2022 Portfolio by Carlos Valenzuela

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C a r l o s F r a n c i s c o V a l e n z u e l a J r Phone +44 770 978 0228 Email: cvalenzuela10@outlook.com I am passionate about architecture, urban design, and incorporating traditional ecological and indigenous knowledge to explore innovative design solutions in the built environment.

E D U C A T I O N Architectural Association (AA), London, United Kingdom, September 2020 - October 2021 Master of Arts (MA) in Housing and Urbanism

University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States, June 2015 – May 2020 Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Sustainable Built Environments (SBE), Emphasis: Sustainable Communities

Doshisha University (study abroad), Kyoto, Japan, April 2018 - August 2018

University of Westminster (study abroad), London, United Kingdom, February 2017- May 2017

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Gates Millennium Scholarship Awardee (full academic scholarship) Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 2020 National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) Student Scholar Awardee Nominated for 2019 Campus-Based Leader (CBL) Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 2016 Arizona Public Media/National Public Radio (NPR) appearance where I spoke about the sustainable earthwork I was doing with the Tucson Adobe Initiative Spoke on a panel on behalf of Tierra Y Libertad Organization at the UNESCO City of Gastronomy Conference in Tucson, Arizona, USA - Water and Food in Arid Lands: Dialogues Across Contemporary and Traditional Knowledge, organized by the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at University of Arizona 2015 American Indian Alumni Scholarship (University of Arizona)

E X P E R I E N C E Geographical Information System (GIS) Intern at Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC), Olympia, WA, USA, August 2020 - September 2020 -Created a StoryMap template using ESRI software that focused on climate change impacts on salmon populations in Chico Creek, WA. This StoryMap focused on the Suquamish Tribe and the effects of the salmon population in the Chico Creek on their cultural practices and ways of life. This template is used to assist other Native American tribes in creating similar digital platforms highlighting climate change impacts on their communities. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Leadership Summit, Washington DC, USA, 2019 -Attended the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Campus Based Leadership (CBL) Summit on behalf of the University of Arizona. -Participated in leadership training along with other nominated Gates Millennium Scholars to offer support and host meetings back at our home campuses. Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (DDCSP) at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA June 2016 - 2017 -Completed a two-year program for undergraduates designed to diversify the ecological conservation fields and challenge mainstream environmentalism. -Participated in field trips and knowledge exchanges with environmental leaders, including the King County Office in Seattle, WA, the Quinault Native American Reservation, grassroots and community-based organizations, commercial and private-owned farms and orchards, forestry and fisheries services, and various ecological conservancies and organizations.

Bio/diversity Project, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA, August 2017- December 2017 -Taught weekly at Vesey Elementary school a science-based curriculum that was placebased, culturally relevant and challenging mainstream environmentalism. Seattle Parks and Recreation Internship, Seattle, WA, USA, June 2017- August 2017 -Created a database template used to conduct waste audits in South Seattle and the Rainier Beach community to better understand food consumption and establish data that will aid in developing and implementing healthier alternatives. -Designed a curriculum for the gardening program at the Rainier Beach Community Centre in which we aimed to make culturally relevant and place-based educational programs on urban food systems for the local youth. -Taught weekly gardening classes with youth, including topics ranging from composting to seed germination. Early Academic Outreach at the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA, December 2015 - May 2015 -Maintained and operated an aquaponics system that included water quality testing, aquaculture and plant maintenance. Tierra Y Libertad Organization/Barrio Sustainability Project, Tucson, AZ, USA, 2012 2015 -Assisted in community organizing to promote green living spaces in low-income indigenous communities through sustainable practices and urban gardening. Tucson Indigenous Adobe Initiative, Tucson, AZ, USA, 2015 -Worked on the building and restoration of mud/adobe brick structures in indigenous communities/barrios in the Southern Arizona region. Native American Science and Engineering Program (NASEP), Tucson, AZ, USA, 2013 2014 -Worked as a mentor for a summer program at the University of Arizona that gives Native American high school students experience in STEM field research.

