design portfolio vol 2o
table of contents A selection of projects from fall 2017 at Columbia GSAPP
displacement.........................................................................................................................1-6 theatre of progression.....................................................................................................7-12 post occupancy study.................................................................................................13-16 first contact..........................................................................................................................17-20 branch library....................................................................................................................21-26 additional works......................................................................benjgillis.wix.com/portfolio
Ben Gillis Ben J. J. Gillis
ben.j.gillis@outlook.com | NewYork, York,NY NY| |715.781.7608 715.781.7608 ben.j.gillis@outlook.com | New
Education Education
•Masters of Architecture candidate Spring 2020. Columbia University •Masters of Architecture candidate Spring 2020. Columbia University GSAPP •Invited as a critic for New York to Paris studio review.
GSAPP •Invited as a critic for New York to Paris studio review. New York, NY •Achieved high pass in all required studio and representation courses. New York, NY •Achieved high pass in all required studio and representation courses. •Graduated Summa Cum Laude, Spring 2017. North Dakota State University •Graduated Summa Cum Laude, Spring 2017. North Dakota State University College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences •Bachelors of Science in Architecture. College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences •Bachelors of Science in Architecture. Fargo, ND •Bachelors of Science in Philosophy with a focus in aesthetics. Fargo, ND •Bachelors of Science in Philosophy with a focus in aesthetics.
Work Experience Work Experience
Corgan Associates •Generated design schemes, renderings and proposal packages for internal and client review. •Generated design schemes, renderings and proposal packages for sets, internal client review. Corgan Associates •Created and revised architectural construction drawings, red line andand supplemental Summer 2016 | 2017
for contractor implementation. and revised architectural construction drawings, red line sets, and supplemental Summer 2016 | 2017 Dallas,•Created TX drawings for contractor •Participated in and implementation. facilitated design meetings concerning projects and disciplines in several Dallas, TX drawings stages ofindevelopment anddesign construction. •Participated and facilitated meetings concerning projects and disciplines in several •Contributed to all 10 projects on the US’s largest colocation data center campus from initial stages of development and construction. design development to finalonconstruction documentation revisions. •Contributed to all 10 projects the US’s largest colocationand data center campus from initial design development to final construction documentation and revisions. NDSU ALA Department •Developed and updated the department’s design language for NCARB accreditation, event outreach, and yearly lecture series. Department | 2015 - 2017 •Developed and updated the department’s design language for NCARB accreditation, event NDSU ALA Assistant Department several tutorial documents and offered training on design tools for student use. Fargo, outreach, ND •Produced and yearly lecture series. Department Assistant | 2015 - 2017 •Actedseveral as student representative onand several department anddesign university committees projects to •Produced tutorial documents offered training on tools for studentand use. Fargo, ND facilitate a dialogue between the faculty and my peers. •Acted as student representative on several department and university committees and projects to facilitate a dialogue between the faculty and my peers. Wausau Homes •Worked directly with general contractors and subcontractors throughout the process of Design Studio Intern | Summer 2015 construction Wausau Homes •Worked directly with general contractors and subcontractors throughout the process of New Richmond, WI •Interacted daily with potential and current clients regarding their new home. Design Studio Intern | Summer 2015 construction •Experienced how to discuss problems and complaints with customers during the high stress daily with potential and current clients regarding their new home. New Richmond, WI •Interacted process of building a new home. •Experienced how to discuss problems and complaints with customers during the high stress process of building a new home.
