AARON MIKOTTIS ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO
2014
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AARON MIKOTTIS ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO Architecture offers graduates an incredible diversity of opportunities the field of work, size of project and scope of impact exist as a looming question mark. What man can plot his journey through life? While my journey remains an unknown, my course is set. Like stepping stones across the pool of ambiguity, I reflect upon specific moments in my life and identify their impact. Being homeschooled from grades K-12, I learned from an early age the importance of self- motivation, independent study, and pursuing my interests with passion. I find solace in working alone and joy in teamwork. In 2006, I first recognized the full impact of hard work. As I was planning my Eagle Scout project, I sought an opportunity with a lasting resolution. I designed and built an altar for my church with a team of 13-16 year old boys. Through this project, I learned to identify specific talents in others and myself, the necessity of long term planning, and the value of strong leadership. I experienced firsthand the long term impact a small team of volunteers can make on the quality of life of many. The Illinois Institute of Technology has broadened my perspective of architecture. I have studied abroad three times in five years. Residing in France and Ghana has been eye opening. Specifically, I find architecture as an expression of culture and lifestyle fascinating. I yearn for the big, the grand, the famous, but more importantly, I seek the small, the quaint, and the vernacular. Living abroad has solidified my passion for learning about cultures, the specific needs of people, and the societal intertwining of architecture. Ingrained into our daily existence, the reach of architecture is unavoidable. It has the power to make us feel, weep, give up, or go on. It can ignite the fires of revolution or it can stamp out the spark of resistance. Enamored by the scope of its potential, I ask myself a critical question, “Who do I want to reach as an architect?� I desire to reach the most people in the most genuine way possible through the architectural medium. In 2006, I designed and built an altar for my church. In 2014, I helped design and build a library in Ghana. This is not enough. Ever onward, I seek to reach a larger public. 3
1. Kulttuuritalo House of Culture by Alvar Aalto 2. Carving on Urnes Stavkirkes in Norway 3. Tautra Monastery, Norway 4. View of the Lofoten Islands, Norway 5. Prototype lamps in Alvar Aalto’s studio, Finland 6. Flipping in the Norwegian Fjords 7. Academia Bookstore by Alvar Aalto 8. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Russia 9. Parkour in Paris, France 10. Kulttuuritalo by Alvar Aalto 11. Relaxation and the Chicago skyline 12. Bibliotheque Nationale de France 13. Töölö Bay, Helsinki, Finland 14. Near the Grand Helsinki Central Station 15. RogersLibrary by I.M. Pei, Columbus, Indiana 16. Aalto’s Home and Studio, Finland 17. Soumelina Sea Fortress, off the coast of Helsinki 18. Ferry from Soumelina to Helsinki 19. View ofthe skyline of Rome 20. Alvar Aalto’s very own shed 21. Aalto’s Home and Studio 22. Same location as above 23. Crown Hall, Chicago 24. Tautra Monastery, Finland 25. Skyline of Utrecht, Netherlands 26. Notre Dame, Paris, France 27. Marketplace in Elmina, Ghana 28. Soumelina Sea Fortress, off the coast of Helsinki 29. Another snowy Chicago 30. Daily diet in Ghana 31. A harbor in the Lofoten Islands, Norway 32. Group shot in our library in Ghana 33. Dressed in traditional Ghanian royalty garb 34. A home in Kumasi, Ghana 35. Harrison Hotel, Chicago 36. Hinsdale, IL Metra Station 37. Affordable housing in Rome, Italy 38. Postcard of Rome examined in Paris 39. Ceiling of the Villa Borghese, Rome 40. Twifo Hemang, Ghana 41. Billboard in Cape Coast, Ghana 42. Market Day in Praso, Ghana 43. White Sands National Park, New Mexico 44. Baths of Diocletian, Rome 45. Flipping ourside the Pantheon 46. Oops duplicant photo of Market day in Praso 47. Back side of stores in Twifo Hemang, Ghana 48. Birds in flight, Rome, Italy
analysis synthesis action
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LINCOLN PARK BOAT HOUSE p.6 VIEW SILO HOUSE p.12 CASA POLI p.14 HARRISON HOTEL p.16 MONASTERY p.18 MENTAL LANDSCAPES p.22
TRADIITIONS APP p.24
(MY) LIBRARY PROTOTYPE p.28
(REAL) GHANA LIBRARY p.32
PROFESSIONAL WORK p.42
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LINCOLN PARK BOAT HOUSE
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BOATERS + BEACONS What is the role of a private building on public property? This boat house acts as a beacon for boaters and the local community alike, opening itself to the face of the river and reaching for the sky from the road.
