ADC3
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Alternative Desert Cities 3
Benitez Concept Timeline

Alternative Desert Cities 3

Concept image illustrating a timeline from known urban form to a merged mountain/housing city by student Salvador BenitezConcept image illustrating a timeline from known urban form to a merged mountain/housing city by student Salvador BenitezConcept image illustrating a timeline from known urban form to a merged mountain/housing city by student Salvador BenitezConcept image illustrating a timeline from known urban form to a merged mountain/housing city by student Salvador Benitez
Concept image illustrating a timeline from known urban form to a merged mountain/housing city by student Salvador Benitez
Concept image illustrating a timeline from known urban form to a merged mountain/housing city by student Salvador Benitez

Concepts

Sections

Diagrams

City

Housing

Urbanism

Teaching

RELATED RESEARCH IMAGES

Exploded axonometric drawing depicting growth and an evolving layered infrastructure in Phoenix by student Dellan RaishExploded axonometric drawing depicting growth and an evolving layered infrastructure in Phoenix by student Dellan RaishExploded axonometric drawing depicting growth and an evolving layered infrastructure in Phoenix by student Dellan RaishExploded axonometric drawing depicting growth and an evolving layered infrastructure in Phoenix by student Dellan Raish
Urban plan showcasing modular housing masses merging with valleys of Phoenician mountains by student Lamarra CarterUrban plan showcasing modular housing masses merging with valleys of Phoenician mountains by student Lamarra CarterUrban plan showcasing modular housing masses merging with valleys of Phoenician mountains by student Lamarra CarterUrban plan showcasing modular housing masses merging with valleys of Phoenician mountains by student Lamarra Carter
Section perspective drawing of the proposal by student Stephen Adrian for a community carved into the mountain contoursSection perspective drawing of the proposal by student Stephen Adrian for a community carved into the mountain contoursSection perspective drawing of the proposal by student Stephen Adrian for a community carved into the mountain contoursSection perspective drawing of the proposal by student Stephen Adrian for a community carved into the mountain contours
Physical model of a group of towers and connections in student Brayan Munoz's proposal for a dense vertical infill communityPhysical model of a group of towers and connections in student Brayan Munoz's proposal for a dense vertical infill communityPhysical model of a group of towers and connections in student Brayan Munoz's proposal for a dense vertical infill communityPhysical model of a group of towers and connections in student Brayan Munoz's proposal for a dense vertical infill community
Section perspective of the housing and other base programs within the mountainous proposal by student Salvador BenitezSection perspective of the housing and other base programs within the mountainous proposal by student Salvador BenitezSection perspective of the housing and other base programs within the mountainous proposal by student Salvador BenitezSection perspective of the housing and other base programs within the mountainous proposal by student Salvador Benitez
Perspective showing the massing density of individual housing units and open spaces in student Melissa Quinones' proposalPerspective showing the massing density of individual housing units and open spaces in student Melissa Quinones' proposalPerspective showing the massing density of individual housing units and open spaces in student Melissa Quinones' proposalPerspective showing the massing density of individual housing units and open spaces in student Melissa Quinones' proposal
Urban concept plan diagramming a larger diagonal grid of nodes over Phoenix by student Salma Osuna LopezUrban concept plan diagramming a larger diagonal grid of nodes over Phoenix by student Salma Osuna LopezUrban concept plan diagramming a larger diagonal grid of nodes over Phoenix by student Salma Osuna LopezUrban concept plan diagramming a larger diagonal grid of nodes over Phoenix by student Salma Osuna Lopez
Series of animated diagrams showing the various functions and formal shifts for a modular city by student Weicheng WangSeries of animated diagrams showing the various functions and formal shifts for a modular city by student Weicheng WangSeries of animated diagrams showing the various functions and formal shifts for a modular city by student Weicheng WangSeries of animated diagrams showing the various functions and formal shifts for a modular city by student Weicheng Wang
Section of downtown Phoenix showing relation between a new diagrid city and the existing city by student Brennan RichardsSection of downtown Phoenix showing relation between a new diagrid city and the existing city by student Brennan RichardsSection of downtown Phoenix showing relation between a new diagrid city and the existing city by student Brennan RichardsSection of downtown Phoenix showing relation between a new diagrid city and the existing city by student Brennan Richards
Neighborhood plan of a converting a golf course plan into a housing plan by student Lauren BennettNeighborhood plan of a converting a golf course plan into a housing plan by student Lauren BennettNeighborhood plan of a converting a golf course plan into a housing plan by student Lauren BennettNeighborhood plan of a converting a golf course plan into a housing plan by student Lauren Bennett
Study of the diagrid infrastructure and housing volumes above the existing city proposed by student Brennan RichardsStudy of the diagrid infrastructure and housing volumes above the existing city proposed by student Brennan RichardsStudy of the diagrid infrastructure and housing volumes above the existing city proposed by student Brennan RichardsStudy of the diagrid infrastructure and housing volumes above the existing city proposed by student Brennan Richards
Concept elevation revealing student Michael Felix's strategy to create a series of simple bars that frame existing landscapesConcept elevation revealing student Michael Felix's strategy to create a series of simple bars that frame existing landscapesConcept elevation revealing student Michael Felix's strategy to create a series of simple bars that frame existing landscapesConcept elevation revealing student Michael Felix's strategy to create a series of simple bars that frame existing landscapes
Plan view showing the growth of lifted city above Phoenix by student Brennan RichardsPlan view showing the growth of lifted city above Phoenix by student Brennan RichardsPlan view showing the growth of lifted city above Phoenix by student Brennan RichardsPlan view showing the growth of lifted city above Phoenix by student Brennan Richards
Exploded diagram showing the cores, plates, skins, and connections within the dense growth proposed by student Brayan MunozExploded diagram showing the cores, plates, skins, and connections within the dense growth proposed by student Brayan MunozExploded diagram showing the cores, plates, skins, and connections within the dense growth proposed by student Brayan MunozExploded diagram showing the cores, plates, skins, and connections within the dense growth proposed by student Brayan Munoz
Plan of the existing Camelback mountain and proposal for contour-based housing ribbons by student Stephen AdrianPlan of the existing Camelback mountain and proposal for contour-based housing ribbons by student Stephen AdrianPlan of the existing Camelback mountain and proposal for contour-based housing ribbons by student Stephen AdrianPlan of the existing Camelback mountain and proposal for contour-based housing ribbons by student Stephen Adrian
Study of the various stacking programs that occur at the intersections of a new regional grid by student Salma Osuna LopezStudy of the various stacking programs that occur at the intersections of a new regional grid by student Salma Osuna LopezStudy of the various stacking programs that occur at the intersections of a new regional grid by student Salma Osuna LopezStudy of the various stacking programs that occur at the intersections of a new regional grid by student Salma Osuna Lopez
Plan view revealing the blurring of stepping housing forms into existing mountainous valleys by student Lamarra CarterPlan view revealing the blurring of stepping housing forms into existing mountainous valleys by student Lamarra CarterPlan view revealing the blurring of stepping housing forms into existing mountainous valleys by student Lamarra CarterPlan view revealing the blurring of stepping housing forms into existing mountainous valleys by student Lamarra Carter
Extended mountain elevation diagram showing the various formal and programatic design decisions by student Salvador BenitezExtended mountain elevation diagram showing the various formal and programatic design decisions by student Salvador BenitezExtended mountain elevation diagram showing the various formal and programatic design decisions by student Salvador BenitezExtended mountain elevation diagram showing the various formal and programatic design decisions by student Salvador Benitez
Exploded diagram pulling apart the various masses and circulation elements for an aquatic city by student Haodong GongExploded diagram pulling apart the various masses and circulation elements for an aquatic city by student Haodong GongExploded diagram pulling apart the various masses and circulation elements for an aquatic city by student Haodong GongExploded diagram pulling apart the various masses and circulation elements for an aquatic city by student Haodong Gong
Conceptual image proposing an entire city of housing set within the shadows of Camelback by student Miguel Ceniseros NunezConceptual image proposing an entire city of housing set within the shadows of Camelback by student Miguel Ceniseros NunezConceptual image proposing an entire city of housing set within the shadows of Camelback by student Miguel Ceniseros NunezConceptual image proposing an entire city of housing set within the shadows of Camelback by student Miguel Ceniseros Nunez

