PORT FOLIO Alex Witteman Twenty Nineteen
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I’m a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati passionate about experimentation in art and design. I’m a firm believer that in order to grow as designers and people we have to take risks and try new things, which will sometime fail. This portfolio is a collection of some of my successes, but also some of those failures.
ABOUT While I love design, it gets stressful at times, and in those times I love to reach for a book, listen to a record, or watch classic films. I’m passionate about making mixed media art and love to shoot film photography. An avid hiker and explorer with a love for nosing around places I shouldn’t be, I feel most at home when I get out of my element. I am also incredibly passionate about social justice and bringing real change to the field of design in a way that starts to incorporate true humanitarian values and societal equity for all.
ALEX WITTEMAN
EDUCATION University of Cincinnati: Bachelor of Science in Architecture Cincinnati, Ohio Class of 2019 : Summa Cum Laude Whitefish Bay High School: High School Diploma Milwaukee, Wisconsin Class of 2014 : High Honor Roll
T: 414-344-8172 E: alexwitteman@gmail.com W: issuu.com/alexwitteman
EMPLOYMENT Pen & Hammer : Draftsman Milwaukee, Wisconsin August 2020 - Present Currently, I’m working for this small architectural firm as a draftsman completing construction documents for a number of small scale renovation projects. I’ve also worked with Pen & Hammer in the past as a handyman for a large house renovation. DXA Studio : Junior Designer New York, New York August 2017 - December 2017 & September 2019 - June 2020 Worked on a variety of projects in schematic design and construction administration creating presentation materials, models, and construction documents. University of Cincinnati : Gallery Assistant & Research Assistant Cincinnati, Ohio August 2018 - August 2019 As a gallery assistant I helped to install and take down art shows and in the day to day operation of the DAAP Gallery. As a research assistant I helped professor Ryan Ludwig to publish an upcoming book by creating original diagrams and consulting with outside sources in order to obtain image content. KPF: Architectural Intern New York, New York May 2018 - August 2018 Coordinated with consultants and contractors in a variety of large scale redevelopment projects and created various presentation materials. Hord Coplan Macht : Architectural Intern Alexandria, Virginia January 2017 - May 2017 Assisted mostly in drafting and graphics to create construction documents and communicate information to clients and contractors. Theater Oberhausen : Set Builder and Designer Oberhausen, Germany November 2014 - January 2015 Worked in a multi-disciplinary team of artists and designers to conceptualize theater sets. Built small models and full scale sets for several productions.
SKILLS Digital Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premier Pro, Rhinoceros, V-Ray,ArchiCAD Microsoft Office, Revit, AutoCAD Physical Woodworking, Drafting, Model Making, Photography, Darkroom Processing, 3D Printing, Laser Cutting, Ceramics
HONORS / AWARDS Graduated Summa Cum Laude, Winner of DAAP Directors Choice Award for Best Architecture Group Project, Deans List 2015-2019, Participant in 2014-2015 Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange
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I could have laid out this portfolio with just architecture and then art works, but I think that’s counter-intuitive to my approach behind design. So I’ve made no distinction between the two and it’s up to you, the viewer, to decide what is art, and what is architecture.
CONTENTS In this way, I hope to dissolve the boundaries between these two fields; creating a completely new paradigm of what design and architecture is. So, apologies if it causes any confusion, but believe me when I say that everything I do confuses myself a bit. So I figure if you’re even looking at this portfolio you should know from the get-go that it’s a bit different from most.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 ........................ LIVE / WORK HOUSE 9 ............................... GREENHILLS 19 ........................... COUNTERWEIGHT 25 ........................... AUTO - NOMADS 33 ........................... FEEDBACK LOOP 41 .......................... DUAL SCULPTURE 47 .............................. CONEY CITY 55 ............................... LINE CUBE 63 ................................ ART PARK 69 ........................... WALNUT STREET 79 ............... TETANUS INDUCING FACEMASK 83 ................ SANDY HOOK MEMORIAL PARK 89 ........................... TINY PAVILION 95 ........................ FILM PHOTOGRAPHY i v
PRELIMINARY
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LIVE / WORK HOUSE Spring,Twenty Eighteen
Located just south of Cincinnati in Kentucky, this row house design was an opportunity to explore daylighting and spacial organization. The site for this project was interesting in that it was not a true row house, but a corner of a series of row houses. It also sits very close to the Ohio River on a large sloped hill. Spacial adjacencies became crucial to this project because a substantial workspace had to be included in the program. This workspace was pulled to the front of the building and lifted up off the ground in order to keep the building above the floodplain of the Ohio River.
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LIVE / WORK
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JUGGLING LIVE AND WORK FOR A SMALL DESIGN AGENCY For this project programmatic organization was critical. The goal was to create a building that could function simultaneously for a small design agency and for a couple living in the house that owned said agency. A central atrium and kitchen were utilized to act as the buffer between these two differing aspects of life, with the most private of living functions raised up above the work space and pulled to the back of the house. In this way, there is an interplay between the work and living instead of separating the two entirely from each other. Multiple outdoor spaces were created so that both inhabitants and workers can have their privacy when necessary, but views through the house always link the two aspects together creating an almost symbiotic relationship between them. The two bedrooms were treated similarly to the work space but were conceived more as obtruding masses above the building that hang off of the spine of the structure. All three of the programmatic masses were cut at an angle in order to mimic the topography of the site and create tiered living and working spaces. Between and underneath these three masses is a large and open living space, which can become autonomous with the work space depending on daily needs of the inhabitant.
