VERONICA ACOSTA ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO 2014
Academic and professional projects. Conceptual and built. 2011-2014
STUDIO 2 BRONX BOX HOUSING BLOCK Course Name: Housing Studio Faculty Instructors: David Leven & Erika Goetz Personal Focus: Plans, physical models, and renders Contributor: Alvaro Velosa Year: 2012 Semester: Spring Project Name: Hunts Point Housing Location: Hunts Point, Bronx, NY
FLOOR 3
FLOOR 3
FLOOR 4 FLOOR 4
The apartments spaces benefit from cross ventilation, ample natural light and numerous views as a result of the perforation of the building mass and the tetris-like unit aggregation.
The building lifts on the side toward 172nd street, allowing the residual land of the west river bank to spill underneath the lifted and perforated housing block. This land is sculpted into paths and open park land that allows pedestrians and cyclists to meander under the private residences and enjoy the exterior space.
These dynamic courtyards serve a double function in that they benefit both the residents of the community and residents of the building. Moreover, these perforations, or hovering courtyards, phenomenologically define gathering spaces on the ground. In this way, the urban ground plane gains definition without causing separation.
GARDEN MAIN ENTRANCE
BASKETBALL
FOREST
WORKSHOP
COURTYARDS MOUND OPEN 10
25
50
100
COURTYARDS TYPES
STUDIO 3 HARLEM SCHOOL OF THE ARTS Course Name: Allied Studio Faculty Instructors: David Leven, Derek Porter, & Lauren Crahan Personal Focus: Architecture Contributors: Jacinda Ross (lighting design), & Zachary Barr (interiors) Year: 2012 Semester: Fall Project Name: HSA Location: Harlem, New York, NY
Lighting Design Jacinda Ross
Interior design and acoustics Zachary Barr
STUDIO 1 THE HUDSON RIVERKEEPER EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH CENTER Course Name: Design Studio 1 Faculty Instructors: Nicole A. Robertson & Bronwyn Breitner Year: 2011 Semester: Fall Project Name: Harlem Edge Location: West Harlem, New York, NY
A procession through the building is designed to frame experiences concerning the Hudson River’s history, life and ongoing research; from pollution to wildlife and recreation. Through a phenomenological approach the experiences are crafted with all the senses in mind. One traverses through a series of ambiences that are aimed at triggering feelings of constraint, openness, discovery and awe.
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SECTIONS
Manhattan, although an island, is very disconnected from the water that it’s surrounded by. The design of the HUDSON RIVERKEEPER aims to mend that relationship between the community and the water. This initiative is one that contributes to The Department of City Planning’s Vision 2020: New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. This design exposes people to the realities of the Hudson River; the beauty, the tragic pollution, and the solutions.
5 EXPOSED
INTIMATE
5 EXPOSED
EXPOSED
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6 INTIMATE
INTIMATE
STUDIO 5 THE DRY LINE Course Name: Studio V Faculty Instructors: Bjarke Ingles & Daniel Kidd Year: 2013 Semester: Fall Project Name: Rebuild by Design Location: Chelsea, New York, NY
CURRENT
FLOOD DURING HURRICANE SANDY
The Dry Line is an elevated urban park inspired by two linear parks in the neighborhood of Chelsea, the Hudson River Park, grounded and by the water, and the High Line Park, elevated and inland. They are both very successful transformations from underused infrastructure to great amenities for the people that live in and come to the neighborhood.
PROPOSED DRY LINE
GATES CLOSE FOR FLOOD PROTECTION
TOO
THE DRY LINE - MANHATTAN
31ST ST BRIDGE
THE DRY LINE
The Dry Line is situated on the Hudson River Park; it is a walkway elevated 9’ to act as a barrier between a possible flood and the city, turning a piece of the park into infrastructure for flood protection.
15TH ST BRIDGE
THE DRY LINE - MANHATTAN
CURRENT CONDITION VERONICA ACOSTA _ PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN M.ARCH 2014
THE IDEA
THE DRY LINE - MANHATTAN
LEARNING FROM
THE NEW
THE HIGHLINE
DRY LINE 30’
? ?
INFRASTRUCTURE into PARK
9’ MIN
PARK into INFRASTRUCTURE
VERONICA ACOSTA _ PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN M.ARCH 2014
The walkway is continuous, but the room beneath and around it is the variable that morphs to invite different programs along the shore, mediating the strip between the Hudson River and the West Side Highway. Some of the options explored are a skate park, gallery/market space, a swimming pool and even an art maze. The idea is meant to be THE FORMULA THE DRYshoreline. LINE - MANHATTAN scalable to encompass the entirety of Manhattan’s 32-mile
9’ MIN
?
CONSTANT
CONTINUOUS WALKWAY
VARIABLE
ART GALLERY/MARKET SKATE PARK ART MAZE SWIMMING POOL
DRY LINE | ART GALLERY AND MARKET
DRY LINE: 1% of the time: protects from flood 99% of the time: provides space for community everyday activities
DRY LINE | SCULTURE MAZE
OpportunitIes to make the floodwall serve double duty were explored. The Dry Line protects the city but it’s also tailored to each community’s culture and everyday life.
