Silvia Galdamez Portfolio by Silvia Galdamez

PORTFOLIO

Silvia Galdamez A COLLECTION OF WORK

Sacellum Extasim- in the eyes of Ana

Rovina D’Acqua

Pore

Glenn Curtis Aviation Museum

Landscapes of Mobility Paisajes de Movilidad

Zoetic: of Relating to Life

Green O- Social Haus

Academic Work Completed: Spring 2019

Academic Work Completed: Fall 2018

Academic Work Completed: Spring 2018

Academic Work Completed: Spring 2017

Academic Work Completed:Spring 2020

Personal Work Completed: January 2021

Professional Work Completed: June 2021

Sacellum Extasim-in eyes of Ana Quod me nutrit, me destruit - “What nourishes me also destroys me” Anonymous

Nothing tastes as good as thin feels Anonymous

I was on top of the world, perfect grades and perfect conduct, number one in my class, and most importantly I was thin. What else could I ask for? I thought I was destined to achieve an ultimate, almost divine perfection. Anonymous

A series of studies exploring a chosen contemporary collective and their inherent iconologies. Each phase escalates into a further understading of the collective. From Tilling studies as a contemporary form of exquisite corpse, a collective confessional and culminating into a chapel. A series of precedent drawings of existing ornamentation both at Bath Abbey, Somerset England and Real Alcazar de Sevilla in Seville Spain. Drawings consider expression, pragmatic elements and inherent iconology. The chosen collective is the cult of ANAMADISM. The cult of ANAMADISM’s followers look to Ana as a benevolent guide, a spiritual counselor of sorts. Those indoctrinated into the cult find themselves striving towards divine perfection and purity through a proactive and volatile form of fasting much like St.Catherine of Siena’s history and ultimate canonization. The followers aim to achieve personal salvation as their emaciated bodies wither and ready themselves to fit through the narrow gate towards canonization [paradise].

TW This project was done with a sensible knowledge of the severity and physical and emotional toll that eating disorders cause. Please contact the National Eating Disorder Association Helpline (800) 931-2237 if you or someone you love is suffering from an eating disorder

ACADEMIC WORK

EXQUISITE CORPSE TILING STUDIES

A visual palette derived from the St. Catherine of Siena icon of the Lily flower. This ornamental language creates three ‘petals’ capable of aggreagation forming and deforming the shape of the human spine making it at the same time gruesome yet beautiful.

ACADEMIC WORK

CONFESSIONAL

Garden of Eden, Paradise

The confessional acts as a test of devotion for Anamadim’s followers. To those unaware of the symbols, it is just another ornate column. To the devotee, it is a structured sequence of atrophy to confess one’s sins and one step closer towards divine purity. Each phase of the sequence is meant to symbolize each stage of body detriment one must achieve towards divity. This ornate colum hidden in plain sight yet paradise for devotees, will act as the one step closer to their path to perfection.

ACADEMIC WORK

CONFESSIONAL Hippocampus

The chapel situated in the devotee’s mind, it becomes a final procession to holiness and to save one’s soul in AnaMadim’s eyes. This is the moment when devotees must come to terms with their actions, experience the daunting and often detrimental decision to save themselves and thus their lives and walk away from AnaMadim. Each stage carved in the confessional is further intensified. This final procession serves as a final step towards perfection, devotees chose life or death and come to terms with the fact that divinity in AnaMadim’s eyes can

ACADEMIC WORK

ROVINA D’ACQUA ENVIRONMENT

AQUEOUS MAP I Beebe Lake, Ithaca NY

As an abstract pattern, the visual representation of lhe hydrodynamic forces become a temporal art installation which ebb and flow on a single plane which map the intangible forces below this very surface Swirling in a rhythm and order that cannot be explained or seen, the milky tracings reveal an otherwise invisible component of the waterways’ architecture and leave an open interpretation to what the physical form of this component might take. ARTIFACT

Rainbow Falls Watkins Glen State Park

Located within Watkins Glen State Park, the gorge path is a moment carved out of the ground, winding through and under the waterfall. Framed within the 200-foot cliff the circuitous path extends from the carved out cliffs and through the spray of Cavern Cascade that composes an intimate momen that existi g between the rock and the water Finally terminating the path into a stairway leading to the suspended stone cut bridge that lies between the cliffs

