Alessandro Ronga's portfolio

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Architecture Portfolio

Alessandro Ronga

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Cover picture by Alessandro Ronga(Extract from the descriptive geometry exam, Bsc 01)

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“You look at where you’re going and where you are and it never makes sense, but then you look back at where you’ve been and a pattern seems to emerge.”

(Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values)

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About Me

Contacts

Hi, my name is Alessandro Ronga, I am 26 years old and I am currently attending a Master Degree in Architecture at the Aalborg University in Denmark.

I was born and raised in Rome, the fascinating and ancient metropolis that I always keep close to my heart, where I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Architecture in 2014.

Studying architecture in a historical city such as Rome has given to me an analytical and critical approach to the context, providing me with the possibility to maturate a constant love for the discovery of new and innovative architectural approaches.

I really believe in architecture as the science of observation and understanding of what constantly sur rounds us, leading the architect to feed itself of curiosity about the world. It is thus really needed for an architect to lay itself into a completely foreign context, out of its usual world, to expand its knowledge and to create new interests.

To this purpose, I travelled all over Europe aiming to learn and observe as much as I could from people and buildings, leading to the decision of studying abroad for the second part of my aca demic career.

Ny Kastetvej 16A, 9000 Aalborg, DK

+45 50 33 70 89+39 329 3269980

[email protected]

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Contents

Annex

“The path”Msc 1 Architectural Design

Pg.6

“The void”Architectural and Urban Design

Pg.14

“SunCase”Sustainable Architecture

Pg.18

KindergartenArchitectural Design

Pg.22

“A place to ascend”Msc 1 Tectonic Studies

Pg.26

JeweleryLighting design

Pg.28

Laser CenterboardNaval Design

Pg.30

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“The path”

The project area is located in Norway, within the Aalesund’s commune, a place rich in nature and where the contrast is the dominant character. The project aims to connect, both physically and conceptually, the sacred with the profane. Starting from the idea to link the area with the adjacent cemetery, is developed a path that is both physical and spiritual, and that exploits the topography to the advantage of the concept. This path represent in fact the human’s journey in the research of faith and follows the ascending terrain to reinforce the spiritual idea and the difficulty of the route. Furtheremore it is surrounded, as in real life, by many profane elements represented by the administrative and collective functions inside the church.The path is also dotted of stages, expressed through the use of the four natural elements to connect once more the building to thenature. There are thus, in a consequential order: earth, water, fire, air and earth again, represented by the presence of an underground cloister (situated under the chapel).

//// 2014 Studio design

INFO

Tectonic Design, Structure and Construction, Msc 01, AAU, group work

AutoCadRhino+VRayIllustratorPhotoshopGrasshopperModel (Laser Cutter)

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1.Diagrams of contrasts

2.The beginning

3.The path

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1.Plan

2.Section A-A’

4.Form and functions

3.Section C-C’

5.The yard

Connection & Flows

Sacred fuctions

Profane fuctions & public spaces

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It is necessary to use artificial light in the whole building, especially during the winter, but since natural light is preferred to make a building alive and adding a more diverse mood it should be used as much as possible. These pictures show an idea of how the light behaves in the path and in the church room. The path should be the spine of the building where a guideline should take you through the different functions and experiences of the complex. The opening in the roof should create an interestig and sharp light that directs visitors. Since the church room should be a more spiritual place where one can get a sense of eminence, there should be lots of indirect light that awakens curiosity and a sense of “not knowing how”. When trying to emphasize a room, ambient light is used along the walls. A line of light runs along the center of the roof and culminates in the peak point of the churchroom that simultaneously raises, emphasizing the sacred-ness of the environment. Here, in the final point, is placed the altar.

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1.Model of the path

2.Model of the churchroom

3.Render of the path

4.Render of the churchroom

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1.Water Experience

2.Experiences diagram

3.The chapel

4.The cloister

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INFO

“The void”/// 2013 Studio design

Pure form

Track grid

Scission

Subtraction

Digging out

Architectural and Urban Design, Bsc 06, Roma 3, single work

AutoCadRhino+VRayIllustratorPhotoshopModel (handmade)

The aim of this course was to design a building which had to include different kind of services and temporary accom-modation. The project site is located near the “Tuscolana Station”,in the east of Rome, surrounded by the railway and Via Tuscolana. The project fits into the context taking into account the surrounding characterized by massive residential buildings and ancient disused factories. To design this temporary building was taken in considera-tion a pure form, in this case a cube, modelling it through different actions that will shape it. The result was two cu-bic volumes with the same basic dimensions but different heights, bordering on one side and shifted along the latter. A big cut crosses vertically the whole complex, creating an empty space which generates the internal composition. This composition varies from plan to plan and connects the various functional parts of the project. Throughout the cut a series of walkways overlooking the void, where bridges and stairs allow the users to reach easily the other side. This empty central space ensures also the cross

ventilation in both the two volumes.

