Ja Architecture Studio Inc

Summer Internship

JaStudioInc , a Toronto based Architecture practice is looking for an intern for the summer of 2010.We are looking for an Architecture student (second year or higher) who is comfortable with AutoCAD and Rhinoceros and preferably familiar with Adobe Suite.

To apply; please e-mail your C.V. and a few of work samples to:info@jastudioinc.com

Applicants should be motivated and tuned with the studio culture. Please review the website to see if your interest is aligned with what we do:www.jastudioinc.com

170506 1293

174 Spadina Avenue, Unit 104, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 2C2, T:4165942300 F:4165942301 W: http://jastudioinc.com

Who we are

Ja Architecture Studio Inc’s ProfileCurriculum Vitae

Ja Architecture Studio Inc

Ja Architecture Studio is a Toronto-based architecture practice with great interest in the role that design- oriented practices can play in bringing life and excitement to the projects and cities. The commitment of the firm is in getting engaged with highly ambitious projects that have grounds on buildabil-ity and cultural relevance. Founded by a duo of a registered architect and a landscape designer, supported by a group of passionate designers the studio have been successful in participating in a range of realized projects of differ-ent scales and have been published in numerous international media.

Our team

Nima JavidiPrincipalIs a registered Architect in Ontario, Canada with a Master of Urban Design post-professional degree from University of Toronto. Having worked in award winning firms in Toronto he has developed an interest and expertise in crossing the disciplinary boundaries between Architecture and other design practices.

Behnaz AssadiPartner is a Landscape designer with a bachelor degree in Fine Arts. She is a Partner in JaStudioInc in Toronto. Her interest and expertise in focused on topics and areas of our contemporary landscape that have been left out from the scope of traditional landscape design, mainly Landscape Urbanism.

Moon Joo LeeMoon Joo Lee is an architectural designer with Master of Architecture degree from University of Michigan with years of professional experience in Korea and the US. His interest in design has brought him from corporate firms to a small design oriented practice while carrying with him an organized and disciplined approach to architecture design.

Curriculum Vitae

Education .

2005, Master of Urban Design, Faculty of Architecture,Landscape & Design, University of Toronto . 2001, Master of Architecture, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran-Iran . 1993, High school diploma in Physics-Mathematics, Alborz high school, Tehran, Iran .

Registration and Professional Associations .

2009, Ontario Association of Architects, Registered Architect . 2008, Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC), LEED™ Accredited Professional .

Academic Awards and Positions .

2005, H. Reisman Gold Medal in Design, Awarded annually to one thesis project among three programs of Architecture, Land-scape and Urban Design in the faculty of AL&D

University of Toronto

2005, Wegman Fellowships . Wegman2004, U. Of T. Fellowship, ARCLA . 2004, Visual Communication Teaching Assistantship . 2003, U. Of T. Fellowship, ARCLA . 2003, Visual Communication Teaching Assistantship .

Work Experience . 2009, Ja Studio Inc., Toronto, ON .2005-8, Baird Sampson Neuert Architects, Toronto ON .

Residential:

West Don Lands Block 23 (Market & Affordable) Housing, Toronto Canada.Design Project Architect and BIM (Revit) coordinator for parametric analytical studies (massing envelope, density, sun-shadow and program studies; quantity take-offs for consultants and manufacturers) from schematic design and design development phase of the (21,000 m²) project.

Nima Javidi, OAA, MArch, LEED AP

program studies; quantity take-offs for consultants and manufacturers) from schematic design and design development phase of the (21,000 m²) project.Westside Lofts, Toronto Canada (2005-6) . Design Project Architect for marketing package; Job Captain for Site Plan Approval, Committee of Adjustment and Rezoning Applications (29,000 m²) to the city.

Institutional:

University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Arrival Court (2006) . Job Captain. Construction document phase . University of Toronto Scarborough Campus Science Wing terrace addi-tions (2006) . Design Assistant. Schematic design phase . Cornell University Plantation Visitor Center (2006) . Design Assistant. Planning phase . 2003-5, Prototype Design Lab, Toronto ON . PDLab booth in the Toronto Interior Design Show (2005) . Designer, CAD/CAM modeling and shop supervision . Hammam spa, Interior Design(2005) .Design, CAD/CAM modeling . Various Benson & Hedges stainless steel bars across Downtown Toronto clubs (2003-4) .

