Publications_
Discipline | ASU Architecture Journal
Issue 03: 79 Collective Housing Units Case Study
Issue 04: Windhover Case Study
Issue 07: Precast Concrete Innovation Center
Waseda Architecture Journal | 早稲田建築学
Architectural Design and Engineering Report 2021 Issuu: Shibakoenmae Sky Gardens
Issuu_ https://issuu.com/andrewsynacek
Behance_ https://www.behance.net/andrewsynacek Archinect_ https://archinect.com/andrewsynacek
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, I remember that I wanted to be an architect since third grade. I was inspired by my third grade art teacher who emphasized on teaching architecture and the works of Frank Lloyd Wright. I always excelled in my math courses throughout school and architecture was a passion that had always been growing for me. During my senior year of high school, I started an internship at a firm in Scottsdale, AZ and continued for three years. Later while attending ASU I had started to travel and study abroad a bit. From these travels, Japan seemed to further reinforce my interest with organic architecture and infrastructure. As I studied more, I became fascinated with Japans post war metabolist architecture and decided to pursue a master’s degree at Waseda University to study more about Japan’s metabolist movement. After finishing my thesis project I found an opportunity to work at Kengo Kuma’s office in Tokyo. Since joining KKAA I have been involved with the design of numerous projects and competitions around the world ranging from private houses to bridges, towers, stadiums, and memorials.
The experience of architecture is written in the connection between spaces and their users and the structure of architecture is written in the juxtaposition between function over form. Architecture must be both pragmatic and poetic. In my mind, the intent of design should be to increase overall quality of life by attempting to solve a multitude of issues. In addressing such issues, connection to nature, light quality, and air quality, are some of the most important elements needed to create comfortable, habitable, and healthy spaces. As an architect, I strive to improve quality of life and to better others’ lives through design.
Studio MA | 05/2023 - 08/2024
Intermediate Architectural Designer Phoenix, Arizona
Kengo Kuma and Associates | 07/2021 - 05/2023
Architect Staff Tokyo, Japan
Studio MA | 02/2019 - 04/2019
Architectural Associate Phoenix, Arizona
PHX Architecture | 08/2013 - 08/2016
Architectural Intern Scottsdale, Arizona
Arizona State University | 2018
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
Bachelor of Science in Design | Architectural Studies
GPA | 3. 4 / 4.0
Waseda University | 2021
Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering
Master of Architecture | M.Arch
GPA | 3.9 / 4.0
CONTACT INFORMATION
602.882.5831
AndrewSynacek@gmail.com
Contemplative Center
During my second semester of my third year studio we were first tasked with studying contemplative and religious spaces. We split the studio into groups of three to four people and assigned an existing interrelated project to each group to conduct case studies on. During the study we were required to construct research, diagrams, plans, sections, elevations, and various other drawings in order to understand for what purpose and how each project was designed. Along with the drawings and research, we were to complete two models at different scales to further understand spatial aspects and details of each project.
After studying and gaining an understanding for religious and contemplative spaces we were given a contemplative center project to be designed on ASU’s Tempe campus in Phoenix, Arizona.
The site is located in the ASU Desert Arboretum Park which overlooks parking lot 59 to the east and is adjacent to a preserved mountain cliff to the west. The park is filled with native plants and small wildlife. As the site sits, it is a space where one can immerse themselves in nature. In the center of the site there is a natural circular geometry formed from the outlet of a small water basin located against the cliff face on the west side of the site. The semi-natural basin houses koi fish and provides the sound of flowing water. Water is pumped into the basin electronically. From the basin, the water flows down a small stream that runs a circular path through the middle of the site into a reservoir on the east side of the site.
SPRING 2017
LOCATION Tempe, Arizona
PROFESSOR Michael Underhill
The entrance resides on the south end of the site while small walking trails on the north end of the site lead up the mountain.
Upon the inception of the project, the intended program was a combination of indoor and outdoor quiet meditative spaces and a Library. Part of the challenge of this project was that the requirements were to include conflicting programmatic areas such as a lecture hall, a class room, two offices, and two restrooms along with the more intimate meditative and quiet spaces.
In realizing the intentions of this project I proposed a parametric structure that would mediate light, preserve natural elements on the site, and connect the building with the nature around itself. All of which are elements that promote mental and physical health and provide a shelter for mitigation and sanctum.
