jack david gamboa arkitekto

slipcase SLOslot paraSITE

jack_david_gamboa

prof .carmen_trudel l

a r c h _ 1 3 2

c a l _ p o l y + s l o

w i n t e r 2 0 1 3

jack david alcantara gamboa is a first year architecture student attending the california polytechnic state university of san luis obispo. his passion for design and and love of architecture is what allows him to excell in this field of study. jack grew up in a big family with four older siblings, and knew he wanted to be an architect ever since he was a small child. this love of architecture comes directly from his dad who attended archiecture school in the philippines. in the future, jack hopes to graduate from cal poly with a bachelors degree in architecture and hopefully move on to a graduate program. cal poly has allowed jack to realize that architecture is his true passion and calling in life. he hopes to eventually go to work at a big new york city firm and eventually open his own design + build practice.

slipcase.

excavate.

conjoin: post excavation, the instructions were to analyze our new transformed site, and join it together with ‘grippers.’ this was a lesson in site analysis as well as friction fitting elements of design. little did we know, the lessons learned in this project would later translate into human scale.

the final stage of project sequence one was to create a slipcase for our book which interacted with the edge of a table. i chose to find a way to cantiliever my book over the edge in two different positions. all of this had to be accomplished while translating our site into our design.

slipcase section.

SLOslot.

site analysis for SLOslot provided many sights into the space. the most natural range of motion within the space was to start off in a seated position on the retaining wall, run through the site, and jump into an opening in the roof. this movement can be seen to the left. the site was triangualr in nature, which is where the parasitic design was derived from. located under a walkway and next to a creek, this SLO slot site could prove to be a perfect place to sit and watch nature, which is what the additions were designed to do. after relaxing, a person could climb through the opening and emerge to enjoy the shops above.

SLOslot was another lesson in site analysis, combined with lessons in how to create a collage presentation board. my design took the triangular nature of my site and translated it into the structures inhabiting my SLOslot. these structures also had ways of interacting with the human body with functions for sitting, laying, and even climbing.

paraSITE.fifty + one

analysis of our site yielded many conditions we did not see in our initial

investigations. we found that the coral gum tree which shades area 51

only grows to one direction, and that the sun sets behind the tree, giving it a

magnificent glow as the hours pass. wind tests done by stringing led lights off of

branches showed the strong winds that occupy the area during the night. all of

these conditions helped us in realizing a design for our paraSITE

AREA 51

measure lift fold

measure lift fold

sit recline relax+ +

study model

digital rendering

Kickstand

Blade

Wing

FenceRoot

Table

Back

Bench

Wall

Base

plan

west elevation

construct + install

paraSITE 51 grew out of a need for relaxation. upon discovery that our site was a huge traffic area for (potentially stressed) students and faculty walking to and from class, we decided to create a space where they could sit, recline, and relax. the shade provided by the adjacent coral gum tree assures cool temperatures, and helps create an environment perfect for relaxing (and napping). the shape of the paraSITE is directly related to the shape and dimensions of the wall, as well as proportions of the human body. passers by are usually caught off guard by the presence of mirrors, which serve two functions. one is to grab the attention of whoever is walking by, and the other is to create a ‘third eye’ which lets you see the tree behind you as you are sitting and relaxing on the bench. we hoped to create a space that was beautiful in its design, yet was purposeful in helping to relieve stress and anxiety. so we invite you to come, sit, and recline. Allow the space we have created to help you become a better, more relaxed, you.

the entire design + build process for paraSITE 51 was an experience I will never forget. from the challenges our site faced to the decision to break the ‘rules’ and add mirrors, we went through it together as a team. we learned that the project does not belong to the individual, it belongs to the team. in the design phase of our paraSITE, many many ideas were presented as candidates. our top three choices included a dynamic mirrored gate, a randomized structure that played off of the wall’s chamfer, and a simple bench. elements of all three were combined to create the structure we presented. the play off of the 135 degree angle was important to us because it brought the site into our design. the mirrors were integral in seeing the site in a different way, and we made sure to insert our parasite into every nook and cranny we could find. in the end, we came out with a piece that we were proud to call our own. not only that, but the bench was as functional and comfortable as it was beautiful. we couldn’t be more proud of paraSITE 51.

extrasm o r e[ ]

film photography

cheers!

special thanks to everyone who made this quarter in architecture school so worth while. to my studio professor, carmen trudell, thanks for being so understanding and for always trying to find the best aspects of our designs, and also for being such a cool professor! to my paraSITE group, thank you for being the best group I could have asked for, without you guys, paraSITE 51 would have never been possible. to everyone in studio, everyone in the architecture department, support shop staff, and all the architecture faculty, thank you for making this quarter what it was. all the late nights, in studio, long days in the shop, and countless hours of sanding we spent together is what really made this quarter so great. i joke a lot about how much work studio is, and how much time studio consumes in my life, but in reality, i joke because so far, studio has been the most rewarding aspect of my entire academic career. to me, there is no greater feeling than to complete a project, sit back, and realize that you’ve done great work. so cheers! and lets do it again next quarter!

this portfolio contains all the best works of jack david gamboa from the winter quarter of 2013 at cal poly san luis obispo