Alexander Callow Conceptualization | Realization
Alexander Callow Master of Architecture Program Kansas State University alexandercallow@gmail.com 660.254.2487 23537 State Highway A Graham, MO 64455
Friction Half Lap Joint Stringers
Conceptualization | Realization This portfolio focuses on why I am passionate about architecture and my methodology for starting and completing projects.
I enjoy creating an idea or a solution to a problem and then seeing how that concept is finalized and brought to realization, whether through a model, rendering or actual construction.
I have selected projects from my education and free time that exemplify the various ways in which I have worked from concept to realization, and the progression that occurs between.
Kansas City Brewing Company AIA Kansas Student Competition 2012- 1st place Green roof
The design intention of the 14th Street Brewery is to advertise the brewing company and draw in customers. This was accomplished through locating the brewhouse on the corner of 14th and Baltimore and sinking it ten feet below grade. As pedestrians walk by, a view
Cladding Bronze panels
down on the brewing process is easily accessible and a sense of openess is achieved through the transparency of the north and west facades. Pedestrians pulled in off the street then experience a gentle slope up past four terraced courtyards to the bar and restaurant on the second floor. As patrons ascend, the slope matches the ramp down into the brewhouse, which is the passageway for the ingredients going in and the beer coming out. This
Glazing
creates an interesting dynamic of people and product circulating in a singular yet separate corridor. Consideration to sustainable construction and the verticality of surrounding buildings was addressed with the design of green roof sedums on every roof surface of
Steel framing
the brewhouse. This assists with avoiding the heat island effect and limiting stormwater management on the site, as well as creating a more pleasant structure to look down on
Trusses
from the upper levels of the neighboring President Hotel and Power and Light Building.
Courtyard
Brewhouse
Brewhouse advertises business
Sunk below grade for sightlines
Courtyard Perspective
Taproom located for south views
Circulation ramps create sectional dynamic
Courtyard Overall Perspective design
Ground Floor Plan
West Section
Linear Experience
Perforated bronze panel Metal coping Cement board panel
6” rigid foam insulation Precast reinforced concrete panel Tieback rod with conceal system W 4 x 13 W 6 x 8.5 Curtainwall mullion system 6” diameter hollow steel column
Shear connector Spider fitting Spacer Break between glass panels 6” diameter hollow steel column Insulative sealant Novum double-paned point supported glass
Thermal break mullion Cement board panel Waterproofing Rigid foam insulation Reinforced concrete foundation
Wall Section of Section Model
W 6 X 8.5 Guardrail W 18 x 35 Precast reinforced concrete
Concrete foundation wall
Details of Section Model
Baltimore and Truman Perspective
Section Model
14th and Baltimore Perspective
Seaton 060 Design Build The Seaton 060 summer seminar course was a unique opportunity to design a small scale project within our own college and participate in the construction process. Nine students, over the course of two months, collaborated on schematic design, design development, and construction documentation, and assisted in the project build. Schematic design was done largely through sketching and study models; design development consisted of AutoCAD drafting and full-scale mockup construction; and documentation involved AutoCAD refinement and detailing. The final product was a multi-use partition wall that created an extra graduate studio for the college, while providing space for pinning projects, displaying models, seating and storage. Light sources were also included in the wall to brighten the dim corridor.
Developmental Sketches
Study Model
Full Scale Mock-up
Finished Construction
An Italian Pattern Language While studying abroad for four months in Orvieto, Italy, we used Christopher Alexander’s A Pattern Language as a guide to study the built environment around us, at all scales. I spent a large amount of time studying the public outdoor space of Orvieto, specifically piazzas. Borrowing from the rules of Alexander’s “Positive Outdoor Space” and “Courtyards Which Live,” I created my own patterns, reinforced with experiences observed in Orvieto, titled “Positive Outdoor Space” and “Piazzas Which Live.” In “Positive Outdoor Space” I identified exemplary path, place and placeless spaces within Orvieto, and in “Piazzas Which Live” I studied successful piazzas and unsuccessful piazzas and tried to understand what makes a lively piazza. I paired my observations of historical significance and spatial definition with traffic, congregation and social interaction from Jon Gehl’s Life Between Buildings to create five positive attributes necessary to a make a lively piazza.
Highland Park Village Library The Highland Park Village Library uses cells
three sides. A green roof was placed on the
glass walls bring in natural lighting. The
to serve multiple functions simultaneously,
library and over the parking lot to be used as
roof can also be used by shoppers, workers
with inspiration drawn from a stack of
an outdoor space for patrons and members
and
books. Each book is individual, but the
of the community. The park essentially
Highland Park. Use of the park encourages
stack makes up a uniform whole. The way
replaces asphalt with an outdoor civic
use of the library and vice versa. The design
in which a book cover is protective of its
center and is a vantage point to enjoy the
of the library utilizes contrast, sculpture, and
material was also utilized; the cell is solid
sculptural cells of the library. From inside
greenery to create a series of spaces that are
and secure on the top, bottom, and one side,
the cells, the green grass, shrubs and trees
formally beautiful, functionally successful
while being receptive to its surroundings on
create a lush backdrop for reading, and the
and memorable to all who visit.
