Building an Organism by Sergio Afonso

BUILDING AN ORGANISM CONNECTING PEOPLE TO NATURE

SERGIO B. AFONSO MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE THESIS DECEMBER 18, 2020

SERGIO B AFONSO MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE THESIS CANDIDATE

IAN F. TABERNER, AIA DIRECTOR OF THESIS

M. RUSSEL FELDMAN, AIA, NCARB THESIS INSTRUCTOR

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To accompany this written presentation of this thesis, there is an additional, web-based format. This website was created for the final, virtual presentation and provides an interactive experience of this thesis. While the much of the content it the same, it does not include the explanatory information contained in this book. Additionally, there is access to the final, video presentation given at the review. This site can be accessed at: HTTPS://AFONSO-THESIS-2020.BUBBLEAPPS.IO/

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WE SPEAK ERRONEOUSLY OF “ARTIFICIAL” MATERIALS, “SYNTHETICS”, AND SO FORTH. THE BASIS FOR THIS ERRONEOUS TERMINOLOGY IS THE NOTION THAT NATURE HAS MADE CERTAIN THINGS WHICH WE CALL NATURAL, AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS “MANMADE”, ERGO ARTIFICIAL. BUT WHAT ONE LEARNS IN CHEMISTRY IS THAT NATURE WROTE ALL THE RULES OF STRUCTURING; MAN DOES NOT INVENT CHEMICAL STRUCTURING RULES; HE ONLY DISCOVERS THE RULES. ALL THE CHEMIST CAN DO IS FIND OUT WHAT NATURE PERMITS, AND ANY SUBSTANCES THAT ARE THUS DEVELOPED OR DISCOVERED ARE INHERENTLY NATURAL. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT. - R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE ABSTRACT FRAMEWORK RESEARCH & ANALYSIS RESEARCH PRECEDENT ANALYSIS

SITE SELECTION & ANALYSIS DESIGN CONCEPT PERFORMATIVE ESSAY DESIGN PROPOSAL SITE PLAN FLOOR PLANS ELEVATIONS SECTIONS

DESIGN DIAGRAMS CONCLUSIONS

NEXT STEPS CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIX A : THESIS REVIEWS CONCEPT REVIEW DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW FINAL REVIEW

APPENDIX B : THESIS PROPOSAL

8 10 12 14 17 18 20 31 43 57 61 62 66 84 90 95 103 104 105 107 113 114 122 136 141 ||7

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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A thank you to all the following critics who attended presentations and offered insight into the development of this project: Hyacinth John, Assoc AIA Chuck Redmon, FAIA Mark Rukamathu, AIA Dave Walsh, RA, RLA, LEED AP Daniel Wilder Luis-Miguel Correa

A thank you to the Director of Master Thesis who offered direction and guidance for the emergence of the proposal, especially during an unprecedented semester: Ian F. Taberner, AIA

A special thank you to my Thesis Advisor and teaching assistant who were critical of my process through the development and execution of the project: M. Russel Feldman, AIA, NCARB Sarah Oakes, Assoc. AIA, CSI, CDT, LEED Green Associate ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ||9

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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

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Ever since I can remember, I have always been fascinated by the outdoors. I spent most of my childhood playing outside with the neighborhood kids, digging in the dirt, swimming in ponds, catching bugs, you name it. In the summers when I was off from school, if I wasn’t at the beach with my parents, I was camping with my uncles. There has always been something comforting and familiar for me in nature. When it was time for college, I chose to go to the University of Maine to study zoology, the study of animals. There, I learned as an adult what it was meant to be surrounded by nature in my daily life, going to my regular classes, but have the ability to pick up and go hiking at a National Park, or kayaking in the river, even snowshoeing and cross country skiing were options to stay connected in the winter months. When I finished my studies, I went abroad to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. There I got a real sense of what it was like for life that was integrated with nature. People there don’t live off the land, but live with it. I was inspired by this relationship, and when I got back to the United States, I found myself very jaded at how our society accepts our relationship with nature. To me, the dichotomy between what was natural and what was artificial was so apparent it was jarring: the food industry, clothing, cosmetics, housing, transportation; all these seemed to have this war with “being green”. What does “being green” mean anyway? This ever-evolving concept seemed to be a marketing tagline than anything. When I started reflecting on my own personal contributions to “being green” I started thinking in what ways could I truly impact the idea of consciousness in sustainability. In my studies in Maine, I was so invested in natural systems that I developed negativity to the things that were man-made. That in some way, man-made was the anti-thesis to nature; that everything that was unfavorable to the preservation of nature was the fault of something done by people, and those things were primarily development. Highways, commerce, buildings, were all the villains in the story of nature. At this conclusion, I knew that I wanted to help mitigate that impact meaningfully. Architecture allows me to take a role in that. Being able to design in ways that are sustainable, and also bring awareness to the harm construction can do environmentally. And it was here, at the choice to begin a graduate degree in architecture, where the idea for this thesis was conceived. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE ||11

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ABSTRACT

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Historically, buildings have taken the role of providing for people - made by people, for the people. And after many years, a dichotomy between man-made and nature has deepened; open space becomes a check mark for construction instead of a desired addition to projects. It is important, as climate and energy crises worsen, that architects reintroduce natural elements into their design. These moves do not have to be grand and complex but are most effective in simple, local moves within a project. This thesis illustrates the uncomplicated ability to create moments that allow for a genuine connection between people and nature.

ABSTRACT ||13

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FRAMEWORK

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As future society will require all new buildings to have close to zero environmental impact, due to the growing threat of climate change and energy consumption, the need for bio-inspired design is crucial. The thesis endeavors to create delineations in architecture to create moments

that connect people to nature and create an experience to make us one in an effort to encourage the bio-architecture movement. The following methods of inquiry were completed: - Research the emerging field of biomimicry - Understand how this can/does apply to architecture - Investigate how biology is currently utilized in architecture - Explore how people interact with nature in their everyday lives - Research the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history and the its importance to the community

The terms of criticism for the project are as follows: - Does the space offer the user moments with nature that emulate those found outside of buildings? - Do these moments award the user with a sensory experience? - Does the proposal improve the ecology of the site?

FRAMEWORK ||15

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RESEARCH & ANALYSIS RESEARCH PRECEDENT ANALYSIS

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RESEARCH THESIS

NATURAL

BUILT

When thinking about the thesis and my own position on the relationship between the “natural” and “built” world, the diagram above was created. As I begun my formal research about this relationship, it was obvious that the overlap between the two was more than what I was representing. Reading about biomimicry in architecture and ecological design, there were common themes and elements that related each. To the right, one will find these elements distilled to their most basic concepts. These four areas are the conclusions of how biology already inspires and influences architecture. While I wasn’t sure at this point in my research how all or any were going to relate to the proposal, they are concepts that were kept in mind while executing the design for the project.

18|| RESEARCH & ANALYSIS

STRUCTURES

MATERIALS & MANUFACTURING

- less materials - greater responsiveness

- cradle-to-cradle

ECOSYSTEMS

WASTE

- closed-loop systems - regenerative

- everything is a nutrient - maximize value RESEARCH ||19

PRECEDENT ANALYSIS

CHULALONGKORN CENTENARY PARK

JEWEL AIRPORT TERMINAL

HIGH LINE

BIESBOSCH MUSEUM

After my research was done, I sought successful project that emphasized this relationship between the “natural” and the “built”. The four projects I am including for this analysis are depicted above. In the following pages I will explain why each is important to the formulation of this project. After analyzing and comparing each project, I took away four key ideas from them that would help direct how I was start designing; these ideas are simplified on the right page.

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WATER

VEGETATION

used as a central element as both an aesthetic and utility

used throughout the projects as the natural element works as a buffering and/or privacy element

GEOMETRY

PROXIMITY

built features show strong lines and shapes

users are given opportunities to get close to water and vegetation elements PRECEDENTS ||21

CHULALONGKORN UNIVERSITY CENTENARY PARK

Bangkok, Thailand N7A architects Co. 2017 Park to address city flooding and water treatment

Distinct paths direct users to nature moments

This precedent was important in research for the thesis because it very clearly illustrates the four elements discovered in my research. Not only does it work as an infrastructure, but the architecture is simple and clear of its expression of integrating the built with nature.

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The green park against the surrounding city

Children exploring water retention pond

Collected on one side of the site to alleviate surrounding flooding

Site is primarily greened to help absorb and filter flood waters

Green Roof

Park Museum

Rain Water Tank

The inclined, u-shaped building allows for accessible green roof

Park provides users with moments to get close to nature CHULALONGKORN PARK ||23

JEWEL AIPORT TERMINAL

Changi, Singapore Safdie Architects 2019 Nature-themed, entertainment, terminal connector complex The nature atrium that was constructed here is used as a way to connect three airport terminals together. Using large quantities of water and vegetation, the architect is able to create a space that is inviting for visitors passing between terminals or those looking to spend more time being entertained. 24|| PRECEDENTS

Greened walls contrast with steel and glass ceiling

Orthogonal stepping juxtapose rounded atrium

The 300ft waterfall is the central, grand feature of the space

Water is continuously flowing throughout the space to make visual and auditory connections with the user

The atrium is filled with vegetation to exemplify the nature theme

The distinct rounded shape offers opportunity for central waterfall

Whether passing through or staying to visit, the terminal offers multiple levels and instances where the user can be with nature

JEWEL AIRPORT TERMINAL ||25

THE HIGH LINE

New York City, New York United States Diller Scofidio + Renfro 2014 Reuse of abandoned rail track to public park

Path end shows reused structure

This precedent was important in showing how the same module, the elevated rail track, would be organized into different experiences while using the same language in each design.

26|| PRECEDENTS

Aerial view of project during the summer season

Various paths allow for circulation or seating

Water is used as a feature element for user interaction as well as the way for maintenance to sustain the planted vegetation

Fluid forms allow for seating to appear to peel away from ground; constructed these elements are orthogonal in form

Distinct portions of the project offer different ecosystems of plants

The user can put their feet in water or plantings throughout HIGH LINE ||27

BIESBOSCH MUSEUM

Werkendam, The Netherlands Studio Marco Vermeulen 2015 Reuse visitor center to integrate new museum with surrounding National Park This precedent is the ultimate example of site integration with building operations. It exemplifies all four of the research strategies, emphasizing the ability and importance of a closed-loop system.

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Glazing allows for wayfinding after sunset

Green roof allows for pedestrian traffic

Architecture goes outside of the building to create a dynamic site

(10) (11)

(1)

(5)

(4)

(3)

(2) (6)

(7) (8)

The original, hexagonal building was kept to reduce demolition and create new building language for museum

(9)

(12)

(13)

1) preserve existing buildings & roof construction 2) ground walls as heat buffers 3) underfloor heating 4) biomass heater 5) flush toilets with river water 6) biological water treatment 7) restaurant uses local river water and fish 8) solar heat-resistant glass 9) heat exchange with river for cooling 10) green roof 11) ram pump (waters roof without energy) 12) hydropower energy 13) local willow wood (for biomass stove)

Complete site integration uses the National Park as a resource to use the surrounding water and vegetation on the immediate site for building operations - these same elements offer visitors scales of interaction with the nature of the park BIESBOSCH MUSEUM ||29

ECOLOGICAL DESIGN BEGINS “ WITH THE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF A PARTICULAR PLACE. THEREFORE, IT IS SMALL-SCALE AND DIRECT, RESPONSIVE TO BOTH LOCAL CONDITIONS AND LOCAL PEOPLE.

- SIM VAN DER RYN ECOLOGICAL DESIGN

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SITE SELECTION & A NALYSIS

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CRITERIA

THE SITE

1. Somewhere “local” within 50 miles of my home location - Allows for site visits to survey

1. 35 miles from Brighton, MA 45 minute drive

2. Unused/abandoned built structure already on site - Energy effort: built buildings already have embodied carbon and reduce the energy spent on construction

2. Draper Mill has been abandoned for more than 50 years Used to be a manufacturing facility so, in the building’s lifetime, it has spent a lot of energy, and polluted the town & pond

(this point is not as applicable as the thesis changed a bit from an energy study to an experiential one)

3. Have an abundance of natural resources around it (renewable) - Wood, water, solar, etc - Making a sustainable building requires the ability to produce energy to offset its consumption

3. Neighboring 83 acre warm water pond Wetlands and woodlands surround pond on opposite side Woodlands on other side of site

4. Improve the community - Community faces some kind of deficit that can be addressed with project

4. Hopedale struggles to have businesses Updating building can give potential for commerce and revenue for town to decrease property taxes Remediation of hazardous building

32|| SITE SELECTION & ANALYSIS

DRAPER MILL BUILDING 82 Freedom Street, Hopedale, MA 01747

SITE ||33

DRAPER MILL BUILDING The building sits on two parcels totaling of approximately 26 acres of land. The site consists of an abandoned textile mill and a large brownfield in the rear. The building was constructed around 1860 as a factory for the loom construction. The site has gone through multiple changes as the factory changed with the business. What remains today is the factory as it remained when it was closed more than 100 years later in 1980. The building is massive, as the footprint of the building alone covers more than 230,000 sqft of the two parcels. For this reason, this thesis will master plan the site along with the building as a whole as it currently exists. The portion of the building that is the focus of this project is on Freedom Street side adjacent to the town pond.