DRY LINE | SWIMMING POOL AND ICE RINK
Year-round activities were taken into account to keep the Dry Line alive through the seasons.
DRY LINE | SKATE PARK
On the event of a flood the Dry Line entrances close with watertight flood gates. The character of the different sections aims to bring life to what would have been a monotonous 9’ floodwall.
STUDIO 4 HIGHBRIDGE POOL & PLAY CENTER Course Name: Design Workshop Faculty Instructor: Alfred Zoolinger Personal Focus: Photography, construction, and budget Contributors: Jessica Kwok, Oni Lloyd, Allen R. Phillips, Brian Pickard, Mateusz Rek, Chung-Yu Shih, Porl Van Herk, Karla Vanni Moreno, Alvaro Velosa. Year: 2013 Semester: Spring-Summer Project Name: Re:Play Location: Washington Heights, New York, NY
East View Highbridge Pool
Great Hall Computer Lab
After School Study
Main Circulation
To Basketball Court
Entrance
West View 173rd Street & Amsterdam Ave. Manhattan, NY
Great Hall state in May 2013 before construction
Great Hall state in June
Front desk and bench pop out in Progress
TEMPORARY ENVIRONMENTS Wanted Design X Installation Course Name: Temporary Environments Faculty Instructors: Robert Moorhead & Granger Moorhead Personal Focus: Bench and chair design Contributors: Cecilia Boeger, Barbara Hemetsberger, Matt Henrikson, Megan Hershman, Oni Lloyd, Michael Mc Dowell, Jomkwan Narkvichetr, Stephanie Rodriguez, Andrew Shih, Marcela Trejo, Alvaro Velosa, & Kim Zeluck Year: 2013 Semester: Spring Project Name: Homasote Strips Location: Chelsea, New York, NY Material: Homasote (100% recycled paper panels)
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT ARK CLASSROOMS Not for profit work Position: ARK Design and Architecture Fellow Personal Focus: Research, design, and visualization Contributors: Advancement for Rural Kids and Elemental Cares Year: 2012-2013 Project Name: Farming a Classroom Location: Agdahon, Capiz, Philippines
INVISIBLE WALL ELEVATION
PLAN VIEW
Site Photo. Agdahon, Capiz, Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan
Operable louvers
Render indicating a few of the sustainable features
Interior render of classrooms showing operanle doors and windows providing ample natural light and air verntilation.
Render of compostable restrooms and rain water harvesting tank in the center
COMMISSIONED WORK BLOCK PARTY Client: The Feast Conference Year: 2013 Semester: Fall Personal Focus: Client liaison, and manufactoring Contributor: Alvaro Velosa Project Name: Block Party Location: Chelsea, New York, NY Material: Homasote (100% recycled paper panels)
Seating by day,
Bar by night.
The modules explore the tectonic nature of the material, a standard sheet of Homasote, compressed post consumer paper panel. Each module consists of eight hand milled Homasote triangles that come together to create a building block that can be aggregated in a number of ways to create seating, bar, stage, column, table etc. creating a party with building blocks - a BLOCK PARTY.
DIGITAL FABRICATION METHODS HATCHPAD Year: 2011 Semester: Spring Personal Focus: Design and fabrication Contributors: Honor Consentino, Brittany McGraw, Rebecca Mercer, Christian Piansay, Alex Tomlinson, and Henry Wilkinson Client: Hatch Conference Location: Asheville, NC Material: Insulacion foam panels
Form and light scale model explorations.
A foam hub in which “HATCH-ees� can hang out, share ideas, and relax during the four day conference. The HATCH Festival aims to generate an atmosphere that encourages cross-pollinations in film, music, journalism, architecture, design, technology, photography, fashion and entrepreneurship.
Installation at the HATCH 3-day conference in Asheville, NC.
COMPUTATIONAL DESIGN METHODS GRASSHOPPER SCREEN Year: 2011 Semester: Spring Personal Focus: Site analisis and fabrication Contributors: Nate Boykin, Jonathan Jones, Kevin Miller, Jeffrey Pauling, and Alex Tomlinson Project Name: Grassscreen Location: Clemson, SC Material: Nylon fabric, sucktion cups, straws, grommets
A fabric screen is manipulated to provide privacy as well as playful views to the newly renovated “fish bowl� staff offices. A grasshopper definition was created to generate apertures that respond to desk locations directly opposite the main hallway.
SMALL BUSINESS FLANEUR’S POCKET Year: 2013 - Present Personal Focus: Woodworking Contributor: Lauren Manning Project Name: Geo-planters & Ornaments Location: Chelsea, New York, NY
Flâneur’s Pocket is a collaboration with Lauren Manning, combining backgrounds in architecture, graphic design, woodworking, and printmaking. The geometric wooden objects are handmade and each piece is completely one of a kind in shape and color. I source the wood, cut and sand the pieces into awesome geometric shapes. Lauren then creates the color palettes and adds the paint, linework and gold to each piece.
VERONICAACOSTADESIGN.COM
THANK YOU. [email me, mv.acosta11@gmail.com]