ACADEMIC WORK

Inter 195x72 1.75

Exterior VWWiew 195x72x81 mm 1.75mm PLA

ACADEMIC WORK

ARCHIPELAGO Rovina D’acqua

Sited within an abandoned, industrial area of the city of Ithaca, the project acts as a bridging connection within the archipelago. A structure whose main purpose is to bridge the gap between the more urban developed area of Ithaca and the less developed region that faces the inlet directly. The project is composed to two double curvature, dry masonry walls whose heights transition from occupiable bench space to 8-meter towering walls that encompass the space. Thus, the project becomes a ruin within the site, and the temporarily of the program inside becomes secondary to the main structure that is the walls. The project houses a children’s library, a cafe, and a nursery. As one moves through the project, the compression and expansion of space is reinforced both vertically and horizontally and open ups pockets of program. As the journey within the space comes to an end, the final reveal is a framed view of the inlet as the walls begin to descend into their final form

ACADEMIC WORK

PORE This project was conceived through the idea of the filter and the endless possibilities by its definition and manipulation. I began by analyzing the campanile of Basilica Dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, specifically the foundational piece which originally belonged to the Temple of Divius Claudius. This piece was originally meant to suppy the temple’s terrace but was later repurposed as an aqueduct. Through observation I discovered a very specific form of each of the continuous stones. I noticed that each stone possessed a carved cavity that increased in frequency as the stones move further into the base. Drawing upon this observation I created a series of schematic variations extrapolating from the original stone com,ponents that I then manipulated. This generative process culminated into a range of filtering patterns that articulated several definitions of porosity. Following Iris generative process, I moved on to analyze the given site. In a partner exercise, I created several vector drawings that highlighted the points of interest within the given site, using points of attraction to indicate locations tourists and locals alike will be most likely to visit and points of dispersal that marked the locations people exit from, such as the metro station. The final proposal is composed of ten walls located adjacent to the Coloseum serve the purpose to store and display artifacts unearther during the excavation of Linea Metro C for the public but particularly for the local Roman inhabitants. Each wall is dictated by a series of curve attractions while also informed by the code generated throught the two previous phases in the brief.

ACADEMIC WORK

GENEOLOGY Basilica Dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo Drawing upon these two analytical phases, I generated a filtering pattern using the point attractors from the site analysis and the components of the campanile. The pattern was then translated into a code of ten walls that were strategically placed within the pattern. This code proceeded to inform the curve attraction and the morphing each component within the design of the wall. The program of the project features two underground exhibition spaces where ancient military barracks are displayed with their original floor mosaic, the ground floor houses cafes, bookshops and utilities as well as an open aired courtyard and playground. The upper floors display smaller artifacts such as lanterns and pottery fragments.

Campanile Base Component Breakdown

ACADEMIC WORK

GLENN CURTIS AVIATION MUSEUM The project began with an exploration various types of long span structural systems. The chosen system for this project is the space frame With precedents such as Konrad Wachsmann’s 1950’s space frame for the Air Force, the chosen structure was chosen due to its strength and slenderness with a capability to impact interior lighting quality and create a wide range of types of spaces. A structural analysis was done. The aim of this analysis was to create a series of speculative models that played with the scale of the space frame and to explore the flexibility ard visual transformation resulting in different atmospheric conditions. The observations taken from the analysis are later used to develop an architectural proposal for the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum. An architectural proposal designed to host a selection of exhibits from the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum in ammondsport, NY The main structure and atmospheric conditions come from the previous speculative analysis -the building morphs into the site, and addresses the cayuga inlet and the Cornell University Boat house. Visitors are first introduced to the project by an uncovered passageway composed of steel rigid frames. The p’oposal accommodates various programs in one, exhibition space, greenhouse, and park.

ACADEMIC WORK

LANDSCAPES OF MOBILITY PAISAJES DE MOVILIDAD Images “go before” the immigrant in the sense that before the immigrant arrives, his or her image comes first, in the form of stereotypes, search templates, tables of classification, and patterns of recognition

W.J.T Mitchell

Visuality not only signifies what might be referred to as a rising “flood of images”, but a change in a consciousness, which accords visual practices a much more substantial role in thought process and in the acquisition of “knowledge”

Christine Bischoff, Francesca Falk and Sylvia Kafeshy

U.S Immigration has long been characterized by class and racial divide as well economic and political agendas. For the last century, its most prominent ports of entry have been plagued by policies and highly strategized media campaigns that strip their subjects of their humanity. Our (im)migrant identity, in particular, has been defined as the insiders vs the outsiders fueled by imaginary boundaries and predetermined social demarcations. These agendas have created systems of mobility that stretch beyond recorded history and widespread media. This thesis aims at addressing the lack of representation and misrepresentation of those systems and constructs, interprets and highlights the unrecorded cultural, historical and individual narratives. This thesis proposes an exposure and re-education into the narratives that have plagued immigration and the U.SMexico border within the American landscape in the past 100 years and heightened in the last two decades. Through five specific site interventions, this thesis proposes the introduction of single-user and communal experiences aimed at instigating a more informed change in consciousness within the theme of immigration and the migrant.

