Jessica WuPortfolio

Table of Contents

Case Study - Castelvecchio, Carlo Scarpa

Case Study - Glass House, Philip Johnson

Sustainable Design

10 West Street Project

Goyescas

Kolonihavn and the Meaning of Hygge

MU / Wood

Pier Museum

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Case Study - Castelvecchio, Carlo Scarpa

The Castelvecchio dates back to the medieval times and was originally a military warehouse that was mainly used as storage for weapons and munition. Later on, the building became a Venetian Military Academy. The Castelvecchio endured much turmoil. The late 18th century was a time of anti-French revolts and was the site for many epoch battles. Fi-nally in 1923, the building ceased to serve a military purpose. The Castelvecchio underwent dramatic structural changes and also received late Gothic and Renaissance decorative elements to its facade. It eventually became the home for many priceless works of art. Carlo Scarpa’s job was to oversee the restoration of the building and the installation of the artwork.

Carlo Scarpa’s Castelvecchio was the foundation from which I based my entire semester’s work on. Prior to entering the Interior Architecture department back in September 2006, I had very limited experience with creating floor plans, sections, and axonometric drawings. Throughout the semester, I studied an extensive collection of Scarpa’s plans and sketches. I copied many of his drawings to improve upon my own drafting skills. In doing so, my drafting skills have improved dramatically, which really shows in drawings of my own designs.

December 2006

Upon entering the Interior Architecture department at the Rhode Is-land School of Design, I was instructed on how to properly illustrate floor plans, elevations, and section drawings. I also learned how to use 3-dimensional methods, such as, axonometric and perspec-tive drawings to demonstrate my designs. One important point my professor wanted me to retain is that drafting should not only be something that serves a functional purpose but it should also be viewed as a piece of artwork that is aesthetically pleasing.

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Case Study - Glass House, Philip Johnson

During the Fall semester of 2006, I learned how to properly transpose floor plans, sections, and isometrics using VectorWorks. From that I continued onto Cinema 4D where I learned how to apply textures to objects and create lighting situations.

Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut and it’s simplistic design seemed like an appropriate example of ar-chitecture to analyze. After doing research on the structure and studying its plans and details, I was able recreate Johnson’s design using these two programs.

December 2006

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Sustainable Design

As concerns increase for the future of the planet’s well being, so has the concerns for promoting a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Architecture has contributed to this pursuit of a more sustainable future by implementing green roofing and solar power to conserve on energy and also by reducing waste production during construction. The objective of this project is to incorporate these sustainable elements into the overall design. The location of the site is situated Chelsea, Manhattan, which is known for its inordinate number of galleries. The assignment was to renovate the Anton Kern Gallery, located on 532 W 20th Street in New York City, into a seed bank that house 1,000 seeds or more. The purpose for a seed bank is to house a collection of seeds with the inten-tion to plant them if at any time a species of plants are wiped out. The space is also meant to serve as a facility devoted to horticultural research and a museum that educates the public about plants and the process of its cultivation.

December 2006

New York City vegetation inspired me to transform the space into a place displaying its natural beauty. I decided to take a more landscape architectural approach to the site. My intention is to create a public park where people can enjoy the park on the roof terrace and learn about the seed bank located indoors. In this park, plants native to the region are allowed to thrive with little maintenance. The public would have the opportunity to sit down and enjoy the charming landscape, maybe even bring a lunch or lie down on the grass and stare at the clouds.

For this project, I had to deal with sustainability issues. In my design I addressed two different forms of sustainability: xeriscaping and water harvesting. I designed a water harvest-ing system on the roof, which will collect rainwater for use in the building. Rather than using city water for appliances such as toilets, the rainwater collected in the tank will be used to replace the water in the toilets after every flush. The tank holds approximately 10,000 gallons of water, which should be enough water to sustain the building for at least 10 days without rainfall. Xeriscaping is also another wonderful resource. My design main focus features a xeriscape, otherwise known as a green roof. For example, it has the ability to be self-insulating, it reduces rain runoff, and ultimately it reduces heating and air condition-ing bills. The beauty of xeriscaping is that it needs very minimal maintenance. Plants used for xeriscaping are typically native to the area and can survive on its own in that specific climate.

The main feature in the research facility is a freezer in which the seeds are stored in. The freezer is situated in the center of the front gallery space. On either sides of the freezer are windows through which the public may view the extensive collection. In the back are the laboratories in which the scientists may conduct their research.

Grama Grass

Blue GrassPrairie Dropseed

Okame Cherry14

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10 West Street Project

The Downtown Crossing district of Boston has undergone a great deal of renova-tions through the past few years. In some situations, the original structures on this street, such as the Opera House, have been preserved because of its historical importance. Others buildings in the area have been completely stripped down to its bare minimums where any remnants of the original structure is left behind.

