Ana Cristina Vargas Portfolio June, 2014

This project uses parametric design to propose an adaptable urban design for South Boston Waterfront. The main design idea concept is to use the existing parcel structure to organize macro blocks that can work as independent neighbourhoods.

The parametric model allows the design to have flexible density and public spaces according to the changing market needs.

Block Variations

Scene 1: Low Density

Scene 2: High Density

Ana Vargas * SMArch Urbanism *Urban Design Option Studio *Prof. Michael Dennis

Urban Manifesto: Public Space Networks

Caracas: A modern city civic structureMilan: A traditional city civic structureProvidence

to trespass trespass sequence

embracesorround/craved out

stand alone connect

The idea of the project is connect the different neighbourhoods in Providence related to its Downtown through a network of public spaces. Analysing two public space networks, a mod-ern one (Caracas) and traditional one (Milan) provides an idea of their scale and how the space are related to provide a meanigful experience. In the case of downtown Providence, there are three scales of connections that were designed:

1. The scale of the city, connecting Brown Campus, through Downtown towards the residential neighborhood.2. The scale of downtown Providence beginning at Capitol Hill, with the Jewellery District.3. The scale of the neighborhood creating a new section of downtown where the highway used to be, that is strong enough to become the connection between the two isolated parts of the city.

A catalogue of spatial relations between buildings provides an array of components for the public space network. This concept is explored at two scales: the civic structure scale, which is evident on the plan and the smaller “picturesque” scale which is composed of a dialogue between public and private spaces and needs to be experienced on foot.

The typology of the courtyard building is used to play between private and public courtyards that provide an intimate nonetheless public layer to the civic structure of the neighborhood.

Ana Vargas * SMArch Urbanism *Urban Design Option Studio *Prof. Michael Dennis

Masterplan: Public Space Network

Masterplan

Selected Neighborhood

Civic Structure

Open Public Spaces

Catalytic Program Streets diagram

Ana Vargas * SMArch Urbanism *Urban Design Option Studio *Prof. Michael Dennis

Neighborhood DesignBird’s Eye View

Ana Vargas * SMArch Urbanism *Urban Design Option Studio *Prof. Michael Dennis

URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINESPARCELS

1. Urban Blocks are 200’ by 200’ and they are divided in 24 type A parcels and 6 type B parcels. A semi public space inside the block can be access through type B parcels ground floors. (Figure 1) Type A: parcels are 30’ by 60’. Only two consecutive parcels can be combined and designed by one architect.

Type B: parcels are 80’ by 60’. These parcels cannot be combined and are required to leave 25% of their ground floor as public passage to the interior open space of the urban block. (Figure 3)

2. Each parcel must be developed with party wall buildings to guarantee a continuous urban façade.3. The minimum height of the buildings is 60’ and maximum height is 90’. will be 15’ wide, they will have one bicycle lane (6’) and four car lanes (11’).

FACADES

1. Ground floors must be aligned according to their parcel limit. They might recess a maximum of 15’ only to articulate the street with their ground floor.2. Facades will obey a horizontal regulating line marked at 15’ from the level of the sidewalk.3. The upper part of the building (from 15’ and upwards) facades can have balconies or bay windows not exceeding 5’ over the sidewalk.4. When the building is heigher than 60’ its façade must be receded 20’.

STREETS

1. The streets running west-east will be 60’ wide. The north sidewalk will be 20’ wide with the following divisions: 10’ walking transit, 5’ bicycle lane, 10’ row of trees. The street will have two car lanes measuring 22’ wide. The south sidewalk will have 13’ wide.

2. The streets running north-south will be 80’ wide. Their sidewalks will be 15’ wide, they will have one bicycle lane (6’) and four car lanes (11’).

Neighborhood DesignPublic Space and Urban Design Guidelines`

Urban facadeAna Vargas

Ana Vargas * SMArch Urbanism *Urban Design Option Studio *Prof. Michael Dennis

THE URBAN FACADEExercise 1: Facade Analysis Exercise 2: Urban Facade Design

Escale 1/4’=1’

Escale 1/16’=1’

Escale 1/16’=1’

Escale 1/16’=1’

Escale 1/16’=1’

Exercise 3: Urban Facade Composition 1, facade repetition and variation

Exercise 3: Urban Facade Composition 2, class facades

Exercise 3: Urban Facade Composition 3, contemporary facades

Urban facadeAna Vargas

Neighborhood DesignStreet Design

Street Perspective Combining existing Buildings with Strret Facade Street Facade

Large Street Type Medium Street Type Small Street Type

This project proposes to re-urbanize Providence by introducing an urban structure that creates a public space network to reconnect isolated parts of the city.