By connecting the building with the natural cliff wall and adapting the shape of the plan around the existing central geometry in the site, I was able to create both indoor and outdoor meditative spaces with direct physical connections and access to nature. A labyrinth courtyard is discovered when entering the project through the left side. This labyrinth takes the user on a journey down into the ground and then back up into the direct center of the project. Benches are located on the path for users to stop, sit down, and experience the light and nature around them.
As you approach Lightway Contemplative Center from ASU’s Tempe campus, the main entrance to the meditative space cuts into the mountain on the left while the entrance to the library and classrooms present themselves on the right ultimately separating the conflicting program elements.
Proceeding toward the meditative spaces, you can reflect by the reflection pond and listen to the sound of water inside or explore the outdoor garden labyrinth while enjoying nature and how the parametric architecture filters light and graces the sky above. Both interior and exterior meditative spaces lead to small hiking trails and a natural preserve to the north.
Walkway Overhangs
compress surrounding entrances and create an interior terrace level within the library
glass and mesh finishes between all wooden trusses
Walls and Walkways divide the program and provide circulation throughout the project
Structure radial organization of wooden trusses
Labyrinth Garden sheltered/venerated meditative space
The plan is divided into sectors by sets of two concrete walls that lead to program entrances. These walkways give a glimpse of the inner courtyard when entering.
In my first semester of my third year studio we studied multi-unit housing. To start off, we split the studio into groups of four people and assigned an existing housing project for each group to conduct case studies on. During the study we were required to construct research, diagrams, plans, sections, elevations, and various other drawings in order to understand how each project created successful living spaces and communities. Along with the drawings and research, each group was to complete 3 models at different scales to further understand spatial aspects and details of each project.
After studying and gaining an understanding on how to design housing, we were given a multi-unit housing project to be designed in Tempe, Arizona.
Located directly south of Tempe Beach Park and directly adjacent to freight train and metro rails, the site sits on a parcel of land that includes space in the park across the street from the main whole of the parcel.
From the given site, location, and type of project, the architectural elements in the project were derived and inspired from the bridges and infrastructural features around Tempe. Another natural inspiration for this project was my obsession with trains when I was young. Architecturally speaking, bridges provide connective, structural, and spatial experiences while trains serve elemental functions such as efficiency, continuity, movement, and transportation.
The program is composed of eighty one units, an underground parking garage, two picnic/barbecue areas,
FALL 2016
LOCATION Tempe, Arizona
PROFESSORS Amit Upadhye, Mark Ryan
a community gym, and a rooftop interior/exterior pool that extends over and above the street.
Given the zoning and density requirements for Tempe, the most logical way to stack units was to orient the project on the north-south axis with the units having light access on the east and west sides. This posed a lot of problems given the hot climate during the morning and afternoon in phoenix. To combat this issue, the circulation forms shading walls on the east and west sides of the project and provides a structure for facades and interior hanging gardens. Each unit is connected to these circulation walls by small dedicated bridges. At the end of each bridge is a filled wall with a small window that fits into the structure. Stair cases and elevators are integrated into the circulation walls for convenient and compliant vertical circulation.
Since the project sits adjacent to loud railways on the east side of the site, the east facade is composed of angled glass and wall panels that redirect and mitigate unwanted sound.
The structure that holds the circulation extends over the street to allow a convenient connection to Tempe Beach Park for all of the residents of the project. A community center containing a clubhouse, a gym with restrooms, and an indoor/outdoor rooftop pool is located on the northern end of the site and connects to the east circulation wall with dedicated bridges as well. This project aims to be an efficient and sustainable housing community that improves quality of life in Tempe.
Three options of each one, two, and three bedroom units are available. One bedroom units all contain their own entry gardens as well as private balconies while certain versions of two and three bedroom units do not. Units are vertically staggered on top of one another to create space for balconies and outdoor living areas.
3 BEDROOM
Units
one and two story units stacked in a staggered and collective arrangement
Facade Panels
protect units from the East/West sun and from sound of adjacent trains
Walkways and Bridges provide a rich spatial environment with connections and garden space
Dichroic glass on the east facade is used to create a dynamic experience of color through different angles of sunlight.
Structure
composed of a lattice wall that supports the projects circulation and protects its spaces from the harsh desert and surrounding urban environment
Precast Concrete Research and Innovation Center (PCRIC)
For my very last studio at ASU we decided to study concrete. To start off this study we began to look at concrete textile blocks designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1920’s. Again, we divided the studio up into groups and assigned a project for each to study. In groups of six, we were required to construct drawings and research on a textile block used in one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s projects in Florida. The real task was to actually learn how to cast the block in concrete and fabricate formwork to create both realistic and modified replicas of the block.
