portfolio
DESCRIPTION
Selected art and architecture work.TRANSCRIPT
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E S T E B A N M AT H E U S P O R T F O L I O
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All contents Copyright 2013 Esteban Matheus
CO NTACTMobile: 604.562.3157Email: [email protected] / [email protected]: www.estebanmatheus.comAddress: 213 - 825 E 8th Avenue, Vancouver BC. V5T 1T6
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AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS06/2012 Prix de Rome for Emerging Practitioners Nominee (Pending decision in 02/2013)06/2012 Architectural Institute of British Columbia Medal06/2012 Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Honour Roll06/2012 Canadian Architect Student Award of Excellence Nominee09/2011 Concord Erickson Energy and Architecture Fellowship01/2011 ChernoffThompsonScienceScholarshipinArchitecture
09/2010 Arthur Hullah and Dorothy Cleveland Memorial Scholarship09/2010 Fast + Epp Architectural Engineering Design Competition 2nd Place07/2006 Galpagos - Latitude 0: Sustainable Urbanism and Architecture design competition 3rd Place
RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE10/2012 Present INDEPENDENT DESIGNER
PECHET STUDIO Vancouver, BC / TONEL Habana, Cuba.
11/2012 Present INDEPENDENT SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANTDIALOG Vancouver, BC
01/2009 06/2009 GREEN BUILDING INTERN Lighthouse Sustainable Building Centre. Vancouver, BC
10/2008 08/2009 CAD AND REPROGRAPHICS SUPERVISORARC Canada. Vancouver, BC
11/2006 03/2008 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER AND PROJECT MANAGERA&O Arquitectura. Quito, Ecuador
02/2005 07/2006 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNERArista Arquitectos. Quito, Ecuador
AC ADEMIC WORK04/2012 06/2012, RESEARCH ASSISTANT TO ANNALISA MEYBOOM05/2010 09/2011 Transportation Infrastructure and Public Space Lab [TIPSlab] - UBC
11/2011 03/2012 ACADEMIC ASSISTANT TO JOE DAHMIEN The School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture - UBC
01/2011 08/2011 RESEARCH ASSISTANT TO DR. RAY COLEThe School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture - UBC
EDUCATION09/2009 05/2012 Master of Architecture
University of British Columbia School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (Vancouver, BC)
09/1999 06/2004 Bachelor of Fine Arts
Universidad San Francisco de Quito Institute of Contemporary Art (Quito, Ecuador)
PUBLICATIONS12/2011 Regenerative Design Book Chapter [SALA - UBC. Fall 2011]
11/2011 Automated and Human Intelligence: Direct and Indirect Consequences Paper [Intelligent Buildings International Journal, 4.1 (2011): 4-14]
04/2012 APSC Spotlight Interview [Faculty of Applied Sciences website, apsc.ubc.ca]
08/2010 The Future (Un)real Conditional Book Design and Layout [SALA - UBC. Spring 2010]
PRESENTATIONS & EXHIBITIONS07/2012 - 10/2012 Vancouver, New Westminster, and Surrey City Halls Presentations: Energy Resiliency
11/2011 Architectural Institute of British Columbia Gallery Exhibition: Living Wall Ductal Competition
08/2011 City of Vancouver Archives Gallery Exhibition: A New Archive for Downtown Vancouver
01/2010 Vancouver International Airport Vancouver, BC Exhibition: Robotics in Architecture
09/2005 Benjamn Carrin Cultural Center Quito, Ecuador Collective Exhibition: Ecuadorian Curators
08/2005 Santorini Gallery Quito, Ecuador Collective Art Exhibition: Crossing Lines
09/2005 Meguro Museum of Contemporary Art Meguro, Japan Exhibition: Thirty Ideas
06/2004 School of Architects Quito, Ecuador BFA Individual Graduation Exhibition: Banalism
SOFTWAREProficient: Autodesk AutoCAD, Architecture, 3DS Max / Adobe Acrobat, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop./MicrosoftOffice/Rhino
Intermediate: IES VE / Retscreen / ArcGIS / SketchUp
R E S U M E
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TA B L E O F CO N T E N T SAY N I H O U S ECONTEMPORARY AND VERNACULAR GREEN BUILDING
E M B R A C I N G U N C E R TA I N T YDESIGNING FOR CHANGE ASSIMILATION CAPACITY
P I S TA C H OBAR RESTAURANT
E M B E D D E D E D I F I C ECONCRETE AS RECEPTACLE OF MEMORY
T H E 9 B I L L I O N F U L C R U MPEAK POPULATION AND THE RENEWABLE ENERGY SHIFT
M A C R O - I N F R A S T R U C T U R ERETHINKING SOUTH AMERICAN EXTRACTIVE INTEGRATION
S U N B R E L L A H O U S EA MODULAR SOLUTION TO A MULTIFACETED PROBLEM
B A N A L I S MTHE AESTHETICS OF INFORMALITY
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S TAT E M E N TMy work strives to expand the understanding of our relationship to context within architectural thought: context understood not only as the morphological conditions surrounding a site, but also as the social, cultural and ecological factors that intersect at a given location and at multiple scales. I seek to understand architecture by unraveling the systems that it interacts with and depends on, such astheflowsofcapital,meaningandenergy,wherethebuildingaccommodatesprocesses but is in itself a process.[1] As these systems are not static but rather continuously decomposing and evolving, a parallel inquiry has been around the nature of adaptability and change.
Methodologically, my work has striven to reconcile these contextual intricacies of dissimilar cultures, impulses and opposing perspectives through hybridization or syncretism. In other instances, however, it has sought to enable the coexistence of overt contradictions by means of irony, fiction or hyperbole. The hope isthat perhaps through these conflicting views (between the longing for order,predictability, permanence and sanity, and the impetus for chaos, spontaneity, organicism and the ephemeral) some peculiar crossbreed might appear even if temporarily towards achieving more appropriate social-ecological approaches to complex issues.
I seek to become a part of a collaborative environment that is capable of questioning the process of design, assuming a critical position where sense making ofcontemporary contexts is enabled.[2] This criticality would ideally be achieved within an interdisciplinary realm, which is able to provoke novel interactions and expand the available tools toward creating meaningful, productive and enduring spaces.
[1] Fernndez-Galiano, Luis. Gina Cario, trans. Fire and Memory: On Architecture and Energy. Cambridge: The MIT Press, 2000. Page 5
[2] Cuff, D. Architecture: The Story of Practice. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1991. Page 254
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Vernacular adobe, brick and wood integrate with aluminum and concrete elements.
Clerestory windows articulated within roof structure allow natural ventilation and daylight into the houses living space.
This image talks about structure, about daylighting and ventilation. About structural details, and articulation between element, i.e. the trusses and the windows.It also talks about the mix of vernacular structures of colonial haciendas with more contemporary detailing and structural material use.
Aerial perspective of Nazca line group and Andean Cosmological layout
I designed this single-family house in collaboration with Jos Luis Viteri of A+O Arquitectos. The clients are a young couple, an artist and a dancer, along with their toddler daughter. Additions to the more common dwelling program are a sculpture and painting workshop and a dance studio. Both the clients and us were interested in producing a building that incorporated sustainable design strategies, despite a rather limited budget. This reinforced the aim of implementing vernacular building techniques that were appropriate for the location, which also reduced costs. In addition, we sought giving multiple uses to each space, such as the dance studio functioning as a family room and the broad walls of the social area working as exhibition space for paintings.