FIRST FLOOR
SECOND FLOOR
THIRD FLOOR
FOURTH FLOOR
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LIVE / WORK
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This parti drawing shows the main intent of the building. The main structural mass (represented by the short thick lines) sits on the west side of the building against the close adjacent house. It’s largely closed off on this side but the structure thins out on the east side to become supporting beams filled in with glass. This forms the main atrium, above which the bedrooms and work space protrude. Light is then allowed to flow into this central space which is shared between the intimate familial portion of the building and the work functions.
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LIVE / WORK
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LIVE / WORK
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RETHINKING THE AMERICAN DREAM THROUGH COMMUNITY Spring,Twenty Eighteen
At its founding, Greenhills was created based on ideals of community and togetherness during the New Deal One can see this in the unit schemes and plan layout; common green spaces and conjoined units make the entire neighborhood incredibly open, and communal living becomes an integral part of the area. However, recent developments in Greenhills have moved far away from this cooperative idea. Single family homes permeate through the landscape and create rows upon rows of homogeneous and private houses. The very architecture of these houses creates a fortress-like and almost selfish attitude to the American dream. “The house is mine. The land is mine. It all belongs to me – and me alone.” Notions of community begin to dissolve when we simply line up parcels of land for ownership because self-ego and ideas of ownership obtain too much importance in this scheme of living. This project became an attempt to bring Greenhills back to the communal way of life it was based off of by subverting the suburban idea of living and creating small houses joined on their third floor in a large communal space where people of different ages and backgrounds can come together in order to form a stronger sense of community.
PROGRAMMATIC DIVISIONS 4
U N I T
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1
2
SMALL UNIT 1 4
2
SMALL UNIT 2
SMALL UNITS
LARGE UNIT 1
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3
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2
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U N I T
5
3
2
COMMUNAL SPACE
LARGE UNIT 2
U N I T
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LARGE UNITS
COMMUNAL SPACE 3
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2 2
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SMALL UNIT 1 4
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SMALL UNIT 2
LARGE UNIT 1
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COMMUNAL SPACE
LARGE UNIT 2
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GREENHILLS
PROJECT 2 / HOUSING TYPES / NEIGHBORHOOD VIGNETTES
This project began with a look at the interesting suburban layout that Greenhills was created with. It utilizes differing house placements to create shared green spaces for residents where kids can safely play. This creates a sense of community that is incredibly unique to Greenhills but has been faltering in recent growth. We also categorized each type of living condition and looked at how the garage affected these unit layouts.
PROJECT 2/ HOUSING TYPES / NEIGHBORHOOD VIGNETTES
GREENHILLS RESEARCH
PROJECT 2/ HOUSING TYPES / HOUSE CATEGORIES PROJECT 2/ HOUSING TYPES / HOUSE CATEGORIES
ISOLATED SINGLE FAMILY
GARAGE GARAGESTAGGERED STAGGERED VARIANT VARIANT 11
VARIANT VARIANT 33
VARIANT VARIANT 44
MIDDLE MIDDLE MIDDLESTAGGERED STAGGERED STAGGERED VARIANT VARIANT 1 1
VARIANT VARIANT 2 2
VARIANT VARIANT 3 3
VARIANT VARIANT 4 4
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VARIED STAGGERED VARIED VARIED VARIED STAGGERED STAGGERED STAGGERED VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT 2 222
VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT 3 333
VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT 4 444 PROJECT 2 / HOUSING TYPES / HOUSE CATEGORIES
PROJECT 2/ HOUSING TYPES / HOUSE CATEGORIES
VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT 1 111
VARIABLE STAGGERED HOMES
VARIANT VARIANT 22
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PROJECT 2 / HOUSING TYPES / HOUSE CATEGORIES
MIDDLE HOUSE STAGGERED
PROJECT 2/ HOUSING TYPES / HOUSE CATEGORIES
SHARED GARAGE STAGGERED HOME
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PROJECT 2 / HOUSING TYPES / HOUSE CATEGORIES PROJECT 2 / HOUSING TYPES / HOUSE CATEGORIES
ISOLATED SINGLE FAMILY
PROJECT 2 / HOUSING TYPES / NEIGHBORHOOD VIGNETTES
PROJECT 2/ HOUSING TYPES / NEIGHBORHOOD VIGNETTES
1 1
12
VARIANT 11 1 1 VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT
VARIANT 22 2 2 VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT
VARIANT 33 3 3 VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT
VARIANT 44 4 4 VARIANT VARIANT VARIANT
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PROJECT 2/ HOUSING TYPES / AREA MAP
PROJECT 2 / HOUSING TYPES / AREA MAP
MIDDLE STAGGERED
GARAGE STAGGERED
VARIED STAGGERED
ISOLATED SINGLE FAMILY
MIDDLE STAGGERED
GARAGE STAGGERED
VARIED STAGGERED
ISOLATED SINGLE FAMILY
MIDDLE STAGGERED
GARAGE STAGGERED
VARIED STAGGERED
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PROJECT 2 / HOUSING PROJECTTYPES 2 / HOUSING / AREA TYPES MAP / AREA MAP
PROJECT 2/ HOUSING PROJECT TYPES 2/ HOUSING / AREA TYPES MAP / AREA MAP
ISOLATED SINGLE FAMILY
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GREENHILLS
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VARYING LEVELS OF COMMUNITY A community should become conjoined, allowing privacy when one absolutely needs it, but creating an environment in which the self-absorption of suburban life dissolves. In this new paradigm of housing for Greenhills, four groups of people live in close proximity, sharing many amenities such as a kitchen and dining spaces. The relationship between these families would become somewhat symbiotic, each family learning and benefiting from the other and living in a more communal and social fashion. This micro-community of four families is a new spin on the suburban “block”. The smaller scale and closer proximity of this place would make for closer relationships between neighbors. If a young couple with small children were to live in proximity with an older couple that’s retired, the older couple could look after and take care of the children and gain a sense of security and community in old age that many elderly communities lack. Similarly, if there were older children living in the housing unit with these younger ones, they could tutor or babysit for pocket cash. In these ways, the various inhabitants of the housing “block” could all benefit from each other.
