Final Thesis Document

Here is the "final" product of my hard work these past months. I say "final" in quotation marks because it is hard for me as an Architect to consider a process "finished"; ultimately, the process needed to come to a closure. Maybe there when time comes, The Puerto Rican Music Learning Center will hopefully be considered a reality and get built for the enjoyment of Puerto Ricans and the world. Enjoy.
Carlos
C.maldonado-Cruz Thesis Final_08!01!09

Eye Candy

Here are the latest shots of the final 3D model.

Thesis Document Cover and Table of Contents

As I try to put all my Thesis work together and finalize plans and renderings, I also started gathering all the information and work I have done on my Thesis over the last 3 semesters. This is the first try for my Thesis Document Cover sheet and Table of Contents. I believe both still need some tweaks but I figured I could put a rough draft based on my Table of Contents and go from there. There are some things still missing from the TOC, like the 3D renderings, etc. I am not sure yet where these might fit best. One option I was thinking was to insert a rendering after each floor plan, a rendering that would correspond to the immediate floor plan. One thing I am trying to avoid is to present all the renderings at the end of the set of plans. This proved inefficient at my last intensive presentation because it wasn't balanced enough throughout.

Plan Revisions

These are some of the newest plans showing revision at the Cuatro Pavilion stage and the Recital Hall. One of the comments during my presentation in Boston this past April was about the scale of the Pavilion stage wall facing Calle Javilla. The Wall seemed too tall for the pedestrian scale of the adjacent sidewalk. My approach was to carve a space on top of the backstage area of the pavilion and create an overlooking terrace that will take advantage of the "Cordillera Central"(Mountain Range) views on the north side. This leaves the stage "shell" as a free-standing object that projects higher than the sorrounding volumesA similar problem occured on the Recital Hall wall facing Calle Javilla. My solution was to break the wall by offsetting the wall on the Second Level creating a better scale relationship between the Recital Hall volume and the adjacent existing two-story buildings. Next tep is to update the 3D perspectives to reflect the changes.

April 2009 Intensive Presentation

I would like to thank all the critics on this weekend's presentation. I thought I received very useful feedback, now lets do some final tweaking on the design and put this baby together in a book!

New Perspectives

Here are some new perspective shots of my 3D model. I will be posting more as they are "finished". I might try making them less "realistic" by doing some filtering in Photoshop, otherwise I will go with these.

Today's Plans!

Here are the latest Floor Plans as well as the new Roof Plan. I intend to color code each floor plan this weekend and present them along with the sections to make it easier to understand.

Sections update...

Progress....

Latest Building Sections

These are the latest buildings sections to date, I am working on a fourth one. That would probably be it as far as building sections. I am planning on having some typical wall sections that show in detail the buildings envelope. For the presentation I will be coloring these.

Colored Elevations

Here is a quick color rendition for the proposed elevations.

Latest Plans and Elevations

Updates

This is a "work in progress" shot of the 3D model. Hence, there are couple of things missing. This was supposed to be a massing model but I started to get into detail so that's why it is incomplete. I will upload more images as soon as I get a more complete model.

I found this image in one of the San German websites. I though it was interesting since we are looking west towards my site(you can see Porta Coeli's roof at the top of the hill.) I believe the picture was taken around the 1960's. All these buildings were built illegally by poor people, they were ordered to be removed on 1975 by the city's government. The thing that I like is the different layers, textures and elevations that the buildings created. This is definitely something I have been looking at and trying integrate this layering effect into my design, basically creating a dynamic and pedestrian friendly complex.

These are the latest building sections.

Latest Elevations

These are some pictures of the different materials I am considering for my design. Corrugated Zinc, Wood Siding and Concrete. These materials are very common in Puerto Rico's architecture.

Latest Plans

Latest Floor Plans

Some Thoughts about my Thesis

What is my Thesis about?

Narrative:

Growing up in Puerto Rico and being able to travel made me realize how fascinating our culture is in regards to live musical performance. Music has always been part of our daily lives in Puerto Rico…I remember when I was a child my family would be driving through a neighborhood and run into traffic unexpectedly. My dad always opened the window and turned down the radio to hear what was going on. He knew there was a party; Jibaro music poured out onto the streets inadvertently inviting each person that passed by to come and join in. As people join in, they contribute to the party with food, drinks and musical instruments of their own. What was started as an impromptu musical performance becomes a neighborhood party where everyone picks an instrument and joins the band. This spirit of togetherness and the opportunity for strangers to meet one another and share their talents and passion is what comes to mind when I think of my native music. I want to share this music, and the history of it with others. The most logical way for me to facilitate this desire is to build a structure which educates, inspires, and shares in the history of Puerto Rican music.

