Alexander McKenzie Education Texas Tech University College of Architecture - Lubbock, TX Years attended: 2015- 2018 Graduated December 2018 - Bachelors of Architecture GPA: 3.26 Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom Rhino3D Revit AutoCADD Processing 3 - JAVA Coding V-Ray Rendering Spent 2 months in Spain with Professor Rafael Beneytez-Duran on a study abroad trip
Boylan Catholic High School - Rockford, IL Years attended: 2011-2015 Graduated May 2015 GPA: 3.74
Awards and Recognitions Texas Tech University Texas Tech University College of Architecture Raymond Powell Scholarship | 2018 Texas Tech University College of Architecture Coombs Scholarship | 2018 Texas Tech University College of Architecture Moffitt Scholarship | 2017 Texas Tech University Presidential Scholarship | 2015-2018 Boylan Catholic High School 1st Honors (3.5-3.99 GPA): 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012 Highest Honors (4.0+ GPA): 2012 2nd Honors (3.0-3.49 GPA): 2013 Excellence in CADD Class: 2013 Excellence in Engineering Graphics Class: 2014 NIC-10 Scholar Athlete (3.5+ GPA while playing a sport): 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 Varsity Letter: 2014, 2013
Resume Employment Teaching Assitant for Architectural Representation III - TTUCOA From August 2018 - December 2018 Assisted students in digital workflow and graded assignments Wood Shop Assistant - TTUCOA From January 2018 - December 2018 Assisting students in woodshop safety and problem solving within their wood working projects. Cleaning the shop and ensuring a safe work environment. Kettle Foods Potato Chip Factory - Beloit, WI From 2017 -2018 Packer Village Green Home and Garden - Rockford, IL From 2015-2017 Cashier / Loader
Interests and Activities
Weight lifting / Exercising Recreational Sports | Basketball, Football, and Baseball Video Gaming Hip/Hop-Rap, Alternative Music Sneakers – Appreciation for the history and culture of designer and athletic shoes.
Luminescent Reflection Seville, Spain Summer 2018
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Elemental Union No Site Fall 2016
Dueling Tornadoes Aztlan Park, Lubbock, TX Spring 2017
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Urban Anchors Denver, Colorado Fall 2017
Processing Sound
Lubbock, Texas - Virtual Space Fall 2018
Travelling Designer The World in Design 1997-Current
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In collaboration with Michael Castillo Critics: Professors’ Rafael Beneytez-Duran, Angel Martinez-Posada 18:30
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The rice fields of Isla Mayor, just south of Seville, Spain, present a spectacular landscape, which while devoid of physical complexity, is filled with phenomena. The phenomena that I refer to is the reflective properties of the shallowly filled water pools which are required for the growth of rice. This attribute of the region was the emphasis of our project. 13:00
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Our study was of the color palette of the region. This color palette is completely dynamic and ever changing, specifically in response to the color of the sky. The color of the rice fields themselves changes as quickly as that of the sky. 16:00
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Our study of the landscape is shown in this map of the region, which represents the changes in color of the rice fields in response to the time of day. The color changes from east to west, in respect to sunrise, mid-day, and sunset. The vertical strips represent time changes in order to give more information about how the color would affect the landscape. (67, 42)
The tower we proposed is directly inspired by the map, with the exterior elevations being a mirror, drawn from the time change strips which show contrast in the scenery. The exterior elevations of the building also show contrast in the physical environment, by showing you what is behind you in the landscape juxtaposed next to what is in front of you. The tower’s interior is simply a viewing chamber where you enter below the tower, and peer upward to take in an interior made to showcase the distinct colors of the landscape in a more isolated fashion. 21:00
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Regional Colors
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Isla Minima
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Bombas (44, 86)
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The physical model of our map is depicting our interpretation of the landscape in a 3 dimensional quality. The “cloud scapes� are representing the sky and allowing it to reflect onto the mirror landscape beneath it. The elevation changes in the clouds are determined by our decision of which areas of the landscape are more reflective. Reflectivity was determined by its proximity to the Guadalquivir river and the interference of other landscape qualitites that would take away from its reflectivity, such as infrastructure, towns, or vegation.
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Interior Perspective
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Upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Elemental Union Critic: Professor Andrew Fulcher
The interaction of programs is a very important principle to learn as a young architect. It can make or break your building and needs to respond to context and circulation. The emphasis of this project is how to relate programs to their context, and how to allow programs to interconnect and relate to each other. The project itself is an outdoor activity shelter which houses six sleeping spaces, two bathrooms, and multiple unprogrammed areas for users.
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The site of the building is theoretical. Designed by myself, it’s focus is on simple elevation changes and a creek that runs through the center. The building itself sits on the edge of the creek and certain elements cantilever over the creek. The programs are laid out in response to lighting and water. The bathrooms are placed where drainage into the creek would be very accessible, and are thus elevated to give private views of the creek. The sleeping spaces are focused on the interaction with light to allow light in the morning and evening, with good shading in midday. The stalactite like partition walls allow for a open aired continuous space that divide the sleeping spaces and circulation areas for privacy. They also allow light in at your feet to give a focus to the circulation spaces.
