Carla Amador

MY PORTFOLIo
Creative Work
*Includes only highlights, and examples of hand-drawn projects.

1. Personal Statement 2
2. the costa rican carreta 4
3. subliminality, glazing & transparency 5
4. Presentation Techniques examples 5
5. Intuitive Geometry, public space intervention 6
6. Creative Photography 6
7. typology fusion, limonense + morroccan home 7
8. Commercial design, my approach to a bathing suit store 8
9. Stereotomic model, space developed through emotion: pain 9
10. Product design, a cake cover for a small kitchen 10
11. maximalism-pop, a fun hotel room design 11
12. Loop Garden, for Alzheimer pacients 12
13. Healing Nature, a low cost clinic intervention 13
14. Pouring coffee, a kiosk for a costa rican brand 13

Detailed Projects
*First 4 projects include most important details,
last project include the most specs for detailed examples

15. Minimum space, our cities new reality 14

16. commercial partners, a pharmacy and a magazine stand 15
17. Roof-top Home 16
18. Interconnecting space, veterinary intervention 17
19. Ihaica Hotel, by banyan tree 18
University of edinburgh uun No: s1820895
PERSONAL STATEMENT Colors of my Land
I am a Costa Rican Lawyer who is about to finish her second career, and first professional love, a Bachelor Honours
Degree in Spatial Design. Concluding this diametrically different career choice hasnt been easy while working in law,
and it has taken some time to do it, but the process has made my resolve to thrive in this area stronger.

Many people I have talked to do not see where both of my professional choices connect. But I know how both fields
need each other. This understanding will hopefully not only be an advantage that adds to my competitiveness, but
that can also serve and improve Costa Rican design. The concept of a law degree here is very easy to understand. How-
ever, not many people here are well acquainted with what a spatial designer does, primarily because in Costa Rica,
only few can afford it in their personal spaces. As a first hand witness in both fields, the contrast in the basic under-
standing people generally have of both careers is absolutely mind-blowing for me. Understanding how spatial design
impacts everyday life pushes me to work in whatever way I can towards enhancing its public perception. This is the
impulse behind my desire to further my education in design. I want to disseminate within my fellow countrymen that
design is as important and vital as law is, while taking advantage of my knowledge of both.

As a design student, I wish to let you know that as part of my interests, I have explored the boundaries of our cultural
identity and its contemporary expressions, every chance I got. I firmly identify with the principles of Framptons critical
regionalism in that design is critically related not only to the user, but also to its surroundings. Perhaps that is why I
love landscaping so much. I love how through our history, and due to our geographical location, we Costa Ricans have
had a vital and unavoidable relationship with the outside. With a dominant L shaped floor plan, even the most
humble 1800s Costa Rican home would expose the outside corridor concept, a bioclimatic solution and simple biding
space between the enclosed interiors and the family orchard. This is the space in which social interactions occurred,
and keep occurring nowadays, where elders sit around to catch the afternoon sun and watch nature and people pass
by. I look forward to ways in which I can conceptually and literally tie our spaces to our past logic, discover old ways
and find new ones to keep making these connections, in deeply though spaces, submerged in green and health.

With 5% of the worlds biodiversity, Costa Rica is internationally known as a green country. We have even made this
part of our cultural identity lately, which is no longer attached only to our post-colonial coffee producers self and our
later recognition for having no army. Nevertheless, this green identity has lost its history and true meaning. Sadly and
mostly is now due to everything our cities are not, exclusively due to all the marvelous natural places that exist outside
them. I am deeply interested in transforming our cities to reflect this identity, but our true one, through law obeying
well-designed, nature inclusive interiors, public and interconnecting spaces. Some efforts have been made to start
this change here, and to apply it in a way that is accessible to all citizens. I crave to be part of this change, as a designer
and as a future community leader.
I often find myself walking around plant nurseries, trying to experiment with these interconnections and I find I lack a
deeper knowledge to effectively apply nature to my designs. This is the reason why I would like to pursue a Masters in
Landscape Architecture, to gain the technical know how to be able to accomplish what I have explained in the previous
paragraphs. I would also like the chance to build up a more landscape oriented professional portfolio alongside your
renowned professors, so I can compete in a fierce job market. I feel that the fact that you have 4 Landscape Portfolio
classes will allow me to progressively get better, and I see the courses gain complexity as the Programme advances. This
would really allow me to gain exciting job opportunities on my return, and improve, experiment and practice upon com-
bining manual and digital techniques for presentation purposes.