34|| SITE SELECTION & ANALYSIS

Area of Interest

EXISTING BUILDING ||35

1. 2.

6. 7.

3. 36|| SITE SELECTION & ANALYSIS

7. EXISTING BUILDING PHOTOGRAPHS ||37

84’

724’

AREA OF INTEREST

1032’

The property is closed to the public and I was not able to gain access to the building. Using some photos of the interior space that I was able to take at a site visit, it was obvious that the building exists as a skeleton, with no interior partitions and the structure exposed. Using the building footprint and a general knowledge of building framing, the structural grid was added to the plans. This afforded me the ability to use this grid as a starting point for the design.

144’ 38|| SITE SELECTION & ANALYSIS

232,000 sqft of roof 27,152,000 gallons per year

SITE ANALYSIS ||39

40|| SITE SELECTION & ANALYSIS

SITE ANALYSIS ||41

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THE BIOLOGICAL PARADIGM, TRANSLATED INTO ARCHITECTURE, MEANS PUTTING PEOPLE AT THE CENTRE;... INVOLVING THEM IN THE RICHLY REWARDING ACT OF BUILDING AND THE ENJOYMENT OF BEAUTY. - ELLEN MACARTHUR

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DESIGN CONCEPT

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A SENSORY EXPERIENCE How do people experience nature and what are these moments? These questions became the focus of this thesis exploration. If the project was going to connect people to nature using architecture, I first had to absorb how people connected to nature outside of architecture. Some of these moments are found on the subsequent page. Similar to the precedents I explored, these moments also included water and vegetation in a variety of ways. At this point of the thesis, it was clear that my intentions were to concentrate on the experiential. My thesis shifted here from an energy logistics study to one that would examine the quality of the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exposure to similar moments. In an effort to meet these same experiential instances, I started with the five human senses that would be effected by such moments: sight, touch, smell, sound, and taste. I also knew that I would not have people consuming parts of building, so the focus shifted to exclude taste as a method of qualifying an experience.

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TOUCH

SMELL

SIGHT

SOUND TASTE

SIGHT

TOUCH

SMELL

SOUND

NATURE EXPERIENCE ||45

SIGHT

TOUCH

SMELL

SOUND

46|| DESIGN CONCEPT

Taking the pie chart of the senses and creating a quadrant chart with them, I graphed these experiences in nature with which senses they best represented. From this graph, it was evident that most experiences focused in sight and touch senses. I would use this conclusion to make the similar architectural experiences focus on sight and touch. In thinking of how these moments could be strung along to have a single experience from a user, I started connecting the moments together in sequences (shown left with the orange line). Whichever way I connected these moments, the paths were sharp and angular. This motif would also be included in my design execution. NATURE EXPERIENCES ||47

THE ARCHITECTURAL EXPRESSION What are these moments in which people have proximity to nature through architecture? Using the previous moments with people in nature, I extrapolated those same experiences in an architectural context. The following charrettes were designed with the ideas taken from the precedent studies: water, vegetation, and proximity. In any instance, the user would be subjected to interact with either water or vegetation in a variety of scales and heights.

48|| DESIGN CONCEPT

NATURE THROUGH ARCHITECTURE ||49

DEVELOPMENT USING EXISTING STRUCTURAL GRID FOR DESIGN

Pathways along all exterior walls to allow for views and circulation of both sides

2. Existing structural grid

50|| DESIGN CONCEPT

Use structural grid as points to tie circulation paths across river to “break grid”

3. Create and keep views to pond

4. Connecting paths over all new porous surface on exterior similar to interior space

DEVELOPMENT ||51

Going back to the relationship between the natural and built elements for this project, the natural elements appeared to me to be tied to components of the exterior where the built elements were tied to components of the interior. Thinking of this in terms of the building, what formal moves could be done to make this relationship true in the project? Below are the first ideas of that, where the orange is the building, the blue is the adjacent pond, and the green the exterior elements.

52|| DESIGN CONCEPT

NATURAL

BUILT

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR

Moving into the program of the building, a long list of potential programmable items were considered based on the site analysis and community needs. From there, they were categorized as Exterior and Interior. They could then be reviewed to see what kind of program was available to bridge the separation of these two spaces. Similar to the diagram on the left page, I hypothesized that the water could be brought from the pond through the building, either literally or visually, to provide the central element to make this program bridge.

EXTERIOR

• • • • • • • •

Food Events Sports Recreation Parking Street Art Playground Market

INTERIOR

• • • • • • • • •

Manufacturing Recreation Art Studio Computers Cultural Museum Food Retail Housing

PROGRAM ||53

Nature Atrium

Flex Market

Restaurants

Historic Gallery

Amenities

Commercial

Community Space

Residential

54|| DESIGN CONCEPT

The focus of this project and the following design proposal is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nature Atriumâ&#x20AC;? space defined by the orange color. The rest of the spaces are part of the overall Master Plan for the entire building.

PROGRAM ||55

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PERFORMATIVE ESSAY

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I look up from my book and I see row of picturesque duplexes, in their New England style, with outside porches and shuttered windows. Each has their well-kept, green lawns, and two cars in the driveway, the quintessential example of America’s suburbia. I continue my promenade along the street that edges the town pond. Locals are fishing and swimming in its waters on a clear day, the geese , along their hatchlings, parading along into the cattail reeds. I continue to follow my map, the route along the residences that face the local waterfront. I stop suddenly, as I come across something very out of place.

58|| PERFORMATIVE ESSAY

I find myself confronted with a very large building. I look around to make sure I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t steered off the route I should be taking. Nestled around all these residences lay a taller, brick building, no foreseeable entrance and its windows boarded up. How odd, I think as I scan the two streets that make up this corner. This structure seems to go on for as long as I can see, but nothing changes about it; whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even more striking about this space is its absence of people. I scan my book again to see if I can conclude what this building is. I have found the charming duplexes by the park, but the only brick building that the book suggests is a thriving loom mill, one that was an epicenter of production of the world.

This cannot be it, I think to myself. It is desolate and devoid of any activity. How can it be that the site described in the book is now unused and not maintained? I picture what this must have looked like back in the days of which the book describes. A mill town, men and women walking to work from their homes, enjoying their free time at the local amenities, like the park. The community thriving from the local business of the industry. It is something, though, that everything else has survived. People still live here, use the outdoor spaces, and act as a unified community, but have forgotten the object that once was the cornerstone of this establishment. I wonder to myself: could this place ever be returned to the way it once was and open its doors to the community like it did over a hundred years ago?

PERFORMATIVE ESSAY ||59

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DESIGN PROPOSAL SITE PLAN FLOOR PLANS ELEVATIONS SECTIONS

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SITE PLAN

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Site during winter months

Site during summer months SITE PLAN ||63

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ENTRANCE RENDERING ||65

LEVEL ONE ONE LEVEL From the approach of the entrance, the user is offered glimpses of the interior space through the main curtain wall. Upon entering, the user first steps into a vestibule then is given two paths to take once they exit the vestibule. This primarily works as a circulation level that encourages the user to go up to the upper levels.

TO FLEX MARKETS

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TO RESTAURANTS

TO HISTORIC GALLERY

FLOOR PLANS ||67

Upon entering the building, the user first steps into the vestibule. This vestibule is the first opportunity for the user to have an interaction with nature within the building. The vestibule has flowing waterfalls, from ceiling to floor, on either side of the door. Not only can the user physically touch the water, the space is compressed and the falling water cleanses the senses of the user from the exterior. The falling water distorts the sight of the user from the interior atrium, the sound buffers any noise between the interior and exterior spaces, while the touch of water washes.

68|| DESIGN PROPOSAL

One of the main feature of the first floor is the interior pond. This pond nods to the natural Hopedale pond that is both across the street to the northeast of the building, as well as the water that is flowing under the building. Here people can take views from the small landing that jets into the water, or from any of the surrounding paths, as the planters all have integrated seating. This central element is generally visible from the floors above and is carved away to allow the users on the first floor also be able to view the entirety of the atrium space and the crossing paths above.

FLOOR PLANS ||69

LEVEL TWO This level has the most interaction with the planted trees from Level One. There are multiple opportunities for privacy on this floor as platforms are designed to put the user within the foliage of the trees. Additionally, there are a couple of greenwalls installed on this floor that enhance these private spaces by buffering the exterior view paths along the glazed sides.

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FLOOR PLANS ||71

The tree enclosure on the second floor is one for privacy. In this portion of the floor, the seating is limited, edged by a green wall to the path. When on this platform, the user is within the canopy of the trees planted on the first floor. It is here that an individual or small group can have a quieter time surrounded by green buffering and limited views to the other areas of the atrium.

72|| DESIGN PROPOSAL

Floors two, three, and four have similar seating arrangements on either side of the floor opening. It is in these seating areas that the users have the most choice in the intervention. The user can pick seating that is more private, where single users might occupy a cubby, whereas a larger group can use more conventional table and chair arrangement. Regardless of type, each seating arrangement is integrated with plantings offering the person to â&#x20AC;&#x153;stop and smell the rosesâ&#x20AC;?.

LEVEL TWO RENDERINGS ||73

LEVEL THREE Level Three has multiple interactions with flowing water. There are two paths specifically on this floor that have water falling from by the user as they use the paths. One has a waterfall at chest level that allows the user to view the water from above. The second, the feature experience is the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Waterfall Pathâ&#x20AC;? that has the user semi-enclosed in a tunnel that has a ceiling to floor waterfall.

74|| DESIGN PROPOSAL

FLOOR PLANS ||75

Level Three’s “Waterfall Path” is one experience that has multiple moments with nature. This path has a similar waterfall feature as the entrance vestibule. For the entire length of the path, a touchable waterfall falls on one side. This offers a sense of wrapping, as the section in this area is that of a “C” around the user. On the opposite side, different levels of vegetation also enclose portions of the path; vegetation range from hanging plants from the floor above, to the tops of tree from the trees planted below.

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FLOOR PLANS ||77

LEVEL FOUR This level is the quietest of the levels and offers the user the most places of rest. Here the vegetation is limited to grasses and low growing ground cover. Users have the most opportunities here to rest with integrated seating and observe the activity of all the other floors from this birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view.

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FLOOR PLANS ||79

80|| DESIGN PROPOSAL

The top most level of the atrium space rewards the user with a birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view of the space. Here the user has the longest views of the waterways and has the fullest experience of the sky. In the late afternoon, the user will be able to soak up the sun through the proposed skylights above.

FLOOR PLANS ||81

ROOF To provide sufficient light for the vegetation living inside the space, skylights were added to the roof. This banding connects the south and north elevation together, offering moments within the space of either complete transparency (Section BB p.90) or complete coverage (Section CC p.91), Portions of these skylights are also operable to allow temperature regulation within the atrium.

82|| DESIGN PROPOSAL

ROOF LEVEL ||83

SOUTH ELEVATION The South Elevation provides the most dramatic change to the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exterior. It is here that the curtain wall is installed at the location of the atrium. The curtain wall is placed behind existing brick and the brick is removed irregularly to accentuate the depth and mass of the 19th Century masonry in contrast with the 21st Century glass and frame, becoming one.

Existing South Elevation of Draper Mill Building

84|| ELEVATIONS

Proposed South Elevation of Draper Mill Building

ELEVATIONS ||85

NORTH ELEVATION The North Elevation, which faces the existing pond and the street of vehicular circulation has minimal changes to the facade. In an effort to be mindful of the historic nature of the building, floor to ceiling glazing replaces the existing building only in the location of the intervention. This would offer the passerbys to know where the atrium is within the building and offer those inside the views of the nature outside.

Existing North Elevation of Draper Mill Building

86|| DESIGN PROPOSAL

Proposed North Elevation of Draper Mill Building

ELEVATIONS ||87

WEST ELEVATION In the West Elevation, one can see the installation of the large, operable doors for the restaurant spaces. These are proposed to blur the indoor and outdoor spaces and allow for outdoor dining. Similar doors are proposed on the South Elevation as well (not shown), where the flex market is proposed next to the atrium.

Existing West Elevation of Draper Mill Building

88|| DESIGN PROPOSAL

Proposed West Elevation of Draper Mill Building

ELEVATIONS ||89

BUILDING SECTIONS C B

90|| DESIGN PROPOSAL

SECTION AA

BUILDING SECTIONS ||91

SECTION BB

92|| DESIGN PROPOSAL

SECTION CC

BUILDING SECTIONS ||93

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DESIGN DIAGRAMS

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CIRCULATION The circulation in the nature atrium is set up to have two vertical cores on the periphery of the space. By having these cores in these locations, it encourages the user to move through the different spaces to climb to different levels. Within each floor, the nature paths offer those unique moments with nature. The exterior view paths are designed to be unobstructed, allowing views of the exterior existing and proposed ponds on either side.