CONCEPT
The project formally derives from an ancient Andean symbol known in the Ecuadorian highlands as Ayni, orAndeanCross. Similar symbols are found innative American cosmology and art throughout the continent, including Incan, Teotihuacan, Quitus, Nazcan and Mayan permutations of the same basic symbol. Thissymbolembodiessignificantcosmologicaldichotomies,suchaseternalandmortal, male and female, night and day. It also represents key characteristics of the astronomical phenomena that these cultures observed, particularly their knowledge of the solstices, equinoxes and even precessional cycles.
N
AY N I H O U S EDesign + Project Management / Quito, Ecuador
C O N T E M P O R A R Y A N D V E R N A C U L A R G R E E N B U I L D I N G
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The pergola provides structure for solar shading and also mediates between the living space and the gardens.
Local builders were retained to build the vernacular rammed earth walls.
Upper Floor Plan Main Floor Plan
CA
B
C
DE
F
G
HI
Main Floor Plan
A Living Room
B Covered Porch
C Sculpture Workshop
D Second Bedroom
E Walk-In Closet
F Second Bathroom
G Kitchen
H Laundry Room
I Third Bathroom
J
L
K
J Master Bedroom
K Master Washroom
L Dance Studio
Second Floor Plan
In pre-Columbian cultures, the hearth marked the center of the house and represented the family as the core of the home. As the clients wanted to recreate this concept in their house, we derived the plan from a concentric Ayni layout with thecolumnoffireasitsfocus.Thefacades,aswellasthegeneralvolumesofthebuilding also arise from a three-dimensional extension of this cosmology.
SUSTAINABILITY
Themainwallsof thehouse,whichdefinethesocialarea,aremadeof rammedearth blocks 120 cm (48 in) long by 90 cm (36 in) high by 60 cm (24 in) wide. All of the earth used - which was mixed in a ten-to-one proportion with concrete to make it stronger and more durable - came from the site itself. The earthwork from leveling the site, the excavation of two cisterns and the septic tank provided all the earth we needed. The private spaces of the house are enclosed by load-bearing walls of locally baked bricks.
Thesizeofthehousewascarefullyconsideredtomakethemostefficientuseoffloorspaceandreduceitsfootprint.Thelocationwasalsochosentoavoidremovalof as many trees as possible, while orientation was designed to take advantage of the views, natural lighting and ventilation. The glazing of the living room faces the winter solstice to provide passive heating on the cold, rainy winter months and reduce the amount of sun entering the house in the hot summer days.
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The wood used for all doors and door frames is made from surplus cypress boards from a previous construction. The wood used in the ceiling are eucalyptus planks from a local plantation, and the two large wooden columns in the front of the house came from an ancient tree that was struck by lightning.
The adobe walls provide natural insulation as well as thermal mass, storing heat during the day and releasing it at night. For very cold winter days, we included aslowwood-burningheatexchanger that ismuchmoreefficient than theusualfireplacesthatarestillcommonlyusedinEcuador.
The house is also designed to take advantage of cross ventilation and convection to cool the house in summer. We included operable windows in the highest point of the house to let out hot air, while cool air is brought in through the lower east-facing windows, letting in the prevailing cool mountain wind.
A nine cubic metre cistern was installed for capturing rainwater from the main roof. This water is used for garden irrigation and other exterior uses. For water heating weinstalledanefficienton-demandnaturalgasboiler insteadofthefrequently-used electric tank heaters.
This image is about texture, and construction techniques and also about
the low glazing content on the afternoon western facade
The column of fire embodies the warmth of family as the core of the home.
The curved metal roofs protect the house from the harsh morning and noon sun and
also collect rainwater for garden use.
Longitudinal section Thermal mass bodies include adobe walls and concrete diaphragm which absorb heat in the day and release heat in the night.
All rainwater runo from the roof is stored in an additional cistern for use in cleaning and gardening.
The skylights let in more light in the winter and are also located in the highest point of the house which allows the operable skylights to be opened and release excess heat in the summer.
Solar shading in the front pergola provides a cool outdoor space for the summer and reduces solar gain in the lower living room windows.
The two-chamber heat exancher, which produces heat at signicantly more eciency than normal chimeneys, maintains warm temperatures during the cold and rainiy winter nights.
The rammed earth walls were built using the earth from leveling the terrain and from the excavating the cisterns. Adobe walls provide natural insulation.
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DETAILS + MATERIALS
As a global culture deposits multiplying layers of ontological distances through aBaudelairianSimulacrumthatdisplaces local idiosyncrasies, theemphasisofanhonestyinconstructionbecameasharedvaluebetweentheclientsandourvision for this project. Where more traditional building techniques and materials were used, we focused on the expression of rough, unprocessed textures. More contemporary materials and details were contrastingly more polished but still simple and revealing, while an overall approach strove for a clear structural logic of load-bearing masonry, metal and wood structures, and exposed reinforced concrete.
Theseattributesamplifiedthefamilysviewofleadingasimpleyetrichandcreativelifethatismoreawareofnaturalprocesses.Thehouseembracesarchitecturesroleas mediator between natural space and built space. Through design, we can set the parameters of either removing us further or bringing us closer to nature: the milieu that we have grown so used to considering intrinsically distinct from our own.
Transversal Section
Second Bedroom
Master Bedroom
Social Area Sculpture Workshop
The concrete diaphragm provides lateral bracing to the house while separating the dance studio from the living area.
The house gently tucked in the landscape that surrounds it.
Simple details reveal themselves throughout the design.
Transversal Section
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Unpredictable changes in global climate, economies plagued by chronic instability and energy insecurity with escalating fossil fuel costs are all manifestations of the pervasive uncertainty that defines our time. This instability is symptomatic of the undermining of a worldview of constant growth and inexhaustible resources that disregards biophysical limits and our interdependence with natural systems.
Taking its cue from living systems - which have been productively assimilating change for over 3 billion years - this thesis acknowledges uncertainty by proposing a design that increases the capacities of a system to constructively assimilate change rather than for a predicted set of conditions. More adaptable systems will allow better integration with evolving natural systems, foster future innovation toward sustainability, and will enhance the reduction of human impacts on the biosphere.
From analysis of the energy systems of the South Vancouver watershed, the proposal investigates the reorganization of urban ecologies to enhance the flexibility and effectiveness of its energy systems. A new zoning scheme based on energy matching and intensity along with a new breed of associated typologies become tools for restructuring the watersheds human and natural energy systems towards embracing uncertainty.
LARGE-SCALE NATURAL AND HUMAN ENERGY SYSTEMS
POPULATION
CIRCUIT VOLTAGE (KV)
BIOGEOCLIMATIC ZONES
68 130
280
500
Interior Douglas-r
Interior Mountain-heather Alpine
Montane Spruce
Mountain Hemlock
Ponderosa Pine
Sub-Boreal Pine -- Spruce
Sub-Boreal Spruce
Boreal Altai Fescue Alpine
Bunchgrass
Coastal Douglas-r
Coastal Mountain-heather Alpine
Coastal Western Hemlock
Engelmann Spruce -- Subalpine Fir
Interior Cedar -- Hemlock
>200,000
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FRAMEWORK
A framework emerged from research into how living systems are able to successfully assimilate change. This framework informs the entire proposal, and derives from concepts of adaptability found within ecology, systems thinking, social-ecological systems, environmental health, resilience and regenerative development. The concept is that shaping human systems based on natural adaptive systems will make ours better at operating within natural constraints. The major components of the framework are productivity, diversity, functions, resilience, evolution and life.
