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Portfolio of Work :: Sarah F. Bulgarelli University of Pennsylvania :: M. Arch 2011 | University of Michigan :: B.S. in Architecture 2008

Portfolio of Work :: Sarah F. Bulgarelli University of Pennsylvania :: M. Arch 2011 | University of Michigan :: B.S. in Architecture 2008

1.01 Framing the Local: Creating a new image for Haiti1.02 Peel: An urban farm for the masses1.03 Breathable Boundaries: A resort hotel for Governor’s Island1.04 Adjusting America: Correcting living standards for refugees1.05 Unravel: A vertical system for growing turf1.06 Cultivar | Culture: Traversing Berlin’s cross-cultural landscape

:: Contents ::

1.00

Creating a new image for Haiti :: Framing the LocalUniversity of Pennsylvania :: Arch 704: Brian Phillips + Julie Beckman, Spring 2011. In Collaboration with Bradley Schnell

1.01

:: Haiti’s minimal geography has long had a global impact, first as a major source of colonial wealth and later as the first black nation to gain its independence. The impact of the January 2010 earthquake again placed Haiti in the global spotlight, framing an image of the country as devastated

by disease, structural collapse, and humanitarian aid. Today, the layers of Haitian culture go much deeper than the images projected across the globe. Much of the country’s cultural capital, such as art, spirituality, and city life, is being overshadowed by the extreme contrasts existing in Haiti

today. These contrasts simultaneously highlight Haiti’s economic assets as well as its setbacks. Our design interventions, placed periodically throughout the city and each responding to its own set of contrasts, serve as reminders of the rich cultural capital present in Haiti today.

Creating a new image for Haiti :: Framing the Local

Vertical Circulation Viewing Platform

View

Slope

Walking Surface

12

3

1 2 3

Section

Alley View

Main Road View

Open Lot View

Focal Point

Park in Martissant

Port-au-Prince Bay

Alley View Main Road View Open Lot View Focal Point

Martissant. Urban Density vs. Natural Landscape

View Crossings View Focal Points Density Crossings Density Focal PointsVisualizing Contrasts. Density vs. View Street Rhythms. Locating Views

:: By focusing on street life as the nexus of these contrasts, the nuances of Haitian culture are accentuated. In Martissant, an under-developed slum of Port-au-Prince, the street remains a dense urban environment filled with street vendors, make-shift

homes, and bustling activity. It is only when the dense urban fabric breaks at narrow alleys between buildings that one has access to the sprawling Caribbean view.

These views must be framed by a series of structures that not only draw attention to the landscape but also facilitate movement.

[Vie

w] U

rban

Den

sity

vs.

Nat

ural

Lan

dsca

pe

Post

card

s fro

m M

artis

sant

Alle

y Se

ctio

n

People Automobiles Urban Debris Surrounding Buildings Visual Extensions

People

Automobiles

Urban Debris

Surrounding Buildings

Width of Street

Visual Extensions

Indoor/Outdoor WalkwayShaded Seating1

1

2

2

Section

Tent Camp Access Height

Creating a new image for Haiti :: Framing the Local

Petion-ville. Luxury Tourism vs. Local Poverty

Local Crossings Local Focal Points Tourist Crossings Tourist Focal PointsVisualizing Contrasts. Tourist vs. Local Street Rhythms. Locating Interchange

:: The Port-au-Prince suburb of Petion-Ville represents a divide between the tourist occupying luxe area hotels and the local temporarily residing in tent camps

located at major points of interchange. Interventions at these points must alleviate the effects of this contrast and encourage interaction. The wood structures also

introduce a building material that has long been considered a lost resource. Their simple assembly allows struggling local people to reclaim their country’s economic

stability by establishing a construction trade that is specific to Haiti.

Stre

et S

ectio

n[In

terc

hang

e] To

urist

vs. L

ocal

Postc

ards

from

Pet

ion-v

ille

An urban farm for the masses :: PeelUniversity of Pennsylvania :: Arch 501: Jenny Sabin, Fall 2008

:: On a large isle wedged between the Manayunk, PA mainland and the Schuykill River, the urban farm serves as a social hub for the community where people can grow, buy and sell vine produce. The transformation of the path leading from the community’s residential neighborhood to its

social center is reinterpreted in a series of 3-dimensional studies that examine how minor changes in scripted variables can drastically transform the outcome. As a set of relationships, these studies were understood at various scales: spatial volume, structure, and form.

Spatial Volume Structure Form

1.02

Interior Program Peel

An urban farm for the masses :: Peel:: Beginning with a set of scripted relationships, the path from the isle to the mainland

is read linearly with each stage rotating and contracting to produce a varied effect. The rotation changes as the pavilion crosses the canal, establishing a physical link

between the social hub and the surrounding neighborhood. Connecting the consumer to the product, the act of farming becomes the core. Subsidiary program peels of off

the farming center, as it depends on the goods produced by the farm to sustain itself.

