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EHSAAN MESGHALI
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EHSAAN MESGHALI
EHSAAN MESGHALI
5706 Eveward Rd. Culver City CA 90230
emdezign.combiomime c-architecture.orgfacebook.com/hajjehsaantwi er.com/emesghali
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARCHITECTURE01 Johan Strauss Exhibit02 ENV Public Library03 Mt. Baldy Retreat04 Mainstream05 Space Elevator Base06 Silverlake Housing07 Yaseen Islamic CenterVISUAL ARTS08 Logos and Branding09 Fine Arts
ARCHITECTURE 6
7THE MOTHER ART IS ARCHITECTURE, WITHOUT AN ARCHITECTURE OF OUR OWN WE HAVE NO SOUL TO OUR CIVILIZATION
JOHAN STRAUS EXHIBIT
Students were posed the challenge of designing an outdoor exhibit space to honor the life of a major composer inspired by a composi on from that same musician.
The Blue Danube was graphed and reduced to a diagram which later evolved into an process-drivin project aiming to establish enclosure through the repeated folding of a single plane.
Diagonals were extracted from the fi nal hand drawn graphic representa on of the waltz but were later manipulated to serve the needs of the structure: encouraging interlocking, establishing human propor ons and fi nding opportuni es to display ar facts high and low.
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“CAN MUSIC DESIGN A SPACE?”
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ENV PUBLIC LIBRARY
Star ng as an exercise in extrac ng three-dimensional form from a two-dimensional graphic, repe on of a simple line design inspired by kufi c script on a randomly generated fi eld was later segmented and extruded in all axes to create space.
The resul ng paper modeling and folding charre e was treated as a pla orm for designing a library for the school of environmental design on campus, where every plane segment in each direc on hypothe cally “exists” and through a subtrac ve process spaces take form.
Dis nct instances are designed in the building that correspond to the given program, for example the staircase off the entrance lobby proves to be the only point at which a patron can see en rely through the building.
All ver cal walls serve as bookshelves to further divide the space and opportuni es to create sec on connec ng reading rooms on various fl oors are achieved through the subtrac on of fl oor modules.
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“WHAT MAKES A BUILDING...SECTION OR PLAN? THAT IS THE QUESTION”
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READING LOUNGE | BOOK ARCHIVE | ADMINISTRATION | GALLERY SPACE
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MT. BALDY RETREAT
In an eff ort to expect some sensi vity to the basics of structural resolu on, the Mt. Baldy (or Mt. San Antonio) studio asked of students to design a weekend retreat for a Japanese fi lmmaker on a rather challenging site. The fi nal design proposal was above all measured by its structural coherence.
The design aims to create a dynamic interior through a rather simple diagram: a rectangular volume asymmetrically held by concrete s lts. The shading skin inspired by earlier charre es experiments with the three-dimensional expression of curvilinear form derived from a two-dimensional representa on. The fi nal solu on tries to account for various shading needs of the spaces within, while a clear connec on can be made between the gradient solu on and the privacy needs within.
The structural solu on makes an eff ort to create a pris ne and untextured space within, namely by facing all coarse and stabilizing features away from the main living space. The program is also rigidly divided between the only true private quarters (rest room) and everything else. Columns are also avoided by suppor ng the en re structure off of the main concrete s lts via can levered beams that feed off the main girders spanning the ravine.
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“THIS WAS THE MOST STRUCTURALLY RESOLVED PROJECT I’VE SEEN ALL DAY. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD.”
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MAINSTREAM
The current civic center in the city of Santa Monica is in need of a major restructuring. The success of the now world famous commercial districts of the Santa Monica Promenade and the modern evolu on of the nostalgic Pier have overshadowed the once glamorous city hall and conference arena of Los Angeles’ most famous tourist district.
Students were asked to rethink the organiza on of the area, in par cular its growth and connec on to the various social infrastructure nearby. Adjacent to the site but currently isolated are the new Santa Monica Place shopping complex and the main entrance to the Santa Monica Pier. A challenging characteris c of the site was the existence of several protected civic monuments including City Hall and The Civic Conference Center as well as the 10 freeway piercing through the site.