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I N T E N S I F I C AT I O N T Y P O L O G Y1INTENSIFICATION TYPOLOGIES generate high exergy potential by mediating intensive energy production, use and recovery within all three energy sub-systems.
E N E R G Y R E C O V E R Y P O T E N T I A L
S U R FA C EG E O L O G Y
L A R G E U N D E R U T I L I Z E D L O T S
P R I M A R Y P R O D U C T I O NP O T E N T I A L
S E WA G E S Y S T E M
2CORRIDOR TYPOLOGIES regenerate natural energy systems, create new exosomatic energy networks and reorganize density to create basin-scale energy functions.
R E P L A C E A G I N G S E WA G E S Y S T E M
E L E VAT I O N
P O T E N T I A L H Y D R O L O G I C A L S Y S T E M
S L O P E D I R E C T I O N
S L O P E A S P E C T
CORR IDORTYPOLOGY
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L A N D VA L U E I N C R E A S E2 0 1 0 T O 2 0 1 1
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C U R R E N T Z O N I N G
H Y D R O L O G I C A LS Y S T E M
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EXTENS I F I CAT IONTYPOLOGYEXTENSIFICATION TYPOLOGY consume and generate low-exergy energy; and channel redevelopment to accomodate natural and basin-scale energy systems.
4TRANSFERTYPOLOGY
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TRANSFER TYPOLOGIES allow the matching of energy types and intensities across dierent areas of the city while also regulating their ows over time.
S T R E E T N E T W O R K
H Y D R O L O G I C A LP O T E N T I A L
D E C O M I S S I O N E D G A S O L I N E S TAT I O N S
E L E C T R I C G R I D
S E WA G E S Y S T E M
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Extensive GIS mapping of variables relating to both natural and human energy systems. A set of typologies emerges that capitalizes on the potentials indicated by the mapping.
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electricity
aeria
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gasheat returnheat
sewageaquatic organismslitterfall
terrestrial organisms
electricity
aeria
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gasheat returnheat
sewageaquatic organisms
terrestrial organisms
district heat
electricity
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comp
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gasheat returnheat
sewageaquatic organisms
litterfall
terrestrial organisms
PROGRAMbiomass energy generation
high-diversity production eldcomposting
sewage treatment
heat exchangers
biosolids gasication
litterfall collection
PROGRAMelectricity distribution
expandable energy infrastructure
insulated sewage
PROGRAMresidential
composting
heat exchangers
community pool
PROGRAMoce
greenhouse and food market
energy management
substation
heat exchangerswildlife oces
convenience storeelectric chargingcar sharing / charging
E N E R G Y I N T E N S I T YT Y P O L O G Y1
E N E R G Y E X T E N S I T YT Y P O L O G Y4
E N E R G Y C O R R I D O RT Y P O L O G Y2
E N E R G Y T R A N S F E RT Y P O L O G Y3
ENERGY TYPOLOGIES
A new set of interacting typologies emerged from the analysis, embodying the new spatial relationships between different programs and infrastructure that wouldneed to be deployed in the city to be able to harness the energy landscape provided bytheexergyzoning.
Intensification typologies generate high exergy potential by mediating a diversity of intensive energy production, uses and recovery within human, natural and agriculturalenergysystems.Thesetypologiesareassociatedwith intensification
zoning, and are deployed in areas that have conditions such as high biomass production potential, have access to major freight and transportation infrastructure or are near high agricultural byproduct areas.
Extensification typologies utilize and generate extensive, low intensity energy, while also shaping redevelopment to free up land for the Corridor typologies to restore natural and human watershed-scale energy systems.
Corridor typologies regenerate ecological infrastructure such as riparian and terrestrialsystemswhilealsoconfiguringnew landeasementsfortheexpansion
Interaction of the four typologies, showing examples of possible programs associated with each typology.
The western portion of the South Vancouver watershed; below, a
visualization of adaptable urban-ecological system.
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2electricity
aerial organisms
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Low to medium energy intensity uses, production and recovery
MEDIUM DENSITY LOW DENSITY
ARTERIAL DENSIFICATION
HIGH DENSITY
E X T E N S I F I C AT I O N Z O N E S
Extensication typologies
Mediating transfers of energy intensities and types
HEAT RECOVERY STATIONS
COGENERATION STATIONS
ENERGY STORAGE STATIONS
T R A N S F E R N O D E SREORGANIZING THE CITY FOR ENERGY ADAPTABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS
EXERGY ZONING
Transfer station typologies
High intensity energy production, use and recovery
HUMAN ENDOSOMATIC INTENSIFICATION
NATURAL ENDOSOMATIC INTENSIFICATION
SYSTEM SECTION
EXOSOMATIC INTENSIFICATION
I N T E N S I F I C AT I O N Z O N E S
Intensication typologies
Connecting energy intensities, types and uses
TERRESTRIAL CORRIDORS
RIPARIAN CORRIDORS
C O R R I D O R S
Corridor typologies
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1000 meters
5000 feet
Cogeneration StorageRecovery
Before high extensication
65TH AND GRANVILLE
70TH AND GRANVILLE
SW MARINE DR AND GRANVILLE
After high extensication
Before medium extensication
After meidum extensication
Transfer station sub-types
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Map identifying major energy zoning areas, with related typologies and generic sectional representations of each condition.
of human energy networks. These Corridor typologies are deployed along major day-litstreamsandecosystempassageways,whileExtensificationtypologiesarepopulated adjacent to these riparian and terrestrial zones.
Transfer typologies provide medium-scale infrastructure that allows the matchingofenergy typesand intensitiesacrossdifferentareasof thecitywhilealsoregulatingtheirflowsovertime.Thesetypologiesarelocatedatthejunctionsof human and natural infrastructure and at exergy zone boundaries to be able to harness,generate,storeandregulatedifferentenergyflows.
EXERGY ZONING
Based on this research, the notion of land use on the chosen site is challenged through the proposal of a new zoning scheme that is based on energy phenomena andflows.Thiszoningscheme,whichhastheobjectiveofreshapingthecitytoallownatural energy systems to be regenerated while also creating the urban conditions that permit the cascading of human energy systems and the matching of energy sourcestouses,ultimatelyincreasesbothsystemsresilienceandeffectiveness.