Nature Atrium Exterior View Paths Elevator and Stairs 96|| DESIGN DIAGRAMS

SPACES OF INTIMACY While the nature atrium as a whole is a public space, available to both the residents of the buildings as well as the community at large, within the space there are areas that were designed to be more intimate. These spaces offer more privacy for the individual within the public space.

Intimate Spaces

DESIGN DIAGRAMS ||97

STACKED ATRIUM The nature paths throughout the project were stacked in a way to allow vertical interaction in addition to the horizontal interactions on any given path. From the topdown view (below) one is able to see all paths on every level, and the higher the user goes within the building, the more they are rewarded with views to the other experiences within the building. A similar idea was taken with the bottom-up view (right). Emulating the experience someone outdoors would have when looking up in a forest, catching small glimpses of the sky, the proposed skylights create an banding of sky within the atrium that is interrupted with the circulation paths above.

Top-down view from roof 98|| DESIGN DIAGRAMS

Bottom-up view from Level One

Bottom-up view of tree canopy DESIGN DIAGRAMS ||99

GREEN WALL ASSEMBLY Throughout the proposal there are green walls that are included as an element for both greening and buffering for privacy. Thinking of how these might be assembled, it was appropriate to make a modular unit for this element. This would allow for easy maintenance of the wall throughout the year and even allow for easy seasonal changes if desired. The diagram illustrates a double-sided green wall; however, this modular unit could also be changed to only have one green side.

Water travels down connected cores for irrigation

100|| DESIGN DIAGRAMS

Plants installed on both or one side

MOMENTS IN NATURE

DESIGN DIAGRAMS ||101

“ THERE IS NOTHING IN A CATERPILLAR THAT TELLS YOU IT’S GOING TO BE A BUTTERFLY. - BUCKMINSTER FULLER

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CONCLUSIONS NEXT STEPS CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

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NEXT STEPS MOVEMENT OF WATER If there was more time to further this project, I would want to further explore the movement of water throughout the building and in the site as a whole. Proposing a large bioswale in the middle of the site offers the opportunity for water collection, filtration, and use within the site and building. This filtered water would be especially useful in the nature atrium space. Additionally, I would pursue the Atriumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plumbing systems, as each of these moments would need some kind of water source and drain. There are opportunities for jobs to be made for people to take care of the space, but ideally the system would be self-sustaining.

104|| CONCLUSIONS

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

As time progresses, the population of the world increases, inflating the need for new construction and development. It is not only important to be environmentally conscious, but the need to make meaningful spaces is apparent. Design does not need to be exaggerated or complicated to achieve this significance. This thesis illustrates how, with a few moments throughout, a project can encourage people to connect with nature. Especially in a time during a global pandemic, people have been forced to stay indoors and away from others. Bringing the outdoors in allows for any user to make or remake those connections with nature that our buildings have been lacking. We as architects do not have to perpetuate the separation of people and nature, but instead can create an architecture that brings people and nature closer together.

CONCLUSIONS ||105

106||

BIBLIOGRAPHY

||107

BIBLIOGRAPHY Sources for Research Baumeister, Dayna, et al. Biomimicry: Resource Handbook: a Seed Bank of Best Practices. Biomimicry 3.8, 2014. Baum, Martina, and Kees Christiaanse, eds. City as Loft Adaptive Reuse as a Resource for Sustainable Urban Development. Translated by Michael Robertson. Zürich, Switzerland: gta Verlag, 2012. Benyus, Janine M. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Perennial, 1997. Berkebile, Bob, and Jason McLennan. “The Living Building: Biomimicry in Architecture, Integrating Technology with Nature.” Academia, https://www. academia.edu/2234596/The_living_building_biomimicry_ in_architecture_integrating_technology_with_nature. Accessed 29 Jan. 2020. Brown, David E., and William D Browning. Sustainable Architecture: White Papers. Earth Pledge Foundation, 2008. Gruber, Petra. Biomimetics in Architecture: Architecture of Life and Buildings. Walter De Gruyter & Co, 2011. Hollander, Justin B., Niall G. Kirkwood, and Julia L. Gold. Principles of Brownfield Regeneration: Cleanup, Design, and Reuse of Derelict Land. Washington D.C.: Island Press, 2010. 108|| BIBLIOGRAPHY

Myers, William, and Paola Antonelli. Bio Design: Nature, Science, Creativity. Museum of Modern Art, 2018. Orr, David. “The Architecture of Science.” Conservation Biology, vol. 13, no. 2, Apr. 1999, pp. 228–231. WILEY, https://www.jstor.org/stable/2641463. Pawlyn, Michael. Biomimicry in Architecture. Riba Publishing, 2014. Petzet, Muck, and Florian Heilmeyer. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Architecture as Resource: German Pavilion, 13th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale Di Venezia 2012. Translated by Ishbel Flett, David Koralek, Anh Kotmair, and Catherine Shelbert. Ostfildern, Germany: Hatje Cantz, 2012. Radwan, Dr. Gehan A.n., and Nouran Osama. “Biomimicry, An Approach, For Energy Efficient Building Skin Design.” Procedia - Environmental Sciences, vol. 34, 2016, pp. 178–189., https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/302485908_Biomimicry_an_Approach_for_ Energy_Effecient_Building_Skin_Design. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020. “Second Nature the Biomimicry Evolution.” Talent Attack, 2011.

Source of Images P.22 : • https://www.asla.org/2019awards/images/620062/620062(5). jpg • https://static.wixstatic.com/ media/3b0254_234024fb4e2d4f1982918d8a90c9de1d~mv2. jpg • https://d2eohwa6gpdg50.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/ sites/8/2020/05/27161702/Chulalongkorn-UniversityCentenary-Park.jpg P.23 : • https://i.guim.co.uk/img/ media/19d3a36c4e9e84f3a1f228d9c7139145bee264ad/ 0_133_2480_1488/master/2480.jpg • https://architectureprize.com/submit/uploads/92916/22-5959-19/ full/30ec8db01a5da5d5f68ec8870495c9ee.jpg • https://landezine-award.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/XXCU-Centenary-Park-Site-Plan.jpg P.24 : • https://www.arup.com/-/media/arup/images/projects/j/jewelchangi-airport/view-of-rain-vortex-and-skytrains_2000x1125. jpg • https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5cbf/6063/284d/ d1e1/7200/0003/slideshow/JCA_Const_190118_2_Image_by_ Charu_Kokate.jpg • https://www.archdaily.com/915688/jewel-changi-airport-safdiearchitects/5cbf610a284dd1e172000004-jewel-changi-airportsafdie-architects-image

P.25 : • https://safdie-staging.imgix.net/410e135c-7f25-4be3-866d1cbab75473a0/JCA_Plan-Section_2019.jpg • https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5cbf/768d/284d/ d1e1/7200/001f/slideshow/Shiseido_Forest_Valley_-_a_fourstorey_garden_filled_with_thousands_of_plants_and_trees.jpg • https://graphics.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/ Interactives/2019/04/drupal-longform-changijewelmainmapedited/images/mainmapwhole-desktop.png • https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/ iEEoL0zcUAME/v5/-1x-1.jpg P.26 : • https://scenariojournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ baan-gans-cutoff.jpg, https://scenariojournal.com/wp-content/ uploads/2011/09/baan-gans-cutoff.jpg • https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5421/9436/c07a/8086/ fc00/00da/large_jpg/1419_High_Line_At_The_Rail_Yards___ Photo_By_Iwan_Baan.jpg • https://fhl-website.s3.amazonaws.com/content/ uploads/2018/06/25195601/gallery_byphotog_1_09-08_3565_ iwanbaan.jpg P.27 : • https://s3.amazonaws.com/fhl-website/content/ uploads/2018/12/06151649/water-feature-juanvalentin-06-05-14.jpg, • https://www.thehighline.org/photos/designcompetition/?gallery=5117&media_item=2459; • https://i.pinimg.com/600x315/2b/36/ c2/2b36c2897166023594af3a585577d077.jpg P.28 : • https://www.archdaily.com/777852/biesbosch-museum-islandstudio-marco-vermeulen BIBLIOGRAPHY ||109

Source of Images P.29 : • https://www.archdaily.com/777852/biesbosch-museum-islandstudio-marco-vermeulen P.33 : • Google Maps P.34 : • http://www.hope1842.com/aerialviews1947.html • http://www.hope1842.com/draperplant90-13.html P.35 : • https://www.wbjournal.com/sites/default/files/saxotech/ WBJournal/201810_NEWS01_181029973_AR_-1_0.jpg P. 39 : • Map from Project Sunroof - Google • Map from EPA

P. 45 : • https://images.snapwi.re/c05e/5543eacce66fdb2b79fc3e3c. w800.jpg, • https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/projects/original/ ac360499181927.Y3JvcCwxNjM2LDEyODAsMjE4LDA.jpeg, • https://gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/images/full/or/vbridalveil1. jpg, • https://urbandiaries.in/tales-of-life-lessons-i-learned-in-bali/, • https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/ 026efec288f9e983ba94fff639c09c523eec1814/ 996_1304_3504_2102/master/3504.jpg, • https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/homem-do-caminhante-quecruza-um-rio-em-pedras-ideia-dos-p%C3%A9s-46981407.jpg, • https://d-art.ppstatic.pl/kadry/k/r/1/71/30/5d3038c31489b_o_ full.jpg, • https://www.viewbug.com/media/ mediafiles/2017/05/26/73172439_medium.jpg, • https://i.pinimg.com/originals/41/99/31/ 4199315a2ccd546babdd321b692df7f7.jpg, • https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ee/ba/ed/ eebaed12d7ecf1319d12943a0ef1cbc1.jpg, • https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b5/96/36/ b59636dad56a595fef304537d0e6dc43.jpg, • https://cdn3.ivivu.com/2019/07/trekking-chup-anh-be-boi-vocuc-giua-nui-rung-ba-vi-ivivu-5.jpg P.58 : • “Hopedale Street, Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Massachusetts.” Card. 1900. Digital Commonwealth, https:// ark.digitalcommonwealth.org/ark:/50959/bk128x570 (accessed March 02, 2020). P.59 : • http://www.hope1842.com/draper-shopwork.html

110|| BIBLIOGRAPHY

BIBLIOGRAPHY ||111

112||

APPENDIX A: THESIS REVIEWS

CONCEPT REVIEW DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW FINAL REVIEW

||113

CONCEPT REVIEW THESIS STATEMENT As future society will require all new buildings to have zero environmental impact, due to the growing threat of climate change and energy consumption, the need for a building that is reactive to the location that it is proposed in and the intended use(s) of it will be paramount.

METHODS OF INQUIRY 1. Can an abandoned building be renovated so that it continues to have minimal energy usage? 2. Can building functions for self-sufficiency be expressed in architecture in design? 3. Can design final design serve as educational opportunity for community?

FLOWDALE TERMS OF CRITICISM

Sergio Afonso Advisor: Russel Feldman, AIA Candidate for Master of Architecture September 14, 2020

1. To address its energy needs, the design provides a combination of building technology and site integration, using local resources when possible. 2. Water and power production and consumption will be on site and integrated into the design. 3. Design provides moments of insight into building function/assembly.

PRECEDENT

BIESBOSCH MUSEUM

(10) (11)

Using the previous structure, the design opens a couple of wings for views of park and passive system strategies. The building fully integrates to a bio-sensitive site in the middle of a National Park. All systems interact with the site on any given day, at any given time.

LOCATION:

Park Museum, Werkendam, The Netherlands

ARCHITECT:

Studio Marco Vermeulen

DATE:

2015

KEY FEATURES: Repurpose/Reuse, Green Roof, Site to Building Integration

114|| APPENDIX A

SUSTAINABILITY INTEGRATION 1. preserve existing buildings & roof construction 2. ground walls as heat buffers 3. underfloor heating 4. biomass heater 5. flush toilets with river water 6. biological water treatment 7. restaurant uses local river water and fish 8. solar heat-resistant glass 9. heat exchange with river for cooling 10. green roof 11. ram pump (water roof without energy) 12. hydropower energy 13. local willow wood (for biomass stove)

(1)

(5)

(4)

(3)

(2) (6)

(7) (8) (9)

(12)

(13)

PRECEDENT

BIESBOSCH MUSEUM Things I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like about the building architecturally:

PRECEDENT Things I like about this building architecturally EXISTING

RENOVATION

EXISTING

RENOVATION

NATURAL LIGHT

JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT Having similar intentions, the addition acts as a connector between the existing terminals. The space intertwines marketplace with gardens around the featured waterfall at its center.

LOCATION:

Changi, Singapore

ARCHITECT:

Safdie Architects

DATE:

2019

KEY FEATURES: Water Feature Waterfall, Indoor Gardens

PRECEDENT

JEWEL CHANGI AIRPORT

JACKSON MANN K-8 SCHOOL After installing green infrastructure at the Jackson Mann School, Boston Water & Sewer made the installment a learning opportunity for both the students at the school as well as the community with posted signs of what was built and how it functions.

