2. DIGITAL VEGETAL Group Project With Josh Atria
Digital Vegetal is the re imagining of Lexington Ave., a popular and energetic street in Asheville, NC. We sought
to incorporate the technologically savvy and nature respecting attitudes of the public into the urban fabric. The
basic concept was to repurpose Lexington Ave. through the contrasting lenses of technology and vegetation.
The street and sidewalk were
completely resurfaced with colored
concrete pavers, creating zones of
color through the avenue.
Close-up Intersection Plan View
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3. The walls of the buildings were
covered in metal grids on which
vegetation could freely grow imprint-
ing a pixelated pattern simply by
varying the species of plant life from
grid to grid.
Vertical Garden Detail
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4. PLACA DE LA GARDUNYA Group Project With Josh Atria
The Placa De La Gardunya as it stands today is, in essence, a parking lot behind the world famous Boqueria
Market in Barcelona, Spain. We aimed to revitalize this space by putting installing a plaza, that was completely
water centric. Barcelona lives in constant fear of water shortages so at its core, the new plaza is a celebration
of water and water conservation
The ground of the plaza would be transformed into a mosaic through the deformation of the hexagon, the mo-
lecular shape of water. These colored stone hexagons would be stepped up and down, creating elevated zones
and pool zones that would be filled with water when it is available.
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5. The main features of the plaza would
be the three enormous towers, which
collected, filtered and stored rain
water that could then be recycled
throughout the plaza year round
WATER VAPOR
SALT
AQUA SCIENCES
TECHNOLOGY
POTABLE WATER
ELEVATOR
CARS
ICE
IN
TRUCKS
IN
PIPE TO MARKET 5
W ELEVATION AND SECTION THROUGH PARKING GARAGE
6. THE BOX 3D Modeling - Digital Fabrication - Rendering
An exploration of the transformation from the cartesian “outside” to an organic “inside” by the intersection of two
voids in a rectangular box.
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8. The model is made of model airplane
plywood and some old cherry veneer
tape. The pieces were cut by laser
with small notches, allowing them to
be assembled by snapping into place.
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10. LINEAR DISRUPTION Kunsthal - New York City
This kunsthal is meant to be a point of intersection between the regularity of Manhattan’s gridded streets and the
meandering path of the Highline. While the outside of the building follows the strict rectilinear form of the L-
shaped site the interior seeks to set up a zone of conflict by skewing its main axis towards the west.
20th STREET
20th STREET
19th STREET
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11. The interior and roof top of the Kunsthal is
a series of ascending landscapes with ramps
that lead the patron through a series of exhi-
bition spaces whose volumes intrude into one
another. The East facade, facing the Highline,
is an all glass curtain wall which provides
visitors with the unique experience of viewing
art while being viewed by pedestrians on the
Highline.
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13. The massive ground floor, which is open to
the floors above and three stories tall in some
places, is reminiscent of the interiors of the
warehouses and meatpacking plants of the
neighborhood. Suspended walkways which
connect with the main circulation path of the
exhibition spaces reminds one of the impres-
eck
sive covered walkways which connect some
coat ch
STAGE
buildings throughout the city STAGE
SECURITY
WORKSHOP CLASSROOM
Y
LOBB
MEETING RM 2
OFFICE
OFFICE
MEETING RM 1
MEETING RM 3
OFFICE
OFFICE
CAFE OFFICE
OFFICE RECEPTION
OFFICE
STORAGE
OFFICE
SUB-GROUND FLOOR GROUND FLOOR
1/16" = 1' 1/16" = 1'
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14. THE EPIPHYTE OF ASHEVILLE BB&T Reinvention
The Epiphyte is a type of plant which grows on a tree or host plant but, unlike a parasite, does not take nutrients
away from that host. This is the basic concept behind the reinvention of Asheville’s only skyscraper, the BB&T
building on Lexington Ave. The intervention involves stripping off almost 3/4’s of the existing facade and creating
a space where crops can be grown and people that have been hit hard by the recession can take up temporary hous-
ing.
A modular living space was designed
for housing those who suddenly
found themselves without a place to
live because of the economic reces-
sion. The bucket orchid is a type of
epiphyte whose hanging form was an
inspiration for the living units.
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15. The module is structurally held together by steel tubes which are bent and welded into form. They
are attached to the girders of the building through an armature which locks it into place
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