ACADEMIC WORK

Two timelines of the ‘border’ and ports of entries within the United States are produced to represent the history and documentation of events that have plagued and influenced themes of immigration, economy, identity and policy just over the last 100 years. Borders could be argued to be imaginary demarcated lines along a map, yet the treatment of a physical lanscape dividing and thus defining a difference and often an inferiority can and has had an influence in the mobility and identity of the bodies that transverse the very real imaginary lines.

U.S - Mexico Border Timeline 1821- 2014 A timeline visually representing key events recorded within the Library of Congress along the U.S- Mexico border. Each providing a symbol directly translated from the words used to the describe the event.

U.S - Canada Border Timeline 1867 - 2016 A timeline visually representing key events recorded within the Library of Congress along the U.S- Canada border. Each providing a symbol directly translated from the words used to the describe the event. Note the scarce series of events compared to the previous timeline of the U.S- Mexico border. At a quick glance it is clear how differently both lines of demarcation have been treated.

ACADEMIC WORK

Person-al Interview

An anonymous interview that records an immigrant’s journey in the United States. Themes of home, childhood. unfair treatment, regret, value, and memory are talked about. The results of such interview is a “rings of life”. With each ring representing an answer/a chapter in their journey as the individuual at the time of the interview. The rings are meant to be read inwards. As the rings approachs the center, it becomes more dense. The central ring holds the answer that define who the individual defines is most important to them as a person . The rings never fully complete a circle. The circle would indicate their story is complete. At the time of interview, each chapter is incomplete.

The Grand Canyon National Park is one of many National Parks where naturalization (the final ceremony where a legal alien becomes a naturalized US citizen) ceremonies occur. National parks are a symbol of American beauty and pride as the vasts untouched landscapes portray a message of unity, protection and uniqueness. It is the place for family summer roadtrips, international tourist destinations and now it is also the physical space where a group of people receive their tangible approval of ‘belonging’ masked into a beautiful ceremony. The Gran Canyon Village South Rim is the chosen site for the interventions. A popular visitor stop during their travel as well as the current site for the naturalization ceremonies. Sites are marked along the edge of the Grand Canyon Village presenting the visitor’s cone of vision and the landscape that each site covers as well as the extension of the viewer’s line of sight into the extent of the region. Then, sites were isolated to those that present the visitor a distinct experience with landscape and future interventions.

Other major sites where ceremonies also frequent are: Yellowstone National Park Biscayne National park Acadia National Park

ACADEMIC WORK

House of Hope

Cell of Fear

Landscape of Fairness

Library of Memory

(un) American Collection

Hope (noun) /hōp/ :a desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment

Fear (noun) /’fir/ :an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger or anxious concern

Fairness (noun) \ ‘fer-nǝs :the quality or state of being fair or impartial treatment. A lack of favoritism towards one side or another

Memory (noun) /ˈmem(ə)rē/ :the fact or condition of being remembered. :an image or impression of one that is remembered :commemorative remembrace

A tight and long subterranean passageway whose entrance is only visible from the road. Best approached on foot with the road adjacent, the visitor enters a completely dark space. Coupled in between moments of silence, audio of past visitors, memories, words, different languages will be played instigating feelings of uncertainty, loss of direction, solitude and powerlessness. Best experienced alone.

A place of rest. Located in the flatness region amongst Grand Canyon Village, it is easily accessible for all sort of visitors, this intervention acts as a middle ground for visitors to engage with each other, an equal opportunity to breathe and reflect upon the vastness and wonder presented in front of them as well as the emotions instigated by its other four counterparts. Best experienced in a group

A series of single-user interventions each leading the visitor down the canyon into a single window-like framed view of the landscape. Each unit is meant to instigate intimacy, reflection, quiet and closeness both with the landscape and with the library. Each visitor is welcome to carve their own memories into the rock. Each visitor continuously adding another layer to the series of anonymous stories/journeys already carved into the library units.

American (noun) /ə’merəkən/ :a native or inhabitant of the United States. A U.S citizen. Un-American (adjective) /ənəˈmerəkən/ :not American, not characteristic of or consisten with American custos, principles, or traditions A series of archival units. These permanent wall units hold an annual exhibition by the National Park Service that can range from imagery and history within the U.S-Mexico border to volunteered memorabilia of the various naturalization ceremonies that occur less than a mile away from the Collection. This exhibition aids in documenting the journey of those that have taken their oath of allegiance near the site and the objects that become a part of their identity. Best experienced in alone or in small groups

Long pathway that begins to appear within the flat landscape. Best approached on foot, this intervention presents the visitor with a choice. A choice amongst three look out points, each descending into an isolated look-out platform. As the visitor descends, the landscape is revealed. This slow, yet striking reveal allows the visitor to experience the infinite fulfillment of the never-ending landscape. Best experienced alone.

