URBAN POROSITY-GRADUATION THESIS
The graduation thesis was an individual project required to obtain the degree in Architecture. The project involved a thorough research phase, where I investigated about porosity in Architecture at different scales (city, neighborhood, block, building). Once the research was finished, I selected a site from downtown Buenos Aires for the building proposal. It was a key factor that the design of the building had a logical coherence with what was investigated earlier.
The building design included a complex structural analysis given the differences in each floor layout. The deliverables included longitudinal and cross sections, constructive details, a detailed construction budget, renders, a scale model, etc. The project was presented by me to a jury that graded it 10/10. A summary of the project is provided below.
The building was designed with open spaces and gaps in all three dimensions. These gaps allow: the entrance of natural sunlight to the entire building, and visual connection between floors and spaces, which is reinforced with the creation of public rooftops connected by outdoor stairs and ramps.
Also, the project was designed to allow people to cross the block between the streets on its perimeter. This was key for the porosity feature: the building couldn’t be a barrier to pedestrians.
In the render below, a sector of the ground floor can be observed, where public space is used by pedestrians, as a plaza. Also, it may be appreciated the spatial porosity design, which allows the entrance of sunlight to the ground floor.
The drawings of the plans below, reflect the porosity on a multidimensional level. On the ground floor, public spaces between the shops and the multiple accesses to the site, allowing permeability.
The other plans show how spaces were organized for each program, so that there are always holes and accessible rooftops, enabling always the possibility to circulate in all directions.
Also, it can be seen in the plans, that the design was focused on having external routes. Special attention was given to the idea of designing an enjoyable walk through the entire building for pedestrians.