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Above: This section highlights all of the activities that the boaters will be preforming on site. Activities related to the physical boats range from transporting their sculling boats to the river from the road, maintaining their boats outside, to storing inside them inside. Activities in the tower include hosting formal gatherings, holding classes, managing the club, and exercise on rowing machines. Right: A rendering of the assembly area and its intersection with the folliage on site.
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SLOT + TOWER
By introducing only two pure elements onto the site, the public functions of a park do not collide with the requirements of a private boating club. The slot down to the river anchors the park on the southeast corner, allowing the 50’-0� sculling boats to be transported with ease. On the opposite side of the site, the tower sits raised above the ground plane, instead choosing to interact with the site in section.
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hand drawn + photoshop
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1: Site Plan Instead of detracting from the site, the addition of the boat club provides a park to the local community, complete with light wells and a pond. All this is done without interfering with the busy functions of a popular boat club. 2: Coming Home View looking north-east, as seen from the perspective of the boaters. The storage area for the boats is on display from this level; they are safely hidden from the view of the public that can use the park. 3: Race Day View looking south-east, as seen from the observation deck. The sculling boats are safely obscured by the reflecting pool that lines the edge of the park, but the activities on the Chicago River are availible for all to watch.
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VIEW SILO HOUSE SECOND YEAR CASE STUDY PROJECT Spring 2011 studio opened with a two week case study project. Working with one partner, we used existing plans, elevations, and an understanding of light frame wood construction to frame out a model of the View Silo House by RoTo Architects at the scale of 1/8” = 1’-0”. Left to right: Shot showcasing the two story tilted wall Exterior rain screen cladding shot Model displaying interior finishes Comprehensive shot of the model
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hand drafted + photoshop
CASA POLI FIRST YEAR CASE STUDY PROJECT
A four week project in the spring of 2010 involved hand drafting of plans, sections, elevations & perspectives, and the creation of a component model of the Casa Poli House by Pezo von Elrichausen Architects. Drawings were done to 1:200. Model is 1:100.
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HARRISON HOTEL ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION HONORABLE MENTION Awarded in IIT Exposure’s “Iconic Chicago” 2014 competition. As an honorable mention, it hung as a part of the exhibition in the McCormick Tribune Campus Center.
About: I entered this photo because it shows the icons of Chicago in a way that I really see them - from behind or through an alley, never a destination, but always an anchor, vaguely locating myself within the greater fabric of the city.
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MONASTERY
CISTERCIAN MONKS IN COLUMBUS, IN
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Rhinoceros + 3DS Max + Hand Drawing + Photoshop
THE MONOLITH AND THE MAN Based off studies of the medieval town of Tallin, Estonia, the monastery located in Columbus, Indiana combines grand with modest and structural systems with human scale textonics. Concrete beams span the compound in a web, defining space and creating voids. Ever connected, the monastery reflects the life of ritual and repetition that the monks inside carry out on a daily basis.
Above: Inside the refectory, monks eat meals, pray three times a day, gather for meetings, and listen to speakers. Left: The structural beam on the periphery of the dormitory is located such that the morning prayer routine becomes a unique sensory activity for the monks. After preforming their morning chores, the laymen return to their room bathed in a ray of light from the morning sun. Once this solitary task is done, the east facing rooms are once more submerged in darkness, encouraging the inhabitants to return to their communal activities elswhere. Opposite: The plan of the compound includes a church, the refectory, library, dormitory, and study all attached to the central cloister. Circulating the monastery maximizes modulation of light by means of collonades and beams, offering new comtemplations for the different times of day and variety through the seasons.