Restaurant

Interior MarketInterior Planting

Exterior PlantingCommunity GardensExterior MarketTractor StorageDelivery Area

Uplifting the Earth

Cross Section 1

amp = 4 amp = 6 amp = 8 amp = 10 amp = 12 amp = 14 amp = 16 morphing between amplitudes

Wave Grid ScriptChanging Amplitude

Cross Section 2

An urban farm for the masses :: Peel:: The pavilion’s structure facilitates human interaction while creating a dramatic play

between light and shadow. Composed of a series of cables supported by a steel frame, the structure, serves as an armature for planting, allowing vines to grow up the surface

+ enclose the interior.

[Extension] Crossing the Canal

[Hab

itatio

n] In

tera

ction

Phys

ical M

odel

[Hab

itatio

n] V

iew O

ut

:: Serving as a hotel on Governor’s Island in New York City and utilizing West 8’s prize-winning site plan for the land, the resort emphasizes the ever-changing climate of the city as a way of creating localized experiences. The dynamic interplay between wind, sun, and air circulation is

architecturalized to create specific micro-climates, moments within the building that produce drastically different climatic effects. These moments are emphasized by minimizing the architectural specificity of the whole while maximizing the exactitude of the climatic moment. Determined by the

inherent qualities of the overlapping spaces, these micro-climates have the ability to produce various effects, such as heat, wind, turbulence, steam, condensation, and humidity.

Spatial VolumeWind Catcher Evaporative CoolingHeat Transfer

A resort hotel for Governor’s Island :: Breathable BoundariesUniversity of Pennsylvania :: Arch 602: Ben Krone, Spring 2010. In collaboration with Shannon Brennan

1.03

:: To take advantage of the prevailing winds, the building is situated on the water’s edge at the base of the rolling hills of the West 8 plan. As a way of accommodating both day visitors and overnight guests, the hotel focuses on different user types. A sequence of events is established for each, generating a series of spaces that merge and separate

at different moments. When these paths intersect, the building responds with complexity on both the surface and the interior, creating environmentally passive micro-climates

within the simple box.

A resort hotel for Governor’s Island :: Breathable Boundaries

Theater SpaBarRestaurant Pool/Gyim Locker Rm. Visitors Rooms Lobby

Overnight Visitors

Event VisitorsDay Visitors

GG

IEE

A

F

GG

GB

GD

GF

Program :: Sequential Organization Circulation :: User Paths Interchange :: Points of Overlap Passive Strategy :: Major Air-Intake Points

N

Second Floor PlanSite Plan

LOBBY

POOL

OUTDOOR SPACE

AW

ind Tu

nnel

BAR

SPA

PATIO

F

BAR

THEATER

G

Cros

s-Ve

ntila

tion

Bree

zy S

un S

pace

Turb

ulenc

e

PORCH

ROOMS

J

Longitudinal Section

:: Materials are used strategically, utilizing those that are specific to the environmental effect of each micro-climate. Cast-in-place concrete, glass, wood, and metal mesh

combine in various configurations to alter the state of the air entering the building. As a result, each climatic condition is intensified both visually and experientially.

A resort hotel for Governor’s Island :: Breathable Boundaries

[Materiality] Illuminance

5

Cool Air In

Heat From Sun

1

7

7

8 9

2

3

3

4

4

9

6

Components

1. Weather Proofing2. Gutter3. Glazing4. Concrete Structure5. Thermal Insulation6. Vapor Barrier7. Steel Support Clip8. Steel Plate9. Steel Bolt

Roof Connection

Glass Overlap

SPA

BAR

I

[Passive Strategy] Sauna Detail Spa Sauna

Sun Space

:: A refugee’s assimilation into a new culture is most importantly about the transformation of his quality of life from sub-standard to one that is infinitely bettered. To achieve this, the living space must be both reproportioned and reorganized within the surrounding community to create a

balance between native residents and foreign-born refugees. Particular attention must be paid to the horizon in relation to the ground plane and circulation in relation to water. The influx of refugees into Jersey City, NJ has made it an ideal site for the manipulation of these variables in order to

create more suitable living quarters for foreign-born residents.

Spatial VolumeTransparency Massing

Correcting living standards for refugees :: Adjusting AmericaUniversity of Pennsylvania :: Arch 601: Tina Manis, Fall 2009

1.04

Exchange Oscillation Tension

Exchange of Space Oscillation of Horizon Tension of Water

:: In order to understand refugees’ current quality of life, it is necessary to analyze the variables that affect their lives in a particular area: availability of housing, cost of living, occupational density, and seasonal temperature differential. Horizon is understood as

a sectional shift in relation to the ground plane. Water is used as a circulation strategy, directing movement inside of, around, and through the flow of water. Public and private

access is achieved through two systems: the cross-axis reflecting pool and the rising extended green space.

