RWU FA2019

The city of La Antigua in Guatemala was founded in 1542, and for over two hundred years was the capital city of Guatemala. Its geographic location, seismically active and surrounded by volcanoes, have made the city susceptible to suffering natural disasters over its lifetime.

One in particular, in 1773, resulted in substantial destruction and shortages of all kinds, which ultimately lead to migration of population out of the city, which lead to the founding of the current capital.

The earthquakes and the looting for materials have left numerous monasteries, convents and religious buildings all built between 1560 and 1770, as ruins that have become points of interest in the city.

The city has a strong Spanish baroque influence, with colorful architecture and a clear urban structure of streets organize in a square grid running north-south and east-west. The city was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The municipality has been using their limited resources to protect the legacy of these structures. Slowly but surely, they have been restoring/reconstructing them and reorganizing the debris so that the sites could be enjoyed by visitors.

In addition, new construction in the city has to follow strict formal guidelines, which in many ways make of La Antigua a place frozen in time with a scent of “The Truman Show”.

This attitude is a defensive mechanism against architects without care that not too long ago were building irrational structures in the city. It is understandable the drive to set up a strict set of guidelines that protect the quality of the city, however, one has to question whether or not that approach prevents the city from transforming and becoming something other than an oasis for tourists.

Reconstruction has been a strategy that many cities have followed. All over Europe and Asia we find ‘old neighborhoods’ that were rebuilt as recently as the 1980’s, however new areas emerged that allowed the cities to transform and move to the future.

The studio focuses on the question of dialog with, as opposed to literal reconstruction of, the ruins. It comes from the appreciation of the magical nature of ruins that allow us to travel in time which reconstruction voids it away.

SITES:

La Antigua endured numerous earthquakes since its founding, the one from 1773 inflicted severe damage the scars of which are still present. In addition, the state effort to force people to relocate to what it is today Guatemala City, resulted in a government sanctioned process of looting for materials which led to perhaps even more destruction than that caused by the tremor.

This devastating process of erosion lasted for decades, with a few residents refusing to leave the city behind and resisting to destroy it. Many of the ruins were subjected to modifications, to implementation of peculiar uses, that further damaged them. In 1979, La Antigua was named UNESCO World Heritage site which contributed to a new found awareness of its value and power of its legacy.

The new status brought with it a greater interest in the city which experienced population growth, increased tourism and slight improvement in its economy. On the other side of the coin, more people led to higher environmental and sound pollution, more congestion, and generated more challenges to protect the ruins from further damage.

La Antigua is experiencing what many of similar sites experience. There is a juxtaposition of two contrary interests. On the one hand, having more visitors results in more resources, more jobs and more stability, on the other, the increased in the numbers deteriorates the monuments and more resources to protect them are necessary. It is a vicious cycle that is difficult to balance.

The UNESCO recognition forced the municipality to undergo a master plan to develop a path to improve conditions and protect this valuable heritage and slowly the municipality is following through.

Of the substantial collection of structures, some are completely close to the public, some have gone through processes of stabilization in order to prevent further damage from future earthquakes and are open to the public in restricted schedules.

Many of them have been conditioned enough to be able to hold different types of events such as weddings, informal gatherings, etc…and a handful have been restored to its past glory either fully or partially as if nothing had happened.

This rich legacy is both a source of pride and a source of pain for the municipality. The race against time to protect them while having limited resources has always been a struggle.

The studio concentrates in two different sites on the northern sector of the city. Both religious structures have housed different uses over the centuries and are now open to the public.

Each of the sites is seen as an opportunity of intervention with an added value through the introduction of new program that was either part of the history of the structure, or a real need for the city.

It departs from the premise that a less fearful way of intervening in these structures could lead to a new life that represents the future while respecting the scars of the past.

Area 1: Santa Teresa

Built in 1687 Santa Teresa is a relatively compact and small convent situated four blocks north of the Plaza Mayor on the 4th avenue.

The structure has been partially restored over the years and now the traces of the building and its beautiful spaces are evident in all their glory. The structure of walls has mainly been reconstructed and frame the sky in an almost surreal way. Its white wash finish is a reflection of what La Antigua once was, far from the colorful setting it is today.

The structure has two main components. The former convent area and the church.

The convent area is organized by a series of courtyards and verandas that connect all the spaces in both floors and it is connected to the church through a more private system of corridors and courtyards.

Of baroque influence, the structure is relatively low in profile in order to better respond to the seismic forces, therefore the name ‘barroco sismico’ (Seismic Baroque). It was build using local stone with brick coursings every meter or so to provide lateral stability. The assembly was then finished with a thick mortar mixture that bound all the layers together.

The upper levels are supported by arches built in brick, brick ribs with an infill of a lighter pumice type stone and leveled by a sandy mixture on top of which the floor tiles are placed.

The church is a single volume with a main entrance from the street, for the public to use.

Originally built as a convent for a closed order of nuns, the structure was substantially larger than it is today. It occupied over half of the full block and had a series of internal garden. Over the years portions of the property were sold and are currently occupied by other uses.

The earthquake of 1717 brought extensive damaged and shelters were built in the gardens while repairs were being done. Following the earthquake of 1773, the order of the Carmelitas Descalzas moved to the new capital and completely abandoned the convent in 1776.

At the end of the XIX century, there is evidence of the structure being used to produce strawberry liquor, sparkling water, and wine (orange and grape), later the structure was used for coffee drying and later it became a men’s jail in the mid 1950’s, function that it served until 2006. Two years later, in 2008, restoration of the temple begun.

The area of intervention encompasses the structure of the convent and the adjacent lot behind the church, formerly part of the convent and now being used as storage of equipment by the department of roads and work, a use way to mundane for such a prominent location.

The project for this site will be an artisan winery with a small gallery/museum and a series of tasting rooms, which in some ways connects to a past use of the structure and could contribute to the thriving tourism industry of the city.

While grapes are not cultivated in the area, La Antigua was known for its wine production, not only from grapes but also from oranges. The fruits were brought from nearby areas of Zacapa and Cobán, where the climate is relatively dryer.

Area 2: La Recolección

The monastery of La Recolección is a large structure composed of numerous buildings configuring courtyards and a series of gardens. It was built by order of a decree in 1700 which lead to the beginning of its construction in 1701 and its final completion in 1717.

It is located in one of the rougher edges of the town, where one of the most important bus routes into the city is located, on the northwestern edge of the city where the grid of the city abruptly meets the forest. It is not a part of the city that is visited by tourists, since it is relatively unsafe, in comparison to the rest of the town, and far from the city center.

The complex was composed of a series of rooms connected by a system of cloisters, portions of which can still be appreciated.

Originally build in the traditions of the ‘seismic baroque’ the building had slightly taller proportions which made it more susceptible to damage due to seismic forces.

The monastery was virtually destroyed by the earthquake in 1773 leaving an impressive, almost surreal, theater of building fragments, resting on the ground. The only portion still fully standing, although damaged, is the sacristy, a magnificent space of beautiful proportions which tells the story of how La Recolección was.

The level of damage is such, that reconstruction is not realistically possible, however, the protection of the beautiful ruins is. The before mentioned sacristy is not currently open to the public and plans for its restoration are in place.

Efforts have been undertaken by the municipality to stabilize the still standing portions of the ruin by injecting steel reinforcement and concrete at frequent intervals in those walls surrounding the church that are of substantial height.

The consistent level of rainfall and environmental factors is slowly but surely damaging the impressive pieces of buildings resting on the ground. Periodic cleaning of these fragments is done, but something more substantial will be required.

The project will study the opportunity to improve the conditions of the city and contribute to the protection of such remarkable patrimony, with the hope of attracting more visitors to the old monastery.

South of the complex, the maintenance quarters and the area for the archaeologists occupy two singular buildings, one original, the other one reconstructed. This area is connected to the main monastery area through a gate, without the need of exiting to the street.

La Antigua is in need of a good archive and center of information. The experience of the culture tourist is a highly fragmented one, with portions of punctual information at different sites but without a cohesive explanation anywhere. The archives are also split among different areas all over Guatemala City.

La Recolección is one of those instances where the introduction of a program with the civic gravitas of a city archive and museum could offer a new and meaningful life to the complex. In addition, it could be a catalyst first step to resolve a complicated and decaying urban condition.

Both of the settings share similar challenges and questions not uncommon in areas with centuries of history.

La Antigua municipality has a conservative approach to dealing with such structures, preventing real interventions that could potentially break the almost ‘Truman showesque’ character of the town. Such conservative, at times asphyxiating, approach, has led to a place that seems to be stuck in a moment of time.

This project will be an opportunity to challenge this approach. The idea is to intervene in a meaningful way, in dialog with history, rather than recreating a past that no longer exists.

RWU SU2019

Graduate Design Studio/Advanced Design Studio

“The University of Balamand is a private non-profit independent Lebanese institution of Higher Education licensed by the State of Lebanon. It was founded in 1988 by His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV in the name of the Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East for the Greek Orthodox. The University admits students from Lebanon and the Region without discrimination on the basis of religion, gender, or physical handicap.

Inspired by the Tradition of the Antiochian Christian Orthodox Church in promoting the welfare of humanity and its highest values, the University is committed to principles of tolerance, compassion and openness and to Christian-Muslim understanding. The University is dedicated to graduating professionals who are well-rounded, critical thinkers, life-long learners, and active citizens in their respective societies.

The University also seeks to limit the influence of dogmatism and fundamentalism in intellectual, social, political, religious and cultural fields. The University believes in responsible freedom, in the role of reason in uncovering truth, and in the deepening of human existence under God. Through quality education, rigorous research, concern for the public good, and engagement with the community, the University seeks to contribute to nation building, ethical standards, inter-cultural dialogue, environmental responsibility, and human development.”

                                                                                               University of Balamand Mission Statement

At a time when fundamentalist and dogmatic positions seem to be taking hold on many areas of the world, the role of universities as advocates becomes paramount.

Finding the path for dialog to address and appreciate the differences is a crucial part of this process.

The studio will focus on a project for the University of Balamand in Lebanon, one of the leader institutions fighting against fundamentalism through education.

The campus is located in the Koura Valley (Al-Kurah), an area in between Beirut and Tripoli, in relative proximity to the country’s border with Syria.

The university commissioned Sasaki Associates to produce a masterplan in 2005 which has been slowly implemented over the last fourteen years.

The beautiful natural setting, covered with olive and oak trees, has commanding views of the Mediterranean Sea and a 12^th century Monastery of Balamand.

The masterplan provided a structure to develop a formal identity and a framework for growth that respectful of its privileged natural settings.

The intervention will conceptualize a small center for dialog in one of the most significant spaces of the campus.

The studio will revolve around two main assignments, one focusing on research and analysis, the other on the actual design.

From a pedagogical standpoint, the studio searches to make the students aware of the importance of looking at past references with a precise eye.  In the world of google and the internet, it is more important than ever to avoid the superficial and teach the students to pause and observe.

