architectureportfolio

DAN NGUYEN

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DAN NGUYENMaster of ArchitectureBachelor of ScienceRoger Williams University2008 - 2012

710 17th AvenueSan Francisco, CA 94118Email: Dnguyen973@g.rwu.eduCell: 617.877.1299

Larz Anderson Auto Museum

Pawtucket Green Screen

South Boston Urban Housing

King Park Community Recreation Center

Boston Design Competition: Urban Borealis

Structural Systems + Form

Providence Pedestrian Bridge

Baths of Janubio, Spain

HIV/AIDS Rehabilitation Center 3

The rehabilitation center in Fenway, Boston, Massachusetts meets the needs of HIV/AIDS patients that goes beyond the required medical attention. This program provides a unique approach to mental recovery. The success of this will rely on the design that is tailored for proper social interaction needed among the patients with hopes of being a catalyst of socialization and reintegration. The privacy required for the discretion of patients is required when articulating the spatial relationships. This building is signifi-cant in that it will cater to a demographic that is largely by society due to the stigma attached to those who are infected with HIV/AIDS. The ultimate goal is to reintegrate the patients back into society. This building is located in the heart of Boston as a result. The housing portion of this program is designed as a continuation of the pre-existing apartment buildings as a statement to the city that the patients belong with everyone.

Encouragement for interaction among patients stems from the necessity of their ability to share each other’s stories and connect as a part of the therapeutic process. Patients are provided housing that are grouped into pods, which contain 4 bedrooms, a kitchen, shared bathroom, and family room. The pods are meant to evoke a sense of family unity. Patients are welcome to stay at the rehabilitation center as long as they need to and until they are ready to return back into their homes, communities, and, ultimately, back to their lives they had prior to the impact that HIV/AIDS had on their lives.

HIV/AIDSCENTER

REHABILITATION

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

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Natural ventilation is de-fined as the number of volume air exchange per hour per unit floor area. It is necessary to reduce high indoor air temperature and humidity. In addition, it also maintains carbon dioxide concentration as outside of the greenhouse. Natural ventilation is pre-ferred because ventila-tion opening is built in the greenhouse, cheaper construction cost, and no energy and maintenanceare required as compared to the mechanical ventila-tion system.

wintersummerAn individual’s ability to care for and look after plants stimulates the person’s abil-ity to start caring for him or herself. Produce from the greenhouse will be brought down to the market, which is also fully oper-ated by patients. This allows pa-tients to interact with the general public, which re-intergrates them back into society.

HIV/AIDS REHABILITATION CENTER

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HIV/AIDS REHABILITATION CENTER

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auto museumlarz anderson

brookline, massachusetts

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larz anderson

The new design for the Larz Anderson Automotive Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts is an addition to the existing museum that will remain with the current collection. The new collection will house five galleries of German automobiles, which include Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen. The challenge of this design is to locate the building on the site in a way that relates to and reinforces the location of the existing structure while creating a dynamic view out to the Boston skyline.

The galleries were organized in a way that provides a continuous circulation sequence in the form of a “U.” One is able to walk through all of the galleries upstairs and downstairs in one swoop without revisit-ing already previewed galleries. There are two pairs of galleries that are stacked above one another. The fifth gallery is cantilevered so as to appear to be “reaching out” to Boston.

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LARZ ANDERSON AUTO MUSEUMThe new museum makes drastic gestures in the spirit of generating dynamic, scenic views, but is wholly aware to the sense of scale wherein one would feel comfortable being in. The building starts off at the top of the hill with a modest height, but is still able to respect, as well as pre-serve, the purity of the site.

One of the issues that came up while designing was how the addition would act as an extension to the existing museum while inviting the public in. The addition of the wind turbines generate revenue of collected energy, but they are also lined up in a manner in which they guide the wan-dering eye towards the new museum. The turbines make sure that the new building does not go overlooked due to the fact that it sits on the far end of the site away from the main roads.

The building is integrated into the site in a manner that is subtle yet creates dynamic views that frame the Boston skyline. The roofs and louvers are angled downwards at a slight tilt to greet the visitors and subtly opens up to the views. The main areas to enjoy the views out to Boston are at the terraces on the ends of each wing and also at the bleacher-styled seating area in the center. The bleacher-styled seating that is located adjacent to the café spans through two floors of cur-tain glass and is an optimum spot to be at ease for enjoying the scenic views over the trees.

LARZ ANDERSON AUTO MUSEUM

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The panel connects to the existing 8” o.c. bar system effectively using them as a tertiary structure of girts. The panel uses the same folding strategy to wrap around the bars and uses bolts to secure the panel in place without damaging the garage.

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PAWTUCKETPAWTUCKETGREEN SCREENre-interpreting and giving life to an existing facade in the heart of Pawtucket, Rhode Island

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Panel Fabrication Process

16”

48”

RWU>SAAHP>ARCH.588.01Digital Manufacturing in collaboration with the cityof Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Vegetated Gils<Applied Ivy

Folded Panel>

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96”

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V1

4” offsets

2” offset

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PLAN ELEVATIONS

The panels are ultimately all the same size, weight, shape and dimension, however their ability to fold allows them to oc-cupy different amounts of space. In addition the folding creates depth and the more a panel folds, the less facade it uses to generate the same amount of surface area. This concept allows for a high number of plantings while still allowing for sun and air to reach the inside of the parking garage.