TOP FLOORS (COMMUNAL)
BOTTOM FLOOR
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GREENHILLS
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PRODUCTIVE LANDSCAPE The idea of the productive landscape played a key role in this project as well. Greenhills was created with a massive Greenbelt surrounding the entire community. However, it simply surrounds the area. The site chosen for this project sits in the very center of Greenhills and is an abandoned golf course which is essentially one large ravine; a ravine that holds a lot of storm water. Instead of simply funneling this water out of the area, which it does now large reservoirs are made which would be used to irrigate communal farms that fill in the landscape between each “block”. A second layer of community is formed by these farms. The land between each of these “blocks” becomes a place for inhabitants to harvest food, creating a different scale of community. A new paradigm of interaction is created where one interacts with many different people in a wide variety of fashions and in differing frequencies.
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GREENHILLS
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CONNECTIONS Greenhills has yet another interesting characteristic that played into some of the site planning. It contains a large network of interior sidewalks that weave throughout the neighborhood. In order to make this place a new vein for pedestrian traffic, multiple pathways were created off around the small collection of homes that turn what was a gap in the middle of the neighborhood into a new pedestrian zone. One that opens onto open fields and forested areas, providing recreational space for all the residents of Greenhills.
GREENHILLS
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COUNTERWEIGHT : A CONCRETE CHAIR Spring,Twenty Eighteen
Counter Weight was a study in considering how the density and extreme weight of concrete can be used to create a form to a chair that cannot be achieved otherwise. The concrete establishes a stable base in the back of the chair off which the actual seating is able to cantilever. The form attempts to achieve lightness, almost rising or ascending, and allowing for a playful way of sitting due to the tapering of the plywood. This tapering allows for a flex to the thighs and back, making the chair seem less rigid even though its primary material is something as robust as concrete. When looking at the chair without considering materiality, one would assume that it would simply tip forward when sat in. However, the heaviness of the concrete makes prevents this. The wood interplays subtly with the concrete, simply wrapping the concrete pour instead of contrasting it. Conceptually, the concrete pour acts as a skeleton upon which theAXON rest of the chair grows off and wraps around. The concrete is EXPLODED allowed to poke through the wood at the central joint of the chair, showing what is important to the piece, which is the interplay between the two materials.
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EXPLODED AXON 7
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Layered Plywood Seat Back Rear Wrap of Concrete Form Primary Concrete Form Side Concrete Blocks Layered Plywood Seat Pan Front Wooden Inlays Bottom Anchoring Piece
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COUNTERWEIGHT
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The concrete was cast in three parts in order to make simple extrusions which are far easier to cast. The main skeleton was the largest piece and two small portions which sat on either side of the primary concrete portion. The main base weighs in around 300 pounds and each of the side portions weigh 25 lbs. This weight allows this form to work without the chair tipping forward when sat on. However, it also allows for a small amount of mobility as moving the chair is a difficult task, but pretty doable with the assistance of a hand truck.
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COUNTERWEIGHT
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Since the concrete plays a crucial part in the main concept of this chair, it shows in the overall details of it. The small cutout in the back of the chair lets the concrete poke through slightly, creating a detail of flush concrete on wood. The chair worked surprisingly well, letting whomever sat in it to simply dangle their feet off the edge of it, something that would have been impossible with a lighter chair. The chair was brought to a local park in Cincinnati for its final resting place where it still sits, providing a contemplative retreat for passers by.
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COUNTERWEIGHT
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AUTO - NOMADS SPRING,Twenty Twenty
We are no longer free. Most governments do not help citizens but simply provide corporations and banks with massive tax breaks. In the current political climate, people control nothing in elections and most political systems are massive farces to make citizens worldwide act like docile sheep. Energy autonomy is the only valid solution to this problem. Auto-Nomads takes the very idea of energy autonomy and makes it an integral part of life, granting people the freedom of choice to go and live as they please. This idea is intended to expand worldwide and create a massive network of hubs where people can park their energy autonomous vehicles and choose to settle in any place for any amount of time they would like.
