making_music

Enrique de SoloUndergraduate Portfolio

University of FloridaBachelor of Arts in Architecture

Architecture is like frozen music...“…really there is something in this; the tone of mind produced by architecture approaches the effect of music “- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. As a musician and a designer, I have always been interested in combining both passions of mine. Like Goethe, I see an intriguing similarity between music and architecture. Bass notes and percussion give a song a foundation like one you can see in architecture. Columns and beams establish an identifiable rhythm you can hear in music. I argue that I received a Bachelor’s degree of Music in Architecture.

making_music

compressed_light

Gainesville, FL

Environmental Technology

urban_break

Charleston, SCDesign 6

natural_rhythm

Gainesville, FLDesign 5

Selected Works:

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city_stage

New York City, NYDesign 7

urban_organism

New York City, NYDesign 7

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community_center

Charleston, SCDesign 6

self_reflection

San Martin de las Canas, MexicoStudy Abroad Program- Mexico

constructing_lenses

No SiteStudy Abroad Program- Mexico

city_stageEnrique de Solo, David To

Term: Design 7/ Fall 2009Size: 1,400,000 sqLocation: New York City, New York

De-witt Clinton Towers

The experience of New York City is a well choreographed, yet spontaneous performance. Its inhabitants, sometimes unaware, are actors and actresses that be-come a spectacle for the rest of the city. Scattered throughout the city are public spaces that offer unique places for people to en-gage with one another, whether it be playing sports or simply people watching. These spaces become the stage in which the city dweller performs.

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city_stageEnrique de Solo, David To

Term: Design 7/ Fall 2009Size: 1,400,000 sqLocation: New York City, New York

Interaction between public spaces across neighboring towers. Dance studio looks toward the residence recreational space in the adjacent tower. The residents in the pool area are just as much a performer as the ballet dancers practicing in their dance studio.

The entry from De-witt Clinton park features an outdoor amphithe-ater for street perfomers and pedestrians who wish to enjoy free entertainment.

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Site Analysis

Site: Entire City Block that shares a street edge with De-witt Clinton park.

cast

Longitudinal Section


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Early study of section. Interaction between verti-cal tower and lower level spaces.

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Exploded Axonometric

Tower Skin

Elevator Core

Residential

Education

Commercial/ Office

Elevated Park

Modular Skin

Street-scraper

Public/ Performance spaces

Street entry plaza

Sunken Dance Studios

Park entry plaza


Operable Skin

The “melody” that holds the towers together is a porous, tectonic construction. At ground level, performance spaces, theaters, lobby spaces, and “green” space greet the public. The top layer of the melody is defined by a meandering promenade that emerges from ground that houses the public spaces. The audience (city dweller) is dispersed on the constructed landscape. At the top of the towers, studio practice rooms are hung between towers, leaving a connective dialogue linking different disciplines of the school.

The city of bright lights has players scattered throughout, they are street performers, Broadway actors, movie stars, dancers and the undiscovered. Each of them searches the city for the spot light to showcase to the world their talent. In a city like New York, everyone is a part of the show. The intervention brings together two kinds of actors, the formal and the unexpected. Within the block is a performing arts school that brings the aspiring performers while the public space brings in its neighbors. Together a complete show is formed, one that is completely interactive, with no boundaries, beginning or end.

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New York provides an array of different public spaces. Central Park, the vast green space, houses the majority of the natural life and contains the largest open areas than anywhere else in the city. The Highline is a literal bridge between the city and nature, suspended thirty feet above the street overlooking the Hudson on one side and the bright lights of the city on the other. Times Square a city icon is a small niche within the city’s grid that forms a unique plaza enclosed by large buildings and bright advertisements.

Each public space has its own character, evoking a distinct experience. Our goal is to have the essence of these different public spaces into one city block. Like a musical composition, the spaces are like the notes that make up the score. Each has a distinct tone that forms a collective intervention that reads as one coherent “song”. This is achieved through the melody.

melody: a rhythmic succession of single tones organized as an aesthetic whole.