Leadership & Awards Clinton Global & Initiative, 2016 •Invited to attend & present on the effects of gentrification in Downtown Fargo. Leadership Awards
ArchDaily, 2015 •Fall Editorial Internship Finalist. Clinton Global Initiative, 2016 •Invited to attend & present on the effects of gentrification in Downtown Fargo. Tau ArchDaily, Sigma Delta, 2015-17 •Vice president. Initiated student run lecture series on software and presentation techniques. 2015 •Fall Editorial Internship Finalist. NDSU Search Committee, 2016 •Student representative for Architecture Department. Tau Means Sigma Committee, Delta, 2015-17 •Vice•Student president. Initiated student run lecture series softwareArchitecture and presentation techniques. Creative 2016-17 representative for the Architecture and on Landscape Department. NDSU Search Committee, 2016 2016 Delsie Holmquist Scholarship, •Student representative forwho Architecture •Awarded to a student has madeDepartment. achievements fellow students can see and learn from. Glen Hill Scholarship, •Chosen by the College of Arts and Humanities based on academic accomplishments. Creative Means Committee, 2016-17 2015 •Student representative for the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Department. Patrick E. Scholarship, Germ Scholarship, •Awarded to an exceptional year architecture student. Delsie Holmquist 2016 2014 •Awarded to a student who has second made achievements fellow students can see and learn from. Glen Hill Scholarship, 2015 •Chosen by the College of Arts and Humanities based on academic accomplishments. Patrick E. Germ Scholarship, 2014 •Awarded to an exceptional second year architecture student.
Software & Skills
Rhino •Advanced knowledge of software and preferred means of digital modeling
Software & Autodesk SkillsSuite
•Proficient in Revit, 3ds Max, AutoCAD, Inventor, and Flow Design
Adobe•Advanced CC •Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign,and After Effects, means and Premiere Promodeling Rhino knowledge of software preferred of digital Maxwell Render •Proficient in Rhino and Revit Plug-in,Inventor, and Maxwell suiteDesign Autodesk Suite •Proficient in Revit, 3ds Max, AutoCAD, and Flow Vray •Proficient with both Rhino and 3ds plug-ins Adobe CC •Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, and Premiere Pro Final Cut Pro •Experience in filming, editing, and Motion Effects Maxwell Render •Proficient in Rhino and Revit Plug-in, and Maxwell suite Microsoft Office Suite •Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access Vray •Proficient with both Rhino and 3ds plug-ins 3DPro Printing •Model design, promotional materials, machine maintenance Final Cut •Experience in filming, editing, and Motionand Effects
Microsoft OfficeLaser SuiteCutter •Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and Access •Cutting image etching from AutoCAD and Illustrator, and machine maintenance Sketching •Communicate ideas and concepts quickly and effectively 3D Printing •Model design, promotional materials, and machine maintenance
Laser Cutter •Cutting and image etching from AutoCAD and Illustrator, and machine maintenance benjgillis.wix.com/portfolio Sketching •Communicate ideas and concepts quickly and effectively
displacement Studio: Core 01, Fall 2017 Critic: Carrie Norman Duration: 2.5 Weeks
Designed through the lens of ‘displacement through misplaced items’ this intervention takes the ground plane as an operable medium for viewing the newly relocated lost and found items from the MTA at the new 14th St subway station. pg|01
Displacement Section Perspective
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Floor Plans
Platform Level -35’
Turnstile Level -20’
Entrance Level 0’
Level 02 14’
Level 03 28’
Level 04 42’
Level 05 56’
Curation of the lost items As the lost items begin to populate the site, cast within transparent vessels, they form a series of curated galleries and hypostyle halls that create several points of destination within the context of one subway station. These galleries were then organized by content; becoming a series of portrait galleries, wardrobes, and kiosks rising 7 stories above the platform. pg|04
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theatre of progression Studio: Core 01, Fall 2017 Critic: Carrie Norman Duration: 3.5 Weeks
Considering this project through the simple lens of subject and observer, the theatre took on the role of stoic observer to it’s ever changing context, which becomes the subject. Tying the ideas of subject and observer back the program of the theatre allows for an expanded narrative wherein each of the theater’s orientation and exposure relates to the program within. pg|07
Theatre of Progression Ben Gillis
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Black Box Theatre Level - 70’
Restroom
Dressing Rooms
Costume Storage
Prop Storage
Dressing Rooms
Theater Office
Proscenium Theatre Level - 0’
FDR Drive
East Rive r Prome
nade
Amphitheater Level - 50’
Theatre Floor Plans 25’
50’
>
0’
Progressive drawings Having chosen three subjects based on there progression over time, the river traffic changing by the minute, the development of the river front yearly, and the sea level slowly over the centuries, the challenge then became how the theatre could both observe and record these changes. The facade at the amphitheater is composed of wide open slate allowing for maximum exposure, while the proscenium stage becomes most dense to allow change to be measured slowly, slat by slat. At the Black Box Theatre the facade becomes a panoramic backdrop to the stage allowing for optimal viewing of the developing waterfront. pg|10
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post occupancy study Studio: Architecture Drawing and Representation, Fall 2017 Critic: Bika Rebek Duration: 14 weeks
A semester long critical study of Diller Scofidio, and Renfro’s Vagelos Education Center at Columbia’s Washington Heights campus, this project is a study of how the space is currently being used in relation to the idea of ‘study cascade’ proposed by the firm.