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A A’

B B’

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1.Collage of the site

5.Section B-B’

2.Design process

4.Cuts diagram

3.Masterplan

+ + + + =

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1.Housing scheme

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2.Plans

6.South-West Elevation

3.Design process

5.Render from the wharf

4.North-West Elevation

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INFO

“SunCase”// 2012 Studio design

Sustainable design, Bsc 04, Roma 3, group work

AutoCadPhotoshopTermus GVeluxModel (handmade)

The aim of this course was to design a small detached house taking in consideration, during the design process, the rules imposed by the world competition of the “Solar Decathlon” which, in that year, took place in Madrid, Spain. This small and cosy house contains all the spaces required for a single or a couple. Internal-ly, the distribution process was affected by the energy strategies that the building must satisfy and the exposure has been designed to allow the interior spaces to take advantage of natural lighting throughout the day. Thanks to its simple and regular shape, this house can be easily built in virtue also to its prefabrication that allows an easy transport and a quick assembly on site. The “day and night” spaces are separated from the central block of the services.This strategy allows the concentration in one single area of the technical equipment, and therefore allows a considerable decrease in the use of materials. The shutter located along the south glass window, acts both as a shade during the summer, preventing the indoor overheating, and as a great insulation system during the winter once closed, reducing substantially the heat losses.

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1.Perspectives

5.Section B-B’

2.Sketches

4.Section A-A’

3.Plan

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Funzionamento Estivo-NotteDurante la notte vengono aperte le ampie vetrate a sud e le aperture a nord , per consentire la libera circolazione dell’aria e il raffrescamento interno.

Funzionamento Estivo-GiornoGrazie alle aperture poste a Sud ed a Nord, l’aria penetra all’interno dell’abitazione permettendo così di innescare una ventilazione naturale formatasi dalla differenza di temperatura interna ed esterna. Grazie all’azione dei pannelli radianti l’aria viene raffrescata ottendendo un benessere maggiore. Il sistema basculante esterno consente una protezione dai raggi solari ottenendo così un ombreggiamento su tutta la facciata sud.

Funzionamento Invernale- GiornoDurante il giorno la vetrata a sud capta la radiazione solare che e’ piu’ inclinata (rispetto a quella estiva).Le vetrate rimangono chiuse esternamente per consentire ai raggi solari di riscaldare direttamente l’interno e l’aria nello spazio tra le vetrate grazie “l’effetto serra’’ che innesca un moto convettivo all’interno dell’ambiente

Funzionamento Invernale- NotteDurante la notte, il calore incamerato durante la giornata rimane all’interno dell’ambiente grazie al sistema basculante in facciata , che isola la struttura e limita le dispersioni fra interno ed esterno

COSTRUZIONE DELL’ARCHITETTURA - LABORATORIO 3C 10 cfu Progettazione di sistemi costruttivi (8 cfu) prof. Chiara Tonelli | Paolo Candidi, Silvia Pinci, Gaia Romeo, Giuliano ValeriFisica Tecnica (2 cfu) Marco Frascarolo
















Summer Season – Daytime The openings located in the southern and in the northern façade generate a process of natural ventilation (Cross Ventilation) thanks to the differences of internal and external pressures. The shelter placed above the south glazed is designed to block the penetration of the summer radiation.

Summer Season - Night time Thanks to the bottom openings of the southern façade, is possible to allow the access of cool air inside the environment and, once heated, it can go outside through the top openings of the north façade.

Shutter 1. Copper panel 530x160 mm2. Internal insulation3. Steel binary4. Titanium pulley with steel cable of 20mm5. Steel sliding system6. Tubular steel7. Engine

Winter Season - Night time The heat collected during the day by the thermal mass is released during the night and to avoid the heat losses between interior and exterior, the shutter has to be closed to limit the leakage.

Winter Season - Daytime In the southern glazed occurs the greenhouse effect, where the air which enters from the opening placed in the bottom of the internal glass window, is heated by the solar radiations.The external glass window should be closed to block the heat losses and to allow the greenhouse effect, which triggers a convective motion within the environment.