The first assignment will concentrate on analysis of relevant small-scale projects that represent a collection of different ways of understanding space, structure, context and materiality.

This assignment will provide a framework to be followed in the second part of the term which will focus on the design of the building for the university.

RWU SP2019

Integrated Project Design

KU (Katholieke Universiteit) Leuven is one of Europe’s leading research universities with a variety of offerings of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs, located in the outskirts of the city of Leuven, Belgium.

In 1997 a competition was organized to build a new library in the Campus in Arenberg, part of 2Bergen which includes libraries for Science, Engineering and Technology as well as Biomedical Sciences Group.

The site selected included the remains of a Celestine Convent founded in 1521 as a cemetery for his family which had gone through a series of transformations over the centuries.

In 1925 they were acquired by the university and used as a testing station by the Faculty of Agriculture and the Farmer’s Association.

The competition was won by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, who carefully reconstructed the identity of the cloister, gave new life to the interiors, and complemented the existing structures with a series of new additions that carefully respect the original scale. The building was completed in 2002.

While the addition expanded the amount of program, the demand is high and the spaces are at times overcrowded and unable to accommodate the number of students.

The studio will focus on a hypothetical expansion of the library with a series of academic use programs.

It will pose questions very pertinent in today’s practice, fundamentally about dealing with existing conditions and formal interactions with architecture from the past.  In the case of KU Leuven Library, the existing conditions is a collage of buildings of different periods, covering several centuries.  How to intervene in this condition is a challenging task that most architects would want to do.

RWU FA2018
Comprehensive Design Studio

In the early 1900’s in Sweden there were a series of competitions dealing with the question of burial grounds.

The relatively sudden population growth was such that finding new grounds where to bury the dead had become an urgent matter.

The search for solutions did not however become a mere utilitarian exercise.  A deeper sensibility emerged that influenced and shaped the way in which the Swedish people see death.

The idea was to understand death as a beginning of a new stage, therefore, there was a very deliberate position to stay away from typical mortuary facilities and make the place feel more like a park.

Erik Gunnar Asplund and Sigurd Lewerentz won the first, and perhaps the most known, of such competitions, The Woodland Cemetery in Stockholm, and they split the work over the 30 years that the implementation lasted.  With it, a new conception of the cemetery begun and it became a point of reference for others that followed.

Less known, the cemetery complex in Malmo was the result of one of these selection processes in which the scheme designed by Sigurd Lewerentz emerged as the winning project.

The story of this project is significant because it expanded all of Lewerentz’s career and he was the sole author.

The competition motto was “Ridge” and it asked of the proposals to transform a fragment of nature into the setting for the transition to the afterlife with the least possible transformation of the site.

The long, arduous process of implementation culminated with the flower kiosk, one of most recognizable works of architecture of the author.

The relationship with the landscape, the variety of settings within it, the care in the use of simple materials and the very precise sequences of movement through the garden are some of the most remarkable elements of the project.

In this setting, the memory of those in the afterlife and the houses of ritual become a backdrop for scenes of terrestrial daily life, curiosity and remembrance.

This juxtaposition of life and death, utility and ritual, past and present, are at the core of the question of this studio.  Two projects, one dealing with the ritual of cremation and the other with a supportive, utilitarian function, are the focus of the studio.  Each student will concentrate on one.

Death has been and is a subject of profound interest in every culture in the world.  The act of death and the rituals surrounding it, have given us insights on past cultures.  The relation between ritual and emotion, the significance of the ritual itself and aspects of symbolism have left a deep imprint in all artistic expressions including architecture. From Stonehenge to Toyo Ito in Kakamigahara, we find a wide range of examples of the fascination that past generations have had with the subject.

Life, in the context of this particular cemetery, becomes evident in every little moment, when buying flowers or strolling through the woods.  Always in relation to nature.

This is Integrative Design Studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

RWU SU2018
Graduate Design Studio

Switzerland has forged over the centuries great artistic traditions, which combined with seemingly permanent financial stability, has resulted in the proliferation of all sorts of enterprises dealing with art and design as well as numerous museums, cultural institutions and private collections.

Over the years, many of these private collections have been opening to the public, making of Basel one of the cities with the highest density of museums in the world.

This attracts a very specific type of tourist that is looking for very specific experiences.

With this in mind, the city is lacking a centralized space in which these visitors can obtain information and be guided to the different galleries and museums.

For this reason, the consortium of museums is considering financing the construction of such space, as a form of urban infrastructure element that could provide guidance and additional necessary services.

The space is meant to be large enough to also accommodate temporary exhibitions and events associated with the city, private entities and the museums as a mechanism to generate revenue for its maintenance.

The selected site is a complex urban condition that has to reconcile many movement paths and the access to several important permanent art installations by Tingely and Serra as well as a concert hall.

This cultural context in which modernity and tradition intertwine in a beautiful and seamless choreography offers the perfect backdrop for the studio.

The studio will be addressing questions of identity and interpretation of program beyond mere functional aspects.

RWU SP2018
Comprehensive Design Studio

“Architects nowadays are pathologically addicted to change, regarding it as something one either hinders, runs after or, at best, keeps up with.  This I suggest, is why they tend to sever the past from the future, with the result that the present is rendered emotionally inaccessible-without temporal dimension.  I dislike a sentimental antiquarian attitude towards the past as much as I dislike a sentimental technocratic one towards the future.  Both are founded on a static, clockwork notion of time (what antiquarians and technocrats have in common). So let’s start with the past for a change and discover the unchanging condition of man”

Aldo van Eyck

Aldo van Eyck was one of the members of Team 10, the critical movement against the abstract functionalism that the CIAM had pursued since 1928.  The activist participation of Team 10, lead to the eventual dissolution of CIAM in 1959 (Otterlo) and the emergence of two groups, the New Brutalist in Britain (lead by Alison and Peter Smithson) and the Structuralist in The Netherlands (lead by van Eyck and Jacob Bakema).

He believed in the importance of understanding the elements of architecture in terms of their relationship to a larger overarching system, rooted in culture, traditions and humanity.

From Koolhaas to BIG, traces of his design philosophy and methodology are found on many of the work of relevant figures in the architecture profession today.

The subject of the studio is the Pastoor van Ars church, perhaps one of the most relevant work of van Eyck, which has become a mandatory visit for admirers of his work and architecture in general.

Located on Loosduinen, a district on the west of The Hague, it was designed in the mid 60’s in order to accommodate a congregation of four hundred worshipers plus an additional two hundred during the summers.

From an architectural standpoint, the building constructs a careful choreography. A silent and careful sitting guides the visitor to descend, enter, and discover a playful world of activities under the zenithal light of large skylights and gently moving lamps.

In January 2012, the parish merged with three others, Emmaus, Maria van Eik and Duinen, and the Titus Brandsma to form what is known as the RK Parish of the Four Evangelists.

The arrangement has resulted in challenging logistical issues given the limited amount of resources available and the numerous buildings to maintain and manage.

It is believed that it is only a matter of time before one or two of these parishes will stop operating as such, and its parishioners will join one of the remaining two or three.

The building for Pastoor van Ars, currently a municipal monument, is about to be included in the National Monument List, which will protect it from demolition and will provide some funding for its maintenance.  This opens a possibility to reconsider a new life for it, should it stop functioning as a church.

The studio will focus on the design of an addition and re-use for this magnificent work of architecture to house a new cultural venue.

The studio will deal with the challenges of adding to a relevant building from the relative recent past.  Should an addition be independent? Should it become one with the existing? How can van Eyck ideas be reinterpreted and informed by the current cultural climate?

RWU FA2017
Comprehensive Design Studio

In the early 2000’s, the Industriequartier in the western area of Zurich was mainly an industrial wasteland, a collection of abandoned buildings, no sense of urbanity and a few clubs of questionable activities.

The district dates back to the 19th century and emerged as the industrial quarter given its proximity to the main railway station and the Limmat river.  By the 1980’s most industrial production had almost come to an end in that area of Zurich.  That shift, lead to decay and attracted all sorts of illegal activity, particularly drug dealing, but it also begun a process in which people began to reclaim the industrial buildings converting them into lofts, art studios, bars, etc….

By the early 90’s, the secret alternative art scene was no longer and the area slowly begun to attract a broader range of public.

Over the last 1o years a number of residential and commercial buildings, as well as cultural institutions have been built and the once dangerous area has become one of the trendiest places to live and visit in the city.

Even with all the new interventions, the neighborhood has managed to retain elements of its industrial past and has resulted in unique juxtapositions of buildings with infrastructure.

However, in order for the area to become a true mixed-use neighborhood in Zurich, some services will need to be provided. There are still a few areas within the district that have the potential to accommodate that void.

The studio will focus in one of these areas which currently houses a diverse number of uses and it is bound by significant infrastructural elements such as the viaduct and the railroad tracks.

The project will consist of a true hybrid building which will combine some of the existing programs and will add new services in order to contribute to the consolidation of the neighborhood as a viable and more defined residential area.

This is Integrative Design Studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

RWU SU2017
Graduate Design Studio

The studio will deal with a real competition organized by YAC (Young Architects Competitions).

The brief description of the project reads:

“The nocturnal sky is eternal, sublime and inaccessible. When looking at it, the human being experiences the most ancient sensation and feels overwhelmed by an ancient and inviolable mystery. A mystery that not even the most modern and refined minds can understand, despite efforts and technological progress.

Dazzled by the brightness of our metropolis, we often forget the extraordinary vision the vault of heaven can offer us. However, there are still places that are far from lights and cities where the beauty of the infinite appears in its entire splendor.

Surrounded by forests and crags, Roccascalegna is one of the places where this magic continues to occur and where the sky keeps on telling its eternal and beautiful story.

It is a unique and far place that is both incredibly beautiful and clearly fragile. In fact, the fortress deeply depends on the constant care of the human being to preserve its characteristics and remarkable appearance.

For these reasons, the Italian Exhibition Group and the Italian government launched the Observatory Houses project aiming to find a new use for Roccascalegna taking advantage of the potential of an oneiric setting with remarkable skies. The project aims at creating in Italy the first and most suggestive observatory houses. They will be a sustainable and exclusive house model aimed to ensure the protection and improvement of such inestimable heritage.

How to build a complex of modern observatory houses in a picturesque medieval fortress? How to create the most refined national reference for the astronomical observation tourism through architecture?

On the bases of these issues, designers will have to create a story composed by stars, silences and landscapes. This story will have to include architectural elements designed to create a place beyond compare. It will not be a place of mere observation or accommodation; it will be a place of spirituality and meditation. Observatory Houses wishes to promote an architectural intervention that aims at becoming a symbol destination for those who wish to move away from their everyday routine and live an archaic, almost mystic experience thanks to the most ancient and beautiful sight.

Under everlasting skies, the new observatory houses in the ancient fortress will provide an unforgettable stay for those who wish to experience the feral excitement to fall asleep under the stars rocked by the slow movement of planets and fascinated by a sudden shooting star.”