LOCATION:

Armington St, Allston, MA

ORGANIZATION: Boston Water & Sewer DATE:

~2017

KEY FEATURES: Signage of Green Infrastructure

CONCEPT REVIEW ||115

CHOSEN SITE

HOPEDALE, MA

SITE FEATURES

AREA OF FOCUS

NATURAL RESOURCES

SITE CIRCULATION

CHOSEN SITE

HOPEDALE DRAPER MILL

82 Freedom Street, Hopedale, MA 01747 The building sits on two parcels of land of approximately 26 acres of land. The site consists of an abandoned textile mill and a large brownfield in the rear. The portion of the building that is the focus of this project is on Freedom Street side adjacent to the town pond.

116|| APPENDIX A

AREA OF INTEREST

AREA OF FOCUS

CHOSEN SITE

SITE ANALYSIS

HOPEDALE DRAPER MILL

CLIMATE - WATER Hopedale Pond

83 Acres Hopedale Blackstone River Watershed

Coordinates: 71°32'40" W 41°8'8" N USGS Quad: MILLFORD

724’

HOLLISTON

GRAFTON

UPTON

NORTHBRIDGE

MEDWAY

MILFORD

§ ¦ ¨ 495

HOPEDALE

140

MENDON

BELLINGHAM

UXBRIDGE

! y #

Boat RampGravel StreamFlow Direction

27,154,000 gallons/year

Island/Sand Bar Interstate Major Road

82’

V U

Road

140

Wetland Building Structures

r 12

Deepest Point Dam

tc Du et tre rS he

1032’

tc Du

r he ee Str t

r 12

tre

Miles

Depth Contours- 3 Feet Depth contours based on 4,163 sonar soundings Map updated December, 2018

144’

SITE ANALYSIS

CLIMATE

! y Hopedale St.

Fre

o ed

CONCEPT 232,000 sqft of roof

INDOOR VS OUTDOOR

AR SOL

H PAT

CONCEPT REVIEW ||117

PROGRAM ORGANIZATION

INDOOR VS OUTDOOR

GRADATION Water Mixed

THE DIVIDE

INTERVENTION #2 AXON

THE CUTBACK

FLOOR PLAN

SIDE ELEVATION

118|| APPENDIX A

INTERVENTION #1

Water Separate

AXON

INTERVENTION #4 N

THE ANNEX

AXON

THE INVERT

AXON

FLOOR PLAN

SIDE ELEVATION

THE DIVIDE

INTERVENTION #3

THE CUTBACK

THE ANNEX

THE INVERT

CONCEPT REVIEW ||119

CRITIC’S COMMENTS Hyacinth:

• • • •

Mark:

•

• •

Dave:

Luis:

120|| APPENDIX A

Focus on 2-3 words. Site integration for energy use. Interested in building as a teaching tool. Thinks potential here: how do buildings teach? Not in your precedents, is it your focus or not? Agrees with Mark that water element isn’t at the center of your thesis. (Education may not be your focus either, that’s OK but you need to decide what your main focus is to be.) Wondering about site elevation? Sea level rise? Relation of site to the water, would have been interesting to see changing water conditions. ( just musing, may not apply here) Did you have site selection criteria? This would explain why this site. (your rationale for the building/site would help explain this)

Wonders about thesis statement versus direction you’re going. How much of new vs old are you considering. Unclear on the impacts of technical study on your options. Your precedents don’t indicate the techniques used with existing buildings. Precedents should be about “how” they did it, not just that they did. The water strategy doesn’t speak to energy or environment. Buildings don’t always need to be teaching tools. Francois Roche project: Thailand building that attracted pollution so the building becomes a measuring device, marker of pollution. Make the case for the site a little more strongly. Why is this the site for this thesis? If site is about water, why this body of water? (if about building, role in community, than talk about why the building is important: replicability to other projects, opportunity to make use of carbon investment in existing structure, show more about community)

•

What about rest of site? Would like you to think about whole site as a master plan that reflects site constraints, opportunities.

•

Sometimes a building teaches by systems being visible. Make sure your thesis question is what you’re always looking at. It can change but needs to be clear once you get into design.

CONCEPT REVIEW ||121

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW

FLOWDALE Sergio Afonso Advisor: Russel Feldman, AIA Candidate for Master of Architecture October 13, 2020

PROTECTING RESOURCES RE-INVESTING CARBON

NATURAL

BUILT REACTIVE PERFORMING ADAPTIVE INTEGRATE ARCHITECTURE

122|| APPENDIX A

RESEARCH

ARCHITECTURE THAT BLURS THE LINE BETWEEN HUMAN AND NATURE AND CREATES AN EXPERIENCE TO MAKE US ONE.

PRECEDENTS Biesbosch Museum

Chulalongkorn University Park

Structures

Materials & Manufacturing

less materials, greater responsiveness

cradle-to-cradle

Ecosystems

Waste

closed-loop systems, regenerative

everything is a nutrient, maximize human and material value

PRECEDENTS

Jewel Airport Terminal

Thammasat University Urban Rooftop Farm

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ||123

PRECEDENTS

SITE SELECTION

WATER

PROXIMITY

VEGETATION

CRITERIA

MY SITE

1. Somewhere “local” within 50mi of my home location - Allows me to visit site to survey

1. 35 miles from Brighton 45 min drive

2. Unused/abandoned built structure already on site -Energy effort: built buildings already have embodied carbon and reduce the energy spent on construction -Allows for that carbon “to be used in other places”

2. Draper Mill has been abandoned for more than 50 years Used to be a manufacturing facility so in the building’s lifetime has spent a lot of energy, pollution in town/pond

3. Have an abundance of natural resources around it (renewable) -Wood, Water, Solar, Etc -Making a sustainable building requires the ability of energy production for offset

3. Neighboring 83 acre warm water pond Wetlands and woodlands surround pond on opposite side Woodlands on other side of site

4. Improve the community -Community faces some kind of deficit that can be addressed with project

4. Hopedale struggles to have businesses Updating building can give potential for commerce and revenue for town to decrease property taxes Remediation of hazardous building

GEOMETRY

SITE

DRAPER MILL BUILDING 82 FREEDOM STREET HOPEDALE, MA 01747

DRAPER MILL BUILDING

The building sits on two parcels of land of approximately 26 acres of land. The site consists of an abandoned textile mill and a large brownfield in the rear. The portion of the building that is the focus of this project is on Freedom Street side adjacent to the town pond.

AREA OF FOCUS

124|| APPENDIX A

AREA OF INTEREST

SITE

DRAPER MILL BUILDING

DRAPER MILL BUILDING 232,000 sqft of roof

27,154,000 gallons/year

TH R PA

SOLA

SITE

DRAPER MILL BUILDING

1032’

84’

724’

144’

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ||125

BIOSWALE

DECKING/PATIO POND CONNECTION

GREEN EDGE BUFFERING

126|| APPENDIX A

PERMEABLE PAVING

PARKING

STREET ART

MARKET

FOOD

CULTURAL

RETAIL

COMPUTERS

HOUSING

OUTDOOR

INDOOR

PROGRAM

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ||127

INTERVENTION

PROGRAM

AXON

FLOOR PLAN

SIDE ELEVATION

EXISTING

PROPOSED

128|| APPENDIX A

EXISTING

PROPOSED

EXISTING

PROPOSED

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ||129

FLOOR 1

FLOOR 1 UP

FLOOR 1

FLOOR 3 DN UP

FLOOR 2

130|| APPENDIX A

FLOOR 4

SECTION AA

SECTION BB

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ||131

SECTION CC

VERTICALITY

INTERIOR PATH VIEW F1

132|| APPENDIX A

DN UP

POND CONNECTION VIEW

ATRIUM VIEW F1

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ||133

CRITIC’S COMMENTS Russel:

•

• • •

Hyacinth:

•

Chuck:

• • • •

134|| APPENDIX A

Community placed in the natural world: adaptive, integrate nature with built form. [Might have suggested that you wanted to review your site selection criteria to clarify your choices.] Nature to inform us: less use of components, responsive to surroundings, cradle to cradle systems, closed loop treatment of waste. Site selection logos a nice image. Questions about your program and site just before you got underway. Stepped through site to building pretty well. Elevations are specific, makes your intention clear. Bioswale systems a good idea.

Early diagram with gradient of color suggested less of a barrier between inside and outside. Can you have the two interact with each other? You show proximity, not so much interaction as yet. Housing as so separate from outdoors. This may be opportunity for investigation. Site plan: liked body of water coming through the building. Explore a clearer expression. Now it’s almost under the building, try to do more with this. Water becomes secondary as it moves through to the site interior. Make it more primary, more prominent. It’s a tremendous moment where the water moves from one side to another. Is this about humans interacting with nature or architecture with nature? [you say: architecture as vessel] Consider humans/nature what does that look like? Is it just visual connection? How about sound? How does design engage other senses? What does it mean to you? Show some specific images at smaller, intimate scale. Show how people interact with nature, not looing at their cell phones.

Consider weaving pedestrian into the interior of site, much like the water comes through. Have them interact heavily. Should the water come through the courtyards? Too timid so far. Suggests that you make a real break in the façade, pull the floors away from the façade so they float in the space. Is a more generous gesture. Make upper passages green in upper levels. Don’t contain nature as much as you are now. Lots of precedent in preservation to make the building contrasting rhythm of mill with insertion. Consider everything changed materials from exterior to interior so that it contrasts.

Dan:

• • •

Mark:

•

• •

Because it’s from the past doesn’t mean it’s right. Thesis is also involving a critical perspective. Modernism made a lot of mistakes (Pruitt Igoe) – Chuck is suggesting that you can make a grander gesture. You current interior feels undramatic, too much like a suburban mall. Fallingwater managed to integrate water and structure that much more perfectly. Lawrence Halprin Freeway Park in Seattle. They were both modernist but there are other ways. He’ll drop in links to the chat. Push it farther if you can. Suggests you refocus what is of greatest value to you. Carefully consider water’s path through the building. Could bridges dip below the water? Users would interact differently with nature. You don’t need radical geometry. Perhaps relocate the dam to minimize the impact. This is a little technical. Now’s the time you address the bigger questions now before you jump in to the details.

• •

Community room – what’s the designated space for the community? What’s the front door to the building? MEPA regulations would have a lot of affect on this project, you may want to study up on this.

•

The method of presentation is very diagrammatic, others full renderings. It might be better to have a more consistent presentation.

•

Dave:

Luis:

Building is huge, 1000 feet long. It’s so oppressive, you can break through more than in one place. Consider more penetrations than you have so far. The building is so powerful, you can be more aggressive. Can consider the original ideas behind the building aren’t the best now. You can re-envision their attitude towards nature. What was behind the mill was conquering/taming nature. Biological underpinnings of the project – what’s your approach? Are you looking to restore the prior condition, something beneficial to plants? What’s driving your approach? Was there a fish migration? It’s up to you how you want to address it but you may wish to engage this topic more given your biology background. Consider whether what you’re doing would drain the pond.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT REVIEW ||135

FINAL REVIEW

The final presentation was presented through a website create specifically for this project. There are no significant changes between this book and the website, only that this book provides the written explanations of the work presented. The website also provides access to the final, video presentation given at the review. This site can be accessed at: HTTPS://AFONSO-THESIS-2020.BUBBLEAPPS.IO/

136|| APPENDIX A

FINAL REVIEW ||137

CRITIC’S COMMENTS Hyacinth:

• • •

•

Dan:

•

How does water move through building? What is your attitude about the water? Does a user see how the water flows under the building? Overall moves are so big, so major. You don’t need to lose as much of the connection as you have due to the need to condition the interior. Thinks you could do this relatively easily. Appreciates idea of nature/people closeness through your building. Charrettes are good, different moments in buildings good, beautifully rendered. Wished you had pushed design development a little more, your thesis is about blurring boundary between nature/humans. People interacting, not just lounging around. Take one idea and explore more completely (this is a trade-off you made by spending so much time on so many variations). Can you walk though tree canopy completely through space? (looking for deeper exploration vs quantity, variety of experiences) Maybe you played a little safe (perhaps sticking in a comfort zone rather than taking design development further; we discussed this) You can sit on the grass and chose to risk your clothes, can dangle feet in water. (not just variations in spatial configurations to experience by walking/sitting – offering variations in the individual experience of the elements you compose with) Very effective presentation, navigable website is quite helpful.

Graphics amazing, website navigates very well. Could use an interior view from inside to outside, seeing water inside and outside at the same time to address Hyacinth’s point. First floor plan: should be bolder. Connections to water on inside/outside seems to be weak. Boardwalks narrower? Eliminate walk on one side? Water is too bounded in your interior, space seems very contained. Connection to site isn’t strong enough now. Songbirds would provide aural quality.

Dave: •

•

138|| APPENDIX A

Very nice presentation. If waterfall is a major statement, more than you show here, it would add an acoustical impact. Intersecting paths don’t seem to have ‘rhyme or reason’ Restaurants don’t connect to water as decks are so deep. Intersecting angles don’t offer much other than geometry. (you could argue this – that overlapping image, all those vignettes show variety of spaces but the quick treatment didn’t bring them along) On a nice summer day, there could be a lot of activity but the number of crosswalks don’t support this. Rethink circulation on site. On interior: intersecting paths don’t organize space. (could push back on this with vignettes) Need to make a better case how upper levels will function. (true, upper levels are hard to animate without programs that attract traffic) Interiors allow space for trees, glazing is good, you’ve solved the light levels for greenery. Any thought given to wildlife habitat? You could introduce native fish. How about an aviary? Possible treatments.