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CHANGE ASSIMIL ATION
EXERGY POTENTIAL
endosomatic intensication
arterial extensication
terrestrial habitat zone riparian zone
high extensication
exosomatic intensicatione x t e n s i t y z o n e s
i n t e n s i t y z o n e s
T YPOLOGIES
ENERGY NE T WORKS
EXOSOMATIC FLOWS
HUMAN ENDOSOMATIC FLOWS
NATURAL ENDOSOMATIC FLOWS
aerial organisms
terrestrial organisms
electricity
hot air
hot water
steam
cold water / condensate
refridgerant
gas / biogas / methane
human biomass waste / biosolids
compostable food / trimmings
aquatic organisms
litterfal / detritus / soil
50
YE
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LOCA
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inter-system intensication typology industrial/commercial intensication typology terrestrial corridor typology arterial extensication typology heat recovery transfer station typology riparian corridor typology high extensication typology
BASIN SEWAGE
DC ELECTRIC GRID
STEAM DISTRICT HEAT
BIOMETHANE LINE
INCR
EASE
D IN
PUT
RESTORATION MANAGEMENT OFFICES AND LAB
HOT WATER DISTRICT HEAT ACCUMULATOR
SMART SUBSTATION
DIRECT CURRENT SUBSTATION
SMART GRID EQUIPMENT
ENERGY TRANSFER MANAGEMENT OFFICES
ENERGYCORE
INFRASTRU
CTURE
UPG
RADE ACCESS
SEWAGE HEAT EXCHANGE (PREHEAT)
EMERGENCY FOOD STORAGEPRODUCE
STORE
COMPOSTING DEPOT
COMMERCIALINTENSIFICATION
RESIDENTIALINTENSIFICATION
RESIDENTIALINTENSIFICATION
RESIDENTIALEXTENSIFICATION
INDUSTRIAL ENERGY RECOVERY
POLYCULTURE LABS
EMERGENCY FOOD STORAGERESI
STAN
CE
NATIVE POLYCULTURE RESEARCHRESI
STAN
CE
TERRESTRIAL CORRIDOR
ADAP
TABI
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LOCAL PRODUCE STORE
RED
UN
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ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING
EXTE
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DIRECT CURRENT USES
ADD
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DIRECT CURRENT USES
ADD
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INTRA-BUILDING EXERGY
ENH
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D IN
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RIPARIAN CORRIDOR
ADAP
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CONSTRUCTED WETLAND
SELF
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EXPANDED DIGESTERS
EXPA
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UCT
IVIT
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FORESHORE ECOSYSTEMRES
ILIE
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ENERGY TRANSFER MANAGEMENT INN
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DIRECT CURRENT SUBSTATIONRES
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WILDLIFE LABS AND OFFICE
CO-E
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DC NETWORKRES
ILIE
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DC NETWORKRES
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MICRO WIND POWER
HOT WATER DISTRICT HEAT
HEAT RECOVERY OPTIMIZATION
SELF
-ORG
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DISTRICT COOLING REGRIDGERANT
1x 1ic 2t 2r3r 4e4a
LEGEND
NATURAL ENDOSOMATIC
ELECTRICITY
HEAT RECOVERY
HUMAN ENDOSOMATIC
EXOSOMATIC
WESTERN RED CEDAR
NATIVE POLYCULTURE RESEARCH
GREENHOUSE CROPS
LOCAL FOOD STORE
NEIGHBORHOOD COMPOST COLLECTOR
REFRIDGERATED FOOD STORAGE
ANAEROBIC BIODIGESTERS
SITKA SPRUCE
WESTERN HEMLOCK
DOUGLAS FIR
ARBUTUS
DISTRIBUTION BUS
SWITCHGEAR + CUTOUT SWITCHES
VOLTAGE REGULATORS
INVERTER
DC SWITCHING ELEMNT
TRANSFORMER
OIL CIRCUIT BREAKERS
AC/DC INVERTER
SEWAGE HEAT RECOVERY
HEAT PUMP
STEAM PLATE HEAT EXCHANGER
SHELL COIL HEAT EXCHANGER
HYDRONIC HEAT EXCHANGER
HEAT ACCUMLATOR
GANTRY
EXISTING
NEW
SYSTEM SECTIONS
The Systems Sections help tell the story of how all the elements of the proposed systemdesignwill increasethewatershedsself-sufficiencyandadaptabilityovertime. The chosen section depicts the area around Granville Street and South West Marine Drive, which also functions as a transect of the system as it refers to interactions with system components at much larger scales and illustrates general relationships that occur throughout the watershed.
The section includes examples of all four typologies and the energy systems through which they interact. It explores methods of visualizing energy in relation to the capacities that each part of the system contribute towards change assimilation.
In general, the section shows how the development of the city is channeled by energy zoning and the new typologies, to take advantage of the inherent potentials of human and natural systems. A more resilient and integrated urban ecological system isgenerated throughadiversificationofenergy sources, typesandusesthat are better matched and able to self-regulate, ultimately allowing human and natural systems to co-evolve.
EXERGY FLOW TRANSECT
The diagram depicts a generic sectional relationship from the studied basin along withtheflowofenergyovertime. Italsographstherelativeexergypotentialofeach energy type and process, the transformations and losses to entropy, and the interconnection between human and natural energy systems. Below the transect, there are descriptions of the various typologies associated with each energy process,alongwiththemostsignificantattributesthateachtypologyandprocessoffertowardschangeassimilationcapacitiesofthesystem.
System section displaying all four typologies in a transectional relationship, typical of the South Vancouver watershed, along with key change-assimilation attributes of system components and exergy potential of each area.
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PO
TE
NT
IAL
+
-
transfer station
extensicationintensication / input
i n t e n s i t y e x t e n s i t y EXERG
YZO
NIN
GTY
POLO
GIE
S LO
CATI
ON
CHAN
GE
ASSI
MIL
ATIO
N
CAPA
CITI
ESTY
POLO
GY
CO
DE
corridor
dom
estic
hot
wat
er
sew
age
dish
carg
e
1x 1i 2t 2r3 4e4a
SEW
AGE
HEA
T RE
COVE
RY
HEA
T PU
MP
spac
e he
atin
g
sola
r PV
win
d po
wer
CHP
BIO
GAS
TU
RBIN
E SM
ART
SUBS
TATI
ON
dist
rict h
eatin
g/co
olin
g
refri
dger
ated
war
ehou
se
pape
r mill
HEA
T PU
MP
swim
min
g po
ol
resid
ual e
quip
men
t gai
ns
MET
HAN
OG
EIN
C BI
OD
IGES
TERS M E T H A N O G E N I C B I O D I G E S T E R S
C H P B I O G A S T U R B I N E
D I S T R I C T H E AT I N G / C O O L I N G
S M A R T S U B S TAT I O N
H E AT P U M P
S E WA G E H E AT R E C O V E R Y
C O N S T R U C T E D W E T L A N D S
F O R E S T P H O T O S Y N T H E T I CA U T O T R O P H S
F O R E S T H E R B I V O R E S
F I R S T L E V E L C A R N I V O R E S
A Q U AT I C D E T R I T I V O R E S
S E C O N D L E V E L C A R N I V O R E S
primary energy inputs
high intensity energy uses
low intensity energy uses
energy recovery
estu
arin
e ph
otos
ynth
etic
au
totr
ophs
FORE
ST P
HO
TOSY
NTH
ETIC
AU
TOTR
OPH
S
fore
st p
hoto
synt
hetic
au
totr
ophs
ripar
ian
phot
osyn
thet
ic
auto
trop
hs
FORE
ST H
ERBI
VORE
S
fore
st h
erbi
vore
s
ripar
ian
herb
ivor
es
AERI
AL F
IRST
LEV
EL
CARN
IVO
REte
rres
tria
l rs
t lev
el
carn
ivor
e
SECO
ND
LEV
EL C
ARN
IVO
RE
LITE
RFAL
L BI
OM
ASS
COLL
ECTO
R
estu
arin
e aq
uatic
he
rbov
ires
estu
arin
e aq
uatic
rs
t le
vel c
arni
vore
s
aqua
tic se
cond
leve
l ca
rniv
oresterr
estr
ial t
hird
leve
l ca
rniv
ores
terr
estr
ial d
etrit
ivor
es
AQUA
TIC
DET
RITI
VORE
S
terr
estr
ial d
etrit
ivor
es
EXOSOMATIC FLOWS
HUMAN ENDOSOMATIC FLOWS
ENERGY TRANSFORMATIONS
NATURAL ENDOSOMATIC FLOWS
aerial organismsterrestrial organisms
electricity
hot air
hot water / steam
cold water / refridgerant
entropy
gas / biogas / methane
human biomass waste / biosolids
compostable food / trimmings
aquatic organisms
litterfal / detritus / soil
Exergy Flow transect diagram, showing energy flow and exergy potential over time as it transfers
from different forms, uses and systems.