Florida LandscapeOn our first site visit, my main focus was to compare the rhythmic position of the trees in the hammock to the trees/grass in the prairie. The transition from the hammock to the prairie is important in the analysis of the foliage because of the obvious change in scale and measure. The intricate system of the roots visually displays the beginnings of the structured canopy over head. Within the textures, and other phenomenological aspects of Bo-len’s Bluff, there is a definite rev-elation of structure. This discovery provides us with the understand-ing of the natural enclosures and their structural integrity.

natural_rhythmEnrique de Solo

Term: Design 5/ Fall 2008Size: 5,000 sq. ft.Location: Gainesville, FloridaCritic: Bradley Walters

_16_17_18_19Florida Landscape

natural_rhythmEnrique de Solo

Term: Design 5/ Fall 2008Size: 5,000 sq. ft.Location: Gainesville, FloridaCritic: Bradley Walters

1

8

42

7

653

Intervention study: Rythm taken from ground study models translate to an order for the programmatic elements of the house.

Floor Plan

1. Corridor

2. Bedroom 1

3. Bedroom 2

4. Bedroom 3

5. Bathroom

6. Kitchen/Living room 7. Outdoor deck

8. Storage

_16_17_18_19Florida Landscape

Ground Study: Integration between root system and canopy. Areas of high density became possible places to intervene.

Tectonic Ground: First site study looking at ground as a construction much like the tree canopy.

Rythm: Establishing the structural rythm of a natural site. root system

These ideas of structure, rhythm, and reveal/discovery, were the building blocks for the program of the house. The main structural element of the house is the long hallway. It serves as the “backbone” to the home in which all the other programmatic pieces literally stem from.

From the “core-idor”, a basic rhythm is set with the private rooms sliding through it, side by side. The physical divisions between these rooms begin as ribs that dig underground and eventually rise up as thick vertical walls. The ribs keep the visual idea of rhythm as well as continue the idea of the roots becoming vertical elements.Because the entire home is elevated eight feet above ground, the view of the horizon is not obstructed by the tall grass of the prairie. On foot, the prairie is claustrophobic. But as one walks through the corridor, the true vastness of the prairie is revealed.

Each private room has a view of the west side of the site where large trees create a natural shade. Because of the natural sun block, these rooms have a glass wall to allow full view of the surroundings. On the opposite side of the rooms, a long thick wall blocks most of the sunlight and heat from the east. Windows along this wall create a rhythm of fil-tered light that relates to the visual experience in the hammock. The ceiling has a similar effect because the light shining through relates to the top of the canopy in the hammock. At the end of the hallway, the rhythm is broken by a two story public space that functions as the kitchen/interaction room. This room is very spacious and allows full view of the prairie and the horizon backdrop.

The large kitchen accepts high occupancy and also allows air to circulate from cooking because of its high ceiling. This large space is open to the activities that may take place on the second floor. In order to reach the observatory on the second floor, an outdoor stair prepares the transition to a space where man can connect with nature. Here, one can gain a better understanding of how powerful and intricate a natural landscape can be. The observatory/interaction room unites the relationship between men, and man and nature.

Longitudinal Section

urban_breakEnrique de Solo

Term: Design 6/ Spring 2008Size: 3,000 sq. ft.Location: Charleston, South CarolinaCritic: Levent Kara

Urban Gesture

Charleston, South Carolina was a first look into an urban site condi-tion. This was an initial study into urban presence at an institutional scale.

Analysis of the context made it possible to design without program in mind. East Bay street is recieved by alot of vehicle traffic as well as foot traffic. It was important for easy access from back streets as well as from East Bay street.

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urban_breakEnrique de Solo

Term: Design 6/ Spring 2008Size: 3,000 sq. ft.Location: Charleston, South CarolinaCritic: Levent Kara

Site Analysis by: Enrique de Solo, Andrew Carr, and James Peters

East Bay Street

The exploded axonometric drawing breaks down the buildings main elements: ground, skin, struc-ture, and circulation.

_20_21_22_23Urban Gesture

Articulating the ground is just as significant as adding detail to the constructed elements making up the building. Pieces of the ground rise up to become “street furniture”.

Skin Study: Constructed skin reinforced by structural mem-bers within.

The majority of Charleston’s buildings follow similar patterns on the facade. The buildings are known for their portruding balconies and its imposition on the street edge. I wanted to take a similar approach but also break the mold by the introduction of a wrapping skin that mimicks the balcony. Rather, this “blacony” serves to visu-ally grab pedestrians from the street and offer a shaded entry.

compressed_light Enrique de Solo

Term: Fall 2009Award: Luminaire Design Merit AwardProposed Location: Bogota, ColombiaCritic: Thomas Smith

Luminaire

Objective: design and construct a luminaire for a setting of your choice.

