Single Family Residence_Pheonix AZ

The following project was designed by Corina S. Dumitrescu, for a family of four in Pheonix AZ. Corrugated metal, stucco and aluminum meet to create a modern take on the typical spanish-type inspired tract home. The home features a double height living area, large gourmet kitchen, office space, 2.75 baths, 4 bedrooms, a family room, and a terrace overlooking an outdoor lounge area and reflecting pool.

Considering the house's NS orientation, and geographical location, one main focus was planning according to passive solar design.

The large common areas facing north (living room, family room … etc ) open up to capture northern light and warm up the house in winter months. Here we use stained concrete flooring to absorb heat, and transfer it to 

the rest of the house.

    

The bedrooms are located in the S and SW to shelter the home from the hot summer sun. The 2^nd story is accessed by stairs in the living area, along the garage wall. The catwalk connecting the family room and bedrooms is strategically positioned against the curtain wall on the west elevation, to offer interior shade, and 

views both of the living area and the outdoor garden.

                 

Fun Fact: Giraffe as Gargoyle

For those of us who don't know, gargoyles are elaborate water spouts designed to convey water as far away as possible from the masonry structure. Most of them took the shape of grotesque imaginary creatures with long necks, meant to inspire fear and respect. To this day their effect of human psyche have featured them in legends, books, movies, even Disney animated movies such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Today we are presented with other options. If need be for long necks, why not a giraffe? Discuss ...

Gargoyle @ Notre Dame Cathedral (de Paris)

Giraffe as Gargoyle by cocoknots

Disney Animated Gargoyles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Let it Snow Competition - Honorable Mention

January's Tesseract Competition revolved around the idea of homelessness in the the winter cold. Tesseract is a student organized effort, exposing innovative humanitarian design, and raisng funds for actual humanitarian projects. For more information on Tessearct please visit http://tesseractcompetitions.com/ I encourage you to enter the next competition, offer your innovative design solutions, and help those in need.

      http://tesseractcompetitions.com/past/let-it-snow/

Solutions such as jackets, tents or shelters are temporary bandages that cannot mend a deep wound in our society. The energy invested in these fast-fixes, most times turn out to be a waste of resources. That is why I am proposing a strategic use of funds to expose our neglected communities for what they really are, drawing continuous attention and funds toward the betterment of our society.  

Enjoy Reality TV? Your typical winter jacket receives a webcam, streaming real-time from your local homeless community. These cameras would imply extra security, and would transform the life and stories of the homeless into reality TV. This powerful media trend would in turn attract viewers from all over the world, raising a continuous flow of awareness and funds, the main two ingredients in the abolition of homelessness. 

In this proposal, the undeniable power of media would be used for good : giving homeless a voice, raising awareness, and even skyrocketing this segment of our demographics into fame.

Construction Documents - Restaurant & Office

The building is designed as a heavy, rough-finished precast concrete volume, with large punched openings to denote interior space hierarchy. The first floor opens up the corner of the building with a California Cuisine Restaurant. The Second Floor is laid out as a typical office. This is a steel frame building clad in precast concrete panels. 

The Restaurant opens up to the street by stepping in 7' behind the cantilevered 2nd story. This provides for a public area used for seasonal markets during the day, and outdoor dining in the afternoons and evenings.

Rendered elevations showing cantilevered 2nd story, and material treatment of the facades. Rough precast concrete cantilevers heavily above warm, finished redwood (dark oiled teak) siding. On North Elevation, the rough concrete touches ground to denote privacy of spaces beyond, and provide an appropriate medium for climbing plantings.

The section below is taken at the exterior soffit. Note precast concrete detail.

Typical details.

Voronoi Generated Form - Visionary Urbanism

The studio effort was led by visionary futurist Glen Small http://www.glenhowardsmallarchitect.com/

As a collective, the studio developed a selected site in San Francisco (each student developing an individual block). 

The main focus of the project was to connect all 12 blocks with an elevated pedestrian platform, provide visual and experiential continuity, and address sustainability through integrated design. Due to the nature of my design, I was responsible for my assigned block and overall site pathway development. 

Site analysis concluded with some interesting observations on scale, geometric subdivision, and growth patterns (see site analysis diagrams). These same ideas of subdivision and formal reciprocity led to explorations of Voronoi geometric decomposition. A Voronoi diagram is a specific kind of spatial decomposition based on distances between a specified set of objects. 

Explore Voronoi systems: http://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Pierre.Alliez/demos/voronoi/

The infrastructure pattern seen below is based on a Voronoi diagram between all programmatic nodes. There are two layers of subdivision. One primary infrastructure for direct connection between large public centers, and a secondary subdivision, for an alternate leisure path.

Walkways - Integrated Infrastructure

Physical Model of Walkways

Voronoi pattern was generated @ http://www-sop.inria.fr/members/Pierre.Alliez/demos/voronoi/ , and results were imported to CAD for site specific development. Model is laser-cut paper, assembled and layered to a span of 6' x 8'.

Site Analysis Diagrams

3D Model 

The following images explore scale application of Voronoi geometries. Voronoi subdivision allows form continuity through different programmatic and spatial requirements. Solid and void, path and node are visually and experientially reciprocal. See below for further subdivision.

Integrated & Ergonomic Shading System 

The following pattern is derived from a typical orthogonal elevation overlaid with Voronoi geometries. The subdivision system introduces secondary and tertiary mullion members, that can perform individually (ergonomically controlled shading & hydroponic frames) for a true integrated curtain wall system.

Click image above to Animate

The Voronoi system also informs spaces, visually and structurally connecting the exterior with its in respective interior.

The same subdivision system allows for an integrated roof structure that collects water, solar power, and diffused light to large interior courtyards.

Physical Model 

Click to Activate Plans

The plans below show the same method of spatial reciprocity and form manipulation.

Hybrid Live/Work Urban Village

Evolution of SRO (single room occupancy) units in San Francisco & LOCAL BUSINESS distribution.

Modeling SRO unit variation & circulation continuity.

 Individual & collective HYBRID LIVE-WORK units.

RENDERINGS

MODEL

Portfolio of Graduate & Professional Work