CONCLUSION
In the wake of global urbanization, rapid industrialization of emerging economies and a growing population, we are challenged with redesigning the systems that support our civilization towards long-term survival of the ecosystem services that our species depends on. The immense impacts of the infrastructural systems that the modern world-view has left us will need to be upgraded, replaced and rethought. This makes the case for a design methodology that is focused on creating capacities to productively assimilate required but unpredictable changes.
Designing energy systems capable of assimilating change, and thus embracing uncertainty, is essential for various reasons: integration with evolving natural systemsrequirehumansystemstobeadaptable;flexiblehumansystemsbetterassimilate economic and technological change toward sustainability; more integrated, renewable systems reduce the risks of destabilizing global biophysical systems; our systems will be better prepared for unexpected changes that do occur fromdestabilizationofbiophysical systemscreatedbyour impacts,and finally,regenerating the adaptability of local natural systems in urban ecologies increases resilience of the local ecological services we depend on.
This can be achieved by an increased change-assimilation capacity in human and natural energy systems by means of expanding local energy productivity, diversifying energy types and uses, creating non-linear networks with redundancy, establishing new interactions that create temporal and spatial hierarchies, implementing self-regulating mechanisms and self-organizing capabilities, re-emphasizing the objective of both human and natural systems of maintaining, and ultimately enhancing and evolving life.
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12
P I S TA C H O Project Management + Design Team / Quito, Ecuador
B A R R E S TA U R A N T
While working at Arista, I was responsible for the design and project management of this renovation. The clients - the owner of a well-known high-end restaurant and a classic rock enthusiast - wanted to create a more casual yet sophisticated space for their clientele in their 30s and 40s. They bought this thirty- year old house and askedourofficetore-purposeitintoabar-restaurant.
Themostsignificantmodification,withtheaimofincreasingfloortoceilingheight,wasbuildinganewroof2.4meters(710)higherthantheoriginal.Wedesignedthenew structure to be supported with a mix of bamboo and steel. The main columns and beams are steel while all the trusses are constructed of bamboo.
I made a 3D model of the new structure that allowed a detailed representation of how the bamboo and the metal would interact both visually and constructively. From the model I was able to produce detail drawings to ensure the correct set-up of the trusses and their interface with the steel structure.
I also had the opportunity to include elements that derive from my artwork into thedesignofthisproject:rustedsteelfinishes,recycledmetalcollagepaintings,perforated steel screens and sheet metal cut-out icons for identifying washrooms.
Mens washroom icon made from cut-out sheet metal between two frosted glass panes embedded in the door panel.
The large open space is articulated by screens of varying transparency, defining it into lounge, restaurant and bar.
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13
The entrance is separated from the dining area by a sculptural screen that I fabricated, which plays with the moire effect resulting from variations in perforation diameters.
Three-dimensional model showing the interaction of steel members with the bamboo trusses.
Photograph of the completed structure.
The office designed an experimental bamboo truss system that takes advantage of the materials compressive strength.
The material palette throughout the project played on the contrast between the warm, organic feel of bamboo and wood with the cool, rough textures of concrete and rusted steel.
TYPE D HALF TRUSSD1PART DESCRIPTION
TYPE D HALF TRUSSD2EXPLODED PART DETAIL
TYPE A FLAT TRUSSA1PART DESCRIPTION
TYPE A FLAT TRUSSA2EXPLODED PART DETAIL
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14
F L O O R / W A L L / S T A I R P A N E L S
L - T Y P E S T E E L B R A C K E T
P R E C A S T F O R M W O R K C O L U M N S
P R E C A S T B E A M S
S T E E L W E D G E S F O R P O S T - T E N T I O N I N G
1 1
2
2
2
24
5
3
B E A M - C O L U M NC O N N E C T I O N
500 mm
500 mm
The objective for this vertical studio was to explore how the a priori selection of a material can inform the design process. In this case, the studio focused on concrete, and in particular, on a proprietary high-performance concrete branded as Ductal from Lafarge. This specialty concrete is produced from high-quality cement,additivesandameticulousselectionofaggregatesofspecificdiameter.Italsoachievestensilestrengththroughsteelorurethanefibersinitscompositionthatactasmicro-reinforcement.Forthefinalassignmentofthestudio,wehadtheopportunity to test the material directly.
The potentials and limitations of this material were to be explored through various exercises. Ductal is currently ten times more expensive than regular concrete and requires greater care in the fabrication of form work. On the other hand, the material is impermeable to water and highly weather-resistant. Its extra strength allows for thinness that would be impossible to achieve with regular concrete.
THICK FACADE DUCTAL SYSTEM
Based on these characteristics, I developed a prefabricated, modular kit of parts which would be used to create a thickened facade. The program brief was a new building to house an extension of the Vancouver Archives in a downtown location.
Preparing the formwork for the Ductal high-performance concrete prototype.
Components of modular kit of parts system for thickened facade.
E M B E D D E D E D I F I C EArchitecture Studio / UBC
C O N C R E T E A S R E C E P TA C L E O F M E M O R Y
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15
My approach was to encourage a more open, temporary and participative collectionandexhibitionofobjectsanddocuments.Thisfluctuatinggalleryspacewould take place within thickened facades facing the street and lane. In addition to the activities of formal exhibition, preservation and restoration in more protected areas of the building, the thick facadewould itself be a reconfigurable system,transformed over time depending on the objects to be displayed and kept in this temporary exhibition space. Portions of the facade would be accessible from the street and also permit passersby to deposit their own objects into the collection.
Constructively, the system developed utilized post-tensioning for the assembly of structural and larger modules, while more accessible metal hardware is used to assemble the smaller components.On the scale frompermanence toflexibility,the main load-bearing Ductal pieces act as leave-in formwork for casting regular concrete members, while floor and wall elements are post-tensioned in placewith steel cables, and steel brackets and bolts are used to position shelves, tables, seating, railing, and other elements.
Asaresult,thebuildingitselfwouldbecomeanarchive,recordinginitsconfigurationthe decisions of previous curators. A hierarchy of faster and slower-changing spaces and forms evolves over time, where stairs or corridors become established and endure while benches or shelves would change with more frequency.
Alternative configurations into table/shelf arrangement or floor/wall connection as detail of larger panels.
Cast Ductal full-scale prototype L-panels.
3D print model of cantilevered post-tensioned staircase built with prefabricated high-performance concrete system
Ductals fine grain is capable of registering far more detail than regular concrete.
Rendering of Ductal system functioning as temporary exhibition space within thickened facade of new downtown City Achives.
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16
The oil-bearing sediments are covered by more than a kilometre of sedimentary rock
Layers of sand and silt deposit over time, progressively pushing the fossil biomass deeper
Remains from plants and animals deposited on an inland sea become fosilized organic matter
Vast amounts of the liquid hydrocarbons migrate more than 100 kilometres eastward and upward until they saturated large areas of sandstone at and just below the surface of what is now northern Alberta
Pressure and heat promote endothermic pyrolysis changing the carbohydrates into hydrocarbons
Steam is injected for two months.
Followed by 18 months of reverse action during which oil is pumped to the surface through the same horizontal arms.
