Surge
Surge is a dock based on a Puerto Rican beach designed for Tito, a fictional character from the short story Statehood, it is designed to preserve his childhood.
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Interior Perspective
This structure is meant to harbor his childhood and represent the life choices he faces. These choices is represented in Surge through its 3 spaces that are separated by floor size. The entrance has tall looming columns and walls with a wide floor to create a stationary space. The next area is about 3 feet wide and stretches over the water, meant to depict a contrast between stability and instability. This space signifies transition with the intention of moving Tito to the last section representing the future. The final section includes a ceiling with a hole cut out to let light in and allow a ladder to stretch above the structure. The space is made up of columns and curved walls, it includes 3 ladders that convey a connection between the ocean and the view. This structure is meant to challenge Tito by either pushing him forward or backwards to symbolize Tito’s current developmental stage.
There is also an interaction between site and building in the way that the floor stretches across topography while the materiality is inspired by Puerto Rican beaches. The walls are inspired by dried palm leaves with some being woven similar to baskets, the columns being inspired by palm trunks, and the joinery being rope. Not only does this structure serve Tito, but it also preserves the surrounding landscape.
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Exploded Material Axonometric
The site is a beachfront including sand, waves, and tropical fauna. The Structure uses knots and other binding joinery to hold together palm trunks, dried palm leaves, and rope.
Section
The model was done in Rhino then line weights and graphics where done using Adobe Illustrator. The sections depict the structural system with the roof defining the structure with the various beams acting as supports. Each beam system poses a different function outside of supports. The column on the northside acts as a ladder providing different views while the columns in the center creates a ladder joining interaction between the ocean and structure. Additionally the sections depict the water level and structure in relation to the site. This is important because the relationship between water and structure define the playful experience.
Material Elevation
Material choice in this project was not only based on binding structural systems, but also Puerto Rican culture. By using local materials in this structure it preserves the local history and maintains Puerto Rican heritage.
Section
Site Plan
Being provided fictional clients and undetermined sites provided an opportunity to exercise conceptual generation that meets the needs of the client based on their life experiences. Based on the information provided from the story Tito was from Puerto Rico, this led to designing a structure based on a sandy beach. Although a majority of the structure is meant to symbolize Tito’s story, the placement of columns are structural decisions meant to support the wave shaped roofs.