Design Research Internship
Hariri Pontarini Architects
Representing architecture through drawing
Role
Design Research Intern
Timeframe
May 2023 - August 2023
Team
Ryan Wong
David Pontarini, Partner
Michael Conway, Project Manager & Lead Designer
Luca Patrick, Architectural Designer
Overview
Hariri Pontarini Architects is a full-service Canadian architecture firm dedicated to producing work of lasting value. Siamak Hariri and David Pontarini founded the Toronto office in 1994 motivated by a shared commitment to design quality. Today the 150-person practice offers its clients in-depth partner involvement through all stages of design and the breath of building experience and technical expertise to rigorously oversee construction.
Working as a Design Research Intern, I was assigned multiple design research projects with different design rationale. Each drawing or diagram was built using a consistent graphic language to distill complex components into a legible conceptual document which captures the key elements of each project.
I was given the opportunity to work on diagrammatic and graphic representations for projects such as PJ Condos, 7 St. Thomas, Square One Masterplan, 19 Duncan, M City Condos, The Well, Artist' Alley and 401 Logan.
01 Preview
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Diagrams
401 Logan Ave Diagrams
Architectural Drawings for The Well
02 Context
D.R.I.P (Design Research Internship Program)
DRIP is a Design Research Internship Program at the University of Toronto that places 3rd and 4th-year students into leading Toronto design practices for a 6-week period from May to June. I was chosen by Hariri Pontarini Architects to explore design principles, documentation, and drawings for their ongoing projects. Subsequently, I was re-hired to work for the rest of the summer, focusing on two projects in particular: The Well and 401 Logan.
An interior view of our office
Team outing to the Art Gallery of Ontario
My Role
My role consisted of creating drawings and graphics for multiple architectural projects. During the first 6 weeks of the internship, I focused on researching different projects and creating diagrams for them.
I was given the opportunity to research design strategies and material approaches for 401 Logan, as well as exploring how to represent the human experience of The Well. Throughout the internship, I utilized Adobe Creative Suite, Rhino 3D, SketchUp, and Revit to create each drawing or diagram
03 Research Project #1: The Exploded Diagram
The Exploded Diagram
The exploded diagram is a technical drawing that showcases the individual parts of a building. The power of the exploded diagram lies in its representational quality, illustrating how the individual parts of a building work and where everything is located
Design Research
During the first 6 weeks of the internship, I conducted research on 6 projects by Hariri Pontarini Architects. In particular, each building had to be thoroughly researched to determine its best qualities for representation. Further research was conducted to explore representational techniques for conveying these qualities. Ultimately, the axonometric exploded diagram was chosen as the best tool to showcase these projects, involving a rotation on one or more axes to reveal multiple sides of an object.
7 St Thomas
19 Duncan
PJ Condos
M City Condos
Artists' Alley
Square One Masterplan
Project
Location
Status
Size
Research / Unique Qualities
7 St Thomas
Toronto, Ontario
Completed 2018
100,000 Sq. Ft.
Greenery and technology, such as water-efficient green-roof terraces, skylights, high-performance curtain walls with a ceramic frit, rain cisterns, and green walls
Undulated glass showcases translucent permeability, contrasting with the red brick heritage
Tricon Capital’s office occupies the top floors and features workstations, private offices, communal gathering spaces, and a kitchen
Victorian heritage buildings play a huge role in the design, creating a synthesis of new and old while also peeling back to preserve light and views of existing residential buildings
One historical porch was maintained while the rest were lowered for accessibility
PJ Condos
Toronto, Ontario
Completed 2021
280,000 Sq. Ft.
The façade has a high ratio of solid wall to glass, ensuring that energy code requirements are exceeded due to the building’s continuous and enveloping form
Balconies are integrated with the building wall, receiving sunlight through skylights in the roof, while also following the form of the building
Inspired by the John Street Cultural corridor, the sculpted side of the building creates a generous space for the public realm through a setback, resulting in a wide sidewalk
A formal relationship is established between Pinnacle on Adelaide and PJ Condos through their plazas
The masonry construction of the podium responds to the historical brick buildings in the neighborhood
Residential amenities include a rooftop deck, a pool, a jacuzzi, and a party room
Artists' Alley
Toronto, Ontario
Under Construction
900,000 Sq. Ft.
The unique façade provides shade while accentuating the beautiful curvature of the building
Articulated garden terraces are scattered throughout the rooftops of the complex
The floors have a mix of residential, office, and commercial space
The building has a rooftop pool and terrace lounge with expansive views of the city, as well as fully equipped fitness centers
A 12-metre-wide pedestrian walkway bisects the site, allowing for increased permeability and effortless navigation within the development
The ground floor contains retail space offering options for eating, drinking, and shopping, with a nearby parkette to add engaging green space
19 Duncan
Toronto, Ontario
Under Construction
455,230 Sq. Ft.