The studio will concentrate the efforts on exploring the more essential qualities of space: light, sequence, movement, occupation, materiality, construction within an environment with a strong history, identity and, almost surreal quality.

Following a series of exercises focused on developing a thorough understanding of place, as well as spatial explorations the students will concentrate on working on the actual competition proposal.

Given that the submission of the competition and that of the semester occur around the same time, students will be required to submit their projects.

This will afford the students the opportunity to learn how to present and synthesize ideas in a limited format.

“There has been much calamity in the world, but little that has brought posterity so much pleasure”

RWU SP2017
Comprehensive Design Studio

“There has been much calamity in the world, but little that has brought posterity so much pleasure”

                                                               J.W. von Goethe, Italian Journey

The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD sealed the fate of the town of Pompeii and its inhabitants.  Its excavation which begun in 1748 and it is still ongoing today has given us a small glimpse of the life and last moments of a thriving place.

Today, Pompeii is one of the most important Italy’s tourism sites, attracting millions of visitors every year.  This flux of people places serious strains on the sites that they visit, in many instances leading to serious deterioration.  This has been a common question in many locations not only in Italy but in most of Europe.  Finding ways of both accommodating the curiosity of the tourist while collecting funding to protect the sites and continue to learn from them has resulted in remarkable architecture opportunities.  Examples like the Museo Altamira and Madinat Al-Zahra in Spain, Kolumba museum in Cologne and many others are excellent points of reference.

Pompeii is no exception, the excavation site is in basic need of services for both tourists and researchers that would help protect its legacy and continue to discover its secrets.

The current sequence of entry has resulted in a circulation pattern for tourists that does not follow any particular order and lacks fundamental guidance. A few random interventions within the excavation and right on the edges, have tried to address the issue but with limited success.

Tourists meander in blissful ignorance, carrying their selfie sticks, throughout the network of streets treating the site almost like a theme park.

Those who are yearning for a deeper sense of understanding have a difficult time finding it.

In addition, there are economic consequences that must not be ignored.  The city of Pompeii does not see a substantial benefit from the tourism the excavation site receives. The majority of the tourists enter and exit through a secondary gate closer to public transit without engaging in any activity in the city.

The excavation receives an average of 10,000 visitors a day, and it is estimated that only about 9% of them visit the modern city.  The city suffers from one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, partly because many of the resources generated are dedicated to maintaining the crumbling and delicate conditions of the excavation.

In addition, the fact that most of the artifacts from Pompeii are in the Napoli Museum or in a cellar, does not help matters.

The services for researchers and archaeologists are also very limited both in size and availability.  The existing facilities are mainly open air which limits the research to a seasonal practice. In addition, they are completely removed and isolated from the tourists which is a lost opportunity to inform and generate awareness of the importance and value of the site.

The proposed project will attempt to resolve all of these issues: better access and information for the tourist, better connection with the city and improve the facilities for researchers.                                                              

RWU FA2016
Comprehensive Design Studio

The South Harbor area of Copenhagen is going through a major transformation from an industrial zone to a new thriving residential neighborhood.  The area, which is fundamentally siting on land claimed to the Oresund strait, is being built around a new network of canals, waterfront promenades and parks.

The urban design being implemented is highly organic and fluid, with focus on pedestrian and bicycle traffic and not catering to any particular type of resident.

In this new neighborhood, the municipality is evaluating the construction of a hybrid building that would fulfill the needs of the Catholic Parish in the neighborhood, while at the same time providing services for the residents, especially the younger ones.

Two sites are being considered for this project and the studio will focus on coming up with design solutions for the same building in two very different, yet close, locations.

Site 1 is bound by water on two sides, a main road and a secondary road.  Of challenging access and compact dimension, it will demand a more vertical solution.

Site 2 is adjacent to a green system that travels across the neighborhood and it is surrounded by already constructed residential buildings.

The evolution of the liturgical ritual has changed over the years and slowly becoming one based on participation and direct dialog among the worshipers.  This has had an impact on the typology that at times has resulted in powerful architectural solutions.

As part of the studio we will focus on the evolution of the typology, what are the traditional canons? Which ones are still relevant today? How could they inform what we do?

In addition, all the less tangible, more spiritual questions of gravity, light, procession, ritual, symbolism will also play an important part of the design process.

This is integrative design studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

RWU SU2016
Graduate Design Studio

Alfred Nobel last will and testament specified that his fortune be used to award Prizes to those who ‘had conferred the greatest benefit on mankind’ within five different fields: physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace.

In 1900, four years after his death, the Nobel Foundation was established to manage his fortune.  The first Prizes were awarded in 1901 and have been given every year since.

From its initial inception, a building where the Nobel Prize, the Nobel Laureates and their achievements can be presented to the general public was envisioned.

In 2011, the Nobel Foundation decided to try to finance a new center with private donations with the City of Stockholm providing the land.

In 2013, a substantial part of the funding had been collected and the Foundation begun to consider the design and implementation of a new building.

The search calls for a “The Nobel Center is established in the spirit of the Nobel Prize; its vision is to work for the good of humanity”.

“The new center will promote creativity and new thinking and it will contribute to finding solutions to the major challenges of our time and of the future”.

The building will house numerous programs focused on research and knowledge development a well as numerous public programs.  The idea is for the new center to become one of Stockholm’s main attractions.

The site selected by the city is at the tip of the Blasieholmen peninsula, a very prominent location in the city with a great exposure.  This former port and shipyard area is one of the very few locations within the central waterfront area in Stockholm where development is possible.

The studio will focus on the design of the new Nobel Center.  We will be using a modified, slightly smaller version of the competition program.

The exercise will pose challenging questions of identity, and of the dialog between traditions and future.

RWU SP2016
Comprehensive Design Studio

Zürich is mostly known for its leading role in the financial sector, with many of the large banks having their headquarters in the city.  It is also one of the most important research and development centers in Switzerland and Europe given its structure of tax incentives.

Perhaps less known is the cultural richness the city has to offer. Switzerland has forged over the centuries great artistic traditions, which combined with seemingly permanent financial stability, has resulted in the proliferation of all sorts of enterprises dealing with art and design as well as numerous museums, cultural institutions and private collections.  Examples can be found all over the city of Zürich with numerous institutions and companies of global recognition.

This cultural context in which modernity and tradition intertwine in a beautiful and seamless choreography offers the perfect backdrop for the studio.

The studio will focus on a series of interventions in the city dealing with particular and challenging urban conditions with programs geared to complementing the social and cultural realms of the city.

The selected sites are in the vicinity of the Limmat river mouth at Lake Zürich in a very active and prominent part of the city.

Site 1:  Bauschänzli  

The site is part of the northern extension of the Seeuferanlage promenades that were built between 1880’s. Bauschänzli is one of the last remains of the Baroque fortifications of Zürich, which began in 1642. Since 1907 the island has been used as a restaurant.

On this site we are going to intervene with a showroom for Vitra, one of the leading furniture design and production with a strong philosophy based on innovation, sustainability, durability and function.

The building will house a showroom for the company as well as some social programs to support gatherings and lectures.

The site is challenging given its history and its prominent presence on the river.

Site 2: Sechseläutenplatz

Located at the Sechseläutenplatz, it has been the home of the Zürich Opera since 1891, and also houses the Bernhard-Theater Zürich.

The site has had an interesting sequence of uses which include agriculture during world war 2, parking lot, to housing temporary buildings.

The utilitarian nature of the site suits itself to a possible setting with humanitarian purposes.

The Swiss government is developing a program to admit refugees from Syria and Irak in volunteer households in some of the most important cities of the country including Zurich.  However, there is a generalized consensus that housing them is not the only solution.  A process of integration into Swiss life is a must in order to be able to progress and participate productively in society and avoid possible conflicts.

For this matter, the studio will focus in using the site for a temporary structure which will serve as the place for refugees to learn the language, develop skills and interact with the rest of Swiss society and fellow refugees.

Placing these unfortunate individuals at the center of the city will allow us to confront the problem rather than hide it.

How does such a structure should mediate between these two different societies? Is there an architectural form/experience ideal for this?

The projects will trigger a wide range of inquiries with regards to issues of identity and the relationship between the past and the future.

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project

RWU FA2015
Comprehensive Design Studio

The neighborhood of Lavapiés is one of the most emblematic areas in Madrid.  What used to be the Jewish quarter centuries ago, has slowly been transitioning from being  neglected and impoverished to being culturally thriving and quite cosmopolitan.

Numerous cultural institutions and infrastructure projects have been built over the last decades, however, some of the basic needs of the community are, in the eyes of many, still lacking.

 “Esta es una Plaza” (“This is a Plaza”) is a project which begun during a workshop focusing on urban interventions organized by La Casa Encendida, a cultural institution in the neighborhood.

The movement begun as an exercise on community activism in which the neighbors, with permission of the municipality, intervened in a site which had been abandoned for over 40 years.

The very active group of neighbors cleaned up the site and improvised a series of program elements to foment different types of activities, from agriculture to lectures on politics which are still going today.  The neighbors maintain the plaza and organize all the events without any municipal intervention or help.

For the neighbors the need for a place of culture, leisure, green and most of all free and accessible to the public is the fundamental role for this site in order to have an impact on the community.

The studio will focus on a proposal for a true hybrid building that contributes to the development of the neighborhood and does not lose the spirit of the informal use that the site has had for a few years now.

The unusual void is bound by party walls on three sides and a street on the other.  A small interruption, one parcel wide, on the party wall gives access to the other edge of the block through a free standing façade of a building from the past which has been preserved for historical value.  In essence, a site rich in possibilities.

The project will not only be an exercise on reconciling very different functions but it will also have to conceptualize the outdoor condition-s as an integral part of the design.

It is the will of the neighbors that the spirit of the community garden is not lost, therefore, it will be required for no less than 60% of the site to be open which results in multiple possible ways of interpreting the urban void.

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project

RWU SU2015
Graduate Design Studio

In 2019, the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the famous institution with the opening of the Bauhaus Museum.

For the first time the foundation will be able to exhibit and comprehensively present the extensive collection to the public.

Back in the days, the Bauhaus liked to present itself.  Walter Gropius’ residence was a model house in which he invited people to feel a new way of living.  Many of the Bauhaus artists were represented at numerous galleries and international art market which contributed to a relevant public image.

Above all, the school strived to create new knowledge and stood for a radical new presentation and way of life.

The Bauhaus conceived art, design and architecture as one overall discipline for everyone to enjoy.  The design process was the result of a new view, a new aesthetic and a new pedagogical paradigm in which the students collaborated with the professors in a research-by-making driven process.

They practiced an anti-academic education with a concept of utopia which sought the mankind of the future, for whom they wanted to design according to need.

The studio question deals fundamentally with a question of identity.  How does one exhibit a school, a philosophy, a way of working and living?

Nowadays, art museums tend to be of two kinds.  On the one hand, they could be quiet, neutral containers more often than not with maximum flexibility in mind.  On the other, they become ‘settings’ tied to the exhibit itself (assuming there is a level of permanence).

