Chris Gassaway and Mitch Rocheleau designed this project that operates as an application of a diagrammatical mapping study to formulate an urban intervention within a pre-existing Eixample block in the Poblenou district of Barcelona, Spain. Intensive on site analyses lead to the generation of a mapping tool which addresses the issues of visual permeability and visual densities within the pre-existing urban condition of the site.

Through the compilation of a series of horizontal sections, each containing an organization of projected visual vectors from the corresponding perforations of each façade, we were able to derive a precise volumetric spacial organization depicting the most visually dense areas within the block. From this point another iteration of vectors was produced with the same diagrammatical constraints.  This new diagram took into account the original site as well as our intervention (or most visually dense area) within the site. This next set of vectors would now allow us to see the most visually dense areas with our implementation in place. It was determined that this new diagram would be the generating agent for various implementations of public space and circulation pathways within the proposal.

The porosity of the exterior skin is a reaction to the final generated diagram and the densities designated as public space.  The areas of skin most exposed to public space have the maximum porosity with an exponential decrease in porosity as exposure to the generated public space decreases.


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