On the corner of Washington Street and West Street in Boston, Massachusetts, is the site for this next project. The assignment was to transform the first floor of the build-ing into a student center that is equipped with a cafe, a student lounge space, offices, mailroom, and a bookstore. The remainder of the floors above are intended for student dormitories for Suffolk University.

May 2007

What initially inspired my design was the plumbing and ventilation work that weaved in and out of the structure. In my concept, I wanted to emphasize the high demand for technology and other necessary systems required to meet codes. But at the same time, I wanted to cherish the unique beauty of the original structure. In essence, I wanted the elegance of the old structure to coexist with the technologies of the present without either overpower-ing the other.

On the first floor, I have divided the space into two separate areas: the quiet and the loud side. The loud side consists of two sections. First is the cafe, which is situated next to the Washington Street entrance in order to take advantage of the heavy flow of pedestrian traffic that populates that street in particular. Second is the student recreational space which provides students with pool tables and a ping pong table. The quiet side is where the mail room, offices and student lounge space is located. Here, students may unwind and check their mail without having to exit the building. The mail room itself is a tall translucent rectangular prism that spans from floor to ceiling. It acts as a suggested separation between the two sides of the floor. In the lounge space, students have the ability to access the internet on computers that are mounted on translucent columns. These columns form two rows which are meant to separate the lounge space from the flow of traffic coming in and out of the elevators.

On the mezzanine level is the bookstore, which seen in the plan, is floating diagonally across the space. There are two staircases that lead to the bookstore. At the top are doorways, which allows the bookstore to be closed independently from the rest of the building. In the detail and section drawings, the design of the bookstore becomes more clear. Its unique shape is inspired by the plumbing and ventilation systems running through the original structure.

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Goyescas

“Goyescas” is a Spanish opera inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya. The music was composed by Enrique Grandos and the libretto was written by Fernardo Periquet. The opera tells three interweaving love stories about Goya and his lover, and the romances between the characters in his paintings. Together, these stories reveal the consequences of distancing ourselves from the ones we love with the world created by our own fantasies.

Brown University Opera Production, a stu-dent run group, chose me to design, build, and run their spring production of “Goyes-cas”. After studying specific paintings by Goya, I collected my findings and incorpo-rated them into three different sets for each of the three Tableaus. The entire opera itself is set in Madrid, Spain and portrays the events of one day.

April 2007

Tableau I

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Tableau II

Tableau III

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KOLONIHAVENand the Meaning of Hygge

In going along with this semester’s theme of promoting a cultural breathing hole, I want to bring back the essence of the “good ol’ days” by exploring a creative interpretation of allotments in Copenhagen. An allotment, or “kolonihaven”, is one of Denmark’s oldest cultural traditions, occupants commonly being of the elderly generation. It is a custom for the houses residing on these allotments to be constructed using discarded or rejected items found on street curbs or trash disposals. This idea of reusing found objects brings in a sustainable quality to the project, which led to the concept of incorporating retired generations of S-togs, or train cars. These train cars would act as modular structures that may be renovated into habitable facilities that can easily be transported to the site and placed onto the desired location.

The program would be situated within Ryvangen Naturpark. The property itself is a nature park that appears to be undisturbed for decades and shows some remnants of the German military base that once resided in these parts back in World War II. The site is also conveniently located within walking distance from the Ryparken Train Station.

I would like to preserve as much of the park’s natu-ral qualities as possible. My idea is to work around the park’s uneven terrain, I will work with it by incorporating allotments into the present landscape while also taking advantage of the surrounding resources.

June 2008

Background:

An increase of job opportunities in Copenhagen towards the end of the 1800s caused citizens to flock to the city center seeking residence. To accommodate the massive migration, 5-story apartment buildings were erected throughout the city. Many of those who moved to the city came from more rural areas of the country, bringing with them knowledge of how to cultivate the earth and to be self-sufficient. With this knowledge, along with the desire to regain a bit of the country that they lost because of the move, citizens would purchase or rent a small piece of land on which they would plant a garden. And thus the first allotments were born.

Most allotments were typically situated within walking or biking distance from a person’s home, or were relatively close to a train station. Over the summers, Danes would often prefer to live on their allotments because of the beautiful, warm weather. It thus became necessary to build overnight accommodations directly onto the allotment. They would usually construct small homes by reusing found materials such as old shipping crates. Today, houses are sometimes prefabricated and equipped with more amenities. Due to flourishing city development, many allotments were forced to either relocated or be demolished. Often times, houses were either small enough to be placed on the back of a truck and moved or were capable of being easily disassembled and reconstructed at another site. Plants, too, were also relocated along with the house.

