ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

Anthony Reda

ANTHONY F. REDANew Jersey Institute of Technology8 Patricia Court, Howell, New Jersey 07731E: ar244@njit.eduT: 908-433-1793

This book features projects from Fall 2009 to Spring 2011 completed while attending the New Jersey School of Architecture in Newark, NJ. It is prohibited the total or partial reproduction of this book without the author’s consent.

1st Edition: January 2012

Community Center for the Networked Culture

Botanical Gardens Along the Arno

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Master Plan for the city of Newark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Master Plan - Housing Design

Boy & Girls Clubs of America

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Personal Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PROJECT INDEX

BOTANICAL GARDENS

The following diagram represents geo-tagged photos posted to Flckr. When the information is plotted on a map, a clear understanding of where points of interests are within the historic city.

Upon further investigation, all of these “hot spots” are composed of various landmarks and/or nodes that have clearfocal points. They become the dominantcharacteristics of the urban fabric.

The abundance of historic landmarkswithin the city limits leaves little if no reason at all to visit the area prescribed as the site for this project. A “backyard”condition currently exists.

Th f ll i di t

Design Analysis

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A

A

B

C

D

B

C

D

Northern Urban Fabric

Southern Rural Fabric

The question becomes, how can our site become a more prominent, “frontyard” condition? We begin to answer this question by understanding the conditions that are presented at our site.

The goal of this project is to provide a contemporary attraction to a city that hasbeen considered stagnant over the pastfour hundred years in terms of design.Due to the rich, historic nature of the urban fabric that is Florence, the choice was made to place the botanical gardenson the southern bank of the Arno. It wasconsidered of utmost importance to tryand be respectful of the already dense and tourist filled city center. Having studied the existing conditions along thesouthern edge, one thing became clear;space is under-utilized and inadequate to efficiently serve the needs of those living in the area. The following two diagrams reveal some of these conditionsand identify areas of promise.

Arno RiverFlorence, Italy

Shadow

Sunlight

Typical section allowing for naturallight conditions on the street and river edge. In every instance this condition occurs it is the result of abreak in the street facade by meansof park space of plaza.

Typical section found along the the length of the southern edge of the Arno. Having no front yard set-backs and narrow streets/side walkscreates a street life that sits almostentirely in shade.

Program & Context Development

The programming of the botanical gardens and the context in which theyexist are the direct results of initial sun studies performed on the southernedge of the Arno and street wall. As shown to the left, shadow studies wereperformed throughout both the Winter and Summer solstice months. The results proved dismal at first, because the first observation is that for most of the year the southern edge of the river is without sunlight and therefore would not be ideal for supporting plan life. The site plan to the right showsthe average of the yearly shadows overlayed on top of each other. Areas that are designated as having full sunlight year long directly relate to the typical sectional conditions found along the river’s edge. These conditions,as shown bottom right, became the fundamental study in resolving the issueof lack of natural light. The biggest design decision involved in the processwas made as a direct result of the overlay study; the botanical gardens would be pushed out into the Arno. As there are only a few small areas thatreceive sunlight throughout the entire year, it proved to be beneficial to breakaway from the edge of the river and enhance the quality of daily plant life, aswell as the experience of those who visit the gardens. In doing so it also gave way to the idea of being able to give some land back to the residents who ultimately will be occupying the area more-so than the tourist who’s daily lives are not effected by the addition of such a project to the otherwiseresidential neighborhood.

THE NEW COMMUNITYADAPTABLE CENTER OF SELF ACTUALIZATION

In defining community for the specific niche and subculture, space must be adaptable to accept the multiplicity of use and user. In defining the user of space, there is the ever-present desire to produce a definition of self. As a community center, the primary function therefore is to define itself for its user. In that way space, and the connection of space, become the tools used to define the Self. Each user has the ability to define their individual limit of space, and create a dialogue in response.

The initiation of dialogue creates the channel needed to broadcast the Self to the community, essentially; the commu-nity itself is created from the dialogue. This process results in a network of communities which become loosely configured around the central, common definition of place. The place, in this instance, is Newark, but the Place is a highly fluid and adaptable condi-tion which relies on the internal connections created in the dialogue: the community.

In the attempt to discover the internal relationship of parts, the dialogue must manifest itself as the intersection of paths, means, or ideas. These elements have a tendency to gravitate around each other, forming localized conditions that serve to enhance and further the dialogue while the Place simultaneously reminds the Self that it still exists as a part of the larger whole.

What WAS community?

What IS community?

What WILL community be?ii bb ??

PRESCRIPTIVE RULESPROTOTYPE OF THE NEW COMMUNITY CENTER

The following is a set of param-eters and rules to be used in the design of a Community Center. These are rules that can be followed regardless of location and context- they have been carefully con-structed so that any building following this set of rules will be both uniform and unique, simultaneously. The programming of each Center may differ, as individual communities require different programmatic needs, but the strategy of each Center remains the same. It is through the rigorous execution of the rules set forth that a branding of space is created and a new Community Center is realized.

