided into a lower and upper viewpoint where the upper viewpoint is enclosed and the lower one is in the open air. This was deemed as necessary for the project due to the fact that the Nemrut region has a very extreme climate. Moreover, there is a lot of snowfall during the Winter season, making it necessary for an enclosed observatory. This division of a lower and upper region gives the user the ability to choose to remain inside or experience the beautiful view whilst feeling the actual climate of the region. Volcanic rock of the region has been utilized as an ornamentation to decorate the facade of the building and wood to adorn the interiors, since it is a highly thermic material, which helps during the winter season.
The upper part of the observatory, comes with a step like seating furniture which flanks the entrance towards this space. This has been placed since the journey to the top of the volcano, although quite beautiful, is harsh and this will provide much needed rest to the weary travelers. From here users can experience the mesmerizing view of the Caldera below. The roof is inclined and extends beyond, so that the sunlight being received towards the interior isn’t so harsh. Minimal interior and artificial illumination has been placed so as to not interfere with the natural beauty that this region has to offer. Another feature is the star shape who symbolizes the spread of Islam, but it can only be seen looking down to the building from the sky. The respect towards religion is a key aspect of this project which states the intention that peace and harmony is necessary to observe the true beauties of the world.
Naapittarfik
Participated in this project during the Internship at CEBRA Architecture
As a result of comprehensive changes and challenges in Greenland, the city of Nuuk is currently facing these changes through a thorough strategy for sustainable urban development. A key factor in this development is the future school and day care centre in which the children of Nuuk can co-exist in a motivational environment providing comfortable and inclusive surroundings, both during and after school hours. From this, we developed a building that accommodates the requirements of the local community as well as being a promoter of the development of the city and society.
Naapittarfik, meaning “meeting point” in Greenlandic, is structured to be in interaction with the city and the surrounding landscape as a natural gathering point for the local inhabitants as well as a landmark for the development that Nuuk and the rest of Greenland is currently experiencing. It stands forward as an architectonic point of reference which accentuates the city’s important “cultural axis” and finds itself in the passage between the city and the spectacular landscape.
To relate the large building to both the scale of the urban context and the human scale, especially at a children’s level, the volume is subdivided into a composition of functional clusters: culture, sport, school. They are shifted and placed to support functional relations with the immediate surroundings and an active interplay with the city.
The outdoor areas are designed based on three landscape themes, which, with a starting point in the architectonic main concept, creates a connection to the landscape that characterises and surrounds Nuuk: The fell, the plain, and the glacier. The three themes are converted to a range of specific zones for movement, learning and social activities. The zones offer a mix of intensively programmed zones with an “organised” character as well as unprogrammed, natural landscape elements with more “free” qualities. This mix creates a varying interplay, resulting in an eventful activity landscape with diverse sensory and motor challenges.
Broadview Hotel extension
Participated
in this
project during the Internship at CEBRA Architecture
The Broadview Hotel is a renowned building located on Broadview Ave., Toronto. As part of the hotel's expansion plans, an existing building with an adjacent parking lot on the other side of the block will be used for extension. This new building has already been fitted with plans by the Streetcar company, and the task at hand was to design the façade for the building.
The team responsible for the project had already worked on several proposals for the building's façade. Therefore, the team resumed the project and devised two ideas for the building's façade. The first idea was to design a glass top façade, while the second was to use louvers.
However, the building's base had already been partially resolved, meaning the team needed to focus solely on the façade study. As part of this task, my role was to design and propose various façade options that would complement the building's existing features and enhance its overall aesthetic appeal.
Verge Parks
Participated in this project during the Internship at CEBRA Architecture
The project is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. The goal of this project is to create parks along several large avenues. The avenues have lots that function as a divider between traffic and residential areas. This system has been implemented throughout the city. The primary purpose of this project is to improve the aesthetics of Abu Dhabi by creating more green spaces and beautifying them with installations and recreational areas.
The park is designed for a variety of users, from children to adults. There are different play areas and places where people can stop for transportation, among other things.
Each park has a designated path for bicycles and another one for pedestrians. In each lot, several "satellites" were also implemented: circular spaces with various functions that depend on the environment. For example, in a park designed for children, the satellites might include play areas or places to sit and read books.
Stretching and aerobics area
Bus stop area
Aerial view
Residential block
10 x 12.5 m
It is intended to build four houses in a space of 20x25 m, being that each house would have a surface of 10x12.5 m.
Due to these characteristics, each house has a view of two different streets and two blind walls that adjoin each other. The site and orientation are undefined.
Residential block
5 x 25 m
The project responds to the need to create a block of single-family homes of indefinite length.
Each house would have a surface of 5 x 25 m and has two entrances: one on each street. The terrain and orientation are undefined.
This housing unit is aimed at students or people who do not require much housing space. Each room is adaptable to the needs of the user, depending on their occupation and economy.
The possibilities of the furnished allow having the flexibility of living from 1 to 4 people per unit. The property measures 9 x 12 m, with one facade and three blind walls. The terrain and orientation are undefined.