Are these the only approaches? Are there alternatives which could achieve the same while providing the building or space a sense of identity?

The studio will inevitably ask these questions.

The project is based on a current proposal by the city of Dessau.  However, given the nature of the studio and the available time, both location and program size have been modified to better fit the pedagogical intent of the course.

RWU SP2015
Comprehensive Design Studio

Switzerland has forged over the centuries great artistic traditions, which combined with seemingly permanent financial stability, has resulted in the proliferation of all sorts of enterprises dealing with art and design as well as numerous museums, cultural institutions and private collections.

This cultural context in which modernity and tradition intertwine in a beautiful and seamless choreography offers the perfect backdrop for the studio.

The exercise will focus on the design for a school of visual and performing arts in two very different settings: one urban (Basel), one landscape (Zurich).

Both sites are challenging in different ways and will trigger a wide range of inquiries with regards to questions of identity and relationship with the past.

Site 1: Basel

“Basel is the core of a trinational conurbation with a population of about a million.  If the people who live here stick to their nationalistic way of thinking, it will remain just a collection of villages-but if we succed in thinking and exploring beyond these borders, something new, something really special may develop, even if is still only a dream…..”   Jacques Herzog

 The city of Basel lies on both sides of the Rhine in close proximity to the border between France, Switzerland and Germany.

The site is located at the heart of the old city and it is within several cultural institutions of which Basel Theater is the most prominent.

In addition, a fountain by Jean Tinguely and a sculpture by Richard Serra bound two of its edges.

Given the topographic conditions, the site offers the possibility of access at multiple levels.  In addition, an artificial plinth containing some commercial and support spaces for the theater abuts the eastern edge.

The challenge is to resolve the building and better resolve the access and the connections to the theater support program.

The level of connectivity between the new building and the theater will be determined by each individual student.

 Site 2: Zurich

Zurich is an opulent, comfortable, innovative, cultured and cosmopolitan city. It is located at the North of lake Zurich, between the slopes of the Utli and Zurich hills and where the river Sihl meets the river Limmat.

The site selected is on a park setting at the Eastern edge of Lake Zurich.  It is an area with some distinguished cultural institutions such as the Museum Bellerive, the Atelier Hermann Haller and the Heidi Weber Foundation (also known as the “Maison del Homme” by Le Corbusier).

The site is well connected to the old city center by a gentle promenade along the edge of the lake.

 This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project

RWU SU2014
Comprehensive Design Studio

The city of Granada, located in the region of Andalucia, in the South of Spain, dates back to the Greeks which established the earliest colony.

In 711, the Moors occupied most of the Iberian Peninsula and established Al-andalus, but it is not until 1013, with the arrival of the Zirid dynasty, that Granada did not become an independent emirate (Taifa of Granada).

The city is most known for the Alhambra (al-Hamra), which started as a citadel in the 9th century, and slowly became a palace complex in the 14th century, located atop of the Sabika hill.

After the Reconquista by the Reyes Catolicos, the palaces were used by Christian rulers and new structures were built within the walls of the complex.

For a couple of centuries, the Alhambra was left to its own fate and it was not until the 19th century when more conscious efforts to restore and repair the gardens and architecture were undertaken.

The Alhambra represents the qualities to which contemporary architecture aspires and which set it apart from other buildings from the past.  It has the presence of a palace and the somberness of a religious and military place.  In addition, there are a variety of scales, from the domestic to the urban.  All in dialogue with landscape.

All of these, give La Alhambra a unique character.  It is a complex construction, charged with multiple levels of relationships and that could be read from different perspectives.

El Patronato de la Alhambra y El Generalife, is the institution in charge of overseeing all the interventions done within the walls of the monument and in its vicinity.  All the parameters of interventions are seriously studied and must conform to the guidelines of objectives established by the ‘Plan Director’.

The “Plan Director de la Alhambra” establishes the need to improve the conditions of the sequence of arrival and access to the monument that the visitors have to experience.

This studio will focus on the area of the Albercones, fundamental part of the hydraulic system which carries water from the Darro River the Generalife and the Alhambra.

The idea is to incorporate through a building and a landscape intervention, these structures to the visitor’s experience.

The structures were originally built by the Nasrid Sultans to bring water for irrigation of the agricultural grounds of the Generalife.

As a result of the recovery of the Alhambra and its heritage in the early 20th century lead to the construction of two new ponds in 1926 and 1960 to increase the water pressure along the entire system.     

The project will house some services and thematic galleries to explain the role of water in the Alhambra.

Part of the intervention must consider how to experience and ‘display’ these magnificent utilitarian structures.

RWU FA2014
Comprehensive Design Studio

The city of San Sebastian is one of the most prolific and important metropolitan centers of the Basque Country in northern Spain.  Its breathtaking geography, where river, sea, mountain, islands, wind…. merge into a singular experience, make of San Sebastian an almost idyllic setting in which to build.

 The studio will focus on two hypothetical interventions on two substantially different areas of the city with two very different purposes.

One, located on the coastline, has the potential of becoming a pearl in a necklace of cultural events and will contribute to the cultural venues that the city will use during its tenure as the European Capital of Culture in 2016. It will honor the legacy of one of San Sebastian’s most admired artists.

The second, more private in nature, is embedded in a relatively new residential community and will contribute to the services required in such a neighborhood.

 Site one: Zurriola Beach

 The city of San Sebastian is famous for its music and film festivals, as well as an important number of museums such as Museo San Telmo.  As recognition for this, the city was nominated to be the European Capital of Culture in 2016, which will further publicize and promote all that it has to offer.

The proposed building will temporarily exhibit specific works of one of its most important and prolific artists, Eduardo Chillida.

Chillida’s sculptures combine the material with the spiritual in a search for a perfect balance between form and void.

Today, his work is exhibited all over the world, with many of the pieces being in constant move.

The proposed building will allow visitors to see and experience this magnificent work.

 The selected site is at the end of the coastal promenade, in the area known as Zurriola Beach on the eastern side of the mouth of the Urumea River.

The area represents a climactic ending to a sequence of events which tells the story of the past, present and future of the city.

 Site two: Riberas de Loiola

 Along the bend of the Urumea River, in the southern area of the city, a new neighborhood has been developing.

Slowly, Riberas de Loiola is becoming a well-defined community; in particular after the completion of the IESU Church by Rafael Moneo.

This new hybrid building also includes a supermarket that services the growing neighborhood.

We are going to study the introduction of a new municipal hybrid building that will support recreational and educational activities.

There are two possible locations around the church in which the building could be located.

There are challenging edge conditions and topography which will provide interesting design opportunities.

 RWU SP2014
Comprehensive Design Studio

“If one could preserve the spiritual principle of the Greek architecture, and bring it to terms with the conditions of our own epoch……then one could find the most genuine answer to our discussion…………..Each work of art, of whatever kind, must always contain a new element, and be a living addition to the world of art”

                                                                          Karl Friedrich Schinkel

The developments of the twentieth century: WWI, Nazi period, WW2, Cold War, construction of the wall and its fall decades later, have shaped Berlin and its people in dramatic and borderline abrupt terms.

The city is fast trying to re-construct a future by closely looking at the more distant past, resulting in a wave of historical replications; a process which has an equal number of critics than proponents.

Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781-1841), architect, painter, stage designer and royal building authority official is one the most prominent contributors to the architectural landscape of Berlin, and the author of the building which is the focus of this studio.

The Bauakademie was the last building Schinkel designed in the center of Berlin (Mitte) which was completed between 1832 and 1836.

The building survived World War II relatively intact, however it was demolished in 1960 more than likely for political reasons.

The original building housed the Academy of Architecture, the Building Authority (Oberbaudeputation), Schinkel’s atelier and working residence.

In addition, shops on the ground floor helped provide financing for the project.

From an architectural standpoint, the building represents a bit of a departure from Schinkel’s classical Greek references and finds inspiration in the industrial buildings of the British Midlands.

In the Bauakademie function and construction take priority over decoration or architectural style.

One of the most significant questions being posed today is the reconstruction of Schinkel’s Bauakademie, the architecture school and state architecture administration building from 1836.

In 2002, a full scale mock-up of the corner was built by masons, and the rest of the building form was built as a sort of scenography, using scaffolding and a full scale print of the building.

The studio will focus on strategies for ‘finishing’ the project and will follow the programmatic uses being considered for such structure, which happens to be in partial alignment with its original use.

The studio will explore answers to the question.  Is re-constructing a replica, partially or fully the only viable strategy? Are there ways of reinterpreting the old Bauakademie in more philosophical terms?.........................would Schinkel do this?

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

RWU FA2013
Comprehensive Design Studio

The proposed studio will focus on two areas currently under consideration by private-public initiatives in the city of Stockholm, Sweden.

The questions deal with both the sacred and the utilitarian in relationship with highly relevant contexts and historically significant neighbors, both at the level of landscape and architecture.

In addition, the history, geography and climate of Stockholm represent a rich environment in which to intervene and will certainly inform the design process.

There will be two focus areas within the city with two corresponding programmatic components.  Each student will select and concentrate on one and work in teams in those aspects common to all two conditions.

Both conditions date back to the early 1920’s and were designed by Erik Gunnar Asplund, one of Sweden’s most influential architects.

They are polar opposite conditions, one landscape, one urban, but they share common ideas about the relationship of the building with its environment and questions of procession and discovery.

A detailed program for each site will be provided in a different document.

 Site one: Stockholm Public Library Extension

The Public Library in Stockholm by Erik Gunnar Asplund has been the main library of the city since its inauguration in 1928.

Given the population growth that Stockholm is experiencing there is a fundamental need for expansion with new programs that are more relevant and in agreement with the needs of today.

It is clear that modifying Asplund’s building is not an option.  There is a desire to preserve it as is.  This means that new facilities will fulfill all the future demands a library in a city like Stockholm will have.

The site is located on the northwest area of the library, between a main street and a hill.

 The new annex will connect the main library with the Annex 1 and will house teaching and learning facilities, as well as information technology.

 The tightness of the site and possible connections not only with Asplund’s building but also with observatory up on the hill and the park system on the southern side of the library.

How does the new building dialogues with such an important architectural icon? Does it formally merge with it? Does it oppose it?.............the challenge is served.

 Site two: Woodland Cemetery

 In April 1905, the population growth was such that finding new grounds where to bury the dead had become an urgent matter.

In 1914, a competition was announced for a new cemetery in the area of Enskede in the southern part of the city.

The parameters of the competition dictated that in addition to having a clear layout, that the cemetery took the whole grounds, allowing the chapels and burial areas to be fully integrated in the natural conditions of the site.

The idea was to understand death as a beginning of a new stage, therefore, there was a very deliberate position to stay away from typical mortuary facilities and make the place feel more like a park.

Erik Gunnar Asplund and Sigur Lewerentz won the competition and they split the work over the 30 years that the implementation lasted.

