Issuu

Monika Makowczenko

MONIKA MAKOWCZENKO

age 28, 8/01/1997

+39 379 105 0468

mako.makowczenko@gmail.com 10 125 Torino, Italy

My name is Monika. I’m from Poland, now living in Torino, Italy. I believe that any piece of information holds creative potential when applied thoughtfully to design, so I stay curious and observant - analyzing, noticing, and learning. My hobbies are knitting, sketching, and bookbinding, but you can also find me by the sea windsurfing, sailing or swimming. As for architectural design, I’ve been recently interested in seasonality of urban spaces and their adaptability.

education

2016 / 2020 - Warsaw School of Technology, Bachelor of engineering in architecture

2020 / 2024 - Warsaw School of Technology, Master of engineering in architecture

2021 / 2022 - Politecnico di Torino, Erasmus+ programme exchange

work experience

2019 - Ogrodownia studio architectural visualizations

08.2020 - Architekci Zbigniew Buchner internship

04.2022 - 04.2023 - Artom&Zanotti architetti

workshops

2017 - Parametric Winter School (grasshopper+Rhino)

competitions

2021 - Revitalization Project of Konstancin’s Monuments 3rd award

software skills

Adobe Photoshop Revit

Adobe Illustrator Sketchup

Adobe InDesign Rhinoceros

AutoCad v +grasshopper

languages interests

english (IELTS 7,5 score/C2)

italian (B1)

polish (native)

windsurfing instructor (junior national team)

bookbinding

knitting

SELECTED WORKS (AUTONOMOUS)

court of law / architectural

school of craft / heritage preservation

JOB (TEAMWORK)

Chieri, Ex Tabasso area / restoration project

new city life / urban concept

seasonality of urban spaces / urban design

hand drawings book-binding design

Court of Law, expansion of a historical complex

Giżycko, Poland

architectural design

The subject of the project is the building of the District Court in Giżycko, which will be an extension of the existing complex. The building currently in use, is not able to provide effective service of all functions it should perform. The stiff layout of the monument and its small size force the separation of the court departments into three distant units. For reasons of use and prestige it is advisable to combine these functions within one building. My project is a proposal to extend the existing court by another building, in order to create a complex with a judicial function.

The location of the new building was established on a plot of land bordering to the current court area. The designed building houses criminal and family departments, archives, court rooms and rooms serving the complex. The layout was divided into two parts: internal and public. The entrance hall, which separates both functions, stretches along the transverse axis of the plot and is ended with entrances on both sides. The main entrance is accessible from the courtyard, which is located between the designed building and the existing court. The southern part of the plot has been designed for internal workers. Limited access to it is provided by adequate layout and guarded passages. Employees, including judges, move to the courtrooms in a different way than guests, avoiding the risk of unwanted confrontation.

Finishing material is inspired by town’s historical monuments, located in the nearby area. Brick is a typical architectural substance for a Kingdom of Prussia that occupied the territory of Poland, where Giżycko is located. It creates a unique city’s trademark, which was meant to be reflected in the main facade, as well as in the building’s interiors.

The court expansion is divided into three main sections: public hall for general users (green); secluded private offices for internal workers like judges and administration (red) and courtrooms (purple) where all the different users and workers meet. Their pathways are designed in a way that avoids unneccessary confrontation. They use different entrances and halls to reach courtrooms.

New City life: urban concept for getting back to community after pandemic and activizing historical jewish district

Warszawa, Poland

heritage preservation and urban design

The design was created as a reaction to spreading tragedy of the world pandemic, during a design atelier at university focused on ideological approach. The project was an artistic expression through architecture, made of questions arisen about space during the self-isolation. Designed during the first coronavirus wave, this project is representing its insecure, disturbing atmosphere as well as an attempt to find a better future. Pandemic reality not only questioned various aspects of way we live, but also led to reevaluating people’s relationship with space

The world quickly adapted to limiting situation and switched to virtual reality - online classes, home office, online shopping. Individual reality was now contained into a screen. Being an effective and only solution, it also pointed out the poorness of this kind of stimulation. Confinement showed, how deprivation of various stimuli can influence ones mindset. Self-isolation caused a switch in the way we perceive reality, focusing on the sight and simultaneously enforcing a long-lasting insensibility of other senses - smell, hearing, touch. It has been proven, that lack of proper sensory activity can lead to anxiety, depression or antisocial behaviour. Urban concept design is designed to activate the body and reconnect with the human through senses. Various turns, changes of facade or openings engage a user to use his muscles and thus reintroducing a fuller experience of reality.