Mark:

Luis:

•

Nice presentation, very clear, looking at your website himself on another screen. Bigger question: strategy you’ve taken generates lines that divide, separating not blending. Juxtaposition, not blending. Glass wall divides, decks separate. (this is a good point) Less about overlapping. (not true about this, consider your overlapping plans from above/below) Maybe you should reword your thesis to reflect this rather than redesign to accomplish it. (I agree) You take a more formal approach. Also, some more detailed issues: how do stair locations serve the experience? Stairs require you leave space, then return. There’s no where a user can experience the tree all the way up. Stairs? (opens the door to accessibility issues but what about a glass elevator linking levels?) Could you go over the street to connect to the pond? Blurring the line between building and pond. But - very nice work, lots of good things.

•

Likes how easily you can move around the site. How can you incorporate into book?

FINAL REVIEW ||139

140||

APPENDIX B: THESIS PROPOSAL

||141

142|| APPENDIX B

using

SERGIO AFONSO CANDIDATE for MASTER of ARCHITECTURE SPRING 2020

biomimicry to sustainably reintegrate abandoned building

ORGANISM

BUILDING

\\ -

THESIS PROPOSAL ||143

43 Résumé

42 Schedule of Requirements

41 Thesis Client Advisor

37 The Presentation Panels

34 Visualizing the Program

28 Site Context Situational Analysis

24 Constructed Argument

18 Annotated Bibliography

11 Case Study Analysis

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

10 Health and Wellness: Cultural Contribution

9 Performance Programming

8 Methods of Inquiry and Terms of Criticism

5 Thesis Statement

4 Abstract

3 Thesis Summary

A. TABLE OF CONTENTS

// TABLE OF CONTENTS

144|| APPENDIX B sergio.afonso@the-bac.edu

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

// Site and Location Address for site is 82 Freedom Street, Hopedale, MA 01747 The building sits on two parcels of land of approximately 26 acres of land. The portion of the building that is the focus of this project is on Freedom Street side adjacent to the town pond.

// Building Typology Existing mill building of approximately 914,000 SF of space. Project is adaptive reuse of L-shaped bar building.

// Terms of Criticism 1. The chosen renovation building was once a significant part of the local community. 2. To address its energy needs, the design provides a combination of building technology and site integration, using local resources in all phases of the project. 3. The project explicitly uses biomimicry in the capacity of being transdisciplinary, evidence-based, and focused on function in the effort of delivering transformative change.

// Methods of Inquiry 1. To reduce the carbon footprint of construction, adaptive reuse of an existing building will be employed. 2. The design will change the program and organization based on the needs of the community, while keeping the integrity of the existing buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture present. 3. New technologies and/or building strategies will be used in the design to further integrate building systems to site and community.

// Thesis Statement As future society will require all new buildings to have zero environmental impact, due to the growing threat of climate change and energy consumption, the need for a building that is reactive to the location that it is proposed in and the intended use(s) of it will be paramount.

Using biomimicry to sustainably reintegrate an abandoned building

Building an Organism

Sergio Afonso

B. THESIS SUMMARY

THESIS SUMMARY

THESIS PROPOSAL ||145

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

The proposal endeavors to reignite and reimagine an abandoned factory in the small town of Hopedale, Massachusetts. Once the cultural center of the town, this mill building has been neglected and become an eyesore and hazard to its citizens. Through a study of the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surrounding natural resources, biomimicry will be implemented to facilitate sustainable methods of energy usage and/or water filtration for use on site. Nature contains many, successful examples of passive systems that designers are trying to achieve now. Using approaches studied from the Biomimicry Institute, as well as those offered by architect Michael Pawlyn in his own research of Bimimicry in Architecture, this thesis would integrate the past and the present with future thinking. As architecture moves towards higher performance standards, as well as environmental conscious practices, it is imperative that we try to limit unnecessary new constructions, and start repurposing what already exists. This thesis exists at the intersection of performance and culture with the past and the future.

C. ABSTRACT

// ABSTRACT

Past : Future Culture : Performance Indoor : Outdoor

As I explore this intersecting concept further, I will be able to pinpoint where in this space the project succeeds.

• • •

PAST

O ND CU LT UR

This diagrammatic image illustrates the ideas influencing the thesis. I believe that the design to be accomplished lies within the intersect of the following dialects:

CE AN

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

FUTURE

To have a significant project, I also felt that people would need to be invested in the building that would be considered as part of this thesis. The culture and history of the building would be the piece that would make people care that the space was being reinvented. While it is not as important to preserve the building, relating the proposal to what was once there seemed the best compromised to this.

When first considering environmental impact, one considers carbon footprints as it is commonplace to associate climate change with atmospheric carbon emissions. When it comes to the carbon emissions in the capacity of a building’s life (over 60 years), the construction of the building process to its completion has the largest carbon footprint of anything the building will do according to the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark. This means that, if as designers and builders we are endeavoring to reduce our environmental impact, we must limit new, ground up construction. This sequential thinking has steered my thesis to an adaptive, reuse project. Using a building that is already built, whether functioning or not, offers to remove this carbon expensive step of building.

As future society will require all new buildings to have zero environmental impact, due to the growing threat of climate change and energy consumption, the need for a building that is reactive to the location that it is proposed in and the intended use(s) of it will be paramount.

D. Thesis Statement

FO PE R

146|| APPENDIX B R

TD OU

// THESIS STATEMENT

THESIS PROPOSAL ||147

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Once program is established and added to building, the energy requirements of the design can explored to see what systems can be integrated. Meshing all these ideas together, I arrive at the parti below, where the existing building has form changes and has elements being woven between the interior and exterior of the building.

Using this as a skeleton for the proposal, I will attempt to use the resources around the site, such as the adjacent pond and the surrounding vegetation to not only reactivate the abandoned mill building, but also remediate the brownfield that is found behind it. As an undergraduate in biology, it is my belief that a lot of our problems can be solved with nature. Biomimicry seeks the emulate ideas from nature. In architecture, biomimicry is â&#x20AC;&#x153;concerned with the way in which functions are delivered in biologyâ&#x20AC;? according to Michael Pawlyn, an architect that focuses his practice in a biomimetic approach.

The Draper Mill, in Hopedale, MA affords an opportune place for the thesis to be implemented. The site specific information can be found in Section K later in the proposal.

// THESIS STATEMENT

148|| APPENDIX B As a physical model, the brown cardboard box represents the existing building. From there, different features are added represented by a variety of elements in the model, though not specific to any one item. Some parts are layered on top of each other, while others are woven in between adjacent ones. What is important in this exploration is that, while they may be directional in reference to others, they can be rotated around the black circles to fit the needs of the building. Secondly, it is my belief that the final proposal will extend out of the envelope of the building.

Concept Model

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

PARTI

// THESIS STATEMENT

THESIS PROPOSAL ||149

8 AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

3. The project explicitly uses biomimicry in the capacity of being transdisciplinary, evidence-based, and focused on function in the effort of delivering transformative change.

In architecture we always try to look at a project in the scope of scales. By looking at the site in a larger scale and taking inventory of what is available to be used, the inventory can influence design decisions that impact energy use. By using local resources, the building is better integrated on the site and can benefit from new technologies.

2. To address its energy needs, the design provides a combination of building technology and site integration, using local resources in all phases of the project.

For the purposes of this project, biomimicry is the emulation of a element found in nature in architecture. While this can take any different forms, this project will focus more on the reproduction of functions more than form, as the building’s form already exists. As nature works cohesively in an ecosystem, this project will have transdiciplinary inputs at all levels to achieve success.

It is hard to get support for a project when a community doesn’t have anything invested in it. It is my belief that a building should benefit its inhabitants first, but also not take away from the immediate neighborhood. By choosing a site that was once significant, it allows for more input from community, ultimately benefiting a larger population overall.

// Terms of Criticism 1. The chosen renovation building was once a significant part of the local community.

As more insight to the sustainability aspect of the project, the use of advanced technologies will allow the building to perform at a higher level, despite its already existing conditions. Exploring the programming space and the relationship between the indoors and outdoors will help the integration of both building systems and the community reception.

3. New technologies and/or building strategies will be used in the design to further integrate building systems to site and community.

This is a look into cultural aspect of the project. With a building of this scale, it is significant to consider the effects of decisions on the community as a whole, as this building has historical importance. Due to this meaning, it is imperative to be conscious of what is already there.

2. The design will change the program and organization based on the needs of the community, while keeping the integrity of the existing building’s architecture present.

This is a look into sustainability. New construction projects have a very large carbon footprint. By choosing an adaptive, reuse project, it will greatly reduce the amount of energy the project will spend on execution, while also improving expired systems.

// Methods of Inquiry 1. To reduce the carbon footprint of construction, adaptive reuse of an existing building will be employed.

E. Methods of Inquiry and Terms of Criticism

// METHODS OF INQUIRY AND TERMS OF CRITICISM

150|| APPENDIX B AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

“The Drapers believed that good houses make good workers and created a model self-contained company town with one of the best collections of architecturally significant double houses in the country, built on hills and in valleys in garden settings which preserved the views. The company charged low rents, and provided high quality housing, impeccable maintenance and recreation opportunities. Workers left their handsomely designed duplex houses to walk to work at Hopedale Machine, or Northrop Loom, or Hopedale Elastic and left work to play in company parks or stroll along company streets. In addition, the Drapers donated the high school, playground and bandstand to the town and built roads, sidewalks, sewage systems and water and gas lines to service their 250 buildings of worker housing.” I look up from my book and I see row of picturesque duplexes, in their New England style, with outside porches and shuttered windows. Each has their up kept, green lawns and two cars in the driveway, the quintessential example of America’s suburbia. I continue my promenade along the street that edges the town pond. Locals are fishing and swimming in its waters on a clear day, the geese parading along their hatchlings along into the cattail reeds. I continue to follow my map, the route along the residences that face the local waterfront. I stop suddenly, as I come across something very out of place. I find myself confronted with a very large building. I look around to make sure I haven’t steered off the course of route I should be taking. Nestled around all these residences lay a taller, brick building, no foreseeable entrance and its windows boarded up. How odd, I think as I scan the two streets that make up this corner. This structure seems to go on for as long as I can see, but nothing changes about it; what’s even more striking about this space is its absence of people. I scan my book again to see if I can conclude what this building is. I have found the charming duplexes by the park, but the only brick building that the book suggests is a thriving loom mill, one that was an epicenter of production of the world. This cannot be it, I think to myself. It is desolate and devoid of any activity. How can it be that the site described in the book is now unused and not maintained? I picture what this must have looked like back in the days in which the book describes. A mill town, walking to work from their homes, enjoying their free time at the local amenities, like the park. The community thriving from the local business of the industry. It is something, though, that everything else has survived. People still live here, use the outdoor spaces, and act as a unified community, but have forgotten the object that once was the cornerstone of this establishment. I wonder to myself: could this place ever be returned to the way it once was and open its doors to the community like it did hundreds of years ago?

F. PERFORMANCE PROGRAMMING

// PERFORMANCE PROGRAMMING

THESIS PROPOSAL ||151

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Currently, what sits on the site is a scar to the town; it is a reminder of what once was a thriving center of town. It is encumbered with lawsuits as the current population is seeking anything to be done with this eyesore. Addressing this building would not only remediate a safety concern with the neighborhoods, but also give the town something to be proud of again.

With a population of under 6,000 residents, Hopedale is comprised of mostly single family houses. Demographically, 30% of the population is under the age of 24. While Hopedale is a great town to grow up in, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much to do for people in this age group. Especially after school, there are few places where kids can go to entertain themselves, most end up staying later at school to kill time, which makes an unnecessary burden on the faculty that have to supervise these kids. This proposal can give these kids a place to go and something to do; it is within walking distance from both the elementary and high school and is easily accessible for those that do not live close enough. It is my belief that addressing both the safety concerns and offering a place for a new generation to congregate would encourage the community to support the project and unite them in an effort to give an uplift to the area.

The health and wellness of the project is an important aspect of the overall aspirations of the thesis. As a point in my Methods of Inquiry, it is important to me to create a space that speaks the to culture and the history that was once found in the existing building. At the height of its production, the mill was the focal point of the town, giving work to all the citizens. At this time, the mill was not just a place to work, but also to congregate and socialize. With its proximity to the town park, also part of the Draper Co.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s facilities, it was integrated to living in the town. As of today, it has not been made public the condition of the building as a whole. A lot of the citizens believe that it is full of asbestos and is a very big fire hazard, as it does not have the functioning plumbing or fire protection system. Whether these claims are founded or not, the mere idea of this causes a lot stress to this suburban town.

