Embellished Facades & Missplaced envelopes

In collaboration with Kevin Wu



Instructor: Florencia Pita

                      fpmod









Case Study: Edificio Somisa, Buenos Aires, Argentina

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Volume and Surface, or container and envelope are the two architectural variables that we will investigate in this project, but instead of looking at the tight fit of the envelope towards a volume, We will treat them as separate elements, by misplacing, enlarging and re-folding the outer surface. By working with the facades of the given Case Studies We will re-design the volumes as a way to rethink the relationship between the envelope and the volume of a building.

 

The headquarters building of SOMISA is recognized as the first building of Argentina made entirely of steel, and for being the first worldwide fully welded.

Our interest is to represent the linear, steel, glazed and lightness in the existing facade to more curvy, concrete, ornament and heavy facade as a way to apply an extreme contrast looking for a greater architectural effect on the new surface.

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Process: Starting by unfold the two and only sides of the building (Somisa building) and flatten it to reform & remap the facade’s elements to get a change of 2D depth of the elevation into 2.5D to provide new idea for surface geometry.