The interior dining area in the Nazca restaurant has a rich material pallete. Wooden floors, concrete steps, and suede chairs warm the interior space. The goal for lighting this area was to keep the dining atmosphere intimate between the occupant and his/her party.

The materials chosen for the luminaire were taken from the wooden floors in the restaurant and the glass windows that offer a view to the outside. The glass within the wooden members lights up to designate seating area but keeps the table visble. This in turn personalizes the dining experi-ence by only allowing enough light for the table users.

_24_25Luminaire

compressed_light Enrique de Solo

Term: Fall 2009Award: Luminaire Design Merit AwardProposed Location: Bogota, ColombiaCritic: Thomas Smith

The simple design uses the materials within the restaurant. Layers of wood and glass are literally placed on top each other to create the lumi-naire. The light grabs the attention of the user before dining. Once the guest sits down, the table becomes the main event.

LED- 2 bulbs per fixture

ON/OFF Push switch

2 LED- 2 bulbs per fixture

Specifications -(6) 1.1 watt LED bulbs -Soft white-450 lm

urban_organism Enrique de Solo, David To

Term: Fall 2009Size: 90,000 sq. ft.Location: New York City, New YorkCritic: Bradley Walters

Hotel

New York City is a man-made life form. It is a living thing that has grown over time from a process of layering. The streets, subway system, buildings, and the infrastructure keep the city moving, much like the network of veins within the human body. Although the inner workings are complex, the city streets follow a simpler grid. New York is an ever changing life form, growing and contracting based on the city’s occupants. These occupants are held in heavy undertone of the grid, creating a formal field in which all structure spawns from. The grid acts as a skin for the city, protecting the nerves and veins below.

Public spaces

Internal Structure

Enveloping mesh/glass system

Exterior steel system

urban_organism Enrique de Solo, David To

Term: Fall 2009Size: 90,000 sq. ft.Location: New York City, New YorkCritic: Bradley Walters

_26_27_28_29_30_31Hotel

Skin from street view

Experience within skin

Public space- viewing the city

Bird’s eye view of the city

Hotel_26_27_28_29_30_31

Interaction between multiple public spaces

Lobby is created by void

The design of the hotel was inspired from analyzing the city as a living thing. The building represents the city as an organic life form that gradually becomes part of its context through the application of layers. The logic of the building is the inverse of formation of New York. Instead of being constricted to the prescribed orthogonal lines of the city grid, the building begins with an organic shape which is wrapped by structure. The rigidity of the grid is reified in the structure that holds the organic tubes. Like the real grid of New York City the structure is the formal layer in which all things spawn from. It becomes the nerves and veins of the building and exterior skin act like an actual organic skin, porous and dense depending on the programmatic qualities of each space.

The innermost layer of the building is what holds the programmatic functions of the hotel. The hotel rooms and public spaces are held within the tubular forms. There are five main event spaces that break the rhythm of the floor slabs containing the hotel rooms. Three of those event spaces can be read from the exterior; the lobby, the rooftop, and a large void space that reads as a cut out of the building. These spaces act as the organs of the building, creating nodes of circulation for its inhabitations. They are the life sustaining elements of the building encapsu-lated by layers of structure and skin to form a living organism.

Section Study: Open Lobby space Section Study: Public Spaces

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constructing_lenses Enrique de Solo

Term: Summer 2009Size: 1,200 sq. ft.Location: N/ACritic: Alfonso Perez-Mendez

Tectonic Pavilion

Lens(1)Object or device that focuses or otherwise modifies the direction of movement of light.(2)Light gathering device of a camera(3)something that facilitates and influences perception, comprehen-sion, or evaluation

Constructed pavilion-Layered systems working with each other. The steel beams create the primary system from which the rest of the construct relies on. The skin is held by the thin linear elements bolted to the steel beams. The skin is perforated metal sheets that shade the interior space. As the sun continues to move along the sky, the pattern of shadows change in the interior space.