Bitumen is blended with locally supplied condensates for pipeline injection
512 Gigawatts of heatIn total, 2 billion cubic feet of gas are needed each day in oil sands production, enough gas to heat every Canadian home.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
ALBERTA
Athabasca deposit
Cold Lake deposit
Bualo Head Hills deposit
Peace River deposit
oil sandsoil sands
heavy oilheavy oil
34 megawatts to power cracked gas compressor
22 megawattsto operate propylene compressor
11 megawattsto run the ethylene compressor.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
ALBERTA
Athabasca deposit
CANADA
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
300 million years 50 million years 50 million years 2 months 18 months
Micro-organisms present in the sandstone slowly consumed the lighter hydrocarbons
1 km
The soak radial technique utilizes a vertical well with four horizontal arms that extend spoke-like into the reservoir.
Raw product is transported to the Burnaby renery from Alberta via the 1,200-kilometre Kinder Morgan Pipe Line
Fort McMurray
AthabascaOil Sands
BRITISHCOLUMBIA
Edmonton
Vancouver
ALBERTA
500 km
3 days 40 hours 11 days
100 tonsof plant matter, needed to form every barrel. Equivalent to the plant matter in 40 acres of wheat.
plastic wrap
plastics
plywood adhesives
Purses
putty
Refrigerant
refrigerators
roller skatesroller-skate wheels
Roong
roong paper
rubber bands
rubber boots
Rubber Cement
Rubbing Alcohol
rubbish bags
running shoes
saccharine
Safety Glasses
seals
shag rugs
shampoo
shaving cream
shirts (non-cotton)
shoe polish
shoes
Shower Curtains
skis
slacks
soap
soft contact lenses
solvents
speakers
spectacles
sports car bodies
stereos
sun glasses
surf boards
sweaters
synthetic rubber
table tennis balls
tape recorders
telephones
tennis rackets
Tents
thermos
tights
Tires
Toilet Seats
toners
tool boxes
Tool Racks
toothbrushes
toothpaste
transparencies
Transparent Tape
Trash Bags
TV Cabinets
typewriter/computer ribbons
Umbrellas
upholstery
vaporizers
vitamin capsules
volleyballs
water pipes
water skis
wax
wax paper
wheels
Yarn
... and 6000 other products.
178 billion barrelsEstimated reserves formed at Alberta's oil sands. One of the largest known hydrocarbon deposits in the world. Equivalent to 18 years of US current oil consumption.
750 cubic feetof natural gas required to heat the steam necessary to extract one barrel of bitumen.
With current technology, 1 barrel of energy used in oil sands operations returns 1.5 barrels.
23 kg of GHGs per barrel, three times more than conventional light crude oil.
=
=
= =EROEI:
1.5Tar Sands Oil
80 m
4 barrels per secondTransMountain Pipeline shipping capacity.
85 m
2.5 megawattsEnergy required to power the 3500 HP oil pipeline pumps; amount produced by an 85 meter high wind turbine.
Crude Oil
Distillation Tower
Liqueed Petroleum Gas
Diesel Fuel
Jet Fuel
Asphalt Base
Liqueed Petroleum Gas
Ethylene
Propylene
SteamCrackers
WaterQuenchTower
Reformer
Coker
Alkylation Unit
Gasoline Vapors
LPG
Naptha
Kerosene
Diesel Distilate
Medium Weight Oil
Heavy Oil
Residuum
Gasoline
Industrial Fuel
Gasoline, Jet Fuel, Diesel
Diesel
Jet Fuel
Heavy Fuel Oil
Gasoline
Distilates
Other Products
LPG
44 Gallons of Gasoline
=
Ethylene
Naptha
Vynil chlorideIndustrial Grade SaltCa
ustic S
oda
Chlor
ine
Ethyle
ne Di
cholo
ride
Polyv
inyl C
hlorid
e
Hydro
chlor
ic Acid
Water
Steam
Electrolysis
Chlorination
VCM Cracking
QuenchingPolymerization
=
216 kg of PVC1500 1 inch x 40 inch pipes
air conditioners
ammonia
Anesthetics
anti-histamines
Antifreeze
Antihistamines
Antiseptics
Articial limbs
Articial Turf
asphalt
Aspirin
Awnings
Balloons
Ballpoint Pens
Bandages
Basketballs
Bearing Grease
Bicycle Tires
Boats
bottles
bras
bubble gum
butane
Cameras
Candles
car batteries
Car Battery Cases
car bodies
car enamel
carpet
cassette tapes
Cassettes
Caulking
CD Player
CD's & DVD's
chewing gum
clothes
clothesline
cold cream
combs/brushes
computers
contacts
cortisone
Crayons
cream
Curtains
Dashboards
denture adhesives
dentures
deodorant
detergents
dice
Diesel fuel
Dishes
dishwasher
Dishwasher parts
dishwashing liquid
dresses
Drinking Cups
dryers
Dyes
Electric Blankets
electricians tape
enamel
epoxy
eyeglasses
fan belts
faucet washers
fertilizers
shing boots
shing lures
shing rods
oor wax
Folding Doors
Food Preservatives
football cleats
football helmets
footballs
gasoline
glues
glycerin
golf bags
golf balls
guitar strings
hair
Hair Coloring
hair curlers
hand lotion
hearing aids
heart valves
heating oil
house paint
ice chests
Ice Cube Trays
ink
insect repellent
insecticides
insulation
jet fuel
life jackets
linings
linoleum
lip balm
lipstick
loudspeakers
luggage
medicines
model cars
mops
motor oil
motorcycle helmets
movie lm
nail polish
Nylon Rope
oil lters
paddles
paint
paint brushes
paint rollers
paints
panty hose
parachutes
paran
pens
Percolators
perfumes
petroleum jelly
pillows
plastic chairs
plastic cups
plastic forks
plastic wood
x 18 x
Burrard Renery
MetroVancouver Galaxy Plastics
Metro Vancouver
f o r m a t i o n e x t r a c t i o n s h i p p i n g r e n i n g m a n u f a c t u r e
INPUTS
OUTPUTS
LOCATION
PROCESS
TIME
Analysis of the hydrocarbon and energy context of Metro Vancouver. T H E 9 B I L L I O N F U L C R U M
Architecture Design Studio / UBC
P E A K P O P U L AT I O N A N D T H E R E N E WA B L E E N E R G Y S H I F T
In this studio, we were asked to research how critical variables within the contemporaryglobalizedsysteminfluenceandinteractwitharchitectureandwithhow we shape our built environment. As a class, we examined trends such as oil prices, energy consumption, waste streams, food production, shipment networks, infrastructure, and others. Based on the systems we elucidated and the trends that wereidentified,wehadtocreateaplausiblefuturescenariowithinwhichwewouldthen design a building that would respond architecturally to these conditions.
The scenario I chose to operate within assumed a projected global population of 9 billion by 2050, in addition to a global energy production of a minimum of 80% from sustainable energy sources, brought about by peak oil and a new global consensus on climate change mitigation. Furthermore, research into linking the human development index with per capita energy consumption, led me to explore the possibility of a global egalitarian distribution of energy that would bring a high quality of life with a per capita energy consumption that would be feasible within that 80% sustainable energy source regime. Three questions emerged that guided the project at regional, municipal and architectural scale:
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17
1600 B
icycles
80 Gig
ajoule
s heat
0.5 gig
awatt-
hours
80 Gigajoules heat
0.2 gigawatt-hours
0.2 gigawatt-hours
80 Gigajoules heat
80 Gigajoules heat
1200 Bicycles
1200 Bicycles
900 Passengers
20 Car Shares
6400 Pedestrians
6400 Pedestrians
450 Pedestrians
5400 P
edestri
ans
55 Ped
estrian
s
1.1 Gig
awatt-
hours
3400 Pedestrians
300 Gigajoules heat
0.2 Gigawatt-hours
610 Bicycles
80 Gig
ajoule
s heat
80 Gig
ajoule
s heat
0.5 gig
awatt-
hours
COMMER
CIAL
COMMER
CIAL
COMMER
CIAL
COMMER
CIAL
COMMER
CIAL
COMMER
CIAL
RESIDEN
TIAL
RESIDEN
TIAL
RESIDEN
TIAL
1600 B
icycles
2700 P
asseng
ers
1400 P
asseng
ers
25 Car
Share
s
5400 P
edestri
ans
0.2 gigawatt-hours
1. How much energy is needed to provide an adequate quality of life for a global population plateau of 9 billion?
2.Couldwesustainthatamountindefinitely?