Urban project is set in a historical jewish district. Proposed solutions aim to expose furtherly its important history by bringing more human activity to the location, without interfering with existing integrity of the built environment. Presented design envisions a cluster of small shops, that would both revive the area and pay respect to jewish trade tradition.

Use of unconventional construction elements and various twists and turns in building’s form enforce user’s more attentive engagement with a building, thus anchoring him more in a physical realm through the use of muscles and senses.

The project is set in a historical jewish district. Tragic history of the ghetto is immortalized in a plain, monumental wall, destroyed partially by bombing in World War II. It is now playing a significant role in the identity of the territory and local mentality. By introducing deconstuctive attitude towards the design, it was possible to pay respect to the partial ruin. Moreover, all added buildings were designed to be in such height that allows pedestrians a view of the wall.

Deconstructive approach allows as well to keep architectural integrity by using the existing typology. No alien architectural language is being introduced to the area, preserving its unique identity.

Fragmention of the form helps with stalling the viruses from spreading by moving most of the human movement to the ventilated outside.

School of Craft: Old Paper Mill Complex preservation and expansion

Konstancin-Jeziorna, Poland

heritage and preservation architectural design, competition

The project is a proposition for a new architectural addition to a monument in Konstancin-Jeziorna, Poland. It focuses on a preservation and expansion of historical Old Paper Mill Complex. It is an important neoclassical monument, in which the printing of polish constitution took place. Currently, its technical condition does not allow any human use and its neighbourhood awaits serious social revitalization.

My proposed function is an arts and crafts house, combining a service function and a post-secondary school. The facility would house workshops and exhibition spaces. This type of cultural function would create new jobs and a more qualified cross-section of the community. As the surrounding area is revitalized, the culture and quality of the proposed facility’s offerings can grow with the community.

With time, the original building’s form got covered with multiple low-quality expansions. The multitude of materials and forms interfere with the ideological coherence of the project. Based on research and professional documentation, the extraneous parts have been chosen and intended to disassembly.

Symmetry is one of the main forces shaping the architectural expression of neoclassical assumptions. The designed supplementary block is located in the western part of the plot, completing the axiality of the complex by repeating the proportions of main original block. A neoclassical aspiration is expressed in the harmony. This balanced composition attempts to be achieved by introducing simple vertical and horizontal divisions or symmetry.

building’s evolution and dismantle indication / based on expertise documents

The current body of the building is shrouded in many, chaotic layers that conflict with the original neoclassical assumptions. In order to restore the building to its former glory, it is advisable to dismantle the extraneous layers. Based on research and professional documentation, the extraneous parts have been chosen and intended to disassembly.

Dismantling of the incoherent additions brings the building back to its originial neoclassical form. The historical character is expressed also in the axiality of windows, clear horizontal divisions, symmetry and proportions of the main corpus. In order to highlight those neoclassical traits, the designed addition has been created by symmetrically repeating the form and proportions of the main block. Between them, a connecting part have been created using the architectural expression of historical wooden porch.

Architectural fabric is inspired by both history of the Paper Mill Complex and the surrounding urban context. Choice of a ceramic brick material and the glass panes division are a tribute to the industrial heritage of the site. Double facade is topped with a ceramic detail, that derives from typical polish folk paper cutouts, thus refering the site’s historical function.

Aside from the neoclassical expression of the building, one of its most valuable historical element is the wooden porch. The expansion aims to emphasize porch’s importance by repeating its proportion and material in a new connecting part. What is more, the wooden detail will be simplified and used on the facades.

04.

Seasonality of urban spaces on the example of urban transformation project Giżycko, Poland research and urban design

Presented design is my recent master’s thesis focusing on seasonal urban changes in the temperate climate of Poland and public space users needs’ fluctuations. Research was conducted alongside an in-depth urban analysis of the chosen city of Giżycko. Theoritcal part materializes in the form of an urban design intervention. Proposed solution for found problems is a system of public spaces of the city with transformative urban furniture elements

The topic of seasonality is treated not only as a climate variability, but also as human migration patterns. For this reason, the city of Giżycko was chosen for analysis, which is a great example of small tourist city that performs poorly in winter, but hosts many people in the summer. The city’s existing important functions are sparsely located and not inter-connected. The new designed system plans to connect chosen public spaces and buildings, as well as create new ones. Large-space underground parking lots will be created at strategically selected locations. This will allow the removal of some surface parking lots, freeing up plots for new developments. Underground structures will also be equipped seasonally with entertainment or small retail functions. During the summer, the entire parking space will serve cars. In winter, on the other hand, when the demand for parking is lower due to the lack of tourists, part of the parking lot will turn into a space for a small market, supplementing the city’s service infrastructure. What’s more, bringing attractive functions underground will transform a small section of the pedestrian route into a space completely sheltered from the harshness of winter.

