Jared Casto
PORTFOLIO
Design Studio
Coursework samples from a given prompt
Living Building
Prompt: A downtown office structure with University and public educational purposes designed within Living Building Challenge requirements.
Solution: This sustainable design was reached after thorough analysis of natural and assisted ventilation systems, daylight modeling, and adaptive research opportunities through exterior lab structural bays. Food, electricity and water usage requirements based on square footage and offset through rain collection, onsite natural filtration, latitude specific PV panels, and onsite year-round green house. Also included are daylit classrooms and conference areas along with a three story atrium display space and design exemplifying passive strategies.
Kids Literacy Center
Prompt: Design for an Interactive Childrens Literacy Center in Boise, ID To include a small library and cafe along with other requirements for this type of building.
Solution: Use of bricks from demolished existing wherehouse structure in a main interactive art soundwall parrallel to main road, where children can change exterior building colors. Also a radial structural system spans out from a steel tubing tree at regular interval within the branches in the library, which blend into the ceiling beams in the lobby. Other features include veiws of the river and adjacent memorial from all rooms, as well as exterior stage, with overhanges and louvers shading glazing throughout.
ICMA Boise Firehouse
Prompt: A competition based project for the Idaho Concrete Masonry Assn. Primary material for this Boise City Fire Station was to be concrete block and have three full length bays with all necessary accommodations for a central station.
Solution: Use of Double and Single wythe walls, and and 8’x8’ structural grid used throughout to accent characteristics of the block. All walls, windows, doors, floor and ceiling slabs, and control joints lined up on block joints accordingly to emphasise the material not hide its unique construction requirements. Second Place Award of Merit was received for this design upon completion of competition.
Museum of Modern Art
Prompt: Modern Museum in San Francisco to be focused on and inspired by the Moving Image. Was to be placed on two plots of land at an exit in downtown.
Solution: The structure is inspired by tensegrity study models which would allow movement for the earthquake prone area. This proposal included a domed IMAX theatre, exterior screening, coastal views, and three levels of event/display space. the styling was inspired by the continual change of movies technology and framework while still maintaining some basic plotline rules.
Environmental Control Systems Lab. Exp.
Prompt: A coffee shop with a sun room and two apartments with a given terrain and location of Dallas, Texas to be designed with all environmental factors and specific choice of window, wall, and ceiling insulation based on use of a Balance Point program which determines efficiency of the building.
Solution: The sloped roof, location on Eastern side of the trees, and partial subgrade design all improve the natural flow of air throughout the structure while still allowing control and maintaining a relatively low interior temperature due to afternoon shading and a stack ventillation effect.
Lounge Remodel
Prompt: Engineering Lounge Remodel
Solution: Insertion of new windows natural light to the room, along with a metal grate dropped ceiling, paint schemes and column fixtures help define the room into an entry, desk and presentation space, minikitchen, storage, and an office while maintaining ADA ramp and utilizing low energy lighting and electronics.
Community Mixed-use Housing Complex
Prompt: Redevelope a demolished school site into a mixed use phased project using local community member input.
Solution: This 5 person team project produced three possible solutions for the site along with one 1/2 mile radius plan. Each site included apartments, storefronts, public art, community gardens, zone requirement parking, parks, plazas and at least one major community use center. Proposals were then brought before the city and presented at a community hearing for feedback.