Vertical fins of varying widths provide shade, minimize glare, and accentuate the elegant proportions of the building
The typical floor plan allocates a quarter of the development to office space, with a significant portion of residences designed for families, aligning with the City of Toronto’s goals to achieve mixed-use, sustainable density
The project includes the redevelopment of the historic Southam Press Building by stretching beside and over the existing heritage office building restoring and incorporating the red brick cladding into the new design
The interior design is inspired by the rich metals and natural woods of the traditional letterpress, reflecting the historic former use of the building
Balconies follow the form of the building providing outdoor access with extruded curved spaces placed at specific parts of the building
M City Condos
Mississauga, Ontario
In Progress
653,400 Sq. Ft.
M6, M7, and M8 all share a formal relationship through their public courtyard and landscape design on Vancouver Street
Balconies create the form of the building providing outdoor space while the façade creates a high ratio of solid wall to glass ensuring energy code requirements are exceeded
Multi-floor outdoor and indoor amenities including a rooftop deck, pool, outdoor patio, fitness facilities, and green space
Landscape includes pedestrian clearway, private patios, splash strips, and tree/furniture zones
Each floor is equipped with a full range of modern residential suites to suit all lifestyles
Square One Masterplan
Mississauga, Ontario
In Progress
18 Million Sq. Ft.
The plan includes The Strand, a central component of the master plan that features a community center, a transit terminal, and a park
Celebration Square and Square One mall are nearby, connected by an elevated transit link
Office, residential, and new retail spaces are distributed throughout the masterplan
Mapped out the local roads, arterial roads, and minor collector roads
Mapped out the under-used space that was transformed for the Square One masterplan
Research Chart
Final Outcome
After conducting thorough research on each project, exploded axonometric diagrams were employed to showcase individual qualities while creating a holistic view of each project. Each diagram adhered to a consistent graphic language with site context, illustrating how each project reacted to its surrounding conditions.
PJ Condos
Artists' Alley
M City Condos
19 Duncan
7 St Thomas
Square One Masterplan
Diagrams
04 Research Project #2: 401 Logan Ave
A new multi-unit residential development on 401 Logan Ave
401 Logan is a thriving, inclusive community and home to over 50 artists and creative enterprises. The tenants come from a diverse range of field such as high-tech, architecture, design, artist studios/galleries, not-for-profit, and health and fitness creating a vibrant ecosystem within the building and bringing vital services to the Leslieville neighborhood.
How can we choose the correct materials for our buildings?
To choose the correct materials for our building, we must first understand the surrounding site context. It is crucial to ensure that our building seamlessly fits into the neighborhood and does not displace the community. To get a better understanding of the site, I conducted a study with photography because thorough research on the site is essential before making design decisions.
879 Gerrard St E
388 Carlaw Ave
388 Carlaw Ave
388 Carlaw Ave
369 Carlaw Ave
1 Badgerow Ave
1 Badgerow Ave
1 Badgerow Ave
369 Carlaw Ave
367 Carlaw Ave
365 Carlaw Ave
386 Carlaw Ave
388 Carlaw Ave
386 Carlaw Ave
349 Carlaw Ave
374 Carlaw Ave
360 Carlaw Ave
356 Carlaw Ave
65 Dickens St
32 Dickens St
55 Dickens St
1159 Dundas St E
392 Logan Ave
414 Logan Ave
2 Dickens St
392 Logan Ave
378 Logan Ave
1087 Dundas St E
1101 Dundas St E
1111 Dundas St E
1128 Dundas St E
1143 Dundas St E
1159 Dundas St E
1159 Dundas St E
Lane S Dundas St E
Lane S Dundas St E
Lane S Dundas St E
320 Carlaw Ave
302 Carlaw Ave
245-276 Carlaw Ave
270 Carlaw Ave
235 Carlaw Ave
235 Carlaw Ave
233 Carlaw Ave
233 Carlaw Ave
201 Carlaw Ave
181 Carlaw Ave
181 Carlaw Ave
Bricks and Vegetation
A landmark for over a century, 401 Logan is one of the most notable addresses in Leslieville. The former Woods Manufacturing factory building’s original heritage features have been preserved with an abundance of vegetation surrounding the building. Through my site research, I was able to determine that a material choice that would fit into this neighborhood seamlessly would be a red material, similar to the red brick seen throughout the neighborhood. At the same time, vegetation would also be needed to help the building blend in with the rest of the surrounding vegetation. As the building is still in design progress, there are no final images but material choices were based off of this research.