At the same time, above the ground design provides a protection from wind with structures that break up and block the wind. Users will be provided with a small destination once in a while that will encourage movement by breaking up the general distance into smaller pieces. Small architecture consisting of modules will be placed along the route, where functions like benches, mirrors, phone charging stations, chess and other will take place. Those urban shelters will be equiped with rotating elements that can be seasonally adjusted to the angles of sun, wind, rain or snow.

general plan

Underground entertainment area can be reached by two entrances with stairs, each directed at a lake view as you go up. Glass walls create light tunnels brightening the area. Moreover, six skylights have been located above the underground lot, in the area whose surface was calculated as getting the most sun radiation during winter season.

The idea of the project is based, among other things, on providing adequate pedestrian mobility not only in the summer season, but also in winter. Two different routes were created to suit seasonally changing needs regarding thermal comfort as well as type of prefered activity. The summer path opens onto the lake and connects the sailing training center, the beach and the city centre. It passes the pavilions from the lake side, exposing itself to the fresh breezes that help relieve the feeling of heat. The winter tract, on the other hand, runs partly through underground entertainment functions, such as art workshops and bars, through a temporary winter city market, which is staked on part of the parking lot in winter. The path finishes in a winter city square. The space is sheltered from the cold wind by buildings, but at the same time is in a fairly sunny location. In this area, there are located campfire spaces, the entrance to the cultural center and, seasonally, an ice rink.

The modular small architecture elements are modifiable. The transformation is designed in a way that respects the sun angles in given season. At the latitude of Giżycko, they differ drastically between winter and summer, which requires adaptable practices in architecture to accomodate both climates.

Underground architecture has been formed under the main plaza and partially under buildings. New architecture can be accessed both from above the ground and from the parking lots via an internal staircase. Proposed new functions include the cultural center, sailing school with a small harbour and office buildings. In the underground area there will be a bar space, dance club, city storage space and a gym. These types of functions do not require daylight, bringing them underground will dampen noise and save above-ground space.

The modules contain rotatable wall elements, which the user can adjust according to the climatic situation. In winter, when the probability of strong winds is high, it is assumed that the walls will be positioned perpendicular to the direction of the wind, blocking it from flowing. In summer, the walls can be placed parallel to the direction of the wind, creating drafts and a cooling sensation. Modules also contain detachable rooftops, that could be arranged according to selected function or sun angle. Core of the module will host small gastronomy services, while the outer spaces can be either closed to create a small retail stand or open for pedestrians to use as a winter shelter. If open, they will be equipped with convenient functions like mirrors, benches, space for art shows.

Restoration project of post-industrial factory complex

Ex Tabasso Area, Chieri, Italy

urban and restoration design

Presented work is a project I was part of during my time at Artom&Zanotti architecture studio. It was commissioned by the municipality of Chieri and is still under development. Goal of the project is the restoration and revival of Ex Tabasso buildings and surrounding area in Chieri. In this document I present only the images or drawings that were created by me in its entirety.

During this phase of the design, we examined existing spacial conditions in detail and imagined possible new future for the complex. At this stage, we focused on three, interconnected buildings in the Ex Tabasso zone. Terrain slope shapes a multileveled complex with many passages and level changes. Proposition involves adapting the complex for public functions like a museum, hostel and coworking space.

My tasks relied on both my technical and graphic design skills. One of my main responsibilites was to create an accurate digital 3D model and plans of the exisitng buildings using laser-measured points cloud in the Revit programme and pictures of the site. Then, I was a part of the design development, commiting general ideas onto reality. Later on, I produced render images, videos, sections, plans and axonometry of the design.

As an exemplary floor plan drawing, presented here is the main entrance floor. The project included conducting a detailed inventory of existing building, that would prepare a basis for the design process. Plans are showcasing six combined levels of three different buildings. Point cloud was used to determine the general layout and geometry, as well as onsite visits and photographic documentation to resolve more complex nods.