symtec (symbiotic tectonic)

Selected student to represent the USA in the international design competition; Selected Project by the Venice Architectural Association, Exhibited at the 2012 "Common Ground," Biennale di Venezia di Architettura at the Arsenale, Published in Tall on the Water

Under the Instruction of Luigi Croce, and Dario Trabucco, with the support of Philip Oldfield and Massimiliano Fuksas |  Summer 2012

Venice, Italy

In (a charrette) collaboration with Gianluca Comandini, MArch '14; Andrea Boatti, MArch '14; and Chen Man, BArch '14
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Analysis of the lack of horizontal connection of the urban grain from the historic garden city of Marghera to the industrial zone of Mestre sparked the idea to instigate a tower proposal with an open axial softscape/landscape that leads the pedestrians towards the waterfront which is then framed by the negative space created by the tower’s volumes. The shifted and undulating landscape allows for the perpendicular streets for the vehicular access to pass through under, and over allowing a continuous pedestrian promenade towards the marina.

Programmatically, the tower is a multi-family housing which supports the hotel structurally and conceptually, which was a result of an urban study of the ratio of the local Venetian and Mestre population, in contrast to the touristic visitors of the famous area—being the main source of its economy. The idea of an economic and social symbiotic tectonic was observed with the interaction and inter-relation of these two elements, being the “host” and the “guest,” which co-exist harmoniously.

As these two elements are interlocked with the shared spine of the core, so too it is sectionally with a shared single-loaded corridor (in the housing), creating an almost Corbusian/Unité de Habitacíon access which solves the idea of providing for a view of Venice for every single unit, and also creating double-height spaces and mezzanine levels.