ACADEMIC WORK

Site: Grand Canyon Village, South Rim Arizona. United States 2019 Total Visitation: 5,974,4111 A series of five landscape interventions redefining typologies of the monument and the museum. Each interventions is purposely placed along sites of ideal framing of the landscape and heightened definition and purpose for each of the spaces. Ideally approached and experienced on foot, a total distance of 5.7 miles is covered. Each intervention is meant to instigate an emotion, a meaning, an idea or memory from the visitor. With sites that play on the visitor’s senses, control, thoughts, knowledge, accesibility and history, each is meant to reintroduce and provide the tools for the visitor to engage within the subject of immigration and America identity in the wonder and infinity landscape of the Grand Canyon.

ACADEMIC WORK

ZOETIC: of or relating to life The human experience is simultaneously individual and universal. We lead with our emotions and innovate to meet our needs. We create medicines, form loving bonds, theorize about the world around us, and teach others the knowledge we have acquired. This project seeks to record and curate this collective experience and celebrate human innovation by grouping the exhibition space into four core dimensions of human life: body, heart, mind, and soul. Located in Alexandria, Egypt, the site of the now mythologized Library of Alexandria, this pavilion is meant to serve as its spiritual successor. The library has become a symbol of human knowledge and progress within the collective cultural psyche. Zoetic seeks to do the very same. The pavilion is primarily conceived as an open-air hypostyle hall with a sprawling grid of columns that support a flat roof structure. This roof features organic cutouts to allow additional lighting into the space. It sits at the tip of a jetty in the Al Mina’ Ash Sharqiyah inlet of the port city. Appearing to emerge from a found condition of freestanding columns, its relationship with the sea is meant to reference the general understanding that life on Earth is possible because of the presence of water. The building is divided into six sections: four corresponding to the dimensions of human existence and two areas of overlap. They are designated by netted membranes which contain exhibitions highlighting the facets of humanity.

Submitted to Bree Breeder’s Pavilion of Humanity CompetitionShortlisted Completed: January 2020 Collaborators: Aileene Han and Roberto E. Villasante

PERSONAL WORK

1.ENTRY

2. BODY

5.HEART-MIND

9. FROM THE WATER

6. MIND

10. GAZEBO

These six sections relate to one another through a 3. BODY-HEART procession from the physical to the meta-physical. Body to heart, heart to mind, and mind to soul.

3. BODY-HEART

7.SOUL

These spaces would house a range of curated pieces that can be displayed along the stiff walls that dividethem or hung from the netted structure that engulfs them. Some of the elements displayed/highlighted in each membrane include achievements in medicine in Body, artistic expression in Body/Heart, love and advocacy in Heart, written language in Heart/Mind,History and space travel in Mind, and curiosity and religion in Soul. 1.ENTRY 2.BODY 3. BODY-HEART 4. HEART 5. HEART-MIND 6. MIND 7.SOUL 8.INLET 9.FROM THE WATER 10. GAZEBO

PERSONAL WORK 4.HEART

8. INLET

GREEN O- SOCIAL HAUS The Social Haus is the true heart of the Green O Resort. Just a short walk from each of the twelve Haus accommodations the Social Haus is the central dining pavilion nestled in the woods where guests gather for meals cooked over live fire. Two expansive folding doors open from the corner of the dining room into the forest, so you feel like you are dining among the trees with the mingling of cooking aromas and the fresh, pine-scented air. Details like Shou Sugi Ban charred wood, and artisan-designed custom lighting further accentuate the feeling that you are enveloped in the forest. Inside, you will encounter the inner circle bar, an intimate lounge with dining area and an open kitchen. We love the green O legacy and story of the former property rancher who would brand his sheep with a green painted “O” The Green O brand inspired us to use the green color and circular shape for the central fireplace banquette which is a modern take on sitting around a campfire. Central to the spirit of the Social Haus is the wood burning culinary experience cooked over live fire led by Executive Chef Brandon Cunningham and his team of award-winning sous and pastry chefs. The use of wood and fire in its many forms was the inspiration for the material palette – from the charred wood cladding and glazed raku-fired tiles. Mutuus Studio-Interior Architecture: Jim Friesz, Kristen Becker, Saul Becker, Silvia Galdamez GC: Miguel Chavez: Lone Tree Construction-Dan O’Hoyt Site Supervisor NC Architects: Nick Cole-Local Architect Apex Engineering: David Roberts, Structural Engineering Rendering: Notion Workshop Location: Greenough, MT

PROFESSIONAL WORK