2001-3, Independent practice with A.Farzin, Tehran Iran . BM Residence (2001-7) .Design Architect. From schematic design through to construction draw-ing and one year of site review . 2002, A.Tec Consultants, Tehran Iran .VIP Terminal for IKIA (Tehran’s new international airport) . Competition Designer; First phase design . 1998, Draftsman in Aga Khan Award for Architecture . Redrawing the documents of the winner projects for AKAA publication by Thames & Hudson .

Competitions .

2003, Designing the High Line Competition, Manhattan-New York . 2003, Grand Egyptian Museum Architecture Competition, Egypt . 2002, VIP Terminal for IKIA airport (Tehran’s new international airport) . 2000, Student Design charrette, Tehran-Iran .

Behnaz Assadi, MLA, BFA

Curriculum Vitae

Education .

2008, Master of Landscape ArchitectureFaculty of Architecture Landscape and Design, University of Toronto2002, Diploma in Interior DesignFaculty of Fine Arts, Tehran University, Tehran – Iran2001, Bachelor of Fine ArtsFaculty of Fine Arts, Tehran University, Tehran- Iran1996, High school diploma in SciencePaknejad school, Tehran-Iran

Work experience

2009, JaStudioInc, Toronto, ON2008, Full-time employment in Centre for Landscape Research at Faculty of AL&D ,University of Toronto.Design assistant in Columbus Re-wired (AIA competition), Heights of Design (Competition organized by UnioncamerePiemonte and the Piemonte Region Authority in Northern Italy), Venice Lagoon Competition( 2G in collaboration withSanta & Cole, Città di Venezia, and Parco della Laguna di Venezia).Design coordinator, on Ontario Food Terminal Project, Toronto, Ontario.2007, Internship at Office for Metropolitan Architecture, Rotterdam.3D modeling and rendering for Almaty science center in Kazakhstan, De Rotterdam in Rotterdam.Four of the drawings are uploaded on the Project section of OMA web site: http://www.oma.eu/2005-6, Research Assistant, Al&D University of TorontoWorking with Professor Pierre Belanger on the “Underground Project” 3D mapping and modeling of the Toronto under ground pathway system.2001, Full-time employment, Ayandeh Pardaz Co.Tehran-IranArt director and Graphic Designer.

Competition and Awards

2007, Special Mention in 2G International Design Competition for Venice Lagoon.Organized by 2G in collaboration with Santa & Cole, Città di Venezia, and Parco della Laguna di Venezia.Design Team: Pierre Belanger,behnaz assai, Ed Zec, Hoda Matar.2007, Honorable Mention in AIA Columbus Re-Wired CompetitionOrganized by the American Institute of Architects.Design Team: Pierre Belanger, Behnaz Assadi, Ed Zec.

2007, Second Place Prize in Heights of Design CompetitionOrganized by Union camere Piemonte and the Piemonte Region Authority in Northern Italy.Design team: Pierre Belanger, Behnaz Assadi , Ed Zec.2006, Professional Experience Program award, AL&D University of TorontoA portfolio based award for student internship in five outstanding architecture and design offices; one student is selected for each firm.2004, Brickstop awards, AL&D, University of Toronto2002, Jury Selection, High Line Competition, NewYork. Collaborating with Nima Javidi

ArchitectureInterior DesignLandscapeCompetitionFurnitureArchitect: Nima Javidi, Afshin FarzinOffice(s): Ja Architecture Studio Inc, Tadj Farzin Studio Location: Astalak, Iran Date: 2002-Present

BM’s Residence,Astalak, Tehran, 2003-2008

The project is a single family residence located on a hill-top in a region that is about 20km away from Tehran. The general concept is about a series of spaces that are organized around a central circulation core and follow the slope of the site and engage in a dialogue with the site while maintaining a straight forward circulation prin-ciple. The exposed concrete structure of the project has been the biggest construction challenge of the project as it has been one of the very few projects in the resi-dential sector of Iran that has used this system and man-aged to deliver proper execution of this delicate system for a complex structure.Other than the main building there are a few ancillary functions in the program that have all been embedded into the topography of the site.