Lewerentz was initially responsible for the landscape and Asplund for the first funerary chapel, built in 1918.  Lewerentz would build the Chapel of Resurrection in 1924 and they both collaborated in the crematorium in the 1940’s, even though Asplund was the one in charge of the implementation.

Several years ago, a competition for a new crematorium was organized.  The new facility is in an area ‘outside’ of the protected grounds of the cemetery.

The competition was won by a local architect and it is currently under construction.

The studio will add a new non-denominational chapel and support facilities that will work with the new crematorium and the burial grounds to the northeast area of the cemetery.

The site contains a significant number of trees, and its state is virtually the way the site was before the construction of the cemetery.

 You are responsible for selecting and concentrating your efforts in the design of one of these two projects. However, there will be a substantial amount of work done in groups.

Preliminary programs will be provided, but the hope is that a more specific tailoring of uses will surface as the research on each of the sites develops.

RWU SU2013
Comprehensive Design Studio

The island of Lanzarote belongs to the Canary Archipelago.  It is a group of isles of volcanic origin situated at the center-oriental Atlantic, NW of the African Continent.

There are numerous hypotheses as to how the archipelago formed.  The most widely accepted theory is that it was the result of a combined process of under water eruptions of lava and the thrusting up of large sections of oceanic crust.

As the African plate pressured the Atlantic plate, flow of lava occurred through the fissures with a predominant direction which determined the shape and structure of the islands.

The geological structure of Lanzarote is the simplest of all the islands, and it has been the subject of a more thorough study.

The actual landscape of Lanzarote is the result of constructive agents such as volcanism and destructive processes such as erosion.  The continuous action of these two agents cause the establishment of a huge range of substrates which are later on occupied by vegetation (which is tied to the chemical composition of the subtracts.).

The age of materials from the island are measured by the volcanic cones which are more or less dismantled and covered with vegetation.

Lanzarote is an island with smooth undulating soil interrupted by high cones, cliffs (the result of marine erosion) and deep ravines.

Beside the natural environment elements and the geologic evolution process, the landscape has been influenced by men activities, such as farming conditioned by a sub-desert climate.

The overall structure of the island is formed by two mountain massifs at the North and South, connected by low, undulating land.  Within this landscape, volcanic cones emerge.

This structure of volcanoes is one of the most significant features of the island's landscape of which about 110 are registered.

Timanfaya National Park is located in the southwestern area of the island occupying about 5,107 hectares and a perimeter of 30km with a maximum height of 540m above sea level.

Most of the park is the result of eruptions occurring in a period between 1730 and 1736, however, some eruptions have happened as recently as 1824.

 In the 1960's the economic profile of the island shifted from agricultural/farming (goats) to tourism.  This resulted in uncontrollable development which, helped the economic situation of the island, but deteriorated some of its natural features.

In 1974, in an effort to protect the natural ecosystems of the island, the Timanfaya area was declared National Park and other areas followed.

Today the island is the subject of two main activities: tourism and scientific research.

Tourists are given the opportunity to enjoy a very small portion of the landscape, through highly choreographed and restricted visits.  These are important not only from an economic standpoint (it is a major source of employment), but also as a way of make people aware of its value.

 The project will support the traditional art of wine making in one of the most breathtaking landscapes of the island, that of the area of La Geria.

The project will explore the relationship between the built environment and landscape.

 This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

RWU SP2013
Comprehensive Design Studio

The developments of the twentieth century: WWI, Nazi period, WW2, cold war, building of the wall and its fall decades later, have shaped the city and its people in dramatic and borderline abrupt terms.

Berlin is fast trying to re-construct a future by closely looking at the past, which leads to interesting design questions which require at times permanent, at times temporary creative answers.

The studio will focus on two hypothetical interventions one temporary, one permanent in the ‘border zone’ between the East and the West.

The nature of the projects is also diverse.  One will honor and promote the legacy of one of Berlin’s most significant visual artists; the other will be utilitarian to support (and question) the future plans for the Palast der Republik site.

 Site one: Kulturforum (Cultural Center)

 The proposed site has gone through tremendous transformations throughout the 20th century.

The origin of the area as it exists today dates back to the early 1950’s.  At the end of WWII, the public art collection was divided amongst the Bode Museum in the East and a small enclave in Dahlem, a western district of Berlin.

The Kulturforum became the cultural center of the West and begun with the construction of the Berliner Philarmonie by Hans Scharoun.  Later additions by Scharoun and Mies among others, completed the what we see today.

The proposed project sits on a vacant site in between the two iconic buildings and will house a new Helmut Newton Foundation, currently occupying an old Prussian officer’s casino in the historic center of West Berlin.

HNF was established in 2003 and it focuses on promoting and preserving the work of both Helmut Newton and his wife June, an accomplished photographer on her own right.

It is understood as a ‘living institution’, in which the work of Helmut Newton can be seen in dialogue with the work of current photographers.

Given how the city has evolved, the site represents quite a challenge, in which all sides have virtually equal hierarchical weight and it is part of a green network accessing the Forum.

 In addition, the program poses several possibilities.  Today, the Foundation occupies a building which original purpose was not to exhibit photography, therefore, the program had to adapt to the space.

The new building offers the opportunity to pose the question about what the ideal setting to view such work should be.  Particularly, work that is so rich, critical and at times quite controversial.

Site two: Museuminsel (Museum Island)

The Stadtschloss was a Royal Palace on Fisher’s Island, known today as Museum Island.  It was a Royal residence for Prussian kings between early 1700’s and 1918 and it became a museum following the fall of the German Empire in 1918.

After WWII, the Palace was seriously damaged, and even though rebuilding it would have been possible, the German Democratic Republic authorities decided to demolish it in the 1950’s.

In 1973 under king Erich Honecker, the Palast der Republik was built occupying most of the site of the former palace.

After reunification, asbestos forced the authorities to close the building, which would be eventually demolished in 2006, process which ended in 2008.

 After reunification, several interest groups became active in the discussion about what to do with the site.

Some advocated for the reconstruction of the former Royal Palace either fully or partially (facades).

Others, pushed for preserving the Palast der Republik, recognizing it as part of German History; and a third group advocated for making a park on the site.

As of today, not without opposition, the intention is to rebuild three of the four facades of the old Royal Palace, with a contemporary interior.

Since the economic and philosophical conditions surrounding this site are still in flux, we are going to be conceptualizing a project that would temporarily occupy the space with usable program and at the same time, generate revenue for future interventions on the site.

The building will support the light commercial activity that currently happens on the edge of the canal.

 You are responsible for selecting and concentrating your efforts in the design of one of these two projects. However, there will be a substantial amount of work done in groups.

Preliminary programs will be provided, but the hope is that a more specific tailoring of uses will surface as the research on each of the sites develops.

RWU FA2012
Comprehensive Design Studio

The rich history of the Southern portion of Spain, has resulted in peculiar juxtapositions of past and present which is manifested not only in its architecture, but also in many of its urban conditions.

In the cities of Cordoba and Murcia, two very recent archaeological excavations are awaiting a new future to develop.

In spite of a rough economic environment, municipalities and private institutions recognize the value of such findings and are currently studying different scenarios to move forward.

How to preserve, exhibit, facilitate the research on these findings, as well as resolving fairly complex urban and social conditions will be the challenge in this design process.

 Site one: Yacimiento San Esteban, Murcia

The yacimiento of San Esteban, occupies an area right outside of the medina of Murcia.

It is believed to have been a ‘arrabal’ or Islamic neighborhood during and after the Islamic Empire in Spain.

An initiative to build a parking garage below an existing neighborhood in the block, resulted in an excavation which led to the discovery of the ruins.

The excavation was done partially, it is believed that better, more defined ruins may be deeper into the ground.  For now, after the documentation was done, the ruins were covered with a geotextile fabric and gravel and the site was fenced in to protect its content.

The current situation is deplorable.  There is no park, and there are no funds to continue the excavation or building a structure to protect them.

Regardless of the economic reality, the municipality is currently studying what to do with the block.  Is it possible to exhibit, protect and continue the research while still providing a public space for the neighborhood?

Site two: Manzana San Pablo, Cordoba.

 The FAC (Fundacion de Arquitectura Contemporanea) is looking to relocating their offices to an open lot on Capitulares St #2 and 4 in the San Pablo Area in Cordoba.

Their headquarters are meant to be a place, open to the general public, to promote and generate debate on contemporary architecture, through exhibitions, lectures, publications and so forth.

The focus of the institution is the investigation, promotion and creation of contemporary architecture.

The selected location for the institution intends to benefit from other cultural institutions already present in the San Pablo block.

The site contains several public spaces that are currently somewhat disconnected.

The city has acquired the rights to create some openings in the heart of the block, which generates the opportunity for stronger connections between the different cultural institutions in the block.

In addition to this, the site was the subject of archaeological excavations a few years ago.  It is believed that the remains of a Roman Circus are hidden underneath.

These remains were excavated, documented and reburied, and are currently not in plain sight.

FAC plans to use their building as a way to connect with the past, by exhibiting them in a thematic space.

How it is done will be up to the designer.

 You are responsible for selecting and concentrating your efforts in the design of one of these two projects. However, there will be a substantial amount of work done in groups.

Preliminary programs will be provided, but the hope is that a more specific tailoring of uses will surface as the research on each of the sites develops.

RWU SU2012
Comprehensive Design Studio

The Universidad de Los Andes is a leading institution of higher learning dedicated to the formation of exemplary professionals in Chile. Located in the municipality of Las Condes in Santiago de Chile, the University has become an educational, communal, spiritual and cultural focus for the municipality and the city. The university is currently seeking to expand its resources as a response to the growing demand for excellence in academic programs at college and university level in and around Chile’s capital city.

 University Vision

Born out of a partnership between academics and leading professionals, Universidad de Los Andes is modeled as a new institution that combines the advantages of similar emerging schools (size, entrepreneurial nature, personalized student support), with those of older, more established schools (heritage, research capacity, institutional stability and permanence). A vocation of service to society complements the university’s profile as a higher learning institution with a specific purpose.

The University’s ultimate goal is “to achieve an organic and universal synthesis of human culture, capable of integrating disparate specialties into the radical unity of Truth, enlightened and enlivened by the catholic faith”.

 University Mission

 The university’s mission is characterized as follows:

 “To irradiate in society a lifestyle coherent with the Christian Truth, harmonizing faith and reason,

To generate and promote knowledge in all areas of wisdom,

To foment an attitude of open dialogue and respect for people,

To facilitate the integral formation of each and every student, with an emphasis on personal dedication,

To promote the love for well-accomplished work and a passion for service, inspired in the spirit of Opus Dei, which warrants the Christian education imparted by the school”

 History: Chronology and Projections

The history of Universidad de los Andes spans over two decades constituting a living example of the institution’s own ability to plan and implement an academic vision and a program into a built reality. The following chronology documents the university’s growth:

 In December of 1989, shortly after its inception and during the formation of its initial academic body, the University established itself in its first building, located in Calle General Bustamante 86.