The Pavilion itself be-comes a museum of light. There is a relationship between the making of the sun shading system and the shadows they create. The concrete planes serve as canvases. The tecton-ics involved in the making mark the ground with a similar calligraphy.

constructing_lenses Enrique de Solo

Term: Summer 2009Size: 1,200 sq. ft.Location: N/ACritic: Alfonso Perez-Mendez

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Tectonic Pavilion

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Tectonic Pavilion

community_center Enrique de Solo

Term: Spring 2008Size: 20,000 sq. ft.Location: Charleston, SCCritic: Levent Kara

Charleston Museum of ArtThe second project of the Charleston studio explores an urban setting very different from the first.

Charleston, South Carolina is filled with churches across its ur-ban landscape. In fact, it is known as the Holy City due to the church bell towers that make up most of its sky-line.

St. Phillips Church is the site’s signature icon. This site also includes Charleston’s oldest building, the powder magazine museum. Directly south of the intervention, is the church’s graveyard that extends a quarter mile. All these elements make this particular site contextually sensitive.

The Charleston museum of art is meant to attract visitors to observe art exhibitions and also accomodate pedestrians walking along the historic area. An outdoor plaza at museum’s center filters visitors coming from the north and south. Like many of Charleston’s cultural centers, the museum’s identity is held by its outdoor community area; which can be shared by those visting the powder magazine, church, or those simply walking along chirch street.

community_center Enrique de Solo

Term: Spring 2008Size: 20,000 sq. ft.Location: Charleston, SCCritic: Levent Kara

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Charleston Museum of art

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 2

The light wells serve multiple purposes. They provide struc-tural support, bring light to the lobby space below, and alter each level spatially.

_36_37_38_39_40_41Charleston Museum of art

_36_37_38_39_40_41Charleston Museum of art

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 4

Cross section

Cross SectionLongitudinal Section

While circulating through the museum, the historical context becomes part of the exposition.

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Charleston Museum of art

Church of San Martin

The Church of San Martin is a place for worship. It is a public building intended to promote self-reflection and also welcome the participation of the community. It was important however to first know the people of the town and the place they live.

San Martin de las Canas is locat-ed in the Mexican state of Jalisco. It is home to approximately 800 inhabitants. This small town was originally a colonial hacienda be-fore the Mexican Revolution. Over time, construction has erased the structure of the hacienda. The formation of the town is now strictly based on the land.

self_reflectionEnrique de Solo

Term: Summer 2009Size: 3,000 sq. ft.Location: San Martin, MexicoCritic: Alfonso Perez-Mendez

self_reflectionEnrique de Solo

Term: Summer 2009Size: 3,000 sq. ft.Location: San Martin, MexicoCritic: Alfonso Perez-Mendez

Water and the mountainous terrain dictate the placement of the streets, buildings, and public spaces. The site is located at the heart of San Martin de las Ca-nas. Originally, the town church occupied the area. Adjacent to the site is a large bullring that is used for the ritual bullfights that take place every year. The bullring doesn’t have a specific function every day but it still attracts people because of its large open space and view to the landscape.

_44_45_46_47_48_49_50_51Church of San Martin

Confessional- The Confession room is on the second floor of the church. It cantilevers over pool of water.

“Music Box” and “Sky Scope”- The Music box addresses the congrega-tion in the interior as well as the public space of the bull ring

Entry- Extruded volume that emerges from the church to recieve the people of San Martin.

How can a building develop a symbiotic relationship with the land? In Mexico, protection from the sun is the biggest issue. “The roof of a house has the greatest exposure to the sun” (Tropical Architecture, Roofs, pg 53). What type of roof will work best in Mexico’s climate? A thick roof slab will not necessarily keep heat away from the interiors. The heat absorbed by the slab will eventually re-radiate into the interior space later in the day. A roof built of the lightest materials, has practically no reservoir for heat, so it eliminates a time lag for heat to enter the interior. It is technically sound and any other roof that can offer a ventilated air gap will be effective in reducing the accumulation of heat (Tropical Architecture, Roofs, Pg. 56). Aside from its efficacy in heat prevention, the light roof is able to express the beauty of construction. The wood skin of the church is held by thin steel members that latch on to the building’s main structure. The skin can minimize the heat that could otherwise be accumulated on the outer walls. A cavity between the skin and the main structure harnesses the heat and is vented out naturally.