Tracing Public Spaces introduces a new methodology to study, create awareness and inspire future leaders, children, to take action to transform public spaces in high-density informal settlements. It proposes a multi scalar bottom-up analysis, with innovative tools of representation and design to address the challenges of community public spaces. The ‘Tracing Public Space’ method has been developed through fieldwork in India, Venezuela and the USA. The method is based in observation, representation and design using a ‘toolkit’ that enables a two-way learning process between the designer as an ‘outsider’ and children as ‘insiders’.

Most of the fieldwork was done in the Malvani Transit Camp in Mumbai where over forty years of informal and permanent growth the existence of open shared courtyards is threatened. These small-scale open spaces are crucial for communities, and particularly for the women and children who are their main users. Tracing Public Space becomes a vehicle to sensitize the community to protect courtyards from encroachments and promote an inclusive and adaptive use of shared space.

Visit tracingpublicspace.org

Cameras, Cellphone App, Measuring Tape

1

Measure, observe and locate

2Fieldbook,

Write, draw and cut

3Courtyard Model

Map the edge and think spatially

4Cardboard Pieces Toolkit

Design

5Objects in public space

Transform Public Space

DEMOSTRATION: 2 hour small change, big impact

x 9

x 3Tracing Public Spaces proposes a design strategy that is based on a toolkit that can be used by communities to assemble different public space scenarios according to their needs

Scene A: Temporary Playground

toolbox

toolbox

Scene B: Monsoon temporary roof and library

M

M

M

M M

M

Palo Verde

Plaza El Semillero

Plaza Simón Bolívar

Boulevard Guaicaipuro

Plaza Agricultura

Caseta Telefónica

Arco 12 de Octubre

Parada Mototaxi

Arco San José

Boulevard

Arco SucreEl Kiosko

Arco Vista Alegre

Plaza Infocentro

Boulevard J.F. Rivas

Vereda

Plaza del Busto

Cancha Techada

1

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

2

Boulevard

Caseta TelefónicaTarim

a

PlazaRedom

a 5 de Julio

Boulevard 2

Boulevard 3

Parada con Escaleras

Boulevard 4

Minicancha

Paletas

Route 1 Mariches way

Cancha

Plaza Cine

Plaza J. F. Rivas

Cancha en Calzada

Cancha en Calzada

Tito Sport 3

Plaza Sucre

Esquina del Módulo

6

4

2

1

Petare

19 de abril

5 de julio

24 de julio

JITNEY ROUTES TRANSPORT MAPPetare Norte, Caracas

TU CAMIONETICA

Route 2 La BombillaRoute 3 Tito SportRoute 4 AgriculturaRoute 1 12 de octubreRoute 1 Periphery

Spontaneos Public Spaces

Subway and Cable Car Stations

M

M

M

M M

M

Palo Verde

Route 1 Mariches way

3

1

Petare

19 de abril

5 de julio

24 de julio

JITNEY ROUTESHOMOCIDES MAPPetare Norte, Caracas

TU CAMIONETICA

Route 2 La BombillaRoute 3 Tito SportRoute 4 AgriculturaRoute 1 12 de octubreRoute 1 Periphery

Subway and Cable Car Stations

Carlos

Perez

Alexan

der S

oler

Maria G

onzal

ez

Edwin M

arque

z

Daniel

Medina

Carlos

Rojas

Pedro

Duran

José

Antonio

Gom

ez

Daniel

Guasa

Ender

Duque

Andy H

errera

Deivi Palencia

Pedro GamezYoni Tortoza

Enriq

ue R

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uez

Erick

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Jess

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rrios

Yeiso

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llega

sFe

rnan

do B

alnco

Elvis

Gar

cia

Luis Pacheco

Ciro Cruz

Wingelbert AmaristaJonathan Yasin

Alberto Alvarez

Abraham Guerrero

Carlos Turipe

Person killed

Elvis Calcurian

Larry Wladimir AnguloDeivis Matos José Bernal

Pedro BlancoAlexander Pimentel

Gregorio IzarraFrank GuevaraJosé Suarez

Silvia GutierrezArgenis Ruza

Vicente

Emilio Blan

co

Richard

Marc

ano

Oswald

o Gon

zalez

Javie

r Flor

es

Nelson D’Mery

Danny Montilla

Jony Redondo

José Mendez

Victor Villamizar

Humberto Rivas

José Aguilar

Daniel Salas

Oscar Perez

Richard Delgado

Henry Linsay

Lheringer Griman

Cesar VielmaJorge ManzanoAngulo Gomez

John Soto y Luis Santamaria

Pedro MartinezEdward GarcíaIvan Soler

Antonny GonzalezOscar Olivares

Javier Quintana

Darwin PadillaJesús GonzalezDavid Rojas

Angel Acosta

Julio Villareal

Hidalgo Freddy

MAPPING THE UNMAPPEDSafe Access to Public Spaces in Petare Norte, Caracas

7 831 2 4 5 6Community Space Multiporpose field Plaza Game space Paletas Opportunity for PS Street Baseball Street Basketball