RELATED PROJECT IMAGES

OTHER PROJECTS

Expanding the mission of the local Biscayne National Park Institute, MICROGROVE is a living research community designed for scientists, ecologists, researchers, and eco-tourists, dedicated to the study, restoration, and increased social awareness of coastal ecosystems.
In Tempe there are two pedestrian axes: Mill Avenue and Palm Walk. Mill Avenue is successful and Palm Walk is not. Is there a way to make the palm trees useful to the students? The PEP structure is powered by buried hydraulic pressure systems giving vertical movement to the layer/palm interface.
The CART live/work housing prototype adds a vertical profile to downtown while converting an underutilized public path into an urban gesture by introducing of a specialized food cart zone in New Haven. The CART residents would rent and appropriate the moving space as a means of expanding their zone.
Framework: Inverted Square Pyramid (FW:ISP) reimagines the traditional pyramid by flipping it upside down, shifting its focus from the cosmos to the people. The structure’s apexes become seating points within a flexible, interactive framework that encourages public engagement and play.
Infrastructure as urban performance. Serving as both a backdrop to elegant theatrical dances and a framework for holding a wandering public, the Dance Machine enacts performance through both its program and its existence as a merged urban extension of the Queensboro Bridge.
The Butterfly Theater is a living pavilion—part sculpture, part habitat, part playground. It takes inspiration from the elegance of flamingos and the presence of butterflies in Miami Beach, transforming the park’s open center into a place of movement, color, and quiet spectacle.
Seating design is vital in fostering communal interactions in shared spaces. Rooted in the organic growth principles of the Metabolist movement and the transformational geometric language of digital Metaballs, Meta-Bench forms an experiential seating system which individuals can move and adjust.
Scaffolding is often seen as a temporary urban necessity—functional, but rarely celebrated. This project reimagines scaffolding as an architectural intervention and public art piece throughout Española Way, transforming it into a vibrant, interactive element in Miami Beach’s urban fabric.

OTHER RESEARCH