Personal digital art project created using Adobe Photoshop.

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Cover Page 1 About Me 2 CV 2 Design Thinking Statement 7 Project/Work Examples Live Collectively + Work Collaboratively (LCWC)

University of Arizona Course Model 15 Architectural Association Master’s Thesis Writing Sample

Design Inspiration Roots 32

D e s i g n

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I recently completed an MA in Housing and Urbanism from the Architectural Association (AA). The design thinking of this programme was based on architectural and urbanism projects capable of initiating or promoting the positive transformation of urban areas. My graduate thesis analysed the spatial organisation of a contemporary estate regeneration master plan in East London. I (re)designed this plan to generate more opportunities and diversify its spaces while accentuating workplace and creative environments. From the AA, I learned to approach urbanism, and more specifically, master planning, by prioritising the architecture of buildings, which drives the urbanism of an area by considering buildings from the inside out and to move beyond thinking of urbanism solely as the territorial scale around buildings, but instead as a synergy amongst all things built. Additionally, I hold a BSc in Sustainable Built Environments from the University of Arizona, emphasising Sustainable Communities. This programme offered a design thinking approach based on sustainability principles prioritising climate-related design solutions and the social, ecological, and economic factors influencing the built environment. My undergraduate research looked at increasing walkability and pedestrian infrastructure in a low-income, ethnically diverse neighbourhood.

The following project was completed as part of a course at the Architectural Association in 2021. Over two terms I investigated, explored, and responded to the urban process through design reasoning.

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Live Collectively + Work Collaboratively (LCWC) looks to merge collective living and maker spaces together, proposing a new living experience on an urban block scale, focusing on family-oriented living spaces and a vibrant social atmosphere. LCWC seeks to offer a hub of ‘maker’ culture, knowledge and skill exchange, and temporary accommodation to the wider urban context.

Watercolor paintings display early visualizations of LCWC, with maker space colored in yellow and the residential apartments represented by the white. Voids can be seen piercing through the building, and floor plate on the roof is receded to allow rooftop greenery and additional common space for residents and users of the building.

Diagram showing the blue, green, and gray infrastructure along the Lower Lee Valley, London. Created using Google Earth, Digimap, and Procreate.

London is a prime location to best understand LCWC, as London has evolved from an industrial economy to a service and knowledgebased economy. Post-industrial areas are being redeveloped to accommodate more housing and offices, like in the case of Canary Wharf and the Lower Lee Valley in East London. Although this writing used Stratford and the Lower Lee Valley to investigate the potential of LCWC on the wider urban context, it is important to note that this artifact can be situated in inner city locations globally, with preference to post industrial areas. Post-industrial as the integrated maker spaces, with concentrations on machinery, woodwork and metalwork, can bring the previous industrial use and history back into the urban context. This would bring character to an area that is on a path to becoming banal, and repetitive, having no identity of its own. Site illustration created using Google Earth and Adobe Photoshop.

LCWC takes the urban form of a perimeter block. The perimeter block allows the building to reach the outermost edges of the block, allowing an opening in the center for a semi-enclosed outdoor space and courtyard. Taking the space of an entire urban block, there is considerable space to build upon, and in the case of LCWC, with essentially residential and industrial workspace typologies being merged together, space will be a fundamental factor. Illustrations created using mapping software, 3D projections, and Adobe Photoshop.

Plan of ground floor, with a wide path running through, so the inner courtyard of the building can be integrated into adjacent areas. In the center of the courtyard there are large planters with trees and vegetation for residents, customers, and passers-by. The area colored with yellow is an opening to -1 floor where the maker/creative space is located. This serves two purposes, first more functionally as a source of ventilation and light, and second more aesthetically for passers-by to see what’s happening below.

Typical floor plan of LCWC, with larger family accommodation being prioritized. The area outlined in pastel pink is clustered living arrangements with common facilities. The area outlined by dark pink is the semi-private common areas for socializing, working, and studying spaces for residents. The areas outlined in green are semi-private lounging areas, available to all residents. The blue arrows indicate ventilation in the corridor.