The Puerto Rican Music Learning Center tries to capture the essence of Puerto Rican Jibaro Music, its performances and celebrations.[1] The Learning Center creates a musical community of its own within the Historical District of San German that opens itself to the outside allowing interaction with the city. The music pours onto the streets inviting citizens to join in and celebrate as well as to learn about the significance of this colorful culture.

What is it?

My thesis is an exploration of the usage of architectural language as an instrument for the fostering of Puerto Rican Jibaro music. This shall be achieved through a mixture of indoor and outdoor spaces that represent Puerto Rican culture and encourage community interaction through live musical performances, teaching and educational exhibits.
What is it for?

Two main outdoor performance spaces will serve as pavilions for concerts, festivals and private events. Retail shops will be available for local artists to showcase their arts and crafts as well as food shops catering local cuisine. There is also an educational part of the building containing a Puerto Rican Music Museum as well as class rooms where Jibaro music and instrument building is taught.
What does it portray?

It portrays Puerto Rican Jibaro Music and its people, their culture and geographical location through architectural spaces, the choice of materials and construction methods.
What does it provide to the community?

The complex provides the community with a civic and educational facility that fosters the knowledge about Puerto Rican music and encourages social interaction between its citizens. Who is it for?

The complex is intended to be a catalyst for the younger Puerto Rican generation particularly towards primary and secondary students. During the day, the learning center and museum will work in conjunction with local and regional schools bringing in students to take classes and learn about Puerto Rican Jibaro Music. During the night it will be featuring classes, seminars, lectures and instrument building workshops to the general public. There will be concerts offered throughout the year sponsored by the City of San German and the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture department. What does it do?

Contextually, the building is meant to create an urban language that takes advantage of the topography of the site. This is by having different access levels throughout the site and carving spaces from the existing hill. Different indoor spaces are interconnected with a series of outdoor plazas and promenades which put emphasis on the pedestrian experience throughout the site. The complex establishes a connection with the existing Porta Coeli Museum to bring more pedestrian movement from the city through its grand staircase towards the Learning Center. Where is it going and why?

The proposed site for my thesis project is located in the city of San German, Puerto Rico; which is situated in the southwestern region of the island. The city was founded by Spaniards in 1573; it is the second oldest city in the island, after the capitol San Juan. The site is located next to one of the oldest church structures in the American continent. The church was built in 1606 and is now a religious museum; the structure is an Architectural Icon and the main tourist attraction of the city of San German. The site wraps around the Porta Coeli’s base offering excellent views of the “Cordillera Central’ mountain range and San German’s country side. The west region of the island has always been given the least significance in comparison to the northeast part where the island’s capital San Juan is located. A complex like this will provide San German with world-class music performance spaces and total experiential architecture that reflects the best of Puerto Rican music. Who is the audience?

The complex is intended to create an environment where the young generation is encouraged to learn and appreciate the music of Puerto Rico. The architecture will embrace the new generation while recognizing the old. What is going to happen there?

At the pavilion there will be free concerts by local and national artists as well it will be available to the open public for impromptu performances. People will come for classes, seminars and concerts. An instrument shop will allow people to learn how to build their own instruments as well as to play them. Kiosks type of spaces will be provided for local food and crafts along with a restaurant and a live music bar. The promenade between the buildings will incorporate an interactive-user activated type of installation. People will be able to make music themselves by speaking, touching and moving. When is it going to happen?

All year long events will take advantage of the tropical climate and use the outdoor performance spaces. The mixture of restaurants, cafes and bars will bring people to the building and the city regardless if there is any concert or mayor event. Who is going to pay for it and why?

The construction and maintenance of the building will be carried out by the City of San German government together with the Puerto Rican Culture Institute. Festivals and special events will be celebrated to raise additional funding for the maintenance and staffing of the complex. What constitutes the program?

