ALEXANDER J HOKKANEN DESIGN PORTFOLIO 2012-2017
TA B L E O F CO N T E N TS
DETROIT GRAND MOSQUE AND MEDINA
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT ARTS CENTER
DETROIT_POCKET NEIGHBORHOODS
DETROIT_POCKET NEIGHBORHOODS systems studio detroit, mi fall 2016 professor kit mccullough In the last several decades Detroit has undergone radical shifts in population size, density, and distribution. In a directed studio and in partnership with the cityĘźs Planning and Development Department students set about strategically redensifying one of eight areas of interest defined by the city leadership. The economic conditions are such that large scale developers are uninterested in the majority of the city. The bottom line, rents per square foot, do not yield sufficient profit in areas like the University District and Martin Park neighborhoods. The studio works to empower residents through existing community organizations like the Live 6 Alliance to become investors in their neighborhood. Small scale typologies like the Pocket House, Accessory Dwelling Units, and Carriage Houses offer homeowners a revenue stream. With densification comes much needed services like transit, quality grocery options, and other supporting businesses. Due to the siteĘźs location, just south of the University of Detroit Mercy, it has the potential to become a student ghetto or a series of residential towers. Using existing property lines as the basis for the typological zoning proposal we intend this design proposal to result in improved economic prospects for a homeowners and a higher quality of housing stock for generations to come.
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Above: Light penetration was a challenge that due to existing property lines needed to be solved in section creating dramatically lit interiors on both floors Below: Illustrated site plan call out that shows how the entire width of the block is utilized and results in a higher density than blocks with multi-family buildings
townhouse (family or student)
townhouse backyard
In section pocket neighborhoods take on both an outward facing(townhouse typology) and inward facing(cottage/pocket houses) charachter. This design layout fully utilizes currently empty blocks.
cottage
community greenspace
cottage
Rather than a traditional alley the center of the block is dominated by a linear pocket park linking cottage residents with their parking to the south and offers a semiprivate or communal green space.
UNIVERSITY DISTRICT ARTS CENTER site studio university of minnesota tc campus fall 2014 professor mary guzowski Intrigued by the potential of an underutilized urban/campus green space and a twenty foot elevation change along the northern edge of my site I began designing with human connection and ecological practices in mind. As a community centered building I felt it should have, at its core, a space where people can gather, events can be held or impromptu workshops can be taught. The intertwining histories of Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, and industry are imprinted on the site. To make this invisible site force visible I included a grand stair programmed as a museum piece, informing visitors of what has come before as they descend to the theater.
Aerial view of the west aspect at 1/16” scale
The original site was a poorly kept patch of turf grass crisscrossed with student-made paths. In my site plan I suggest replacing the turf grass with native grasses and formalizing the existing paths with reclaimed lumber, the goal being to augment the existing, albeit sparse, ecological capital present in the siteʼs largely urban context. The site does not end at the buildingʼs footprint. Rather, the core design intention was to directly inhabit the site by lifting the surface and programming the interstitial space thereby preserving the siteʼs ecological continuity. The roof doubles as an amenity space for visitors and an extension of the greenway.
Ashlar sandstone makes up much of the Greenway facade
Lower level interior view from courtyard
Highlights reclaimed brick and daylighting conditions
Conceptual diagrams illustrating my approach to the site. With the project abutting a greenway I felt it was important to maintain a level of ecological continuity even after the building was constructed
SECTION A
Ceramics Studio
Administration
Multipurpose Courtyard
Backstage Storage
SECTION B
Open to Below
Mechanical
Black Box Theater
GREENWAY LEVEL
Studio Space
Cafe
Gallery 1
Patio
Classroom Dance Studio
UNIVERSITY LEVEL
Student Gallery
Information
DETROIT GRAND MOSQUE AND MEDINA propositions studio detroit, michigan winter 2016 professor doug kelbaugh collaborated with: jamilla afandi, shawn lettow, nick warnet, andrew stewart, and wesley wu Metro Detroit is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the Unites States. In an effort to bring Muslims back to the city the mayor of Detroit, leaders of an Islamic congregation, and several developers were interested in exploring the possibility of building a new center for Islamic life for the region within the city boundaries. This project is not to be a walled enclave, quite the opposite in fact. To the north end of our 30 acre site we have designed a new type of shopping experience based on the middle eastern “Souk,” perhaps the only one in the western world. The middle portion of the site contains the Mosque complex which includes the prayer hall capable of serving over 2000 people, an Islamic seminary, the Imamʼs residence and a banquet hall. The most southern end of the site holds the recreation facilities and a public park. Due to the nature of the site, this studio focused heavily on urban planning and design. Costs to develop the site in itʼs entirety would be too great for the client. We have proposed three phases of development that then could be broken down further as needed: the Souk, the commercial heart of the project, the Mosque Complex, the spiritual center, and lastly the Recreation Center, which will serve as a regional destination for outdoor soccer.
Mosque_Souk Entry: Rendering produced by Nicholas Warnet
THANK YOU!
Alexander J. Hokkanen
1630 Cram Circle, Apt. 16, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 I Hokkanen@umich.edu I 763.234.1962 I https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-hokkanen-29519462/
E D U C AT I O N
University of Michigan Taubman College Master of Architecture Cumulative GPA: 3.56/4.00 Brazil: Rio+Detroit
University of Michigan Spring Term
Ann Arbor, MI Expected Graduation May 2017 Detroit MI; Rio-São Paulo, Brazil
May-June 2017
Eastern Europe: Bizarre Bazaar
Ukraine; Poland
University of Michigan Spring Term
May-June 2016
University of Minnesota College of Design Bachelor of Science in Architecture Minor: Sustainability Studies Cumulative GPA: 3.64/4.00 Dean’s List: Six Semesters CEA Global Campus
“Architecture in Florence”: University of Minnesota May Term
EXPERIENCE
Boston, MA
Taubman College Externship Program
February 27-March 2016
Graduate Student Instructor: Architecture History II
Ann Arbor, MI
Taubman College
January 2017-Present
Editorial Curator: Detroit Grand Mosque and Medina Project
Ann Arbor, MI
Taubman College and the Dearborn Islamic Center of America
April-August 2016
Research Assistant to the Associate Dean
Ann Arbor, MI
Taubman College Dean’s Office
July 2015-January 2017
Student Intern: Michigan Medicine Facilities Planning & Development Teaching Assistant/Assistant Program Leader Abroad
Courses: “Design in England and Scotland”, “GMOs in Europe & the US”
ACTIVITIES
SKILLS
Community Living Center Redesign: Veterans Affairs Hospital Sustainability Advocate Coordinator American Institute of Architecture Students: Member
Florence, Italy May-June 2013
Student Intern: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates
Taubman College Externsip Program
Minneapolis, MN May 2015
Ann Arbor, MI
February 29-March 2016
UK; Germany; Switzerland October 2013-May 2015
September-December 2016 September 2012-May 2015 September 2012-May 2015
Proficient: Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCad, Microsoft Office Suite, Public Speaking, Int’l Travel Experienced: Rhinoceros, SketchUp, Revit, Model Building Learning: Polish(Beginner Level), Portuguese (Beginner Level)