Stacked Cells
Rooftop Park with Water Feature
Main Entrance and Park Access
denizens
from
the
surrounding
Final Model
Cellular form
Entry Foyer
Angular axes
Spatial organization
Children’s Reading Space
Cell layout
Second Floor Plan
West Elevation
Lathe-turned bowl A loosely-defined studio assignment to construct a container led to my desire to learn more about the wood lathe and how to turn bowls.
Over a weekend I
researched methods of constructing lathe turned bowls and crafted a basic container from a single block of spalted maple. I found the lathe to be an incredibly useful tool that can be used to create a variety of radial objects. My experimentation with turning bowls increased my knowledge of production techniques in woodworking and opened doors for manufacturing other projects in the future.
Preparation
Production
Completed Project
Cico Park Natatorium The importance of the site is emphasized with the Cico Park Natatorium, as the park is a unique location that deserves the respect of the architecture. Views out to the surrounding park are a major design element, with the greenery providing a peaceful backdrop to the atmosphere of the pools. The form of the building and the large wood beams sweeping over the pools also references the site by sloping with the contours of the ground. The wood beams extend out of the earth on the east side and cantilever to the west, enveloping the interior space while allowing a sense of lateral openess through glass walls on the north, west and east facades. The beauty of the building lies in the interior spaces, where the elevated seating creates a powerful coliseum feel for both the competitors and spectators, a feeling that is only enhanced by the arched wood beams soaring overhead.
Experience of Approaching the Natatorium
Final Model
Detail Model of Retractable Glass Facade
Ground Floor Plan
Longitudinal Section
Alex vs. Shed | A Progression This summer project of deconstructing the shed in my backyard was done in my spare time over the course of two months. Rather than bulldoze the structure and have a bonfire (the traditional means of deconstruction in rural areas), I disassembled the building piece by piece with a hammer, pry bar and two ladders. While far less efficient in terms of time, I saved roughly 50 wood studs and numerous other spare boards for use on a future project. I also gained a better understanding of how buildings were constructed in the past. My grandmother estimated the shed was built in the 1920s, with an addition built in the 1970s. The change in construction methods and materials was obvious from one half of the building to the other, as the older half consisted of square nails and roughcut wood planks, while the addition used engineered trusses and plywood sheeting. How building technology has evolved was interesting to consider and kept my mind off how hot and tired I was.
Kansas City Woodworkers’ Collaborative The Kansas City Woodworkers’ Collaborative utilizes a vertical hierarchy in organizing its spaces, moving from public to private as the structure rises, with the woodshop and display space on the ground floor and the offices and apartments of the artisans above. This hierarchy allows for a strong street presence for the woodshop, and easy accessibility for potential clients of the woodworkers’ art, furniture and cabinetry. The exterior facade stays true to the Crossroads District’s aesthetic, using brick and concrete with an orthogonal grid layout. The interior, however, breaks from this grid and is defined by a heavy timber structural system with wood trusses stretching over the double-height woodshop, the primary space of the project.
Walnut Street Elevation
Longitudinal Section
Floor Plans
Woodshop Perspective
Developmental Sketch Progression
Walnut Street Perspective
el dorado Design Build Studio el dorado Graduate Design Build Studio is my final design studio at K-State. We are working with the Girl Scouts of America on a shower facility at Camp Daisy Hindman in Dover, Kansas, and our task is to deliver six shower
4 Changing Stalls
stalls, four changing stalls and 50 cubbies by graduation in May. Through four phases: Understanding, Envisioning, Documenting, and Making, we have worked to build what we design and maintain a high level of craft and design excellence while balancing the weight of a real client and real budget for the first time. Understanding consisted of exploring the intentions of the previous design build studio, who constructed the shed enclosure. Envisioning was a process of individual proposals being presented, then slowly paring down the concepts to reach a consensus. My proposal of a linear drain system and modular stalls was chosen at the end of the fall semester to be pursued further, due to the design’s ability to maximize the
50 Cubbies
pre-existing facility’s square footage and allow for eight showers rather that six; an efficiency strategy that the non-profit Girl Scouts organization appreciated. Our studio team of six students is currently in full production mode on the steel frame shower stalls, simultaneously Documenting and Making in the Seaton metal shop and at Camp. On-site plumbing work, linear drain fabrication and module installation is also in progress. Plan Perspective
8 Showers
Shower Facility Experience
Seating Realization Progression
Cutting
Existing
Welding
Prepping
Sanding
Removing
Building
Plumbing
Section Perspective
Master of Architecture Program Kansas State University alexandercallow@gmail.com 660.254.2487 23537 State Highway A Graham, MO 64455