G. HEALTH AND WELLNESS: CULTURAL CONTRIBUTION

// HEALTH AND WELLNESS

152|| APPENDIX B DESCRIPTION:

KEY FEATURES:

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Repurpose/Reuse, Green Roof, Site to Building Integration

2015

Studio Marco Vermeulen

ARCHITECT: DATE COMPLETED:

Park Museum, Werkendam, The Netherlands

LOCATION:

BIESBOSCH MUSEUM

H. CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

// CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||153

1) preserve existing buildings & roof construction 2) ground walls as heat buffers 3) underfloor heating 4) biomass heater 5) flush toilets with river water 6) biological water treatment 7) restaurant uses local river water and fish 8) solar heat-resistant glass 9) heat exchange with river for cooling 10) green roof 11) ram pump (water roof without energy) 12) hydropower energy 13) local willow wood (for biomass stove)

(9)

(8)

(10)

(7)

(5)

(13)

(3)

(2)

(12)

(6)

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

(4)

(1)

(11)

This building is built from an existing structure and uses closed-loop systems to service the building. It hits on a variety of sustainability practices (depicted in the diagram on the right of this board). From biomass heater, to on-site water filtration, as well as food production and hydropower energy, this building lives with its surrounding. On a yearly basis, it adapts to the tides of the river it is built on and encourages the visitors of the park to interact with the nature in an educated and engaging way. In using the already existing, hexagonal structure, Studio Marco uses the shape to partition different spaces within, while using it as a visual element on the exterior. The existing building was oriented so that all interaction was focused within; with the renovation, the building was turned inside out to bring the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention to the exterior, nature surrounding the building. While the concept of biomimicry tends to focus on a single concept that is iterated in design, this case study illustrates the importance of a symbiotic relationship with community/site.

SUSTAINABILITY INTEGRATION

ANALYSIS:

// CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

154|| APPENDIX B PARTI

ELEVATION B

SECTION B

NATURAL LIGHT of B

UNIT TO WHOLE

ELEVATION A

SECTION A

NATURAL LIGHT of A

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

RENOVATION

EXISTING

// CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||155

ANALYSIS:

DESCRIPTION:

KEY FEATURES:

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

This building is a good example when looking at sustainable qualities of buildings in residential setting. The use of the vertical gardens ties the building literally into nature, though it is hyper-engineered to water and sustain itself. One element that is worth looking into with this project is the bioreactor, which uses a combination of physical filtering and the biological process to filter water on-site; this process allows for the water to be safe for several uses for the residents within the building. This is also a good example of not being socially conscious, as the architects created different conditions, like entry and circulation for those residents that spend more money to live at the top; “architects are complicit in the proliferation of ultra-expensive residents optimized not for living or community enrichment”.

Two residential towers sit on top of a commercial base. A network of 383 species of plants create a vertical garden. The world’s largest membrane bioreactor is installed. The most prominent element is the cantilevered heliostat that is suspended between the two tower.

Vertical Gardens, Water Recycling, Light Distribution

2014

Ateliers Jean Nouvel, PTW Architects, Foster + Partners

ARCHITECT: DATE COMPLETED:

Sydney, Australia

LOCATION:

ONE CENTRAL PARK

// CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

156|| APPENDIX B ANALYSIS:

DESCRIPTION:

KEY FEATURES:

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Masdar City is a supreme case study as it is the first city in the world to implement all lessons learned of biomimicry so far to create an entire carbon neutral city. Using this as a precedence for energy efficiency when applied to the intersection of a multitude of programs, real life data of the practicality of these implementations can be reviewed. The concept of a city being zero waste is another part of this project that will be interesting to review as there could be strategies being done in the large scale of the city that can be replicated on a smaller scale, building site.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Masdar City combines state-of-the-art technologies with the planning principles of traditional Arab settlements to create a desert community that aims to be carbon neutral and zero waste.â&#x20AC;? - Fosters + Partners

Urban Planning, Master Planing, Zero Carbon

Ongoing

Fosters + Partners

ARCHITECT: DATE COMPLETED:

(New) Masdar City, Abu Dhabi

LOCATION:

MASDAR CITY

// CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||157

2007

DATE COMPLETED:

ANALYSIS:

DESCRIPTION:

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Preservation through conversion was the principle used in this project, breathing new life into what used to be one of Germany’s largest and most productive mines. Similar to site I am considering, the example offers a more artistic and foreign approach to addressing the historical context of the building in a contemporary way. While this project is on a more urban scale, the mix of programs in such close proximity can prove useful to study when considering an American mixed-use application. This project also serves as a public engagement project, where the local community has been included and now tourism has started, creating an economic boom for locals.

“The once hermetically sealed-off colliery has been opened up with cultural and leisure facilities as a location for creative companies. Focusing on the location’s history and using industrial culture as a basis for future orientation, the plan supplements existing structures with new programmes and buildings.” (Baum 167)

Adaptive-reuse, Culturally Important, Multiple Programs

OMA

ARCHITECT:

KEY FEATURES:

Essen, Germany

LOCATION:

ZECHE ZOLLVEREIN

// CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

158|| APPENDIX B I think that this is an important precedent to follow and include in my overall analysis as it is ongoing. Detroit is infamous in its rapid decay as an urban location. It has been slow to get back on its feet, but the rebuilding has begun. Palazuelo owns a lot of the plant, however he is refurbishing it in increments to allow for future considerations based on how the new spaces are performing. It will be a delicate process, as there is a societal stigma around the area. As more development occurs of the coming years, it could be an incredible first step into reviving old, American plants and make use of these forgotten buildings and sites.

ANALYSIS:

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

After buying roughly 2.7 million sq-ft of Packard Plant, Palazuelo is investing a ton of money over the next decade to bring the once famous car factory back from the dead. It is a conventional refurbishment in nature, but one of a larger scale, as this entire part of the city had succumbed to abandonment, stripping and vandalism.

Adaptive-reuse, Urban Revival, Multiple Programs

Ongoing

Fernando Palazuelo (Arte Express)

Detriot, Michigan

DESCRIPTION:

KEY FEATURES:

DATE COMPLETED:

DEVELOPER:

LOCATION:

PACKARD PLANT

// CASE STUDIES AND ANALYSIS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||159

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Coming from Switzerland, this book offers a European perception in the adaptive reuse project initiative. The book has a thorough look into the movement of transitioning these forgotten spaces into complex networks. They use the idea of a “loft” as the unit to make dynamic-stable structures in these projects, suggesting that the three most important parts of them are: stimulation, stability, and openness. They offer in the book a timeline of this type of building use, especially in the capacity of social movements. What I think I will use this source most for, is its structure of quantifying the included project’s transformation. In each example they identify the timeline of the building/space, showing how it was used initially, the time in which is went unused or abandoned, and then the time in which it was repurposed to updated. From there, they identify the stakeholders of the projects as well as the financing, in an effort to show the public’s interest, both as a user and as the payer, as the majority of these projects are municipality or governmentally paid for. The authors give context of the project to the greater fabric of the area, showing the distances to city centers, distances to public transportations, and how outdoor space is programmed in these areas. This will be extremely useful when analyzing, on a general correlation, between the distances from city centers to the types of uses these projects have decided to include in their own projects to make successful programs.

Baum, Martina, and Kees Christiaanse, eds. City as Loft Adaptive Reuse as a Resource for Sustainable Urban Developement. Translated by Michael Robertson. Zürich, Switzerland: gta Verlag, 2012.

I. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

// ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

160|| APPENDIX B AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Bob Berkebile and Jason McLennan present the concept of a living building in a paper that discusses the contemporary design strategy, suggesting that buildings function more as machines than places to hold people, in which these buildings “took on the characteristics of clinical assembly line productions” (1). I find this paper relevant to my proposal because it is illustrative of how to change design strategies to make buildings more sustainable in a way that they are living again. It gives an accurate baseline of what should be considered when designing in this way. Should my final project lean in the way of a living building, their general standard is explicit: “new standards and advantages would be created in the areas of energy generation, waste treatment, human health and productivity and resource conservation” (6).

Berkebile, Bob, and Jason McLennan. “The Living Building: Biomimicry in Architecture, Integrating Technology with Nature.” Academia, https:// www.academia.edu/2234596/The_living_building_biomimicry_in_ architecture_integrating_technology_with_nature. Accessed 29 Jan. 2020.

This book is the publication of the term biomimicry and serves as a base point for all sources afterward. In it, she defines the term biomimicry and introduces the reader to the method in which one should implement this type of design thinking. Benyus derives this word “from the Greek bios, life, and the mimesis, imitation”. In this new way of nature-centric thinking, she believes that design should use: nature as a model, nature as a measure, and nature as a mentor. While most believed that she originally strived to just replicate natural things in the built world, she stresses that the emphasis should be learning from nature and the benefits that “3.8 billion years of research and development” (3) can teach. It is in this book that I years ago that inspired me to seek a design profession to coincide with my biology background.

Benyus, Janine M. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Perennial, 1997.

// ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

THESIS PROPOSAL ||161

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Gruber’s book aims to illustrate the intersection of architecture and biology in the prospect of innovation for buildings. He includes a variety of case study examples, as well as a comparison between the classical and new approaches and applications of biology in architecture. For the time being, this is more of a resource saved for later that I expect to use when I have a site chosen and can identify the systems/forms/etc I will explore for my final project.

Gruber, Petra. Biomimetics in Architecture: Architecture of Life and Buildings. Walter De Gruyter & Co, 2011.

In a larger collection of sustainable papers, William Browning’s piece Biomimicry, Biophilia, and Building Community really stood out to me. He starts off his piece with a profound quote by Henry David Thoreau, “[w]hat is the use of a house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?” (55). Though this quote is from the 19th century, it is eerie how it is very relevant in this point of history. Browning quickly dive deep into a precedent for The Inn of the Anasazi (Santa Fe, New Mexico), where an old juvenile detention center gets repurposed into a luxury hotel. The big take away I got from his piece, which has been adopted as one of my method of inquiries for my thesis, is the importance of socially acclimating a project to be sustainable. While a lot of the biomimicry examples I have researched focused on the impact of the environment, this paper showed to me that the community that is subjected to the project, though not nature, also must be considered when trying to achieve a truly successful, site-responsive building. This new building “involves moving beyond technologies and techniques to thinking about how a project proactively weaves itself into the social and ecological fabric of a community” (57).

Brown, David E., and William D Browning. Sustainable Architecture: White Papers. Earth Pledge Foundation, 2008.

// ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

162|| APPENDIX B AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

I decided to include this article as part of my research due to Orr’s position in conservation. As I research more and reflect on my own motives for the thesis, I find that my subliminal, initial intent was in conserving nature and biology. This article, published in Conservation Biology magazine, looks critically at traditional methods of building. A lot of his positions are ones I also find myself taking. He believes “it is irresponsible to destroy biological diversity, the surrounding landscape should be designed to promote biological diversity” (230). Especially as we face a climate crisis, he thinks “it is irresponsible as well as foolish to waste energy, the building ought to use energy with the highest possible efficiency” (230). Though this was published in 1999, I am sure he is continuing the conversation that Benyus starts just two years prior.

Orr, David. “The Architecture of Science.” Conservation Biology, vol. 13, no. 2, Apr. 1999, pp. 228–231. WILEY, https://www.jstor.org/stable/2641463.

This resource is in a similar use as the aforementioned Gruber book. This book differs in that is explores the intersection of biology and design, as opposed to architecture specifically. While there is a section that addresses that of architecture, but more, where biology can interrelate and be applied in engineering, tools, furniture, art, etc. I don’t speculate that I will use this book for the latter examples, I believe it is beneficial to apply the biomimicry approach outside the lens of architecture. Having outside examples at the ready can be a future source of inspiration.

Myers, William, and Paola Antonelli. Bio Design: Nature, Science, Creativity. Museum of Modern Art, 2018.

As I consider a possible site for my project, it occurred to me, to have a successful adaptive/reuse project, the end result will have to have programmed open space and be integrated to the site. Now that I have identified that I am interested in old mill buildings, it is important to me to recognize that a lot of these site are desolated and have transformed into a brownfield. As I have never encountered this in a previous project, this book offers a brief overview of how to transform these sites into something that can be reused. These transformations include: storm water and site drainage, vegetation, soils, etc.

Hollander, Justin B., Niall G. Kirkwood, and Julia L. Gold. Principles of Brownfield Regeneration: Cleanup, Design, and Reuse of Derelict Land. Washington D.C.: Island Press, 2010.

// ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

THESIS PROPOSAL ||163

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Much like the Baum book, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is important to my project because they offer different strategies when trying to employ the principles of adaptive reuse, there include: maintenance, behavior, renovation, conversion, infill, redesign, subtraction, addition, material recycling, and gestalt recycling. Though I am not sure at this point I will be using all of these, it is insightful to have all the options of defined strategies at my disposal. For each of these, examples are also given to demonstrate successful implementation.

Petzet, Muck, and Florian Heilmeyer. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Architecture as Resource: German Pavilion, 13th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale Di Venezia 2012. Translated by Ishbel Flett, David Koralek, Anh Kotmair, and Catherine Shelbert. Ostfildern, Germany: Hatje Cantz, 2012.