3. How would our cities need to change if we allocated a per capita energy quota based on these two factors?
In the last two weeks of the studio, we devloped a design proposal which in this case became an energy hub paired with a transit oriented development in the city of Richmond. As part of the required rethinking of urban infrastructure to achieve the goals of the scenario, a wide range of local transit options were profferedalong with energy provision and management at the municipal scale. Inspired by the substations paired with transit hubs in the early 20th century, the building articulates sustainable methods of generating and using energy with new ways of moving through the city.
Integration of infrastructure into the public realm and bringing people closer to the systems that support contemporary life - particularly energy - became an important goal for this project.
Exploded isometric view with deep-rock geothermal plant and transportation flows.
Transversal Section
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18
M A C R O - I N F R A S T R U C T U R EPrix De Rome Canada 2012 Submission / UBC
R E T H I N K I N G S O U T H A M E R I C A N E X T R A C T I V E I N T E G R AT I O N
COLOMBIASURINAME
PERU
GUYANA
VENEZUELA
FrenchGuiana(FRANCE)
CHILE
B R A Z I L
BOLIVIA
ECUADOR
ARGENTINA
PANAMA
PARAGUAY
Titicaca
Orinoco
Xing
u
Para
guai
Para
n
Madei
ra
So
Lago
Marann
Strait ofMagellan
Beni
Mam
ore
A maz on
A maz on
Negro
Paran
Rio
Rio
Rio R
io
Rio
Rio
Rio
Rio
Rio'
Rio'
Rio'
Rio'
UcayaliRio'
Rio'
Rio'
Fran
cisc
o
Mag
dale
na
T oca
ntin
s
Ara
guai
a
Curitiba
So Paulo
Ciudaddel Este
BelmSantarm
Araatuba
Cceres
Corumb
MercedesUruguaiana
Melo
Posadas
Tarija
SantaFeCrdoba
Resistencia
Rosario
Porto Alegre
Salto
Buenos AiresMontevideo
Asuncin
Londrina
Quito
Itaituba
Manaus
Cali
Pasto Macap
Piura
Cuiab
Iquitos
Coca
Yurimaguas
Tabatinga
Manta
EsmeraldasAMAZON TRANSECT
PARAN TRANSECT
ANDEAN-MARAN TRANSECT
I T A I P U L A K E M U L T I M O D A L P O R T S + L O C K S
M A N T A P O R T E X P A N S I O N
P A U T E H Y D R O D A M
S O P L A D O R A H Y D R O D A M
M O R O N A I N T E R M O D A L B O R D E R P O R T
T A B A T I N G A P O R T
I Q U I T O S M U L T I M O D A L P O R T
S A N T A R M I N T E R M O D A L P O R T
Y U R I M A G U A S I N T E R M O D A L P O R T
E S M E R A L D A S P O R T E X P A N S I O N
A R A A T U B A M U L T I M O D A L P O R T
C O R I E N T E S P O R T
B E L G R A N O G A S P O W E R P L A N T
S A N T A F E M U L T I M O D A L P O R T
T I M B E S G A S P O W E R P L A N T
E M B A L S E N U C L E A R P O W E R P L A N T
C O R P U S C H R I S T I D A M S
R O D E L A P L A T A L N G F A C I L I T Y
S A L T O N A V I G A T I O N L O C K S
M O N T E V I D E O P O R T
I T A I P U D A M
S A L T O G R A N D E H Y D R O D A M
Y A C Y R E T D A M
A T U C H A N U C L E A R P L A N T
N U E V A P A L M I R A P O R T
Y A S U N I - I T T O I L F I E L D S
E C U A D O R - P E R U O I L P I P E L I N E
B E L O M O N T E H Y D R O D A M
J A M A N X I M H Y D R O D A M C O M P L E X
T A P A J S H Y D R O D A M C O M P L E X
T U C U R U H Y D R O D A M
C A R A J S I R O N O R E M I N E S
S A N T O A N T N I O H Y D R O D A M
J I R A U H Y D R O D A M
5 0 0 K V P O R T O V E H L O - A R A R A Q U A R A G R I D
5 0 0 K V I T A I T U B A C U I A B G R I D
M A N A U S P O R T
Fe
Utilizing my thesis as a point of departure, my proposal for the Prix de Rome asks what context architectural agency can adopt towards confronting the uncertainty of how our civilization can avert its current unsustainable trajectory. A collaboration with the Uruguayan firm Fbrica de Paisajes along with a journey to key infrastructural landscapes has the objective of creating methods ofharnessing theflexibility and latent capacitywithin systems in order tobuildenduring relationships between natural and human systems.
Nowhereisthenecessityofextendingthereachesofdesignscontextasurgentasinemergingeconomies.Theconflictsthatarisebetweenglobalresourcedemandsand growing inequality within and between these economies in transition present huge challenges along with opportunities, as infrastructural development in these regions remains malleable and has the potential to bypass traditional strategies and their negative consequences.
As decisions related to technology, economic objectives and land use are embedded within social and cultural contexts, it will require our collective imaginations to address these often contradicting forces. I see the promise of an alternate course harnessedwhenglobalprofitandpowerareweavedsymbioticallywithlocalandregional systems of matter and energy.
The Tucurui dam, built in Brazil in the 1960s, enabled the exploitation of vast areas of rain forest by providing energy to mining and smelting operations. It is now being upgraded as part of a multi-modal resource transportation system.
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19
COLOMBIASURINAME
PERU
GUYANA
VENEZUELA
FrenchGuiana(FRANCE)
CHILE
B R A Z I L
BOLIVIA
ECUADOR
ARGENTINA
PANAMA
PARAGUAY
Titicaca
Orinoco
Xingu
Paragu
ai
Paran
Madeira
So
Lago
Marann
Strait ofMagellan
Beni
Mamore
A m az on
A m az on N egro
Para
n
Rio
Rio
Rio
Rio
Rio
Rio
Rio
Rio
Rio'
Rio'
Rio'
Rio'
Ucayali
Rio'
Rio'
Rio'
Fr anc i
s co
Magd
alena
Tocan
ti ns
A ragua
ia
Belm
Belm
Santarm
Cceres
Quito
Quito
Itaituba
Manaus
Cali
PastoMacap
Piura
Quito
Cali
Piura
Cuiab
Cuiab
BelmSantarm
Itaituba
Manaus
Macap
Piura
Piura
Iquitos
Coca
Yurimaguas
Tabatinga
Manta
Esmeraldas
Coca
Iquitos
YurimaguasTabatinga
Manta
Esmeraldas
MARAN TRANSECT AMAZON TRANSECT
W A T E R W A Y
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B E L M E N T R O P I C U R B A N I S MC A R A J S I R O N O R E M I N E S T U C U R U H Y D R O D A MM A N A U S I N T E R M O D A L P O R TE C U A D O R - P E R O I L P I P E L I N E
To sustain economic growth, South American governments are counting on aggressive, multilateral expansion of infrastructural capacity across the continent. These megaprojects will generate further pressure on ecologically significantzones while simultaneously exacerbating social inequality and displacement. Their construction initiates antagonistic expropriation and relocation of settlements and indigenous peoples, and creates instant cities of tens of thousands ofmigrantworkers, who remain in the area once extraction or construction ends. The physical and social infrastructure required to attend to this scale of growth is rarely considered, and these mega-infrastructures leave a legacy of inadequate urban conditions whose fates are social exploitation, economic disparity and diminished ecological capital.
