Christopher
Montalvo-McCarthy
architectural
computation/
fabrication
Sticks + Stones
Landscape & Timber Module Design for Ecotourism and Research in A Coruña, Spain
(5km Aperture)
Red - the Fonte Farm
White - viewshed Analysis overlaid for all 11 properties connected to the Fonte Farm
The sparsity of the viewshed map coincides with a visible vertical jump in the topography, easily detectable in the 1 m contour subset map. This also happens to occur along a road edged with considerably tall clustaers of eucalyptus. Despite the cloudy, wet climate, the property experiences near maximum levels of solar exposure for the region and is in some ways against a geographical wall. The only methods of approach even now occur only at the Southwestern corner and a narrow lane on the Northeastern end.
(2km Aperture)
Blue Fill - the Eume River
Blue Lines - edges of watershed analysis conducted on the topography, mapping from the centroid of each of the 11 properties
The gesture of the watershed map, almost echoed in the nearby bend of the Eume is of a counterclockwise logarithmic spiral jetisoning outward, The chain of momentum appears to move from the well at the Southeastern tip, through the nearest parcels (historic family home) and from there out to and through the fields. The quality of groundwater as it emerges from the woods is of vital concern to any research that may take place on the site, as well as the potential for phytoremediation and other methods of treating the fields which long hosted livestock.
Historic structures on site are identified in grey, including the barn wall complex. These elements are solely the subject of intervention and adaptive reuse. The Spiral Ecovention and deplyed timber structures must blend with the spatial order and formal language of what is already there.
The terracing with traditional Galician masonry only slightly deviates from ancient form to become traversible through a network of 1:20 grade ramps and stairs. The uppermost register will be expressed in a 1” structural glass installation inspired by Robert Smithson and pattern-fritted to prevent unnecessary avian death . The basin for the field terracing and cabin spaces will each retain water in the form of a cistern below grade.
Concept Module - Eucalyptus Timber/CLT Diaphragm System
Each cabin is located on a degree intersection of spokes emeging from the well offsite.Their progression as well as the curved wall of the cistern atop which they were erectes are both coincident with the logarithmic spiral.
Concrete reinforced grade beams will suspend each structure attop driven piles.
The only exception being the reinforced wall supporting the Eastern end of the pavillion known as the Bridge.
This exception will be surrounded by a gabion-wall structure as will all offset walls concealing ramps and stairs.
This progression of values highlights the value of a parametric facade design within a passive architectural system. Through a sequence of changes in reponse to testing, discreet elements such as light shelves and more extreme solutions such as the columnal fins on the Westerly promenade of the Research center were introduced until the project values in both the Cabins and the Research Center were brought into an acceptable range.
The Research Center was carefully optimized for daylighting and thermal comfort through the same iterative proces as the Cabins. After 8 iterations, its finned columns, at a consistent width and rotation outside of the building’s predominately glass envelope, shield the harshest of the afternoon sun’s effects resulting in an estimated SDA of 93.1%, and ASE of 14.7%, and an average lux of 165 lx.
Visible here is the partitioning into reception, maintenance, bathrooms, conference room, primary lab space, breakroom, utility, flanked on the Northern and Southern ends by open air porches. The roof cantilevers heavier on the Southern and Western sides, while overhanging just enough to shed water along the Eastern face.