The educational portion of the building includes 4 classrooms, 6 practice studios, 2 ensemble studios, 1 instrument building shop, 4 administrative offices, ect. Performance spaces are the following: 200-seat recital hall, 700-seat outdoor pavilion with movable roof, 800-capacity open-air amphitheater. In addition there will be a restaurant, 1 live music bar, 2 cafes, 1 coffee shop/art gallery, 1 music/retail shop. The site will also provide an underground parking facility, which is important in an area where parking is scarce.

Musical Brainstorm:

Human Aspects:

Sentimental, pleasure, intimate, joyful, moody, inspiring, stressful, calming, thoughtful, spontaneous, ethereal, real, personal, identity, public, perceived, ignored, passionate, effortless, bright, dark, colorful, plain, strong, weak, loud, undertone, hard, soft, verbal, lyrical, expressive, reminiscent, novel, brilliant, obtuse, memory, energetic, anecdotal, descriptive, journey…

Technical Aspects:

Note, tone, time, rhythmic, beat, pause, flow, proportional, arbitrary, changeable, static, variable, consistent, repetitive, rigid, flexible, structured, makeshift, high, low, spectral, time, calculated, precise, spaced, equal, pitch, sharp, full, reflective, reverberate, fusion, diffuse, beginning, end, responsive…

Abstract Aspects:

Communicates, tactual, visual, pervasive, portable, flavored, creates, detachment, phenomenal, dense…

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[1] For a definition of Jibaro Music click on the following link: http://www.cuatro-pr.org/Home/Eng/Instrmus/Genres/genres.htm

Spring '09 Intensive Work Summary

These are the slides presented at the end of the Intensive Week this semester. This is just the start of an intense semester! I am really motivated and grateful of the amount of feedback received during last Saturday's presentation. It was a little tough because my building changed quite a bit during the Intensive. I need to gather my thought as I get back to my routine and I am looking forward to a productive 4th semester.

Plans Before January's Intensive

New Panoramic Views of the Site

View of Corner of Calle Javilla & Calle Dr. Veve Intersection


View from Site looking North

Elevations - Colored Version

Latest Sections and Elevations

Latest Floor Plans

Building Sketches

These are some sketches where I have been studying volumes, textures and materials for the complex. The Concert Hall volume is built of a thick slab of cast-in-place concrete with a possible metal clad. The wrapping slab is meant to shield the southern sun exposure with some fenestrations, the last two sketches show some fenestration studies for it. From this volume there is a bridge connection to the upper plaza at the Porta Coeli Museum. There is a second wrapping slab that connects the Learning Center and Music Lounge volumes. The slab has similar characteristics to the Concert hall, except for the roof garden and light shaft. The overall building sets back from the street several feet allowing the sidewalk to be wider and more pedestrian friendly.

More preliminary plans...

Massing Model V3- Floor Plates

For better understanding of my floor plan layout I decided to build this model with just the floor plates, no walls. It also help me compare the relationship of the building with its surroundings.

New Plans, Sections and Elevations

These are some updated Floor Plans, Sections and Elevations. Note that from the previous scheme the Concert Hall layout changed to a "horseshoe" type of seating allowing me to diminish the footprint stacking more seats with two levels of balconies. The idea behind this overall scheme is to have a continuous element that moves throughout the project serving as a roof, wall and floor. I'm still trying to figure out better ways to connect spaces throughout the complex.

More preliminary plans...

New Concert Hall Location Sketches

These are sketches of the proposed new location of the Concert Hall. At the new location, the Concert Hall does not open to the outside like the previous scheme. On the other hand this will allow me to stack couple of balcony levels and pack more people inside. It also makes egress path easier and puts the loading area behind Porta Coeli Museum. I am planning to connect the the existing plaza above with the new building an create a roof garden. In addition to the Concert Hall move, I am tilting the Learning Center's roof towards the west and using it as an outdoor concert arena. The concert area's stage will be located by the Music lounge.

