Portfolio
2021-2025
By Andres S Munoz
My Design philosophy:
In order to fully understand architecture I needed to understand how to approach design, and the way I have done so throughout my scholarly life was through my projects with the minor direction of the professors I started off aimless and not knowing how to even start, so like most of my colleagues I just did whatever looked “pretty” or “cool”. Which had led to my first failed design. My first design was just a modified version of stacked origami boxes in order to make a pencil holder
The issue wasn't that it wasn't do it lacked creativity Creativity is essential in design a man thought And it wasn't until much later in the sem meant to truly design.
Design is the process which involves a lot of effort on the designer, for it calls for time, understanding of the topic, and creativity Because if the designer didn't spend enough time on a design it would be incomplete, and if the designer did not understand what he was designing he will end up with something he doesn't need or something inappropriate to the topic. And if a designer isn't creative he will only have something generic and unoriginal Therefore if a ocess he will have something unique, fitting, and complete
Project 1: Waning time
The first project that I was able to successfully incorporate my design philosophy was, Waning Time, in this project we were to design a memorial of some kind of loss that wasn't death, I chose the loss of time I took time to research and even reached into some personal experiences to brainstorm the potential form of the structure. The structure was that of an enclosed park that had an entrance of tall, 15‘-0”, walls that would gradually get shorter as the person walked along the park And since it was the loss of time, there are some obstacles along the path in the form of custom seating that blocks the view of the clearing at the end.
Project 2: Moving Floor Museum
Another successful project is this museum where I was tasked to design for a certain artist and urer the ult
Project 3: Hydrogen Refill Center
In this project I had to go through a great deal of research I had to incorporate a developing technology; as well as incorporate some sort of biophilic ideas into the design. I began with studying the Red Yucca plant which is a native Texas plant that thrives in the San Antonio climate.
I then did a deep dive on emerging technologies and I found an interesting technology that is turning water into hydrogen and using the hydrogen to run an engine creating the first prototype of a hydrogen run vehicle.
I then in turn designed a center that makes and dispenses hydrogen for this new vehicle The challenge for this project was that there was no precedent for this type of building besides industrious plants and gas stations. I then thought that I could also use a new material that
Project 4: Tynan elementary
In response to the closure of elementary schools in SAISD, and social and cultural conditions of this East Side San Antonio neighborhood marked by isolation, limited educational attainment, and a need for positive community infrastructure I proposed an adaptive reuse strategy that transforms the former Tynan Elementary School into a Digital Film and Media School.
Demographic research revealed that while workforce participation remains strong, many residents over the age of 25 have not pursued higher education At the same time, the area possesses a rich African American cultural identity rooted in nearby landmarks such as St. Paul Square and supported by organizations like the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum Recognizing both the challenges and cultural strengths of the community, the project reimagines the abandoned elementary school as a creative and educational hub.
Through adaptive reuse, the existing classroom structure is converted into production studios, editing labs, screening rooms, and flexible learning spaces The building provides residents particularly the predominantly Black community with access to digital media education and the tools to produce films that document, celebrate, and critically reflect on their own histories and lived experiences. By preserving the familiar structure of a former school and redefining its purpose, the design reinforces continuity while introducing new opportunity And the process could be accomplished in four stages: Attraction, education, production, and showcasing