As Janine Benyus is the person who coined the idea of “biomimicry”, Michael Pawlyn is the first person to intentionally apply this way of thinking in an architectural project. In his introduction, he includes Benyus and Julian Vincent (the concept of bimimetics) and their visions of “the conscious emulation of nature’s genius” and “the abstraction of good design from nature” respectively. He himself defines biomimicry in architecture as “mimicking the functional basis of biological forms, processes, and systems to produce sustainable solutions” (iv). It is in his definition that I relate to the most, as his addresses all the facets that should be considered when designing a building. I have not finished reading this textbook yet, but I plan to update this annotation as I digest more information.

Pawlyn, Michael. Biomimicry in Architecture. Riba Publishing, 2014.

// ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

164|| APPENDIX B AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Robiglio, Matteo, and Donald K. Carter. RE-USA: 20 American Stories of Adaptive Reuse, a Toolkit for Post-Industrial Cities. Berlin, Germany: Jovis Verlag GmbH, 2017.

Dr. Radwan’s paper is an insightful look into the performance aspect of biomimicry design as it analyzes the efficiency of the building skin. I believe that this is a vital publication, as I speculate that my own design’s performance will be heavily influence by the assembly of the building’s skin. Through a series of studies of building skins in a variety of sustainability projects, Dr. Radwin created a Design Matrix in which he associates the criteria to meet in the proposal, in multiple categories, with site context, and mechanisms to output possible inspiration classifications that one should pursue. This is the most analytical and scientific approach to biomimicry I have found.

Radwan, Dr. Gehan A.n., and Nouran Osama. “Biomimicry, An Approach, For Energy Efficient Building Skin Design.” Procedia - Environmental Sciences, vol. 34, 2016, pp. 178–189., https://www.researchgate.net/ publication/302485908_Biomimicry_an_Approach_for_Energy_ Effecient_Building_Skin_Design. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020.

// ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

THESIS PROPOSAL ||165

1) preserve existing buildings & roof construction 2) ground walls as heat buffers 3) underfloor heating 4) biomass heater 5) flush toilets with river water 6) biological water treatment 7) restaurant uses local river water and fish 8) solar heat-resistant glass 9) heat exchange with river for cooling 10) green roof 11) ram pump (water roof without energy) 12) hydropower energy 13) local willow wood (for biomass stove)

(9)

(8)

(10)

(7)

(5)

(13)

(3)

(2)

(12)

(6)

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

(4)

(1)

(11)

When looking through my research I would like to again point out the work of Studio Marco Vermeulen in the Biesbosch Museum case study I presented in Section H. The integration of the different building systems are shown in the diagram below. Here the design connects the exterior with the interior, using natural systems to power and feed mechanical ones - it is a true example of a symbiotic relationship.

For a successful execution of the thesis, technology will be one of the integral parts of the project. I aspire to make a regenerative building for my proposal. Measuring the success of the building will be difficult, as this proposal focuses on only a portion of the existing building (this can be seen in the Site Analysis Section). I have chosen this area to focus on because it adjacent to, and has an existing connection to the town pond. Secondly, it is the corner of two major streets in the town and would be a good place to activate to bring people within the building.

J. CONSTRUCTED ARGUMENT

// CONSTRUCTED ARGUMENT

166|| APPENDIX B AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

I believe both energy usage and water filtration will be highly important for the execution of my proposal in the way that, to have a regenerative building, these are going to have to be points that are addressed to reach those energy standards. In my research and readings from Michael Pawlyn, who practices biomimicry in architecture, there are a variety of methods that can be applied to creating zero-water systems, as well as managing water, and powering buildings. Though these methods are expansive, having a better understanding of the local species and what is available will help determine if any of the methods can be implemented on the site and in the proposal. The factor that will tie the proposal all together is if there is a local organism that can inform which way one, or all, these points can be addressed.

On the topic of water management, “[s]anitary wastewater is purified through a willow filter: the first of its kind in the Netherlands and an acknowledgment of the wicker culture of the Biesbosch. Willows absorb the wastewater and the substances it contains, among them nitrogen and phosphate. These substances act as nutrients and help the willow to grow. The purified water is discharged into the adjacent wetland area and flows from there into the river. Once the willows are sawed and dried, the wood can be used as fuel in the biomass stove in the museum or for other purposes.”

Studio Marco Vermeulen describes of energy usage in the building as the following, “[b]oth the new wing and existing volume are designed to minimize energy consumption. The glass facade is fitted with state-of-the-art heat-resistant glass that eliminates the need for blinds. The earthworks on the north-western side and the green roof serve as additional insulation and a heat buffer. On cold days, a biomass stove maintains the building at the right temperature through floor heating. On warm days, water from the river flows through the same piping to cool the building.”

// CONSTRUCTED ARGUMENT

THESIS PROPOSAL ||167

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

CONSTRUCTED ARGUMENT

168|| APPENDIX B AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

There will be a variety of experts that will need to be employed for a successful proposal, including: geotechnical engineer, environmental specialist, hydrologist, civil engineer, structural engineer and landscape architect.

Having a skeleton of a building will really help in the exploration and evaluation of the possibilities that can be incorporated into the final design of the project. This will also help in my efforts in connecting the interior and the exterior as these systems can be installed to join both. Ideally, the technology and integration strategies can help alleviate the brownfield conditions of the site.

Once the building performance is addressed with the needs, a deeper look into the technology and building systems that will need to be retrofitted into the building can be explored. Most likely, all windows in the building would need to be replaced with working, high-performance glazing. As the building has been unused for decades, all disciplines like electrical, plumbing, mechanical, etc will have to be replaced and reinstalled. In some ways this benefits the design, as there wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be functioning, existing systems to compete with. The interior of the building has not been able to be accessed by the public in a very long time, so worst case scenario, the entire interior will be gutted to be made anew.

// CONSTRUCTED ARGUMENT

THESIS PROPOSAL ||169

Present Day View

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

It is in the middle of the town geographically and down the street from the functioning town center. The site abuts the local pond and is connected with train tracks to the adjacent towns, serving as a location for a future node of public transportation as the area is attempting to revive the train system.

Historic View

Address for site is 82 Freedom Street, Hopedale, MA 01747 The building sits on two parcels of land of approximately 26 acres of land. The site consists of an abandoned textile mill and a large brownfield in the rear. The portion of the building that is the focus of this project is on Freedom Street side adjacent to the town pond.

The site that I am considering is one that I am quite familiar with, as I have grown up with it in my small town. This site is important for the development of my thesis because the site was once an integral part of living in the area. This feature is one I am aspiring to include in my proposal; while the building is abandoned now, I would like it to return to an activated part of town.

K. SITE CONTEXT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

// SITE CONTEXT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

170|| APPENDIX B Site Maps

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

AREA OF FOCUS

// SITE CONTEXT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH // 30

// SITE CONTEXT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||171

172|| APPENDIX B Isolated parcel of the considered site.

GREEN & BLUE SPACES The site is currently surrounded by large, green open spaces and a water source that can be integrated into a design proposal.

Draper Mill in the surrounding, suburban town of Hopedale.

CIRCULATION The site is located in an ideal location for a suburban town. The red line is the main street that goes through the town. The yellow lines are the major routes that connect the location to the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major highways. The orange line is an existing train line, the closest method of public transportation.

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

EXISTING PARCEL

SITE & CONTEXT

At present time, the owner is in a lawsuit with the town over ownership of this building. The town has wanted to do something with the space for many years, but the owner is unwilling to do anything with the space and will only sell far above the market rate for the property. This lawsuit has transpired for a couple of years, and at this point, it is unclear what will become of this space. Ideally, having a successful project and a vision of the space could change the direction of future plans of the building. The town is desperate enough to make anything out of the space that they are willing to overlooking the current zoning regulations for the parcels.

// SITE CONTEXT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||173

Historical Views of Building Activity

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

// SITE CONTEXT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

174|| APPENDIX B Present Day Views of Building

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

// SITE CONTEXT SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||175

EVENTS

SPORTS

RECREATION

PARKING

STREETART

PLAYGROUND

PARK

ART INSTALLATION

MARKET

RECREATION

ART STUDIO

COMPUTERS

CULTURAL

EDUCATION

MUSEUM

FOOD

HOUSING

RETAIL

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

FOOD

USAGE OF OUTDOOR SPACE

MANUFACTURING

USAGE OF INDOOR SPACE

As this building will serve the public, the indoor and outdoors spaces that were considered in the site as a whole were as follows:

Following the site and building information from the previous section, the consideration for programming of the project started on a urban planning level. The users of the project will be those of the town, as well as the surrounding towns. Per the discussion of ownership in the Site Context Analysis, “the public” will be the main clients for the project. The building and the site have enough available space to allow the consideration of program that is both indoors and outdoors.

L. VISUALIZING THE PROGRAM

// VISUALIZING THE PROGRAM

INDOOR OUTDOOR

OMIT SPACES

SEPARATED BY DISTANCE

ADJACENT SPACES

SHARE SPACES

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

While the building used to function as a textile mill, the town does not need manufacturing space; it is important to note, however, that the history of manufacturing is important to my methods of inquiry and what I want to achieve with this project. The historical image below from the 1940s gives a sense of what life was like when the mill was at its working capacity. This image specifically is of interest of my program exploration as it shows the different aspects of the mill working in the same space, something I aspire to accomplish in my own project.

Using the space relationship matrix to analyze the considered indoor and outdoor spaces, some were able to be omitted based on the context of the site within the town. The town park is a block away, so there is no need to have park space, nor sport facilities as the students of the school already have their designated areas.

// VISUALIZING THE PROGRAM

176|| APPENDIX B

THESIS PROPOSAL ||177

PROGRAM BUBBLE DIAGRAM

PROGRAM DISTINCTION

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

// VISUALIZING THE PROGRAM

Tavsan, Cengiz, et al. “Biomimicry in Architectural Design Education.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 182, 2015, pp. 489–496., https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277949759_Biomimicry_in_Architectural_Design_Education. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020.

“Second Nature the Biomimicry Evolution.” Talent Attack, 2011.

Radwan, Dr. Gehan A.n., and Nouran Osama. “Biomimicry, An Approach, For Energy Efficient Building Skin Design.” Procedia Environmental Sciences, vol. 34, 2016, pp. 178–189., https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302485908_Biomimicry_an_ Approach_for_Energy_Effecient_Building_Skin_Design. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020.

Pawlyn, Michael. Biomimicry in Architecture. Riba Publishing, 2014.

Orr, David. “The Architecture of Science.” Conservation Biology, vol. 13, no. 2, Apr. 1999, pp. 228–231. WILEY, https://www.jstor.org/stable/2641463.

Myers, William, and Paola Antonelli. Bio Design: Nature, Science, Creativity. Museum of Modern Art, 2018.

Hollander, Justin B., Niall G. Kirkwood, and Julia L. Gold. Principles of Brownfield Regeneration: Cleanup, Design, and Reuse of Derelict Land. Washington D.C.: Island Press, 2010.

Gruber, Petra. Biomimetics in Architecture: Architecture of Life and Buildings. Walter De Gruyter & Co, 2011.

Brown, David E., and William D Browning. Sustainable Architecture: White Papers. Earth Pledge Foundation, 2008.

Berkebile, Bob, and Jason McLennan. “The Living Building: Biomimicry in Architecture, Integrating Technology with Nature.” Academia, https://www.academia.edu/2234596/The_living_building_biomimicry_in_architecture_integrating_technology_with_ nature. Accessed 29 Jan. 2020.

Benyus, Janine M. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Perennial, 1997.

Baumeister, Dayna, et al. Biomimicry: Resource Handbook: a Seed Bank of Best Practices. Biomimicry 3.8, 2014.

Baum, Martina, and Kees Christiaanse, eds. City as Loft Adaptive Reuse as a Resource for Sustainable Urban Developement. Translated by Michael Robertson. Zürich, Switzerland: gta Verlag, 2012.

BIBLIOGRAPHY //

PARTI DIAGRAM //

CONCEPT MODEL //

Terms of Criticism / 1. The chosen renovation building was once a significant part of the local community. 2. To address its energy needs, the design provides a combination of building technology and site intergration, using local resources to in all phases of the project. 3. The project explicitly uses biomimicry in the capacity of being transdiciplinary, evidence-based, and focused on function in the effort of delivering transformative change.

Methods of Inquiry / 1. To reduce the carbon footprint of construction, adaptive reuse of an existing building will be employed. 2. The design will change the program and organization based on the needs of the community, while keeping the integrity of the existing building’s architecture present. 3. New technologies and/or building strategies will be used in the design to further integrate building systems to site and community.

Framing a Thesis / As future society will require all new buildings to have zero environmental impact, due to the growing threat of climate change and energy consumption, the need for a building that is reactive to the location that it is proposed in and the intended use(s) of it will be paramount.