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AUTO-NOMADS
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STANDARD MAP OF THESE UN-UNITED STATES
PLACE WAY-STATIONS AT EACH INTERSECTION OF GRID
200 MILE GRID OVERLAY OF COUNTRY (ESTIMATED 3-5 HOUR DRIVE)
MODIFY PLACEMENTS AND ENSURE EACH STATE HAS ONE STATION
NEW UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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RENEWABLE ENERGY WAY-STATION ELEVATION AUTO-NOMADS
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RENEWABLE ENERGY WAY-STATION AXON
CONCEPTUAL AND REAL PLAN The lifestyle proposed in this project fosters fellowship and in time can create beautiful Bohemian communities. Auto-Nomads attempts to take humans back to our most primal state and grants us the freedom that we had thousands of years ago before human consciousness even existed. People are invited to act as hunter and gatherer once again and humanity itself is empowered through this energy autonomy. In this way, people of all walks of life can become whoever they want and humans can become independent of government. Freedom isn’t impossible, we must simply be given the tools to be free.
PARASCOPING CAMPER DESIGN FOR EASY DRIVING AUTO-NOMADS
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AUTO-NOMADS
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FEEDBACK LOOP
Spring,Twenty Nineteen DAAP Directors Choice Award This project was the culmination of a collaboration between myself, Erin Hunt, and Joel Garza. Erin is a fellow architect and Joel is a doctoral student in percussion at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music. The project was a unique look at the idea of improvisation in which we tried to look at space not as a means for programmatic function, but as a purely sculptural and attractive entity, much like The Bean in Chicago or Times Square. The space becomes a playful and overtly confusing place, which can spark creativity further and create a truly unique architectural space. Much like the work of Arikawa and Gins, the space is made to literally challenge people.
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FEEBACK LOOP
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COLLAGE AND IMPROVISATION To begin our explorations, we decided to do a series of collages upon which a group of musicians improvised. The first round of improvisation was spurred by three singular collages, each driven by a compositional concept (shown in the leftmost column). The following collages are essentially five collages in one, each portion of which is inspired by one minute of sound from the prior improvisations. For example, a descending musical motif could be represented by downward motions, or a large flourish in sound would manifest as an explosive looking object. We then took the five minutes of musical collages and rearranged them to create brand new slightly fragmented collages. This process was a constant translating of information and an attempt at using a completely different process to generate both forms and sound. We then replicated this idea in three dimensions using various aggregations of units to map out different instruments. These units were designed based off different instrument types, metal, wood, and handheld and were made in identical dimensions to allow for stacking and notching of the units. Architectural drawing conventions were then employed, specifically plan and section, to provide the musicians with a new “score� that essentially leads them on a walkthrough of the space.
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FEEDBACK LOOP
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SITING THE CONCEPT The versatility of the project shows both through the dynamic spatial conditions that are created by the aggregation of units and through the infinite programmatic possibilities that the space allows. The site of Prospect Park in Brooklyn was chosen because of the existing conversation that occurs within the park between the urban condition of New York City and a more natural condition. The massing of the project imitates nature in a way, through its sloping surfaces and unexpected turns. In addition, a park is already a space in which the user is able to invent program, so this site proved itself to be the most advantageous for our study.
METAL UNITS
WOOD UNITS
HANDHELD UNITS
WOOD AGGREGATE
METAL AGGREGATE
HANDHELD AGGREGATE
WOOD + HANDHELD AGGREGATE
METAL + WOOD AGGREGATE
METAL + HANDHELD AGGREGATE
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FEEDBACK LOOP
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IMPROVISATION TO A STRUCTURE This conceptual bridge was improvised to in section perspective by various performers, playing off the idea that a section perspective presents a moment of a space while showing what’s coming next. Each section was taken about equidistant to each other on the bridge and each showcases the wide variety of spatial conditions created by the bridge. The place becomes a bizarre folly that creates a multitude of enclosures and overlooks. It interacts with the water to create boat landings and provide yet another level of habitation on the structure. People are encouraged to lose their inhibitions in this place and to simply explore and hopefully regain a sense of childlike wonder.
SELECTED IMPROVISATIONS
SECTION TWO 1:00-2:00
SECTION ONE 0:00-1:00
SECTION FOUR 3:00-4:00
SECTION THREE 2:00-3:00
SECTION FIVE 4:00-5:00
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FEEDBACK LOOP
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DUAL-SCULPTURE Fall,Twenty Fifteen
The armature project was very unique in that it was a project made to hold another project. The first of these projects was the balance block, which is a small sculpture created to balance on less than a square inch of space.. The balance block needed to be analyzed to understand what to extenuate or change in its housing. This balance block contained two dominant elements with a fairly large void between them, which was to be emphasized by the design. In the end, the design became about taking the existing lines of the balance block and skewing them slightly so that they feel like a continuation of the block, but also take on their own shape and create new forms. The design does not only revolve around skewing the dominant lines, but also on maintaining a void in the middle of the sculpture. This was emphasized by making the sculpture sit on two different pedestals, which created a large gap in between the parts of the model itself which creates a sense of disconnection between the two different masses of the balance block.
