alexa dack. design portfolio. 2014. Cal Poly, SLO.
Biography Project One: The Vortex. Library Re-design Project. Fall 2012. Professor Thomas Fowler. Cal Poly SLO. Project Two: Convergence. Duplex Housing Project. Fall 2011. Professor Robert Arens. Cal Poly SLO. Project Three: Revive. Mixed-Use Building Design. Winter 2013. Professor Christopher Yip. Cal Poly SLO. Project Four: The otion of Motion. Adaptive Reuse of Marina Shore. Summer 2013. Professor Thomas di Santo. Studio Ticino. In collaboration with colleagues: Cameron Darr and Edvin Vargas. 1 2 4 5 6 table of contents.
Born and raised in Fremont, California, Alexa has always seemed to gravitate to design. After unintentionally selecting a sophisticated, French moiré plaid fabric for her family s dining room chairs at age three, it was clear that she had an innate sense of style. Her interest in structural design came from her aspirations to be like her father, a structural engineer with his own business. Her first significant hands-on design project was started at age six, when she designed, and helped construct a playhouse with her father. Alexa had a vision for every aspect of the design, from the interior loft to her hand-selection of the reclaimed Dutch doors. She was also responsible for selecting the paint colors, fixtures, and furnishings inside. She was involved with all aspects of the process. Helping her father construct the playhouse, she was exposed to materials and the procedures of building early on. From then on, her love for design and structure only grew, and her desire to study architecture was only strengthened throughout high school and her experiences with Habitat for Humanity. Being a competitive dancer for twelve years, she has always had a creative spirit but also a respect for the technical aspect of execution in delivery. Her level of performance in all aspects, including the craft put into her work, is always executed to the highest standard of her abilities. Her commitment to the profession only continues to grow as she pursues her architecture degree at Cal Poly and gains more knowledge from each quarter of study. Most recently she has participated in two study abroad programs. The first lead by a fifth-year thesis professor from Cal Poly, which consisted of a summer of study in Switzerland and France learning from important architectural works of: Le Corbusier, Peter Zumthor, Herzog et de Meuron, Mario Botto, Valerio Olgiati, Santiago Calatrava, Jean ouvel, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando, Renzo Piano, and many others. Additionally this experience provided the opportunity to learn from several local artisans from the Ticino region and architect Enrico Como from Milano. Most recently, she has studied in Rome, Italy under the Architecture Iniatives Abroad Rome Center program, where she has had the opportunity to learn both from and how to design among such rich, historic architecture. Major: Architecture Hometown: Fremont, California High School: Valley Christian High School in Dublin, California College: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Memberships: The ational Society of Collegiate Scholars, The Golden Key International Honor Society, The Tau Sigma Delta Architecture Honor Society. Cal Poly SLO AIAS Chapter. A member of the Cal Poly Dance 2010-2013. biography.
5075 Third Street San Francisco, CA The Vortex is a library re-design project located in the Bayview Hunter s Point area of San Francisco. The library is composed of nine individual programmatic spaces stacked and rotated about a central atrium, which cantilever out beyond the atrium space in all directions. The exterior ground plane serves as a map of the library s program with color-coded mosaic tiles that reflect the program volumes above and create a series of tangled pathways into the building and through the four interior circulation towers. The library is clad in Kawneer glass of varying translucencies with the most public spaces being most transparent and the more private spaces more opaque. The building aims to provide more public gathering spaces and digital resources to better serve the lowincome community that surrounds it, as it expands upon the existing library previously in this location. the vortex.