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PARIS STUDIO COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENTATION
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Mental Landscapes is a book that exhaustively documents my semester abroad in Paris. Featured below is Adolf Loos and the Space of a Phone Call: a 20 page essay on architectural theory through the lens of history. Written for the architectural history elective ARCH 497: Building as Model it has won third place in the Edwin H. Lewis Prize For Non-Fiction 2013 and is published in the awards book.
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Tradiitions is a loyalty program that incentivises students of the Illinois Institute of Technology to attend events on campus by scanning QR codes, leveling up, and earning prizes. I worked with a small group of friends in the architecture and computer science majors to tap into the smartphone market and tackle the issue of low school pride on my campus. Above: Photo of a brochure that we passed out to the alumni association. 24
TRADIITIONS ATTEND EVENTS. LEVEL UP. EARN PRIZES.
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DID YOU KNOW? In 2011, The Princeton Review listed the Illinois Institute of Technology as the ninth least happy campus in the United States. Almost all students report that they find the campus to be unsocial. But why? The problem is not a lack of events on campus -- it’s the lack on interest in attending them and difficulty in finding social events that appeal to their specific interests. I worked with three interprofessional friends to solve both problems simultaneously. Our app acts as a rewards program and an event directory at the same time, allowing students to browse events, set reminders, and share their upcoming plans on social media. Winner of the 2014 IIT Reimagination Challenge and featured on FOX News, our solution to low pride on campus will be implemented in the Fall 2014 Semester and preloaded onto all iPads distributed to freshmen.
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Opposite: After winning the Reimagination Challenge, I had the opportunity to present our project to IIT President John Anderson, the Dean of Academic Affairs, and the Alumni Assoiciation. The presentation was a hit -- both the dean and the president personally congratulated me on my presentation and pledged their support for the idea. We have received funding from the school to implement the project. Top Left: Feeling much like the crying hawk, our interprofessional group of four decided to solve this problem. As a tech school, why not come up with a tech solution? Top Right: The athletics tab displays all upcoming games, keeping them informed and encouraging students to build hawk pride. Bottom Right: An example QR code that students scan to earn points. This particular code was used at the reimaginiation challenge, where beta testers could snap up their first points.
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LIBRARY PROTOTYPE 28
An independent design solution to a larger problem: the literacy and continued education of young people in rural Ghana, Africa.
DESIGN // BUILD STUDIO PART 1 29
Top to bottom: Birds eye view with the roof removed showcases the life inside the library as well as its pure geometrical form. Close up shot of the truss and louver system. walls are made of rammed earth and then topped with a concrete sill.
photos by sherry huang
The approach - users enter the library through an opening punched in the solid mass and ascending a single step. (this prevents flooding as well and keeps out snakes)
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AN INVESTIGATION IN INDIGENOUS CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES During the 2013 spring semester, students pursued individial design proposals. My prototype explored rammed earth construction. Four solid masses contain the books and handle administrative functions, leaving the rest of the space to be open to adaptive use. Waist-height louvers allow for natural ventilation and stage perfect areas for study on the inside and places to gather on the benches outside. The large inverted roof invites in both visitors and cross-breezes, while the central opening provides abundant light and respects the local courtyard form prevalent in public spaces in Ghana.
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photo by diane konecky
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DESIGN // BUILD STUDIO PART 2 A collaborative effort to improve the lives of young people in a developing country.
GHANA LIBRARY 33
photo by diane konecky Above: View looking north. The tree line is the end of school property and marks the beginning of the rubber production from channels carved into the trees. Right: View looking south, taken from the top of the hill that the school is on. The other buildings in the shot are also belong to the school, serving as offices and classrooms.
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TWIFO HEMANG SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL
photo by sherry huang
Located in Twifo Hemang, a small village in the Central District, Twifo Hemang Secondary Technical School was the perfect place for a group of 14 students to reach out and lend a hand. In just nine weeks, students from the Illinois Institute of Technology and Professor Frank Flury collaborated with locals and built a library measuring 36’x48’, complete with custom doors and furniture. The library is composed of two formal sections: a solid, enclosed area for the storage of books and an open air study area. The Central District serves 83 schools. This was their first library.