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ARMATURE
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Before the armature came the balance block. This sculpture was molded out of plaster and further refined to make the shape seen above. This form happened to work in multiple orientations as well, and the intended balancing posture proved difficult to build an armature off of. It was too irregular and almost too pristine, lending itself to need a simple podium, not a complex armature. I chose the sideways orientation in the end in order to draw upon existing angles in this orientation, tweaking them all slightly in order to make the armature into something dynamic that builds off the form I had already created.
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ARMATURE
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The armature was crafted of wood to contrast the materiality of the plaster balance block. This difference in materiality helps to emphasize the differently skewed moves that the armature makes. This design intentionally did not smother or hide the plaster block, but simultaneously it did not simply create a pedestal for it. Sections of the plaster are left very exposed and boldly stick out while others are capped and nestled away into wood piece. This allows for the two sculptures to morph together and simultaneously maintain some semblance of individuality in their forms.
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ARMATURE
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SOUTHWEST AXON
CONEY CITY
NORTHEAST AXON
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CONEY CITY
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PATTERN STUDIES & COPY PASTE This studio revolved around two ideas, patterning, and verticality. The three patterns here were the beginnings of exploring a unitization method. In the end, my form changed completely from these patterns and revolved more on the idea of chaining units together in sequence. However, these original wallpaper patterns truly inspired the form I chose in the end. The other portion of this studio focused in on a study of New York skyscrapers. We looked at a huge variety of skyscrapers, both modern and historical, built and speculative. We then copy and pasted these buildings together in different ways to create completely new paradigms of verticality. Many of my designs revolved around the idea of creating green space up in the air of the city, not just at ground level. In this way, our cities could open up, allowing light and air to penetrate into the dense urban zone.
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CONEY CITY
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UNITIZATION AND RETHINKING VERTICALITY Thunderbolt is a combination of two buildings, one speculative, Lomex by Paul Rudolph and one real, VIA 57 West by BIG. The idea was to combine these in such a way that created new green space in the upper tier of the city. Green space is created on multiple layers of the city which is accessible via a strange blob-like elevator and this space becomes open to everyone and everyone. The street level is also left mostly open, allowing for traffic and pedestrian flow beneath. In this way, the building allows circulation instead of hindering it like your typical square set building does. Overall, Thunderbolt is about opening up the city to greater flow and possibility, truly activating it and turning the city into something new.
CONEY CITY
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The unit created to weave within Thunderbolt was inspired largely by a simplistic chaining of objects. The unit attaches one to the next but can actually attach to two by utilizing both of the legs. Each unit becomes an apartment by inserting horizontal floorplates so every single apartment unit varies depending on the orientation. They vary from horizontal to vertical and can combine in nearly endless ways, rotating and twisting their way around the city and creating new unique spaces within and around them. They truly swarm around the city and can combine in such unique ways, growing up out and around the urban environment and crafting a completely new urbanity.
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CONEY CITY
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VARYING ORGANIZATION Fall,Twenty Fifteen
This sculpture was one of the first projects I was tasked with in architecture school. The project was simple : create a cube out of a completely linear composition. To warm up and consider concepts, we began by creating drawings out of merely five lines. I played with weights and different methods of crafting the lines to create senses of depth and difference. In the end, I utilized three of them in order to conceptualize what was to become my line cube. I used a simplistic cruciform shape to craft the overall concept of my line cube, lifting this cross to the center of my cube and then filling the above and below in completely different ways, the bottom on the exterior and the top on the interior.
GRID
REFINE
LIFT
FILL
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LINE CUBE
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ORGANIZATION A simple pattern derived from a four by four grid drove the design of this sculpture. The main criteria for this piece were that the sculpture be made completely out of lines, and that it be one cubic foot in volume. The four by four grid was used to create an organization in a sort of cross shape which is placed halfway up the cube. This cross was then filled on the top and bottom of the cube so that no line runs completely vertical in the composition. This organization creates a sense of completion when the bottom and top of the sculpture are seen in tandem.
VARIANCE This sculpture explored the idea of variance by its vastly different appearance when viewed from different angles and orientations. The simplistic pattern possesses very different traits when put on its side or viewed when from an elevation instead of plan. This variation creates a composition which causes the viewer of the sculpture to want to play with it and move around it.
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LINE CUBE
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ARCHITECTURALIZATION I became increasingly intrigued by this incredibly simplistic organization and decided to make this sculpture into a building of sorts. The idea was to utilize the simplistic organization to create a multi-tiered house, for a small family. The bottom level is largely freed up, creating a vast communal space that the residents can congregate in. The floorplan is incredibly open, inspired by Le Corbusier’s Domino floorplan. Different spaces are simply subdivided by furniture which crafts rooms within one large room. A slightly more private lounge is above it that opens up to the floor below but allows for more privacy. Moving up further is a level for the children of the family. This is the true middle of the house and skylights push down in the simple cruciform shape to allow sun to stream down into the lower space. Then, on the final and smallest floor is the master suite, a spacious portion of the house that allows the masters of the house to live relatively isolated from the riff raff of children and guests below when they would like to.