Atrium Open To Below Atrium Digital and Program Rooms Bookstacks Special Archives Bookstacks Atrium Open To Below Atrium Digital and Program Rooms Cafe Reading Room Bookstacks Ground Floor Ground Floor Third Floor orth-south Section Second Floor Second Floor Fourth Floor feet 0 4 12 24 West-East Section feet 0 4 12 24 Kawneer1600 Wall System 2 Western Elevation Composite Claddins System Primary Structure: Concrete Floors and Structural Tube Steel Glazing Panels and Secondary Structure the vortex. Southern Elevation
Lower Level: COSTRUCTABILITY: Upper Level: B-B Roof Level- Concrete Slabs and Extensive Green Roofs The roof level of the duplex also serves as the site for the second-story studio spaces. Located above the main level of living spaces, the work areas are isolated from the typical distractions that occur in a home. Extensive green roofs occupy the space above the living areas, to distinguish them from the work, or studio spaces, attached to the house. The extensive green roofs, which cover the majority of the house, create inhabitable outdoor spaces that can be accessed by the two families and any clients or guests who come to the residence. They are composed of vegetation, a 4 growing medium, a ilter membrane, drainage layer, waterproo ing membrane, thermal insulation layer, and a roo ing membrane, which all sits atop the structurally reinforced concrete roof slab. Interior Walls- Typical Stud and Drywall Construction The interior walls of the duplex are all either typical stud and drywall construction, or are operable glass walls that span from loor to ceiling. The glass walls allow for a visual connection in the shared spaces that remind the two families of the cohabitation that occurs but also provide for the option of privacy and personal living space. They are located such that, if opened, they will yield a larger shared living space that can be utilized for shared family experiences, entertainment, etc. A-A A-A Many of the duplex s exterior walls are large glass facades that visually connect both interior and exterior spaces, as well as allow natural light to low into the house. Also based off of the module, the glass facades are largely operable and allow the inhabitants to open the space to the outdoors. Several of the glass facades are accordion-style and span from loor to ceiling, thus completely eliminating the boundary of a wall when pushed to the opening position. All of the panels and facades are held in either tracks that allow for their operability, or wood mullions. Southern Elevation: Exterior Translucent Facades- Modular Glass Panels and Wood Mullions Western Elevation: B-B The opaque exterior walls of the duplex are composed of 4 inch Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) covered by a 2 tilt-up concrete rainscreen. The SIPS themselves are 4 thick and are composed of a piece of rigid instillation sandwiched between two 1 pieces of oriented strand board that protect the exterior. The exterior walls follow the 4 foot by 8 foot module with some variations based on 2 foot and 4 foot increments. A small gap exists between the tilt-up panels and the SIPS that allow for rainwater to collect and then drain out through weep holes in the concrete panels. Both the rainscreen and the SIPS sit lush on the foundation and are connected by brackets that are set into the exterior panels and foundations on-site at the time of casting. Section A-A: Exterior Opaque Facades- 4 SIPS clad with a 2 Tilt-Up Concrete Rainscreen Section B-B: Foundations- Site-Cast Concrete Slabs The foundations for the housing units are on-site, cast concrete slabs with control joints placed to illustrate the 4 foot by 8 foot module the house is based upon. The foundations sit nestled into the site s excavations and prove the base for the tilt-up concrete rainscreen and SIPS that give the house its structure. The foundations extend out beyond the house s exterior walls to pave pathways to the second-story studios, as well as the entry to the house, and thus connect interior and exterior spaces by serving as a transition between them. Wooden decks extend off the back end of the concrete foundations to accommodate the families outdoor living and serve as another transitional space between the exterior and interior by maintaining the same footing level. The concrete slabs also provide radiant heating that help maintain the interior temperature of the living spaces. The hydronic radiant loors make use of hot water running through a series of pipes embedded in the concrete slabs, which is known as a wet installation. orthern Elevation: Eastern Elevation: The Site Located in temperate Santa Maria, California, this unique site challenges the notion of typical suburbia that views the house as an object, which can be placed anywhere on its site. This site, divided into 4 quadrants of varying articulation, has a distinct terrain that the house seeks to absorb and respond to. Through excavation of the terrain, the housing units nestle into the site itself and seek grounding in the provided landscape. The excavations create a permanent sense of place for the duplex and restrict the notion of the house s ability to be placed elsewhere on the site. This 3500 sq ft. duplex, inspired by the convergence of spaces and the Usonian style of Frank Lloyd Wright, is located in a residential cul-de-sac in temperate Santa Maria, California. The residence is deeply rooted in the unique topography of the site, four quadrants of varied articulation and proportion. The house is defined by three living units, one for each family s individual functions as well a third shared space. Level changes, as well as operable glass walls, differentiate the private, public, and shared spaces in the duplex. As a reminder of the co-habitation, the entrance to either side of the duplex occurs at the core of the building, the shared living space. From this space, the circulation leads into the seperate families public and then private living quarters in either direction. The house provides shared outdoor living space and accessible green roofs that take advantage of the mild climate to accomodate outdoor living. Large windows and glass facades, shaded by overhangs on the southern and western sides of the duplex, connect the interior and exterior spaces, while also bringing natural light into the residence. convergence.
orthern Elevation Western Elevation Southern Elevation First Level Second Level Third Level South-orth Section Located in Avila Beach along the central coast of California, this mixed use building includes a private residential component as well as public, commercial space. The building houses a tai-chi center, a yoga center, and a tea bar on the first and second levels of the building and has a seperate, private circulation route for the residence on the third level. The building takes advantage of the temperate climate and provides for outdoor living and seating on both the public and residential levels. revive. front street and san francisco avila beach, california 93424
retail residential units boat repair gallery restaurant hostel Located on the southern coast of France across the water from Saint-Tropez, this project re-envisions a private waterfront site with three existing buildings. Keeping the initial strucutre of the three buildings, the project redesigns the spaces within, the facades, and also proposes an addition of a housing component to link the three existing forms together. The project is inspired by the movement of water, and it expresses the fluidity and motion of Mediterranean waves in its overall design and dynamic spaces. It provides various spaces for retail, boat service and storage, short and long-term residency, dining, child care, public habitation, and art display. the notion of motion.
Fourth Level Third Level Second Level the notion of motion. First Level