Developing a Thesis Project : Granada Spain

I will be graduating from college in June 2014 and for my architectural thesis project I have decided to site my project in Granada Spain. I have taken a request for proposals [rfp] for a Alzheimer's Center competition. The location for this project is in a munincipality of Granada called Armilla which is situated 7-10 minutes away from the city center by car. 

Google Map of Area

Upon visiting Armilla in Granada, Spain; one of the things that captivated me to study the architecture of the city was the texture and life that occurred beyond the facade of the buildings. The streets were very lonely and often seemingly solemn but there were always people in their balconies and often you could "peer" into back yards and see that these houses all shared open space. This "play space" as I call it is special, being that Granada is warm for most of the year. I think that by mapping out the proportions and uncovering these spaces I can learn more about the people of Granada and the things that are familiar to them. This has become the first step in developing my thesis project.

Exploring Open Space

Taking stips of the city and manipulating to obtain new possibilities in city structure using the embedded city rules.

City Mapping

Elevations from Armilla

Images of  Armilla

Cityscape 

Granada City Life

Categories: architecture, cityscape, days, density, exploration of mass, gra, granada, guggenheim, sagrada familia, spain, sun, thesis, time, watercolors, work

Mapping Barcelona

"Life can change in a split second and it is because of that, that architecture changed in a day"

I traveled to Barcelona and stayed for four days. During these four days I took different "hikes" through different areas of the city. As I did my daily hike, I would add to this drawing the experience and surrounding condition of these spaces. This drawing became a composite of these four days and my hikes through the city. Through  line, color and stroke I attempt to emphasize how these different zones create a city that references the landscape of an architectural collage. 

Four Days in Barcelona, Spain

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Images Of Barcelona

Categories: acrylic, Antonio Gaudi, architecture, Barcelona, change, cities, cityscape, days, form, light, pastels, sagrada familia, space, spain, spray paint, sun, time, watercolors, work

Mapping Barcelona - Day Two : Antonio Gaudi's Casa Batlo

Casa Batlo by Antonio Gaudi was constructed between 1904 and 1906. It is a part of the Catalonian Modernist period, a historical denomination of an architectural movement that focuses on the use of detailed artistic ceramic, glass work and sculptural  elements. This architectural style is exemplified in Casa Batlo with the great attention to artistic detail. The house is located at 42, Paseo de Gracia, in Barcelona. It is in the district of Eixample an area of Barcelona which is also known as the apple of discord because of the countless buildings that use the architectural style of Catalanian Modernists. 

I studied the Casa Batlo because of Gaudi's great sense of sensitivity to the house as the human body an architectural expression. There is great emphasis on water and I believe this is because we know that the average human body is composed of 50-65% water. There are also spines scattered through out the house all of which lead up to massive light wells; In my opinion this represents the mind. 

I will guide you through these spaces with my photographs and sketches.

Photo-Blog

 Entering the spaces:

Entering the house : The Spine leads you up

Entering the central space -  Feeling the heart

                                                                   

                                                                      

  Circulation: The people carve through the building like water

The water-way's elevator

Reaching the top

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