The technique of High Contrast eschews both non-standard variation and collage as compositional structures in architectural design. This project for a hotel in San Juan designed by Amelia Tabeling and Juliana Esposito pairs two contrasting geometries, the carefully proportioned rectangle and the subdivided, extruded triangle. High contrast is achieved on multiple scales for different audiences:

1. The positioning of two distinct L-Shaped buildings on the site creates tension at the space between the two masses.

2. The separation of the two geometries on the exterior preferences either the view from the beach or the view from the city.

3. The inversion of the geometries on the interior contrasts with the exterior.

4. Lobby programs in the triangulated geometry oppose the rooms which occupy the rectangular geometry.

Despite these contrasting characteristics, the project holds together compositionally through balanced tension and the lines of light and structure. High Contrast offers a novel approach to dealing with effect, leaving behind both needlessly complex form-making and overly-cool modernist collage.