UNM 2012 SPRING GRADUATE STUDIO

Ricardo Cano

ZoningBack to Top

Area Analysis- 3,200 SF total, + 20% circulation= 730,000 USD

Green TechnologiesBack to Top

Passive Systems – Inexpensive Comfort

Plant Materials-Personal Identity + Essence

Narrative

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TripBack to Top

SketchingBack to Top

Imaginary Path

As with all construction activities, this house will be built from the bottom up. More importantly: It will be experienced from the bottom up.

So, the underground level carries a good amount of importance. It should inform all levels above it. It should be the spine of the house.

Underground Level: A lap pool.

Site Elements. #1: Natural Volumes

Site Elements. #2: 14th St. Facade

Site Elements. #3: Concealed Spaces

DraftingBack to Top

Drawings:

BELOW: CURRENT MARCH 25TH

3D ModelingBack to Top

3D-Process

BELOW: Model Current March 25th

Modifications since last upload:

-Redesign master bedroom completely, to allow a 2′ wide skylight into the social space below, as well as to reduce the visual massiveness of both spaces, from the intersection of 14th and Mountain

-Define the look and feel of the bridge, on the second floor, which links the master bedroom with those of my children

-Reinterpret the idea of a central courtyard and how this space of solitude affects those of social activity around it

-All doors, whether hinging or sliding were added into the model

-No major modifications were made to the underground level

Above: Aerial view

Above: Bird’s eye view of 14th Street side of lot

Above: 14th Street elevation. The volume of an underground lap pool can also be seen in this view.

Arriba: La puerta es guardiana de la intimidad que se hornea en mi casa. Es de madera con tachuelas de hierro, de un aspecto apacible, intimo, tibio. Una de ellas tiene una mirilla siempre abierta, para asomarse! sea de adentro hacia afuera, o de afuera hacia adentro. Como la casa de un rancho, mi casa no tiene timbre. Si alguien me busca a mi, o a algún miembro de mi familia, usara la mirilla no solo para tratar de lograr ver a alguien, sino también para gritar algún nombre. Si no conoce a nadie, no gritara nada. Se ira. Y la casa permanecerá ininterrumpidamente a la espera de alguna agradable visita inesperada.

Above: The door is the guardian of the intimacy that is baked inside of my house. It is made of wood and accented with iron nails. One of the doors has an opening, to see into the house, or out of it. It is always open.

Arriba: Como en un rancho, o hacienda, lo unico inevitable es ensuciarse los zapatos con arena, y dejar asi nuestras huellas en el camino que llevan a la casa. Contrastando la arena del camino hay agua: de los caballos, de aquel pozo, o incluso de nuestro equipaje. En este caso esa agua esta presente en forma de alberca. El sonido de la misma resulta atractivo. Nuestro inevitable miedo a lo desconocido nos mantiene alejados de este hoyo, en el que sin duda podriamos caer. Las huellas de todos los curiosos que decidan asomarse quedaran plasmadas en la arena fina del desierto nuevo mexicano. El reflejo de sus caras en su misma memoria.

Arriba: Como si se tratara de alguna construccion medieval, el cambio brusco de superficie y el agua sirven como frontera entre lo protegido y lo desprotegido: entre mi familia, y el resto de Albuquerque. Un modesto puente de madera genera un sentimiento de miedo, precaución, y sobre todo mucha atención al presente. Este no es buen momento para estar pensando en el trabajo, en los problemas económicos, o algo por el estilo. Cada paso es ahora tan importante como la presencia misma de mis invitados.

Arriba: Vista del recorrido de arena por el que mis invitados deben inevitablemente pasar. A la derecha se alcanza a ver el perfil de una sencilla puerta de accesso que lleva a mi esposa e hijos directamente de la cochera al mismo puente por el que deben pasar mis invitados. Puedo pedirle a las esposas de mis amigos que no se pongan tacones altos para ir a mi casa, por que hay arena. Pero si le digo eso a mi esposa me divorcia! así que su recorrido no necesariamente incluye arena. Mi recorrido es subterráneo, y solamente incluye grava y madera.

BELOW: Model Current March 20th

Above: View of corner of 14th and Mountain. Volumes belong to master bedroom on top, and all social spaces, including a media room on the first floor. If we were actually able to see through dirt, you would see the lap pool at the bottom.

Above: View of my own path from the garage into the narrow, wooden stair leading to the underground lap pool. Flooring material is gravel. Immediately adjacent to this path, to the left is a sand garden.

Above: Narrow wooden stair leading to underground lap pool. Its width accentuates the feeling of solitude I intend to create for myself: no one walks besides me. there simply is no room.

Above: Changing area adjacent to steam room. A ramp linking wood steps and water allows me to slowly submerge my body.

Above: Lap pool, with a submerged escape and climbing wall on its left hand side.

Above: Kitchen and living room area, with bedrooms 2 and 3 above. The short distance between kitchen and bedroom doors allows me to wake up my kids when its time to go to school, while brewing coffee, or reading the news.

Above: kitchen volume (shown on the right hand side of the illustration) linked by a healing and cooking garden to a social gathering space. From the kitchen, one must walk a narrow path between health and nutrition, in order to reach guests.

Mid Term ReviewBack to Top