BM’s Residence

ArchitectureInterior DesignLandscapeCompetitionFurnitureArchitect: Nima Javidi, Afshin FarzinInterior Design: Nima Javidi, Antonio TadrissiOffice(s): Ja Architecture Studio Inc, Tadj Farzin Studio, Prototype design lab Location: Astalak, Iran Date: 2009-2010

+

+

The Fireplace of the party room of Bm’s Residence

+ ++

The fabrication process of the “great room’s” fire place

Family room’s Kitchen of Bm’s Residence

The fabrication process of the family room’s kitchen’s Island

The fabrication process of the working kitchen’s Island

BM’s Residence

ArchitectureInterior DesignLandscapeCompetitionFurnitureArchitect: Nima Javidi, Afshin FarzinOffice(s): Ja Architecture Studio Inc, Tadj Farzin Studio, Prototype design lab Location: Astalak, Iran Date: 2009-2010

The Ramp House

As Part of the BM’s residence The ramp houseis a combination of a small house for the concierge of a big residence and an office space for the client. Both units are inserted in an appendix structure that integrates all of the peripheral and infrastructural requirements of the property. Aside from the live and work units the appendix structure incorporates a vehicular ramp, a pe-destrian bridge, two mechanical rooms, a pool and the street sidewalk.

The location of the main building on the site and the slope necessitated the creation of a series of retaining walls to support the circula-tion platforms to the base of the mainbuilding, these retaining walls were designed as hollow box sections to support the floors above them while housing the required functions inside. For example to support the vehicular access ramp of the main building, a tubular box structure is created. The hollow section of this structure is turned into an office space with punctured open-ings on its south face to provide light and view while minimizing the overwhelming presence of the whole structure on the site.

The concierge’s house is the below-grade portion of the property wall; it supports the soilbehind it while housing a small two story unit. The south face of the unit looks over the entrance vehicular ramp that provides access to the main building. The extreme proximity of the ramp and the residential space is mediated through the deep double skin façade.

View of the Gard house from the extendsion of the entry ramp

IDS -05

ArchitectureInterior DesignLandscapeCompetitionFurnitureDesigners: Nima Javidi, Antonio TadrissiOffice(s): Ja Architecture Studio Inc, Prototype design lab Location: Toronto, CanadaDate: 2005

IDS 2005 Prototype Design Lab exhibition booth in IDS 2005, was to represent the ideas and objectives of a design and fabrication group with a conceptual space.The goal was to blur some of the driving lines inherent in the design and construction discipline .The proposal used IDS 2005 as a platform to re-investigate the common concept in space design of our built environment and avoid residing on the familiar aesthetics and dare to experiment the new, while maintaining the finesse of every detail.

West Side lofts

ArchitectureInterior DesignLandscapeCompetitionFurnitureDesigners: Nima JavidiOffice(s): Baird Sampson Neuert ArchitectsLocation: Toronto, CanadaDate: 2006-2007

Currently in design, Westside Lofts is a 335-suite condominium residence located in former industrial lands west of Toronto’s central business district. The project is situ-ated at the centre of the emergent Queen Street West district, newly revitalized by a host of boutique hotels, art galleries, shops, and restaurants.

Drava River, Maribor EPK 2012 competition

ArchitectureInterior DesignLandscapeCompetitionFurnitureDesigners: Nima Javidi, Behnaz Assadi, Amin TadjOffice(s): Ja Architecture Studio Inc, Tadj Farzin StudioLocation: Maribor, SloveniaDate: 2010

Drava River, Maribor, Slovenia -EPK 2012-CompetitionEuropean capital of culture-2012

The city of Maribor, the second largest city in Slovenia and it is getting ready to becomethe European Capital of Culture in 2012. As part of the three catalyst projects to revive thehistoric riverfront of the city, the city of Maribor host a competition to design a 150 meterlong footbridge for walking and cycling on the location of a demolished historic bridge. JaStudio’s proposal was an effort to re-visit the idea of the bridge as a multi-functional urbansurface that resolves its geometry between the structural issues of crossing and spanningand the functional opportunities that may potentially arise from these structuralnecessities. Below is the submitted description for our entry:

The Drava ExperienceCrossing the new pedestrian Lent-Tabor Bridge would be as important as spending timeon it. The proximity of the existing bridges over Drava along Lent Tabor embankmentprovides an opportunity for the new bridge to perform more than a crossing bridge andbecome both a landmark and a vibrant urban surface that is intensely engaged withwater.