The invention of the automobile resulted in the need to make more roads and widen the existing ones, which forced owners to relocate their homes. Allotments soon became close neighbors to busy city streets or train tracks. Growing any sort of fruits or vegetables became unhealthy and unsafe due to the amount of pollution being introduced into the air and soil.

Placing these modular homes in the park opens it up to many social pos-sibilities, not just for the elderly, but also for the younger generations. The

main goal for this project is to transform the park into a more social breath-ing hole where people from all generations may congregate and enjoy each

other’s company. I envision families and elderly folks coming together at the park to indulge in summer activities, such as eating delicious food, play-ing games or tending their gardens. By night, people may converse around

a warm bonfire sipping chamomile to playing music and dancing.

A challenge that this project presents is trying to create a coherent urban plan that will move with the landscape and interact with its surroundings

while also taking into consideration the functional and esthetic needs of the client. But to achieve a successful urban plan means uniting two ideas that

has been eloquently put in a text by Ruth Easton from the book titled The Spirit of Copenhagen.

The real city was – and always should be – the result of the indissociable union of what the ancient Romans called the ‘Urbs’ (the material compo-

nents of the city) and ‘Civitas’ (the community of the citizens).

If this essential relationship between the physical and the social environ-ment is not assured, the city degenerates into monofunctional zones

devoid of any vitality, a fragmentation of the city engendering deep social fractures.

The common denominator of these urban perversions is the lack of har-mony between the two elements of urban life: Urbs and civitas. A modern

French term evokes this twin nature of the city, URBANITÉ (URBINITY), defined as: The art of creating the city and the art of living in the city.

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MU / Wood

In traditional Chinese culture wood is described as the “fifth element”, one that bridges the animate and inanimate world. In the modern world wood and wooden composites are seen as a great source of renewable building material. They can effectively replace the more energy intensive materials of steel and concrete if properly designed and engineered, even in large span and high rise construction, and they have excellent earthquake resistant properties. Wood’s place as a traditional building material in China has been largely replaced by reinforced concrete slab and column construction. Attempts are beginning made to reintroduce wood as an environ-mentally renewable material for construction one that has both aesthetic and structural possibilities.

December 2008

The site is situated on the southern furthest point of Zhong Shan Lu and is considered the oldest part of the street. This area shows evidence of once being a lively active street full of restaurants, venders, and other commercial spaces. Now all but one public space has been evicted or relocated due to recent development plans.

Buildings in this area range between one to three stories high. They are old and falling apart in some ways. The organization of this neighborhood has a very irregular plan as opposed to more recent development where buildings form a grid pattern. I became fascinated by how the rooftops in this area creates its own unique roofscape. Due to the differentiating heights of the buildings, the area evokes a sense of mystery, wisdom, and an ancestral presence.

The program is meant to revitalize and resurrect the street by repopulating the area. Creating more housing and integrating some restaurant/commercial space would revive the street’s density while also coexisting seamlessly with the surrounding area.45 46

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Pier Museum

For this project in question, located at the end of Fifth Avenue leading to South Beach, is a “Pier Museum” which pointing out to sea, will stand as a “horizontal monument” to all the immigrants (particularly the Cuban immigrants) who have arrived on these shores in search of a better future.

The parameters for this project was to design a structure that must extend off of Miami Beach more than 100 meters and must house a museum in which the personal effects, souvenirs, and photos, belonging to the new generation of immigrants, will be exhibited – those who came to the city of Miami from the 1950s to the 1980s in search of their own personal American dream.

May 2009

The program of this Pier Museum includes a lobby, temporary and permanent exhibition space, a casual and dark auditorium, a library, a cafeteria, a ball-room space, miscellanies space and storage, and a boardwalk that surrounds the perimeter of the entire structure. My design starts from the Fifth Avenue and extends approximately 200 meters into the sea.

My inspiration stemmed from two sources. First was from my research on Cuban immigration itself. The trip from Cuba to the shores of Miami is a treacherous journey, one that involves many obstacles, changes in environ-ment, and is never a straight path. Second were the crashing waves and current of the ocean. I integrated these concepts into my design by creating a repetitious pattern of windows alternating between areas allowing for more natural light to areas of darkness where natural lighting would be harmful to the exhibition spaces. Throughout the structure “voids” where patrons have the opportunity to move between interior and exterior spaces.

The overall purpose of this building is to capture a sense of the journey, of the past, and of the hardships. The museum should teach visitors about the history of migrations. At the same time the multipurpose space and the boardwalk that surrounds the museum are opportunities for visitors to also make their own history.

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