THESIS STATEMENT //

SERGIO AFONSO THESIS RESEARCH

USING BIOMIMICRY TO SUSTAINABLY REINTEGRATE AN ABANDONED BUILDING

BUILDING AN ORGANISM //

ANALYSIS: This building is built from an existing structure and uses closed-loop systems to service the building. It hits on a variety of sustainability practices (depicted in the diagram on the right of this board). From biomass heater, to on-site water filtration, as well as food production and hydropower energy, this building lives with its surrounding. On a yearly basis, it adapts to the tides of the river it is built on and encourages the visitors of the park to interact with the nature in an educated and engaging way. In using the already existing, hexagonal structure, Studio Marco uses the shape to partition different spaces within, while using it as a visual element on the exterior. The existing building was oriented so that all interaction was focused within; with the renovation, the building was turned inside out to bring the user’s attention to the exterior, nature surrounding the building. While the concept of biomimicry tends to focus on a single concept that is iterated in design, this case study illustrates the importance of a symbiotic relationship with community/site.

DESCRIPTION: Using the previous structure, the design opens a couple of wings for views of park and passive system strategies. The building fully integrates to a bio-sensitive site in the middle of a National Park. All systems interact with the site on any given day, at any given time.

KEY FEATURES: Repurpose/Reuse, Green Roof, Site to Building Integration

DATE COMPLETED: 2015

ARCHITECT: Studio Marco Vermeulen

LOCATION: Park Museum, Werkendam, The Netherlands

CENTER OF DE BIESBOSCH NATIONAL PARK MUSEUM

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS //

M. PRESENTATION PANELS

EXISTING BUILDING

PARTI

RENOVATED BUILDING

UNIT TO WHOLE

EVENTS

FOOD

SPORTS

RECREATION

COMPUTERS

EDUCATION

STREETART

USAGE OF OUTDOOR SPACE PARKING

(8)

SUSTAINABILITY INTEGRATION

(9)

(7)

PLAYGROUND

MUSEUM

PROGRAMMING //

USAGE OF INDOOR SPACE CULTURAL

(10)

(5)

PARK

FOOD

(4)

(13)

(3)

(12)

(6)

MARKET

RETAIL

OMIT SPACES

SEPARATED BY DISTANCE

ADJACENT SPACES

SHARE SPACES

(2)

ART INSTALLATION

HOUSING

(1)

(11)

Historic View

The site is located in an ideal location for a suburban town. The red line is the main street that goes through the town. The yellow lines are the major routes that connect the location to the state’s major highways. The orange line is an existing train line, the closest method of public transportation.

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Present Day View

The site is currently surrounded by large, green open spaces and a water source that can be integrated into a design proposal.

GREEN & BLUE SPACE

Isolated parcel of the considered site.

CIRCULATION

EXISTING PARCEL

SITE & CONTEXT Draper Mill in the surrounding, suburban town of Hopedale.

The considered site is located in Hopedale, MA and consists of an abandoned textile mill and a large brownfield, now known as Draper Mill. It is in the middle of the town geographically, and down the street from the functioning town center. The site abuts the local pond and is connected with train tracks to the adjacent towns, serving as a location for a future node of public transportation.

The site that I am considering is one that I am quite familiar with, as I have grown up with it in my small town. This site is important for the development of my thesis because the site was once an integral part of living in the area. It is important that this feature is included in the site as I hope it will help to compare to the proposal and its successful integration.

SITE ANALYSIS //

RECREATION

MANUFACTURING

CONCEPT MAPPING //

ART STUDIO

NATURAL LIGHT

FLOOR PLAN

SECTION B

SECTION A

1) preserve existing buildings & roof construction 2) ground walls as heat buffers 3) underfloor heating 4) biomass heater 5) flush toilets with river water 6) biological water treatment 7) restaurant uses local river water and fish 8) solar heat-resistant glass 9) heat exchange with river for cooling 10) green roof 11) ram pump (water roof without energy) 12) hydropower energy 13) local willow wood (for biomass stove)

ELEVATION B

ELEVATION A

INDOOR OUTDOOR

178|| APPENDIX B 37

// PRESENTATION PANELS

ELEVATION A

ELEVATION B

SECTION A

SECTION B

NATURAL LIGHT

(10) (11)

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS //

CENTER OF DE BIESBOSCH NATIONAL PARK MUSEUM LOCATION: Park Museum, Werkendam, The Netherlands ARCHITECT: Studio Marco Vermeulen

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

DATE COMPLETED: 2015

EXISTING BUILDING

RENOVATED BUILDING

KEY FEATURES: Repurpose/Reuse, Green Roof, Site to Building Integration DESCRIPTION: Using the previous structure, the design opens a couple of wings for views of park and passive system strategies. The building fully integrates to a bio-sensitive site in the middle of a National Park. All systems interact with the site on any given day, at any given time.

FLOOR PLAN

1) preserve existing buildings & roof construction 2) ground walls as heat buffers 3) underfloor heating 4) biomass heater 5) flush toilets with river water 6) biological water treatment 7) restaurant uses local river water and fish 8) solar heat-resistant glass 9) heat exchange with river for cooling 10) green roof 11) ram pump (water roof without energy) 12) hydropower energy 13) local willow wood (for biomass stove)

(1)

(5)

(4)

(3)

(2) (6)

(7)

(8) (9)

ANALYSIS: This building is built from an existing structure and uses closed-loop systems to service the building. It hits on a variety of sustainability practices (depicted in the diagram on the right of this board). From biomass heater, to on-site water filtration, as well as food production and hydropower energy, this building lives with its surrounding. On a yearly basis, it adapts to the tides of the river it is built on and encourages the visitors of the park to interact with the nature in an educated and engaging way. In using the already existing, hexagonal structure, Studio Marco uses the shape to partition different spaces within, while using it as a visual element on the exterior. The existing building was oriented so that all interaction was focused within; with the renovation, the building was turned inside out to bring the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attention to the exterior, nature surrounding the building. While the concept of biomimicry tends to focus on a single concept that is iterated in design, this case study illustrates the importance of a symbiotic relationship with community/site.

(12)

(13)

UNIT TO WHOLE

PARTI

SUSTAINABILITY INTEGRATION

// PRESENTATION PANELS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||179

BUILDING AN ORGANISM //

CONCEPT MAPPING //

PROGRAMMING //

USING BIOMIMICRY TO SUSTAINABLY REINTEGRATE AN ABANDONED BUILDING SERGIO AFONSO THESIS RESEARCH

THESIS STATEMENT // Framing a Thesis / As future society will require all new buildings to have zero environmental impact, due to the growing threat of climate change and energy consumption, the need for a building that is reactive to the location that it is proposed in and the intended use(s) of it will be paramount.

Methods of Inquiry / 1. To reduce the carbon footprint of construction, adaptive reuse of an existing building will be employed. 2. The design will change the program and organization based on the needs of the community, while keeping the integrity of the existing buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture present. 3. New technologies and/or building strategies will be used in the design to further integrate building systems to site and community.

INDOOR

CONCEPT MODEL //

OUTDOOR

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

SHARE SPACES ADJACENT SPACES SEPARATED BY DISTANCE OMIT SPACES

USAGE OF INDOOR SPACE MANUFACTURING

RECREATION

ART STUDIO

COMPUTERS

CULTURAL

EDUCATION

MUSEUM

FOOD

HOUSING

RETAIL

PLAYGROUND

PARK

ART INSTALLATION

MARKET

USAGE OF OUTDOOR SPACE FOOD

// PRESENTATION PANELS

180|| APPENDIX B

EVENTS

SPORTS

RECREATION

PARKING

STREETART

PARTI DIAGRAM //

SITE ANALYSIS // The site that I am considering is one that I am quite familiar with, as I have grown up with it in my small town. This site is important for the development of my thesis because the site was once an integral part of living in the area. It is important that this feature is included in the site as I hope it will help to compare to the proposal and its successful integration. The considered site is located in Hopedale, MA and consists of an abandoned textile mill and a large brownfield, now known as Draper Mill. It is in the middle of the town geographically, and down the street from the functioning town center. The site abuts the local pond and is connected with train tracks to the adjacent towns, serving as a location for a future node of public transportation.

SITE & CONTEXT

EXISTING PARCEL

Draper Mill in the surrounding, suburban town of Hopedale.

Isolated parcel of the considered site.

Brown, David E., and William D Browning. Sustainable Architecture: White Papers. Earth Pledge Foundation, 2008.

CIRCULATION

GREEN & BLUE SPACE

Gruber, Petra. Biomimetics in Architecture: Architecture of Life and Buildings. Walter De Gruyter & Co, 2011.

The site is currently surrounded by large, green open spaces and a water source that can be integrated into a design proposal.

Historic View

Present Day View

BIBLIOGRAPHY // Baum, Martina, and Kees Christiaanse, eds. City as Loft Adaptive Reuse as a Resource for Sustainable Urban Developement. Translated by Michael Robertson. Zürich, Switzerland: gta Verlag, 2012. Baumeister, Dayna, et al. Biomimicry: Resource Handbook: a Seed Bank of Best Practices. Biomimicry 3.8, 2014. Benyus, Janine M. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. Perennial, 1997. Berkebile, Bob, and Jason McLennan. “The Living Building: Biomimicry in Architecture, Integrating Technology with Nature.” Academia, https://www.academia.edu/2234596/The_living_building_biomimicry_in_architecture_integrating_technology_with_ nature. Accessed 29 Jan. 2020.

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Hollander, Justin B., Niall G. Kirkwood, and Julia L. Gold. Principles of Brownfield Regeneration: Cleanup, Design, and Reuse of Derelict Land. Washington D.C.: Island Press, 2010. Myers, William, and Paola Antonelli. Bio Design: Nature, Science, Creativity. Museum of Modern Art, 2018. Orr, David. “The Architecture of Science.” Conservation Biology, vol. 13, no. 2, Apr. 1999, pp. 228–231. WILEY, https://www.jstor.org/stable/2641463. Pawlyn, Michael. Biomimicry in Architecture. Riba Publishing, 2014. Petzet, Muck, and Florian Heilmeyer. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Architecture as Resource: German Pavilion, 13th International Architecture Exhibition, La Biennale Di Venezia 2012. Translated by Ishbel Flett, David Koralek, Anh Kotmair, and Catherine Shelbert. Ostfildern, Germany: Hatje Cantz, 2012. Radwan, Dr. Gehan A.n., and Nouran Osama. “Biomimicry, An Approach, For Energy Efficient Building Skin Design.” Procedia Environmental Sciences, vol. 34, 2016, pp. 178–189., https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302485908_Biomimicry_an_ Approach_for_Energy_Effecient_Building_Skin_Design. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020. “Second Nature the Biomimicry Evolution.” Talent Attack, 2011. Tavsan, Cengiz, et al. “Biomimicry in Architectural Design Education.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 182, 2015, pp. 489–496., https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277949759_Biomimicry_in_Architectural_Design_Education. Accessed 4 Feb. 2020.

// PRESENTATION PANELS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||181

182|| APPENDIX B AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

At this time, contingent if confirmed as an advisor, I would like to potentially work with Kirsten Soderlund.

N. THESIS CLIENT ADVISOR

// THESIS CLIENT ADVISOR

THESIS PROPOSAL ||183

December 2020 Graduation

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

Fifteenth Week of Classes Final Book (Signed)

Thirteenth Week of Classes Final Review

Ninth Week of Classes Design Development Review

Fifth Week of Classes Schematic Review

Third Week of Classes Preliminary Review

First Week of Classes Introductory Review

O. SCHEDULE OF REQUIREMENTS

// SCHEDULE OF REQUIREMENTS

184|| APPENDIX B sept 2010 dec 2014 Orono, ME

University of Maine

email phone

Bachelor of Science in Zoology Minor in French GPA: 3.3

sergio.afonso@the-bac.edu 508.902.8718

Word PowerPoint Excel

office

LANGUAGE

Mac Windows

PROFICIENCY

sept 2008 - sept 2015 Milford, MA

Target guest service specialist

Photoshop Illustrator InDesign

AutoCAD

Revit Sketchup

AFONSO // THESIS RESEARCH //

imaging

drafting

Acted quickly and efficiently to resolve guest needs, concerns, and disputes Processed returns and organized their return back to headquarters Cross trained new members in responsibilities of guest relations

Contributed and coordinated with locals and outfitters for educational & sustainable experiences Advised and traveled with high school students abroad Managed trip finances and restructured curriculum for future trips

global education instructor jun 2015 - july 2015 Central America

Broadreach

Drafted documents and compiled information for each transaction Monitored and advised colleagues on successful completion of contractual deadlines Supported and handled client, agent, and opposing counsel phone calls and emails for all active and closed transactions Contacted different departments in surrounding municipalities Performed clerical work such as filing, copying, faxing, emailing, etc

real estate law coordinator oct 2015 - sept 2018 Milford, MA

Alavi & Braza, PC

Vanko Studio Architects Draft schematic design plans and full construction sets in Revit designer II july 2018 - present Survey existing buildings for renovation projects Boston, MA Select and compile complete interior specifications with vendors for new construction and renovation projects Fill and submit sets and permits with BPDA, ISD, and municipalities Construct scaled site models

WORK EXPERIENCE

Boston Architectural College aug 2017 - Master of present Architecture Boston, MA GPA: 3.6

EDUCATION

SERGIO AFONSO

P. RĂŠsumĂŠ

// QUALIFICATIONS

THESIS PROPOSAL ||185