STUDENTS PROFICIENT IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT TESTS (%)
55 51 45
RANKING OF STATES WITH SCHOOLS IN THE EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT LIST
SCHOOLS THAT ARE PROVIDING ADEQUATE EDUCATION
CALIFORNIA
58 52 44
44
38 35
35
41 38
FLORIDA 1,257 OF 1,473 SCHOOLS = 85%
PUERTO RICO 4
2
2007
2008
2009
ILLINOIS
8
NEW YORK
2010
OHIO SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN THE EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT LIST (%)
QUANTITY OF TEACHERS IN THE DE
MASS MISSOURI
42,444
43,054
NEW JERSEY
42,036 40,826
WA
40,163 39,356
39,102
SAN JUAN
36,506
121
BAYAMON 2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
63 STUDENTS THAT DID NOT SUCCEED IN THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT TEST
STUDENTS PROFICIENT IN ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT TESTS (%)
GUAYNABO
21
66 54 53
52 44 36
50 44 40 40
48
45 37 32
10
3rd
4th
5th
6th
475,000
7
7th
37 9
8th
STUDENTS
41 38
CAGUAS
8
11th
39
9% OF THE STUDENTS ARE
1,473 SCHOOLS
PROFICIENT IN MATH
29
MUSEUM / LEARNING CENTER OF MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS GUAYNABO, PUERTO RICO Architecture provides the designer with an opportunity to make a difference. By designing the architect can select what problems to resolve and what problems to ignore. This thesis focuses on improving the education of mathematics and physics through architecture. The design of a structure that can encourage the development of young minds is more complex and simpler at the same time. Its complexity is defined by the need for major precautions and the need for attention to details. After all the building will serve to protect, develop and educate future generations; therefore it must be successful in all its components. Its simplicity is defined by the unlimited imagination of children. Their unbiased minds transform spaces better than any professional designer. This thesis focuses on improving the educational system by providing a new educational environment that serves as a tool for teaching mathematics and physics. The educational system in Puerto Rico is failing to fulfil the requirements in teaching mathematics to children in middle school and high school. The repercussions of failing in the topic of mathematics at an early age will greatly impact the person’s educational career. Whether this year’s kindergarten student will merely survive or positively thrive in the decades to come depends in large measure on the experience she has in school. Puerto Rico is an archipelago in the Caribbean that populates 3.6 million residents. There are 640 thousand children attending to school in Puerto Rico, according to 2010 statistics. Education in Puerto Rico follows the traditional way of teaching of the United States of America. However the effectiveness of teaching of mathematics suffered a dramatic drop in the year 2009. The drop was a result of a change of politics in the educational system that resulted in the migration of many teachers. However the traditional way of teaching has been declining since of the beginning of the 21st century. Mathematics is taught with books and a pencil, when in reality mathematics goes beyond 2 dimensions. Children understand additions better counting their fingers than by writing down the numbers. They understand multiples by moving the components of an abacus better than by writing an equation. Finally they discover physics by playing in the playground and intuitively comprehend gravity by sitting on a swing much better that they will ever understand by reading a chapter on Newton’s laws of physics. Architecture can accommodate the education of mathematics and physics in more than two dimensions. The majority of educational buildings in the U.S. as well as in Puerto Rico are outdated, have limited design and restrict the evolution of educational structure. “ In 1998 the average school building was 42 years old” In 57 years there have been revolutionary changes in the world, to name a few, the end of the Cold War, U.S.A. landing in the moon and the internet revolution. Children that were born in 1950’s are not the same as the children that were born in the 21st century. Why should they be taught in the same way? How can they be expected to succeed in an outdated building with an outdated curriculum? The students of today are professionals of tomorrow.
/ ZORAIDA INES RIVERA RIVERA THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DESIGN A STRUCTURE THAT WILL ALLEVIATE THE CURRENT DOWNFALL OF THE GRADES IN MATHEMATICS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SYSTEM OF PUERTO RICO. THE STRUCTURE EXPLORES THE POSSIBILITY OF TEACHING MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS THROUGH INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE, EXHIBITIONS AND FREE LESSONS TOURS. SOME TOPICS THAT RELATE TO THE ARCHITECTURE ARE THE USE OF GEOMETRY, LIGHT, FLUIDS, VELOCITY AND PROPORTIONS.
Statistics History Teenagers
Student
Design
Education
Inhabitor
Mathematics
Modern Approach
Applied
Schools Theories Puerto Rico
AVERAGE OF STUDENTS PER SCHOOL WHO UNDERSTAND MATH
A. D. E.
B.
F.
C. G.
H.
MACRO SCALE
A.
B.
C.
MESO SCALE
PRIMARY HIGHWAY
I.
MICRO SCALE
PRIMARY HIGHWAY
PRIMARY HIGHWAY
SECONDARY HIGHWAY
BUS ROUTE
SITE BOUNDARIES
TRAIN STATIONS
SCHOOLS
VEGETATION
SCHOOLS
MUSEUM
MUSEUM
SITE AREA
SITE
BUS STOPS
RIVER
SIDEWALKS
COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
NOISE POLLUTION
FLOOD ZONE
BUILDINGS
C.
