P2X3

Leaf Spring Bridge

My idea is to use a leaf spring to support a bridge made up of overlapping platforms. The leaf spring will be anchored on either end, with one end attached to a sliding arm. As the arm slides closer to the opposite anchor point, the leaf spring will bow upward, raising the height of the bridge. Attached to the leaf springs, overlapping platforms will slide over one another to adjust for the change in pitch, making the walkway accessible at any height. The bridge program includes a fast food drive thru for watercraft as well as a take-out counter. I haven't figured out how I want to set the drive thru yet, but after playing around with ideas that involve the restaurant moving up and down along with the bridge, I think it would be easier / make more sense just to have it set at a fixed height, and have the carryout window at ground level, and the drive thru window deliver food via a basket on a pully system. ya.

Nuova Porta - Porta to the Past

The wall along Campo Marzio was originally used as a defense barrier, and is now implemented as a separation between he high-end palazzos and the public park. Everything is geared towards separation; the moat, concrete wall, fence on top of wall, vegetation. By inserting my gate, I wanted to begin to disintegrate this hard edge and create access to Contra Fascina.

The program is a reading area with books about the culture and history of Vicenza and Italy, which creates it's own "porta to the past." The punctures for the books act as the support bricks in the old wall, and a surface in certain areas.

The actual wall is created out of stacked decommissioned books, to tie the wall back to the rich history of the area. The books show through and begin to disintegrate the measured grid of the created wall.

Elevation

Wall Detail; Interaction with the wall

Perspective 1

Perspective 2

Section

nuova porta: celebrating the wall

Program: staircase and viewing area

before installation

after installation

Nuova Porta

Nouva Porta: La Sogli)a

Explorations of hinges and jambs

Early plan proposal for gate gesture

Perspective sketch of site with early gestures

Brainstorming + Site circulation

Hinge and scale

Reflection and symmetry

Left: Perspective of gestures in site. Right: Sketch in plan

Left: preliminary idea for cantilevering over Bacchiglione. Right: Construction details for gate screen, in elevation and section

Two orientations

Upright position with ghost of downward position

My proposal demarcates the transition between the pedestrian and vehicular experience of Vicenza. The Italian term for threshold is “soglia”, which derives from the Latin root “foot” and implies the components of a portal that notate a “moment of change” between two spaces. This construct explores the components of a common door, particularly the hinge and jamb. With movable architecture comes many peculiarities; for this charette I chose to tackle the issue of symmetry along a 90 degree rotation. I attempted a form that was meaningful in both orientations, while still eliciting different experiences of the site and its views. 

Vediamoci Al Muro

The idea behind this intervention at the Old Wall is to bring the already popular market culture to a border in the city. Where the old wall was a place for separazione the new gate is a place for integrazione of an older city and it's suburbs by a major street.

Map of neighborhood within Vicenza context, images of localized conditions.

The intervention will manifest in 4 ways:

1. As a thruway - movement through the intervention perpendicular to the wall makes it an alternative route to crossing the border instead of Via IV Novembre and the large roundabout located there. 

2. Massive materials - the materiality of the intervention makes it contrast with the surrounding watchtower and residences, as well as allows for transparency and light filtration at the otherwise solid wall.

3. Flexible Stands - a raised area for stands under a covered area accommodates so that vendors are able to bring various sizes of merchandise.

4. Viewing - the upper floor provides seating for visitors, making a common public area for residents from both sides of the city.

Porta Nuova (P1 Final edited from P1X3)

Proposition for an information and refreshment kiosk north of Parco Querini and between Vicenza's major hospital and public middle school. Utilizing recycled pieces of the old wall, a formal axis bridging the absent wall portion and the hospital creates a new gateway for entry from the north. 

Existing conditions along the wall.

Preliminary Concepts

Elevation

Perspectives

Perspectives

Floor Plan

Longitudinal Section

Il Cancello Occupato

A Laundry Mat

Mappa della Città

Mappa del Sito

Circolazione Attuale di Persone Attraverso la Porta 

The current circulation of people through the gate is somewhat of a problem, with people often traversing onto the streets and finding themselves at the mercy of oncoming vehicles.

Soluzione Proposta

Girando le Angoli (Turning the Corners)

Sezione (sinistra) e Schizzo di bordo tra le pareti (diritto)

Torri d'acqua Toscani

The design consists mainly of cantilevering spaces which puncture through sealed doorways, attempting to engage the pre-existing with the new spaces.  To support the washing machines in the gate, a water tower has been incorporated into the upper portions of the gate.

Puncturing (Bucatura) Old Seals to Create New Spaces