More Plans and 3d Model

These are some images showing my building in relationship with its context. As you can see from the first image the new building keeps a low profile from the from of the Porta Coeli Museum. I am planning on having a design element on top of the Music Lounge and Gallery that brings people in from the Porta Coeli's plaza above and the street. I had some trouble modeling the terrain so disregard the shadowing below street levels. The "screen wall" in the south east part of the building is meant to be a free-standing wall with some kind of louver system to protect the building from heat gain. The wall is meant to be transparent, not necessarily built of glass.
In terms of the plans posted here, I continues developing the ones posted last week and ran into some problems with the Concert Hall. Since I was forcing the Concert Hall to be located in the north part of the site and made it difficult to have a believable egress path, back stage area and loading dock. In the next iteration I am looking into giving up the inside-outside connection in the Concert Hall.


View from Ramas St.

View from Santo Domingo Plaza

Bird's Eye View Looking North East

Bird's Eye View Looking West

View from Javilla St. & Santiago Dr. Veve St.

Preliminary Plans, Elevations, Section

Here are some preliminary sketch/drawings of my building complex, as you can see they are far from finish. I am still working on them and starting a 3D model to help me understand better all different levels and circulation. I originally wanted a ramp that went throughout the entire site from east to west but in order to make it accessible and come down to the sidewalk would have been too long. The version I am showing here stops in the second floor of the "Learning Center" and goes to a vertical circulation area. Also there is another connection to this ramp from Dr. Santiago Veve St. that connects on the second floor.

Massing Model V2

These are some pictures of my second attempt massing model. The main difference in this model from the first one is the location of the Performance Space. In this model the Performance Space moved to the north side of the site allowing me to use the slope on the west for outdoor seating. The Performance Space establishes a connection with the Live Music Bar/Museum from which performance can be watched across the outdoor seating area as well. One of the things I have been trying to do is to use long elements to connect the complex throughout the site. I have been thinking of these elements as something more open, perhaps a volume-defining trellis system with greenery instead of the original idea of glass. This is something I will further pursue.

Top View

View Looking South- Javilla St.

View Looking West- Dr. Santiago Veve St. & Javilla St.

View Looking North-Dr. Santiago Veve St.


View Looking East- Ramas St.

Site Plan Layout

East-West Section Through Performance Space

Massing Model V1

Here are some pictures of my first attempt of massing model for my building. The model is based on Scheme A form previous posts.

Site Diagram

This is a Site Plan Diagram showing some points of interest in the historic district as well as transportation routes. The majority of the pedestrian movement around the site occurs in Dr. Santiago Veve St.(East-West). During special events like festivals or baseball games, pedestrian movement from the north side of site increases coming through Javilla St and Ramas St. Just a block south of the site there is a public parking structure that will allow site's users to park there and walk to the new building. Because of the lack of public transportation system most of the people will drive to the site; having this parking facility within walking distance alleviates the demand for parking in the area and complements the new parking in the new building. There is also a taxi station located north west from the site a block away.

Process Sketches and Plans

For the record, here are some sketches of my projects explorations. I have been studying the possibilty of opening the performance space to the outdoors at the back. I really want to have a connection with the music performance and the outdoors to take advantage of the tropical characteristics of the site. Another option I have been thinking is the possibility of having one enclosed main performance space and auxiliary outdoor space for impromptu performances.

Also here are some schematic plans for the building siting. The main difference between these two is the performance area location. One of them opens to the outside and one does not. My favorite option is the one that does not open, this is because of the ability to connect the two sides of the site with the middle bar. Whereas the other option blocks that connection, breaking the site in two different sections.

Site Model Pictures

These are some pictures of the site model. It is ready to start some mass studies for my building. Also don't be scared about the site area! I am planning on working with the natural hill side of the site. I built the model this way for ease of the study models. I decided to build it at 1"=50'-0" which made it a pain to build. I think it should be good enough for my study models since I'm planning on the long run building one in the computer.

Research Topic #3

Better Sections Through Site

Research Topic # 2

Building Siting Options

This past week as I was working on "this week assignment" I figured out that after I change my schedule I did not even followed! I totally messed up the order of my assignments, that's why my research topic was posted before my Building Siting Assignment. Anyways, here it is. These two building siting options came from different trials since week two and three of the semester, the two came from my favorite schemes. Now that I have further site information about the site I believe the next step for me is to explore the in 3-dimensions. One of the main challenges of the proposed building will be to respect Porta Coeli's prominent position on top of the hill and keep sight lines unobstructed.

Site Analysis Part II

This is the second part of my site analysis. This past week I finally received more information about the existing conditions of the site, this helped me understand more what is happening in terms of topography. I will keep trying to get more information as porssible to be able to build a model, which is my goal. Once I have that I will be able to play with the building massing and orientation.