I am very much looking forward to visit nurseries in Scotland, the Royal Botanic Garden, Hadrians Wall, Orkney, the
English Lake District, the very same Edinburgh, and some many other heritage UK places in order to identify their land-
scape structure. And if you let me, learning not only how to correctly indicate planting specs for design projects, but how
to properly select them for a particular life zone. I am excited to learn the science behind this understanding. I look
forward to having more solid geography knowledge and its relation to a specific locations identity. I find the concept of
cultural geography very interesting, as it relates to human organization of space and that is what I love to do. As I am
interested in cultural identity, and this is deeply related to history, so I would love to learn about the specifics of history
of landscape architecture. This will broaden my concept of landscaping and how it has changed through time.

Learning about the ultimate and most innovative materials in landscape would allow me to research and compare what
is used in Costa Rica and why, identify if we are up to date, seek business and creative opportunities that can allow me to
contribute when I come back. I am particularly excited about your Landscape Construction 1 and 2 courses, because I am
a hands-on person that enjoys getting specific and understanding how things work. I also feel in this course I can
improve my graphic skills, drawing my ideas and communicating them correctly, because they will be backed up by
correct detailed knowledge.

If accepted, in your graduating dissertation course Landscape Contextual Studies, I already visualize myself exploring
these boundaries between interior and exterior spaces with the newly acquired knowledge, and later bringing every-
thing back here and help making our identity true again and new, in our cities. I would love to do a project that tackles
the previously stated in connection to Costa Ricans relationship to rain in these interconnecting spaces, and how rainy
season forces a more contemplative attitude of your surroundings.

Your University is one of the most prestigious in the world, as I have done my research is raked in the top 30 -specifically
27 in this particular subject- so I know I would be very lucky if accepted into your Programme. But I also know I am a hard
working individual that would make the most of the opportunity, and a strong candidate because of my multifaceted
background, capabilities and desire to give back. I would really appreciate a chance to be part of your alumni, share my
strengths and get the knowledge that would make me the full circle professional of my dreams.

Carla Amador.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARLA AMADOR (LANCASTER

GARDEN, COSTA RICA & TABACON HOTEL GARDEN).
The Costa Rican

Carreta
A floor plan
in which you can
feel the diagonals
of our aesthetic.

Designed furniture
 Presentation Techniques
Subiliminality
Glazing & transparency

MODULATION + Repetition + transparency TO CREATE A GLAZING EFFECT grayscale & Pencil

coloured technique
Application of
wucius wong
design fundamen-
tals to create a
sushi bar with
subliminal ele-
ments. THE MACRO
AEREAL PHOTOGRA-
PHY OF A GLASSIER
CONVEYS THE MES-
SAGE OF FRESHNESS
AND NATURE, ALSO
USED AS VISUAL IRRI-
GATION for THE
planter below. The
project relates THe
CONCEPTS of FRESH-
NESS to SUSHI AND
ITS PERCEPTION AS A
HEALTHY FOOD, AS
EVERYTHING HEALTHY
Sushi
as fresh
as glacian water.
IS NATURE RELATED.
Intuitive Geometry
Public Space INTERVENTION

Design exerCise making use

of the theory of the intui-
tive geometry for the
re-design of a well known
public space called The
Mango Park, located
across the parking lot of
University Veritas Campus,
Costa Rica. The re-design
was carried out without
removing any of the exist-
ing trees.

Creative Photography
 The great corridor concept

FLOORING & ROOF DESIGN

SELECTED TEXTURES & FURNITURE

LIMON IS THE COSTA RICAN CARIBBEAN

SHORELINE, WHERE AS PER ITS CLIMATE
ALLOWS, A DIFFERENT KIND OF BIOCLI-
MATIC ARCHITECTURE EMERGES, OF CA-
RIBBEAN-VICTORIAN INFLUENCE. IN THIS
EXERcisE I WAS SUPPOUSED TO MIX
ELEMENTS IN BOTH LIMONENSE AND
MORROCAN styles (SELECTED BY
RAFFLE). This exerCise had to be exe-
Typology Fusion
Limonense + marroccan home
cuted manually.
Commercial Design
MY APPROACH TO A BATHING SUIT STORE
STUDY OF VOLUMES

SITTING AREA FOR SHOE FITTING

STANDING UNDER A
WATERFALL, WALK-
ING THROUGH THE
ROCKS OF A RIVER,
ADMIRING THE
WAVES AND LETTING
SOME RAIN WATER
WASH YOUR FACE
ON A COSTA RICA
SANDY BEACH. THIS
IS MY CONCEPT FOR
THIS BATHING SUIT
store, DESIGNED FOR
THE UNAFRAID, CURVY
COSTA RICAN WOMAN.

