SOFIA BUCCINO

I have been working on the internal views of my building. I started visualizing one but I was not satisfied. That is why I started a new one. I like the second attempt much more than the first attempt. I also experimented with the white lines, but have decided I rather not have them. I like the flatness of the image. I tried having shadows, but did not like the results. 

The graph shows that during the summer months, when the sun I at its higher position, the temperatures are higher. This shows me that the hottest sun exposure will be from the top of the building.

This is a simple render I did from the stairs and the reflective pool. I wanted to imagine how it would look all together, and I really like it. I later on decided to clad the pool with spanish tiles in white and blue colors.

The district map of the site shows how El Raval is very different from its surrounding neighborhoods. The developments of Cerdá stand out on the left of the map, while El Raval shows a medieval grid. The neighborhood to its right is marked with the great avenue which we know as Las Ramblas. On one side of them the nice medieval neighborhood, while on the other, the neglected Barrio Chino

This is a quick render of the massing development. It shows the different spaces. It was mainly for my own understanding of the spaces rather that for a finished drawing/visualization. It helps e to see how the different spaces are placed into a sort of pixelated view of the building. I wonder if this view could be seen from ahead of the building, and the people passing by could get a view into the experiences of the building from afar. 

From lighter to darker, this map shows the average income in Barcelona. The darker colors represent the highest incomes while the lighter represent the lowest. El Raval is an area of low incomes, where most families are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. This reveals the importance of having the academy on the site, as it could give the future generations of El Raval a place to grow and earn more, giving El Raval an average higher income. 

This is a view towards the site. The panoramic view shows from left to right: the building on the corner of the site, Carrer del Cid, the proposal, Carrer del Portal de la Madrona, and the historical garden and fortress to its right. 

With this technical information I was able to calculate the height of the beams and the span that they could reach. Comparing timber to steel and concrete I could make decisions of where to use concrete and where to use steel within the structure of my proposal

This is a quick sketch I did of how I imagined the interior finish of some of the walls in the building, plus the technical detail on its side. I used this to communicate to the Structural Engineer what I wanted it to be like, so as to receive appropriate advice. 

Following the precedent of a project done by Caruso St. John, I wanted to show how the landscape design for the exterior of my proposal used a juxtaposition of textures to mark different ‘spaces’ within an open air space. The brick lanes continue the lines of the facade, the placement of the cobbles mark the way to the entrance of the building. Tiles, gravel and square cobbles mark different activities that could happen in them. The paved lane marks the way for the cyclists and walkers, but alerts them of a crossing with the sudden change from tarmac to cobbles. 

In my consultation with the Architecture Detailing consultant, he helped me to resolve the technology of the roof and its finishes. He also suggested raised acoustic floors as a solution for the environmental analysis I had done. I found it very helpful, as it allowed me to continue forward in my design. 

During my consultation with the Structural Engineer, he helped me to resolve the foundations. I decided to have concrete pile foundations, as that would be the most efficient in the site. He also helped me resolve the way that the timber framing would be placed on top of the concrete and to determine how deep I had to have the foundations in for

I attempted to make the model again as I was not satisfied with the way the first one looked. I instead used the balsa in whole pieces and did a different joint, which would give more structure to the model. I am grateful to have found a handsaw here, as doing this with a surgical knife would have been much harder. 

This is one of my main precedents for my project, as to the interior of the building. The Glulam columns and timber finishings look fantastic, and the double height atrium with the windows shows what my building might be like from the atrium 

Adhoc’s L’Artisan is a very interesting example of a building which has a masonry exterior and a wooden heart. The wooden structure of this building is also exposed. Using Glulam columns, beams and joists, the building is built leaving exposed the beautiful texture of wood.

The Wood Innovation Design Centre is an interesting precedent as it is the world’s tallest modern all-timber office building. The building is an example of a mid- to high-rise construction with no concrete above the ground floor. It is built using engineered mass timber products, incorporating a ‘dry’ structure. The building’s structure is simple. CLT floor panels, Glulam columns and beams, and mass timber walls. This was the basis for my own design, motivating the choice of materials and structural decisions. I am also keen on the peaceful atmosphere that the tectonics produce.

These are some panoramic views of the site. As I was not able to go to Barcelona, these helped me greatly as I could see the site better this way.