401 Logan Ave
Isometric Concept Diagrams
The isometric diagram is a strong representational tool to showcase the design process. Through the striking silhouette, it showcases the clear series of design decisions to create the shape of the building. I was in charge of showcasing these design decisions for the 401 Logan Ave project.
1. Site is located on 401 Logan Avenue and Dundas St E. with an existing park
2. Retain north and west façade and woods tower
3. Building is setback to follow city guidelines
4. New green spaces are added
5. Introduce a mid-rise element that is compatible with surroundings, and can be programed with replacement artist, retail, creative space
6. Two taller elements to introduce a range of market and affordable housing
7. Tower massing revised to reduce limit impact on surrounding neighborhood context and increase separation of buildings
8. Tower and podium are carved to create 2 key open spaces: Addition to Councilor Fletcher POPS, and plaza along Dundas frontage at southwest of site
9. Building is carved to create terraces while allowing
10. Terracing to create a landmark development, while providing enhanced outdoor amenity space, and transitioning to lower scale built form
11. Mid-block connection through the site providing pedestrian connectivity
12. Green roofs and terraces are created from final form
401 Logan Ave Diagrams
05 Research Project #3: The Well
The Well
The Well—as in “living, working, and playing well”—aims to shape a synergistic space where residents, workers, and neighbours enrich the urban experience for one another. Bordered by Spadina Avenue, Front, Draper, and Wellington Streets, the project injects a dynamic mix of uses into a key city-centre site. The truly mixed-use development, composed of equal parts commercial and residential space, is the missing piece that will complete the larger neighbourhood. Close to half a million square feet of retail and over a million square feet of commercial office space will be added to this underserviced area, bringing much needed retail amenity to the neighbourhood. More than a million and a half square feet of residential units will also be added, including both rental and market condominiums.
Exterior shot of The Well
Interior shot of The Well's lobby
Exterior shot of The Well's facade
My Role
The completed site will have a total of seven buildings and will preserve the character of the neighbourhood including the historic cottages of Draper Street. A new 36-storey office building at the intersection of Front and Spadina, also designed by HPA, will mark the gateway into the new neighbourhood. During this summer, I was given complete creative freedom to create diagrams and drawings to represent different parts of The Well to show aspects of life through representation.
Precedent Study: Atelier Bow-Wow
Atelier Bow-Wow is a Tokyo-based architecture firm, founded in 1992 by Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima. The firm is well known for its domestic and cultural architecture and its research exploring the urban conditions of micro, ad hoc architecture.
Atelier Bow-Wow published a book called Graphic Anatomy which showcases about twenty detached houses and holiday villas. An important part of their design process includes the production of technical drawings. Our goal was to study their level of detail, diversity and spatial depth in their drawings and apply it to our own project.
Section Perspectives by Atelier Bow-Wow
Understanding through Diagramming
To better understand the building as a whole, diagramming was used to understand the key components that we wanted to call out in our perspectival drawings. The exploded isometric drawing showcases the different elements of The Well’s façade. Different elements can be seen such as the X-frame of the façade as well as the terracotta façade which integrates a subtle live-work-play approach into the context.
The second diagram uses the elevational oblique as a representational tool to showcase an elevation of the frontal facade while also showing the side of the building. The elevational oblique highlights the different elements of The Well which will be shown in section perspectives throughout the rest of this project.
Exploded Diagram of The Well
Exploded Diagram of The Well
Elevational Oblique of The Well
Concept Diagram for The Well
Final Outcome
The final section perspective drawings showcase The Well within the context of its neighborhood. Through section perspective, the construction details can be seen while also adding aspects of life to the drawing. The drawings show how The Well becomes a gathering place that reflects the nature of the city and connects the surrounding neighborhood in a seamless, dynamic extension of this urban hub.
Sectional Perspectives of The Well
06 Takeaways
Project Takeaways
Research and context matters
Context is incredibly important when designing, as we have to be careful not to displace the community our designs are intended for. By researching the surrounding context and the people of the neighborhood, we can make educated design decisions.
There is no such thing as an original idea
There are multiple examples from which we can learn, and leveraging these resources can help us create beautiful designs. Applying the lessons we learn from others can help us save time while also creating our own unique designs
Don't be afraid to ask for advice
Receiving feedback from others, especially those with more experience, can help provide a different perspective when designing. By meeting with others, I was able to determine that the sectional perspective was a much stronger representational tool than the diagram for our design goals.
Leveraging different software
During the internship, I used various software, including AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, Blender, Revit, Rhino 3D, and SketchUp. Different programs exceled better at performing certain tasks, and by leveraging the capabilities of each, I was able to save time and create better designs.