In March of 1990, the Law School started dictating for classes for its core curriculum at this location.

The following year, the faculties of Philosophy and Medicine were created. The School of Medicine was located in the old Pywonka palace building, becoming the first medical school to be launched by a private university in Chile.

In 1992 the School of Economic Sciences, the School of Nursing and the School of Pedagogy were added to the university faculties.

The schools of Journalism (1993), Service Enterprise Administration (1993), Engineering (1995), the Family Science Institute (1996), Psychology (1999) Business Administration-ESE (2000) were created sequentially augmenting the university’s academic portfolio.

By 2001, and after fulfilling all legal requirements, the University obtained its declaration of autonomy from Chile’s Ministry of Education.

In 2002, the Faculty of Dentistry was created. The careers of Civil and Electrical Engineering, Education of Minors and History, and two bachelors programs were added shortly after.

 Graduate degrees started to be offered in 1998. Today, the university’s graduate programs include: 2 PhD programs, 8 Master degrees, 12 Post Professional degrees, 7 Medical Specialties and 19 Diplomas.

 In 1991 the university acquired a parcel of land in the municipality of Las Condes that would become the site of a new campus, destined to house the majority of the university’s academic programs. Construction of the new campus began in 1994, and the opening of the university’s first buildings followed only two years later.

 The Universidad de Los Andes, in its brief history, has a significant tradition of planning. This tradition is evidenced across the current campus setting, where the organization of buildings and open spaces is the result of previous Master Plans efforts undertaken and partially implemented by Shepley, Bullfinch, Richardson and Abbot Architects of Boston. The various iterations of the campus plan, together with the campus’ present conditions are illustrated in this section of the report.

 The campus infrastructure has reached a critical point, where in order to continue to support the university’s growing enrollment and the associated development of its academic programs, it should expand beyond its built core.

 During 2010, Sasaki Associates developed a Master Plan to delineate a road map for the university’s expansion. Based on the university’s mission, the Master Plan will provide a vision, a plan, a program and a strategy for implementation for the campus to develop over the next twenty five years.

 Upon completion, the campus main focus will have the following faculties as part of its academic core: 

1.       Faculty of Humanities

2.       Faculty of Health Sciences

3.       Faculty of Engineering

4.       Faculty of Economy

5.       Faculty of Business Administration

6.       Faculty of Law

7.       Faculty of Medicine

8.       Faculty of Philosophy

9.       Faculty of Education

  The Master Plan for the new campus will target a projected enrollment of 5800 students in an initial build out phase with capacity for future growth, with up to 12,000 students estimated to be on campus in its final phase of growth. The campus will accommodate a large number of commuter students from Santiago and surrounding communities.

 Key campus services and facilities will include the campus administration (Rectoria), an expanded library, academic buildings for the faculties listed above, athletic and recreation facilities, the university’s Clinica, a campus community center, in addition to landscape, outdoor recreation areas, parking and support facilities. As part of the university’s long term growth strategy, The Master Plan will provide alternatives for the development of student housing and research and development space within the boundaries of the campus.

 The basic planning criteria of the Master Plan is to develop the campus into a cohesive whole, seamlessly integrating existing and new aspects of the plan and to put forward a model of organic growth of the campus around its existing core. The rationale of the campus framework plan and its phases of implementation are based on the university’s enrollment projections and the development strategies for each of its academic departments.

The goal of the Master Plan is to translate the University’s academic mission into a programmatic backbone and a physical design for the campus that will complement the university’s existing setting and infrastructure.  The Master Plan is intended to serve as a guide for subsequent engineering, site and building projects over the next several years. It establishes an overall framework for campus development and program accommodation that preserves and extends the unique sense of place and environmental qualities that are unique to the Universidad de Los Andes, being equal parts component of Santiago’s city fabric and of the ecosystem of the Andes’ foothills.  The Master Plan contains a Space Needs Program and a Phasing Strategy that establish priorities for building, landscape and infrastructure projects, taking into consideration the University’s strategic plan for growth.  The Master Plan also contains architectural, landscape and urban design guidelines.

 The studio will focus on the design of two projects based on speculative needs of the university.

 The focus will be concentrated on two facilities, one of the spirit, the other one of the body.

Two sites have been selected, one for each project.

Site 1: (Spirit)

Located near the future educational spine of the campus and will house a Chapel Complex that will service not only the University but the overall community.

Facilities for Theology students are also part of this complex.

 Site 2: (Body)

Located on the higher levels of the campus, it will contain the majority of the recreational facilities of the university.

It will also be open to public associated with the university (alumni, family, etc..).

 Both sites have challenging topographic and landscape conditions that will have to be carefully considered.

RWU SP2012
Comprehensive Design Studio

The city of Granada, located in the region of Andalucia, in the South of Spain, dates back to the Greeks which established the earliest colony.

In 711, the Moors occupied most of the Iberian Peninsula and established Al-andalus, but it is not until 1013, with the arrival of the Zirid dynasty, that Granada did not become an independent emirate (Taifa of Granada).

The city is most known for the Alhambra (al-Hamra), which started as a citadel in the 9th century, and slowly became a palace complex in the 14th century, located atop of the Sabika hill.

After the Reconquista by the Reyes Catolicos, the palaces were used by Christian rulers and new structures were built within the walls of the complex.

For a couple of centuries, the Alhambra was left to its own fate and it was not until the 19th century when more conscious efforts to restore and repair the gardens and architecture were undertaken.

The Alhambra represents the qualities to which contemporary architecture aspires and which set it apart from other buildings from the past.  It has the presence of a palace and the somberness of a religious and military place.  In addition, there are a variety of scales, from the domestic to the urban.  All in dialogue with landscape.

All of these, give La Alhambra a unique character.  It is a complex construction, charged with multiple levels of relationships and that could be read from different perspectives.

 El Patronato de la Alhambra y El Generalife, is the institution in charge of overseeing all the interventions done within the walls of the monument and in its vicinity.  All the parameters of interventions are seriously studied and must conform to the guidelines of objectives established by the ‘Plan Director’.

The “Plan Director de la Alhambra” establishes the need to improve the conditions of the sequence of arrival and access to the monument that the visitors have to experience.

Given the number of visitors coming to the precinct, there is a fundamental need to provide adequate services and infrastructure up to the standards of what an institution such as this deserves.

The intent is to resolve current access/exit of visitors and to provide a landscape space fully integrated with the rest of the monument.

The area of intervention consists of the Plaza de la Alhambra, La Plataforma del Agua, the café, the current entrance pavilion and the adjacent green areas.

The proposed area of intervention is approximately 120,000 sqft.

In addition to the area of intervention, there is an ‘impact area’, which is the surrounding spaces, adjacent to the area of intervention which could be slightly modified to better fit the design intent.

One of the goals of the project is to eliminate communication barriers, therefore, all the spaces in the new entrance landscape and buildings must be physically accessible to all members of the public.

A more detailed explanation of the nature of the project and program are given to you in a separate document.

RWU FA2011
Comprehensive Design Studio

“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed.  I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible.

But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any”

                                       M.K. Gandhi, June 1921

 Mumbai (Bombay) built by the British, is not a planned city but the result of impulsive, incremental initiatives of its residents.

The result is an amalgamation of architectural and urban forms as well as a complex richness of ethnic and social groups.

This richness has been both, a source of great potential and, at times, a catalyst for volatile, violent outbursts.

Everything about the city; traffic, people, slums, weather, scents, is in a continuous state of disorganized order, always in change.

The studio will focus on specific architectural interventions in the city with the intention to recuperate or create new environments where social interaction and dialog can flourish.

 Two sites/two projects have been selected as part of this studio.

Site one: Banganga Sacred Tank, Malabar Hill

Project: Banganga Heritage Center.

 This site is located on Malabar Hill and it is part of the Walkeshwar Temple Complex which is arranged around a water tank believed to have been built in 1127 AD.

The legend goes that Hindu god Ram, stopped at the spot during a mission to rescue his kidnapped wife, Sita.  Ram asked his brother, Lakshmana, to bring him some water.  Lakshmana shot an arrow into the ground and water gushed from the ground, creating a tributary from the Ganges.

The water is spring fed even though it is so close to the sea.

Over the decades, beginning in the 1960’s , this center of pilgrimage has been virtually engulfed by development which has deteriorated its tranquil character.

For a number of years, groups of Bombay citizens have taken the task of preserving, documenting and restoring the tank and its vicinity.  In the early 90’s, the tank was listed in the Protected Monuments Act.

The tank is the setting of a juxtaposition of uses, from religious rituals to cleaning dishes…

A number of initiatives have been taken to promote the historical significance of the tank such as the annual Music and Dance Festival.

 The project will contribute to the efforts by providing a building that could house a small museum to explain the history of the place in addition to providing needed social spaces for the neighbors.

 Site two: Worli Waterfront

Project: Museum of Tolerance

 This site is currently the mainland pedestrian entrance to the Haji Ali Mosque and Tomb. The structure was built in 1431 in memory of a rich Muslim merchant who gave up all his earthly possessions before making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

On Thursdays and Fridays, the shrine is visited by thousands of people from different faiths.

Mumbai, as an amalgam of ethnicities and social groups, is a perfect setting for an institution that will contribute to the effort of promoting peace, equality and tolerance.

The building will house exhibition spaces, temporary and permanent, that tell the tale of the consequences of irrational human acts.

Also, the building will have a special space, exclusively dedicated to perhaps the most recognizable Indian representative of these principles, Mahatma Gandhi.

The dedicated space will exhibit a collection of his powerful and sincere writings.

You are responsible for selecting and concentrating your efforts in the design of one of these two projects. However, there will be a substantial amount of work done in groups.

Preliminary programs will be provided, but the hope is that a more specific tailoring of uses will surface as the research on each of the sites develops.

RWU SU2011
Comprehensive Design Studio

The island of Lanzarote belongs to the Canary Archipelago.  It is a group of isles of volcanic origin situated at the center-oriental Atlantic, NW of the African Continent.

There are numerous hypotheses as to how the archipelago formed.  The most widely accepted theory is that it was the result of a combined process of under water eruptions of lava and the thrusting up of large sections of oceanic crust.

As the African plate pressured the Atlantic plate, flow of lava occurred through the fissures with a predominant direction which determined the shape and structure of the islands.

The geological structure of Lanzarote is the simplest of all the islands, and it has been the subject of a more thorough study.

The actual landscape of Lanzarote is the result of constructive agents such as volcanism and destructive processes such as erosion.  The continuous action of these two agents cause the establishment of a huge range of substrates which are later on occupied by vegetation (which is tied to the chemical composition of the subtracts.).

The age of materials from the island are measured by the volcanic cones which are more or less dismantled and covered with vegetation.

Lanzarote is an island with smooth undulating soil interrupted by high cones, cliffs (the result of marine erosion) and deep ravines.

Beside the natural environment elements and the geologic evolution process, the landscape has been influenced by men activities, such as farming conditioned by a sub-desert climate.