CONCEPTUAL NEGATIVE SPACE DRAWINGS
ENTRY ELEVATIONS
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LINE CUBE
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EXTERIOR AXONOMETRIC
TOP LEVEL
MIDDLE LEVEL
AXONOMETRICS The Line Cube House is composed of the simplest proportions possible. It is a simple cube subdivided into a 4x4 cube in both directions. The strict organization allows for an easy conceptual link to thread throughout the house, but the variance in how this gridded structure is filled provides opportunities for balconies, outdoor spaces, and light wells. The house starts full and as one moves up it begins to thin out more and more, creating the spacial variance required to create an intriguing home. 6 2
BOTTOM LEVEL LINE CUBE
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RIVERFRONT ART PAVILION Summer,Twenty Seventeen
A park on the Cincinnati Riverfront was the proposed site for a new arts pavilion for the Cincinnati community. A smaller scale was important in this design, and the finer systems of the building were designed first as a way to drive the whole building. This study explores using a rigid frame containing masses that bulge beyond a strict framed grid. The given site has a strong axial nature which is used in the design to set up a symmetrical organization. This organization is then broken by the bulgingblock system, which rings the outside of the pavilion to add more playfulness to the facade and break the symmetry of the structure. Since the building is proposed on a small park, the idea arose to actually have a park on top of the various gallery spaces much like the work of Friedensreich Hundertwasser. This park was integrated into the museum experience by creating a series of intimate sculpture gardens within it.
CREATE STRICT GRID
FILL GRID SYMMETRICALLY
BREAK SYMMETRY THROUGH BULGES
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ART PARK
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SEQUENCE OF MOVEMENT Yeatman’s Cove, where this art pavilion was to be placed, has a large axial walkway leading up to it. This design adds to and modifies this major axial organization. The final destination of the building still lies at the end of this axis, however the journey itself meanders around the park built on top of the building. This meandering path also intentionally leads the visitors near various sculpture gardens, which entice them into visiting as many as possible. One reason for creating this elaborate stair was to let natural light down into the atrium area. Light also spills through via the two entrances at both sides of the building. These entrances let the pavilion act as an extension of the trail along the river to the south. In these ways, the building reacts to the site organizations and morphs them into a slightly varied sequence of movement that allows for a greater variety in use.
ROOFTOP SCULPTURE GARDEN WITHIN ELEVATED PARK
PROTRUSIONS INTO SPACE IN THE FLOOR ABOVE
GALLERY SPACE AT ALL GROUND LEVELS
GALLERY SPACES AND SCULPTURE GARDENS The gallery spaces are made to be directly linked to the sculpture gardens above them. The actual pathway between the gardens varies from that of the galleries, but the destinations are directly stacked on top of each other. The gallery demands to be a somewhat normal space for the hanging of art, but a couple of intrusions were utilized to continue the language of the growing cube forms. There are more protrusions into the space above when the scaffolding penetrates over the gallery space. The gardens are made to all have the same layout, but differing relationships between the art and the garden itself. Each intimate pocket varies slightly from the last to entice the user into visiting them all.
ART PARK
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ART PARK
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FOURTEEN O FIVE WALNUT STREET Fall,Twenty Sixteen
In recent years Cincinnati has seen a massive rise in urban revitalization, which is particularly prevalent in Over the Rhine, a neighborhood just north of the city center. This revival has mostly manifested in renovations of historic buildings into various bars and restaurants, a direction that the longstanding community of OTR does not particularly approve of. This project attempted to create a cultural landmark for all members of the community that celebrates the history of OTR and can engage both communities living in the area.
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WALNUT
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COMMUNITY FILM CENTER The rich and historic past of Over the Rhine played into the design by utilizing three large brick masses inspired by an existing building on site. These masses resemble a typical Over the Rhein building, and black metal exposed structures were used in an allusion to the various fire escapes throughout the neighborhood. Each brick element takes on a very different programmatic purpose; one is an artist studio for visiting film makers, one contains two classrooms, and the final top mass is a work space and archive for film students to utilize in research and creation. The window fenestration of these brick masses departs from the typical OTR building, which use banally spaced windows. Instead, the cut outs take on a more sporadic pattern which gives the building more character.
TUNNEL to create entry while preserving existing building on site.
COPY to exploit views to northeast and create programmatic pockets.
FILL to create central void and accommodate larger parts of program.
CAP to shelter the void and continue the buildings visual language.
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WALNUT
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ORGANIZATION & SEQUENCE In the preliminary design stage, multiple collages were created to explore the spatial qualities of each programmatic space. Then, these were arranged in different ways in a fashion inspired by OMA’s famous section of the Seattle Public Library. Once actually looking at the site, the aesthetics of the building were shaped to be more of a historical homage rather than the more modern approach shown here. However, the overall organization is based off these collaged sections. Sequentially, the building plays off the classic idea of compression and release at first and breaks into a large main stair which accesses all the major public spaces of the building.
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WALNUT
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ENTRY Conceptually, this project revolved around its entry. The existing building is used in tandem with an extension of that building to funnel inhabitants inside and allow them to feel the weight of the existing structure.
CIRCULATION A central void was utilized in this project in order to create a major circulation stair. The idea was to move inside the perimeter of the void in a large looping motion, which contains several points of rest along the way.