Rooftop plan which brings what a traditional courtyard in a perimeter block would offer: spaces to socialize, host events, relax, and enjoy a drink or meal. However, more common spaces are provided for residents of the building.

The pandemic has highlighted the need for living arrangements to accommodate more than just living. It needs to offer places to work, study, enjoy family activities, have various levels of public and private areas, communal facilities, and remain malleable for the evolution of domesticity.

Artwork created for and displayed at Doris Duke Conservation Scholars 2021 Summit in Seattle, Washington.

The following project was completed as part of a course at the University of Arizona in 2019. Throughout the course I investigated, explored, and proposed sustainable design solutions through physical model building.

The University of Arizona School of Medicine shares its campus with a medical centre in the heart of Tucson, Arizona. This project addressed the outdoor courtyard at the south end of the medical school, which also works as an entrance to the medical centre. At the time of this proposal the courtyard was primarily constructed of concrete flooring, and lined with brick buildings, with minimal seating areas. As the site is located in the Sonoran Desert, the area was constantly dealing with high temperatures making the space uncomfortable for all users. The goal was to take the existing infrastructure and propose ways of integrating sustainable and ecologically centred design solutions to address issues such as the Urban Heat Island Effect and provide a more user-friendly place for all users. The design approach was based on the sustainability principles prioritising climate-related design solutions and the social, ecological, and economic factors influencing the built environment. The following images display a physical model fabricated to communicate my final design proposals. These included large fabric shading structures, adequate seating areas, raised garden spaces with native vegetation, and the floor to incorporate permeable materials to take advantage of seasonal rainfall in the Sonoran Desert. There was also an emphasis on ensuring the design was inclusive of disabilities. Prior to the making of the model I presented numerous design propositions to the class, received feedback, and then made adjustments to my design in increments until the final shape of the project.

The assignment was to create a physical 3D model of the site prior to the proposed changes. Shown in these two images is the courtyard with large open areas with minimal seating, and which is exposed to the harsh desert sun.

These two images show the changes made to the 3D physical model for the final course presentation. Along with the model I presented hand-drawn sketches, exemplar projects and a diagram of materials for the permeable flooring surface.

The following writing sample is derived from a section of my research thesis at the Architectural Association titled Rethinking Aberfeldy New Village: Generating Opportunity. The format was significantly changed to fit in this portfolio. The diagrams that follow were extracted and placed below the text for this portfolio.

Abstract This thesis looks at the spatial organisation of a contemporary estate regeneration masterplan. The Aberfeldy New Village masterplan located in East, London is organised by standard forms and driven by street patterns which results in substantial opportunity lost. This thesis aims to analyse this masterplan and its driving elements to understand what could have been different had its elements been designed differently. By looking at exemplary architectural and urbanist projects that have a diversity of space, and that foster creative and workplace environments exceptionally well, we will propose a framework for the Aberfeldy New Village masterplan in a comparative lens. What we found is that the masterplans should not be driven by technical elements like blocks, streets, and courtyards as they do not simple operate as they have in the past. Masterplans should be driven by the architecture, from the quality of the interiority of the building outward to the spaces adjacent to the building. More traditional elements like courtyards need to be pushed further, to not simply repeat its form but to intensify its function through series of modifications.