During the next part of the studio we dove into learning about precast concrete technologies. Since our studio was funded by a local precast company, TPAC, in Phoenix, AZ, we were able to visit their job site to learn about the process of making precast concrete elements such as panels, beams, and platforms. We then moved into applying that knowledge in a competition that challenged us to use only precast elements in designing an art gallery.
After learning about concrete as a whole and gaining some experience in designing with it, we were tasked with designing a Precast Concrete Research and Innovation Center.
Located on ASU’s Tempe campus, the site is home to a warehouse that houses wood, textile, jewelry, and metal fabrication spaces. Shared by both the art and design school, the site sits conveniently accessible to both; just west of the design school and northwest of the art building. The existing and poorly designed u-shaped warehouse contains a shared courtyard in its center, full of valuable space for outdoor operations and activities.
Along with concrete mixing, casting, and experimentation spaces, the program of the project was to contain metal cutting/soldering spaces, a 3D printing lab, a laser cutting
PUBLICATION Discipline: ASU Architecture Journal | Issue 07
SPRING 2018
LOCATION Tempe, Arizona
lab with CNC routers, fabric cutting/sewing spaces, and multi-purpose studio spaces.
Given this type of project, regarding innovation and research, we chose to challenge ourselves and tried to push the boundaries of what could be designed with concrete.
We gained inspiration from the randomness found inside natural forests. A grid of square, eight-inch, concrete columns, rises from the empty courtyard into the air at more than double the height of the warehouse. A network of square, eight-inch, concrete beams connect into the columns to support platforms. At the ground level, the existing courtyard serves as outdoor concrete mixing, casting, and experimentation space. The rest of the programmatic areas float in the air as they are scattered throughout the forest of columns at various levels. The slightly contrasting levels create a multitude of mezzanine spaces. Each piece of program above ground level is contained by two rectangular concrete slabs on top and bottom with glazing all around. In conjunction with an elevator, a continuous ramp spirals up through the project providing primary circulation.
The only change we made to the existing warehouse was replacing the exterior walls shared by the courtyard, with glazing. The intent with this action was to give a subconscious feeling that could be described as “being inside a forest of working people”. This allows users to experience looking through the transparency of the project wherever they are inside.
Not only does this project aim to act as a physical testimony towards the research and innovation of concrete, but it also serves the same testament for other materials and fabrication areas that the project supports.
PROFESSORS Cathrine Spellman, Claudio Vekstien, Elena Rocci
TEAMMATE Yara Kamali
AWARD Nomination for Design Excellence
Composed of eight-inch square concrete columns and beams, copper metal connectors tie the structure together at each joint. There are three types of connections as shown above; a beam connecting to a beam, a beam connecting to the side of a column, and a beam connecting strait into a column. The beams support hollow core concrete slabs as well as the main ramp.
Columns + Structure
Veteran and Pioneer Cemetery
During my second semester of my second year studio at ASU we were tasked with designing a cemetery on an existing site in Phoenix, Arizona.
Located slightly to the west of downtown Phoenix, the Pioneer and Military Memorial Park is home to the graves of notable pioneers and military personnel from Phoenix, Arizona. The cemetery was founded in 1884 in what was known as “Block 32”. The “Block 32” cemetery is made up of seven historic cemeteries which were in use between 1884 and 1914. Each of the seven cemeteries has its own name: the “Ancient Order of United Workmen” (AOUW), “Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF)”, “Knights of Pythias” (K of P), “Loosley” (also known as City Cemetery), “Masons”, “Porter” and “Rosedale”. It is estimated that there are 3,700 burials, however, only about 775 of these graves have headstones.
To gather an understanding for the history and condition of the existing cemetery, we visited the site to physically record and document each grave. The site that we would be designing on is located on the north east corner of the cemetery. The north east corner is home to a sandwich shop and the historic Smurthwaite House. The Smurthwaite house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is used as the as the cemetery’s main office.
Given the old and outdated condition of the cemetery, I proposed a new building that would aim to honor the lives of those contained in the cemetery by acting as a memorial.