California

Florida

New York

Refugees in Poverty

Available Low-Income Housing Units

Refugee Housing Shortage

Avg. Income of Refugee Household

Cost of Living

Dependence of Government Programs

Avg. # Occupants/Low-Income Unit

Avg. # Bedrooms/Low-Income Unit

Density of Low-Income Unit

(% of National Unit Total)

(% of State Refugee Total)

(% of Refugees in Poverty)

(% of Cost of Living)

(Based on a 4-Person Household)

(Based on a 4-Bedroom Household)

(% of National Poverty Level, $21,200)

(% of National Poverty Level, $21,200)

(Occupant/Room)

Average Winter Climate

Average Summer Climate

(Degrees F)

(Degrees F)

Temperature Variation

(Degrees F)

40,125

36,065

196,845

85,281 41,107

36,194

44,174

+156,720

129

$15,547

$17,789

$12,009

$27,772

$28,620

$17,596

$12,225

$10,831

$5587

2.70

2.30

2.50

1.85

1.82

1.96

1.46

1.26

1.28

439,591 refugees

298,061 refugees

252,357 refugees

50 F

34 F

26 F

77 F

97 F

86 F

27 F

64 F

60F

New Jersey9787 39,387 +29,600 $15,609

$26,712 $11,103

1.80 1.46 1.23

38,837 refugees

24 F

82 F 58 F

Quality of Life In Jersey CityVariableConditionExcess Condition

Correcting living standards for refugees :: Adjusting America

Hig

hE

ye

-Leve

lL

ow

12

34

13

2

5

6

Parki

ng Lo

t

Parki

ng Lo

t

Parki

ng Lo

t

Parking

Lot

Parking Lot

Parking

Lot

Parking Lot

Parking Lot

Access

Water FlowWater FlowAccess

Horizon: Building: Volume1-Story Residential Building2-Story Residential Building3-Story Residential Building4-Story Residential Building

Extracted Axes

Floor 21. Bedroom Area2. Built-In Dresser3. Sunken Bed

Floor 11. Entry Foyer2. Kitchen3. Living Area4. Bathroom5. Housing Corridor6. Shared Atrium

Building SkinRotation of Skinning System

Typical Unit Plan

down

down

down

down

:: A system of twisted metal panels are adjusted in rotation according to elevation as a method of controlling the horizon. By equalizing the view on all levels, the quality of life

is balanced for refugees in elevated housing units and the community utilizing the lower public space.

down

down

up

up

Correcting living standards for refugees :: Adjusting America

Site PlanAnd Adjacent Green Spaces

N

up

up

Below Ground Floor Plan Ground Floor Plan Above Ground Floor Plan

Longitudinal Section

[Rot

ation

] Skin

ning

Syste

m

Secti

onal

Unit M

odel

[Cut

] Wat

er A

xis

:: Asked to create a vertical system for growing sod, students were given a 48’W x 24’H x 4’D wall to work with. Virtually unsited, the wall investigates a process pertaining to the cultivation and maintenance of turf. It utilizes grass clippings as a source of fertilization, where the it both contains and disperses the waste to removable sod pallets. The more clippings distributed to a particular pallet, the taller the sod grows, making

cultivation completely dependent on the pattern of dispersal

Spatial Volume

A vertical system for growing Turf :: UnravelUniversity of Pennsylvania :: Arch 501: Jenny Sabin, Fall 2008

1.05

Containment Transitional Dispersal Full Dispersal

:: A series of scenarios were tested, altering the amount of clippings delivered to the wall. Over time, the surface becomes more or less saturated according to where the clippings are dispersed. Divided into 40 pallets equal in size, a subdivisional code is developed, dividing each pallet according to the amount of

fertilizer added to its soil. These latent stages represent still time. Transitional stages occur as the pallets unroll due to changes in fertilization, creating an ever-changing elevational and sectional aesthetic.

A vertical system for growing turf :: Unravel

[Occupation] Traversing the Wall

Pallet with 1 round of fertilizationPallet with 2 rounds of fertilizationPallet with 3 rounds of fertilizationPallet with 4 rounds of fertilizationRegeneration after 4 rounds of fertilization

Subdivisional Code

[Latent] Stage 2 [Latent] Stage 3 [Latent] Stage 4 [Latent] Stage 5 [Latent] Stage 6 [Latent] Stage 7 [Latent] Stage 8[Latent] Stage 1

[Intermediate] Transitional StageBetween stages 3 and 4

[Advanced] Transitional StageBetween stages 7 and 8

[Intermediate] Transitional Elevation

[Intermediate] Transitional Elevation

:: Nature has been an identifying characteristic of the German culture since its birth. Over time, the German kinship with nature has oscillated between a self-identification with the forest, an appcreciation of leisurely open space, and the reliance on land for the production of food. Exemplified

by its extensive park system and the establishement of the Schrebergartens, community allotment gardens within the city, Berlin has created a hierachy of open space that organizes the cityscape while continuously remembering German idenity. Positioned on Museum Island at the nexus

of the sciences, arts, and education, the new Humboldt Forum will be a cultural landscape that not only explores Germany’s rich and ever-evolving relationship with nature but also shares it with the rest of the world.