Table of Contents Acknowledgements - Page 3 Abstract - Page 4 Introduction - Page 8 Chapter One: The Masterplan of Analysis – Page 13 Aberfeldy New Village Masterplan Masterplan scope Plan type Size Deliverables Layout Another and Another and Ano… The result The issue Lessons from Rem Koolhaas Chapter Two: Project by project – Page 34 Diversity in space Hillside Terrace by Maki and Associates PXP by OMA

Mehr Als Wohnen “More Than Housing’ by Birkhasuser Fostering creative environments Lianzhou Museum of Photography by O-office Architects/ Jianxiang He & Ying Jiang Mulryan Centre for Dance by Glen Howells Architects A space to work Central St. Giles Court by Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) and Fletcher Priest Architects Engine Shed 2 by Grimshaw Architects Chapter Three: Rethinking Aberfeldy New Village – Page 72 Rethinking spatial organisation Rethinking creative environments Rethinking workplace environments Conclusion – Page 80 Bibliography – Page 83 Figure source – Page 87

Introduction The fabric of our cities is continuously being (re)worked, (re)designed and theorised to accommodate the evolution of human inhabitancy. These modifications are done section by section, varying across scales from individual buildings, assemblages of buildings, neighbourhoods, and more substantial regional areas. Thus, masterplans are a significant part of how cities are sculpted and function, making it ever more critical in the assignment of entities responsible for their design. Unfortunately, architectural and urbanist practices habitually produce plans that lack the substance needed to drive prosperous urban areas that offer a wide range of opportunities by diversifying buildings, programmes, and spaces. This is a result of many factors, and in a city like London, the more protuberant consist of a seize by large housing developers and the misreading of what truly generates an exceptional urban realm. However, masterplans also host numerous other complex reasons for its underperformance intertwined among political, social, and economic determinants. However, there are several architectural and urbanist works that we can look to for an understanding of how opportunity, creative, and workplace environments can best be achieved. This thesis aims to evaluate and rethink a recent and common underperforming masterplan type delivered in East London by an award-winning architectural practise known for its exceptional design and understanding of the dwelling. We will place an emphasis on the architectural practice to highlight not the fault of the practice per se, but the odds placed against them to deliver such a banal masterplan and their response in delivering something far from their strengths. This research looks to 1) thoroughly dissect this masterplan and look at how its layout, driving elements and the overall design could offer different outcomes and 2) to provide a framework for future research to be conducted in either evaluating or (re)designing future masterplans. We propose there should be more ambitious approaches to the spatial organisation of masterplans to generate more opportunity. By this, we mean opportunity in spaces sequenced throughout the plan for a variety of activities to occur and a spatial organisation that fosters creative and work environments.

Stan Allen suggests that architecture as a practice has the tendency to be messy and inconsistent because it is up against a reality that is itself messy and inconsistent 1. Simply providing beautiful landscapes of linear streets lined with trees, green patches of grass, geometrical courtyards, and so on might appeal to the eye of an optimist or a nostalgic observer, but with time and true human needs, these plans will underperform and miss valuable opportunities. This is not to say these types of plan elements do not work, as they have extensive historical significance and should be considered in the designing of cities. However, we suggest they are used blindly by developers as a means to avoid truly designing substantial urban realms, essentially providing an idealistic veneer to sections of our cities. Stan Allen suggests that the way we move forward is to think pragmatically2. There need not be some major transformative and revolutionary acts for this to occur, instead, it should be approached step by step, project by project3. This is fundamental to this writing, as exemplar projects will be analysed to think pragmatically about contemporary estate regeneration masterplans like Aberfeldy New Village. This research is limited because it will not provide a detailed architectural project, instead, it seeks to build a framework for future projects to expand upon. This is most evident in chapter three, where a scenario based on elements derived from exemplar projects in chapter two will be used to see how the Aberfeldy New Village masterplan could have been different.

1Stan

Ibid. 3 Ibid. 2

Allen, Practice Architecture, Technique and Representation (Routledge, 2008). Page xi.

Some questions to ask How can the intensification of estate regeneration masterplans like Aberfeldy New Village generate more value, opportunity, and services for local people? Specifically, intensification of the morphology of the masterplans. What types of assemblages or single buildings emphasise workspace or creative environments? Do simply landscaping elements like blocks, streets and courtyards drive entire masterplans and create thriving urban realms on their own?