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i have no idea what’s going on with this assignment
big shock susan this city...
get your smelly feet off the chair!
oh honey, no...
and then he asked if he could touch my hair!
yea, that’s not ok
and then the cat with the pumpkin hat started ringing the other cats bell
he said what to who!? and they were roomates
well, no, he just tweeted it out
just let us borrow your fidget spinner
oh my god, they were roomates
fidget spinners are over...
and she said it’ll only take an hour
and then i go into sun salutation like this
and you believed her?
i hate this floor, there’s nothing here
then why did we get off here?
RED MEAT IS BAD!!
so is the wage gap but you don’t see us doing anything about that either
but then they both started ringing each others bells
here’s my new iphone
VAGELOS EDUCATION CENTER
wait, they’re in school for how long?! yea, and they’re not even doctors
but they probably make good money right?
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should’ve just waited for the ‘x’
POST OCCUPANCY CONVERSATIONAL section perspective STUDY AD+R 1 fall 2017. by: Ben Gillis
What’s really being said at the VEC While my weekly visits to the building began as a purely data driven expedition, counting people and group sizes, much of my interest shifted when I started to listen in on the subjects I was counting. While the main activity within the ‘study cascade’ was indeed academic, the conversations ranged from research on red meat to cat videos seen on youtube. Documenting this, to me, became a much more useful study when gauging the use of this collaborative environment. pg|16
first contact Studio: Techniques of the Ultrareal, Fall 2017 Critic: Phillip Crupi and Joe Brennan Partner: Julia Gielen Duration: 14 Weeks
With the only given prompt being a renderable scene with a piece of architecture, my partner and I endeavored to create a scene with copious amounts of tension in an otherwise static series of images. This was done cinematically with the implementation of a foreign object, in this case a space ship juxtaposed with a more familiar architectural and natural environment. pg|17
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Digital and physical implementation Throughout the semester we were not only asked to learn rendering software but to also consider the real life implications of the digital settings we were adjusting. Framing as well as advanced camera settings were mutually influential in both the digital rendering process as well as the real-life assignments in photography and sketching. pg|20
branch library Studio: Core 02, Spring 2018 Critic: JosĂŠ AragĂźez Duration: In Progress
Exploring the spatial possibilities of the polyhedral sponge structure, this project, currently in mid review phase, provides a bound space within an additional continuous bound space. The remainder of the semester is to be spent pursuing additional variation within the polyhedral spatial infrastructure I've developed. pg|21
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Continuous link of spaces At this stage of the project the library program is beginning to be incorporated into the polyhedral infrastructure. With continuous programmatic elements the library takes on a meandering, yet directed path to points within the library. This allows for a variance of spaces that all receive unique diffused light from the perforated skin of the building. pg|24
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Study through models Due to the complexities of polyhedral, the most effective way to begin communicating the spacial qualities they produce was through physical models. From space frames and solids, to acrylic and perforation, the duality of the bound and bounded space is a challenge still being explored through study and presentation models. pg|26
benjgillis.wix.com/portfolio