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1.Closing system

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21 of January

21 of June

21 of March

21 of September

Roof:- Pine strips 40 mm - Panels in wood fiber 20mm and breathable fabric - Hemp Insulation 200mm - Steam barrier 5. xlam 70mm

Floor: - Flooring 25mm - 80mm screed and underfloor heating - Hemp insulation 60mm - Concrete 70mm - 25mm pine floorboards

Garden: - Land cultivation 50mm - Filter fabric 5mm - 75mm drainage gravel - Anti-root membrane 5mm - waterproofing 10mm - Separation layer 5mm - 70mm screed

2.Shutter detail

6.Luminance

3.Passive strategies

5.Extract of section

4.Render

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INFO

“KinderGarten”/ 2012 Studio design

Architectural design, Bsc 03, Roma 3, single work

AutoCadPhotoshopTermus GVeluxModel (handmade)

The project area is located in Magliana, an ex- suburb of Rome, where the services are inadequate and insuf-ficient; especially the children’s ones. The kindergarten offers a learning place for 90 children, equipped with three different classrooms, a creative laboratory, a can-teen and offices for the secretary. The main idea was to give a particular attention to the nature, making it the core of the design. From the center, the nature expands itself through the building, adjusting and moving the different rooms which characterized the complex, until finding a gap and surrounding the whole building. The space that connects classrooms, offices and canteen is fully glazed to ensure continuous contact of the child with the open spaces outside. Structure and coatings are made entirely of wood both to create a healthy environ-ment and to make the building highly recognizable for the child from the outside. Each classroom is facing on a personal outdoor space where the children can also play with the members of the other classrooms and, moreover, the central one is equipped with two sliding doors which give the possibility to create a common larger space.

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1.Design process

3.From the courtyard

2.Masterplan

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1.Plan

5.Exploded view drawing

3.West Elevation

2.Section A-A’

4.From the classroom

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INFO

“A place to ascend”/// 2014 Tectonic studies

A place to ascend is a workshop in which the goal was to design a space that could cause feelings of ascention. The design had to be done through the use of two panels and a bar of plywood, without the use of glue or nails for the joints. With the concepts of sustainability and simplicity in mind, we designed a silent place, where the interaction of man is an integral part of the overall idea. The man bends to “enter” into a different dimension in which remains alone, in search of his inner world and peace that could elevate him. The light that filters through the small slit in front of him, prevents him from seeing what lies beyond but rather invites him to look deep behind the real, in a subconscious and spiritual dimension. The lines etched into the wood reach the cornerstone, considered as the key both of the structure and of the en-tire project. From the outside only the joints reveal what is happening inside and exactly this difference sharply marks the transition between inside and outside, between the inner world and the real one.

Tectonic Studies and Experimentations in Form, Structure, Details and materials, Msc 01, AAU , group work

MindHandsModel (handmade)

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1.Cornerstone

5.A place to ascend

2.Building the model

4.Models in different scale

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INFO

lux1000750500300200

This project concerns the lighting design of the Jewellery located in Rome. It is a single stretched and narrow space divided in four consecutive zones: the entrance, the nego-tiation area with the continuation of the expositive space, a technical room with a toilet and a small study. The main problem is the lack of a homogeneous and fluid space that induce the customer to get to the end of the exposure. To overcome this problem is designed a projection on the ceiling through the use of a single panel suspended in the central area of the compartment on which are placed four additional panels with irregular shape. The middle panel is characterized by the presence of some bright cubes similar to the showcases. The others panels contribute to the over-all effect of dynamism thanks to the presence of LED bars which diffusely illuminate both the ceiling and walls, miti-gating the claustrophobic effect caused by the low height. Above the negotiation areas, there are three LED spotlights embedded in the panels.The showcases are equipped by a central spotlight that illuminates each shelves. Some wallwasher are used to mark the space between the showcases and to make a background for the entrance.

Jewelery// 2013 Lighting Design

Lighting Design, Bsc 06, Roma3 , group work

AutocadRhino + VrayReluxPhotoshop

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1.Plan with interventions

5.View from the expositive space

2.Values of illuminance (lux)

4.View from the entrance

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INFO

The boat is entirely sustainable,with an auxiliary mo-tor powered by solar panels placed on top of the bow. To facilitate the use we designed a tilting and rotating seating system with three possible configurations: SIT-TING ROWING, the bench allows the passenger to exploit the central space necessary for the use of oars,SITTING SAILING, the bench, rotated of 90°, al-lows the passenger to use the lateral space to com-fortably perform the maneuvers with the sail and the SITTING OUTBOARD, where the bench, flipped of 180°, allows the passenger to perform the maneuvers that re-quire an imbalance of the weight over the side of the boat.The design of a particular joint allows to the bench all these movements. The centreboard is equipped with a tilting keel which facilitates docking maneuvers andgaraging. The users also have the option to increase the height of the keel box thanks to a hard, mobile coating of the keel itself to support the sitting of the first configuration. To limit the encumbrance that would come from an outboard motor, we hypothesized a possible placement of the pro-peller in the lower end of the rudder, which will be connect-ed to an electric motor placed in the bow in the front locker.

Laser Centreboard/ 2013 Naval Design

Naval Design, Bsc 05, Roma3 , group work

AutocadRhino + VrayPhotoshop

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1.Water lines

5.Detail of the keel

3.View of the centreboard

2.Configuration of the bench

4.Detail of the joint

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Documents

Alessandro Ronga's portfolio