Lessons from Rem Koolhaas In Rem Koolhaas' book titled S M L XL, he released an essay that addressed the state of urbanism. Whatever Happened to Urbanism? questioned the very nature of the direction in the designing of our contemporary cities and those responsible for its design. In this writing, Koolhaas claims that urbanism has not been able to sustain the rapidly increasing urbanisation trends4 and that unruly urbanisation cities have faced has altered the urban condition significantly5. Koolhaas suggests modernism and its approach to urbanism, greatly reliant on turning quantity into quality through abstraction and repetition, has failed greatly6. A reason for the failure of urbanism is the use of elements from classical cities in the modern city by urbanists, which Koolhaas claims has been detrimental7. Koolhaas states, "They are now specialists in phantom pain: doctors discussing the medical intricacies of an amputated limb," 8 referring to urbanists designing cities with classical elements that no longer have the ability to function as they once did. Koolhaas claims that the city's problems are ambiguous, which is to blame on our utopian visions and disdain of its current state. Koolhaas states, "the neatness of architecture is its seduction; it defines, excludes, limits, separates from the "rest" – but it also consumes." He brings to light the failure of architecture to generate potential that only urbanism can achieve, which is to invent and renew. Koolhaas proposes that if there is to be a 'new urbanism', it need be based on uncertainty, territories with potential, expanding notions, denying boundaries, no definitive forms, discovering unnameable hybrids and infrastructures that achieve intensification and diversification.

Rem Koolhaas, Bruce Mau, and Office For Metropolitan Architecture, S, M, L, Xl (New York: Monacelli Press, 1998). Page 961. Ibid.Page 963. 6 Ibid. Page 961. 7 Ibid. Page 963. 8 Ibid. Page 966. 4 5

"If there is to be a "new urbanism" it will not be based on the twin fantasies of order and omnipotence; it will be the staging of uncertainty; it will no longer be concerned with the arrangement of more or less permanent objects but with the irrigation of territories with potential; it will no longer aim for stable configurations but for the creation of enabling fields that accommodate processes that refuse to be crystallised into definitive form; it will no longer be about meticulous definition, the imposition of limits, but about expanding notions, denying boundaries, not about separating and identifying entities, but about discovering unnameable hybrids; it will no longer be obsessed with the city but with the manipulation of infrastructure for endless intensifications and diversifications, shortcuts and redistributions – the reinvention of psychological space. (969)" -Rem Koolhaas

These hand drawn diagrams were used to visualise the site that I was making proposed changes to and also two other masterplans that I argued were similar in nature. In this specific case the three masterplans below I argue are organised by standard forms and street patterns which result in underperforming urban areas and underperform in generating oppurtunity. It’s important to note these diagrams were extracted from the orginal document for this portfolio and would have extensive information and context to the research otherwise.

These hand drawn diagrams were used to visualise the changes to the site my research was based upon. In the original document, each diagram would have been accompanied by images of the exemplar projects used and extensive information and arguments for the proposed design reasoning.

D e s i g n I n s p i r a t i o n R o o t s D e s i g n t h i n k i n g a n d u p b r i n g i n g My father is a Chicano Muralist and public artist from Central City Los Angeles. His art installations are driven by community empowerment, political and social issues and self-determination. He seeks change in low-income Mexican American and Indigenous communities through art and design, which has had a profound impact on my life. From a very young age, I understood the power of design, how it could shape space and transform its identity. Growing up in a creative household allowed me to understand the interconnectedness of art and cultural expression with the identity of urban spaces and their design. I also developed a practical understanding of how different materials, shapes, scales and perspectives can be integrated into urban spaces, as well as in-depth knowledge of how public art budgets, commissioning and implementation are carried out. Some of the projects I worked on with my father are located in Los Angeles, Arizona, Seattle, San Francisco, and in Mexico. The following images are of the art projects I have worked on alongside my father and other partner artists. Working with my father on community-led art projects and experiencing the power of design to transform and empower communities has driven my passion for city/ urban design. I seek to gain experience among architects and urbanists internationally. I believe I have a strong and unique background in design and community-driven transformation in urban environments.