Traversing Berlin’s cross-cultural landscape :: Cultivar │ CultureUniversity of Pennsylvania :: Arch 701: Luis Feduchi w. Andrew Schlatter, Fall 2010

1.06

Schrebergarten Structure Embedded Plots Carving the Ground

:: At the surface, the new Humboldt Forum responds to the agricultural needs of Berlin’s culturally diverse community. Taking cues from past on-site circulation systems as well as the hierachical structure of the Schrebergartens, the landscape is organized into gardening plots dedicated to the production of international yet locally grown goods. Institutions representing

German, African, North American, Oceanic, Islamic, and Asian cultures will grow food as a symbol of their communities’ interaction with the earth in Berlin.

Traversing Berlin’s cross-cultural landscape :: Cultivar │ Culture

Railroad TracksPublicResidentialIndustrialMixedCoreProductive Green SpaceProductive Green Space

Berlin Schrebergarten Plot Division Berlin’s Open Space System

Agora New Museums Library Humboldt Univ. Additional Discarded

Humboldt Forum Program Preserved Program Cultivated Program Discarded Program Proposed ProgramRoof Terrace

Ground Level

Sloped Void

Underground

Additional Program

Admin, Sound Archives

Music DeptBook Storage (Arts)Teaching Library (Youth)Teaching Library (Children)

InformationResource Circulation

Administration + Science LabsExhibition Exhibition

Book Storage (Arts)Book Storage (Sciences)Teaching Library (Youth)Teaching Library (Children)

InformationResource Circulation

Book Storage (Arts)Book Storage (Sciences)Teaching Library (Youth)Teaching Library (Children)

InformationResource Circulation

Facilities

Phonogram ArchivesEthnological Library

Ethnological SciencesEthnological RestorationMusic Exhibition

African Exhibition

American Exhibition

Islamic Exhibition

Oceanic Exhibition

Asian Exhibition

East Asian Exhibition

East Asian RestorationEast Asian SciencesEast Asian Library

South + Central Asian Exhibition

South Asian RestorationSouth Asian SciencesSouth Asian Library

Entrance Hall

Coat Room, Lockers

Museum Shops

Restauraunt

Cultural CafeMulti-functional HallAuditorium + Backstage AreaSeminar Rooms

Exhibition

LapidariumFacilities

Entrance Hall

Coat Room, Lockers

International Market

Restauraunt

Cultural CafeMulti-functional HallAuditorium + Backstage AreaSeminar Rooms

Exhibition

Facilities

Entrance Hall

Coat Room, Lockers

International Market

Restauraunt

Cultural Cafe

Multi-functional HallAuditorium + Backstage AreaSeminar Rooms

Exhibition

Facilities

Void :: Forest

Void :: Field

Void :: Forest

Void :: Field

Garden Facilities

African Gardens

American Gardens

Oceanic Gardens

Islamic Gardens

Asian Gardens

Asian Gardens

East Asian Gardens

East Asian Gardens

South + Central Asian Gardens South + Central Asian Gardens

African Gardens

Garden Facilities

American Gardens

Oceanic Gardens

Islamic Gardens

Administration + Science LabsExhibition

Program Allocation and Distribution

:: The seamless flow from the pedesrian street to the cultivated forum allows for an open exchange between different ethnic groups gathering at the cultural hub. The inherent

German-ness of the site will be preserved in the creation of two large, unobstructed gestures: the forest and the field. By introducing elements of Berlin’s established greenscape within the

Schrebergarten-like infrastructure of the cultivated landscape, the city’s open space system is recreated at the Humoldt Forum.

Traversing Berlin’s cross-cultural landscape :: Cultivar │ Culture

Longitudinal Section A-A

Cross Section B-B

Site Plan

Cultiv

ated

Sur

face

Plan

Grou

nd F

loor P

lan

Phys

ical M

odel

Thank you for your consideration!

101 S. 39th Street, Apt. F201Philadelphia, PA 19014

sarahbulgarelli@gmail.com248.709.2093

Portfolio of Work :: Sarah F. Bulgarelli University of Pennsylvania :: M. Arch 2011 | University of Michigan :: B.S. in Architecture 2008