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Top left: IIT Student Nickolas Miller shovels out the footings for the concrete foundations. All of this labor was done by hand; there were no Bobcats or Caterpillars in the village. Middle left: After being mixed in a pile, concrete was shoveled into wheelbarrels and carted to its destination. Large aggregate was used for the foundation. Bottom left: Students Aaron Mikottis and Matthew Sczerbiak are hard at work installing the formwork for the concrete beams. Scaffolding was made on site prior to the installation of the formwork.
photos by diane konecky
Right: Students and community members work into the night to finish up the slab in a single pour. As this was a landmark day of work, specatators abounded.
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HAND DUG, HAND MIXED, HAND MADE Power tools are a rarity in Ghana and were not in our budget. Instead, we learned the value of doing things the traditional way. We dug trenches by hand. We mixed concrete with shovels. We used a crank screwdriver. One exception to this rule was the pouring of the slab - we simply had to rent a small concrete mixer. Even so, we worked past dusk to complete the slab in a single pour.
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BROKEN HAMMERS AND DULL SAW BLADES These were common causes for concern on the site - who makes hammers with plastic handles, anyway? The precious tools brought from America with solid steel bodies were soon found to be in short supply around the site. Soft nails collapsed when struck into the hardwood joists and saw blades didn’t want to cut through, but we made do with the resources availible to us... Bamboo scaffolding actually looks really beautiful underneath the African sky.
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photo by sherry huang Above: A team of eight gets the rafters in place on the roof. Each wooden joist is 62’-0” long and must be received by a team on the ground with a support in order to get it past the concrete beams and onto the roof.
Bottom right: A team is loading up another joist. It had to be paced just right so that the participants in the middle could safely get up on the scaffolding while still moving forward.
photos by diane konecky
Top right: Shot detailing the beginnings of the formwork for the concrete beams. Bamboo was in abundance and made excellent supports. It’s all about the precision on the hand saw.
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photo by diane konecky
photo by diane konecky
DOORS AND WALLS The perforated brick walls were one of the last things to be completed on site; we hired a brickmaker in the village and he made them in phases. We were met with many delays due to the frequent rain storms and often did not know when the next batch would be ready. We made due! During periods of downtime, we made custom doors with the assistance of John Kriegshauser, a craftsman, professor at IIT, and chairman of the Chicago Furniture Designers Association. Top left: a group of students go over their group homework assignment in the new library. Bottom left: Detail shot of the custom door sawn, planed, and assembled by hand. The door is designed to reduce expansion and contraction from fluctuating moisture levels with the orientation of grain and spacing of nails. Top right: Light pours into an interior shot of the open air study area. photo by sarah harvey
photo by diane konecky
Below: Exterior shot of the completed building, as seen from the road.
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PROFESSIONAL DRAWINGS SAMPLES FROM MY TIME AT WALLIN GOMEZ ARCHITECTS
The Evanston Museum of Time and Glass is a project that I have dedicated many hours of time at Wallin Gomez Architects. With five floors totaling 22,500 sq ft, it is the largest project I have worked on to date.
Below: Monument Sign design and rendering for the Evanston Museum of Time and Glass. The sign is made from a combination of limestone and corten steel. Limestone panels are the same units that clad the exterior of the museum proper. Right: Basement and first floor plans on the 22,500 sq ft project. Plans are drawn to 1/8th inch scale in collaboration with other employees. I have worked on this project for two years at WGA.
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Opposite Top: Door and frame schedule for the Museum of Time and Glass. With over 65 doors and frequent design changes, it was a challenge to maintain accuracy in AutoCAD. I have coordinated with the contractors and made revisions to their hardware choices when deemed necessary. Opposite Bottom Left: One of many plan details drawn for the Wendy’s remodel jobs that WGA receives in abundance. Through these projects, I have learned a lot about prototypical designs and implementing them on specific sites.
WALL SECTION This wall section details the construction of the storage unit on the penthouse of the museum. Drawn at 1/2” = 1’-0”.
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Opposite Bottom Right: Custom wayfinding signage for the Museum of Time and Glass. Due to fire code laws in the City of Evanston, each landing in staircases that span more than two floors must have a wayfinding sign. Try getting lost in my stairwells, I dare you!