The overall structure of the island is formed by two mountain massifs at the North and South, connected by low, undulating land.  Within this landscape, volcanic cones emerge.

This structure of volcanoes is one of the most significant features of the island's landscape of which about 110 are registered.

Timanfaya National Park is located in the southwestern area of the island occupying about 5,107 hectares and a perimeter of 30km with a maximum height of 540m above sea level.

Most of the park is the result of eruptions occurring in a period between 1730 and 1736, however, some eruptions have happened as recently as 1824.

 In the 1960's the economic profile of the island shifted from agricultural/farming (goats) to tourism.  This resulted in uncontrollable development which, helped the economic situation of the island, but deteriorated some of its natural features.

In 1974, in an effort to protect the natural ecosystems of the island, the Timanfaya area was declared National Park and other areas followed.

Today the island is the subject of two main activities: tourism and scientific research.

Tourists are given the opportunity to enjoy a very small portion of the landscape, through highly choreographed and restricted visits.  These are important not only from an economic standpoint (it is a major source of employment), but also as a way of make people aware of its value.

 This project will study a facility to support the tourism-based economy of the island in close proximity to one of the most significant sat flats of the Canary Islands, Janubio. 

These protected salt flats are well known for its architectonic and hydraulics complexity.

They are a very emblematic point of interest in the island.

 The coast is a high energy area with constant Saharan winds and solar exposure are ideal conditions for salines, as they help in the evaporation process. 

The setting is ideal to study strategies that work smartly with the environmental qualities of the site. There will be a strong focus on the particulars of building in this environment, not only physical but cultural as well.

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

 Project Details:

 The project is a bath house with an associated lodging component.  Presumably, the water used in the process could come directly from the Atlantic Ocean, using salt as an important component on the treatments.

One of the most important features of water is its ability to dissolve other substances, making it our most important cleansing agent.

Although it is not known when humans started bathing indoors, the earlier evidence has been found in India, ancient Egypt and Greece.

Medicinal use of water is first mentioned in Greek writings where the therapeutic qualities of taking baths at different temperatures is described as an effective tool to combat illness.

The Romans, however, were the ones who developed the culture of the independent bath construction.  They developed a heating system that was initially used in the domestic realm, which was later used in the bath houses.

By the beginning of the 5th century AD¸Roman baths began to lose their architectural glory.  The tradition of the bath, however, continued to live on in the Eastern Roman Empire where it was passed down to the Byzantines which continued with the construction of baths of both, architectural and social importance.

With the fall of the Roman Empire, European practices of personal cleanliness were forced back to the home front.  The grand pools of the baths were replaced by the tradition of bathing in a small tub.

During the Middle Ages, some Christian authorities viewed bath houses as places conducive to immoral behavior and propagation of deceases.

Once the Islamic Empire was forced out of Spain, the church ordered the destruction of many of the baths, act that was faced with popular resistance.

Many of the baths in Europe were closed during the following centuries, and the tradition remained strong in the eastern neighbors.

Today, the culture of the bath is still strong, particularly in areas of the Mediterranean.

 The project will capitalize on the geography and the cultural heritage of the area.

The proposed facility is organized in leisure program and therapeutic facilities.

In addition, there is a small 'boutique' type of lodging which would allow those who desire it to extend their stay.

A detailed program has been provided as a guide to follow.

Once the research of the typology is complete, the attitude of how the program is interpreted is left to the designer's discretion.

RWU SP2011
Comprehensive Design Studio

Merida is a small town in the Extremadura region in Spain.  The city has been the object of a very active process of archaeological excavations and conservation which started about a century ago; and which has yielded highly valuable results.

The discovered traces of the past were declared part of the UNESCO World Heritage in the early 90’s, and have become a significant element in the city’s economic and social development.

The city continues to this day to have a very careful and active process of excavating, finding, cataloging, restoring, exhibiting and preserving its architectural heritage.

One of the most significant qualities of this city is the juxtaposition of the new and its distant past which results in highly unique social, spatial and urban conditions.

Merida has been slowly growing and modernizing and several cultural and infrastructural institutions have been built or are in its planning stages.

The studio will focus on two hypothetical interventions in the city which would contribute to the cultural traditions and heritage of this active community.

Each student will be responsible for developing one of the proposed projects.

 The economy of the city is primarily based on service, with concentration in tourism and industry, and its geographic location and the development of infrastructure, are making of Merida a very active and booming environment.

 Within this context, the studio searches to do a contribution to the cultural realm of the city.

Two sites/two projects have been selected as part of this studio.

 Site one: Amphitheater

Project: Museo de la Memoria de Merida.

 This site is in the vicinity of the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano designed by Rafael Moneo in the 1980’s and its planned expansion

From an urban design standpoint, the project will have to resolve the entrance into and the edges of several of the most significant ruins in the area.

As a program, the building will tell the story of the past and the future of Merida and Extremadura, as well as incorporating the program of existing infrastructural pieces currently on the site.

 Site two: Columbarios

Project: Escuela-Museo de la Tauromaquia (School-Museum of Bullfighting).

 This site is in an edge condition and it is surrounded by the remains of the Columbarios (Roman Cemetery) and the House of Mitreo.

In addition, the main Plaza de Toros (Bullring) is a significant protagonist of the location.

From an urban design standpoint, this area is heavily visited, as it is part of the main circuit of ruin visiting, and at the same time it is a main public space within the city which has been overlooked.

The program will tell the story and expose the visitor to the culture of bullfighting which is part of the Spanish tradition.

The subject is controversial with many supporters and an equal number of detractors, but without a doubt, it has been part of the artistic scene in Spain.

 You are responsible for selecting and concentrating your efforts in the design of one of these two projects. However, there will be a substantial amount of work done in groups.

RWU FA2010
Comprehensive Design Studio

Joan Miro I Ferra was one of the most significant artists of the 20th century in Spain.  He experimented with painting, graphic art, sculpture and ceramics and also was part of the Generacion del 27, a group formed by writers, poets and film makers which ‘fought’ against repression through their work.

In the 1950’s, Miro set roots in Mallorca, and made of the island and its landscape, a source of inspiration.

Miro acquired some land and hired his close friend, Josep Lluis Sert to design a studio to produce and store work.

Over the years, Miro acquired adjacent properties which became different areas where to produce and investigate different forms of artistic expression.

Mallorca is one of the Baleares Islands in the Mediterranean Sea.  It has a rich cultural heritage and lush landscapes.

In the 1970’s, the island of Mallorca experienced uncontrollable development, which significantly damaged the landscape of certain areas, such as Son Sabrines and Son Boter (part of the foundation today).

Miro saw the source of his creative inspiration in danger of being destroyed and decided to create a public and municipal institution and donate all the works that it contained.

In the early 80’s, some of Miro’s work were auctioned and funds were collected to build gallery space and educational facilities.

The Pilar and Joan Miro Foundation promotes and fosters artistic production and knowledge.

The proposed building introduces another form of artistic expression to the site, that of the architectural experience.

The studio will focus on the ‘typology’ of the pavilion as a mean of exploring the essence of architecture and architectural space.

The students will be asked to speculate, to imagine a building that could both ‘display’ and be (if empty), architecture as exhibit.

The building will be able to accommodate all sorts of architectural exhibits, from models, to drawings, to digital/virtual.

What is the essence of architecture? Light? Material? Gravity? Precision? Form? Assembly?.....................everything?

The questions and possibilities are endless which should provide great creative freedom.

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

RWU SU2010
Comprehensive Design Studio

The easternmost edge of the Sahara Desert is where the Red Sea meets the coastlines of Sudan and Egypt.  This idyllic sea has been a point of interest for numerous visitors over the years.  The search for new possibilities for economic growth has lead to an unprecedented amount of tourism development which could potentially lead to detrimental and permanent damage to the environment.

The dilemma that this scenario presents is challenging.  How does one preserve natural resources while profiting from them? It is clear that the economic wellbeing of countries such as Egypt, is directly dependant on tourism.  However, in the long run, uncontrolled development can be damaging to the local environment and therefore detrimental to its economic wellbeing.

The proposed project will attempt to look at a common type of tourism destination from a more careful stand.  Starting from a thorough understanding of all the elements the site has to offer, from environment, to history.

The desert retreat is a form of boutique hotel in an undeveloped (and partially protected) area of the Red Sea.

It is located halfway between Hurghada and Marsa Alam and it is an ideal destination for those looking for scuba diving opportunities or searching for inner peace and relaxation in the stunning desert landscape of the Eastern Sahara.

The site features two wadis ( natural drainage way) that subdivide it in different sectors with substantially different landscapes..

This project is ideal to study strategies that work smartly with the extreme environmental qualities of the site. There will be a strong focus on the particulars of building in this environment, not only physical but cultural as well.

This studio is a graduate studio.The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, program etc.

RWU SP2010
Comprehensive Design Studio

"This museum is a modern tool that should, in my view, exist in many different regions….It is my honest opinion that the invention of the 'Museum of Knowledge' will seem to you useful for your country, and this would please me enormously"

Le Corbusier, Letter to Jawaharlal Nehru, 27 December 1954.

 Sanskar Kendra (also known as City Museum) was commissioned in 1951 to promote cultural life, which, at the time, was confined to a few institutions and only reached a selected few.

The center was seen by LeCorbusier as a place of restoration of the human dignities and it contained a variety of programs focusing on different areas of knowledge: natural history, anthropology, art, literature and theater.

At the end, a less ambitious center was finally built in 1958, but always with the hope, that the institution would grow in the future.

This studio will focus on a reinterpretation and expansion of the original center now in dialogue with the river front development (currently under construction) and the NID (National Institute of Design).

Founded in the early 1400's , Ahmedabad is located in the Gujarat State, one of the wealthiest in India.  It is a vibrant city, rich in vernacular and modern architecture, with a variety of museums, university institutions, commercial areas and a deeply rooted and continuously booming textile industry.

The city's geographic location is a highly challenging environment in which to design and build.  The extreme oscillations between dry and wet seasons and the seismic activity of the area have generated highly tailored constructions some of which have been standing for centuries.

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

Program Description:

 The area of the Sanskar Kendra complex, sits in the southwestern side of the city of Ahmedabad, in an area mostly constituted of mid to high class residential buildings.

The presence of the museum, the National Institute of Design and the auditorium designed by Balkrishna Doshi make of this area a cultural hub of sorts.  In fact, the future land use plan for Ahmedabad classified this zone as 'cultural use'.

In looking at the area in more detail:

 NID:

Center for the study of the following:

1. Industrial Design (furniture, product, interior, ceramic and glass)

2. Communications (Graphic design, film animation and video communication)

3. Textile (textile design and fashion).

Tagore Hall:

Designed by Balikrishna Doshi.

750 seat hall used for all sorts of public performances.

City museum:

Designed by Le Corbusier in 1951.

The museum houses both temporary and permanent exhibitions with a wide range of focus.  From natural history and anthropology to contemporary art installations.