Aereal
perspective
 section a
First Floor SECOND Floor

Stereotomic Model
section B

SPACE DEVELOPED THROUGH EMOTIOn: PAIN. section a

section B

FIRST STAGE.- DEVELOPING A 3D PAPER

MODEL (JUST CUTTING, NOTHING COULD BE
GLUED BACK TOGETHER) USING AN EMO-
TION -IN MY CASE PAIN- TO GUIDE FORM.
SECOND STAGE.- SIMPLIFY THE MODEL TO
GET THE ESSENCE OF THE PREVIOUS EXER-
CisE, IN A maquette. Third stage.-
Create the interiors.

isometric
 PROBLEM: current CAKE COVERS gener- MODEL OF CREATIVE
IDEA
ate two problems: poor aesthetics &
storage issues when they are not in
use.
OBJECTIVE: TO SOLVE STORAGE ISSUES
THROUGH A MODULAR, COLLAPSABLE
SYSTEM, AND THE AESTHETICS ISSUE
THROUGH FORM AND TEXTURE.

Product Design
A Cake cover for a small kitchen

PROTOTYPE PHOTOGRAPHS

MODULE CREATION

ISOMETRIC

1. COLLAPSING
THE MODULES

2. SEMI-COLLAPSED
CAKE COVER

12 MODULEs 3. FULLY-COLLAPSED
30 revolution CAKE COVER
thermoformed
1. 2. 3.
Polypropylene
Maximalism PopA FUN HOTEL ROOM DESIGN

a design excercise on mixing interior

design styles with an art influence.- A
design for a young soul target market, to
keep an up beat atmosphere inside the
room.
FLOOR PLAN

textures

SECTION A

SECTION B

SECTION C

B
A
 ORIGINAL FLOOR PLAN defining circulation TALL VEGETATION MEDIUM VEGETATION MEDIUM-SMALL VEGETATION SMALL VEGETATION GRASS

Loop garden FOR ALZHEIMER PACIENTS

ROYSTONEA REGINEA
palmera real
DIANELLA ENSOFOLIA
PINCELON

CORDYLINE TERMINALIS KUNTH

CAA INDIA ROJA PHIOPOGON JAPONICUS
ZACATE AZUL
stenotaphrum secundatum
ZACATE SAN AGUStin

PHYLLOSTACHYS NIGRA strelitzia reginae

BAMBOO ave del paraiso

tensile structure
herbal garden GENERAL PLAN
GENERAL PLAN loop circula-
tion do not
stress Alzhei-
mer paTients
for its simplici-
ty. herbal gar-
dens are also a
usual form of
therapy. The
design is shown
in stages for
better compre-
hension.
FURnitURE

ORIGANUM VULGARE OCIMUM BASILICUM

OREGANO ALBAHACA

ARTEMISIA MENTHA SPICATA

DRACUNCULUS
MENTA
estragon

ROSMARIUS LAVANDULA
OFFICINALIS OFFICINALIS
ROMERO LAVANDA
Healing
Nature
In this exercise I was
supposed to introduce
low cost & efficient
changes to a small
clinic. the changes
include utilizing tex-
tures that form a calm-
ing image in the recep-
tion of the waiting area,
and introducing a big
window overlooking
the garden in the recu-
peration area to kick-
start paTients healing
processes.
Creative idea explanation:

lighting/The sun

tree (vinil wall

stickers)

Green paint /
Pouring
Coffee
Allusion to grass

Reflective material /
Allusion to water

general architectural layout plan

This exerCise was about creating a

mall stand for a costa rican brand
called Arteria, which creates t-shirts
using Costa Rican expressions/idioms.

