Architecture Portfolio
Alexander Crites
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206 MAIN
206 Main Street is the address of an infill dwelling to be located in Ames, Iowa’s historic downtown. The program for this assignment was to fit two small apartments above a commercial “flex” space. My design accomplishes multiple goals. First, every room in the building has direct sunlight. Sawtooth windows, a prominent feature of the design, let in soft northern light. Second, each of the apartments has privacy from one another. They have seperate entrance stairs and offset patios, but the plan for the building still follows a cohesive grid.
Finally, the defining feature of the exterior facade is the wooden screen. This screen, inspired by a previous school project, casts shadows into the space; creating an everchanging and immersive interior.
Right: Physical model (Viewed from the street).
Far Right: Perspective section. Illustrator, Rhino, and hand drawings.
Left: Aerial perspective of physical model.
Right: Physical model showing the section cut and elevation callouts. MDF, White PLA, clear acrylic, basswood, and chipboard.
Above: Exploded isometric of structure. Rhino.
Far Right: Floorplans. AutoCAD, Illustrator, and hand drawings.
Precedent Study
The first project of my first year in the architecture program was to study a precedent project by replicating drawings, creating diagrams, and making a scale model. My precedent was the Kraus House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1950. This project gave me many new scales including how to draw in AutoCAD, how to study the design choices of a building, and how to make a scale model. The model was made in 1/4” scale and includes interior details and a removable roof. With this project, I have given greater focus to craftsmanship in my work.
Below: Physical model. Cardboard and paper.
Elevation drawings. AutoCAD and Illustrator.
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Above: Physical model. Cardboard and paper.
Right: Physical model detail (Studio).
Far Right: Physical model detail (Parking and front entrance).
Mixed Media
These drawings are selected from work I did during my freshman year in the Design CORE program. The drawing class focused on contour lines, shading, perspective, and color theory. The compositional skills I learned during the CORE year have aided me in my architectural renderings and representation. Through exploring different mediums, I have begun to find my artistic style. Drawing is also very important to my design process. Everything I design digitally begins as hand sketches or drawings because it gives me greater freedom to iterate, gives more personality to the projects, and forces me to think about the details.
Right: Imagined perspective drawing (Inspired by Oscar Niemeyer). Pen and pencil on paper.
Right: Positive and negative space study (Inspired by stained glass windows). Pen and marker on paper.
Left: Observed perspectives in the College of Design. Pen and marker on paper.
Still life color study. Pen and watercolors on paper.
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Photography
Photography is one of my favorite hobbies. These pictures are some that I took while on an architecture field trip in Chicago, IL. I particularly like to photograph buildings and landscapes. Photography is all about composition, depth, and capturing a moment. When editing photos, I try to emulate the feelings I had in the space. All of the skills related to photography have aided me in my study of architecture.
Each of the following photos were shot and edited by me.