Based in Harvards GSD, the South American Project network, established inresponse to these single-minded development strategies, connects 22 universities and12designfirmsintencountries.TheSAPhasagreedtoshowcasetheoutcomesof my travels and internship through various publications, conferences, seminars and lectures. Ultimately, my intent is to challenge the paradigm of false dichotomies between systems and instead encourage their integration by becoming an agent of fruitful exchanges between the two regions, and among the frequently siloed fieldsofdesign,engineering,ecologyandeconomy.
History repeats itself: the first of 50 or so similar projects, the Belo Monte mega-
hydroelectric plant is now being builtin the Brazilian Amazon.
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House 1AGuides, Park Rangers, Ship Workers
House 1B-2BArtists, Fishermen, Biologists
House 1B-2C-4AMedium-sized Families, Merchants
House 1C-2A-3B-4ALarge families, Shop Owners
Joint Detail9
Bambu
(diametro 15cm)
Pieza de madera(30 x 10 x 3 cm)
Pieza de madera(15 x 10 x 3 cm)
Espiga 3 cm
Orificio 6 x 3 cm
Bambu
(diametro 15cm)
Piezas de madera
Concretefc=210kg/cm2
See bolt detail
Bamboo15 cm Diameter
Coupling Detail10
11 13
12
15
14
Bamboo15 cm Diameter
Bolt
Bolt Detail - Front View
Bamboo15 cm Diameter
Bolt
Bolt Detail - Side View
Bamboo15 cm Diameter
perforation for concretepouring
7/8 cylindrical tube
fc=210kg/cm2Concrete
Union Detail
Bamboo15 cm diameter
7/8 nut
3/4 nut
Washers
3/4 Bolt
Concretefc=210kg/cm2
7/8 cylindrical tube
Section A - A
7/8 nutBamboo15 cm Diameter
Perpendicular Coupling Detail
3/4 BoltSee Bolt detail
See coupling detail
I directed the team that developed the Sunbrella House proposal while at Aritsa. The project was our submission to the International Latitude Zero design competition organized in parallel to the XV International Quito Biennial.
The challenge of this ideas contest was to design a prototype house that would address the many issues of a growing population within the unique and delicate ecosystem of the Galapagos Islands. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the second largest settlement in the Galpagos Islands, has been experiencing rapid and chaotic growth. Our proposal was based on the fact that 96.7% percent of the Galapagos Islands constitutes a national park. As a result, room for exploiting natural resources in the islands is very limited and any demand for raw materials from large-scaledevelopmentofhousingwillcreateasignificantenvironmentalimpact.The exploitation of local gravel mines as well as of native wood has already caused extensive damage.
Alternatively, we proposed using Caa Guadua, which is an endemic variety of Bamboo that grows in the continental coasts, to be the main material used in these houses. Thousands of hectares of Caa plantations are already being harvested and it is a crop that grows quickly, constituting a rapidly renewable material. In addition, inhabitants of the Ecuadorian coast have been using this as a building material for thousands of years. The construction techniques and the performance
Construction system details.
We used this technical knowledge as the basis to create a simpler system for the Sunbrella House.
Sample modular plan configurations responding to different programmatic needs
S U N B R E L L A H O U S EDesign Competition (3RD PLACE) / Arista Arquitectos
A M O D U L A R S O L U T I O N T O A M U LT I FA C E T E D P R O B L E M
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ELEVATED WATER TANK
SUBTERRANEAN CISTERN
OPEN SHUTTERS AND VENTS
CLOSED SHUTTERS AND VENTS
N AT U R A L V E N T I L AT I O N
RECYCLING CLASSIFICATIONCOMPARTMENTS
COMPOSTING TOILET CHAMBRE
of this material is familiar to builders of the region, and the material is extremely strong and can be used for structural elements, cladding, walls, partitions and floors,furniture,andisnowbeinglaminatedtocreateboardsandfloatingfloors.
We concluded that shipping partially prefabricated Caa panels, structures and other components from the coast by boat has a much smaller environmental impact than having to extract local resources from such a delicate environment. This also addresses another problem that Galapagos faces, which is a reduced availability of skilled builders. Any system to be implemented in the islands must be easilyassembled.Thesolutionweproposedisamodularsystemwhichisflexibleand can be put together without major machinery or specialized skill sets.
BasedonaconstructionsystemthatwasdevelopedbytheofficefortheEcuadorianstand at Expo 2000 in Hannover, the technique combines vernacular strategies and materialswithmorecontemporaryapproaches, includingfiling sectionsofCaawith cement and using steel bolts and straps to strengthen main joints.
In addition, the housing system enables a multitude of straightforward, scalable sustainability measures, ranging from rainwater harvesting and passive ventilation to composting toilets and photovoltaic solar panel integration.
Rainwater collection and storage diagrams with hyperbolic paraboloid roof option.
Rendering of hyperbolic
parabola roof configuration
Interior rendering of terrace and entryway
Passive sustainability features built into the modular housing system.
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As a topic in the fringes of both art and architecture, my final project andgraduation exhibition for my BFA resulted from reserach into the phenomena and aesthetics of informal construction. In addition to presenting documentation, analysis and mapping, I produced artwork with the purpose of intensifying the aesthetic intentions embedded in informal construction. By purposely taking these elementsoutofcontextandframingthemwithinthelanguageoffinearts,thesecharacteristics become more visible.
According to the International Union of Architects, eighty percent of the current builtenvironmentcanbedefinedasinformalconstruction.Atatimewhenmorethan half of a global population (more than 3.5 billion people) are now living in urbanareas,themagnitudeofthisfigureisstartling.
As a method that would allow multiple views to coexist, I approached the topic with irony by stating that informal construction is the tendency with the largest built oeuvre around the world. I proposed Banalism as the name for this hypothetical global movement, as informal construction is often considered to be unimaginative and commonplace. My intent was to obtain a critical view of contemporary architecture by carrying out a first-hand investigation into what supposedlyarchitecture is not: informal construction.
B A N A L I S MBFA Graduation Project and Exhibition / Universidad San Francisco de Quito
T H E A E S T H E T I C S O F I N F O R M A L I T Y
LA C C S V E R T I C A LHydraulic pencil and acrylic paint on recycled sheet metal
Depicting the spatial texture of informality
The exhibition was held at the gallery of the School of Architects of Pichincha, the
provincial authority that regulates building bylaws and regulations.
E S P R A N C E # 4Hydraulic pencil and acrylic paint on recycled sheet metal
Semi-inhabited buildings embody the hope of future prosperity and progeny
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E N S A M B L A G E # 3Scrap metal assembled with arc welder
Basic tools such as rebar rib benders for reinforced concrete
M O S A Q U E # 2Recycled shards of glass bottles on reinforced concrete
Third world security methods reinterpreted
E N S A M B L A G E # 9Scrap metal soldered with arc welder
Pieces of old cars are also used as construction materials