The spontaneity of useThe bridge is designed as a 15m wide surface that can create a variety of experientialcondition between people and Drava. The undulation of the bridge surface on one handprovides the structural stability of the bridge and at the same time allows the users to

reach the water and engage in variety of spontaneous activities. From collective joy ofwatching a rowing competition during Lent festival to a romantic encounter on a narrowwalkway down from the ridge, the range of possible interaction of people and waterbecomes infinite. People’s spontaneous use of this urban surface would turn the bridge toan urban spectacle.

The top surface of the bridge would be covered with wood decking that turns to steps onthe accessible areas and morphs into a single sloped surface on the steep conditions. Thesingle surface areas will be protected from public access by a combination of steel tubeguardrails. The ridge of the surface is a horizontal pathway that forms a datum for thebridge and connects the two sides of the bridge.

Drava as the reflection of MariborAs part of the bridge experience would be from underneath, the underside of the bridge isclad with mirror finished copper roofing sheets to both protect the structure of the bridgeand reflect the Drava ripples and the colors of historic Maribor clay tile roofs.The image of Drava is the reflection of Maribor and the bridge. The choice of copper asthe material for the underside of the bridge once reflected in Drava would give morepresence to this idea. The harmony of copper with the roof clay tiles would tie thereflected image of Lent to the reflected image of Tabor and would seamlessly connect thetwo sides of the river.

Plan of the pedestrian bridge proposal

The Drava Experience; Drava River, Maribor, Slovenia -EPK 2012-Competition

Kaohsing Maritime Cultural& popular music centre international competition

ArchitectureInterior DesignLandscapeCompetitionFurnitureDesigners: Nima Javidi, Amin Tadj, Behnaz Assadi, Moon Joo LeeOffice(s): Ja Architecture Studio Inc, Tadj Farzin StudioLocation: Kaohsing, TaiwanDate: 2010

Project description

Our project is an effort to find simple pragmatic solutions for the Urban, Landscape and Architectural chal-lenges of the site, yet allow for an uncompromised layer of surreal to flow through the site and claim its presence.The proposal is three expansive but light buildings that float above a waterfront park and use the unique geometry of the port to define an urban marine square for the city of Kaohsiung.

Architecture

Building typology- Porous biscuit is our recipe to create buildings on pilotis that would urbanistically func-tion. Waterfront locations require buildings that are accessed from both city and waterfront sides. Although many building types with two active fronts can be envisioned, in most cases the very bulk of the building becomes a separator in the city –water relationship. By raising the building, our proposal seamlessly con-nects the city and the water and guarantees public access and public nature of such a key urban location. By incorporating a thin-porous building plate floating above a retail embedded landscape the proposed typology would eliminate the common shortcomings of the pilotis and creates a vibrant urban shaded area suitable for the subtropical hot and humid summers of Kaohsiung.

The functional strategy- The three main buildings on the site are aligned with the three sides of the port. The North and West buildings would contain the Pop Music functions and the east building along the wharf would provide the Marine Culture spaces. The functional complexity of the project is resolved on three sectional layers; parking/service level, park level and elevated building lobby. The main ingredients of the architecture are:

Spiral ramp/entrance- Visitors would take the spiral ramps to go up from the ground to the lobby level or to the roof of the buildings. The location of the spiral ramps is in the proximity of major access points of the site. Yingxiong Rd. and Seashore Rd. intersection has been defined as the main vehicular and pedes-trian access point to the project and consequently the main entrance/spiral ramp to the north building is located in close proximity to this intersection. Each ramp on its spiral way up gradually splits to form two flows, one to the interior of the ramp thickness and other directly to the roof. The flow leading to the interior spiral would be controlled and used by the building users however the part of the ramp that have access to the roof can be used by the general public. Connective lobby- The elevated lobby of the building would be the connective tissue for the program-matic elements of the project. This connective tissue is punctured by an array of elliptical voids providing light and air to the interior of the building as well as the pilloti below. The surface of each void tubes is clad with the mirrored glass to reflect the captured light down while not blocking the interior visual continuity of the lobby.