The scheme that was adopted to address the challenges of the project was to establish a rigid barcode-like fi eld across the en re site that later was molded, shaped and reconfi gured to address the needs of the program. Bars were thickened, shi ed and removed based on a large number of variables including but not limited to sightlines, sunlight, op mal building depths, parking, fi gure-ground rela onships etc. In the end the underlying soul of the project was to reveal a green thoroughfare connec ng the en re site across all bars.
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“FORM MATTERS, BUT NOT SO MUCH THE FORMS OF THINGS AS THE FORMS BETWEEN THINGS”
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sm place
transit center
transit hotel
city hall
courthouseauditorium
viceroy hoteltownhouses
pier
apartments rand
entertainment center
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60 x 60
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SPACE ELEVATOR BASE
The space elevator base project was a biomime c studio where students were encouraged to design space architecture that mimics or obtains inspira on from nature or natural forms. The focus of this studio was to design a mobile sea-based sta on for the proposed space elevator.
NASA has recently come to the conclusion that the high cost of fuel for jet-propelled taxis of men and cargo passed earth’s orbit is unsustainable for the next genera on of space explora on. Currently the space elevator is being heavily researched, especially considering the cancella on of the space shu le program and the inven on of new materials (namely carbon nano-tubes).
This project’s basic diagram gained inspira on from nature to fi nd solu ons that acted as an interface to the variables thrown at the project from above (the sky) and below (this me the sea) to create a stable or habitable medium in between. A forest of buoy-like columns act to generate electricity by adjus ng to the waves below while solar-cell infused shading creates a glass canopy above. The structure and spacial form is inspired by hexagonal connec ons in both sec on and plan that are found in bee hives.
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“WE SHOULD DO A BOOK OR SOMETHING ABOUT ALL YOUR GUYS WORK. THIS STUFF IS EXCELLENT.”
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LobbyLoungeResturantsRetailServiceHotel RoomsResidents
Conference
LaboratoriesLoading DockMedical CenterMechanical SystemsElevator Core
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ab
df e
c
a. air chamber b. oil chamberc. rod
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SILVERLAKE HOUSING
Silverlake is one of the more progressive locales of greater Los Angeles. Just north of downtown and in close proximity to Hollywood, it fast became a hotbed of architectural experimenta on, with many a Shindler and Nuetra only a stones throw away from the site selected for this project.
The city of Silverlake (in healthy planning tradi on) has mandated a urban commerical condi on as part of their Glendale Blvd. residen al community plan, forcing a mixed use or livework variable to the already demanding needs of the housing typology.
Further challenges were posed with the introduc on of a specifi c FAR requirement, the selec on of a massively sloping site (~25’ from north to south), neighboring an aids vic m treatment center and the need for units to be generally profi table (aka hos ng only several repeatable unit types).
Earlier charre es with a smaller unit count were used as a pla orm to jump into a much larger site where the idea of a con nuous fold determining much of the architecture was adopted to achieve some level of coherency throughout the project. Students were highly cri cized on the specifi c needs on housing; namely access, parking, escape requirements and connec on to the outdoors/landscaped surfaces.
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“A HOUSE IS A MACHINE FOR LIVING IN”
type A - live-work
type B - 3 bedroom
type A - 2 bedroom
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-5’-1 Garage
-5’-1 Garage
–0"1 First
–0"1 First
+10’2 Second
+10’2 Second
+20’3 Third
+20’3 Third
+30’4 Fourth
+30’4 Fourth
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YASEEN ISLAMIC CENTER
For my senior project I decided to tackle a pressing issue that has intrigued me as a viable year-long research endeavor. Designing an Islamic center on its own poses various challenges: primarily issues of iden ty, modernity versus cultural archetypes and built-in programma c necessi es. Aside from all this, I wished to explore if an Islamic Center could func on in unison with another building typology, in my case high density housing.
The fundamental mo va on for this clash of programs was to establish a more or less “fi nancially sustainable” solu on to the current “beg as you go” model for non-profi t religious organiza ons. This mo va on soon fell in the shadows and my project became more about the social implica ons of naturally living at the mosque. The already unrelen ng needs of the typical housing project clashed with the seemingly par cular architecture of an Islamic center, which many predicted would be a fatal cocktail.