Costa Rican identity is very related to

our coffee production, which is a na-
tional pride. As arteria is as emblematic
in what they do as our coffee, dis-
seminating our forms of expression,
the creative idea for this kiosk is based
longitudinal section (1 example)
on a popular wood coffee maker, as
to say wearing one of our t-shirts is
as costa rican as taking a sip of our
coffee.
 three bed configutation

Minimum FURNITURE LAYOUT PLAN

Space
our cities new reality
NORMAL SOCIAL
CONFIGURATION CONFIGURATION 1

two bed configutation

Bathroom architectural layout

This exerCise was plan, longitudinal & cross sections

about learning to
make the most of a one bed configutation

minimal space of 13 m2.

the selected and de- DESIGNED FURNITURE perspective
WASHING, DRYING & IRONING
signed furniture per- CONFIGURATION

form in a multifunc- normal configuration

shelving unit
tional way, so that
different space con-
figurations could be SOCIAL
CONFIGURATION 2
accomplished (even
having family over for
a little while).

extended configuration
additional bed

DESIGNED FURNITURE top, front and lateral views (Dimensions)

& wireframe perspective

Architectural
layout plan

Functional programme
layout plan
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on roof rail)
P e r s p e c t iv a

configurations
e c t iv a ! " #! " #$$ 123456(7%&3&), 6)(&3 =' - >#)%&' - (2? &)@&A- ' , & 8 6923:&3 B3C&42- )D
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%&' (&)* + &, - ' ) * +, &' - +./ 0 E 236F - ), 6()B3C&42- );? :6' ? - . ! ! / . ! $0$ ;7;<. ! $$ )
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(3 modules suspended
. ! ! / . ! $0$ ;7;<. ! $$ )

module
!"##

!"#$

isometric
front view
(dimensions)
module top &
module

isometric
cross section
textured floor
plan perspective

counter space
expresivas

design & dimensions

achieved a combined use of space.
tas which sells all types of magazines and
known commercial brands and design a mutually

el pharmacy and a brand called casa de las revis-

Architectural Layout

second floor
Architectural Layout
rented co-habited commercial space. I chose fisch-

first floor

designed furniture
The premise of this exercise was to mix two locally
Commercial Partners
 Furniture & textures specs
THIS PROJECT AIMED TO FLOORS LAYOUT PLAN

DESIGN A ROOF TOP

LUXURY HOME. THE PRO-
POSAL WAS DELIVERED IN
NIGHT & DAY ILLUSTRA-
TIONS USING DIGITAL
TABLET AND PHOTOSHOP
TO MIMIC THE SELECTED FINISHES LAYOUT CHART

AMBIENT TEXTURES. THIS

PROPOSAL INCLUDES AN
OUTSIDE POOL AREA
WITH AN INSTERESTING
BAMBOO STRUCTURE.
ARCHITECTURAL layout plan

FINISHES LAYOUT PLAN (ROOF DESIGN)

functional programme layout plan
Rooftop Home

ELECTRICAL LAYOUT PLAN

kitchen elevations & dimensions

roof finishes &
Lighting chart

textured layout plan

BATHROOM elevations & dimensions

landscaping layout plan

WASTE WATER LAYOUT PLAN

ARCHITECTURAL FINISHES LAYOUT PLAN CLEAN WATER LAYOUT PLAN

Interconnecting Spaces
VERTERINARY INTERVENTION

IN NEED OF AN OUTSIDE WAIT-

ING ROOM. Dr. Roberts veteri-
nary, located in Costa rica,
was in need of an enclosed
easy to clean space in which
big dogs could wait their ap-
pointment without disturbing
other clients inside. I deliv-
ered this design in which I
tried to make use of an awk-
ward curved space, precisely
exploiting those curves to
make the human and animal
users feel comfortable.

ProductoL RECYCLED PLASTIC

WOOD.- (3-1/3 X 1-2/3) PRODUCED IN
COSTA RICA AND EASY TO CLEAN FOR
THE PURPOSES OF THIS PROJECT.