Site Plan Diagram

Existing Conditions, Site Schematic Sections

Existing Conditions, Site Elevations

Research Topic # 1

Here is my Research Topic #1. After starting to work on it I didn't know what I was getting myself into. It was too much information to digest, so my assigment is like a summary of important facts of Puerto Rican music.

Updated Bibliography

Bibliography
· Armstrong, Leslie. Space for Dance: An Architectural Design Guide. Publishing Center for Cultural Resources, 1984.
· Aparicio, Frances R. Listening to Salsa: Gender, Latin Popular Music, and Puerto Rican Cultures. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 1998.
· Appleton, Ian. Building for the Performing Arts: A Design and Development Guide. Architectural Press, 2008.
· Bandur, Markus. Aesthetics of Total Serialism: Contemporary Research from Music to Architecture. Birkhäuser Basel, 2001.
· Beranek, Leo. Concert Halls and Opera Houses: How They Sound. Woodbury, NY: Acoustical Society of America, 1996.
· Blesser, Barry and Salter, Linda-Ruth. Spaces Speak, Are You Listening. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2007.
· Bomba Boricua. http://www.bombaboricua.com/
· Brown, David. Noise Orders: Jazz, Improvisation, and Architecture. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2006.
· Bullivant, Lucy. 4dspace: Interactive Architecture. Wiley Academy Press, 2005.
· Calatrava, Santiago. Dynamic Equilibrium. Munich, Switzerland: Artemis Verlags AG, 1993.
· Curtis, William J.R. “The Structure of Intentions: Rafael Moneo” El croquis, 2000, 28.
· Glasser, Ruth. My Music Is My Flag: Puerto Rican Musicians and Their New York Communities 1917-1940. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1995.
· Directoria de Urbanismo. http://www.gobierno.pr/212/
· Alden Mason, J. and Espinosa, Aurelio M. “Porto-Rican Folk-Lore. Decimas, Christmas Carols, Nursery Rhymes, and Other Songs.” The Journal of American Folklore (1918): 289-450
· Flores, Juan. From Bomba to Hip-Hop. New York, NY: Columbia University Press, 2000.
· Hardy, Hugh. Building Type Basics for Performing Arts Facilities. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2006.
· Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña. http://www.icp.gobierno.pr/
· Janney, Christopher. Architecture of the Air: The Sound and Environments of Christopher Janney. New York, NY: Sideshow Media LLC, 2007.
· La Danza Puertorriqueña. http://www.ladanza.com/
· Lopéz-Cruz, Francisco. La Música Folklórica de Puerto Rico. Sharon, CT: Troutman Press, 1967.
· Martin, Elizabeth. Architecture as a Translation of Music. New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 1994.
· Muecke, Mikesch and Zack, Miriam. Resonance: Essays on the Intersection of Music and Architecture. Ames, IA: Culicidae Architectural Press, 2007.
· Music of Puerto Rico. http://www.musicofpuertorico.com/
· Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place. New York, NY: Marloe & Company, 1999.
· Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance. http://www.prfdance.org/index.html
· Rawn, William. William Rawn: Architecture for the Public Realm. New York, NY: Edizioni Press Inc, 2002.
· Russell, James S. “Performing Arts: Beating the Odds,” Architectural Record, January 2005, 133.
· Salter, Charles. Acoustics: Architecture · Engineering · The Environment. San Francisco, CA: William Stout Publishers, 1998.
· Stephens, Suzanne. “Performing Arts: Civic Identity,” Architectural Record, January 2008, 107.
· The Puerto Rican Quatro Project. http://www.cuatro-pr.org/

Revised Schedule

I thought I uploaded this earlier. I didn't realized I did but it was only in my Voice Thread!

Site Analysis Part I

Precedents Part 2

The last two of my precedents, I also added a 5th page with 4 more projects which I thought the were relevant and useful to my project because of the site historical context situation.

Site Plan Studies & Photos

Since I changed my site after the Intensive week in Boston, I decided to try again and play with the building location. These are the latest sketches of that trial, there are many options to be looked at. One of the main issues with the site is its topography as you can see on the site pictures.

Precedents Part 1

Summary Thesis Proposal