Archinect - Reimagining Architecture and Design

A Fruitful Journey

2021-05-03T02:19:42-04:00

My future had always been a blurred image up until now. The aspirations I thought I once wanted to achieve never “felt right” as one would say. But as I started to learn and experiment more in school, I found myself getting closer to what really interested me.

I first started school with a slight interest in the aesthetics of geometric forms. But as I began to learn more about architecture and its ability to become responsive to a surrounding site, it is when I greatly felt invested in a specific way to design. I have been assigned case studies such as the Jetavan Centre by Sameep Padora & Associates, the Blur Building by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, etc. where I have been inspired by the way these spaces enforce a connection between the occupants and the environment of the site. These inspirations have manifested in recent studio projects, where I have been designing spaces that begin to focus on this type of relationship. For example, in my latest studio project with my partner, Gis...

What We Can Learn from Guatemalan Homes

2021-04-12T03:53:00-04:00

Many homes in Guatemala connect with nature in an unintentional yet successful way. A couple of years ago I visited family in Guatemala and stayed at my great grandparents house. The first thing I noticed was the way the house was set up. It’s not the typical house you see here in America. You don’t walk in an entrance door and circulate around an enclosed space. Instead, right away you see different rooms for the same household lined up outside.

Family Home in Guatemala

Because of poverty, families can only afford to build individual rooms, one by one versus a house. This forces people to be more exposed to the outdoors as they must step outside whenever they want to go to another room. During my trip, I vividly remember having to walk outside at night in order to go the bathroom. But it was nice, being able to look at the night sky while doing something as simple as this. You are only in an enclosed space when you need to sleep or go to the bathroom but usually when you cook, eat,...

That Random Thing in Your House Could Be Your Inspiration

2021-03-13T15:53:59-05:00

If there’s one thing we’ve all experienced, it's designers block. Sitting in front of your laptop on Rhino or whichever program you’re using can be the most dreadful thing if there aren’t any ideas flowing through your brain. But what if you took a random object around your house and experimented the different types of spaces you could make. We usually rely on white museum board or even chip board to begin and create “massing models” so yes, we tend to overlook the regular items around us for inspiration. But maybe those objects around us can be a gateway to begin experimenting more with spaces.

Cotton Balls as a Building?

Left Image: Experimental Model by Jessica Gomez | Right Image: The Blur Building by Diller Scofidio + Renfro

The Blur Building by Diller Scofidio + Renfro was a pavilion built for the 2002 Swiss Expo with intense fog/mist. The temporary pavilion aimed to create an atmospherical experience by interfering with the eyesight of visitors with a big overwhelming cloud of...

Connecting With Nature

2021-02-22T20:14:59-05:00

Are we drifting away from nature as time goes by? We seem to find ourselves being dependent of artificial elements by the day. Although our generations continue to advance deeper into the interest of technology and artificiality, it is important to be connected with nature as it can benefit people in different ways. In architecture how might this look like?

We can take The Jetavan in Maharashtra, India by Sameep Padora & Associates as an example of connecting with nature. The Jetavan is a spiritual center that serves the Dalit Baugh Ambedkar Buddhist community. The program is divided into 6 different buildings in order to accommodate to the existing trees on the site. This center allows people to connect with nature through its butterfly roof. There are open spaces in between the walls and the roof to visually connect visitors to the trees around the site as well as to provide ventilation.

Simple yet thoughtful moves like the butterfly roof allows for a deeper connection between p...