Of Surface and Shadow. Proposal for a new School of Architecture

Abstract

Puerto Rico is a place of strong sunlight, temperate winds and humid climate. It is also a place where the landscape and the natives are very colorful. Today's culture consists of a chaotic urban atmosphere which tends to obscure an extraordinary geography and the natural richness of its surroundings. As in any Western metropolitan area, urban life demands its toll. San Juan is plagued by noise, and heat intensifies between its buildings. Modern air-conditioning is by now a part of every work place and many residences, but beyond mechanical technology, architecture still can offer generously places of shade and shelter from the sun's rays. This project studies the essential characteristics of the landscape and climate of Puerto Rico, and aims to expose these architecturally. The rediscovery of these conditions is articulated by studying the compositional qualities of mass, surface and shadow.