Common Name: Lengua de suegra

Scientific Name: Sansevieria trifasciata, Asparagaceae.
Chosen for being a low mantainance plant that
requires little care and water inCosta Rican climate.
Ihaica Hotel
*by banyan tree
THE TIGER AS A SYMBOL OF POWER
FOR THE MALEKU INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
MALEKU ABSTRACTION
OF TIGER'S PRINT
REVOLUTION + REFLECTION + REPETITION
APPLIED IN WALL WOOD CARVING
(FIGURE b, page 18)

maleku indigenous my abstraccion of owl 45 revolution abstraction applied to carpet

mask maleku representation + reflection design (figure a & b, page 17
and figure b, page 18)
*The objective of this project was to de-
velop a complete proposal for a banyan
tree affiliated hotel, located in Lago
Arenal, Costa Rica. THIS WAS A group Design
EFFORT BY: Acua, M., Amador, C., herrera, V. &
Sauter, M. I participated in every stage of
the design process, plus generated 100%
of the maleku aesthetic textures & the maleku indigenous simplification 180 revolution abstraction applied to wall paper
mask of maleku +reflection in bathroom closet (figure d, page 17
creative landscaping proposal. monkey
representation
and figure c, page 18)

THE BANYAN TREE BRAND WAS INVESTIGATED

AND FUSIONED WITH IMPORTANT local as-
pects such as the local maleku cultural
indigenous influence. I have chosen This
work to exemplify how a project is speci-
fied and worked on as per our university.
MALEKU ABSTRACTION
OF TIGER'S PRINTs, and whole animal

In this page, you can review the textures

that were developed from abstractions
of maleku indigenous art, so they could THE TIGER AS A SYMBOL OF POWER
FOR THE MALEKU INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
be applied to different cabin details.
APPLIED to embroided curtains
and decorative pillows CARVING
On page 17, you can review the landscape (FIGURE a,b page 17 and
figure b, d page 18)
creative proposal, based on my sketches
and ideas. on page 17 and 18, you can
review the design details of two of the
rooms that were addressed: 1. a couples
retreat and 2. a couples room luxury ver-
sion that includes an outside spa.

Note: only titles and main info in charts and lay-

outs have been translated to English.

maleku tiger Abstraction maleku femeninity maleku tiger print abstraction applied to carpet
mask representation representation & chair fabric design
(figure c, page 17
and figure a, page 18)
 ARCHITECTURAL FLOOR PLAN
(EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS) TEXTURED LAYOUT PLAN
ALL DRAWINGS BY AMADOR, C. original scale 1:100 NO SCALE
creative sketch

Creative
pool area

Landscaping
creative sketch
entrance & focal point
(front garden) Ideas ARCHITECTURAL FLOOR PLAN
(internal DIMENSIONS)
original scale 1:100

A creative LONGITUDINAL section A

NO SCALE

landscaping
proposal was FIGURE A

vegetation cross section a

presented,
(Distribution)
utilizing
native plant
species and FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMME
original scale 1:100

introducing
indigenous
vegetation cross section b LONGITUDINAL section B
(Distribution)
artwork & NO SCALE

reproduction
of locally
found mono-
liths within FINISHES LAYOUT PLAN
(WALLS)
original scale 1:100
vegetation chart
the proposal.
FIGURE b

CROSS section C
NO SCALE

vegetation chart

Couples FINISHES LAYOUT PLAN

(ROOF/FLOORS)

Room
original scale 1:100

vegetation
designing a
textured cross section a
cabin for a cross section D
NO SCALE

couples
relaxation. FURNITURE LAYOUT PLAN
original scale 1:100

FIGURE C

vegetation
FIGURE d
textured cross section b

color palette
selection
CROSS section E
NO SCALE
LIGHTING LAYOUT PLAN
(LOCATION)
original scale 1:100
 ARCHITECTURAL FLOOR PLAN TEXTURED LAYOUT PLAN
(EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS) NO SCALE
original scale 1:100

Couples Spa The luxury room

LONGITUDINAL section A
NO SCALE

ARCHITECTURAL FLOOR PLAN

(internal DIMENSIONS)
original scale 1:100

A re-design of
the couples
room to include
a new feel, tex-
tures and a LONGITUDINAL section B
NO SCALE

luxury spa.
FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMME
original scale 1:100

CROSS section C
NO SCALE

FIGURE A FIGURE B
FINISHES LAYOUT PLAN
FIGURE C FIGURE D (WALLS)
original scale 1:100

cross section D
NO SCALE

FINISHES LAYOUT PLAN

(ROOF/FLOORS)
original scale 1:100

CROSS section E
NO SCALE

FURNITURE LAYOUT PLAN

original scale 1:100

LONGITUDINAL section E
NO SCALE

LIGHTING LAYOUT PLAN

(LOCATION)
original scale 1:100 CROSS section E
NO SCALE