S A L TC U B I C A

S A L TC U B I C AJulia Amrein Sergio Rodriguez Javier DuranTutor: Alex Rdz

“Computers are enabling architects to do things that used to be virtually impossible, or possible for only the most original and creative architects” -Karrie Jacobs

I N D E XCONCEPT 6 EXPERIMENTATION 8

CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTATION 10

PARAMETRIC DESIGN 12

GENERATIVE SCRIPTING 14

TOURISTIC COMPLEX PROGRAM 18

CIRCULATIONS 20

RENDERINGS 24

CONCLUSION 40

CUBICA is born by a care-ful study of Puerto Juarez, Cancun and our choice to build with nature and it´s wellbeing in mind.

Deciding to build a tourist com-plex that combines the beach and the city, Cubica brings to-gether the best of both worlds. Having the opportunity to work in Cancun for the first time, SALT took in consideration the site’s history to develop an appropriate master plan.

Cubica aims to be considered a financial detonator of tour-ism in Cancun. Making it a cosmopolitan city along with a beach not found in the coun-try. We decided to include commercial avenues, hotels, condominiums, and nightlife areas. Our aim was to de-velop a parametric city, where everything is connected and every action has a reaction.

C O N C E P T With the intention to bring back to the site what was original-ly there before human intervention, CUBICA is the result of a strong analysis of the terrain. In the initial site mangles were the only thing that existed in the area. After careless planning the mangles were torn out and the island was then fabricated. Cubica rises by taking the site to its most critical state in case of a natural catastrophe, given the site’s context, history and future, it is most likely that sooner or later nature we´ll try to fill everything constructed with water once again.

A main focus was taking in consideration what was in the site before any human intervention, the site was completely covered in mangle trees and considered a swamp. Trying to build with a stronger relationship with nature in mind, we notice that a key element that constantly came up on the site was NaCl, or salt. The mangle trees acted like filters of the swamp distilling the water. The process is better translated in the image below (fig.2) were it is clear that the trees form crystals under their leafs. The element salt elevates us to the next state of design.

Aerial View of the site (fig.1)

SALT Among many properties of this element, it was found that in high concentrations of it in a fluid solution, along with a minor waiting time, will produce salt crystals. These crys-tals are generated by a drop in temperature from the time that it is being heated to the time it is cooled. The emerging pat-tern of the crystals is merely random. The solution starts to de-tect where it has more salt and will begin to grow sporadically.

Concept sequence (fig.2)

EXPERIMENTATION Wanting to recreate the process of distilling water in order to grow crystals similar to those on the mangle tree leafs. We decided to consult a Doctor that specialized in element crystallization. He told us about a way to grow salt crystals, water is heated to around 60° which is the temperature were water can hold more salt and therefore go from a saturated solution to an oversaturated solution. Once salt starts to drop to the bottom of the pan it can no longer hold any and is ready to be transferred to the container were the growing process will take place.

Salt Seeds

The cooling Solution starts to set and it be-gins to sprout salt seeds sporadically throughout the solution. The seeds act as deto¬nators for a congrega¬tion of salt to come. The floating salt particles are eas-ily attracted to the al-ready formed salt crys-tals, therefore the first ones to appear are the ones that end up with a more complex structure at the end.

Salt crystal

Aglomeration of Salt Crystal

Salt cubes

CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTATION After numerous iterations no apparent patter, or grow-ing repetition began to emerge; that was when the possibility of dealing with a random effect became apparent. After a deeper study of the results, we came upon the fact that the results of this process could be altered with the characteristics of the real site, taking in mind the sites’ contours, dominating winds and sunlight.

PARAMETRTIC DESIGN

The process of traduction from mathematical language to computer language. More heat less aglomeration, less heat more agglomeration. Main chains appear from 40oC to 25oC, from 25oC and under, they develop amorphic volumes that attach to the main ordered chains.

GENERATIVE SCRIPTINGThe generative script for the master plan resembles the physical process of the grown salt crystals, it starts off as a randomized field that 0later develops into a the modulated cubes.

GENERATIVE SCRIPTING

Script Developed by Woo Jae Sung, University of Cornell.

Script Developed by Andrew Heumann

The generative script for the building’s facade responds to the attraction between the main chains and the amorphic chains. SALT proposed the aperture of windows depending on the shadow casted on the volumes, to improve natural illumination on each building.

PROGRAMHotel ZoneOcean viewCube agglomerationAccess to the beachAccess to the main avenueAreas for recreation

Commercial zoneOpen to green areas Access to the main avenueOpen spaceConnected by corridorsFlexible circulations

Condominium AreaPrivatenessBay area viewOpen areasTerritorial dominationControlled heights

The architectural program was pre selected by the following qualities. Each one with a certain character making them easily identified through-out the plan itself. Breaking the venue into three major areas, the hotel, the condominiums and the commercial area, make the program complete for a getaway resort.

MASTER PLAN CIRCULATIONS CUBICA’s master plan is divided in three types of cir-culations, type A, B and C. The main circulation, type A is a very wide street that drives thru the main av-enue of the city, acting as the main artery it welcomes visi-tors and releases vehicular and pedestrian flow into the venue. Injecting life to the master plan, circulation type B drives directly to the Ho-tels and Condominiums. Circulation type C is more private, aiming to resemble a small town with narrow streets giving each user a more intimate feel.

CIRCULATION TYPE A

CIRCULATION TYPE B

RENDERINGS

Parametric Architec-ture demands a mathemati-cal understanding to develop a project that responds com-pletely to given parameters. This section shows the re-sults of the understanding of the process. The schematic views allowed the better un-derstanding of the ambi-ance that was being created.

CONCLUSION Cubica is part of a research based venture, aiming to integrate nature and architecture. The microclimatic results give language to the buildings. The modulation of cubes are populated in the facades of the main volumes in order to recreate the sporadic reaction creat-ed in the salt solution as it is cooling and sprouting the salt crystals. It´s heights propose many shadowed spaces, that en¬able it to drop its overall temperature and make a sig¬nificant difference between so-cial and private areas. Its various typolo¬gies create a micro city that allows users to come to the development and roam around freely.

For a conceptual tour of Cubica, log on to youtube.com/ SALT Cubica parametric urbanism

Contact: salt.studioarch@gmail.com