Building Footprint/Shell

SITE FOOTPRINT

The building foot-print is a direct result of site constraints. Edges are maintained by those provided by the site. In each condition the bounding lines of the site translate to the definition of footprint.

Orientation

Three primary axis are to be determined. They are to be oriented according to three external references: community and belong-ing, growth and esteem, and self-actualization.

Community / Belonging

Growth / Esteem

Self-actualization

Stratification

A stratification will occur due to the orientation of program as a result of the three primary axis. The stratification will manifest itself within the axial alignment.

LOCAL STRATAInfrastructure

GREEN-BELT STRATABranch Brook Park

METROPOLITAN STRATACrossroads of the World

PARTI DIAGRAM

Community / Belonging

Growth / Esteem

Self-actualization Resulting Grid

Programmatic orientation and distribution

SITE PLAN SCALE0’ 150’

DN

N

COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE NETWORKED CULTURE

EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE

EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE

SECTION PERSPECTIVE

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STRATIFICATION

GROUND FLOORSelf Discovery

THIRD FLOORGrowth

FIFTH FLOORSelf-actualization

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22

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1. Entry / Vertical Piazza2. Resident Capsules3. Resident Sky lobby4. DIY Art Gallery5. Meeting / Gathering6. Locker Rooms7. Pool Room8. Atrium

1. Vertical Piazza2. Resident Deck3. Observation Deck4. Exterior Meeting5. Performance

1. Vertical Piazza2. Theatre Seating3. Gallery4. Meeting5. Observatory

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5

4

4

2

3

0’ 50’ 100’ 150’LONGITUDINAL SECTION

CROSS SECTION

DETAIL

DETAIL

SITE PLAN0’ 300’ 600’

1. FERRY STREET PLAZA2. RAILWAY PARK3. NJ RAIL AVENUE4. PARK5. PRUDENTIAL PLAZA

6. NEWARK CITY HALL PLAZA7. MCARTER HIGHWAY (LOWERED)

A. ROWHOUSE / CONDOB. MIDRISE APARTMENTSC. HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL - 17 STORIESD. HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL - 22 STORIESE. COMMERCIAL MIXED-USE

F. MIXED-USE G. RESIDENTIALH. RESIDENTIAL - 4 STORIES

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Figure Ground @ 10’-0” Figure Ground @ 60’-0”

Once one of the busiest places in America, the downtown core of Newark, lies deteriorated and vacant. In response to recent developments set forth by the city of Newark, the master plan utilizes an internal pedestrian mall flanked with mixed use retail/residential in order to stimulate and designate a new district and rejuvenated city, focused on creating a 24 hour zone of activity.

MASTER PLAN

Longitudinal Section

0’-0” 150’-0” 300’-0”

Cross Section

0’-0” 150’-0” 300’-0”

Landscape encourages social life

Towers frame development

24 Hour Activity Zone

Parking

Commercial Commercial CommercialPedestrian PathMcCarter Hwy

Commercial Commercial CommercialPedestrian Path

Site Plan

Core

One Bedroom

Two Bedroom

Three Bedroom

Section through typical units

Three Bedroom

Two Bedroom

One BedroomTwo Bedroom

The goal of designing housing for the new master plan of downtown Newark is one of integration. The mixed-use housing is to serve as a means of bridging two of the cities surviving districts- the Ironbound section and the Broad street area. In response to the monumental scale of the dowtown section, housing invites a human scale to the area and forms an interesting play of “object and void” in keeping the axial plan alive.

URBAN HOUSING

Sun Study

June 21st 8:00am

Dec 21st 8:00am

June 21st 10:00am

Dec 21st 10:00am

June 21st 12:00pm

Dec 21st 12:00pm

June 21st 2:00pm

Dec 21st 2:00pm

Lafayette Street Elevation

Access Street Elevation 0’

0’

50’

50’

100’

100’

200’

200’

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF NEWARKAND GIRLS CLUB OF NEW

RECIPROcity

The Boys and Girls Club for the city of Newark was a school wide proect, culminating with a build partnered with the Masonry Contractors of New Jersey. The driving concept behind the design was the idea of reciprocity- a mutual exchange. The facility actively generates advancement, encourages expression, and produces a product (community) that is greater then the sum of it’s parts. The linking of mind and body through architec-ture helps young adults explore and grow in both aspects, making them healthier and more well balanced.

Preservation of historical church on site.

Extension of main avenues determine site entrance axis.

Primary paths travel between mind and body-related program

Building Location

PublicEntrance

ResidentEntrance

West Elevation

Site Plan Ground Floor Plan0’ 50’ 150’

0’ 300’ 600’

PERSONAL WORK