By Ana Vargas (SMArchS Architecture and Urbanism MIT)

M

M

M

M M

M

Palo Verde

Plaza El Semillero

Plaza Simón Bolívar

Boulevard Guaicaipuro

Plaza Agricultura

Caseta Telefónica

Arco 12 de Octubre

Parada Mototaxi

Arco San José

Boulevard

Arco SucreEl Kiosko

Arco Vista Alegre

Plaza Infocentro

Boulevard J.F. Rivas

Vereda

Plaza del Busto

Cancha Techada

1

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

2

Boulevard

Caseta TelefónicaTarim

a

PlazaRedom

a 5 de Julio

Boulevard 2

Boulevard 3

Parada con Escaleras

Boulevard 4

Minicancha

Paletas

Route 1 Mariches way

Cancha

Plaza Cine

Plaza J. F. Rivas

Cancha en Calzada

Cancha en Calzada

Tito Sport 3

Plaza Sucre

Esquina del Módulo

6

4

2

1

Petare

19 de abril

5 de julio

24 de julio

JITNEY ROUTES TRANSPORT MAPPetare Norte, Caracas

TU CAMIONETICA

Route 2 La BombillaRoute 3 Tito SportRoute 4 AgriculturaRoute 1 12 de octubreRoute 1 Periphery

Spontaneos Public Spaces

Subway and Cable Car Stations

M

M

M

M M

M

Palo Verde

Route 1 Mariches way

3

1

Petare

19 de abril

5 de julio

24 de julio

JITNEY ROUTESHOMOCIDES MAPPetare Norte, Caracas

TU CAMIONETICA

Route 2 La BombillaRoute 3 Tito SportRoute 4 AgriculturaRoute 1 12 de octubreRoute 1 Periphery

Subway and Cable Car Stations

Carlos

Perez

Alexan

der S

oler

Maria G

onzal

ez

Edwin M

arque

z

Daniel

Medina

Carlos

Rojas

Pedro

Duran

José

Antonio

Gom

ez

Daniel

Guasa

Ender

Duque

Andy H

errera

Deivi Palencia

Pedro GamezYoni Tortoza

Enriq

ue R

odrig

uez

Erick

Nub

lesAv

in M

anriq

ue

Jess

y Ba

rrios

Yeiso

n Vi

llega

sFe

rnan

do B

alnco

Elvis

Gar

cia

Luis Pacheco

Ciro Cruz

Wingelbert AmaristaJonathan Yasin

Alberto Alvarez

Abraham Guerrero

Carlos Turipe

Person killed

Elvis Calcurian

Larry Wladimir AnguloDeivis Matos José Bernal

Pedro BlancoAlexander Pimentel

Gregorio IzarraFrank GuevaraJosé Suarez

Silvia GutierrezArgenis Ruza

Vicente

Emilio Blan

co

Richard

Marc

ano

Oswald

o Gon

zalez

Javie

r Flor

es

Nelson D’Mery

Danny Montilla

Jony Redondo

José Mendez

Victor Villamizar

Humberto Rivas

José Aguilar

Daniel Salas

Oscar Perez

Richard Delgado

Henry Linsay

Lheringer Griman

Cesar VielmaJorge ManzanoAngulo Gomez

John Soto y Luis Santamaria

Pedro MartinezEdward GarcíaIvan Soler

Antonny GonzalezOscar Olivares

Javier Quintana

Darwin PadillaJesús GonzalezDavid Rojas

Angel Acosta

Julio Villareal

Hidalgo Freddy

MAPPING THE UNMAPPEDSafe Access to Public Spaces in Petare Norte, Caracas

7 831 2 4 5 6Community Space Multiporpose field Plaza Game space Paletas Opportunity for PS Street Baseball Street Basketball

By Ana Vargas (SMArchS Architecture and Urbanism MIT)

Design

Digital Photographic Essay: http://architecture.mit.edu/class/landphoto/archive/projects12/urbanscape_acvargas/essay/index.html