SCHEDULES AND SIGNAGE I was responsible for all the schedules and signage on this project, maintaining accuracy and checking code compliance.
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RESUME
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AARON MIKOTTIS 2024 S. WABASH AVENUE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 312-221-8960 amikottis@gmail.com
EDUCATION
ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE 2009 - 2014 SUMMA CUM LAUDE SCANDINAVIA STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM Summer 2011 IIT PARIS PROGRAM Fall 2012 DESIGN // BUILD IN GHANA, AFRICA Spring 2013 + Summer 2013
AFFILIATIONS
EXPOSURE (A PHOTOGRAPHY INTITAIVE) Board Member IIT MAGIC: THE GATHERING Vice President AIAS - IIT Chapter Subgroup Leader BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA Eagle Scout
AWARDS
IIT REIMAGINATION CHALLENGE Winner of the Short-Term Vision Category Implemented with IIT administration in 2014 Featured on FOX News WOMEN’S ARCHITECTURAL LEAGUE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP 2013 Winner JOHN AUGUR HOLABIRD FELLOWSHIP STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP 2012 Winner ELIZABETH DROSTE TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP 2012 Recipient COMMUNITY SERVICE GOLD AWARD Awarded in 2009
ARCHITECTURAL EXPERIENCE 2012 - PRESENT WALLIN GOMEZ ARCHITECTS Project Architect
SELECTED PROJECTS: 5557 University Ave................................7100 sf Chicago, IL project administration, demo, permitting Cassell and Prussin Modular Chicago Public Schools.....................6 & 8000 sf Chicago, IL prototyping, electrical, plumbing, landscaping Museum of Time and Glass.................22500 sf Evanston, IL phased permitting and construction, reflected ceiling plans, sections, structural details 2010 - 2012 FARRODYNE USA, INC Waterjet Technician material studies, industrial design, custom fabrication, surface finishes, machine maintenance, drawing, designing, cutting, new employee training
ARCHITECTURAL SKILLS
AutoCAD power user, experience with Revit Rhinoceros + Grasshopper, 3DS Max, Sketchup Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom Microsoft Office, HTML, CSS, Processing CNC Machines, Laser Cutters, 3D Printers Strong Public Speaking + Presentation Skills
1. Apartments in Barcelona, Spain 2. Yet another famous church in Rome 3. State Street in the early am 4. Capitals of the Pantheon 5. Student Housing at Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands 6. Driving down the Rocky Mountains, Colorado 7. Campsite in New Mexico 8. Leaving said camp site 9. Tent Rocks National Monument 10. White Sands National Park 11. Rattlesnake Canyon Pass, New Mexico 12. Roof Construction in Ghana 13. The Day before my sister’s wedding 14. Chillin’ with the grandparents 15. Leaping at the Palais Omnisports, Paris 16. I need to recrop this photo, dont look 17. Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia 18. Museum of Soviet Life in Tallin, Estonia 19. Me and da Biebs, besties 20. Exploring and scaffolding 21. Santa Monica Beach, California 22. Wallrun at the ‘wall of death’, Chicago 23. Diveroll at the MSI, Chicago 24. Rocking dat Asian Style Karaoke 25. Chilling with my younder brother on wedding day 26. Tourism in Twifo Hemang, Ghana 27. Bonding with my new friends in Ghana 28. Relaxation is great in Dallas, Texas 29. Not Market Day, Twifo Praso, Ghana 30. Party hats in Lombard, Illinois 31. Woah how did this picture get in twice 32. Beachin’ in my younger years 33. Fence of cannons in Soumelina, Finland 34. Dominating the dance floor 35. A true superman front flip 36. Kiasma Museum by Steven Holl 37. Foothills of the Rocky Mountains 38. Tent Rocks National Monument 39. Fish in Chinatown, Chicago 40. Mud house and Locals in rural Ghana 41. Brick house in rural Ghana 42. Shot of our accomodations in Ghana 43. Group shot in our library, Ghana 44 Ferry from Soumelina to Helsinki 45. Helsinki, Finland. Near the train station. 46. Indigenous housing in Twifo Hemang, Ghana 47. Alvar Aalto’s Home and Studio 48. Ivy and a neighborhood of Paris, France
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