English ivy is favored by many gardeners and yardeners for its versatility. It is easy to grow, forms an excellent dense ground and wall clover and is able to thrive in shaded areas. It also remains green all year, bringing color to the winter season. Given the slightest encouragement, it climbs walls, trellises and trees. Because it tolerates air pollution and poor soils, it is ideal for urban settings. English ivy is typically winter hardy.

When grown as a groundcover, English ivy spreads wherever it is allowed, and forms a dense mat 6 to 8 inches tall. As a climbing vine, English ivy uses its root-like holdfasts to ascend up to 80 feet, often completely covering walls.

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With the idea of having the whole lighting exhibition be self-sustaining, a great way of taking all the pedestrian movement through the site while absorbing that kinetic energy from footsteps and convert it into usable energy.

The mist cloud would be an interactive display where the light show would use sensors to track people’s positions and project different color lights above them. Interaction of the different lights would also change as people interacted with triggers of other towers.

As part of the self-sustaining system, the elec-tricity generated from the pathway panels would be used to power the mist towers along with the light projectors shining light onto the cloud.

Urban BorealisUrban Borealis

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SHIFTboston 2012 Design Competition

Copley Square, an important public square in Boston, is well known for its signifi-cant mix of different architecture styles. The mix of classical, medieval, and modern buildings in this square showcases the possibilities of human engineering and design, as well as the possibility that architecture can unite people together. The proposal for the lighting intervention unifies the square through a powerful symbol.

A glowing mist cloud attracts people to the square and brings them together. The inspiration for the cloud comes from looking at images of forests and how the trees appear to be united when the weather is foggy or misty. Copley Square, to a de-gree, can be seen as an urban forest and the cloud would bring unity to the square.

Copley Square generates a considerable amount of foot traffic daily. The wasted kinetic energy can be harvested to power a light show for the people of Boston. The existing stone will be replaced by energy collecting panels. As a result, the light show is self-sustaining.

The power harvested from the panels is used to power tall “mist towers” which hold water to create mist at the “tree-top” level of Copley Square. Light is projected onto the mist cloud, creating a spectacle of diffused light. Projected light reflects the positions and movements of the people in the square. Sensors track their move-ments so as the people move and interact, the lights above reflect their actions. The light show occurs only at certain times of the day to provide a build of anticipation.

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architecture technologySTRUCTURAL SYSTEMS AND FORMEXPLORATION IN18

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PEDESTRIAN BRIDGEPROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLANDarchitecture technology

preliminary concept

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BATHS

Janubioof

lanzarote, spain

Lanzarote’s coastline along the Atlantic Ocean has recently been the subject of vast tourist attraction which has made this a prime location to build a resor t that will cre-ate an experience unique to its location. This prime real estate provides a captivating point of destination for travelers combining intense views of the deser t land forma-tions with the delicate nature of the sea and salt flats.

The Baths of Janubio in Lanzarote seeks to capture the essence and beauty of the site, but also to respect and reflect the stunning nature of its surroundings. This building will serve to emphasize the beauties hidden within the site that can some-times be lost in its vast surroundings. This act of magnifying one feature at a time will be ar ticulated through spaces that bring the element of discovery to the guests.

Situated directly on the Atlantic Ocean, the project contributes to Spain’s growing tourism industry, but will assist in defining a more controlled tourist environment that is protective of the landscape. The Baths of Janubio is a majestic get-away with the intention of providing guests with a more serene environment where serenity is achieved through individual and unrestricted experience. This unique project allows the users to undergo a spiritual experience.

The Baths is a reflection of the region, history, culture, and nature of the landscape. Relaxation of the body in the physical environment is coupled with the relaxation of the mind in the spiritual environment. The experience throughout the framework of the building is deeply rooted with the experience around it - a completely tranquil experi-ence that is a direct result of the natural, and built surroundings.

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par tially buried in the ground

ventilated roof

shelter from wind 23

recycled pool water

burying the building

raw land building footprint working with contours extrusions

natural ventilation

local Canary stones

evaporation pool

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passive sustainability strategies

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artificial contours extruded finito

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south boston, massachusettsURBAN HOUSINGWithin such an urban realm, it is more than a nice feeling to be able to come to a private space that you can call your own... The spaces created within this complex are meant to give each and every inhabitant a sense of ownership. No two units in this com-plex will be the exact same, neither will the views of any two units be the same. This structure has been sculpted with the intent to be aesthetically pleasing to the inhabitants as well as the community. Although the outdoor park space may be accessibly by any pedestrian, it offers a sense of privacy being tucked in the back. The circulation space in between the three building nodes create a type of filtration system that prevents the park space from belonging to just “anyone.” Total maximization of the exterior walls is provided by offering all units either two to three exterior walls for their use.

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Newport, Rhode IslandKING PARK RECREATION CENTER

The King Park Recreation Center aims to unite the residents of Newport and really bring meaning to the word “community.” The Recreation Center will eliminate the barriers that the residents of this community have put up, which has resulted in a community that lacks interaction. A method used to communicate to the inhabitants that the Center is open to all was through making connections with elements around the site that are already embraced by the community. The main path used to get to the baseball field across Wellington Avenue has a unique shape in its pathway. This same element has been brought onto the property of the Community Center, which creates a visual connection tied to a known public facility. Being very conscious of the environment, the structure was also able to avoid the destruction of as many trees as possible.

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ground floor plan

second floor plan

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