Programmatic nodes- Performance halls, exhibition spaces, incubation centers,… would be the func-tional nodes that are all accessed from the connective lobby. The location of each node is decided based on the theme of the building, Marine Culture vs. Pop Music, and the proximity of the nodes to the entrance spirals and exits. Functional nodes with distinct form and figures have been used in contrast to the quite sublimity of the elevated buildings to create moments of distinct notes along the quiet horizontal lines of the biscuit buildings. Landscape

The landscape proposal of the scheme overlays two approaches to the design of the green open space; The contemporary approach of performative landscape on one side and the traditional approach of paint-ing with nature on the other. Overlaying of the two approaches of dealing with landscape has been used to allow each approach to be autonomous and truthful to its essence. The first approach focuses on ecology and sustainability of the site and the latter relies more on the sensual role of the nature in the urban envi-ronment. The key elements of the landscape proposal are:

The park- The public park is the performative component of the landscape. It re-surfaces the area of the site that has been released by raising the buildings with pedestrian and bicycle pathways, congrega-tion platforms and the outdoor performance area. To address the parking and service space requirements, and also to provide private access to the buildings above, a series of half-level underground parking and service parcels are embedded into the landscape. The frontage of these elevated green parcels would be light commercial units that would give life, natural surveillance and vibrancy to the park. The green parcels at the south west end of the site would blend in with the geometry of the existing Sightseeing Terrace build-ing and extend the beauty of this structure throughout the site. Green Dragon- A free flow of bamboo trees move through the site and tie the three main buildings as well as the east and west parcels of the land. The bamboo flow would resist the strong winds on the site, retain the run-off storm water at its base (bio-swale), replace the notion of Red Carpet with Green Carpet at key access points to the buildings and last but not least the green dragon would dance in the wind, and create a surreal tree-top view to the landscape from the elevated buildings, reminiscent of scenes viewed from the vantage point of weightless mythical characters in the cinema of East Asia.

The TVs in the park- The interactive exhibit areas both for pop music and marine culture are housed in five giant TVs dropped across the landscape of the site, juxtaposing the extreme drama of pop music onto the everyday intimacy of an urban park.

The recipe to make a biscuit

The wind and the dragon, The Bio swale; Surface water runoff / gray water management .

Urban

Marine Square- The urban strategy of the project is to use the orthogonal shape of the site and the large scale of the program to frame and create a marine square at the intersection of Love River, port and the city. The three main buildings would spatially define the square and contain the noise inside the courtyard. The open stage platform with its mobile extension would be the focal point of this urban space. In order to transcend the events held in the open stage theater from the site scale to the city-wide scale, a digitally augmented image of the stage would be projected into the space of marine square at a much larger scale and allow the spectacle of pop music become the giant performing ghosts of the Kaohsiung skyline.The technique used to generate the digitally augmented reality would be weaving imagery using the light rays projected from the projectors installed on the edge the biscuit buildings into the ultra-sound fog cre-ated from the port water.By placing the outdoor performance stage and the digitally augmented scenes in the center of the marine courtyard the capacity of outdoor performance area can potentially overflow from the immediate audito-rium to the whole perimeter of the courtyard including the park piloties, elevated buildings and even on the roofs, suddenly the marine courtyard would turn into a one of a kind giant outdoor performance space with ten times larger capacity than its outlined requirement; a potential inherent in the unique geometry of the site.

General view of the proposal on Kaohsiung skyline

The thin-porous building plate floating above is punctured by an array of elliptical voids providing light and air to the interior of the building as well as the pilloti below.

The view depicting the proposed green dragon replacing the notion of Red Carpet with Green Carpet at the main entrance to the performance hall building.

The image depicts the technique used to generate the digitally augmented reality; weaving imagery using the light rays projected from the projectors installed on the edge the biscuit buildings into the ultra-sound fog created from the port water.

The image depicts the technique used to generate the digitally augmented reality; weaving imagery using the light rays projected from the projectors installed on the edge the biscuit buildings into the ultra-sound fog created from the port water.

View of the marine cultural museum at night

View of the marine cultural museum at night