CASE STUDY: MOMATH - PROGRAM THE NATURAL MUSEUM OF MATHEMATICS LOCATION: MANHATTAN, NEW YORK DATE: 2012 AREA: 19,000 SQ.FT. DESPITE NOT HAVING A RECOGNIZED ARCHITECTURAL MESSAGE, THE NATURAL MUSEUM OF MATHEMATICS INCLUDES MANY SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS AND PROGRAMS THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED IN THE MUSEUM AND LEARNING CENTER OF PUERTO RICO. SOME ASPECTS THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE DESIGN ARE THE INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS OF MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICS AND THE EXPOSITIONS THAT MIX ART WITH MATH.
C.
D.
E.
F.
CASE STUDY: HIGH MUSEUM OF ART - CIRCULATION
G.
H.
I.
CASE STUDY: EL MUSEU DE LES CIÈNCIES PRÍNCIPE FELIPE - CONCEPT
HIGH MUSEUM OF ART ARCHITECT: RICHARD MEIER LOCATION: ATLANTA, GA DATE: 1983 AREA: 312,000 SQ.FT.
EL MUSEUM DE LES CIÈNCIES PRÍNCIPE FELIPE ARCHITECT: SANTIAGO CALATRAVA LOCATION: VALENCIA, SPAIN DATE: 2000 AREA: 40,000 SQ.METERS
THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART PRIMARY CIRCULATION IS LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF THE BUILDING UNDERNEATH AN ATRIUM. THIS EXPERIENCE OF VERTICAL CIRCULATION WILL BE INCORPORATED IN THE DESIGN OF THE MUSEUM OF MATHEMATICS OF PUERTO RICO. THE INTERIOR RAMP WILL BE BOTH A METHOD OF CIRCULATION AND A METAPHOR TO THE JOURNEY OF LEARNING BY INCREASING THE DIFFICULTY OF THE INFORMATION WITH EVERY FLOOR LEVEL THAT IT REACHES.
CALATRAVA DESIGNS HIS BUILDINGS BY DISCOVERING AN UNIQUE CONCEPT THAT RELATES TO THE FUNCTION OF THE BUILDING, AND LATER HE DEVELOPS THE STRUCTURE WITHOUT LOOSING THE ESSENCE OF THE CONCEPT IN THE PROCESS. THIS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONCEPT AND FUNCTION WILL BE INCORPORATED IN THE DESIGN OF THE MUSEUM OF MATH AND PHYSICS OF PUERTO RICO. THE CONCEPT WILL MANIPULATE THE FOR OF THE BUILDING, WILL INFLUENCE THE PROGRAM AND WILL DESIGN THE EXPERIENCE OF THE BUILDING.
3 LEVELS 240,000 SQ.FT. INTERIOR SPACES 11,000 VISITORS 160,000 SQ.FT. PARKING 480 PARKING SPACES
OFFICES- 20,000 SQ.FT.
STORAGE- 20,000 SQ.FT.
ETHNICITY:
JANITORIAL- 5,000 SQ.FT.
2/75 ARE NON-HISPANIC
PRIVATE SPACES
3% WALK
GENDER:
M.E.P.- 2,000 SQ.FT.
3.5% PUBLIC TRANS.
10% CARPOOL
80,000 SQ.FT. BASED ON ORIGINAL FOOTPRINT VEHICULAR ENTRY FROM INTERSECTION
LOUNGE- 2,000 SQ.FT.
3.5% WORK AT HOME
77%
3% OTHER 53%
DRIVE ALONE
47%
LIBRARY STACKS- 15,000 SQ.FT. PEDESTRIAN ENTRY TOWARDS BUS STOPS
SEMI-PRIVATE SPACES CONFERENCE ROOM- 4,000 TRANSPORTATION METHODS: FRONT DESK- 1,000 SQ.FT.
HOUSEHOLD INCOME: 15%
PRIMARY ENTRY AND DROPOFF AREA
RESTROOMS- 3,000 SQ.FT.
CAFE- 4,000 SQ.FT. GIFT SHOP- 4,000 SQ.FT.
SEMI-PUBLIC SPACES
LIBRARY- 15,000 SQ.FT. PARKING STRUCTURE FOR 480 CARS 5 LEVELS
INT. PLAYGROUND- 3,000 SQ.FT.
SERVICE LANE EXIT TOWARDS HIGHWAY
CLASSROOMS- 5,000 SQ.FT. RACES:
GALLERY ROOM- 10,000 SQ.FT. MAIN ENTRY- 3,000 SQ.FT.
NHPI
LOBBY- 5,000 SQ.FT.
0% 00
$2 0
AIAN
ATRIUM- 20,000 SQ.FT.
,00
00
00
0,0
0,0
$15
$10
00
00
5,0
$7
0,0
$5
00
5,0
$3
00
0
0
,00
5,0
$2
$15
00
,00
$10
0,0
-$1
ASIAN
= 100
SERVICE LANE AND STAFF ENTRY
PARKING ENTRY- 1,000 SQ.FT. GALLERY ROOM- 30,000 SQ.FT.
2 OR MORE RACES
PARKING STRUCTURE EXIT TO LANE
PUBLIC SPACES
OTHER CAFE / RESTAURANT AFRICAN AMERICAN
GIFT SHOP OFFICE
WHITE
UNDER 18
OVER 18
15,954
59,489
MUSEUM / GALLERY CLASSROOMS LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOMS EXTERIOR SPACES
8 AM
DEMOGRAPHICS
PROGRAMMING
12 AM