BS architectural engineering - cockrell school of engineering - university of texas at austin
michael l monroe portfolio of creative work
i. foreward architecture has been a process that has surrounded itself in my personal, educational and professional circles. my appreciation has intensified as i have matured and experienced it firsthand. i am challenging myself to explore a future that combines technically engineered designs with innovative spatial and environmental strategies. my goal is to produce construction solutions that communicate purpose and improve functionality.
this portfolio contains the design work of michael l monroe contents
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ACADEMIC WORK university of texas at austin department of civil, architectural, and environmental engineering
bell pepper lamp structure A/E design office ARE building proposal
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INDEPENDENT & PROFESSIONAL
photography cake&lighting travels faa
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3 “bell pepper� introduction to design I. fall 2007.
assignment: purchase, observe, sketch, and model a bell pepper. while working with the bell pepper i realized that many of its best features were only visible from the inside. the voids of space in the interior cavity allowed you to see its most interesting aspects: deep curves, and unique textures. my goal became to highlight the bell pepper’s interior layers. i took a cross-sectional approach so that each basswood “slice” could reveal something unique about its shape. by vertically suspending each piece with fishing wire, i was able to transform the distinct 2-D sections into one whole, solid volume.
5 “lamp� introduction to design I. fall 2007.
assignment: design an original basswood piece that can be structurally supported by a single stick. the idea for the lamp came from the concept of overlapping rectangles. the end result is a clean, precise, orthogonal piece that combines primary and secondary structural members. i lined the back of each bass wood facade with transparent paper to incorporate the element of light into the interior space.
7 “design of fice� introduction to design I. fall 2007
UNFAVORABLE VIEW
Studio I
Kitchen
Bathroom
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my objective was to give this model a refined presence that you would find in a private design office. by carefully balancing concrete and steel, i was able to take advantage of the waterfront view, while obscuring the unfavorable property behind the building.
East Foyer
FAVORABLE VIEW
assignment: design a new A/E office that takes advantage of one favorable and one unfavorable view. model will be represented by bass wood (steel) and chip board (concrete).
Lobby
dual entrances, a reflecting pond, and an open roof terrace add elegant touches to this modern design.
South Gallery Entrance
all material components were calculated and discussed with visiting professional engineers for structural soundness and constructability.
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LEVEL I FLOORPLAN
“ARE building proposal� Introduction to design II. spring 2008.
ECJ
Collaborative class model of UT engineering campus
assignment: design a new ARE (architectural engineering) building for the UT engineering campus. i wanted the new building to stand out as a signature piece of architecture unlike the rest of the engineering quad. this design takes advantage of the small plot of land just south of the ECJ, which currently houses the department of civil, architectural, and environmental engineering. structural members were sized and detailed for constructability and realworld application. the new ARE facility is connected to the ECJ via a two-story skybridge to allow for continued sharing of resources and student interaction. i implemented sustainable technology by adding a dramatic double-skin curtain wall to facades receiving significant sunlight--effectively reducing the cooling load. the organic curved metal frames were an original design concept to juxtapose the straight lines of the adjacent structures. they give the building an unmistakable distinction on the university campus.
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original sketchbook concepts
ECJ
11 the new york times building. new york, ny. 2010
warwick hotel. new york, ny. 2010
photography
milwaukee art museum. milwaukee, wi. 2010.
the farnsworth house. plano, il. 2009
i was careful when selecting the building materials. i used gumpaste for the roof awnings in favor of its strong properties in tension. cake batter and fondant created the glass terraces. all ingredients were 100% edible and offered the same balance of “glass” and “concrete” that make this theatre so stunning.
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hans otto theatre. in CAKE. summer 07.
reference photo. hans otto theatre . potsdam, germany. 2011.
lighting design. 2004. 2006. 2010. i’ve long been fascinated by Christmas lights for their ability to captivate the mind with their creative displays of electrical design. i have spent many years creating imaginative, well-balanced, multithousand-light displays that use a wide variety of techniques and materials. noteworthy recognitions include: 5th place- Texas Hill Country. 2004 1st Place- Ranch @ Cypress Creek. 2004
backpacking adventure 2011
6 weeks, 7 countries, 1 backpack
inspired to experience the diversity of culture and architecture across europe, i logged over 15,000 miles in forty days of travel. it exposed me to centuries of art, history, and civilization. it has motivated me not only to appreciate the past and present, but to explore the future with an open mind. photography: Nikon D5000 18-200 mm
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berlin, germany
amsterdam, netherlands
paris, france
rome, italy
istanbul, turkey
vilnius, lithuania
f端ssen, germany
munich, germany
prague, czech republic
abilene, texas new airport traffic control tower and administrative base building. reviewed and approved material submittals including hydronic water piping, hangers and supports, architectural finishes, glass canopies, and light gauge metal framing. (bottom right) tower was constructed with cast-in-place lifts of reinforced concrete. i inspected and approved reinforcement bar spacing, on-site concrete testing, as well as embed plate locations. this picture was taken from a condor lift the morning before a concrete pour at the tower. (top right) ABI ATCT cab lift. January 21st, 2011. (left)
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chicago midway asde-x. june 2009 - aprile 201o
abilene regional atct. may 2010 - may 2011
federal aviation adminstration (april 2009 - present )
chicago, illinois ASDE-X: airport surface detection equipment; surveillance system that employs radar and satellite technology to track surface movement of aircraft and vehicles. directed construction of 13 remote unit (RU) antenna sites surrounding the airport. each site consisted of multi-ton pier foundations that supported fiberglass antenna poles containing multilateration sensors. (top left) coordinated SMR (surface movement radar) antenna installation on existing tower and ‘waveguide’ cabling to link equipment racks to cab consoles. (bottom left) known as “the busiest square mile in the world”, i routinely escorted contracting personnel across active runways and taxiways on midway’s airfield.
resident engineer, E.I.T. terminal - surveillance - weather
kalamazoo/battle creek atct. september 2011 - present
traverse city cherry capital atct. may 2011 - july 2011
traverse city, michigan new airport traffic control tower and administrative base building. inspected each concrete lift of pre-cast during the tower erection phase including fully grouted joints, splice sleeves, welded connections and reinforced keyway strips between panels. (top right) redesigned indoor fire-rated walls to conceal an electrical contractor error while roughing in the main power switchboard. structural steel cab and precast outrigger assembly. (middle, bottom right)
kalamazoo, michigan view from crane-held manbasket while overseeing construction of the new airport traffic control tower and base building. (bottom left) implemented the design of the FAA STD 019e signal reference grid (SRG), in the raised floor equipment room of the TRACON (terminal radar approach control). consoles, radar and data racks were exothermically welded to the building’s counterpoise system to properly ground equipment essential to the national air space (NAS). (top left) provided alternative cable tray designs up electrical chase of the tower and throughout the basebuilding. selected interior finishes including prewired modular workstations.
BS architectural engineering - cockrell school of engineering - university of texas at austin
michael l monroe portfolio of creative work