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White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
Dueling Tornadoes Critic: Professor Ophelia Mantz
In Lubbock, Texas in 1970, two tornadoes raged through the north eastern side of the city and disrupted many neighborhoods and populations. Aztlan Park, is one of the major regions that was affected by this natural disaster. Aztlan Park is the site of this project, and the form of the ampitheater is derived from the two tornadoes which crossed paths near its location.
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The structure itself actually accomodates two different performances at once. The larger ampitheater is dug into the shallow hill and allows for a sheltered performance that can also accomodate films on a large screen. The program on the ground level is arranged so that at all times you are able to view the performance, whether you are in the stands, getting a bite to eat or something to drink, or entering the restrooms. This line of site is representative of the first, smaller tornado. The upper ampitheater is reached by taking a large ramp with plenty of open grassy space for unprogrammed activities. Once you have reached the performance space you have an area that is affected by the elements and can be seen from a greater distance due to its elevation. The over arching ramp structure represents the second, larger tornado. The structural system of the ampitheater is inspired by the many railroads that run near this area, as another token of history that is preserved in the ampitheater.
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Winter Solstice 22.28°
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At 4:30 PM Equinox 43.18° Winter Solstice 24.66°
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Cathedral Rock, Sedona, AZ
Urban Anchors Critic: Professor Victoria McReynolds
The downtown area of Denver, Colorado is a great example of an urban space that has great opportunities for a diversity of circulation and transportation throughout the city. This element of the city is what I chose to study and what ultimately inspired this proposed grid system, which is the foundation of my project, a Denver Public Library.
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The grid itself is fashioned from the study of the larger urban context of bus routes, bike lanes, parking, and pedestrian traffic. It is rather simple in nature, but its intermediate spaces are what become the interesting ideas behind the building. The grid is formed from two points, on Blake Street, being a heavily used bus stop and underground parking garage, and on Market Street being an above ground parking lot and high density commercial spaces. From these points radiate lines at 15 degree spacings. The intersection of these lines create many different trapezoidal spaces which alter depending on their relationship to the anchor points. The library which is formed from this grid system emphasizes ease and diversity of circulation. Within the building there is a large circulation space that flows past all of the programs and serves as a spine that many spaces resolve in to. The programmatic spaces are arranged near the 16th street mall to emphasize community interaction in the library. On the other side of the circulatory spine, there is a terraced outdoor space that descends into the site and to the lower floor of the library, where the stacks are housed.
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Taliesin West, Arizona | Frank Lloyd Wright
Processing Sounds Critic: Professor Kuhn Park
In the Texas Tech College of Architecture, media electives are required of all students and the intent is to explore different media to create interesting outputs. The course I took involved the program Processing 3, which is an open source coding software running JAVA.
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The project is meant to connect two senses by giving visual and audio cues which the user can then interact with to manipulate and interpret the sound feedback. It runs by retrieving data from the audio spectrum of each song, which is displayed within the line objects that you see. While the songs are running, the user is able to use a LEAP Motion controller to alter the tracks by moving their hand in the corresponding third for each track. The two aspects of the song that can be altered are the tempo and volume. These inputs then not only audibly change the track, but also visually alter each line object. The project helped me to expand my horizons into a field that is coming into the forefront of design, computer coding. It was a great way to dip my foot into the larger pool of programming that is rapidly evolving our world.
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White Sands National Monument, NM
Travelling Designer As a young architect and designer, one of the most important decisions that led me on this path was my decision to attend Texas Tech University. I was born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, and the decision to move all the way to Lubbock was not a hard one, but it came Denver, with many consequences, good and bad. CO
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Phoenix, AZ
Sedona, AZ
For me, travel is a must for an architect. To gain a wider perspective of the world and the places that make up the world is a very important aspect of becoming a good designer. It has also inspired another hobby of mine, photography, which you have seen between each project in this portfolio. Photography is the way I capture moments in the world which mean the most to me and things I want to remember. For the past four years, long distance travel has been a huge part Lubbock, of my life, TX going back and forth from Illinois to Texas at least 4 times a year. Luckily Alamogordo, NM enough for me I was able to travel abroadDallas, toTXSpain in theCarlsbad, Summer of 2018 and study with a native NM El Paso, TX Spanaird. These experinces have shaped much of my design perspective and I plan to continue to expand my horizons. Austin, TX
The following images showcase process in a wide perspective and are images that I have selected that San Antonio, TX I think showcase a diversity of perspective in the culture of design.
St. Paul, MN
Sleeping Bear Dunes, MI Milwaukee, WI Dubuque, IA
Madison, WI
Rockford, IL Chicago, IL
Springfield, IL Athens, OH Washington, DC
Indianapolis, IN
St. Louis, MO Richmond, VA
Greensboro, NC
Charleston, SC
Destin, FL
Orlando, FL
Lonboat Key, FL
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Dueling Tornadoes Physical Model
Takeoff Lounge Chair
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Terminal Critique Stool
Sketches from France
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Ascent Coffee Table
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Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona, Arizona