Materials feel, smell, look, and even sound differently from one another. “The aroma of material, the almost palpable presence of masonry as the body senses its own confine-ment; the momentum of an induced gait and relative inertia of the body as it traverses the floor; the echoing resonance of our own footfall” (Towards a critical regionalism p.29). Each material has a distinct presence from another, and it goes further than just touch or sight. For example, there are various kinds of woods that each give off a different aroma. The sounds of spaces also change due to the materials that make up the space. Sound in a room made of concrete will produce a different echo than in a room con-structed of wood. These alternating sounds can also change the perception of the size of the room. Through the precise usage of material, the designer can ultimately make a room seem larger than it really is.


Wood Skin System

Horizontal U-glass

Glass Sub-structure

Concrete Extrusions

Primary Steel Structure

The Cage- The backbone; Other systems that make up the build-ing are supported by the linear structure.

The church of San Martin is a porous building. The wood slots allow for light to filter through while the concrete planes block out the sun com-pletely. Throughout the day, lighting conditions within the church change. The calligraphy of the building’s exterior is displayed on the floor of the chapel as the sun continues to change position in the sky. Light is also an integral aspect to the catholic faith. God is symbolized as the light. Seeing the light coming through the building symbolizes God’s presence.


Volumetric Extrusions- Held by the primary structure. These vol-umes hold specific programmatic functions that support the church.

Skin- Porous layer through which light filters through to the chapel. Steel elements hold the wood skin to the main structure


One of the main focuses of the church of San Martin is to create a common place of gathering while still addressing the community’s spirituality. A traditional church faces a large open plaza that attracts a large crowd throughout most of the day. The church/plaza provides a space for the people but also allows for the individual experience inside. While the church does involve the gathering of many, it is ultimately about the connection between the person and God.

The Church of San Martin is divided into three parts: The chapel, the music box, and the confessional. The chapel, the most important of the three, is the primary part of the building from which the music box and the confessional emerge. The music box addresses the congregation in the interior while also engaging the bullring. This allows for an interaction between the people outside and the mass going on inside. The confessional is extruded from the chapel over a body of water. It has small openings for light to en-sure the privacy of the confession. A sub-part of the chapel not mentioned above is the “sky scope.” It is essentially another extrusion from the chapel that frames the view of the landscape and sky. Although it doesn’t hold important programmatic functions of the church like music or confession, it does enhance the experience of the individual attending a mass.

_resume

EDUCATION Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Miami, Florida- Cum Laude- Class of 2005 The University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, Spring 2010 Grade Point Average: 3.85/4.0 Summa Cum Laude

WORK EXPERIENCE Intern, May 2007- July 2007 Perez and Perez Architects Planners, Coral Gables, Florida Internship for architecture firm in Coral Gables, Fl. Skills required- Auto CAD and Photoshop. Work included editing shop drawings and producing floor plans/sections/elevations. Intern, May 2010- Present Bella International Group, San Juan, Puerto Rico Designed proposals for future facilities, such as Honda de San Juan car dealership and Fiat Dealership. 3-d modeling in Rhinoc- eros 4.0. CAD- editing shop drawings and producing 2-D drawings. Re- sponsible for purchasing/coordination of all new furniture in Honda de San dealership.

Bella Green- Member of the Bella Green team. Goal- change the office habits of the company and start a campaign for sustainability. Recycling paper, plastic, and wastes in every facility. Assembling research into the cleaning products used and substituting them for earth-friendly products. AWARDS/ACTIVITIES Member, Delta Epsilon Iota Honor Society, 2008- present Member, Tau Sigma Honor Society, 2008- present Member, Golden Key Honor Society, 2008- present Treasurer, AIAS UF chapter, Fall 2008- Spring 2009 UF Mexico Study Abroad Program, Summer 2009 Teacher’s Assistant, Design 1, Summer 2009, Alfonso Perez Vice President, AIAS UF chapter, Fall 2009- Spring 2010 Teacher’s Assistant, Design 4, Spring 2010, Levent Kara Luminaire Design, Merit award, Fall 2009 Dean’s List 2006-2010

thank_you

My portfolio is dedicated to my family, close friends, and new friends who supported me on my journey through Architecture school. Mom and Dad, thanks for you constant moral and monetary support. There was no way I could have done this without any of you.God bless

making_music

Documents

city dweller

public spaces

organismnew york city

stagenew york city

witt clinton towerscity

dewitt clinton park

entire city block

lobby spaces