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WALNUT
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The final step of the film institute was to create some sort of system to break up the banality of the various facades. The facade design called for a fin system which, like the floor plan scheme, revolved around the forty five degree angle. This system was set directly perpendicular to the prevailing angle in order to subvert the dominant order of the building and allow light to enter. This contradiction to the prevailing language of the building creates greater visual interest in the form, and simultaneously makes moving along the building faces a dynamic experience that provides for glimpses inside.
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WALNUT
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TETANUS INDUCING FACEMASK Fall,Twenty Fifteen
When tasked with creating a “body mantle� I struggled with the idea of materiality, especially with the idea of waste. So, when considering what material to use, I opted to recycle all the used X-Acto blades I could find to create a mask out of them. The shape of the mask is reminiscent of the shape of the knives themselves, tapering down to a point. I accidentally rusted half of the knives while attempting to disinfect them with bleach, but decided to roll with this mistake and utilize the rusted and clean knives on different sides of the mask, creating a duality in the mask. And yes, I got a tetanus shot during this project.
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TETANUS
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TETANUS
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SANDY HOOK MEMORIAL PARK
Fall,Twenty Seventeen at DXA Studio
This project was a competition done at DXA Studio for a memorial space in remembrance of the events that took place in Sandy Hook several years ago. The site was very large and consisted of several spaces, a raised meadow a lowered pond area, and a forested ridge. These three spaces were treated as different rooms which all related to the critical space that occurs between the ponds. At this moment, a small water feature was placed to commemorate the victims of the incident and seating was created off this water feature along with gaps in the paving to let plant life grow through, creating separate areas of reflection for visitors. For this project I was heavily involved in the conceptual design of the space and also produced the full site plan, as well as post processed some renderings.
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MEMORIAL
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MEMORIAL TO INSPIRE HOPE After the terrible tragedy that took place in this small community some years ago the town asked for a memorial that was different from the traditional sort of commemorative architecture. Instead of being grim or brooding, the project was supposed to create a positive space of reflection. One that could bring people together and benefit the community as a whole by promoting exploration, learning, and healing. The project takes full advantage of the various existing natural spaces, reconfiguring each of them into their own special part of the memorial park. From a sprawling network of paths within a flowered meadow, to a ravine of trees at the back of the memorial intersected by whimsical stairs leading to nowhere in particular,the park provides various spaces of healing for the any visitor.
300’
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MEMORIAL
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30’ 30’ 30’ 30’ 1”= 1”= 1”= 1”=
N AN GE LAN& THE MEADOW PLAN
TREES EES S
PATH CANOPY TREES PATH PATH PATH UNDERSTORY PATH UNDERSTORY UNDERSTORY UNDERSTORY
Quercus Quercus Quercus Quercus Quercus rubra rubra rubra rubra alba Red Red Red oak oak Red oak oak White oak
PATH UNDERSTORY PATH PATH PATH SHRUB SHRUB SHRUB LAYER LAYER LAYER PATH SHRUB LAYER
PATH PATH PATH GROUND GROUND GROUND PLANE PLANE PLANE PATH SHRUB LAYER PATH GROUND PLANE
Ostrya Ostrya Ostrya Ostrya virginiana virginiana virginiana virginiana Ostrya virginianaLindera Quercus rubra Kalmia Kalmia Kalmia Kalmia latifolia latifolia latifolia latifolia Lindera Lindera Lindera benzoin benzoin benzoin benzoin Kalmia latifolia Dryopteris Dryopteris Dryopteris Dryopteris Lindera marginalis marginalis marginalis benzoin marginalis American American American American hophornbeam hophornbeam hophornbeam hophornbeam Mountain American hophornbeam Red oak Mountain Mountain Mountain laurel laurel laurel laurel Spicebush Spicebush Spicebush Spicebush Mountain laurel Marginal Marginal Marginal Marginal Spicebush wood wood wood fern wood fern fern fern
Cornus Cornus Cornus alternifolia alternifolia alternifolia alternifolia /album / / / Sassafras Sassafras Sassafras album album album album Sassafras a Sassafras Fagus grandifoliaCornus Alternateleaf Alternateleaf Alternateleaf dogwood dogwood dogwood dogwood Sassafras Sassafras Sassafras Sassafras h Sassafras American Beech Alternateleaf
Cornus alternifolia / Clethra Carex Carex Carex Carex pensylvanicum pensylvanicum pensylvanicum pensylvanicum Viburnum Viburnum Viburnum Viburnum acerifolium acerifolium acerifolium acerifolium Clethra Clethra Clethra alnifolia alnifolia alnifolia alnifolia Viburnum acerifolium Clethra alnifolia Alternateleaf dogwood Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania sedge sedge sedge Mapleleaf Mapleleaf Mapleleaf Mapleleaf viburnum viburnum viburnum viburnum Sweet Sweet Sweet Sweet pepperbush pepperbush pepperbush pepperbush Mapleleaf viburnum Sweetsedge pepperbush
PATH GROUND PLANE MEADOW MEADOW MEADOW PERENNIALS PERENNIALS PERENNIALS MEADOW PERENNIALS
MEADOW PERENNIALS
MEADOW MEADOW MEADOW MEADOW GRASSES GRASSES GRASSES GRASSES
MEADOW GRASSES