The focus is more specific to Ahmedabad and India.

 The proposed building will complement these institutions by introducing performing arts (music, dance and acting) in the site.

The new facilities will have two fundamental programmatic elements, one educational, one more public geared to generating revenue.

The educational program is composed of a variety of spaces for learning, practicing and performing music and drama (traditional and contemporary, Indian and foreign).

The public component consist of a 350 seat recital hall that would allow the institution to offer more intimate concerts and theater plays than those offered at Tagore Hall.

Attached you will find a detailed program description, as well as basic dimensional information.

The project will focus in depth in the technical issues that are inherent in this typology as well as all the environmental factors that are so critical in Ahmedabad.

RWU FA2009
Comprehensive Design Studio

The island of Lanzarote belongs to the Canary Archipelago.  It is a group of isles of volcanic origin situated at the center-oriental Atlantic, NW of the African Continent.

There are numerous hypotheses as to how the archipelago formed.  The most widely accepted theory is that it was the result of a combined process of under water eruptions of lava and the thrusting up of large sections of oceanic crust.

As the African plate pressured the Atlantic plate, flow of lava occurred through the fissures with a predominant direction which determined the shape and structure of the islands.

The geological structure of Lanzarote is the simplest of all the islands, and it has been the subject of a more thorough study.

The actual landscape of Lanzarote is the result of constructive agents such as volcanism and destructive processes such as erosion.  The continuous action of these two agents cause the establishment of a huge range of substrates which are later on occupied by vegetation (which is tied to the chemical composition of the subtracts.).

The age of materials from the island are measured by the volcanic cones which are more or less dismantled and covered with vegetation.

Lanzarote is an island with smooth undulating soil interrupted by high cones, cliffs (the result of marine erosion) and deep ravines.

Beside the natural environment elements and the geologic evolution process, the landscape has been influenced by men activities, such as farming conditioned by a sub-desert climate.

The overall structure of the island is formed by two mountain massifs at the North and South, connected by low, undulating land.  Within this landscape, volcanic cones emerge.

This structure of volcanoes is one of the most significant features of the island's landscape of which about 110 are registered.

Timanfaya National Park is located in the southwestern area of the island occupying about 5,107 hectares and a perimeter of 30km with a maximum height of 540m above sea level.

Most of the park is the result of eruptions occurring in a period between 1730 and 1736, however, some eruptions have happened as recently as 1824.

In the 1960's the economic profile of the island shifted from agricultural/farming (goats) to tourism.  This resulted in uncontrollable development which, helped the economic situation of the island, but deteriorated some of its natural features.

In 1974, in an effort to protect the natural ecosystems of the island, the Timanfaya area was declared National Park.

Today the park is the subject of two main activities: tourism and scientific research.

Tourists are given the opportunity to enjoy a very small portion of the landscape, through highly choreographed and restricted visits.  These are important not only from an economic standpoint (it is a major source of employment), but also as a way of make people aware of its value.

Scientific research is done in a variety of fields such as geology, fauna and flora.  However it is worth mentioning that all research is done either by third parties hired by the National Park, or by independent initiatives of private agencies or students from universities all over the world.

The proposed project will contribute and foment the research activities of the National Park and will provide selective visitors the opportunity to be able to experience the beauty of the site up close.

The selected area for the proposed project is in the South area of the park, in El Mojon.

The site is of importance for its proximity to the ocean and its direct connection to the Ruta del Litoral, which runs all along the edge where Timanfaya meets the Atlantic Ocean.

The building will facilitate the activity of the researchers by providing them the opportunity to live within the boundaries of the park and its coastal edge.

In addition, the building will have exhibit spaces and 'choreographed' exterior spaces that could be used for both, training of students and educating the general public.

The environmental qualities of the island, with no interior bodies of water, Saharan winds and extreme temperature shifts will add an extra layer of complexity to the project, and will provide a strong conceptual framework within which to work.

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

RWU SU2009
Comprehensive Design Studio

Thalassotherapy refers to the medical use of sea water. Its beginnings date back to the 19th century in the Brittany region in France.  Even though, it has not been scientifically proven, It is believed to be one of the most effective and most natural anti-stress treatments. Compatible with the human body, the treatments are done in spas with sea water, heated up to a temperature of 37º C/98.6F. Thus elements like iodine, calcium and magnesium are set free and can be absorbed through the skin. 

These elements compensate the lack of salt and minerals, caused by stress and exhaustion. This kind of treatment enables a fast recovery of the nervous system.

The proposed Thalassotherapy Center will be located in a 'high energy' coastal area in the vicinity of Tripoli in northern Lebanon.

The proposed facility will share the grounds with the Deir Al-Natour monastery, built by the Crusaders over early period Byzantine ruins.

In addition, salines, both operational and abandoned, occupy the majority of the site.  The presence of these salines, creates a very particular landscape of terraced pools gently stepping down towards the Mediterranean sea.  These types of landscapes can be found in many countries along the Mediterranean.  In fact, several places in France and Italy, have capitalized on their 'salt heritage' turning both processes and sites into public attractions.  They have marketed gourmet handcrafted coarse salt and the benefits of saline water to the health.

Consciousness about the quality of development and protection of natural and cultural resources along the Lebanese coast is on the rise.  Several measures have been taken to improve coastal management with the introduction of several programs and monitoring agencies. As a consequence, a very careful approach to preserving and possibly re-using the salines, will be an added challenge to the project.

The coast is a high energy area with strong winds and waves.  The site solar orientation and strong winds are ideal conditions for salines, as they help in the evaporation process.  Seasonal prevailing winds constitute one of the most difficult environmental challenges to overcome, in order to optimize it for habitation purposes.

The setting is ideal to study strategies that work smartly with the environmental qualities of the site. There will be a strong focus on the particulars of building in this environment, not only physical but cultural as well.

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

RWU SP2009
Comprehensive Design Studio

Death is a subject of deep and enduring interest in every culture in the world.  The act of death and the rituals surrounding it, have given us insights on past cultures.  The relation between ritual and emotion, the significance of the ritual itself and aspects of symbolism have left a deep imprint in all artistic expressions including architecture. From Stonehenge to Toyo Ito in Kakamigahara, we can find a whole range of examples of the fascination that past generations have had with the subject.

In Spain, Thanatology facilities are generally a State initiative, being the operational aspect a mostly private sector enterprise.  This has resulted in a series of design competitions that have lead to excellent architectural examples, far from the quasi domestic quality and imagery of funeral homes in the United States.

The complexity of the project is twofold, one 'spiritual', one technical/programmatic.

What is the right quality of the space that houses the ritual of the last goodbye? What is appropriate character? What is the appropriate level of intimacy for the family and the defunct? How does the context influence and shape the experience? How does symbolism play a role? How is the light? What is the smell? What does it sound like?........the questions are numerous.

The programmatic and technical challenges are also significant and varied.  During the process of the studio, you will be finding more specific information.

As a form of synthesis, one should be aware of the following:

Circulation system: In Spain, by law, the physical contact between the family and the deceased is very restricted.  There must be a clear separation between the two, which impacts disposition of viewing rooms and access of public and the deceased to the facilities.

Mechanical Systems: Cadavers decompose at a very fast rate.  Preserving a reasonable level of hygiene has a significant impact on temperature requirements, ventilation requirements and so forth.  In addition, areas like the Forensic Institute are possible generators of intense and toxic odors, bacteria, etc… which also  impact the systems.

The building houses several funerals at the same time.  What is the appropriate level of separation between the families? What level of intimacy is expected? Is grieving a 'private' and personal experience, or is it better to be shared with others going through the same process?

The intrinsic challenge of the studio is to find complete integration between the technical aspect of the project and the design conceptual framework.

It is NOT exclusively about resolving and coordinating systems, but making decisions about systems/building envelope that are a direct response to the design framework.

Program Specifics:

The task of the studio is to design a mortuary and a crematorium of a very specific size and programmatic complexity.

The program has several components:  A thanatology Center, where several funerals are organized and performed simultaneously; a Forensic Institute, where autopsies and body preparations are performed; and a crematorium where human cremations are done.

The given program provides basic parameters, however, more precise research will be required to resolve, not only adjacency conditions but also technical specifications of each of the spaces.

The size of the program (refer to excel file) is roughly 22,000 net square feet with a reasonable efficiency requirement that results in a target gross square footage of 27,000-28,000+ gsft. (Under no exception, the building will be larger than 30,000gsft).

The project proposes to study this typology in two radically different sites in two cities in Spain: Barcelona and Segovia.

Barcelona:

Located at the foot of Montjuic, the site strategy and the project will constitute a new entry sequence to the Barcelona Cemetery.

This stunning cemetery circa 1883, occupies a privileged location atop of Montjuic.

 The cemetery reconciles the steep topography of the site with rough cut mixed stones retaining walls that also house the crypts.

Once at the top, the visitor can enjoy beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea and the city.

It is a site where landscape will play an important and unavoidable role in the design framework.

Segovia:

Segovia is a small town, formed over time by the addition of several smaller villas.  Architecturally very rich, one can find examples of Roman, Islamic, Gothic and Renaissance architecture.

The site itself is located adjacent to the Gothic Cathedral, in what used to be a small urban cemetery.

It is a very challenging urban condition in which the project will need to re-organize the plaza and resolve very complex topographic conditions.

This particular site has the additive of dealing with a significant icon of the city immediately adjacent to it.  The project will have to suggest an attitude towards the beautiful cathedral and whether or not to connect to it.

In both site conditions, the student will have to program the site as an important component of the building strategy.

The students will be dealing with issues of symbolism, ritual and the more 'spiritual' aspects of architectural design, as well as with a very complex system of strict regulations and technical requirements.

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.

RWU FA2008

The Foundation for Promotion and Research of Design and Architecture is a center with the aim at educating the general public about the processes, conceptual and constructional, inherent in the genesis of Architecture and related design fields.

The Foundation will house a variety of spaces for instruction, exhibition and testing of ideas as well as a series of spaces for public gatherings.

The building shares the site with the iconic Mill Owners Association building by Le Corbusier at the banks of the Sabarmati River in Ahmedabad, India.

Founded in the early 1400's , Ahmedabad is located in the Gujarat State, one of the wealthiest in India.  It is a vibrant city, rich in vernacular and modern architecture, with a variety of museums, university institutions, commercial areas and a deeply rooted and continuously booming textile industry.

In addition, weather patterns are quite extreme, from almost extreme drought to heavy downpours in the monsoon season.

All of these elements, make of Ahmedabad a very challenging environment in which to design and build.

This studio is a comprehensive studio.  The studio merges several areas of your education thus far in the elaborated design of a building.  In this studio, you will develop a conceptual framework for the design that fully integrates the many systems that comprise architecture: cultural/contextual systems, site systems, environmental systems, material systems, structural systems, mechanical systems, program etc. 

The technical requirements will include the research, integration and representation of the many technical systems inherent in this, and every, building project.