The formal solu on adopted aims to allow for the best op mal space for both programs with one swi gesture. A solid mass pierced with two calculated voids which achieve two things: (1) allow secondary light and ven la on for a large number of living units and (2) provide opportuni es to house religious program in the small and large “le over” space not suitable for housing. The fi nal rub in the formula is quite paradoxical, what seems like “junk space” crawling around the volume of the building is in fact the most ar culated and dynamic space within the intersec on...the exact kind of space you would want to achieve nearness to God.
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“YOU KNOW YOU’RE ONTO SOMETHING WHEN YOUR PROJECT MAKES THE JUDGES FIGHT TO THE DEATH”
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N
S
EW
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1
1
1
1.6
a
a
a
a
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entrance lobby
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a
b
cafe
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Ashton Av
Wellworth Av
Rochester Av
Wilkins Av
Ohio Av
Santa Monica Bl
Eastbourne A
v
Malcolm Av
Malcolm
Av
Selby Av
Malcolm
Av
Glendon Av
Glendon Av
Holman Av
Holman AvW
estwood Bl
Glendo
Midvale AvKelton
dvale Av
Midvale Av
Kelton Av
Rochester Av
y Av
Wilkins Av
Ohio Av
59% 15 - 3010% 0 - 15
31% 30+
47% female53% male
47% married53% single
10% desi10% arab
12% afghan2% african am
64% iranian
18% 15 - 3021% 0 - 15
61% 30+
48% female52% male
73% married27% single
98% iranian2% arab
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prayer chamber
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chamber mezzanine
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dining hallkitchen
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3 3 4 2 66 6 1 4 32 4 3 5 63 2 4 1 65 1 6 3 25 2 6 6 43 3 3 1 46 2 3 4 24 2 1 1 34 6 3 5 41 2 5 3 31 2 1 4 66 2 1 2 34 2 1 5 24 3 2 5 32 3 4 5 54 3 2 5 64 1 5 2 21 6 5 4 66 1 3 5 62 4 1 5 65 3 5 1 34 5 2 2 65 5 1 5 45 4 5 2 11 4 6 3 64 3 4 2 45 5 1 5 33 6 4 2 55 1 3 5 54 5 5 3 54 3 1 4 22 1 5 5 16 2 6 5 52 2 5 2 53 1 3 5 44 4 2 5 36 6 1 1 46 3 5 5 14 5 5 6 56 5 1 4 33 1 5 3 41 2 6 1 31 6 6 3 4
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study lounge
classroom
classroom classroom
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conference
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VISUAL ARTS 114
115DESIGN IS NOT MAKING BEAUTY, BEAUTY EMERGES FROM SELECTION, AFFINITIES, INTEGRATION, AND LOVE
LOGOS AND BRANDING
I’ve been doing graphic design as a hobby since high school but recently turned my passion for it into a somewhat profi table venture. My website is emdezign.com and what started as a few fl yers and postcards for non-profi ts here and there has become a promising business with various return clients.
My favorite thing to design are logos because they seem simple but are actually quite challenging if done right. There are a lot of things that go into a good logo that the average designer doesn’t understand, which is why there are so many poorly designed or obsolete logos out there. My infatua on is so severe that at mes I redesign logos for friends for free just so I don’t have to be subjugated to the design horror of seeing their mark every other day.
Some companies that require a new logo ask me to design their en re branding and visual language. I’ve done everything from fl yers, websites, business cards, promo onal cards and custom packaging.
I enjoy this work a lot because it helps my clients represent themselves in a coherent and professional way to their clients. Most companies that have worked with me as part of a re-branding contract have expressed their sa sfac on and have witnessed more success as a direct result.
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“GOOD LOGOS FEATURE SOMETHING UNIQUE WITHOUT BEING OVERDRAWN”
S A N F R A N C I S C O
THUNDERSTRIKE ENTERTAINMENT
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MUT TAH ED E E NI S L A M I C S O C I E T Y
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G A M B U L L . C O . U K
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s p o n s e r e d b y h e i d a r b a b a
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FINE ARTS
I enjoy pain ng and drawing. These are selected works that I’m proud of from the last 5-10 years. I work in many mediums but my primary focus and concentra on has been stencil work with spray paint and mixed media.
Some of my work is poli cally and socially charged, but most is not. I’ve also included some sketching I did as part of an exclusive summer design studio held in Beijing over the summer of 2008 where our architectural sketches of na onal monuments was a large part of our grade.
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“A MAN PAINTS WITH HIS BRAINS, NOT WITH HIS HANDS”
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