Brenton Santos

Vineyard RetreatSummer 2014

Dance CenterFall 2013

Outdoor Dance PavilionFall 2013

Annex ConnectorSpring 2013

Urban SanctuarySpring 2013

Projects:

Vineyard RetreatSummer 2014

The aim of the project was to create a space for an elderly couple to retreat from the city. The vineyard serves as the site for the retreat and is carried throughout the design.

The home should be a place that incorporates the vegetation of the site while providing a space to entertain guests with food and wine.

The building is made up of two horizontal planes rotated to the angle of the vines. These portions are connected by a main foyer that provides a direct view into the path upon entry.

The left portion of the building is comprised of the living quarters for the couple while the right makes up the portion for entertaining guests.

The outdoor space is a covered courtyard made from the void between these two masses.The structural rhythm of the building relates to the five foot spacing of the vines in the site.

The entertaining spaces are skylit to highlight the places of most congregation and interest. These same skylights function as a seating area on the room deck above.

Dance CenterFall 2013

Engaging the back wall I was able to create a space that overlooks the park. I extended out from the wall creating an L shaped form. This extension created a bookend to the park while also creating a courtyard space between itself and the Cambridge Public Library.

The distinct different wings of the building helped organize the program of the building. The space connected to the back of the gym was used as a café and office spaces because of the view and natural light they provided.

The extension parallel to Ellory Street was used as entryway as well as housing the practice and performance spaces. Once in the space the visitor could continue on through the double doors into the performance space or up a set of stairs to practice spaces.

The stage is set so that it is the hinge on which the buildings two distinct portions meet. Above the stage is a vaulted space that is covered by a slanted curtain wall system in order to deal with the corner condition created by this joint.

The form of the building creates a courtyard, which is a natural place of congregation. In this courtyard an outdoor performance spacebecomes the centerpiece. Another outdoor space is located above the practice studios.

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Located adjacent to the Cambridge Public Library my Outdoor Dance Pavilion attempts to combine nature with knowledge.

I do this by using the Fibonacci/golden spiral to layout spaces in the site and create a Structural system that surrounds the pavilion.

Seen below is the pavilion in the winter. The seating is tucked away to allow a large open space that can be used as an ice skating rink. The structure is a series of ascending triangles that follows the Fibonacci sequence and Creates a shell for the performance.

The structural system is covered in aluminum panels on the first and third tiers. These tiers will weather along with the surrounding park allowing it to mold continuously into the site.

The second tier is covered in glass to allow the low winter sun to enter the space but not during the summer when the sun is higher in the sky.

I wanted the pavilion to be a piece of art in itself something that hosts art performances but works as a performance of its own.

Outdoor Dance PavilionFall 2013

Annex ConnectorSpring 2013

The front facade of the building moves to translate the actions that take place within. A system of horizontal louvers bring light into private spaces, while a system of rotating boxes provide a view into a space once it is occupied.

The building aims to glorify the work process by showing the community the designer when they are hardest at work. This building combines the community to the school by expression of light.

The Architecture and Design majors are both design oriented professions that require very similar spaces for work. A private space for individual design, a collaborative space where they can interact with peers, and a place of rest to collect their thoughts. Each space is delegated by material opacity.

The central spine of the building is the circulation. It has an articulating screen that rotates and shows the movement of students throughout the building. Work is glorified by light while movement is glorified through view.

The back facade of the connector is made up of cantilevered work spaces. This facade creates a courtyard for students to inhabit when they are not working.

Urban SanctuarySpring 2013

Upon entering the space the one must first understand and accept the loss of their loved one. Light spills down the inside of the wall and floods over the feet, symbolizing the washing of feet before prayer. Each space is designed around the stages of grief.

The first stage is denial; the occupant is placed in a dark room with light illuminating only their family and the urn of the deceased. Anger follows denial as the procession moves through a narrow corridor exposing them to aggravating noise and light effects. The bargaining phase is a mezzanine that stops inches from the cemetery wall and a line of light separates the living from the deceased.

I created a courtyard that reverberates the sound of the crying and mourning to strengthen the depression. The noise is amplified by the copper door that works as a columbarium. When the copper doors are exposed to the elements they oxidize and the rain pattern leaves behind a mark similar to a tear stain.

The last stage is acceptance; It is only reached once the individual has come to terms with the loss of the loved one and has experienced every stage in the grief process. It is personified by finally completely the final turn and reentering society.