Asclepias Asclepias Asclepias Asclepias tuberosa tuberosa tuberosa tuberosa AsclepiasVernonia tuberosa Vernonia Vernonia Vernonia novebarocensis novebarocensis novebarocensis novebarocensis Vernonia novebarocensis Panicum Panicum Panicum Panicum virgatum virgatum virgatum virgatum Panicum virgatum Baptisia Baptisia Baptisia Baptisia australis australis australis australis Baptisia australis Deschampsia Deschampsia Deschampsia Deschampsia flexuosa flexuosa flexuosa flexuosa Dryopteris marginalis Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly Butterfly weed weed weed weed Butterfly weed Ironweed Ironweed Ironweed IronweedFalse indigo Switchgrass Ironweed Switchgrass Switchgrass Switchgrass Switchgrass False False False indigo False indigo indigo indigo Wavy Wavy Wavy hairgrass hairgrass hairgrass Wavy hairgrass Marginal wood fern
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Carex pensylvanicum Eryngium Eryngium Eryngium Eryngium yuccifolium yuccifolium yuccifolium yuccifolium Solidago Solidago Solidago Solidago odora odora odora Eryngium odora Echinacea yuccifolium Solidago Echinacea Echinacea Echinacea pallida pallida pallida pallida odoraBouteloa Echinacea pallida Bouteloa Bouteloa Bouteloa gracilis gracilis gracilis gracilis Bouteloa gracilis Sporobolus Sporobolus Sporobolus Sporobolus heterolepis heterolepis heterolepis heterolepis Pennsylvania sedge Rattlesnake Rattlesnake Rattlesnake Rattlesnake master master master master Sweet Sweet Sweet Sweet goldenrod goldenrod goldenrod goldenrod Rattlesnake master Sweet goldenrod Pale Pale Pale purple Pale purple purple purple coneflower coneflower coneflower coneflower Pale purple coneflower Blue Blue Blue grama Blue grama grama grama Blue grama Prairie Prairie Prairie Prairie dropseed dropseed dropseed dropseed
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The main aspect of the memorial park was the small water feature placed directly in between two existing ponds on the site. This moment serves as an insular focused area where people can come to meditate and reflect upon this event that happened in the community. Vegetation and wildlife was also an important aspect of this project and various research was done on the existing plants to see what plantings could further benefit the ecosystem.
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MEMORIAL
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TINY PAVILION Spring,Twenty Sixteen
This project was completed at the end of my first year in architecture school as a part of a team of six architecture and interior design students. The goal was to create a small space, merely 8’ x 8’ in size. Given this challenge, we oddly enough decided to divide the space into even smaller portions, one bench, one circulation space, and one lookout space. In this way, rather than creating a singular destination, we created a space that revolved around the idea of subdivisions and variance.
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FOLLY
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GARDEN FOLLY The folly was a spacial construction created using wood and MDF. Its design utilizes multiple grounded layers of MDF to create various levels of habitation. These zones were then covered with large wooden wraps to tie them together and create one cohesive space that is simultaneously subdivided into major strips of habitation and movement. This design was more outward focused, and attempts to create different levels of reposeful spaces where users can rest, look out across the lawn, and take note of their surroundings as well as see the variety of other follies on the lawn and decide on where they should go next.
BASE MASSES
SHADE TOP DESTINATION
AREAS OF REPOSE
AREAS OF MOVEMENT
SHADE MAIN STAIR SET
SHADE SEATING AREA
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FINAL FORM
FOLLY
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In order to emphasize the wraps going over the folly, wooden inlays were created in the floor pattern that matched where the wraps meet the MDF. These inlays clearly demarcate each wrap from the other and make the resting areas feel more intimate and friendly by inviting inhabitants to sit down in them. A white fabric was also employed to create shading within the wraps and was inset in the overhanging structures in a fashion inspired by the treatment of wood and stucco in Tudor style homes. This fabric was very translucent to allow light to flow through and helped to shade the space and create interesting overlapping varied spacial conditions above.
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FOLLY
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FILM PHOTOGRAPHY Since Twenty Fourteen
Shooting film photography has been a hobby of mine ever since my dad gifted me his old film camera. I photograph on film because it forces me to think about composition in a more holistic manner and to make every shot count. Digital photography allows you to be sloppy and make lots of mistakes. Film doesn’t, and I’ve started to understand the camera more because of that fact. In addition, darkroom processes have recently become a passion of mine. This adds yet another layer of complexity to the entire photographing process. All of these photos were shot and developed by me and various darkroom techniques were utilized to create high quality prints. As a whole, my interest in photography is as a method of experimentation, not documentation. Film allows for freedom in analog experimentation that digital photography cannot provide and can produce photographs with a great sense of depth and feeling that the Photoshop cannot quite replicate.
NOW I SEE YOU
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FILM
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DECLINING DOGMA
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FILM
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OUTSIDE FORCES
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FILM
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ALIVE AND WELL
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FILM
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FINAL REST
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FILM
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THE HEAVENS WILL SWALLOW YOU UP
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FILM
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IDENTITY CRISES
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FILM
THANK YOU alexwitteman@gmail.com 4 1 4-344- 8172