SPRING 2016
LOCATION Phoenix, Arizona
PROFESSOR Scott Murff
AWARD Design Excellence
Along with the main memorial space, the program includes offices, archives, historical information spaces, reflection spaces, and the addition of one hundred future graves reserved for people who will play a significant role in Arizona’s future history. The building is composed of two, three foot thick, walls that run parallel to each other and contain the main interior memorial space. This layout enables light to act as a metaphor for honor and commemoration. Names of the deceased are engraved on the south side of the memorial wall. The building is oriented on an east to west axis so the southern sun is constantly directing rays of light on to the south side of the memorial wall throughout the day. Thin holes are cut in the ceiling to allow slits of light to pass through and align with names engraved on the memorial wall. To commemorate their lives, their names will become illuminated with light on the day of their birth or death.
The user enters the project through a bold vertical cut in the memorial wall. Submerged five feet in the ground, the memorial is accessed through walking ramps that lower the user down to the same level as the bodies in the earth. Reflection/historical information spaces break out of the main memorial space in a series of three preceding rooms. Submerged five feet in the ground, these rooms look out southward over the landscape and graves at an empathetic level. The user can then exit the memorial via a ramp to the south to visit graves within the cemetery.
The overall intention of this project is to commemorate the lives of notable pioneers and military personnel from Phoenix, Arizona and their history.
During schematic design, I chose to make a map out the graves of all the military personnel. I then drew connections between same ranking personnel. The composition was translated to the site and the memorial walls were placed to shelter the area where a majority of the connections resided.
During my first semester of my masters program at Waseda University, my lab professor offered a studio that focused on design regarding the environment and earth’s future.
In this studio, we were tasked with deriving a design focus based upon the eight chapters of Buckminster Fuller’s book, “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth”. Of the eight chapters were: Comprehensive Propensities, Origins of Specialization, Comprehensively Commanded Automation, Spaceship Earth, General Systems Theory, Synergy, Integral Functions, and The Regenerative Landscape.
As my interests led me to choose to focus on Synergy and Integral Functions, I found myself creating a neomegastructure made of wood and inspired by new plans for wooden skyscrapers of the future like PLP Architecture’s Oakwood Timber Tower, and Nikken Sekkei’s W-350 project.
Attempting to carry a similar intention of these much anticipated mega-projects, I based the reason for this project on promoting green architecture and creating a more sustainable, healthy, and environmentally friendly future on this precious spaceship earth which has limited resources.
As housing and office towers, Shibakoenmae Sky Gardens connect to existing infrastructure and also use new
technology to realize new earth and real estate in the sky.
Starting in the foundation level well underneath street level, the project is structured so that building materials arrive via railway and construction processes occur mostly below the subway level. I designed a ball-bearingcore mechanism that allows for units to be assembled underground, injected into wooden-framed cores, and extruded from the bottom up as towers.
Cranes at the top of these towers lift building materials into the sky to span connections between towers and create sky gardens at different levels. These platforms serve as extensions of earth which can provide space for parks and farms and give structural rigidity to the whole system of towers.
The basement station, commercial levels, market place, and base level with restaurants and shops all serve as amenities for the surrounding public to use and enjoy.
Overall, through thinking about how integral functions, systems, and synergy can improve our impact on the environment, this project intends to manifest a move towards wooden sky scrapers and megastructures as the green architecture of the future. Instead of building architecture that takes up our limited earth we can design an architecture that creates new earth.
PUBLICATION 2021 Architectural Design and Engineering Annual Report | Waseda Architecture Journal
SPRING 2019
LOCATION Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
PROFESSOR Taishi Watanabe
Ball Bearing technology uses rolling friction to extrude construction from underground
Units are assembled underground on the core and extruded up into towers
Wind Turbines generate electricity from strong Tokyo winds
Density of turbines on the facade increase with higher heights
Solar Panels provide a passive source of energy
Balcony Gardens
give space to cultivate food and allow for a close connection with nature
Extrusion System
consists of ball bearing technology, a threaded core, and a rotating leverage gear in the underground construction level which allows each tower to extrude itself out of the ground
COMMUNAL GARDENS + AMENITIES
COMMUNAL GARDENS + AMENITIES
COMMUNAL GARDENS + AMENITIES
COMMUNAL GARDENS + AMENITIES
COMMUNAL GARDENS + AMENITIES
PUBLIC
MARKETPLACE COMMERCIAL
STATION / COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
FOUNDATION
Connecting the foundation with existing infrastructure through a new type of construction level activates a methodology of extruding new towers and new earth as sky gardens. As materials are delivered underground, assembled units are injected into cores and frame materials are lifted by cranes to create new land in the sky.